Mondays seem to be the day of the week with the least entires in the ‘What’s on in  . .  .” so with little in the way of a plan other than go to Halifax and have lunch I got the train at lunchtime. I’d head of the renovation of the Square Chapel and decided to go there for lunch. The new Copper Building has been designed to link the old Square Chapel to the Piece hall and I instantly loved the place. They’ve kept the facade of the chapel but the color and design instantly attracted me. I had Malaysian chicken  served with lime sauce. Each dish comes in small. medium or large portion and there’s a great selection of craft beers and ciders. I suddenly became aware of music (Jerry and the pacemakers) and wondered about that choice. I mentioned it to the guy on the adjacent table. “Oh, it’s live,” he said, “I just saw 3 old timers all dressed up in black go through the door into the chapel, ” so off I went.

Next was a return to the Copper Building for some light refreshment about the walk to the School House. This time I sat on the balcony facing onto he street where George Gledhill, my gt gt gt grandfather had lived.

Free health advice!

The Piece hall is scheduled to reopen on August 1st. This is the main entrance!  (By the next evening this ‘hole’ was a smooth concrete pavement!)

An ancestor kept the pub on the left. It was called the Black Bull, in Heptonstall. It’s currently being converted into two houses.

I was  invited  to go inside

This is the view from upstairs 

Bare stone and exposed beams

The lady who owns is and is converting it with the help of her nephew

I met Jose by chance in the cemetery. She was looking for Sylvia Plath’s grave and I was uncovering more family gravestones. She taught English Literature in high school, college and finally for the Open university. We had some refreshment in the White Lion.

The imposing edifice of Birchcliffe Chapel is now the home of the Hebden Bridge historical society

I spent three hours looking through old documents

Locals historians Barbara and Diana

The sun had come out while I was in the chapel

My garden

Weed whacking in Heptonstall cemetery with the help of Anne who currently lives in Lily Hall where these people lived in 1840

Look who we discovered!

Ancestors galore

Anne brought gardening gloves, brushes, secateures. 

After dinner in the White Lion i caught the bus back at twilight.