These two posters on the history of Keighley’s railways and the town’s now iconic station were unveiled by Graham Mitchell (Keighley Station Partnership Team Leader) and Phil Walker (Keighley Business Improvement District Officer) on 10th April 2018. The posters are hung in the waiting room on Platform 1 of the station.
The two posters were the work of a group formed to improve the information facilities at the Station for both local residents and visitors. The Keighley Station Partnership was formed from an initiative by train operator Northern to involve local volunteers and businesses as a ‘Friends’ group to improve the station. The partnership included the Aire Valley Rail Users Group, Bronte Country Partnership, Dementia Friendly Keighley, Keighley BID, the Keighley Bus Company, Keighley Town Council, Keighley & Worth Valley Railway and the Men of Worth Project.
The new history posters, created by Graham Mitchell, describe the arrival of the Leeds & Bradford Extension Railway in 1847 and its impact upon the town, with the creation of three separate station buildings, and after the 1884 arrival of the Great Northern Railway, the development of enormous railway yards in Cavendish Street and East Parade for the handling of the wide variety of engineering and textile products of Victorian Keighley. Keighley BID paid for the design work and printing of the posters. The text on the posters was taken from a presentation which Graham made to the History Society in 2017.
The story of Keighley’s railway station(s) is one of the Tales of Transport being told by the History Society as part of their contribution to this June’s Transport Festival.
Hello Tim
Can you tell me how to contact the Railway Partnership please, or who I’d contact about permissions to use some of the images in an educational school workshop resource (Kwirky Keighley) exploring 10 places in Keighley that either still existing or sites of ‘ghost’ buildings, eg the station mentioned by Charlotte Bronte and the ‘Mock Elizabethan’ one.
Any advice, signposting much appreciated.
Thanks in advance
Irene Lofthouse
Hello Irene
I’m afraid I don’t even know if the Partnership still exists as an entity. It was Graham Mitchell who provided us with the original news release and photographs, but that was five years ago now. I suspect Keighley & Worth Valley Railway would be your best bet.
Regards
Tim