& CULTURE Time to take in F
ROM a visit to the restored 1870’s water tower at Huddersfield Railway Station and a town centre lion hunt, to a talk on Harold Wilson’s role in the decriminilisation of homosexuality - there are nearly 60 free events in Kirklees during the 2017 Heritage Open Days festival from September 7 to 10.
Nearly half of this year’s venues are new and many support the three national HOD themes – the 50th anniversary of Conservation Areas, Heritage & Nature, and LGBT rights.
Kirklees has 23 Conservation Areas hosting heritage open days, as well as a large number of historic churches of all denominations and mills that tell the story of the district’s industrial past.
The Tolson and Colne Valley museums, Greenhead Park and the Woodhouse Mill Ponds Nature Reserve are also staging special events.
Some sites are not normally open to the public, so the festival is a rare opportunity to peek inside listed buildings and explore the area’s diverse culture and history.
While many events are being run on a drop-in basis, others need to be booked – and a few are already fully booked.
The Kirklees Heritage Open Days Committee has produced a brochure listing all sites and opening times.
It can be picked up in libraries and other public buildings or downloaded from www.discoverhuddersfield.com or www. huddersfieldcivicsociety.org.uk
We’ve selected a range of events and sites that offer a flavour of what’s on offer – including a handful from neighbouring Calderdale. Within a 10-mile radius of Huddersfield town centre there are more than 80 Heritage Open Days.
For those travelling further afield, there are around 5,000 open sites across the country in what is England’s biggest annual festival of heritage and culture.
Chris Marsden, chairman of Huddersfield Civic Society, and Madeleine Longtin, lead the annual search for the town’s stone, wood and plaster lions that adorn scores of buildings and public art. Bring binoculars and meet at 10.30 am on Sunday, September 10, at the Harold
Go behind the scenes and see material from the West Yorkshire Archive in areas of the Princess Alexandra Walk building normally closed to the public. There are two tours, lasting 90 minutes, at 11am and 3pm on Thursday, September 7. Book a place by calling 01484 223200, emailing huddersfield.information@ kirklees.gov.uk or calling at the library.
The water tower at the railway station was used to supply steam locomotives in the 19th century and has been restored and converted into a base for the Association of Community Rail Partnerships. It’s a fine example of how old buildings can be brought back into use with a low carbon footprint. It’s open on Sunday, September 10, from 10am until 4pm. No booking needed.
Longwood Sing has been held every year since 1873 and raises money for local charities. This year it is on Sunday, September 10, at 2.15pm. Taking part are Golcar Band, Outlane Singers and school choirs in the outdoor amphitheatre at the foot of the Nab Tower. The event is free but there will be a small charge for programmes and refreshments.
Royds Hall School in Luck Lane, Paddock, hosts a presentation about its most famous former student, PM Harold Wilson, and his involvement in changing the law on homosexuality. There will also be tours of the building. Open from 10am until 3pm on Saturday, September 9. No need to book.
St Stephen’s Church, Lindley, is hosting two days of events on Saturday and Sunday, September 9 and 10,, including a chance to explore the graveyard with David Verguson of Lindley History Research Group at 10.30am on Saturday. No booking needed.
Join historian Jilll Liddington at the Harold Wilson statue in St George’s Square, Huddersfield, at 11.30am on Saturday, September 9, for a walk following in the footsteps of local sufragists and suffragettes. The walk ends in Slaithwaite around 3.30pm with a question and answer session and contributions from Cyril Pearce,