Author: Admin Tim

There is plenty happening in Keighley in September that might be of interest to people…

Saturday 2nd September 10am-4pm – Keighley Show (Marley Fields). The History Society has a stall where you can see some of the stories we tell and find out more about the History Society. You can join as well.

Thursday 7th September 7pm – Tour of Ingrow St. John’s churchyard and church. The booklet on the history of the church, which is celebrating is 180th anniversary this year, will be available to buy (£3).

Saturday 9th September 10am – Heritage Open Day: Colin Neville giving a talk on notable local artists (Keighley Library).

Saturday 9th September 2pm – Heritage Open Day: Tim Neal giving a talk on local artist Stanley R. Boardman (Keighley Library). There is also a display of Stan’s 1920s Boy paintings at Cliffe Castle showing until Sunday 10th September.

Saturday 9th/Sunday 10th September – Heritage Open Days: Ingrow St. John’s Church will be open with a display celebrating weddings past, present and future.

Sunday 10th September 10am-4pm – Heritage Open Day: East Riddlesden Hall is free to visit on this day.

Wednesday 13th September 7pm – History Society Talk (Zoom). Eddie Kelly will be presenting his talk on “Lost & Forgotten Inns & Public Houses of Keighley”. The meeting will be on Zoom and open to History Society members. Details on how to join the meeting will be sent to members a couple of days before the meeting.

Saturday 16th September 2pm – “How Keighley Celebrated the Coronation in 1953” (Cliffe Castle). The History Society’s Tim Neal will be giving his talk in the museum. Book a place by contacting the Cliffe Castle Support Group.

Saturday 16th/Sunday 17th September 11am-4pm – Heritage Open Days: Free entry to the museums at Ingrow Station on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway.

Sunday 17th September – Heritage Open Day: Guided tour of the Carriage Works and a rare opportunity to visit the workshop at Rail Story (Ingrow West Station on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway). Tours on the hour from 11am to 3pm.

Wednesday 20th September 2pm – Tim Neal: Stanley R. Boardman – His Works and His Life (Lees Methodist Church, Cross Roads with Lees). Tim Neal will be giving his talk on the artist.

August’s History Society meeting (Wednesday 9th August, 7pm) is a return from author and journalist Sharon Wright, talking about Maria Bronte, wife of the Reverend Patrick Bronte and mother to Charlotte, Anne, Emily and Branwell.

PLEASE NOTE THIS MEETING WILL NOW BE HELD ON ZOOM. Details will be sent out to members a few days before the event is due to take place.

The History Society is delighted to announce that we currently have TWO exhibitions dedicated to the works and life of Keighley artist Stanley R. Boardman. At Cliffe Castle Museum we have 24 paintings from Stan’s 1920’s Boy series of paintings on display upstairs in the balcony gallery, while at Keighley Library there are a number of display cabinets on the ground floor and in the upstairs Local Studies Library where you can see other examples of Stan’s artistry.

The History Society would like to thank Bradford District Museums and Galleries and Bradford Libraries for facilitating these exhibitions, and sends particular thanks to Heather, Gina, Janet and Angela.

Both exhibitions are free to visit from now until early-to-mid September. Please go along and support the exhibitions and these venues.

Dockroyd graveyard in Oakworth (the subject of last month’s History Society guest speaker meeting) is having an open day next Saturday (10th June 2023). The story of how this important historical site was saved is a fascinating and noble one. Go along and find out more.

One year ago, the History Society was given a collection of theatre programmes for productions by Keighley Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society dating from the 1900s to the 1950s. Gradually we have been scanning these programmes and adding them to our Flickr site.

The latest programme to be uploaded is for 1921’s production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Gondoliers”. Click below to see the full programme.

Once again, the History Society will have a stall at the Bronte Vintage Gathering just outside Cullingworth this weekend (13th/14th May 2023). Please support the good cause and pop in to see us (we’re usually in one of the large marquees).

Seventy years ago you could’ve bought your red, white and blue Coronation ice cream at Driver’s Milk Bar on Lawkholme Crescent… Happy Coronation Day everyone!

This month’s History Society meeting will be held upstairs in the library on Wednesday 10th May. The guest-speaker will be Andrew Heaton of the Dockroyd Graveyard Trust.

Dockroyd Graveyard is the former Wesleyan Methodist Burial ground in Oakworth. The first person to be buried there was one-year-old Thomas Ickeringill, in 1844, and the last was 70-year-old Mabel Falkingham in 1969. In total over 2,500 people are buried within nearly 800 graves in this small Victorian graveyard. Andrew Heaton saved the graveyard from being demolished in the early part of the 21st century and in 2020 the Dockroyd Graveyard Trust was formed to restore, preserve, improve, maintain and conserve the place. In addition Andrew has meticulously researched and catalogued the families who are buried beneath the 770 gravestones. His story of the project and the stories of the families are told in his book ‘Dockroyd Live: Restoration of Oakworth’s Victorian Graveyard’ – copies of which will be available to buy (cash-only please) on the night. More information about the Trust can be found on its website: www.dockroydgraveyardtrust.org.uk

Andrew says: “I will be trying to tell the story of how the chance to restore the graveyard came about, how the obstacles were overcome with help from the local community, what we discovered and what the future is. I’ll also be bringing along a few records and registers and so on.”

The history society meets every second Wednesday in the month. This meeting is on Wednesday 10th May at Keighley Library. Doors open at 7pm. Anyone is welcome to attend. It costs £3.50 to attend, unless you have joined the History Society (entry is free for members). Members can also choose to attend via Zoom if they prefer. You can join the History Society on the evening, membership costs £15 and covers the rest of this year.

June’s History Society meeting will be a bit different. It will be a members-only guided visit to Keighley Bus Museum. More details will be sent out to members nearer the time.

At the entrance to Lund Park in Keighley there is a memorial to firefighter Jeff Naylor who died tragically as a result of trying to save the lives of five children in a fire at Broomhill Walk on Wednesday 27th April 1983. The memorial was erected thanks to the Fire Brigades Union, the Firefighters 100 Lottery, City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council and the West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service.

The crew on duty at Keighley Fire Station responded to a call about a fire in a house on Broomhill Walk in Keighley on 27th April 1983. Five children were trapped inside the house. Firefighter Jeff Naylor mounted a rescue, entering the burning house, and managing to find one girl, before blasts knocked him back and set his uniform alight. He had to be helped by the other firefighters out of the building. All five children were rescued but sadly two died later as a result of the fire. Jeff’s burns were treated at Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield, but sadly he lost the fight to live. Jeff died on 10th July 1983 as a result of his burns injuries, he was just 31 years old.

Roughly 1000 firefighters from around the country attended his funeral service at St. Joseph’s Church and he was buried at Utley Cemetery. His bravery was recognised posthumously with a commendation from the Queen, and the town’s fire engine was named in his honour. What happened to Jeff directly led to improvements in the uniforms worn by firefighters. The memorial to Jeff in Lund Park was unveiled in 2019, with an official dedication ceremony on Sunday 7th July 2019.

Portrait of Jeff Naylor from the History Society’s Keighley News Archive for January 1982. Memorial and plaque photographed by History Society member Tim Neal in 2022. Researched and collated by Tim Neal.

The History Society now has 365 entries in its ‘On This Day…’ album on Flickr. Not every day of the year is covered (yet!) but there is a diverse cross-section of events from across over 300 years of the town and surrounding area to browse through.