Signs of the Past, an illustrated talk by Ken Kenzie
An illustrated talk that looks at what some of the signs, notices, and street furniture may reveal about Bradford’s history
Bradford Local Studies Library, Margaret McMillan Tower, Princes Way, BD1 1NN. Thursday 26th September 2024 Doors open at 1:00 pm for a 1:15 pm start
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.
These talks are given by members of FoBALS (Friends of Bradford Archives & Local Studies) in association with Bradford Local Studies Library and West Yorkshire Archives Bradford.
Saturday 5th October 2024 2.30pm – 4.00pm – Keighley Local Studies Library
Alex Clifford and panel guests: Professor Keith Laybourn, Professor Andrew Thorpe and Will Barber – Taylor will take a look at the life of Britain’s first Labour Chancellor.
Philip Snowden was Chancellor of the Exchequer in the first two Labour governments of Great Britain in 1924 and1929. He was a fine orator, apparently second only to Keir Hardie and toured the country making speeches for the Independent Labour Party. He served on Keighley Town Council in 1899 and Keighley’s School Board.
Philip Snowden’s autobiography Britain’s Iron Chancellor was recently released to commemorate the centenary of the first Labour Government. Teacher & historian Alexander Clifford, author of several works on the period and editor of this new edition will be with us to discuss Philp Snowden’s life and achievements. Alexander will be joined by a panel of expert guests.
Professor Andrew Thorpe – historian of 20th century British political history, Dean of the faculty of Arts, Humanities & Cultures at the University of Leeds, author of The History of the British Labour Party.
Professor Keith Laybourn – president of the Society for the Study of Labour History, emeritus professor of History at the University of Huddersfield, author of the leading biography of Philip Snowden.
Will Barber-Taylor – Deputy Director of the Centre Think Tank, Chair of the Yorkshire Young Fabians, freelance political writer, serial podcaster & currently producing a new documentary on Snowden.
Keighley Local Studies houses the original extensive Snowden Library donated by Lady Ethel Snowden. Subjects include the Independent Labour Party, politics at the turn of the 20th century and works of social and economic history, literature and the arts, reflecting the interests of both Lord and Lady Snowden.
The Men of Worth Project’s research over the past 23 years has given us a unique insight into the people of Keighley who fell in the war and we have found over 100 names of local people who served and died in the Great War, who are not named in the Borough of Keighley Great War roll of honour.
In this centenary year we are adding over100 new names to the roll of honour.
Find out why they are being added and how we are honouring them.
21st September 2024 at Keighley Library
This unique exhibition by the Men of Worth Project will be display upstairs in the Local Studies Library from 10am.
A free talk about the research will be held at 10.30am by Andy Wade.
As many of you will know, Keighley Library is 120 years old this year. It was the first library in England to be financed by the Scottish American billionaire and educational philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie and is an architectural gem of the town. It opened its doors on 20 August 1904 and to celebrate this milestone, staff are launching a programme of events for the next 12 months. All details will be published in due course on this web site.
To start the programme, however, the library was fortunate enough to host a talk given by the Keighley & District Local History Society with a very fine speaker, committee member, Tim Neal. Tim had done a great deal of research from the Society’s own archives and local contacts. He also spent a lot of time looking at the Keighley Local Studies library history archive.
The talk was lavishly illustrated with a slide presentation that made the most of the archive records used and reflected the thoroughness of Tim’s research as he concentrated on key dates and developments in Keighley Library’s history up to the present day. However, if this all sounds a bit dusty bookish, I can assure you that the audience thought very differently and speaking to a few of the fifty-five audience members afterwards, it was clear that Tim captured and stimulated interest not just in Keighley’s library but in the development of libraries in general that also reflects changes in culture and society and of course in technology. Similarly, and in true Dr Ian Dewhirst MBE fashion, we were also treated to humorous anecdotes and observations of the strange and wonderfully quirky.
This quite brilliant and entertaining talk, we are pleased to announce, will be repeated later this year on 30th November at Keighley Library on a full day of 120 years’ celebrations, please look out for more details in the future. In the meantime, we should like to thank Tim Neal and Joyce Newton, committee members, and all those who supported the event.
If anyone is interested in pursuing the library history of the district itself, copies of Bob Duckett’s fully illustrated recently published book, “150 Years of Bradford Free Libraries 1872-2022”, is still available for sale in libraries at a modest price of £9.99. It is also available for reference and loan within Bradford Libraries, (Bradford Libraries, 2023, ISBN 978-1-7390826-0-4).
Keighley Local History Society is very popular in the district and has a lively programme of events and talks with an excellent web site that is updated regularly, showcasing an online archive with thousands of images: www.keighleyhistory.org.uk
These talks are given by members of FoBALS (Friends of Bradford Archives & Local Studies) with Bradford Local Studies Library and West Yorkshire Archives Bradford.
‘Book Treasures in Local Studies’ – an illustrated talk by Bob Duckett Thursday 25th April Doors open at 1pm for a 1.15pm start. Free entry to all events. Booking essential.
The Bradford ‘Free’ Library was established in 1872 and from the start efforts were made to collect books and other items of local interest and the collections have developed over many years. Come along and hear Bob speak about some of the ‘Treasures’ from these collections. There will be the opportunity to view some of these items on display.
Bob Duckett is widely known as Bradford’s Reference Librarian before retirement. Since retirement Bob has been a volunteer in a number of libraries including Bradford Local Studies Library.
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.
Bradford and District Local Studies 