WHAT'S ON: LOCAL EVENTS
Past events: While we're still socially distancing, why not check out some of the hundreds of incredible events which have been listed on the HebWeb over the past few years:
2020 - 2019 - 2018 - 2017 - 2016 - 2015 - 2014 - 2013
2012 -
2011-
2010 -
2009 -
2008 -
2007 -
2005-2006
Heptonstall Food Festival
1pm to 4pm.
Heptonstall Methodist Chapel and Sunday School, off Northgate, Heptonstall.
Local producers and businesses will have stalls in the Sunday School with homemade refreshments in the neighbouring Chapel.
The event is part of the national Heritage Weekend which this year has an edible heritage theme. The Sunday School has been closed for many years but is being renovated. This is a chance to have a look round a building that's rarely been opened to the public.
Live music at Wainsgate
Saturday Sept. 18th @ 3pm Stuart McCallum (solo jazz guitar)
A seasoned performer at Wainsgate, Stuart McCallum is one of the most vital and creative musicians of his generation. An in-demand guitarist, composer, producer and educator Stuart rose to prominence writing for and playing with the Cinematic Orchestra, on their Ma Fleur and Live at the Albert Hall albums, as well as on their award-winning Disney soundtrack, The Crimson Wing. “… McCallum’s compositions are exemplary of everything that is exciting about new British jazz.” (Jazzwise Magazine)
Book now
Memories Film Premiere & History & Heritage event
Hebden Bridge Picture House
Saturday 18th September at 8pm
Free
This Saturday evening at 8pm join Kate Higham, for her talk 'Cinema in Hebden Bridge – A Short History' followed by the premiere of the Memories of the Picture House film (subtitled), a project of the Friends of the Picture House. The film interviews Picture House audience members and former staff from across the decades, showcasing stories spanning nearly 50 years, and ranging from hilarious anecdotes to deeply moving recollections.
The event will also include presentation of the UK's first Cinema of Sanctuary award to celebrate the status of us being the first Cinema of Sanctuary!
Plus the evening will feature an introductory talk by Diana Monahan to the 1924 Hebden Bridge Band Carnival film and a second chance to see the film, with new score by Ben Burrows, performed by the Treske Ensemble.
If you are unable to visit us on Saturday the film will be able to watch online via this Facebook page on Saturday night.
Book your free tickets here:
This event is supported by Film Hub North, proud to be part of the BFI Film Audience Network
Three Yorkshire Based Musicians
Wadsworth Community Centre -Doors 6:45
Restarting our Folk, acoustic and roots sessions after a long break are Iona Lane, Sarah Smout and Becky Taylor, three musicians with connections to Yorkshire.
Iona Lane, is a folk singer and musician, whose well-crafted songs are delivered with immense passion, and an understanding beyond her years for the stories she tells.
Sarah Smout is a renowned cellist and vocalist has toured internationally with acts including Michael Chapman, Bridget St. John, King Creosote, etc. Recently was warmly praised by Mark Radcliffe.
Becky Taylor the' Yorkshire Piper' pays a return visit to Wadsworth, again with guitarist Steve Lacey. Becky is one of the most respected Uilleann pipers of her generation,
Each artist will perform an individual set with or without an accompanist. Therefore there will be two shortish intervals during the concert
Capacity will be limited to 50% of our normal audience and as usual there will be cask ale, hot food and a warm Wadsworth welcome
Tickets £14 (with a few tickets £7 for under18's),
07731 661053 07890 205980 or www.wegottickets.com
This concert is priced to offer support to the musicians.
Doors 6:45. First set 7:45ish
Live music at Wainsgate
3pm Little Sparrow
(Katie Ware: singer/songwriter)
As captivating to watch as she is to listen to, Manchester singer-songwriter Katie Ware’s beautifully emotive use of expression mirrors the sincerity of her delivery. Her delicately crafted songs draw on influences as diverse as Kate Bush, All About Eve and PJ Harvey, woven into the colourful tapestry of her music, often with a mysterious fairytale-like quality.
”Breathtaking vocalist, an incredibly gifted songwriter” (Chris Hawkins – BBC 6 Music and BBC Radio 2)
Book now
Heritage Open Day
Hope Baptist Church
Is that you? Search dozens of documents from the past.
Tea and cake
The Lost Chord Ensemble
7.30pm, in the Little Theatre bar, Holme Street, Hebden Bridge
The Lost Chord Ensemble is resuming its meetings which are about once a month and supports the Little Theatre. Musicians (with their music stand) are invited to come and play some light music selections.
If you are coming for the first time, please contact chris.browne@tiscali.co.uk with details of your instrument so that a pad of music can be made available.
Chris, who conducts the local Little Theatre Choir, has a wealth of light music including some of his own compositions.
Calder Folk - exhibition
Todmorden Information Centre
Calder Folk is an illustration installation project inspired by the folklore and place legends of the Upper Calder Valley created by Todmorden based artist Michael Powell.
Five outdoor artworks and musical works
There are five foldable booklets that have been created for this project, each with a specially created map, poem and illustration inspired by place legends from within the Upper Calder Valley for you to use to roam the hills and explore the valleys that surround us here in Calderdale.
A specially commissioned musical work is also presented on each of the outdoor artworks via a QR code for you to experience in situ with the artwork using a mobile device.
All of these works will be performed at the Trades Club in Hebden Bridge, 2-5pm on October 2nd as part of a Hebden Bridge Folk and Roots Festival event.
For tickets please see @hebdenfolkrootsfestival or hebdenfolkroots.org
Each map, illustration and musical work, alongside more information about the project can also be found online: thecloudgallery.com
Little Theatre
Postponed - due to COVID
The Extraordinary Revelations of Orca
7.30pm Free, No booking
A one-act surreal comedy, The Extraordinary Revelations of Orca the Goldfish by David Tristram is directed by Jenny Gore.
For Henry Smith - actor, comedian, raconteur, sporting hero, leading socialite, business tycoon, secret agent, Casanova and acting President of the United States - life is rarely dull.
For Alice Smith - housewife - life is rarely anything else.
Enter Michel - French waiter - tall, dark and available.
Exactly what happens next, no-one's quite sure. Except that it involves a rotting melon, a deckchair and a bottle of neck rub.
And only their pet goldfish, Orca, and you, will ever know the true story.
Two gifted actors take on a multitude of characters in this fabulously funny short comedy. Entry is free, and the theatre is not reserving seats, so just come along!
How can artists' livelihoods improve post-COVID?
Calderdale artists online meeting organised
by Artists' Union England on Tuesday 21 September, 7pm by Zoom.
Who put The Hall In old Town Hall?
David Cant
A handsome building with a courtyard, it has been home to many families. But which family added the ‘hall’ to its name? And when?
David Cant is a local historian interested particularly in the traditional buildings of our area. He has delivered many memorable talks to the Society.
Organised by the Local History Society. Meetings will be held at Hebden Bridge Methodist Church, which has now been equipped with chairs to replace the pews. It is also hoped to make recordings of the live talks available to members for two weeks following the event. See www.hebdenbridgehistory.org.uk for more info.
Managing local woodland meeting
On Thursday 23 September from 6.30pm, Calderdale Council and the National Trust are jointly hosting an online meeting to give people a chance to find out more about local woodlands and ask questions about how these are managed. To join the meeting, open Zoom and enter meeting ID: 935 3884 4697
Land Speaks, Heart Writes
10am-4pm
Hebden Bridge Hostel, Birchcliffe
A one day workshop bringing together vision quest in nature with creative writing. Seeking insight and inspiration from the land, we spend time outside connecting deeply with nature. Bringing back her whispers and wisdom, there is time to write using journalling, story or poetry. Find and articulate your vision in words, feet on the ground, under the sky.
Pay As You Feel £50-£80
Info & booking:
Email: emmadecent@talk21.com
TOWN HALL EXHIBITION: ME, MYSELF & WHY
An exhibition and honest explanation of me and my work, of why I need to create. Using my paintings; drawings, 3D, costumes, poetry and writing. Including my latest photographs of local Lgbtqia people and allies in my costumes, taking them into a world of fantasy.
Baghlan Boy
with novelist Michael Crowley
Hebden Bridge Town Hall. 7.30pm
Farood Abdali is eleven years old when a drone strike destroys the family's home in Baghlan Province, Afghanistan, killing his father. His brother sells the family sheep to pay an 'agent' to take Farood to the West.
Baghlan Boy is a story about people trafficking from Afghanistan to the UK through the eyes of the trafficked and the traffickers. A story about fleeing halfway across the world and then returning. A story about Afghanistan. Michael will read excerpts from his novel and chair a discussion on the book and the current situation in Afghanistan.
This is a free COVID safe event with places limited to 30.
Open Studios
After this last year of lockdowns and cancelled events it’s great to be able to announce dates for your diary again.
We’ve scheduled t wo open studios, July 9-11 and October 1-3 so we can have at least one, hopefully two live, in person events in 2021.
If you’re an artist and would like to get involved, or if you know an artist who would be interested, the deadline to apply is April 12. Full details can be found on the website apply page.
'A Day In The Life' Photo Exhibition
- Hebden Bridge Based African children's charity launches 'A Day in the Life' Photography Exhibition at the Town Hall from 2-8 October.
Hebden's Happy Hounds is back
Hebden's Happy Hounds returns once more, bringing a fun filled afternoon to Calder Holmes Park for hounds and their humans.
Take part in the fun dog show, with your handsome hound or polite pooch, or try out your teamwork on the agility course. Wander round the stalls to find that special gift for your four-legged friend and get expert advice to help with those training issues. With activities for the children, the event has something for everyone.
This event is free to enter, with a small donation of £1 to enter the fun dog show and have a go agility. Proceeds of this will be donated to the Mayor's Charity Forget Me Not Trust and RSPCA Halifax, Huddersfield & Bradford Branch.
Visit our Facebook Event for up to date information on the event!
Live music at Wainsgate
Saturday Oct. 2nd @ 3pm Meraki (classical flute, guitar and double bass)
Flautist Meera Maharaj and Guitarist James Girling enjoyed a tumultuous reception when as the Meraki Duo, they performed in the Wainsgate 2019 concert season. For this concert they will be joined by Canadian double-bassist Ben du Toit in a programme that includes music by Bach, Chick Corea and Eleanor Alberga.
'Truly an outstanding concert. The mastery of their instruments is a given, their musicianship is exceptional... the experience was breathtaking, beautiful and inspiring' - Bryan Fox
Book now
Craftivism against climate change
Discover the gentle art of protest.
Make a work of art to send to your MP.
Hope Baptist Church, Sunday 3rd October, 1 - 4pm
More details: www.hope-baptist.org.uk
Live music at Wainsgate
3pm Samuel Moore
Guitarra Flamenca - an introduction to the Rich Flamenco Tradition
In this solo recital the distinguished guitarist Samuel Moore presents a diverse programme drawing on the many palos (musical forms) that shape the flamenco tradition. From the plaintive cry of laments such as soleá, to the powerful attack of dance forms such as bulerías, this is a concert experience not to be missed.
“A fantastic flamenco guitarist” (Ian McMillan, BBC Radio 3)
Book now
Dark Matter presents...
The Hanging Stars & special guests
Cosmic Americana from London town mixing desert haze with grey rain.
7.30pm
Golden Lion, Fielden Square
Todmorden
Advance tickets on sale via Skiddle
A BRIEF HISTORY OF SHIBDEN HALL
David Glover
The Grade II* listed historic house at Shibden dates from 1420 and has been extensively remodeled from its original design by generations of residents. From the disputes between the Oates and Savile families in the late fifteenth century, through the thriving Waterhouse years, and on to the fascinating diversity of the Listers, including diarist Anne and antiquarian John, David traces a story of absorbing interest.
David Glover has had a lifelong fascination for local history and has gained a reputation as a speaker about a range of historical subjects in the Halifax area, as well as for his contributions to the Halifax Evening Courier. He is President of the Halifax Antiquarian Society.
Organised by the Local History Society. Meetings will be held at Hebden Bridge Methodist Church, which has now been equipped with chairs to replace the pews. It is also hoped to make recordings of the live talks available to members for two weeks following the event. See www.hebdenbridgehistory.org.uk for more info.
The Great American Songbook
With Roger Browne
1.45pm for 2pm start
If your not a member of the Todmorden U3A, and you would like to attend as a prospective member, it is free and all you have to do is go to: www.u3atod.org.uk or info@u3atod.org.uk and follow the links.
Pumpkin Festival 2021
The Great Pumpkin Festival, brought to you by Hebden Royd Town Council and Sand in Your Eye, is back for its fourth year in Hebden Bridge on Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th October, from 10am – 4pm.
SYLVIA PLATH IN YORKSHIRE
Heather Clark
Sylvia Plath’s poetry is acclaimed world-wide, and academic Heather Clark will discuss the poet’s West Yorkshire links, and how these places feature in her poetry.
Heather is Professor of Contemporary Poetry at the University of Huddersfield and author of several books about Sylvia Plath, including Red Comet: The Short Life and Blazing Art of Sylvia Plath (Knopf, 2020); Her Kind: The Boston Years of Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, Adrienne Rich and Maxine Kumin (Knopf, under contract); The Grief of Influence: Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes (Oxford University Press, 2011).
Organised by the Local History Society. Meetings will be held at Hebden Bridge Methodist Church, which has now been equipped with chairs to replace the pews. It is also hoped to make recordings of the live talks available to members for two weeks following the event. See www.hebdenbridgehistory.org.uk for more info.
Local History Society AGM
Short AGM precedes the lecture
Spinning through the West Riding
John Cruickshank
Hand-spinning was a crucial process in cloth-making before the introduction of powered industrial processes in mills, but it and other wool processes are in many ways now poorly understood. Fresh insights into yarn-supply are now emerging from current work on the pre-industrial textile industries of the West Riding. Spinning may have been women's work, and the skills require to produce the different yarns needed must not be underestimated!
John Cruickshank is a retired orthopaedic surgeon whose Leeds University PhD examined the early modern development of Headingley-cum-Burley, a township just outside the clothing district. He is now studying the industrial development of the adjacent clothing townships between 1540 and 1800.
Organised by the Local History Society. Meetings will be held at Hebden Bridge Methodist Church, which has now been equipped with chairs to replace the pews. It is also hoped to make recordings of the live talks available to members for two weeks following the event. See www.hebdenbridgehistory.org.uk for more info.
Live music at Wainsgate
3pm
Birds and Beasts and Carol Hodge
(electro-acoustic folk/rock double header)
Birds and Beasts write melodic and memorable songs inspired by animals and the natural world. Anna (vocals, bass) and Leo Brazil (guitar, percussion, vocals) originally came up with the idea whilst snowbound in a log cabin, deep in the forest of Anna’s native Germany.
“… you become entwined in the rhythm and quality of the musicianship. Psychedelic folk infused with cosmic and disco pop” (Loafers)
Carol Hodge is a seven-fingered, piano-pounding, Yorkshire-dwelling singer-songwriter. Think Regina Spektor meets Billy Bragg, but with fewer digits and a continuous existential crisis, sandwiched between bitter irony and relentless optimism.
“The Adele for people into radical politics… a UK 2018 equivalent to the Tapestry-era Carole King,” (Ged Babey: Louder than War)
Book now
Japan, Bowing to Tradition
With Jim Holmes
1.45pm for 2pm start
If your not a member of the Todmorden U3A, and you would like to attend as a prospective member, it is free and all you have to do is go to: www.u3atod.org.uk or info@u3atod.org.uk and follow the links.
THE MEDIEVAL PARK OF ERRINGDEN
Nigel Smith
The history of Erringden Park is obscure. This talk presents what can be discovered about the park’s past in both a local and regional context. Documentary and landscape evidence uncovers the changing boundaries of the park and how those boundaries were constructed. Comparative evidence suggests how the park was stocked and managed, together with the hunting methods that are likely to have been used. However, analysis points to a multifunctional park whose principal function may not be what you think. The park was abolished in the mid-fifteenth century and the way in which it was divided up and settled will be discussed, together with the controversies that surrounded its later existence.
Nigel is the Archivist and Publications Officer of the Hebden Bridge Local History Society. His research interests focus on the landscape and agricultural history of the Upper Calder Valley and the wider South Pennines. He is a regular contributor to the Transactions of the Halifax Antiquarian Society and has edited and authored a number of books, the latest of which is on Erringden Park.
Organised by the Local History Society. Meetings will be held at Hebden Bridge Methodist Church, which has now been equipped with chairs to replace the pews. It is also hoped to make recordings of the live talks available to members for two weeks following the event. See www.hebdenbridgehistory.org.uk for more info.
Dark Matter presents...an evening of live music
Gdansk81, Dog Daisies and Isaac Hughes-Dennis
(post punk, indie pop and comedy musician)
The Golden Lion, Todmorden
Doors 8pm
Tickets via Skiddle or on the door
Little Theatre
When We Are Married, by J.B. Priestley
Priestley's most popular play is a wonderful comedy, full of larger than life characters, depicting the snobbery and pomposity of the North Country nouveau riche, and how this is punctured by a startling and unsettling revelation.
The play will be directed by Ray Riches, and runs from Monday to Saturday, 6-11 December 2021.
Book tickets online (www.hblt.co.uk), or buy them at Innovation, Hebden Bridge, two weeks before opening.
The Alan Petford Memorial Lecture
THE DAM THAT ISN'T AND THE GREAT FLOATING PLUG OF THE COLDEN
Dave Smalley
Dave has agreed to re-visit his lecture that was originally part of the research that contributed to the compilation of the late Alan Petford’s festschrift History in the South Pennines. Initially it was about investigating another “fax fallacy”, a giant floating plug of dam wall! But like much research, as it developed it revealed unexpected insights into the early construction history of dams built for the textile industry.
Dave Smalley has been a resident of the upper Colden valley since 2000. With a background of Earth Sciences and the building industry followed somewhat eclectically by Cultural Diplomacy, he now continues a lifelong interest in the evolution of the landscape and the history of man’s impact on it. Since the first presentation in 2015 he had been researching aspects of the Stansfield road network from the late eighteenth century to the early 1920’s. He is currently studying the art history and manufacture of Victorian stained glass.
Organised by the Local History Society. Meetings will be held at Hebden Bridge Methodist Church, which has now been equipped with chairs to replace the pews. It is also hoped to make recordings of the live talks available to members for two weeks following the event. See www.hebdenbridgehistory.org.uk for more info.
The Christmas Magic Show!
With Steven Price
1.45pm for 2pm start
If your not a member of the Todmorden U3A, and you would like to attend as a prospective member, it is free and all you have to do is go to: www.u3atod.org.uk or info@u3atod.org.uk and follow the links.
MANAGING SPACE, MANAGING PEOPLE: Constables and highways in seventeenth century Sowerby
Murray Seccombe
The chance survival of Sowerby’s book of constables’ accounts for this period – the best from any part of Yorkshire – opens a window onto a formative stage in the way townships managed social welfare, access and mobility. The crisis years from the 1630s to the 1660s saw social and governance changes, including a precocious use of taxation for highways. The legacy was a network of tracks and causeys connecting the parish to a wider world.
Murray has lived in the area for 36 years, and is on the home stretch (he hopes) of a PhD at Lancaster University, 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. Given half a chance, he’d rather be out walking or reading very long books.
Organised by the Local History Society. Meetings will be held at Hebden Bridge Methodist Church, which has now been equipped with chairs to replace the pews. It is also hoped to make recordings of the live talks available to members for two weeks following the event. See www.hebdenbridgehistory.org.uk for more info.
THE HISTORY OF THE HOUSE OF THORNBER
Ann Kilbey
Starting with a few broody hens in orange boxes, the Thornber family went on to become world leaders in the hybridisation of poultry. Ann’s talk explores the quest for the perfect egg laying machine!
Ann Kilbey has been active in local history for many years, doing valuable work with Hebden Bridge Local History Society and the Pennine Horizons Digital Archive. She is also well-known for her fascinating talks on aspects of our local history.
Organised by the Local History Society. Meetings will be held at Hebden Bridge Methodist Church, which has now been equipped with chairs to replace the pews. It is also hoped to make recordings of the live talks available to members for two weeks following the event. See www.hebdenbridgehistory.org.uk for more info.
CINEMA IN HEBDEN BRIDGE: A HISTORY
Kate Higham
The history of cinema in Hebden Bridge spans over 120 years, and takes us from silent flickering images projected onto the walls of travelling theatre tents to the sharp digital images we enjoy today in the Picture House. Kate will discuss the old Royal Electric Theatre, and the local people who have played their part in the story too.
Kate lives locally, loves going to the cinema, and has enjoyed being on the committee of the Friends of the Picture House for the last 10 years. Along with her father, she has also written a book about the history of cinema in Hebden Bridge - Hebden Bridge Picture House, the Life and Times of a Local Treasure.
Organised by the Local History Society. Meetings will be held at Hebden Bridge Methodist Church, which has now been equipped with chairs to replace the pews. It is also hoped to make recordings of the live talks available to members for two weeks following the event. See www.hebdenbridgehistory.org.uk for more info.
WILLIAM MORRISONS, A YORKSHIRE SUCCESS STORY
Janet Senior
From humble beginnings to a national enterprise, the story of Morrisons is an example of the successful merging of Scottish canniness with Yorkshire determination.
Janet is a former special educational needs teacher in Bradford who took early retirement and began working as assistant librarian at the Yorkshire Archaeological Society in Leeds. Now fully retired, she continues to work as a volunteer at Markenfield Hall, North Yorkshire, cataloguing and transcribing the Grantley Archives held there.
Organised by the Local History Society. Meetings will be held at Hebden Bridge Methodist Church, which has now been equipped with chairs to replace the pews. It is also hoped to make recordings of the live talks available to members for two weeks following the event. See www.hebdenbridgehistory.org.uk for more info.
A Notable Epidemic: the 1880-81 Scarlet Fever outbreak in Halifax
John Brooke
More than five hundred people were affected by this outbreak of scarlet fever and over a hundred people died. This was no ordinary epidemic and John will explore how a farmer, a hired man and a local milk round were all involved.
John Brooke was a headteacher for 25 years and a part-time school inspector for a further seven. Most recently he has lectured for the WEA and has a number of publications to his name, including Cruel Lives: a history of some West Yorkshire epidemics. He lives in Lightcliffe where he is secretary of the local history society, president of the cricket club and leader of a litter-picking group!
Organised by the Local History Society. Meetings will be held at Hebden Bridge Methodist Church, which has now been equipped with chairs to replace the pews. It is also hoped to make recordings of the live talks available to members for two weeks following the event. See www.hebdenbridgehistory.org.uk for more info.
Dark Matter presents...
Harvey Bainbridge and guests
Golden Lion, Fielden Square, Todmorden Harvey Bainbridge, Hawkwind bass and keyboard player is joined by Vince Cory and Sonic Trip Project for an out-of-this world audio-visual show, which is part of the Adjust Your Head tour.
Advance tickets on sale via Skiddle.
REMEMBERING CRAGG HALL 1820-1921
Shirley Daniel and Roy Collinge
The story of Cragg Hall begins with the large and industrious Hinchliffe family, arguably the biggest influence on Cragg during and after the Industrial Revolution. Intended to be the most magnificent house built in the area, Cragg Hall was acclaimed as one of the finest buildings in Yorkshire, but survived for less than 20 years as the valley's most impressive mansion, falling victim to a disastrous fire on 11th August 1921.
Memories of Cragg Hall and its splendid ornamental gardens have faded into scant awareness with no living person left to tell the tale, though in its hey-day it was a huge part of local life and a legacy of the growth and decline of the Cragg Vale cotton mill industry. The centenary of that tragic fire seemed a fitting opportunity for Cragg Vale Local History Group to look back, lay to rest the myths and misconceptions, and re-discover the real story of Cragg Hall – Cragg Vale's "stately home"!
Both Shirley and Roy are enthusiastic founder members of Cragg Vale Local History Group. Roy is originally from Colden but has been a "Cragger" for much of his life, and Shirley has lived in Cragg almost long enough to no longer be an "off-cumden"!
Organised by the Local History Society. Meetings will be held at Hebden Bridge Methodist Church, which has now been equipped with chairs to replace the pews. It is also hoped to make recordings of the live talks available to members for two weeks following the event. See www.hebdenbridgehistory.org.uk for more info.