Colin Neville: The Courage of his Convictions

May’s History Society meeting will be looking at Keighley-born artist, George Demaine (1892 – 1966), a committed Methodist who became a Conscientious Objector in World War One. He was subsequently imprisoned for three years with hard labour for his refusal to serve in the armed forces or undertake any war related work. Colin Neville, curator of the Not Just Hockney website, will talk about George’s life and work, from art student locally, to his imprisonment, and how he forged a career for himself in the post-war years. [Background image is a sketch of Silsden Old Hall by George Demaine (1913), courtesy of Not Just Hockney/John Demaine.]

The meeting is on Wednesday 14th May 2025 and will be held in the Main Hall, upstairs in Keighley Civic Centre. Doors open at 7.15pm. There is a lift to access the first floor. Entry is free to History Society members and is £3.50 to anyone else – all are welcome to attend. The meeting is scheduled to finish around 8.45pm. Members of the History Society also have the option of joining the meeting online via Zoom.

Membership of the History Society costs £15 for the calendar year. You can join at any of our meetings in the Library (cash only please) or online via the society’s website.

Author: Admin Tim

Tim is a committee member of the Keighley and District Local History Society, with responsibilities for archiving the physical and digital collections, and managing some of the social media channels. He moved to Keighley about 15 years ago and joined the Society to learn more about the area. View all posts by Admin Tim