Speaker Events

These Isles – A People’s History of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales

– Brian Groom 

The future of England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and adjacent islands is in flux again – as it has been repeatedly for millennia. This book will tell the story of the Celts, Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, Normans and others who have occupied these isles, along with their culture, languages and passions. The book will cover popular culture, sport, music, language, literature and art. Northern England will remain a big part of the story, along with other English regions. It will examine the state of the nations, the feelings of their inhabitants and the prospects for further changes in the relationship between them.

Brian Groom is a journalist and one of the foremost experts on British regional and national affairs. His career was spent mainly at the Financial Times, where he did many of the top writing and editing jobs. He is also a former editor of Scotland on Sunday, which he launched as deputy editor and which won many awards. Originally from Stretford, Lancashire (now part of Greater Manchester), he returned to live in the north – in Saddleworth, south Pennines – in 2015. Brian went to Manchester Grammar School and Balliol College, Oxford, where he got a first-class BA in English Language.

From Westerman To Website

– Ann Kilbey

A well-illustrated presentation tells how a mill worker started a photographic business, which lasted for 100 years, and how it led to the setting up of the digital archive that is preserving the photographic heritage of the area. An archive that is gaining interest not just locally but worldwide.

Ann Kilbey’s interest in local history started when she began working for the Tourist Information in 1975. She became involved with the Alice Longstaff Collection soon after Alice died in 1992, and this presentation tells the story of what happened after that.

Scottish Witch Hunts – A Personal Discovery

– Audrey Clark

During the COVID lockdowns, Audrey discovered that in 1662, three women were executed as witches in her Scottish village, and two men were made rebels in 1601. To her utter surprise, she learnt that the extensive witch hunts in Scotland had been largely forgotten. Audrey will share her curiosity and learning about the 17th-century Scottish witch hunts, including some comparisons with England. Audrey’s curiosity led her to develop a display in her local museum and a beautiful memorial stone, as per the picture.

Audrey was raised in the Calder Valley and was always aware of the Pendle Witches. So why had Scotland forgotten this time in its history?

Tod-murder-n

– Anne Mealia

This talk explores some of the well-known murders committed in our town as well as some less well-known cases. Discover a grisly murder with a hatchet and pistols, which kept the nation talking, a serial killer, crimes of passion and tales of revenge and insanity.

Anne is a professional genealogist and historical researcher and has been running her own business, Evergreen Ancestry, for over ten years. She is a member of the Association of Genealogists and Researchers in Archives and has carried out research for Who Do You Think You Are and was Archives Researcher for the Channel 4 documentary “The Queen’s Lost Family”. She is a guide with Calderdale Heritage Walks and regularly leads walks in the Todmorden area.

The British Battalion in the Spanish Civil War

– Michael Crowley

The Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) is generally considered a prelude to the Second World War. Troops from the fascist states of Germany and Italy were sent to Spain to support General Franco’s forces, whilst Soviet ‘advisers’ and pilots joined Spanish Republican forces. More significantly, around 35,000 volunteers worldwide joined the International Brigades that were incorporated into the Republican Army. This included around 2550 from Britain and Ireland. Of the 2550, 540 were killed, and most of the rest were wounded, many more than once. In the 1980s, Michael Crowley interviewed several surviving veterans and began researching the broader historical context. He is the author of several articles and publications on the subject. His lecture will concentrate on the men and women who served as combatants and medical staff for the Spanish Republic. Who they were, their experiences and motivations. The lecture will include audio of interviews.

Michael Crowley is a writer and dramatist who has published fiction and non-fiction, most recently a publication based on the letters and diaries of International Brigade volunteers.

The Growth, Development And Decline Of Football In The Upper Calder Valley

– Derek Kettlewell

How did the new sport of “Socker” become established within the Upper Calder Valley? And why does the area currently have no football teams of note? The talk will explore the challenges faced in developing the game, as well as the footballing highlights provided by such teams as Hebden Bridge, Portsmouth Rovers and Luddendenfoot. It will feature the notable players and visitors to the area.

Derek is an enthusiastic researcher into the histories of both football and rugby league. He lives in Hebden Bridge and was a keen supporter of the now defunct clubs Farsley Celtic FC & Bramley RLFC.

The Whitworth Doctors

– Brian Furness

Brian looks at the development of medical practice, particularly that of bone setting, in the small Lancashire village of Whitworth.

John Taylor arrived in Whitworth in about 1764 and established himself as a blacksmith, farrier and animal doctor, but quickly became proficient in many aspects of human medicine. So successful was he that patients travelled many miles to benefit from his services, and his medical opinions were sought by senior members of the clergy and the aristocracy. John was soon joined at Whitworth by his brother George, and over the years, successive generations of the Taylor family served the medical needs of Whitworth and earned the epithet “The Famous Whitworth Doctors.”

After a working lifetime in the manufacturing industry, in retirement Brian turned his attention to the recording and archiving aspects of local history. Amongst other positions he holds, he is chairman of Whitworth Historical Society & Museum.

A CROW’S Eye View Of Todmorden Moor Geology & Heritage Trail

– Paul Degnan

In 2024, CROWS (Community Rights of Way Service) received funding from the Reaps Moss Wind Farm to improve this important geological and industrial heritage route on Todmorden Moor. Paul, a CROWS volunteer, will talk about how this trail was initially developed a number of years ago with the input from local and national organisations, and the work CROWS undertook to reinstate and improve access to the trail. This involved repairing information boards, building boardwalks, and improving waymarking. He will also tell the story of how the trail walks information leaflet came about and discuss the key geological features and industrial history found on this exposed and often bleak moorland area. !

CROWS are a small charity based in Mytholmroyd that works in the Upper Calder Valley and Ryburn Valleys to improve Rights of Way for walkers, horse riders and cyclists.

Paul has been a CROWS volunteer for 10 years and manages the Wadsworth Area. He is a keen hiker, storyteller and writer. In 2021, he published a collection of short stories, many relating to the area. He loves walking out into the countryside to study the local flora and fauna, along with discovering the local history of the place.

The Founder Of The British Navy

– Ken Blake

The research for this talk was part of my quest to solve a personal tragedy.

Ken is an electrical engineer by profession, working in automation and power generation.

St. Mary’s Church Todmorden: A Journey Through The Centuries

– Justine Wyatt

This talk aims to explore some of the more hidden aspects of the history of Todmorden Parish Church. Here are some stories that transport us back to the medieval past, to revolutions and wars, and to lives lived here.

Justine is a local historian whose interests include exploring churches and chapels. She has written several booklets, including “Power in the Landscape” on the development of water-powered industry and “Fustianopolis” on the clothing industry in Hebden Bridge.

She has worked on several community-based heritage projects, and has produced exhibitions, websites and heritage trails.

The Picker Making Industry In & Around Todmorden

– Corinne McDonald

A picker is used in a loom to propel and catch the shuttle. In 1925, the Manchester Guardian reported that Todmorden was making more pickers than any other town in England – the talk will look at how and why this came about.

Corinne was born in London but moved to Halifax over 30 years ago. She is the syllabus secretary for Halifax Antiquarian Society and is a volunteer for Calderdale Industrial Museum, for whom she undertook the research on which this talk is based.

How The Pennine Way Happened (& How The “Worst Bit” In The Calder Valley Was Overcome!)

– Andrew Bibby

The Pennine Way – Britain’s first long-distance footpath and, for most walkers the toughest – was officially opened in 1965 and is now a familiar feature of our landscape. Andrew Bibby recounts the story of how the idea of the first path fired the enthusiasm of ramblers and countryside lovers as early as the mid-1930s and how its eventual realisation was the result of long years of campaigning and lobbying. Using early correspondence and other archive records, he will recount how the route was finalised – and how the tricky issue of avoiding the industrial areas of the South Pennines was resolved.

Andrew has lived in the Calder Valley for more than thirty-five years. He is a writer and journalist who has written a number of books about the countryside, including his book on the high Pennine landscape, “Backbone of England”. He has also written on the powerful legacy of the Co-operative Movement in the Calder Valley, a theme he explored in a previous presentation to the Todmorden Antiquarian Society.

I Wish My Life Was Like A Musical

– Marilyn Shalks

This is a follow on from Marilyn’s previous talk in December 2025 – “Magic of the Musicals“. An interesting and light-hearted talk about our favourite Musicals, with interesting facts that you probably don’t know.

Marilyn is a passionate theatre historian. She is a volunteer at Manchester Central Library responsible for archiving theatre programmes going back to the 1800s.

AGM

The 2026-27 season concludes with our Annual General Meeting, all welcome.