Bruce Springsteen has been thanked for supporting the 1984 strike after it emerged he secretly donated a massive cheque to two miners' wives at a gig.
The rock star surprised the wives with a $20,000 cheque - the equivalent of £16,000 - at a Newcastle gig during the strike 40 years ago.
Juliana Heron, who is now 76, ran a miners' support group at Eppleton, near Sunderland, at the time.
She said the singer told her 'I truly support what the miners are doing' as he gave her and her friend the cheque.
Springsteen didn't seek any publicity for the gesture but Mrs Heron said it made a 'big difference' to the families.