One of the main causes of the demise of the Rishworth Branch Railway was the increasing popularity and convenience of road transport. One local entrepreneur who saw the possibilities was John Hirst Snr who founded Ripponden and District Motors in 1921. His son, John Hirst Jr, later became the managing director of the company. Although…
The Amethyst Deceiver. The Candlesnuff. The words alone conjure up magical and extraordinary images. But these are the names of some of the wildlife that live alongside us in Calderdale. Blink and you’d miss them. But the Halifax Scientific Society (HSS) – a natural history society which was founded over 140 years ago – wants…
On 11th March 1921, Elland was in mourning as the death of Elizabeth Smithies was announced. Mrs Smithies, of Ellen Royd, was the wife of the late Joseph Smithies (Albert Mills), the mother of the late John William Smithies and the grandmother of John Stansfield Smithies. All three men had been active in the public…
It is estimated that there are roughly 8.5 million dogs and 7.4 million cats in the UK. The pet population is approximately 20 million and as many as 1 in 2 households in the UK will own one. Whilst the vast majority of these animals are much loved members of their families, thousands of dogs…