International Women’s Day Event

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On Saturday, 8th March, it’s International Women’s Day and to celebrate it, Keighley Local Studies Library, first floor of Keighley Library, is hosting a day of talks by popular women speakers. All talks are free as part of Keighley Library’s 120 Years’ anniversary celebrations and there is no need to book, so please come along and help us to celebrate women, women’s work and achievements.

At 10am, Diane Park is going to talk about her strong women book shop in Haworth, Wave of Nostalgia, that is as popular as ever and has certainly raised awareness of women writers and artists. Sharon Wright, author, journalist and playwright will speak at 11.30am. Sharon is no stranger to highlighting the lives of women in history who have been neglected and has written about the unique and daring lives of women balloonists and shone a light at last on the life of the mother of the Brontë children, Maria Branwell, with Maria’s very first biography. Sharon will be talking about an increasingly popular genre in book shops and libraries alike, narrative

non-fiction. In the afternoon at 2.15pm, Jude Rhodes, local historian and genealogist, a speaker very much in demand in Yorkshire as well as Keighley Library will address the question – who were the women nurses? As a former practising nurse herself, now nurse tutor, we can look forward to Jude’s professional incite along the way. The day will continue its high note with the multi-talented local historian, actress, author and raconteur, Irene Lofthouse, who will speak about those women in Keighley who few might have heard of in their life time or since but  who  entered politics, ran businesses and generally helped to put Keighley on the map during a period when hearth and home was regarded as a woman’s only natural sphere outside a few caring professions.

There will be accompanying displays of archive records, a sale of authors’ publications and a display by the Men of Worth about women serving as nurses and as land army personnel. Refreshments will be served mid- morning and mid- afternoon between speakers.

The Roots of Judy Woods: a short history of the woodland

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Bradford History Lunchtime Lectures
Bradford Local Studies Library

‘The Roots of Judy Woods: a short history of the woodland’.
An illustrated talk by Mary Twentyman
Thursday 27th February
Doors open at 1pm for a 1.15pm start. Free entry to all events. Booking essential.

Well-known Local Historian, Mary Twentyman will be looking at the story of the woodland we now call Judy Woods from the last ice age to the present day.

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.

These talks are given by members of FoBALS (Friends of Bradford Archives & Local Studies) with Bradford Local Studies Library and West Yorkshire Archives Bradford.

Lunchtime Lectires Flyer

Congratulations to Keighley Local Studies’ longest serving volunteer, Mr Philip Jackson on his 100th Birthday – 11 February 2025

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Keighley Library has been blessed with a number of volunteers over the years and, in that time, they have seen many changes to the staff, service and building. However, Mr Jackson, as a Keighley resident himself, has virtually seen them all and embraced each one with his continued support of the library service and its staff for over twenty-five years!

Philip Jackson
Philip Jackson

Information technology has had the greatest impact as drawers of index cards and library membership tickets (Browne issue system) were replaced by online catalogues. Nothing fazed, Mr Jackson was at the forefront as a volunteer, following his retirement, and soon began scanning photographs and submitting word processed transcripts and indexes in Excel. Over the years we have bound over 15 volumes of his work that have helped staff and family history researchers at home and abroad.

Moving the new computer control panel into the Town Hall,
Keighley News, 26th June, 1965.

Mr Jackson cut the cake for us to celebrate Keighley Library’s 120th anniversary year and continues to attend events and support us and we thank him so much for such dedication.

Cutting the Cake

These photographs showing Keighley Library’s previous incarnations reveal a few of the changes over the last 100 years.

‘Bradford’s Historic Charities: what they were, how they were run and what happened to them. – An illustrated talk by Janet Senior

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Bradford History Lunchtime Lectures

These talks are given by members of FoBALS (Friends of Bradford Archives & Local Studies) with Bradford Local Studies Library and West Yorkshire Archives Bradford.

‘Bradford’s Historic Charities: what they were, how they were run and what happened to them’
An illustrated talk by
Janet Senior

Bradford Local Studies Library

Thursday 30th January
Doors open at 1pm for a 1.15pm start.
Free entry to all events. Booking essential.

Keighley Mechanics’ Institute: it’s foundation 200 years’ ago and it’s National and International reach

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As part of the City of Culture celebrations, Keighley Local Studies Library is planning a day of events to celebrate the foundation of Keighley’s own Mechanics’ Institute, a cultural institution that had enormous reach in its heyday and was one of the first in England, following on the heels of the very first in Edinburgh in 1821 and Glasgow in 1823.

Founded formally by 4 working men at a public meeting held on 14 February 1825, join Jude Rhodes, lecturer in local history and genealogy and the Local Studies’ staff, as they take you through a one place study of this institution, its history, influence and far-reaching impact. We shall look at the characters whose lives the institution and its member influenced, including the Brontë family and later how it benefited scholars of Keighley’s Grammar School, including internationally famous historians: Lord Asa Briggs and Sir Herbert Butterfield. We shall also look again at the Institute’s associations with Andrew and Louise Carnegie and their ultimate gift of the Keighley Public Library to the town in the 1890s.

In the afternoon, Colin Neville, writer and editor of the popular “Not Just Hockney” web site, will take us through the Institute’s history, emphasising the role of the School of Art, the subject of his very latest book in his series on the history of art in the Bradford District. Colin will show how the art school became internationally renowned through its technical education,  led by Sir Swire Smith, and how it produced artists, art historians and teachers such as Sir Augustus Spencer who became Principal of the Royal College of Art in London. Colin Neville’s latest book, “Keighley School of Art” will also be on sale.

Both events are free, just turn up on the day please.  We look forward to seeing you and sharing our wonderful archives.

Keighley Mechanics Institute flyer