The Keighley’s Own Hobbies Exhibition was held in the Temple Street Sunday School for eight days between Saturday 17th and Saturday 24th November 1951. It was organised by the Rotary Club of Keighley in collaboration with the Hobbies Societies. It cost six pence for adults to go around and one pence for children.
As Mary S. Griffin says on the cover of the brochure for the event: “One hobby leads to another and they all lead to interesting people and without knowing interesting people, life is a bankrupt affair.”
Thirty clubs, societies, organisations or individuals had stalls promoting their hobbies and activities. These included Keighley Horticultural and Allotment Holders’ Association, Keighley Rifle Club, St. Joseph’s Physical Culture Club, Keighley Gramophone Circle, Keighley & District Cage Bird Society, Keighley & District Photographic Association, Keighley, Airedale & Craven Beekeepers’ Association, Keighley Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society, and Keighley & District Chrysanthemum Society!
Even Temple Street Church had plenty to offer. Reverend T. Powley Addison in his introduction: “As religion is as wide as life, all aspects are covered in the normal life of the church, and in addition to public worship on Sundays, the following list will give the reader some idea of the scope of the interests we cater for. Young People’s Club, Badminton, Brownies, Cubs, Guides, Scouts, Table-tennis, Choir, Boys’ Handicraft Class, Junior Guild for Girls, Thursday Club for Adults, seven Methodist Society Classes.”
A 52-page brochure carried details of each exhibiting presence and adverts for many local businesses. It was printed by Sun Street Printing Works (Keighley) Ltd. A copy of the brochure was donated to Keighley and District Local History Society by Tim Neal in 2022. It can be seen in full on the History Society’s Flickr site. The colour photograph of the Sunday School was taken by Tim Neal in 2018.
