HEBDEN BRIDGE WEB

NEWS

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• Euro Elections
• Alternative Technology Centre in HB
• Halifax Demo
• Election Results
• Alice Mahon on the bombing
• Peace Group formed
• Green candidates for HB
• Pace-Eggers Raise Money
• Chris Mccafferty MP on Kosovo
• Pace Egg Play - photos

Tuesday, June 15, 1999

The Yorkshire region has returned 2 Conservative, 2 Labour and 1 Liberal Democrat MEPs. Turnout for the region was just less than twenty per cent (19.75%). In both the Calder Valley and Halifax constituencies, the Tories had majorities of over 12% over Labour. The Green Party managed nearly 8.1% of the vote in the Calder Valley.

Wednesday, June 9, 1999

Thursday June 10th is the day of the European Elections. Voters have one vote each and a choice of 70 candidates. This is the first opportunity English voters have to take part in a proportional representation system. Two local candidates could be elected. Mark Hill of Hebden Bridge is number two on the Green Party list and Michelle Foster of Mytholmroyd is fifth on the list of Alternative Labour.

Tuesday, June 8, 1999

Plans for a Hebden Bridge Alternative Technology Centre have received widespread and enthusiastic support local businessman, 'H' Gregg has told the Hebden Bridge Web. Hebble End Mill, a 200 year old building along the Rochdale Canal has been secured for the project. The idea was inspired by the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales which exhibits all sorts of wind and solar power devices, organic gardening, self heating houses, etc. Watch this space for further details.

Tuesday, May 25, 1999

Adrian Mitchell has postponed his visit to Hebden Bridge which means he won't be here for this year's Arts Festival. Many years ago, Adrian Mitchell campaigned in England against apartheid with Thabo Mbeki who is very likely to be the new President of South Africa following the 2nd June elections. Nelson Mandela ("the greatest man in the world") this week faxed Adrian Mitchell inviting him to South Africa for the inauguration of the new President on 16th June to celebrate his old friend's appointment, the day before his planned visit to HB. Adrian Mitchell has promised to come to Hebden Bridge on 7th October "when I'll do the best performance of my life".

Saturday, May 22, 1999

Hundreds of demonstrators marched round Halifax today protesting against the NATO bombing in the Balkans. Hebden Bridge was well represented. Alice Mahon, MP for Halifax, addressed the demonstration outside the Town Hall. She called for an end to the bombing, urging negotiation. The demonstration marched round Halifax, through Piece Hall and the Woolshops to North Bridge which was blocked to motorists by the demonstrators for over half an hour. North Bridge was chosen as the kind of target NATO is bombing in the Balkans. When police arrived in numbers, the demonstration moved on to the Town Hall.

MORE IMAGES OF THE DEMONSTRATION

Friday, May 7, 1999

The Liberal Democrats have taken the seats in the Calder Valley and Luddenden Foot wards. The majority was 449 in the Calder Valley and 541 in Luddenden Foot. Labour came second in both. Overall, Labour lost several seats to Conservatives in Calderdale and one to the Liberal Democrats in Todmorden. Labour have lost control of the council which is now hung.

Saturday, May 1, 1999

"What is supposed to be the first humanitarian war has led to a humanitarian disaster of biblical proportions," Alice Mahon, MP for Halifax, told a packed meeting at Central Library last night. "It was predicted by people more experienced than me and NATO was warned that if they went ahead with the bombing there could be a million refugees within a few weeks. Unfortunately, they have been proved right. NATO is violating the Geneva Convention every night. We have to mobilise people. The silence among MPs is deafening. We have to stop the bombing and start the talking."

John Thomas of the Green Party told of the massive environmental disaster caused by the bombing of oil refineries and Ms Rachel Julian of Yorkshire CND told of the radioactive uranium which is being used on missiles.

Tuesday, April 27, 1999

The Calderdale Committe for Peace in the Balkans has been formed from a group of local teachers, Green Party and SWP members and others including several people from Hebden Bridge The group have informed the HebWeb that on Saturday they collected hundreds of signatures in Halifax town centre, showing that there is significant opposition to the NATO bombing.

They have organised a public meeting to be addressed by Halifax MP, Alice Mahon and others this Friday, 30th April at Halifax Central Library at 7.30pm

Further details about the new Peace Group can be had from Calderdale Committe for Peace in the Balkans, PO Box 21, Bradford, BD9 4XW.

Sunday, April 25, 1999

This year, voters in the Calder Valley and Luddenden Foot wards of Hebden Bridge have the opportunity of voting for a Green. The Calder Valley candidate, Graham Yelland has told the Hebden Bridge Web that he thinks the Green Party have a real chance of winning in Hebden Bridge. Graham used to run a wholefood shop and has played an active part in the vegetarian, nuclear disarmament and free festival movements. The Calderdale Council elections are on 6th May, and the local results will be posted here on the Hebden Bridge Web on Friday 7th, as soon as they are available.

PACE EGGERS RAISE MONEY FOR REFUGEES

Thursday, April 15, 1999

The Heptonstall Pace Eggers have told the Hebden Bridge Web that they raised £600 for the Kosovo refugees. This is the most the Heptonstall Pace Egg plays has ever raised.

KOSOVO: Statement from our MP, Chris Mccafferty

Monday, April 5, 1999

The Hebden Bridge Web has this morning received a statement from Christine Mccafferty, MP on the situation in Kosovo. She writes:

"Whilst the influence of individual Members of Parliament is limited, I shall continue to lobby for a peaceful and diplomatic solution to this crisis which seeks to avoid further violence whilst ensuring that criminal aggression and ethnic cleansing are not allowed to succeed."

Read the full statement

SUN SHINES ON PACE EGG PLAYS

Friday, April 2, 1999

After a couple of years of cold and wet Good Fridays, this year the sun shone, and it was warm. Hundreds turned out to see the two versions of the traditional Pace Egg Play. The images below are from the performance of the Heptonstall Players in Weaver's Square, Heptonstall. Calder High students also performed their version in Weaver's Square and around Hebden Bridge.

VIGIL AGAINST THE BOMBING

Peace Vigil, Hebden Bridge - Saturday 27th March
Against NATO bombing and in solidarity with peace groups in Serbia and Kosovo

CALDERDALE MP OPPOSES BOMBING

Friday, 26th March 1999

In the House of Commons yesterday, Alice Mahon, MP described the bombing in Serbia as "profoundly wrong". She argued that any such action should be first endorsed by the United Nations. "But my main reason for opposing this action is that I think it is likely to cause more civilian casualties and could lead to an escalation of conflict in south-east Europe.

Alice Mahon said the largest group of Serbians in the UK lived in Yorkshire. "The ones that were ringing me up . . . were incredulous that we are bombing a European country. They don't like Milosevic either, but they don't see why we should be bombing them."

Yesterday morning, the Hebden Bridge Web emailed Calder Valley MP Christine Mccafferty, MP to ask her views on this issue. (We still await her reply over a week later.)

Wednesday, March 24, 1999

CLICK HERE to read an interesting contribution from Derek Loney on the background to the closure of the Mount Skip.

Sunday, March 21, 1999

The Mount Skip has closed and may not re-open. The pub on the edge of the moors above Hebden Bridge can be seen for miles in many directions. It has long been a popular place of refreshment and meeting for locals, walkers and tourists. Hebden Bridge will not be quite the same without it. Calderdale planners are being asked to give permission to turn the building into a private dwelling.

FIVE STUDENTS SUSPENDED CREAM SOURS RED NOSE DAY

Saturday, March 13, 1999

Five students at Calder High School have been suspended and sent home for throwing plates of cream at a teacher. The students claim that they had permission from teachers but that one changed his mind. They are doubly upset because they thought they were doing good work by helping to raise money for such a worthy charity.

SCHOOL RESULTS PUBLISHED

Tuesday, February 23, 1999

National Curriculum test results are published today. Calderdale scored just below the national average of 63.9% with 62.6% of primary school children scoring at Level 4 or above in their Stage 2 SATS.

Most local schools performed well in comparison. Hebden Royd (21) scored 84%, Colden (16) 92%, Riverside (62) 63.3%, and Burnley Road , Mytholmroyd (27) at 67%. Riverside, the largest school had its results held down because of a low score - 50% - with Maths. (Number entered, in brackets). Results not available for Old Town.

For details about other schools, click here

HEBDEN BRIDGE TO GAIN WORLD RECOGNITION?

Friday, February 19, 1999

Hebden Bridge and the surrounding milltowns could qualify as a world heritage site on a level with Stonehenge and the Great Wall of China, according to planning consultants working for Calderdale Council. This is apparently because they were among the first ever industrial towns. The Industrial Revolution started here in the Pennine Hills. Local water energy powered the first mills. In last night's Halifax Courier, David Fletcher, chairman of Pennine Heritage, is quoted as saying: "Every civilisation had its monuments - the Pharaohs had their pyramids and the church its medieval cathedrals." And presumably, industrial society has Hebden Bridge.

TV PRODUCER SEEKS RADICAL PARENTS

Saturday, February 6, 1999

Television producer,Sam Anthony is currently researching a one hour documentary for Channel 4 about radical or non-conventional family structures. He has used the Hebden Bridge Website as a good place to start looking, "knowing that your area probably has a higher than average amount of non-conventional families."

The film will look at what happened to the children of the counter-cultural revolution of the late 1960s and early 1970s, and assess the affect that an unusual upbringing had on children's own ideas about parenting.

Initial reaction from local parents has been cautious. One person told the Hebden Bridge Web: "We have had 30 years of our dreams and lifestyles being distorted by a narrow-minded mass media."

Hebweb scoop: Wednesday, February 3, 1999
Benjamin Zephaniah booked for this year's Arts Festival. Further details will be posted on the Arts Festival website as we receive them.

Wednesday, February 3, 1999

Following considerable public pressure, Calderdale have retreated from making the cuts to education and community services. However, yet another Calderdale School has failed inspection. Queens Road School in Halifax now faces closure.

Saturday, January 30, 1999

Permission has been given for the Hebble End Dyeworks to be converted into a Cybercafe and workshops. However, objections have been made to the project. Although Hebden Bridge deperately needs public access to the Internet, the only access to the mill is along the canal towpath. And there is no spare car parking facilities in the area.

Saturday, January 30, 1999

Calderdale Council, still under the threat of a Government "hit squad" to sort out its Education responsibilities, is cutting a whole range of adult, youth and community services in the Hebden Bridge area.

Sunday, January 10, 1999

Two recent decisions by a Calderdale Council development committee have implications for the Green Belt policy in this area. The Mayroyd corridor, currently green, between HB Station and Walkleys Clogs is to have houses, workshops and a light railway built upon it. At the same time, the OK has been given for nearly 60 houses to be built at Chiserley in Old Town.