What's On
2024
Events in Hebden Bridge and the surrounding area
18 Years, 18 Artists
Heart Gallery Exhibition 18 Years, 18 Artists is an exhibition from 1-30 September to celebrate creativity and art over nearly 2 decades. The above print from Kate Lycett will be raffled. More info about the Exhibition. 27 Aug
Pat Douthwaite:
Alive and Kicking
A new theatre piece from Heroica Theatre Company, Pat Douthwaite: Alive and Kicking, is a one-woman theatre piece by Anna Carlisle with Alexandra Mathie in the title role - at the Town Hall in September.
Day Of Dance
Methodist Church Hall, Hebden Bridge
Bulgarian Circle Dance
10.30 - 12.30 Pletenitsa - visiting Bulgarian choir
£10 on the door or £9 in advance contact: hil.taylor3315@gmail.com or www.zarebi.co.uk
and/or
Greek Circle Dance
14.00 - 16.15 (with tea break) Sophia Hatch - resident teacher
£10 on the door or £9 in advance
C
ontact Sophia: by email or text 07761 213280
Cottontown Chorus at Wainsgate
Wainsgate Chapel, 7.30pm
Coming to Wainsgate in September are the 40 (approximately) singers that make up renowned, award-winning Barbershop ensemble Cottontown Chorus whose vivacious and utterly compelling performance takes place on Saturday September 7 (7.30pm).
If the phrase "Barbershop singing" evokes a quartet of (probably American) blokes singing cheesy songs whilst getting their hair cut, it might be time to think again! Cottontown Chorus hails from Bolton in Lancashire and has established itself as a leading barbershop group within the UK. With a great sense of fun and a unique style of entertainment, the chorus has gripped audiences throughout its 40-year history. Well-respected stages around the UK (including the London Palladium) have given them the opportunity to wow audiences with stirring harmonies, emotional lyrics, exciting choreography, and visual effects.
In competition, the Bolton-based group has succeeded in winning the much sought-after Gold Medal at the British Association of Barbershop Singers convention eight times since 2005 and has represented the UK on four occasions at the Barbershop Harmony Society International Convention held in the USA. It was in 2008 when Cottontown Chorus probably attained most of its public attention by winning the adult section of the BBC Choir Of The Year competition.
"We need to smile!! I defy you not to smile at this !! hee hee...nice one, boys!!" - Brian May (Queen guitarist) after he saw the chorus' performance of Fat Bottomed Girls
"I have scribbled my way through so many adjudications of barbershop over the last 15 years. That was the BEST I've ever heard. Just sensational..."- Lady Suzi Digby (Baroness Eatwell, OBE), British choral conductor and music educator, at the BBC Choir of the Year 2009
"In all the pzazz of that performance, the easiest thing to do is to lose the detail. And, you know, you never lost a detail in the middle of all that incredible performance - and I think that is admirable" - Howard Goodall CBE, at the BBC Choir Of The Year 2009
Cottontown Chorus' show is top quality old-school entertainment - and a lively and highly memorable concert is guaranteed. Not to be missed!
Tickets from www.ticketsource.co.uk/wainsgate
Bulgarian Singing Workshop
9.30 - 12 noon
Hope Baptist Church, Hebden Bridge - update: change of venue
Tickets £15/£12 conc
and/or
Zarebi and Pletenitsa Concert
2.30 pm (doors open 2 pm)
Hope Baptist Church, Hebden Bridge Tickets £10/£8 conc
update: change of venue
Refreshments and homemade cakes - cash preferred
Tickets on door or contact hil.taylor3315@gmail.com
Dark Matter Promotions presents....
The Third Sound
Side project of Brian JonesTown Massacre's guitarist, Berlin psych/post-punk touring their new album Most Perfect Solitude (Fuzz Club)
With support from Callis
Golden Lion Todmorden (upstairs)
Doors 8pm
Tickets via Skiddle
Poetry and Freedom Workshop
Jenny Mitchell poet
Join award-winning poet Jenny Mitchell for a workshop on the subject of Freedom!
Followed by poetry from Jenny and the workshop participants.
Workshop 6 - 7.30. Open MIC 7.30 - 8.30
Hebden Bridge Library
It's free to come along and listen to the open MIC event - booking not required.
Workshop £5 per person. To book your place, visit this webpage
Callis + The Caymans + DJ Dan Lomax
Callis are a trio with a new-wave approach - their second single Dream Sequence was recorded by Gordon Raphael, best known for his work with The Strokes. Young Halifax band The Caymans have been causing a stir since they opened for The Libertines earlier this year. Things have been moving pretty fast since then – come and see what all the fuss is about.
DJ Dan Lomax was the resident DJ at The Town and the Cockpit Club in Leeds, he was last on the decks at the Trades as guest DJ for Berlin Electro duo NNHMN in July.
A benefit for Healthy Minds and as part of Suicide Prevention Month.
Doors open 8pm
Tickets £6
More info & tickets
Les Gillon & the Agents of Karma
Wainsgate Chapel, 3pm
Alt-acoustic sextet Les Gillon & the Agents of Karma (AOK) are making a welcome return to Wainsgate on September 14 at 3pm. The band's debut gig in May 2022 was at the Chapel where they wowed the audience with their winning blend of great songwriting and superb musicianship. The Calder Valley based groups's return to the Chapel comes after two years gigging, writing new songs and finetuning the material and its presentation.
AOK is led by singer, songwriter and guitarist Les Gillon who is best known as frontman of the alt-rock band Fez, but who throughout his long career has explored a whole range of musical territories, including experimental collaborations with dance and performance practitioners and longstanding work with folk trio Ghost School and improvisation collective Fire Tower 4.
Supporting Les are Netty Berry (guitar, vocals), Alex McCune (percussion, vocals vocals), Jen Trott (violin, vocals), Julia Farrants (cello, vocals) and myself on piano and vocals. This unusual line-up of outstanding musicians from the worlds of jazz, classical and folk music takes Les's songs into a whole new context, bringing all these styles to the musical melting pot. The result is a unique sound, sometimes intimate, sometimes cinematic, that defies categorisation and underpins the lyrical intensity of the songs, which delve into the personal and political realms with equal depth and insight.
"They absolutely blew everyone away with their incredible performance, top quality musicianship, innovative musical expressions and powerful songwriting." Mobius Loop
"... achingly beautiful, moving & funny too…" The Grayston Unity
Tickets: www.ticketsource.co.uk/wainsgate
Simon Watkins piano concert
Keys of all colours
St. James', Church Lane. Hebden Bridge 7pm
Pianist Simon Watkins explores the many colours of the piano in a musical chase from Bach to Kabalevsky.
Entrance free, collection in aid of St. James' church kitchen refit. Light refreshments during the interval.
Heritage Open Day at Wainsgate Chapel
11-5
Lots to see and do for all ages on the theme of Maps Pathways and Journeys at Wainsgate Chapel, HX7 8SU.
- Follow the QR code around this wonderful Grade 2 listed graveyard and building;
- Create your own maps with locally based artists Amanda Allan and Jo Gorner;
- Creative writing as you wander around, on the themes of journeys and pathways, prompted by locally based writer and poet Amanda Dalton;
- Listen to fascinating interviews with local people about their histories at Wainsgate;
Find out more about where local people have arrived from and where they've journeyed to.
And, last but not least, come and sample some of our famously delicious home-made cakes in the Wainsgate Cafe + teas coffees, soft and alcoholic drinks, and stay around to chat and share stories with others.
Yoga & Herbs for Mental Health
A series of four workshops offering tools and knowledge to nourish your nervous system.
You will learn about herbal medicine, make your own medicinal herbal tea, practise breathwork techniques and restorative yoga.
Yoga & Herbs for Burnout: 15th September 2024
2pm-5.30pm
at Calderdale Yoga Centre
£40 to £60 sliding scale or discount for block booking
Book in and see other workshops at: davidepenazziyoga.co.uk/classes/yogaandherbs/
Sefo Kanuteh
Gambian Kora and Balafon player Sefo's music has been described as mesmerising and magical. His compositions are a melodic mixture of highly- valued traditional pieces interwoven with styles from every continent, planting Sefo as a contemporary Mande musician.
Sefo's music sings of his life, family and freedom. Certain of his cultural roots, Sefo's music blends beautifully with other genres including Latin, reggae, jazz, blues and pop.
Doors open 7.30pm
Tickets £12
More info & tickets
The Artist's Way - a 12 week course in creativity
Are you a writer, artist or musician but you've never managed to develop that part of your life?
Do you want to be more creative?
This course, based on the book by Julia Cameron, will help you to access and express your creativity. The group environment will be supportive, encouraging and nurturing.
(This is not a writing course but it will involve writing.)
The sessions will be on Wednesday evening, 7pm-9pm, at Hebden Bridge Town Hall.
First session Wednesday 18 September
Last session Wednesday 11 December
Half Term Wednesday 30 October
The cost is £140/£98
Please contact me, Anna Chilvers, at annaruthchilvers@gmail.com for more information or to book a place
A Different kind of Self-Care
For parents of teens aged 10-19+
Where: Online using Zoom
When: Starting Thurs 19th Sep 2024, 7-9pm
How much: £30 per session, couples £40
If you're seeking to enhance family communication, or are concerned about your teenagers' mental well-being, you are warmly invited to join a secure and supportive environment.
Call 07427 639127 or please see our website for full details
The End of Everything
A talk by Steve Barrett
u3a Meeting at Todmorden Learning Centre and Community Hub - Tod College at 2pm on Thursday, 19th September 2024
Although it took only three minutes to make our Universe (see 'Beginning of Everything') it will take more than a trillion trillion years for it to come to an end. This talk looks at what will happen to the Earth, the Sun and the galaxy on timescales ranging from thousands of years to eternity.
The meeting starts at 2pm at Todmorden Learning Centre and Community Hub in Todmorden (Tod College) and is open to paid up members of the Todmorden u3a but if you would like to attend you can enquire by going to www.u3atod.org.uk or by contacting membership@u3atod.org.uk
Steve Tilston & Friends
'Unlike many of his contemporaries though, his work simply gets better as time goes on' MOJO
'One of the great voices of English music, one of the great composers of English music… I have so much respect for Steve Tilston' Bob Harris, BBC Radio 2
'Steve Tilston, in case events have conspired to conceal the fact from you thus far, is that very rare combination of singer, songwriter and guitarist who actually excels in all departments.' Folk Roots
Doors open 7.30pm
Tickets £16
More info & tickets
Dark Matter Promotions presents....
Gum Takes Tooth and DJ NCK
"Industrial hypertech duo shelling bass bombs of pure hardware-pop. Pretty much the biggest, grittiest, most distorted thrill you could get from live electronics right now"
Golden Lion Todmorden (upstairs)
Doors 8pm
Tickets £13 and bf Skiddle/ more on the door
Writing Day
Hebden Bridge Town Hall
This fun and relaxed day will consist of a morning workshop, and an afternoon writing session, finishing with a read around at the end of the day.
The cost is £30. Please contact me, Anna Chilvers, at annaruthchilvers@gmail.com for more details or to book a place.
Opening Autumn Gig at Wadsworth:
The Autumn Season of gigs at Wadsworth Community Centre includes Kathryn Tickell and Ashley Hutchings and the opener, contemporary acoustic roots duo, Gilmore & Roberts on Sat 21 Sept. See HebWeb news item.
Repair Cafe Mytholmroyd
Bring out your repairs!
Repair Cafe Mytholmroyd will be up and running on Sunday 19 May from 1pm to 4pm
Mytholmroyd Community Centre,
Caldene Avenue, Mytholmroyd HX7 5AF
Hot drinks and refreshments.
We can look to repair, clothes, bags, furniture, toys, bikes electrical appliances (not microwaves) knife/tool sharpening
Come and see what its all about.
Contact us:
Email: repairmytholm@gmail.com
Facebook: Repair Cafe Mytholmroyd
Instagram: Repair Cafe Mytholmroyd
Dark Matter Promotions presents....
Wooden Tape
Musician and writer Tim Maycox debuts under the alias Wooden Tape, with his album 'Music From Another Place'.
With support from Rose Greenwood and POLA
Golden Lion Todmorden
Doors 8pm
Tickets via Skiddle
Hebden Bridge Local History Society
August 1842 – the People versus the Establishment
Speaker: David Glover
In August 1842, people power brought the mills of Halifax to a total standstill - this was 'The Great Strike.' How and why did this extraordinary situation arise? What did the plug-drawing involve, and what was the input of local Chartists? Soldiers were attacked at Salterhebble, innocent citizens were assaulted by troopers, some being killed. David attempts to explain the confusion…
David Glover is a well-established interpreter of Halifax's past, with articles published in the Halifax Courier, and his popular illustrated lectures. David currently holds the presidency of Halifax Antiquarian Society; he is also vice-chair of Halifax Civic Trust, and chair of The Friends of Lister Lane Cemetery. A guide for Calderdale Heritage Walks, as well as at Dean Clough Mills, and at Halifax Minster.
Methodist Church, Market Street. Hebden Bridge. 7.30pm, free to members; £4 for visitors
New Worlds Down Under
With Dr Mary Ellen
In 1788, the First Fleet landed at Botany Bay with its first cohort of convicts, beginning the settlement of Australia. Mary Ellen describes the role of women in this extraordinary event.
7pm at Heptonstall Museum.
Entrance is free for our members
£5 everyone else.
Wainsgate Piano Weekend
The Wainsgate Piano Weekend is modelled on the late, lamented Hebden Bridge Piano Festival and includes several pianists who performed there.
See HebWeb News item
See this web page to find out what else is on offer, to see artists' programmes and to buy tickets.
Save Our Soil
Join us this September 28th from 10-4 at Hebden Bridge Town Hall for Save Our Soil!
This free event brought to you by Calderdale Ecological Land Trust will give you and your family the chance to dig deep into the wonder beneath our feet and discover the value of soil and how it impacts farmers, food and consumers.
Stall holders include Pennine Cropshare, Valley Organics, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and Forus Tree.
The event programme will feature talks, panels, films, fun with food, worms and more!
Sylvia Plath: The West Yorkshire Poems - The Hebden Bridge Literary and Scientific Society is kicking off its new season with a presentation by a local writer and academic: Sarah Corbett on 28 Sept, at 7.30pm in The Town Hall. Read more on this HebWeb news page.
Laiton Trumpet Quartet
and Hebden Bridge Junior Brass Band
3pm at St James Church, Church Lane, Hebden Bridge, HX7 6DS
(Wheelchair Access. Free Entry).
A family-friendly afternoon concert featuring The Laiton Trumpet Quartet and Hebden Bridge Junior Brass Band with their conductor, Steve Robson.
Laiton Trumpet Quartet consists of four young women who have recently graduated from the Royal Northern College of Music and are embarking on a career in music. They are Grace Harman, Erin McLellan, Charlotte Nuta and Isabel Thompson. Isabel plays with the Elland Silver Band.
Dark Matter Promotions presents....
Dark Matter presents Hamell on Trial & Ruth Theodore
A one man punk band, a story teller, troubadour, rock n roll-tinged acoustic power from New York.
Golden Lion Todmorden (upstairs)
Doors 8pm
Tickets and bf Skiddle/ more on the door
Dark Matter Promotions presents....
Helicon (Fuzz Club)
Glaswegian Psychedelia heavyweights
& Hazel's Maze
Golden Lion Todmorden, 8pm
Tickets on Skiddle
Hebden Bridge Local History Society
Fifty years of local democracy in Calderdale:
an awkward birth, a tough upbringing and a place well worth celebrating.
Speaker: Michael Peel
These days, Calderdale is a household word - part of the fabric of local life - but when the Borough was created 50 years ago no one knew exactly what it meant. Boundaries were redrawn, traditional attitudes, alliances and democratic certainties were overturned and the old way of doing things was swept aside by new realities.
Journalist Michael Peel has monitored the people, the council, its characters and Calderdale's colourful past ever since the day the borough was formed. He will highlight some of the many challenges, major events and changes for better or worse which have come to pass since its inception, when the principal watchwords were scepticism and confusion.
Methodist Church, Market Street. Hebden Bridge. 7.30pm, free to members; £4 for visitors
Encouraging Signs for the Deaf at Little Theatre
For the first time, The Little Theatre is going to have a British Sign Language interpreted performance to make attendance more accessible to deaf people, on the 10 October performance of its next play Beryl, by Maxine Peake. See this HebWeb news item for more info.
Hebden Bridge WI Autumn Rag Market
10:00am - 3:30pm
Venues
The Waterfront Room, The Town Hall,
Northlight Studios, Hangingroyd Lane
The Making Mill, Valley Road
Hebden Bridge Rag Market is a faberdashery haberdashery! This twice yearly Market event for crafters, run by the Hebden Bridge branch of the WI, is the perfect place to pick up a bargain for the crafter, sewist, knitter and vintage lover. Please note our new opening and closing times! 10:00am til 3:30pm.
£2 entry includes a free Raffle Ticket and gives you access to over 30 stalls across three Venues, the Town Hall, Northlight Studios, and The Making Mill. Funds raised go towards our Charity of the Year, Overgate Hospice.
This year we are also thrilled to add two Workshops to our event - Needle felting with Julie Turner from TurnAcre Ryeland Wool Products from 11:30am - 1pm and an embroidery project using fabric scraps with local textile artist, Saima Kaur from 1:30pm -3pm. Workshops cost £15, and this includes entry into all Rag Market venues. Tickets will be available on Eventbrite. More details on our Social media pages!
Fabric - Wool - Beads - Threads - Buttons - Patterns - Vintage Items - Books...
Refreshments are available at the Town Hall Cafe.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @HebdenRag For more information on our Rag Market or Workshops, please email; wiragmarket@gmail.com
Pull Out All The Stops!
From 11 am to 4pm at St James, Church Lane, Hebden Bridge, HX7 6DS (Wheelchair Access. Free Entry)
A celebration of our wonderful Wood Wordsworth organ, including free workshops provided by the Halifax Organ Academy thanks to a grant from the CultureDale Programme
"Have a go" Organists are invited to play this organ. Time slots can be booked between 11 am and 1:30 pm using email below.
Workshops from 2pm to 4 pm. Places on these can be booked at event@machpelah.uk
Otherwise just watch, listen, and look at a display about the history of music in our church. Light refreshments available.
2 pm to 2:45 pm Build a two-stop, two-octave pipe organ (Age 7 upwards – 12 people)
2pm to 2:45 pm Demonstration of the St James' organ and playing under supervision. (Age 7 upwards -12 people)
3pm to 3:45 pm Workshop for pianists/keyboard players who would like to try playing an organ (12 people)
Please bring a keyboard piece you can play that you think will work on the organ and a pair of shoes with soles that are thin and clean, or you will need to remove your outdoor shoes.
3 pm to 3:45 pm Build a two-stop, two-octave pipe organ (Age 7 upwards – 12 people)
Meeting an Urgent Need: The Deceased Brother's Widow's Marriage Act 1921
With Dr Linda Maynard
During the First World War, the government rejected calls to legalise marriages between men and the widow of their deceased brother. This talk explains how and why the law was changed.
7pm at Heptonstall Museum.
Entrance is free for our members
£5 everyone else.
Dark Matter Promotions presents....
Project Gemini
Cinematic psych funk, acid folk and other far out sounds
With support from Human Hand and DJ Sie Norfolk
Golden Lion Todmorden (upstairs)
Doors 8pm
Tickets via Skiddle
Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail
Hebden Royd Town Council (HRTC) and Hebden Bridge Picture House are delighted to announce that on the 19 - 20th October 2024, Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail will be back in full flow with a brand new theme - Pumpkins at the Pictures!
This year, HRTC have commissioned creative team Sand In Your Eye to add a touch of Hollywood magic to the trail, featuring classic films and beloved movie characters – all reimagined in pumpkin form!
Hebden Bridge Local History Society
The dual economy of textiles and agriculture
A case study of the 'yeoman clothier' in the upper Calder Valley in the late 17th century.
Speaker: Peter Thornborrow
Hartley Royd is a fine 17th century stone house, the home of John Fielden a devout Quaker. He died in 1697 and his probate inventory can tell us much about how he lived and the use of the rooms. His eldest son John enlarges the house but the financial pressures of providing for his brothers and sisters, as per his father's Will, sharing his inheritance equally leads ultimately to his financial ruin and his creditors take him to court in 1750. We unravel the complicated architectural development of the building aided by the documentary evidence.
Well known for his detailed talks about significant buildings in West Yorkshire. Peter draws on his experience as Calderdale's Architectural Historian, and Inspector of Historic Buildings, surveying most of West Yorkshire for listed buildings. He spent many years as Historic Buildings officer in West Yorkshire.
Methodist Church, Market Street. Hebden Bridge. 7.30pm, free to members; £4 for visitors
Hebden Bridge Local History Society
AGM followed by two members' talks
Where there's a Will
Speaker: Barbara Hall
Uncover the lives of local people, their occupations, dwellings and family relationships through the wills and inventories of an earlier era. A presentation of the latest discoveries found in the wills of Halifax in the early 18th Century by the Halifax Probate Group.
Barbara is a retired librarian and teacher and first became interested in local history through attending lectures by the late Alan Petford. She has been involved in transcribing the wills of the late 17th century in the parish of Halifax in both the Halifax Probate group and the HBLHS for many years and finds them a fascinating source of original information.
Speaker: Sheila Graham
Neighbours and a neighbourhood: uncovering the story of a terrace of weavers' cottages at Edge Hey Green, Colden.
New and old residents at Edge Hey Green had questions about the history of their terrace and so they formed a group to look at deeds, censuses, newspapers and more.
Sheila's path to an interest in local history is very similar to Barbara's: it was largely sparked by Alan Petford. He was a tutor on a WEA and Leeds University Diploma course, and one of the assignments was to explore census information – the resulting analysis of Edge Hey Green in Colden was at the heart of this project many years later.
Methodist Church, Market Street. Hebden Bridge. 7.30pm, free to members; £4 for visitors
Mike Viola
Mike Viola may be best known for his work with Panic! at the Disco, Andrew Bird, Jenny Lewis and Mandy Moore, but his solo career stands on its own starting with the acclaimed records as leader of New York-based cult favorite Candy Butchers and seven critically adored Mike Viola records.
His original music has been featured on soundtracks for movies That Thing You Do!, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story and Get Him to the Greek. his latest Mike Viola album, Paul McCarthy, was released in 2023.
Doors open 8pm
Tickets £20
More info & tickets
Psychodrama Baby
Hebden Bridge Town Hall, 7pm, 22nd November 2024
A musical production of the growing up and escape of local resident Mim Goldstein from a dysfunctional commune in the 70s.
Writing Day
Hebden Bridge Town Hall
This fun and relaxed day will consist of a morning workshop, and an afternoon writing session, finishing with a read around at the end of the day.
The cost is £30. Please contact me, Anna Chilvers, at annaruthchilvers@gmail.com for more details or to book a place.
Hebden Bridge Local History Society
Todmorden Town Hall: 150 years old
Speaker: Margareta Holmstedt
From market hall, ball room and magistrates court to town hall: this talk tells the story of Todmorden Town Hall. We look at the brothers and uncle who paid for it, and where their money came from, as well as touching on life in 19th century Todmorden. The building itself is the star with its beautiful architecture and Victorian engineering.
Margareta moved to Todmorden in 1970 and was elected to the new Todmorden town council in 1976, serving on and off over the following 35 years. As a member of the Town Hall Friends and a volunteer guide, she is well placed to take us on a virtual tour of the building and its history.
Methodist Church, Market Street. Hebden Bridge. 7.30pm, free to members; £4 for visitors
A Spare Church In the Graveyard
With Diana Monahan
Diana Monahan tells us about the incredible role of St Thomas a Becket church at the centre of Heptonstall's history since the 13th century.
7pm at Heptonstall Museum.
Entrance is free for our members
£5 everyone else.
Dark Matter Promotions presents....
Nothingheads + The Dirt + Barbarism
An evening of dark and powerful post-punk with London powerhouse band headlining.
Golden Lion Todmorden (upstairs)
Doors 8pm
Tickets and bf Skiddle/ more on the door
Hebden Bridge Local History Society
A Tale of Two Carnivals: films from the Yorkshire Film Archive
Speaker: Diana Monahan
How did these two films from a hundred years ago survive? why were the carnivals organised and filmed? where did the events in Hebden Bridge take place? Diana Monahan presents her analysis and some answers to these questions. These films are available to view on the Yorkshire Film Archive website, but some extracts will be shown, by permission of YFA, during the talk.
Diana has been involved with Hebden Bridge Local History Society since about 1993 and, although no longer a committee member, she still volunteers at our archive at Birchcliffe and deals with queries which are sent to the society. This has given her a broad overview of many aspects of our local history and, in some cases, an in-depth knowledge.
Methodist Church, Market Street. Hebden Bridge. 7.30pm, free to members; £4 for visitors
Hebden Bridge Local History Society
Scotland Yard, the Titanic, Rochdale Town Hall and the stained glass of St James Church Hebden Bridge
Speaker: David Smalley
Victorian stained glass has had, until recently, a very bad press. Yet in the late 1870s the congregation and clergy of St James church, at great cost, embarked on a programme of restoration that resulted in a complete glazing by the firm Heaton, Butler and Bayne. Complete schemes are unusual but this one, through the parish magazine, is particularly well documented, a rarity in the world of Victorian stained glass. This lecture looks at the background to the restoration and the social insights that have emerged as the Parish Magazine has been studied.
David says he has had a childlike fascination with light and glass since lecturing on gemstone identification in the 1970s and 80s. He has over the last eight years been studying stained glass through the Continuing Education Department at the University of York with a personal focus on Victorian glass.
Methodist Church, Market Street. Hebden Bridge. 7.30pm, free to members; £4 for visitors
Ethel Carnie Holdsworth: A Clear Light and a New World
With Jenny Harper
Jenny Harper joins us for a virtual talk about the inspiring work of Ethel Carnie Holdsworth and the importance of her work involved in The Clear Light, a publication pivotal to the northern political and social landscape of the 1920s.
7pm at Heptonstall Museum.
Entrance is free for our members
£5 everyone else.
Hebden Bridge Local History Society
Then and Now – photographs of vernacular buildings
Kevin Illingworth
The presentation will be very visual, showing photographs of buildings taken by Ralph Cross before 1978, compared directly with photos taken by Kevin, of the same building, in modern times. The buildings are mainly in the Lancashire and Yorkshire Pennines.
Kevin was born Galgate, near Lancaster and has had a varied career stretching from operating excavators and bulldozers in motorway construction to working with pigs in Lincolnshire. In between he studied at art college and Bath Academy of Art. He has worked as a self-employed 'Landscape Builder', especially in gardens of historic farmhouses. His detailed knowledge and photographs of vernacular buildings of Yorkshire and Lancashire are widely respected.
Methodist Church, Market Street. Hebden Bridge. 7.30pm, free to members; £4 for visitors
Hebden Bridge Local History Society
Whatever happened to the townships? The part they played in our local history
Speaker: David Cant
The ancient parish of Halifax was subdivided into 23 townships. David will answer some questions about their history: Where were they? How did they functions? Why is it important for local historians to know?
David has lived in this area for more than 35 years and is still fascinated by the landscape, buildings and history. He is a regular speaker at Hebden Bridge and across Calderdale, sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm.
Methodist Church, Market Street. Hebden Bridge. 7.30pm, free to members; £4 for visitors
Hebden Bridge Local History Society
The experience of civil conflict: Sowerby, 1638-1660
Speaker: Murray Seccombe
The men and women of Sowerby felt the crisis years of the mid-seventeenth century deeply and not just as a series of events in far away Westminster, dramatic as those were. They argued, they fought, they paid exorbitant taxes, they took up new forms of religious worship. This was a formative time for ideas of governance and accountability, and the township's leaders responded energetically. Drawing on the unrivalled source material of Sowerby's constables' accounts, this talk will ask questions about how deeply republican ideas penetrated and what was the legacy of those heady years.
Murray lived in Hebden Bridge for 38 years (and was President of HBLHS) before his recent move to York. He completed a PhD at Lancaster University in 2022, researching manorial and township governance of highways in the parish of Halifax, c.1550-1700. Before retirement, he worked in the community-based transport sector. When not reading or walking, he is currently editing the Sowerby constables' accounts (1628-1714) for the Surtees Society.
Methodist Church, Market Street. Hebden Bridge. 7.30pm, free to members; £4 for visitors
Hebden Bridge Local History Society
The growth, development and decline of football in the Upper Calder Valley
Speaker: Derek Kettlewell
How did the new sport of "Socker" become established within the Upper Calder Valley, and why has the area no football teams of note currently? The talk will explore the challenges faced in developing the game as well as the footballing highlights provided by such teams as Hebden Bridge, Portsmouth Rovers & Luddendenfoot, and the notable players from, and visitors to, the area.
Derek Kettlewell is an enthusiastic researcher into the histories of both football and Rugby League, with a particular focus on sport at a grassroots level. He lives in Hebden Bridge and is a member of HBLHS. He is a supporter of Farsley Celtic FC and a former supporter of the now defunct, Bramley RLFC.
Methodist Church, Market Street. Hebden Bridge. 7.30pm, free to members; £4 for visitors
Hebden Bridge Local History Society
The opening of Hebden Bridge Trades Club and the first Labour Government
Speaker: Alan Fowler
The Trades Club was opened in February 1925 and the foundation stones were laid in May 1924 a few months before One of the foundation stones was laid by Tom Shaw , Minister of Labour in the 1924 Labour government and member of Britain's first ever Labour cabinet. His speech reviewed the success of the government; but by 1925, when the Trades Club was opened, Labour was in opposition.
The key figure at the formal opening was J.W.Tout, former Oldham MP and Secretary of the Todmorden Weavers, who became the Calder Valley's first Labour MP. The talk explains the significance of these two ceremonies and how they reflected the wider change of the 1920s in Britain.
Alan taught economic history at the Manchester Metropolitan University. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and has given many memorable talks to HBLHS about the Labour and Trades union movements in our area.
Methodist Church, Market Street. Hebden Bridge. 7.30pm, free to members; £4 for visitors