A stormy sky but it didn’t mizzle until 8pm. This block of 6 homes rising directly out of the Rochdale canal are very photogenic. I was here to meet Diana who lives in the dwelling with red windows. She was having an open garden in memory of one Rev Fawcett’s 200th anniversary. The garden is on the side nearest the camera. 

Chatting with Diana in her lovely terraced garden. She’s another local history buff and my host knows her. That’s what i like about this place – it’s small enough for all these personal connections. 

Diana offered to escort me to the family history center in the town at some point. I’d been trying to work out which house the Wrigleys lived in and thought it could be one of this block. It turned out that Diana knew of the Wrigleys and pointed out which house she believes they lived in. It’s tricky because not only have many of the houses been pulled down and therefore the numbering  system is all messed up but many streets have changed their names entirely since the early 1800’s!

 The building on the left is where Diana believes the Wrigleys lived. they had a painting, plastering and renovation business dating back as far as my great great great grreat grandfather James Wrigley. Funnily enough I’d had a drink at The Railway two days before!

The inside of Hope Chapel. Today they are removing the scaffolding. The renovation was needed after the tremendous flood on Boxing Day, 2015 when the buildings in the centre of town were submerged by 6 feet of water. I had tea and a slice of the best ever Victoria sandwich with ‘the ladies’ and eventually one of them remembered a Wrigleys decorating business in town, and another lady remembered that it was next door to the Railway pub!

Thee letterheads dating from 1862, 1867 and 1931 were sent to me from New Zealand where some of the Wrigleys emigrated to in the 1880s. Rochdale to Heptonstall to Hebden Bridge to New Zealand and Australia!

The door of Hope Baptist Chapel

I spent a couple of hours in the library looking at microfilms of the Hebden Bridge Times.

I found the announcement of my great great great grandfather’s death – James Wrigley of Lily Hall (the next door neighbour of the widowed Sally Whitham nee Farrar. 

David and Anne of Lily Hall

David and Anne with Lily and Finn

Fishing competition outside my mill

View from t’ tops in Norland

Foreboding sky, but the rain stay away

These Gledhills are everywhere! This is Norland cemetery

Sheep above Halifax – they are the very reason for its existence

The magnificent railway viaduct in Copley – again!

Canal walk from Colpey into Sowerby Bridge

Now a cafe, I had lunch here with Sarah last week. We didn’t know of its history at the time.

A well deserved drink in the Hogs Head Brewery in Sowerby Bridge after our 10.9 mile hike.

Hmmmm . . . .long hike!

Enter a caption

A ‘real’ pancake in the Borough Market in Halifax

In the reference library I saw a flier for a walking tour of the King Cross area at 2pm. It was 1:45. I jumped on a bus and just managed to join the group as it was just setting forth from the Old St. Paul’s church – now just the spire remains. I was staggered to see how many many had shown up! It was 2 1/2 hours long and for some of the time it rained heavily.

A ‘one up, one down’ house

The tour visited the church I had been to earlier in the day! What I hadn’t noticed in the morning was the war memorial book that was actually on the page commemorating two members of the Gledhill family. Father Kevin turns the page each day, and it had just happened to be turned to the Gledhills yesterday!

The original Macintosh’s toffee factory

McVitie’s biscuits

On the spur of the moment I decided to see if there were any seats still available for Twelfth Night at the Town Hall courtyard in Hebden Bridge. It was a wonderful production by 5 performers who were also skilled musicians on multiple instruments. It was sad to see such a sparse audience but a whole troop of boy scouts came for the first half. 

Buildings on New Road. The Wrigley family lived here . . .

. . .  or here!

One of the Wrigley brothers worked on the restoration of Hope Chapel on New Road.

Late afternoon at The Railway

Chicken curry and a pint of Wainwright’s

The Old school room built by Patrick Bronte for Charlotte, Emily, Anne and Branwell to teach the village children.

Simon Armitage sat directly in front of me.

Kei Miller in action

Simon Armitage reading his poetry.

Oh, my dream came true!

With  poets Kei Miller, Zaffar Kunial and Patience Agbabi and the outreach staff after the readings

A caption I helped to write last year!

The ‘new’ church, Heptonstall

The English countryside . . .

. . . .in all its glory

How sweet