Month: January 2019

R.I.P. Ian Dewhirst MBE

Today we have had the sad announcement of the death of celebrated historian, author and local character Ian Dewhirst.

 

Ian was a supporter and Honorary Member of the Society, he has always encouraged us and has lead many of our meetings.

Ian leading a meeting at Utley Cemetery 2005 Photograph by Barbara Klempka

His vast knowledge and irreverent delivery, in Yorkshire dialect made him a joy to listen too. His strong support of the town’s library and his belief that local history MUST be kept available in the town will be missed. As will the antics that it sometimes lead him into. These have included  getting into a skip to retrieve tomes from “his” Reference Library that the powers that be had decided were no longer needed in Keighley (he thought different and told them so in no uncertain terms), to being the DJ, and a good one, at a Library Music event last year.

Thanks for the memories, Ian – you will be sadly missed.

The Final Chapter of a Keighley Bookshop

Reids Bookshop in Keighley closed its doors for good eight years ago in January 2011. The bookshop’s final location was on the ground floor of Airedale multi-storey car park at 87 Cavendish Street. The final owner was Gerald Brooksbank. He first joined the business as a partner in 1973. Keighley historian Ian Dewhirst dates Reids back to 1899 when a Wilsden man called Luther Smith began a book and stationery business at 10 Cavendish Street. He said that the bookshop’s name dated from 1927 when it was bought by J. W. Reid & Co. The bookshop moved to its final location in 1995. The photograph was taken by the History Society’s original secretary, Barbara Klempka in May 2006 and the advert is from a 1948 edition of St Andrew’s Review, the magazine produced by Keighley Parish Church.

News Flash- Speakers Meeting 9th Jan 2019

As many of you wil know the Local Studies Library is currently out of action, due to structural problems.

THE MEETING WILL STILL BE HELD AT THE LIBRARY, only downstairs., probably the area by the side door.

As the meeting is by one of our owm, Tim, this time it will be an “around the table” meeting, hopefully still with slides, but will still be based around gather information to go with the G L Kitchen pictures.

We will post about further meetings once their is more information regarding the situation.