Bradford Local Studies Library with Friends of Bradford Local Studies & Archives
‘The Night-Soil Men’
Launch of the new book by Bill Broady
Thursday 11th July
Doors open at 1pm for a 1.15pm start.
“Set between 1893 and 1937, ‘The Night-Soil Men’ begins with a birth—of the Independent Labour Party– and ends with a death and a strange ceremony high on Ickornshaw Moor. Its main characters are Bradford MP Fred Jowett, Philip Snowden(the first Labour chancellor) and the eternally enigmatic and scandalous Victor Grayson. Long in its research and its writing, the book is wildly ambitious in its scope, with its concerns extending far beyond the political world…” The event will feature readings from the book by local author Bill Broady.
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.
On Saturday 1st June, staff at Keighley Local Studies Library launched another in their series of Keighley Heritage Town Trails, this time: Pubs and Breweries’ History Trail of Keighley using the Keighley Local Studies’ Archives, price £2.50, limited publication only.
The trail consists of a walk around our town to look at 10 of the oldest pubs and how their histories, as with many old buildings, also help to tell the unfolding story of this unique place and of some of their associated characters, some of whom would contribute directly to Keighley’s development and achievements. In Keighley’s case there is the publican who founded Keighley’s Free grammar school in 1713 and so helped to launch the careers of some very high achievers from the subsequent Keighley Boys’ Grammar School, including two historians who changed the course of history writing: Sir Herbert Butterfield (who highlighted a Whig interpretation of history) and Lord Asa Briggs (champion of urban and social history, higher education, the Open University and code breaker at Bletchley Park).
Staff were helped in the writing and production of the trail by our local specialist in pub history, Eddie Kelly. He gave generously of his time and in-depth research of Keighley’s history over many years. The Library already holds a couple of Eddie’s studies in the library that are very popular with researchers, and he also produced his own history for the occasion: Some Lost Pubs of Keighley, From Church Green to the Pinfold that was published for sale for £7.50, limited publication only, all proceeds to the Library service.
A large display accompanied the launch including records from Keighley Local Studies’ substantial archive such as photographs, business archives and local estate agent’s Weatherhead collection of sale plans. Town plans and trade directories were also on exhibited and a source that proved very useful: Keighley Year Books and Almanacks because in their descriptions of local societies, they include how many met and even held competitions in hotels and pubs, like the Gooseberry Growers’ Association that held their annual meetings and prize giving at the Wellington Inn in Hanover in the 1870s. As always, news cuttings were an important addition as well as local histories of pubs, hotels and inns, business guides and books on how to trace your publican ancestry. Some of the buildings that were researched have fine historic architectural features and consequently are listed by English Heritage, these descriptions were also made available such as for one of the oldest, Taylor’s on the Green, formerly more locally known as The Lord Rodney.
Attendees were also fortunate to see a large sample from a very fine collection of beer mats by no other than ex Keighley Reference Librarian and local historian, Dr Ian Dewhirst MBE that attracted a lot of attention and brought back many memories of changing fads and fashions in drinking in Yorkshire pubs over the last 50 years or so.
The turn-out was satisfyingly about right for an unusually dry, warm and sunny Saturday and copies of both trails were sold and some since. The basic display is up for another week or so but due to the limited publication of both, it has been decided to publish some sections of the Keighley Local Studies’ trail online each week on this blog. We hope that you will enjoy them.
Well-known Local historian Eddie Kelly will discuss some of Keighley’s lost pubs, and there will be an opportunity for visitors to examine Archives including maps, plans and photos, of old hostelries in the town.
The study of Keighley’s pubs, some of Keighley’s oldest buildings, in turn reveals the progress and development of the town’s history and growth.
For example, how a pub landlord set a train of developments that directly led to the education of two of England’s greatest historians, both locally born and educated, Lord Asa Briggs and Sir Herbert Butterfield Find out which pub the Brontes stayed in, and which was the scene of a Christmas murder.
This is a free event. No need to book.
For more information, please telephone or email Keighley Local Studies Library, Telephone 01535 618215, Email keighleylocalstudies@bradford.gov.uk Keighley Local Studies Library, 1st floor, Keighley Library, North Street, Keighley, BD21 3SX.
Doors open at 1pm for a 1.15pm start. Free entry to all events. Booking 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.
Stained and painted glass has embellished places of worship since Anglo-Saxon times, but huge numbers of medieval glass windows were destroyed at the Reformation and during the English Civil War. The vigorous Victorian industry revived the practices and designs of medieval glass making to create a magnificent heritage of sacred and secular glass, with William Morris & Co. being only one of a group of gifted glass artists. Locally important glass can be seen at the Cathedral and many local parish churches such as Ilkley, Skipton and Haworth. Bradford Museums & Galleries deserve great praise for their curation and display of glass at Bolling Hall and Cliffe Castle, Keighley.
Dr Simon Ross Valentine: ‘The Royal Statues of Bradford City Hall: A History Lesson in Stone’, an illustrated talk.
Thursday 29th February, 1.15pm, Bradford Local Studies Library. Margaret McMillan Tower, Princes Way, BD1 1NN.
Well known writer, journalist and local historian Dr Simon Ross Valentine will give an illustrated talk on the magnificent series of statues that adorn the exterior walls of Bradford City Hall. The statues, each seven foot high and life-like in every detail, comprise a history lesson in stone revealing the history of England and Bradford’s place in it. Come along and learn about this unique series of sculptures; how and why they were made and the controversy surrounding at least one of the effigies.
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 1pm for a 1.15pm start. Free entry to all events 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
