Woven in the Pennine Hills
Welcome to Hebden Bridge in the Yorkshire Pennines RECENT NEWS
Squatted Big Green Weekend

Above: Alice Hull welcomes Chris McCafferty MP and Mayor John Beacroft-Mitchell (picturered with organiser Jason Elliott) who this morning opened the Big Green Weekend. See selection of Big Green photos

Big Green Debate

Big Green Weekend Question Time debate report
see also Forum discussion

Don't Bulldoze Central Library - update - 22 May

Cllr John Beacroft-Mitchell's first speech as Hebden Royd Mayor - see You Tube video on the Hebweb media page - 21 May

Art classes are being organised to help learn the tricks of the trade ahead of Hebden Bridge Handmade Parade on June 20th. More info - 21 May

The "Secret Garden Party" is revealed to be in The Old Fire Station - now transformed by the Transition Town group as part of the Big Green Weekend - more photos

 

The Peoples Millions

Peoples' Millions and Calendar return to Hebden Bridge. More info

Nick Harper

Hebden Bridge Arts Festival 2009 - programme launched and now available around Hebden Bridge and on the festival website - 8 May

Coming events for Valley Food Festival - include talk from award winning food writer Geoff Tansey, Fruity Fun and Beer Brewing evening.

Food Festival


Nick Harper

Walk@Work initiative launched by local walkers' group. More info - 8 May

No World on Doorstep Festival this year - see Forum

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

Peter Kay

Peter Kay rocks the Trades Club
- read more - 27 April

Labour Selection Saga: former Halifax MP Alice Mahon gives the "despicable" treatment of Hebden Bridge's Janet Oosthuysen as one of her reasons for leaving the Labour Party. Now there's a row over postal voting following the latest selection process. See also: forum thread

Garden Street Public Inquiry starts Tuesday 28th April: read the evidence submitted by the developer, the Council (now objecting) and the Action Group on the No to Garden Street website. If you want to attend the Inquiry or prepare and submit a personal statement, download the Action Group's advice note here.

Susan PressHebden Royd Mayor Susan Press has lost her bid to become the Calder Valley Labour candidate - defeated by postal votes. The Labour candidate for the next general election will be Stephenie Booth, Cherie Booth and Tony Blair's mother in law - 10 April

Town Hall Project to receive £15000 grant from Adventure Capital Fund

15 local women and children receive boxing awards - more info and photos - 21 April

Stoodley Pike - what were those strange goings on over Easter? - see news - 20 April

Report of community meeting with local police - crime still low and action being taken to address anti-social activity. - 19 May

Latest Festival News: “Hebden Bridge is often referred to as quirky, funky and a bit different and I think the Festival reflects these elements of the town’s character." - see also: Festival Fringe site

European Elections - candidates and info - 19 May

LABOUR SELECTION SAGA continues
Former Calder Valley candidate David Chaytor is suspended from Parliamentary Labour Party.
Labour's National Executive have now backed Steph Booth following the dirty tricks allegations made in the Yorkshire Post - Steph Booth is now suing the paper. More info. Local Labour Party members voice their concern - see Forum

Rock on at the Trades - more info about events at the Trades Club this week

Wilko

Garden Street Planning Appeal closes - brief report and more info about the Action Group's opening and closing statements. Decision expected in July - 14 May

Car tyres being dumped on tops. Residents and warden appeal for public help. More info - 13 May

Tired of tyres

Wainsgate May Fair

May Fair at Wainsgate - Photos and info - updated

Tie Amnesty for Big Green Weekend
see news - 3 May

Hebden Royd Town Council part time job vacancy - details

Small Ads currently include loft conversion to rent, yurt for hire, motor bike for sale, Indian cooking, fireplace for sale, building, childminding, rubbish clearance and houses and flat to rent and share, housing wanted.

Cllr Nader Fekri of Hebden Bridge has been re-selected as the Liberal Democrat candidate for the Keighley parliamentary constituency - 1 May

Duck Race

Above Duck Race - see more photos and a movie

Pace Egg play

Pace Egg Play: Above: Heptonstall Players in Weaver's Square, Heptonstall.
More photos and movie clip

Pace Egg play

Pace Egg Play: Above: Calder High students in George's Square, Hebden Bridge
More photos and movie clip

White Ribbon campaign

Hebden Bridge novel funds donation to White Ribbon Campaign against domestic violence

Read more - 9 April

Duck Race: Easter Monday - 2000 ducks will be dropped into the Hebden Water at approx 3.15pm

NUJ journalists on HB Times and Courier to ballot for industrial action - 8th April

Town Hall Project: see Nick Wilding's video (11 minutes) on the history and plans for our fine Town Hall building

Friends of Calder Holmes Park - new members needed - 8th April

Garden Street Appeal, set for 28th April - see Hebweb feature for background

Acre Mill site - plans rejected. See background to this issue - 2nd April

Joanne Harris

Town Hall group seeks "Friends" - appeal for local community support launched today . Read more - 2 April

Report of community meeting with local police

FRIENDS OF RUSTY AND STEVE
Public meeting report - anger over local press allegations of adults "stoking the fire of discontent" - "Aren't Hebden Bridge kids known for having their own minds!"

Governor of the Bank of England, Mervyn King, learned cricket in Old Town - see news

Teacher suspension features in the Guardian: "Pupils rally behind teacher suspended for writing school novel". And Radio Leeds. Background and links - 24th March

Stop - don't read this

FRIENDS OF
RUSTY AND STEVE

Mounting concern over the suspension of two popular Calder High teachers has led to the formation of a support group, who have called a public meeting and are collecting testimonials from students, former students, and parents.

Click here for background, more details, group letter, info and form for sending your testimonials

Strange noise - see Forum - 1st April

Big Green Weekend to have Big Green Market using the public car park in Bridge Gate. Read more - 31st March

Threat to Central Library and archives: see latest forum messages from John Hargreaves and Prof Hudson. See news item for details of the 'Gathering' outside Central Library on Saturday, 4th April - Updated 3rd April

Cllr John Beacroft-Mitchell will be the next Mayor of Hebden Royd, taking over from Cllr Susan Press in May. His wife, Cllr Joanna Beacroft-Mitchell, will be consort.

Joanne Harris

Free swimming for under 17s and over 60s from 1st April, just as Tod pool is set to close for a few weeks - see news

Local girl achieves first boxing award - 24th Mar

Fast broadband to be trialled in Mytholmroyd - see Forum thread - 23rd March

500 words - Contributions wanted of 500 words about Hebden Bridge as part of the 500th anniversary of the bridge.

Nicholas Hughes, the son of poets Sylvia Plath (buried at Heptonstall) and Ted Hughes from Mytholmroyd, has taken his own life at the age of 47, after a period of depression. See BBC article 23rd Mar

Primary School results - see SATS tables for local schools for 2008 and going back to 1999 - ten years of results as reported on the Hebweb - 1st April

KERBSIDE SERVICE SUSPENDED
from 10th April unless more funding is found. More info and comments from Paul Brannigan.

Joanne Harris

Author Joanne Harris opened the new library in Hebden Bridge, a town which Cllr Conrad Winterburn, introducing her, called "Calderdale's own Latin Quarter". Read more - 21st March

Food Festival for Hebden Bridge and Mytholmroyd

Central Library latest - Labour Group on Calderdale call for a review of decision to move Library and Archive - 19 March

Free insulation for some homes. Aerial survey of heat loss. Hebweb asked Calderdale about HB terraced houses. Energy monitor display units are now available to borrow from the ATC.- updated 19 March

Above: Police called as students walk out of lessons to demonstrate outside Calder High School this morning in support of the two suspended teachers - see below - 11 March

SECOND TEACHER SUSPENDED
A second highly respected and popular teacher, Steve Cann
, has been suspended from the Calder High School. When the Hebden Bridge Web contacted Calder High, they refused to give us any information about their reasons. It is widely believed to be connected with the furore around the earlier suspension of Ms Rustamova or "Rusty" as she is affectionately known. See discussion on Hebweb Forum and the Facebook group Save Miss Rusty's Job- 10 March

Alarm grows over plans which may disturb Acre Mill's deadly asbestos - new group outline their fears to the HebWeb. Read more - 10 March

PROPOSED DEMOLITION OF CENTRAL LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES building in Halifax - see news item. (updated, 9 March) Professor Pat Hudson has written to the Hebweb in the hope of mobilising local opposition to plans to demolish the Library and Archives building in Halifax, See Forum -

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

KERBSIDE CRISIS: Calderdale Council have finally decided to launch an independent inquiry into the issuing of the Sita contract and how Kerbside was sidelined. - 20 Feb

PARKING: have your say! See report of Thursday's consultation and the opportunity to comment. - 14 Feb

Ian Coates

Hebden Bridge's Ian Coates has been travelling around the world on his Honda for ten years now. Latest photos and messages - see Hebweb feature - 22 Feb

RIVERSIDE WINS PRAISE FROM OFSTED
"a good school . . . with a rich and varied curriculum . . . strong links with the local community." Read more, including Hebweb news from 1997 to show how different it was then. - 11 Feb

New on the Hebden Bridge Web:
Local Bloggers - including the very moving accounts from by Sharyn Lock of Hebden Bridge who is helping out in Gaza and currently four others.

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

Yellow lines

Join the Handmade Parade Samba Band: beginners welcome! Read more - 3 March

Walkers Are Welcome weekend

Calder High Teacher Suspension - one of the characters featured in the offending book has written to the HebWeb Forum about the "ill-treatment of a loved teacher". Read more and see FaceBook group Save Miss Rusty's Job which now has over 600 members.

BIG GREEN WEEKEND - This year's BGW will be bigger and better than ever! And include a Big Green Debate between parliamentary candidates Read more about some of the activities planned - 24 Feb

Central Street Saga - Hebden Royd Town Council are urging people to write to Calderdale about the long needed repairs to this corner of our town. Read more - 21 Feb

Central Street


CALDER HIGH TEACHER SUSPENSION

The Facebook group Save Miss Rusty's Job taken down temporarily after pressure, is now working again with over 600 members - 8 Feb

The Hebweb and several of our contacts have been phoned and emailed by the Mail on Sunday who say they are "working on this story". We understand the Mail reporter is having problems finding someone prepared to talk. - 6 Feb

Students demonstrate as popular teacher is suspended for publishing book to help young people to read. See Forum thread. - 3 Feb

The canal - Monday, 2nd February
Click image to enlarge

Handmade Parade

Handmade Parade 2009 - read more

Credit Crunch casualties: Laughing Gravy and Hebden House close- See news and forum

KERBSIDE CRISIS: Director calls for firm action from local Calderdale councillors and MPs as Kerbside's existence is further threatened by falling prices of recycled materials. Read more - 29 Jan

GARDEN STREET DOCUMENT LEAK TO HEBWEB - David Fletcher's response - 26 Jan

Calder High results - figures published today show 2008 GCSE results the same as 2007 - 52% received 5 A-C grades, including Maths and English. A level results showed marked improvement with an average of 772 points per student. More info. - updated 16 Jan

GARDEN STREET SOLD FOR A POUND!

A document leaked to the Hebden Bridge Web shows information previously not available to the public, including the facts that the Council would have sold Garden Street to David Fletcher for £1, they hoped subsequently to receive up to £400,000 from the development project, and much more. See news item and document - 11 Jan

Garden Street Action Group condemns flawed financial deal and how officers ignored public rejection of scheme. Read more - 12 Jan

Central Street - Tory Cabinet member explains why funds were refused. Read Forum thread 20 Jan

Calder Valley's choice as Labour Candidate, Janet Oosthuysen, has been rejected by Labour's National Executive - see Yorkshire Post article and forum - 20 Jan

Forum discussion: Central Street, Gaza Vigil, Garden Street, Kerbside and much more

Hebden Bridge Street Angels - hope to be on our streets by Easter - see news report of Tuesday's meeting

Community payback
- a team of men and women have been undertaking unpaid work around Hebden Bridge as part of a community order. Read more - 6 Jan

Sharp fall in Hebden Bridge crime rate
Report of the first of a series of regular one hour meetings planned for 2009 between the police and our local community. - 7 Jan

Below: Vigil for Gaza in the centre of Hebden Bridge on Friday 2nd January.

There are plans to demolish old fire station and tarmac as temporary car park. See news.

Generate your own energy

Iinterested in generating energy for your home? Three information events at the Alternative Technology Centre. More info - 23 Jan

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
  • 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. You are visitor number since January 2003 when the counter was reset.

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