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
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.
The Keighley & District Local History Society was formed in late 2004. It was created to focus on the history of the town and the surrounding area, looking at the industries and mills, the shops and streets, the parks and buildings, key players such as business people, mayors and politicians, and was designed to complement the Keighley and District Family History Society which already existed (and which continues today as Airedale and Wharfedale Family History Society).
The history of the History Society is inextricably linked with that of Keighley Library, although there are no official or formal bonds. The need for the existence of the History Society emerged from discussions around how to celebrate the centenary of the Public Library, which was 100 years old in 2004. One of the key players in those discussions was Pauline Barfield, who was Senior Information Manager in the Local Studies Library at the time. Pauline was also the guest-speaker at the very first open meeting of the society, held in the Local Studies Library on Wednesday 15th December 2004, and was later made Honorary President of the society.
Another important crossover figure is the late Ian Dewhirst, who was Reference Librarian at the Library from 1967 to 1991. As well as being a driving force behind building the invaluable collection of locally focussed documents, photographs and paraphernalia that now form the backbone of the Local Studies Library’s collections, Ian also wrote over twenty books focussed on the history of the town and the wider Yorkshire area that brought awareness and knowledge to a broad and grateful readership. It was only natural that Ian was supportive of the idea of a local history society for the town. Although never formally involved in its running, Ian gave at least half-a-dozen talks to the Society before his untimely death in January 2019.
Ian Dewhirst talk 2009
With very few exceptions, the History Society has held open meetings on the second Wednesday of each month ever since it started. These have mainly been held in the Local Studies Library (and we are extremely grateful to the Library for facilitating this) – which is a very natural fit, committed as we both are to “preserving and sharing” the stories of the town and surrounding area. For various reasons (including when the Library was undergoing a major facelift for most of 2007) we held our meetings in other local venues. These have included the Swire Smith Hall of Keighley College (when it was on the other side of North Street to the Library), the service room of The Knowle funeral home, the Civic Centre, and St. John’s Church in Ingrow. Of course, along with the rest of the world, we had to move our meetings in 2021 onto Zoom as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, and we continue to offer this ‘innovation’ today as we broadcast the majority of meetings over Zoom live from the Library for those members unable to join us in person.
But the Library has always been our main home, and we have held around 200 hundred monthly meetings and other events there. Guest speakers over the years have included former town mayor Graham Mitchell, Haworth historian Steven Wood, principal curator of the Bronte Parsonage Museum Ann Dinsdale, Ian Walkden and Andy Wade from the Men of Worth Project, former Keighley News journalist Sharon Wright, postcard collector Kevin Seaton, textiles expert Pam Brook, art historian Colin Neville, local stalwart Charlie Bhowmick, Bradford historian Kathryn Hughes, and many many others. And the range of topics is way too expansive to even start listing.
David Hardcastle Police talk 2004First Meeting December 2004The Committee at Keighley Show Sept 2009
The success of the History Society is stronger now than it has been at any point in its twenty year history. We continue to meet on the second Wednesday of each month, mostly still upstairs in the Library. We have over 75 members who live both locally but also come from further afield – people keen to maintain links with a town that was important to them in their past. We try and spread the word about the fascinating history of the town at events like Keighley Show, the Heritage Open Days, Yorkshire Day celebrations, and other history-related celebrations.
Our single objective remains “to preserve and share” the history of the town and the surrounding area. People continue to be extremely generous and continue to loan or donate items that enable us to do this. We record and catalogue these items, from personal photographs, postcards, leaflets, publications – all sorts of items! – which we then seek to share via our digital archive on Flickr. Our Flickr site currently has over 25,000 items available to view by anyone, and continues to grow.
If you’d like to find out more about the History Society, please look us up on our website or our Facebook page – or better still drop into one of our meetings on the second Wednesday of the month in Keighley Library!
All the photographs are “courtesy of the Keighley & District Local History Society”. The one of Tim Neal on his own at his desk is by “Cath Muldowney Photography”
Keighley library’s celebrations got underway in earnest on Saturday 30th November with a day full of events. Mr & Mrs Carnegie were here to help celebrate our libraries milestone and St Andrew’s Day was a fitting day to celebrate our Scottish benefactors generosity in giving the gift of £10,000 in 1899 for the building of Keighley Library, the first library in England he financed.
Just some of the photos from the day. All photographs supplied by Cath Muldowney Photography.
Our two wonderful cakes were generously supplied by the Keighley Lions.
Many guests signed the original visitors book from 1904.
Mr Philip Jackson and Charlie Bhowmick MBE
The cake was cut by our longest serving volunteer Mr Philip Jackson aged 99. Mr & Mrs Carnegie ( John Ibbotson, Irene Lofthouse ) also lent a hand cutting the cakes.
Children enjoyed making hats.
Tim Neal from Keighley & District Local History Society gave an excellent talk on the History of the Library.
Irene Lofthouse as Mrs Carnegie.
Library customers, staff and volunteers posed for a group photo.
KEIGHLEY’S revised Great War roll of honour was formally unveiled during an event at Keighley Local Studies Library on 9th November. The names of 102 servicemen and one woman who gave their lives during the First World War had been missed from the original roll.
The unveiling was performed by three-year-old Libby Griffiths, Ryan Firth, 16, and Liam Firth, 14. All three are descendants of Private Jowett Coulton, who was born in Keighley and lived in the town before emigrating to Canada, where he enlisted in the army. He was killed in action in France.
Libby Griffiths unveiling the Roll of Honour with Deputy Town Mayor Cllr Chris Herd and Andy Wade, of The Men of Worth.The signature page of the updated Roll with its 103 new names, signed by the parties involved in its creation. The Updated Roll of Honour on display upstairs in the Local Studies Library, Keighley Library.
The Men of Worth Project were awarded funding by the National Lottery’s Heritage Fund in early 2024 and this has been supported with funding from Keighley Town Council.
The purpose of the grant was to add more names to the Borough of Keighley Roll of Honour and to celebrate the centenary year of the original book and our wonderful Borough of Keighley War Memorial, which was unveiled in Keighley’s Town Hall Square on 7th December 1924, attended by several thousand people.
Lord Mayor of Bradford Councillor Bev Mullaney, Bradford Council Leader Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, Director of the Men of Worth Project Andy Wade and Bradford Councillor Caroline Firth.
Other relatives of those honoured were present, together with guests including West Yorkshire Deputy Lieutenant David Pearson, MP Robbie Moore, Lord Mayor of Bradford Councillor Bev Mullaney, deputy town mayor Cllr Chris Herd, Bradford Council leader Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe, district and town councillors and standard bearers.
Head of Libraries & Archives, Christine May talks about the libarary’s history with the Roll of honour. Andy Wade of The Men of Worth talks about the project. Irene Lofthouse portrays Frances Hildred Mitchell, the first woman to be added to the Roll.
Cultural historian Irene Lofthouse adopted the guise of Frances Hildred Mitchell – the first woman to be recognised in the roll alongside the men. Frances was a Queen Mary’s Army Auxiliary Corps worker she died aged just 23, from influenza and pneumonia while still nursing in military hospitals a year after the war had ended.
Deputy Town Mayor Councillor Chris Herd with Standard Bearers
The new Roll of Honour and the original Roll of Honour are on permanent display upstairs in Keighley Local Studies Library and an exhibition by The Men of Worth Project on all those added to the new Roll of Honour is on display until December the 6th 2024.
December the 7th marks the 100 year anniversary of the War Memorial and Roll of Honour, at noon, an interpretation plaque will be unveiled at the town’s war memorial. For more information about the project please see the link below.
The “Dirty Old Town” event on Saturday 19th October with Kevin Bell did not reflect this popular song title in any way. It was full of colour, wit and laughter. This is something we have come to expect from Keighley born and bred Kevin, a former teacher, now artist and performer, and still a bit of a “likely lad” at heart.
As usual much of the local audience was quick to join in with the reminiscences of old industrial Keighley round the time of the 1950s-1970s. There was much laughter to be had, as Kevin sang and played guitar through this song: kissing his girl “by the factory wall”, dreaming “a dream by the old canal”, watching “a train set the night on fire” and smelling “spring on the smoky wind”, (if only we could). Kevin took us through his own painted images of Keighley town with his depiction of some of its well-known characters and streets to illustrate past, but still fondly remembered, times. This is living local history at its best and it was a reminder of Ian Dewhirst’s rare talent.
It’s great to catch a glimpse of someone else’s lively imagination and Kevin made us all laugh when he took a popular image of the “American Gothic” painting by Grant Wood and converted it to his own rendition of “Yorkshire Gothic” as illustrated, complete with their own back story. Thames & Hudson art publishers eat your heart out.
Refreshments followed, donations were made, and there was the expected queue for Kevin’s pictures. The calendars and Christmas cards of old Keighley sold for the Keighley charities of the Salvation Army and the Good Shepherd Fund went like hot cakes.
Thanks to Kevin, Pauline Bell and the Salvation Army and all those who supported this grand event. There are very few calendars and Christmas cards left so if you are still wanting some, please come to the counter on the first floor of Keighley Library: calendars (£10) and packs of 6 cards are £5 each with 2 new illustrations, one Haworth, one Keighley.
