A talk by Alex Clifford at Keighley Local Studies Library, on Saturday 30th May at 1:30pm.
Philip Snowden was a product of the moors of Brontë country. With typical Yorkshire grit, he overcame grinding rural poverty and paralysing disability to become the Labour Party’s first Chancellor of the Exchequer.
But one decision would change his life totally, turning him from socialist hero to traitor and villain and resulting in his expulsion from the party.
Snowden embraced his new role with gusto, dedicating the rest of his life to attacking the party and people he had once loved. His bitter, self-destructive quest for vengeance has strange parallels to a more famous fictional moorland outsider.
Join historian Alexander Clifford, editor of a new edition of Snowden’s autobiography, as he explores the fascinating story of how and why Philip Snowden betrayed his party to ruthlessly pursue a political vendetta. Was he Labour’s Heathcliff?
Please note: this is a ticketed event with a charge of £3 per ticket, to be paid in cash on arrival. Places are limited, so please book yours in advance either through Ticketsourceor by contacting Keighley Local Studies(01535 618215, KeighleyLocalStudies@bradford.gov.uk).
A talk by Susan Dunne at Bradford Local Studies Library, on Tuesday 19th May at 11:30am.
Elizabeth Gaskell (1810-1865) was a prolific Victorian novelist known for her social realism and vivid depictions of provincial life. She was also a biographer, her most famous biography being of her friend and fellow author Charlotte Bronte.
In this talk, Susan Dunne gives a fascinating insight into the way Elizabeth Gaskell portrayed Haworth and more widely Yorkshire in her work and how local people responded to this.
Susan Dunne is a journalist, teacher and author of the book ‘Charlotte Bronte and Elizabeth Gaskell.
Contact Bradford Local Studies (01274 433688, local.studies@bradford.gov.uk) for more information or to book a place.
Bradford and Its Children: The History of School Meals
As part of the Bradford Heritage Festival, running from 13–19 July 2026, Bradford Local Studies is working with West Yorkshire Archives and Bradford Heritage Connection to launch a new series exploring Bradford Firsts—innovations and social movements that began right here in the city.
With this year’s Festival theme focusing on Education, our first blog looks at something that has shaped childhood for generations: the creation of school meals. This story begins in Bradford, with remarkable civic effort, compassion, and community action that would influence national policy.
A Bradford Community Cookbook – We Need Your Recipes!
To celebrate the diverse heritage that makes Bradford the most culturally rich city in Yorkshire and the Humber, we are creating a Bradford Community Cookbook.
We’re inviting you to share:
a treasured family recipe,
a favourite school pudding, or
a dish passed down through generations.
The first 50 submissions will be compiled into a published community cookbook celebrating Bradford’s vibrant food heritage.
📧 Send your recipes to: local.studies@bradford.gov.uk 📌 Email subject line: Community Cookbook
136 years ago, Bradford’s civic leaders recognised an urgent social issue: thousands of children in the city were undernourished, and in many cases, starving. In January 1890, a committee of prominent citizens—Mr A. Boyle (President), Mr Arthur Perston (Secretary), Mr J.W. Woodcock (Treasurer), and Messrs W.G. Asquith, F.J. Stockton, and A. Ingle—established the Cinderella Club.
The idea had originated with Robert Blatchford, co‑founder and editor of the Clarion newspaper in Manchester, who had already inspired the creation of similar clubs in his own district.
On Tuesday 28 January 1890, this advertisement appeared in the Bradford Daily Telegraph:
(1)
(2)
Only two weeks later, on 11 February 1890, the Telegraph published a lengthy commentary titled “A Social Question”, discussing the work of both the Cinderella Club and the Salvation Army. At first glance, the writer appears sceptical of charitable feeding schemes; however, their real concern lay in the temporary nature of such efforts and whether the wealthier classes would have the commitment to maintain long‑term support.
Early Work and Early Impact
Despite these concerns, the Cinderella Club quickly became a major force in the city. In the first four months, the club provided weekly teas and entertainments to nearly 5,000 children.
On Monday 24 February 1890, the Third Weekly Treat took place, with 1,000 children in attendance—joined by Sir Henry Mitchell and Mr James Hanson, who both addressed the gathering.
The children were served a nourishing meal consisting of:
a meat sandwich
a pint of tea
a sweet bun
an orange
followed by an evening of entertainment.
(3(4)
A distinctive feature of the Cinderella Club was its refusal to associate with any political or religious organisation. Its founders believed that poverty relief should transcend sectarian and party lines—an unusually progressive stance for the era.
By 1891, the Club expanded its support to include clothing. That summer, Mrs Titus Salt, Alderman William C. Lupton, and the Lord Mayor, Mr Jacob Moser, introduced countryside excursions for children. In 1898, Sir William and Lady Priestley funded special outings for widows as well.
Between 1890 and 1901, the Bradford Daily Telegraph ran the Telegraph Cinderella Fund, raising £4,842 18s. 1d. to support this work.
By 1902–3, the Club had provided:
110,340 meals
5,116 teas and entertainments
1,018 Christmas dinners
These were extraordinary achievements driven by community generosity and commitment.
The Cinderella Club and the Education Committee
A turning point came in October 1904, when Frederick Jowett of the Independent Labour Party and a member of the Bradford Education Committee, supported by social reformer Margaret McMillan, asked the Club to compile a report on child hunger.
This report estimated that around 3,000 children in Bradford were experiencing hunger severe enough to affect their health and education.
The Education Committee asked the Cinderella Club to begin providing meals for the most urgent cases. Within a week, meals were being supplied to 34 schools, prepared initially at Green Lane School and served by teachers.
This arrangement continued until July 1905, when Bradford Council took over formal provision under the new Education (Provision of Meals) Act 1906. Link to the Act: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Edw7/6/57/enacted
Below is an extract from the Committee’s report: (5)
What the Children Ate: 1904–5 Meal Schedule
From The Bradford Cinderella Club: Coming of Age, 1890–1911 (Willie Gill), the menu for the winter of 1904–5 included:
Mondays & Wednesdays – a pint of nourishing lentil soup (meat stock with lentils and vegetables), 2–3 oz of bread, followed by one or more plates of rice pudding.
Tuesdays & Thursdays – savoury meat hash with potatoes and onions, bread, and rice pudding.
Fridays – pea soup (prepared as above), bread, and rice pudding.
Saturdays – an evening meal of tea, sandwiches and buns.
The simplicity of the meals belies their importance: they were often the only substantial food children received all day.
The Only Cinderella Club Still Operating
Remarkably, the Bradford Cinderella Club is the only one still in operation today, continuing its mission to support the city’s children more than 130 years after its founding.
This history aligns with the meals later formalised under the 1906 Provision of Meals Act. Bradford Local Studies holds an original 1906 school meal recipe booklet, compiled by Marion E. Cuff, Superintendent of Domestic Subjects.
(6)
In our next blog, we’ll explore some of these early recipes, attempt to recreate a few, and discuss the remarkable logistics of preparing meals for more than 3,000 children across the Bradford district.
Send Us Your Recipes!
Help us celebrate Bradford’s diverse food heritage. 📧 local.studies@bradford.gov.uk 📌 Subject: Community Cookbook
Bradford History Lunchtime Lectures Bradford Local Studies Library
These talks are given by members of FoBALS (Friends of Bradford Archives & Local Studies) with Bradford Local Studies Library and West Yorkshire Archives Bradford.
Doors open at 2 pm for a 2:15 pm start. Free entry to all events. Booking essential.
Roman Archaeology in Yorkshire – an illustrated talk by Derek Barker Thursday 30th October 2025 2:15 pm
This is a free event, but booking is essential
For more information or to book a place please telephone or email Bradford Local Studies Library, Telephone 01274 433688, Email local.studies@bradford.gov.uk. Bradford Local Studies Library, Margaret McMillan Tower, Princes Way, BD1 1NN.
