Newsletter 81 Early Spring 2011
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NEWSLETTER 81 EARLY SPRING 2011 EDITORIAL Another year and another Newsletter; I hope you all had an enjoyable Christmas and New Year and managed to cope with the snow and bitter cold. It was unfortunate that we had to cancel the December lecture due to the bad weather and Claremont being closed but the good news is that the speaker Christine Ball has agreed to give her talk on Water Power on Sheffield’s Rivers in the 2011/12 programme. Jane Ellis is already working on the next programme but it is not too late to send her any suggestions for speakers and topics covering aspects of the industrial history of Yorkshire. If you have been attending the recent talks you will be aware that we have decided to change the date of the walk around Keighley originally planned for Sunday 15 May. When Robert Vickers and Alan Longbottom started their detailed planning for the walk, their view was that although Sunday would obviously be less busy for a walk, there were far fewer amenities available for refreshment breaks. Consequently the date for the walk will now be Saturday 30 April starting at 10.30am and the good news is that we will be able to see inside Knowle Mill as guests of the Keighley Model Railway Club – I hope that many of you can make it. Robert and I were concerned that the walks that have been organised so far have not been very well attended and at the November lecture we asked the members for their views on whether it was worthwhile and of interest to continue to arrange walks. The view of the meeting was to carry on and it was suggested that one reason for the lack of interest was that people needed a reminder nearer the date and that perhaps email messaging could be used to alert members to activities between Newsletters. An email circulation list would certainly have been useful to alert members about Claremont’s closure and the cancellation of our lecture in December. The idea is being followed up and enclosed with this Newsletter is a re-issue of the remainder of the rest of the programme together with a request for email contact details. We can only send you alerts if we have your contact details and you can be assured that these details will not be passed on elsewhere. Also enclosed is a subscription reminder for those Section only members who have not yet paid for 2011. Section members who are also main Society members receive their reminders direct from Claremont. Another reminder is that the Section’s AGM is coming up in April when the officers are elected for the coming year. I’m happy to hear from any member who would like to play a more active role in the Section, perhaps you would like to organise a walk or present a topic at the Members’ Session even if you don’t want to stand for a position. In the last Newsletter I made the proposal that the Section could donate £300 to the Claremont Windows appeal. I received no responses either for or against and put the proposal to the first meeting on October. There was a suggestion that we should wait until the AGM to formally propose such a donation but the view of the meeting was that since the money was needed now we should go ahead with the donation. I subsequently informed the YAHS Treasurer of the meeting’s decision and have been told that the money has been transferred from the Section’s account to the Windows account. I have received the thanks of the YAHS Secretary for our generous donation and many thanks to members for their agreement. I’m sure that we will all appreciate Claremont not only looking better but less draughty for those using the building. Welcome to new members Mr D Fattorini and Northern Archaeological Associates, and welcome back to Wakefield Libraries. I shall be producing the next Newsletter in mid/late April after the Section AGM on 2 April, so please let me have your news, information and any requests for information in good time. Margaret Tylee NEWS FROM CLAREMONT Those of you who have been to Claremont over the past few months will have noticed that Janet Senior and her team of volunteers have been rearranging material in the Library. The aim is to bring together the stock in a more logical way. This has meant Industrial History material that was previously housed in the Octagon Room has been moved upstairs to the Henry Jenkins Room. Trade Directories remain in the Octagon Room, which is where the majority of Family History material can be found. Work continues to ensure that the catalogue entries reflect the new stock locations. If members have any difficulties in finding material just ask Janet or any of the Library helpers. Janet also wishes to remind Library users that access to the Library catalogue can now be searched via a pc in the Library as well as the traditional card catalogue. The current 5 year strategic plan for the Society comes to an end this year and the incoming President Sylvia Thomas has set up a small group to work on developing a new 5 year plan. I am involved in the group with my Management Board responsibilities as Publicity Officer and we have held the first meetings establishing the areas of activity that need to be covered. These include the overall management of the Society; maintenance of the building; reviewing the function and image of the Society and the need to improve the Society’s finances; as well as other areas. Good progress has already been made with the development of the Society’s website which is seen as a key part of the strategy. If you have access to the web, don’t forget to check it regularly for up to date news and information. Also a small group has been set up to review and update the Society’s Bye Laws to ensure that they meet current activities. Looking ahead to the Society’s 150th anniversary celebrations, in 2013, another group has been established to plan for activities during this important year. All Sections and Affiliated Societies will be asked to consider hosting an activity in 2013 so that we can ensure the year is a memorable one. HELP WANTED I have been contacted by Alan McEwan who is researching steam crane making firms in West Yorkshire. He is keen to find out more about the firm of Isles & Co. of Stanningley. Alan has produced a number of books published by Sledgehammer Engineering Press, details from their website www.sledgehammerengineeringpress.co.uk. If anyone can provide any information please contact Alan at [email protected]. The National Association of Mining History Organisations (NAMHO) has been commissioned by English Heritage to produce a Research Framework for the Archaeology of the Extractive Industries in England. The aim is to collate information on research carried out into mining and quarrying, assess current knowledge and plan future research. As part of the project a series of seminars are being held to bring together those with interest and knowledge to discuss their work and learn from others. The first meeting focussed on stone and aggregates and was held in November 2010 at the National Stone Centre in Derbyshire and the next will be on 19 February at the National Coal Mining Museum at Caphouse Colliery, near Wakefield, the subject being the archaeology of coal, clay and ironstone. If any member feels they can contribute to the work please email Peter Claughton at [email protected] or Phil Newman at [email protected]. Further details of the project can be found on the NAMHO website www.namho.org. NEWS ITEMS An article In the North York Moors National Park Historic Environment Review No 2 published in 2010 described the reconstruction works at Low Mill, Chop Gate, on the River Seph, near Stokesley. The river wall which protects the watermill has been reconstructed together with the adjacent bridge over the river. The watermill is grade II listed, rebuilt in the 18th century as a corn mill and is important because it retains 18th and 19th century timber and iron machinery that remain in working order following a major restoration in the 1970s. Also in the same newsletter there is information about the Newgate Bank Alum Works situated on the edge of Guisborough Forest. The works operated in three short periods in the early 17th, late 18th and finally in the mid to late 19th centuries. The remains of the open pits used for steeping the alum shale have been exposed by motorcycle scrambling, but with the support of the Guisborough and District Motor Cycle Club they have been fenced off for their protection and preservation. You can read the articles on line at www.northyorkmoors.org.uk. The Field Studies Council is running a couple of courses at their Malham Tarn centre in August that may be of interest to members. “Settle-Carlisle & Steam in the North” will be held 8-15 August, price for sole occupancy room is £705 and on 15-22 August David Johnson will be leading a course entitled “Exploring the Historic Landscape of the Yorkshire Dales”, price for sole occupancy room is £595. For more information and booking contact Field Studies Council, Preston Montford, Montford Bridge, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY4 1HW ? 0845 3454071 or go to the website www.field-studies-council.org.uk where you also find details of FSC courses in other parts of the country.