Newsletters

We publish 2 newsletters each year, one in April featuring reports of the last season's lectures and one in September previewing the following season's lectures. Short articles on local and family history are usually included. These can accessed here

Current news November 2021 We have a varied set of talks leading up to the festive season:

  • Wed 10th November there will be a talk by John Cruickshank entitled Spinning through the West Riding. This will give us an insight into the considerable skills needed to produce the yarn so vital to our local cloth making economy before the introduction of powered industrial processes. A short AGM will precede the talk

  • Wed 24th November. Nigel Smith our Archivist and Publications Officer has authored a number of books and his latest ‘The Medieval Park of Erringden’ brings together his research on this very interesting feature of our local area. His talk will draw us into the medieval hunting scene and then on to the division of the park and the settlements which followed it being abolished in the mid-fifteenth century.

  • Wed 8th December. Our final talk before Christmas is the Alan Petford Memorial Lecture. The Dam that isn’t and the Great Floating Plug of the Colden. Dave Smalley has had a lifelong interest in the evolution of the landscape and the history of man’s impact on it. He will be talking about his research and about the early construction of dams built for the textile industry in our local area

And for more zooming and researching the Society is a member of the British Association for Local History BALH is a national charity which promotes local history and serves local historians. It publishes both The Local Historian, a quarterly journal, and Local History News, a topical magazine. These are both available to look at in our archive and for the duration of the pandemic are free to download from the BALH website (www.balh.org.uk). The Society also publishes books and pamphlets on local history. The website offers a wealth of online resources including webinars, workshops, podcasts, ten-minute talks and a blog as well as information on forthcoming events.

***The Archives ***

The HBLHS archives at the Birchcliffe Centre are now open.

More details on dates and times are provided in the newsletter and on the HBLHS website: http://www.hebdenbridgehistory.org.uk/archive/index.html.

Booking is via email: Archives: librarian@hebdenbridgehistory.org Family History: info@evergreenancestry.com

*** Local Events ***

Calderdale Heritage Walks have announced a new winter programme

There are walks up and down the valley and an interesting range of topics. Local to us Anne Mealia will be leading a walk on 28th November – Going to Church in Todmorden.

https://calderdaleheritagewalks.org.uk/winter.html

A number of the walks around Halifax are linked to the Lister family and Shibden Hall.

And if you are a Gentleman Jack fan……

David Glover who was a recent speaker is giving an illustrated talk on Ann Walker, ‘wife to Gentleman Jack’ at the Grayson Unity Bar in Halifax on Wed 1st December

https://aloud.seetickets.com/tour/wife-to-gentleman-jack-ann-walker

The exhibition celebrating 100 years of the Hebden Bridge Picture House is now open and will be on show at the Town Hall to 20th November

An exhibition celebrating the Centenary of the Royal British Legion St James, Church Lane, Mytholm, Hebden Bridge HX7 6DS is organising the following: 6th November to 21st November - A Local History Exhibition commemorating the centenary of the Royal British Legion and the WW1 memorials of the parish church of Hebden Bridge. The church will be open during these two weeks for people to view the exhibition (and if wished to have a drink and chat) whilst listening to appropriate music provided by The Lost Chord Ensemble and choir from The Little Theatre, Sacred Song Group, Young at Heart singers and local musicians, Saxoclypse Quartet and Daniel Bath on the organ and piano with Peadar Long playing a variety of wind instruments. The church website lists all the free events which have been organised including a talk, Sermons in Wood and Stone, and lunch and refreshments appropriate to the period including Trench Stew. www.stjameshebdenbridge.com or find us on facebook.

Calling all Family History enthusiasts 1921 Census online publication date announced

On 27th October the National Archives announced that the 1921 Census for England and Wales will be published online by Findmypast on 6 January 2022.https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/

The Association of Genealogists and Researchers in Archives (AGRA) are running another series of podcasts, covering Legal and chancery records, Manorial and estate records and Poor Law, settlement records and workhouses among other topics: https://www.agra.org.uk/podcasts

Current news October 2021

Wed 27th October with a talk by Heather Clark entitled ‘Sylvia Plath in Yorkshire’ Sylvia Plath’s poetry is acclaimed world-wide and Heather Clark will discuss the poet’s West Yorkshire links, and how these places feature in her poetry. Heather is Professor of Contemporary Poetry at the University of Huddersfield and author of several books about Sylvia Plath.

Further details of the Lecture Programme are available in the Autumn 2021 Newsletter which has recently been distributed to members and is also available on the website: http://www.hebdenbridgehistory.org.uk/events/pdf/Newsletter-Autumn-2021.pdf

*** Please note that the date for the AGM and lecture that follows should be 10th November (not 11th November as it appears on page 13 of the Newsletter) ***

A reminder to members that membership renewals for 2021/22 season are now due. At the SGM in August it was agreed to increase the subscription to £15 which we think still represents excellent value for money.

The Archives are Opening

The HBLHS archives at the Birchcliffe Centre will reopen for members at the end of September. The first date will be the morning of Saturday 25th September. Family History meetings will restart on Saturday 2nd October in the afternoon. More details on dates and times are provided in the newsletter and on the HBLHS website: http://www.hebdenbridgehistory.org.uk/archive/index.html.

Numbers are limited and pre-booking is required. Masks and hand-sanitising will also be necessary. Booking is via email: Archives: librarian@hebdenbridgehistory.org Family History: info@evergreenancestry.com

Another plug for our most recent publication

Nigel Smith’s book, The Medieval Park of Erringden, is now available for £11.99 either from the Bookcase on Market Street or through the HBLHS website (plus £2 for postage): http://www.hebdenbridgehistory.org.uk/publications/index.html

*** Save the date! *** The AGM is scheduled for 10th November and any items/proposals for discussion and any nominations for officers or committee members should reach the secretary by the 8th October 2021. Contact details are: Hon Secretary, Hebden Bridge Local History Society, Birchcliffe Centre, Hebden Bridge, HX7 8DG. Email: secretary@hebdenbridgehistory.org.uk