HebWeb
Hebden Bridge in the Yorkshire Pennines

Green Party excluded from election debates. General election candidate Kate Sweeny writes to the Hebweb: "The wider issue here is whether the "main parties" should be allowed to carve up the political landscape as they please". See Forum

ProjectXPROJECT X CALDERDALE - after successful launch evening, a workshop/ drop in day is planned for 18th February from 2pm to 6pm.
Read more - 15 Feb

More events planned for Hebden 500 - including Hebden Bridge in the Movies, Folk Roots Festival and a HB Band Heritage Weekend. Read more - 11 Feb

500 Words latest - those who have appreciated some of the creative contributions so far received will certainly enjoy the 500 words from Rachel Pickering, and from Chris Reason.

INVITATION TO SEE PLANS FOR TOWN HALL
Town Hall including a 200 seater hall with riverfront location. Proposals for major new community facilities for Hebden Bridge will be unveiled on Saturday February 13th at the Town Hall. Read more - 7 Feb


Labour Calls for Open Government Revolution in Calderdale. Read more - 9 Feb

Young people give their views to the working party set up by Hebden Royd. Read more - 7 Feb

Ted Hughes by Reginald GrayTED HUGHES PORTRAIT DONATED TO CALDERDALE. A portrait of Ted Hughes, by the distinguished artist Reginald Gray, will go on display for the first time as part of a new temporary exhibition, due to open at Heptonstall Museum in April. Read more - 5 Feb

Former councillor faces criminal charges. David Chaytor MP, former Calderdale councillor, faces criminal charges over his expenses. He was Labour candidate for Calder Valley in the 1987 and 1992 election and Calderdale councillor from 1982 until 1997. See BBC news

Election meeting

GENERAL ELECTION MEETING REPORT - a general election meeting with candidates was held on 2nd February in Hipperholme and Lightcliffe. A coach was hired to take people from Hebden Bridge after the Labour candidate Steph Booth pulled out of a similar meeting planned to take place in in our town. Read more - 3 Feb

HOUSEHOLD WASTE COLLECTIONS: Normal Service Resumed. Calderdale Council and its waste collection contractor SITA UK have now cleared the backlog of household waste. Read more - 1 Feb

WEDDINGS AND CIVIL PARTNERSHIPS
AT TOWN HALL

Town Hall Hebden Bridge Community Association, the member-led group which will be taking over control of the Town Hall, has announced that it is arranging a licence for weddings and civil partnerships in the building. It will be the first time for many years that civil ceremonies will be able to be held in the town. Read more - 29 Jan

500 Words: Fascinating account of the area between Bridge Lanes and Heptonstall Road, once a busy community, now only a grassy slope with trees and bushes - "the graveyard of houses and shops which once covered this area". Read more - 31 Jan

Local bloggers - we have now added the blog of Town Councillor Chris Sawer to this Hebweb section. Chris's interesting entry for 27th January explains how the Town Council spend our money

Police and community report - details of crimes and concerns around Hebden Bridge, including anti-social behaviour in Old Town and the Broughton Street area; hot soup now available Fridays at St James; drop-in centre to open. Read more - 25 Jan

Clayton

Local boxing coach takes it on the chin for Haiti.
Read more - 27 Jan

STEPH BOOTH ACCUSED OF DIRTY TRICKS The HebWeb has seen a copy of the statement which David Sutcliffe made to the Employment Trubunal, alleging Steph Booth coerced him to post deregatory messages against rival. Read more - 21 Jan

LABOUR'S CANDIDATE STEPH BOOTH
accused of tantrums, teaching while unqualified and plotting against rival. Read more - 20 Jan

Arthur DolphinFIVE HUNDRED VOICES - Plans are under way to celebrate with 500 voices singing on and around the bridge. Read more - 20 Jan

Latest info on Household Waste Collections:
clearing the backlog
- 19 Jan

Disaster at Copenhagen! What exactly happened, who's to blame and what do we do next to rescue a fair and tough international climate change deal? Come along and find out from the Friends of the Earth perspective - Wednesday 20th January, 7.30pm, White Lion.

Sense and Sustainability. Come to a fast paced briefing and dialogue with Ken Webster on Education for Sustainable Development. Read more - 17 Jan

Education for Sustainable Development

2010: A Year of Celebrations to remember 500 years of the Hebden Bridge bridge - Read more

Election Debate now cancelled after Labour candidate Steph Booth pulls out. Read more and see Forum - 12 Jan

Steph Booth - On September 20, 2009, we reported that the Mail on Sunday published an article headed 'Cherie’s stepmother lost teaching job after “hitting boy”'. We have been asked to draw Hebweb readers' attention to this correction by the Mail on Sunday

 

SUICIDE IN HEBDEN BRIDGE
now revealed to be lower "than the Calderdale and UK average" thanks to the diligence of Anthony Rae and other Hebweb correspondents. Headline claims made in recent features in The Times and Independent on Sunday now shown to be "not true; and not even remotely so". See Hebweb Forum thread on the Lost Boys of Hebden Bridge

Concerned about drug/alcohol use? See "What's On" for details of fortnightly support group. Next session, Tuesday, 16th Feb.

£350 raised for Haiti: Cass sparred for 120 rounds over 6 hours with more than 60 different people last Saturday, raising £350 for survivors of Haiti's earthquake. Read more - 10 Feb

Out on the Floor at the Trades - Northern Soul with Johnny Boy, folk with Bob Fox and local recording artists The Steals. Read more - 8 Feb

The Steals

THE LOST BOYS OF HEBDEN BRIDGE - another article on the dark side of Hebden Bridge, this time a 4 page feature in The Times: "So why does picture-postcard Hebden Bridge have one of the highest suicide rates in England? Local boy Mark Piggott, whose three best friends died in tragic circumstances, goes back home to find out what went wrong." See Forum thread to read Mark Piggott's reply to critics - 5 Feb

LET US NOT WALK AWAY. Let us walk together. The recent deaths of brothers, Liam and Sam Jones, both to drugs and alcohol has prompted their sister Belinda, to hold a charity walk for Lifeline Calderdale. Read more - 5 Feb

Hebden Bridge Library's LGBT Day - This Sunday (7 February), Hebden Bridge Library is hosting a series of events in celebration of LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) month and Anne Lister’s life. Read more - 3 Feb

Enterprise Conference in Mytholmroyd - free, friendly and informal event for confidential advice on becoming self-employed, starting a business and growing your business and much more. Read more - 4 Feb

Small Ads currently include home hairdresser, houses/flats wanted and offered, house swop in Amsterdam, community centre for hire, electrician available and more.

JAZZ CLUB - The HX7 Club: A brand new monthly, jazz venue starts this week, organised by Dave Nelson - Read more

Elements

Pay Freeze is a Pay Cut - "With inflation on the rise, a pay freeze becomes a pay cut." says Calderdale Labour leader, Cllr Tim Swift. Read more - 22 Jan

FIVE HUNDRED WORDS - send us your words as part of the Hebden 500 celebrations. They can be comic, moving, surprising, quirky, biographical, romantic, poetic - just keep it to 500 words. Read more - 20 Jan

William Rofe exhibition

Paintings of Hebden Bridge: exhibition by William Rofe. At Festival Shop in Albert Street from 22-24 January. Read more

Arts group HEADS to close, but Handmade Parade goes on. The HEADS’ Board of trustees has taken the decision to wind up the organisation due to difficulties securing funding. Read more

Heads to close

Arthur Dolphin

Arthur Dolphin remembered - Hebden Bridge author, Tom Greenwood, launches book about the legendary rock climber Arthur Dolphin at the Trades Club on Saturday. Read more


Town Talk - the latest news from Hebden Royd Town Council, along with names and contact info of our Town councillors - 6 Jan

Creative Writing at Hebden Bridge Library - Read more

Creative Art courses at Northligh Studios - Read more

New Years Walk

New Year's Day Walk 2010:
The 33rd annual New Year's Day walk from Booth near Jerusalem Farm over the tops to The Robin Hood in Pecket Well

New Year's Day Treasure Hunt- photos and report

White Ribbon Campaign moves to Mytholmroyd

Christmas tree recycling - see news

NEWS REVIEW OF THE YEAR: 2009 Highlights of some of the main issues and events of 2009 as they have affected Hebden Bridge and been reported on the Hebden Bridge Web. Read more

Book News - local bestsellers of 2009 and of the month of December - 4 Jan

COUNCIL CUT ROAD GRITTING by over 50% from today. - see news and forum: "the grit bins have been empty for weeks, stopping communities helping each other. I was prevented from clearing paths by Calderdale employees"

Fairfield is treacherous - see Forum Update: "Thank you to all concerned. I tried the council, the police and even HB Times, but Hebweb should clearly have been my first port of call." - 12 Jan

Carols in the Square 2009

Above: Carols in the Square, Christmas Eve 2009. More photos

COPENHAGEN, FOE AND LOCAL INITIATIVES - As the Copenhagen negotiations enter their critical second week, local Friends of the Earth activists have told the Hebweb that FOE is campaigning hard for the toughest possible deal, and has also launched a new local initiative to reduce our CO2 emissions here in Calderdale. To follow events in Copenhagen and Calderdale see our news page

Steph Booth: more bad press for controversial Labour candidate - two countty court judgements go against her, following row with builder. Read more- 10 Dec

TOWN HALL'S FUTURE NOW SECURE: Calderdale's Cabinet has unanimously agreed to the transfer of Hebden Bridge Town Hall to Hebden Bridge Community Association. Read more. - 8 Dec

Below: LANTERN PARADE which led to the Switch on of the Christmas lights in the square. - See news item and video clips and a gallery of 15 large photos

SITA to continue suspended refuse and recycling collections on Monday, 28th December - see news

‘Let's not walk away' A fundraising walk in memory of Liam and Sam Jones, and the other young lives that Hebden Bridge has lost in recent years. Read more - 20 Dec

Ian Coates

Round the World on a Honda: If you think it's cold here, spare a thought for Ian Coates, fixing his bike at -34C in Canada, preparing for Siberia. See Hebweb Feature - 16 Dec

ARTS FESTIVAL:  Read more about next year's festival

Primary Schools 2009 Key Stage 2 Results for Hebden Bridge and the surrounding area - 1 Dec

Lantern Parade

Tory MP candidate bids £100 for trip to Parliament - with a meal and tour provided by current Labour MP - see news for more info

Five hundred words on Hebden Bridge - new entry from Graham Ramsden: "Walking with History" - a Hebden 500 project sponsored by the HebWeb- 25 Nov

TOURISM IN HEBDEN BRIDGE
Report of public meeting
- problems with Calderdale, parking, shops closing too early, etc. - 20 Nov

Lindsay Rimer

LINDSAY RIMER: 15 years on
Still no arrest but police say they are still looking for her killer. Read more. Saturday, 7th November, is the 15th anniversary of the murder which shook Hebden Bridge. See Hebweb Feature for background.

Independent on Sunday feature paints Hebden Bridge as "Suicide Central" - an article prompted by the release of the film: "Shed Your Tears and Walk Away." What do you think? See HebWebForum for important and often, moving discussion of issues raised by the film.

Hecklers in the Square ask: "Why Hebden Bridge for a Sainsburys ad?" amid shouts of "Get lost!" and "We love you Jamie but we don't want Sainsburys in our town". Film maker (right) tries to quieten protester. More photos and comments


Shed your Tears and Walk Away

Shed Your Tears and Walk Away. Film Maker Jez Lewis who grew up in Hebden Bridge has made a film about his childhood friends who are dying from drink and drugs.." Read news item. And see forum thread

Small Ads "Choosing to advertise the house for rent on the Hebweb was incredibly effective. The perfect tenants were found within 48 hours" - Jason E


Local bloggers - Two new blogs added. 1. Deeply Flawed Buttrying, a blog by a local single mother. 2. Green Party candidate Kate Sweeney's blog now added to this section

Shed Your Tears and Walk Away - updated
Director Jez Lewis joins HebWeb Forum discussion. Listen now to Jez being interviewed for The Guardian. Time Out reports on the recent Sheffieild screening: "the post-film Q&A was a difficult and heated affair, with a handful objecting to Lewis’s portrayal of Hebden Bridge while others, still raw from a funeral of yet another friend, defended it."

'HEBDEN BRIDGE IS
A PIONEER TOWN'

says Kate Ashbrook, patron of the Walkers Are Welcome Towns Network and general secretary of the Open Spaces Society, who spokeat the Walkers Are Welcome Weekend in Hebden Bridge. Read more

Summat A Nowt

Summat A' Nowt by Steve Murty: 1,000 years of history, focusing on a tiny hamlet between Mytholmroyd and Hebden Bridge, whose origins go back to Norman times.

Small Ads "Hebweb comes up trumps again. Within a week of advertising my house I've had several enquiries and found two couples as suitable tenants." Steve F

Often first with the news - many of the news items appeared here on the Hebweb days before other local news outlets.

Gone Walkabout

The popular local book, GONE WALKABOUT: 24 walks around Hebden Bridge and the Upper Calder Valley by Anna Carlisle has been revised and reprinted. See books for more info and to buy now.

Gibson Mill

Thanks to Anthony Bowler for sending this stunning photo which we are using to illustrate our feature on Gibson Mill. To see more Hebden Bridge Web features click here

 

2010 will mark the 500th anniversary of the Packhorse Bridge. Click here to see projects planned or already underway

Yellow lines

Remembering Mick Teale, the Big Issue seller in the Square. Flowers were left near where he sat in the square with a note reporting his death in April. Please add any thoughts, anecdotes, photos you might have to the Lives Remembered page.

Michael Teale

 

More from the Hebden Bridge Web

  • Accommodation - from bed and breakfast to self catering, a range of places to stay in our area
  • Archive - news and discussion going back to the mid 90s
  • Bloggers and columns - a section where you can read regular pieces by selected local bloggers.
  • Books - of interest to people living in Hebden Bridge and area
  • Contact info
  • Discussion Forum - hundreds of messages every year on matters of concern to those who live in Hebden Bridge and the surrounding hills, villages and valleys
  • Emails - a directory of local email addresses
  • Events: a selection of local events
  • Features
  • Five hundred words on Hebden Bridge - one of the 500 years of the Hebden pack horse bridge projects
  • Green Pages
  • Hebden Bridge info - some basic information about Hebden Bridge with links to some features which have been written about our town.
  • Hebden Bridge 500 - celebrating 500 years of the bridge
  • History pages - links to local history websites, together with a selection of articles remembering times past.
  • Lives Remembered - thoughts and comments on the death of a selection of local people
  • Mailing list
  • Maps - several maps of the town and area, including Google maps.

Please email us to report dead links, inaccuracies, suggestions and comments. Thanks. The Hebden Bridge Web (Hebweb) is published by Pennine Pens and started in the summer of 1995.

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