News, Features and forthcoming Events
Hebden Bridge Folk Roots - 9-11 November, organised by a small group with a wealth of experience in folk music and organising events. For more info and line-up, see the FolkRoots website on the HebWeb
Free Marketing Workshop: Businesses in Hebden Bridge are invited to a November marketing workshop which promises to reveal some truly distinctive ways to get visitors to spend more and stay longer. Read more (9 Nov)
Bond is back: Skyfall at the Picture House - with cocktails, tuxedos and cocktail dresses. On 16th November to mark the release of Skyfall, the Picture House will be celebrating 50 years of 007 on the big screen.
Thanks to Andy Spencer for this photo of this year's firework display
Town Hall now fully wheelchair-accessible: One hundred and fifteen years after it was first built, Hebden Bridge's Town Hall is now for the first time able to welcome everyone with mobility difficulties. Read more
Green light for Youth House: Calderdale Council has given the green light for Hebden Bridge Light Opera Society (HBLOS) to take over responsibility for Youth House in Hebden Bridge. Read more (30 Oct)
Hebden Bridge Eccentrics: Proud to support the Naked Rambler. Thanks to Craig Shaw of Blu Planet Photography for this photo. Click to enlarge. Update: See news report (29 Oct)
Guardian Northerner uses HebWeb coverage of the Naked Rambler. Northern correspondent of the Guardian, Martin Wainwright writes, "Witness current comments on the community website, the Hebweb, which is one of the best of its kind in the country. No, world." (25 Oct)
Naked Rambler arrested in Hebden Bridge - Naked Rambler, Stephen Gough was arrested in Hebden Bridge. Read news item and see Forum suggestion that HB people support him by going naked on the bridge. (Updated 25 Oct)
New faces at Arts Festival: Hebden Bridge Arts Festival has appointed six new trustees as it prepares for its 20th anniversary next year. Read more and see photo. (22 Oct)
The completely renewed Victoria Road Little Park re-opened Sat 20th October, thanks to the efforts of parents and local councillors over the past couple of years. Read more
New supermarket and five storey hotel: Brown's Site, Mytholm. Comment by 2 Nov. See Planning Watch and Forum thread.
Alternative Technology Centre: Sale now on and Halloween e-Textile workshop: see What's On
Hebden Bridge Community Fayre a great success: Forty groups participated and several hundred members of the community came along to see the rich diversity of community life within Hebden Bridge on display. Read more (16 Oct)
Ted Hughes' brother writes book on "Ted and I" - see Yorkshire Post and Guardian pieces.
RSPB lodges EU complaint over Walshaw Moor controversy: The group says the government has failed to protect the landscape from activity to promote grouse-shooting. See Guardian article
Queues outside The Book Case in Hebden for the Julia Donaldson signing - the queue stretched all the way to the Co-op. See video clip from Fran Robinson of the Mytholmroyd Net.
Public Meeting: Brown's Site. Would a new supermarket and new hotel welcome more visitors to Hebden Bridge? Sunday 14 October at Stubbing Wharf. Read more
Former Green Party councillor completes cycle tour round Britain's coast. Former Green Party Town Councillor, Jamie Johnson has spent five months cycling 5000 miles round the UK coast raising funds for Palestinian refugees. Read more (9 Oct)
Town Hall Trustees respond to criticisms of Town Hall cafe - see HebWeb Forum
The Hebden Bridge Comedy Club is Back! Between now and December the club will have a Buddhist karate expert, a transvestite vegan and a star from the BBC's 'Ideal'. Read more
After the floods Market Street is gradually coming back to life after this summer's floods. Valley Organics re-opened today, the Deli is back open, Element Jewellery relaunches on Saturday, the Yorkshire Soap Company and Home Oh on 13th October, and Oxfam next month. (5 Oct)
Click photo to enlarge. Lets not walk away, Lets walk together. A five mile walk on Saturday 29th September to raise awareness of drug and alcohol related issues among young people. Photo: Craig Shaw - Background
Flood fundraising auction - Auction took place on Friday evening (28th) at the Town Hall and raised nearly £6500. Background info here.
Town Council - latest minutes now online
Hebden Bridge Blues Festival wins Blues Festival of the Year Award at the British Blues Awards
Up the Buttress - cyclists competed in cycling up one of our steepest local tracks. Click photo to enlarge. More HebWeb photos. See also this gallery from Andy Spencer
Blenheim Street plans rejected - see Planning Watch
Two councillors quit Town Council: bye-elections likely. Any bye-elections could change the character of the Town Council, currently Labour controlled. Read more. (6 Sept)
Any Questions at Hebden Bridge Town Hall: Listen now in iPlayer. A lively Hebden Bridge audience asked the panel questions on squatting, overseas student visa restrictions, disability benefits and asset transfers.
Floodstock: An evening of Live Blues music in aid of the the Calder Valley flood victims was held on Saturday (1st) at Mytholmroyd Community Centre. More photos from Craig Shaw.
British Town Crier Championships held in Hebden Bridge on Saturday, 25th August, featuring the best Town Criers from around the country. Click photo to enlarge
Guardian Northerner: Hebden Bridge shows off its new Town Hall: "Famous for its sense of community, the Pennine paradise has bucked all trends by building itself a magnificent new home for scores of local groups and activities." Berringden Brow's Jill Robinson takes a tour. (13 Aug)
Photo: Jenny Slaughter Ban the Burn demonstrators call for the end of heather burning on the tops to the Walshaw Estate on Sunday, 12 August (the "Glorious Twelfth" marking the official start of the grouse-shooting season). Click photo to enlarge. See also BBC report, Hebden Bridge journalist Peter Lazenby, writing in the Morning Star and the Energy Royd blog.
Community Wind Turbine - share offer success! Blackshaw Head will be supplying the National Grid by October. Read more (8 Aug)
Scarborough Flyer steams through Hebden Bridge. Click photo to enlarge, from Andy Spencer
Town Hall Café re-opens for business from Monday 12th November. The café, in the attractive community lounge area overlooking the courtyard, will offer coffees, teas, lunches and light refreshments. Read more (9 Nov)
Blues Festival Announces its 2013 Line-up - Running for three days at the end of May 2013, the organisers have laid on another spectacular bonanza for blues lovers everywhere. (7 Nov)
Arts Festival is looking for your memories and photos from the past 20 years as it mounts a special exhibition to celebrate its 20th birthday. Read more (7 Nov)
Fairport Convention warm-up for Folk Roots Festival - with a greatest hits set at the Trades Club (6 Nov)
University of the Third Age: Probably few of the members of U3A expected a talk on cancer to be vibrant and uplifting but this was what they got from Kate Hayward at their October meeting. Read more (5 Nov)
Community wind turbine at Blackshaw Head is now fully up and running, generating an income for the local community. Read more (4 Nov)
Town Council supports proposals for supermarket on Brown's site - see Forum discussion
Postcard from Palestine 6 - Beer festival and closed military zones. Ron Taylor's latest from Palestine, one of an international group of supporters. Read more
Local musicians Wally Woodcock and Steve Andrews release a CD of 13 original compositions, entitled Songs from a Shed. Read more
Clubhouses: self help and co-operation - Julie Cockburn told a meeting of the Local History Society about Clubhouses, a small row of houses in Old Town which encapsulate some of the history and spirit of the Calder Valley. Read more (30 Oct)
Town Council bye-elections: the three candidates fighting West End Ward have now each sent the HebWeb a profile and photo in respect of the election to be held on Thursday 15th November. Update: we now have a profile from Robin Dixon, one of two candidates fighting White Lee in Mytholmroyd. Read more.
Proposed supermarket and hotel - a packed public meeting upstairs at the Stubbing Wharf pub fired questions to Calderdale planning officer, architect Sam Deakin and planning consultant Roger Lee. Read report on Energy Royd website (23 Oct)
Food and Drink Festival: updated to include Kids' Cooking and photos from Oktoberfest. Markets, tastings, cooking demonstrations, competitions, giveaways, offers - Read more
Above: Oktoberfest, celebrating local beer and cider, with the new Town Hall thronging in the warm Hebden Bridge Sunday sunshine. Click photo to enlarge. (22 Oct)
Freedom from Torture: the new Calderdale group held its first meeting at the Hebden Bridge Town Hall last week. Read more (16 Oct)
Wainsgate Concert: Red Hippo - three of the best musicians in the Calder Valley who play a stunning mix of instruments including sousaphone, Irish whistles, saxophones and strings. Sunday, 14th October. Read more
Forum: hot topics include plans for Nutclough and the Town Hall cafe
Floods: Calderdale Council want to hear from people affected by the recent floods - see online questionnaire. And see What's on for details of drop-in session at Town Hall.
Ursula Holden Gill receives storytelling award at the 2012 National Storytelling Awards ceremony in York. Read more (1 Oct)
Hebden Bridge: Hippy redoubt, artsy hub, unofficial lesbian capital of Britain, ecotown, hill walker's paradise … is there a more Guardian-friendly destination than Hebden Bridge? So starts the Guardian review of The White Lion. (30 Sept)
Bulky waste collections charges start Monday, 1st October. It will now cost £10 to have Calderdale remove e.g. tables, chairs, beds, TVs etc. Read more
Fox Friends back Co-operative Pub plans. Around 40 people attended the public meeting at the Fox and Goose to discuss plans to turn it into a co-operative pub. Read more
Insurers accused of 'ducking and diving' over flood pay-out - see Yorkshire Post article (11 Sept)
Patti Smith, outside The Trades Club, before her performance, photographed by Bev Manders. Bev thanked Patti for donating money to the flood relief. Patti told Bev it was the least she could do. She hadn't been to HB before and was about to go for a stroll around town. (Click photo to enlarge. 8 Sept)
Plans submitted to develop Nutclough Mill, one of Hebden Bridge's finest old buildings. The new building will be up to 5 storeys high, about twice the width of the main part of Nutclough Mill, and extend far beyond the main building towards Foster Lane. Read more (7 Sept)
Hebden Bridge Trades Club featured on BBC1 Breakfast News, as part of an item on the touring Africa Express train. Also featured by the Guardian Northerner
Alice's Run in celebration of the life of Alice Redmond. Epilepsy Action's very own multi-terrain, 10km race, setting off from Mytholmroyd.
Flooding, which hit Hebden Bridge and Todmorden for the third time in a couple of months on Saturday, has cost the Environment Agency around £1.4m this year. See Yorkshire Post report. (28 Aug)
Flood warning: Saturday afternoon (25th), the Environment Agency had just one flood warning for the UK - for Hebden Bridge, Old Gate
More flooding: police closed the main road to Tod after rain from this afternoon's storm (25th) flooded the Stoney Lane area - photo thanks to Russell Horn
Festival and Parade team up for 'sensational afternoon' next year: Hebden Bridge Arts Festival and Handmade Parade share the billing on 22 June 2013. Read more
HB History Society events from September now listed on the HebWeb: Luddites, co-operative cottages, lament for the mills, Dawson City, the station in the 19th century, weavers of the Great War, Robin Hood's Grave and much more. See "What's on"
Patti Smith plays Hebden Bridge Trades Club for flood relief fund - See BBC report
Millionaires, ministers and the murky world of Walshaw Moor - New Internationalist
Town Council Annual Report - including councillor attendance and updates from the Mayor and committees. (20 Aug)
Hebden Bridge flooding may have been caused by aggressive burning: Letter to The Observer signed by over 60 local people. (19 Aug)
Customer First on the move: From Monday 20 August 2012, Calderdale Council's Customer First centre in Hebden Bridge will be based at Hebden Bridge Town Hall. (16 Aug)
A beer named Hebden's Wheat from Little Valley, Hebden Bridge, has won Silver Medal in the Specialist Beer category at the Great British Beer Festival - see Guardian report (9 Aug)
Blenheim Street Planning Application - Hebden Royd Town Council unanimously opposed the application last night. See Forum thread and Planning Watch. (9 Aug)
Census results show increase in Calderdale's population. Read more
Flood advice video, including footage from local photographers, and interviewing Mary Dhonau, chair of the Flood Protection Association, who gives advice and practical tips on preventing floods, dealing with floods and minimising flood risks. (2 Aug)
YouTube video of Hebden Bridge getting on its feet after the flood. Inspiring collection of images put together by Jason Elliot.
Daily Mail on Hebden Bridge and the floods: "Until just over three weeks ago, the 5,000-plus residents of Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, could be forgiven for feeling ever so slightly smug." Read more
Guardian Northerner: "National campaign against moorland bog-burning to launch as grouse-shooting begins. Residents of Hebden Bridge, devastated by moorland run-off in this summer's floods, join environmental campaigners to set up Ban the Burn." See too, HebWeb News
Flood defences pledge for Mytholmroyd and Hebden Bridge: New defences will be developed quickly, says the Environment Agency, according to this BBC report
Calderdale Council's Leader, Cllr Tim Swift, says: "Action needs to be taken to reduce the risk of flooding." Deputy Leader, Cllr Janet Battye, says: "We need to work with the Environment Agency, our partners and the community to produce a clear plan which will help to protect people's homes and businesses in the Upper Calder valley.
FLOOD NEWS AND PHOTOS - together with links to YouTube and media coverage. Burnley Road from NatWest Bank to the Marina, most of Market Street to past the Co-op and George's Square were among the places flooded by today's torrential rain. This time, it wasn't the rivers, but drains were overwhelmed. Birchcliffe Road and Keighley Road were rivers of water. Read more
BBC Look North: Hebden Bridge and Mytholmroyd back in business. (3 Aug)
Changing face of Hebden Bridge. As the bookshop in Crown Street closes, citing the economic climate and the Kindle as reasons, another estate agents opens in the former Booths shop.
Community Foundation say donations to flood fund have passed £115,000. See Calendar report.
FLOODED AGAIN
A couple of weeks after the previous flood, one month's rain falls in three hours
Royal Visit: Hebden Royd Town Clerk, Jason Boom sharing a joke with Charles on the Old Bridge at lunchtime today. Click to enlarge.
More photos (6 July)
HANDMADE PARADE - Nearly 700 people took part in the parade and several thousands more lined the route to enjoy amazing giant puppets, dazzling artwork, a riot of colour and toe-tapping music. News and links, including one to Guardian gallery and to Calendar. See also: HebWeb photo gallery.
THE SUN SHINES ON THE HANDMADE PARADE
PICTURE HOUSE: After much effort from Staff, Friends of the Picture House and passers-by the Picture House only missed one screening after being flooded up to a depth of 5 ft in places.
EMERGENCY FUND for people and groups affected by the Calderdale Floods June 2012, set up by the Community Foundation. Please make a donation.
Town Council give £10K to Flood fund - see Floods: the Aftermath news page. And, the latest flood relief info
Info, links and photos on our Flood news and photos page - large versions of photos now available, just click photo.
See Yorkshire Evening Post five minute video of interviews with Environment Minister, Richard Benyon, Craig Whittaker MP and an Environment Agency spokesperson.
FLOODED: Below - Hebden Bridge at 11.30pm Friday. Burnley Road, Market Street, Albert Street, Crown Street, Bridge Gate, Old Gate and more. The worst flooding in Hebden Bridge for over 30 years. More photos - now with enlarged versions if clicked.
Ian Coates of Hebden Bridge has been travelling the world on his Honda since 1999. He's now nearing home - latest update from the Sierra Nevada in Spain - See HebWeb Feature.
Small Ads - "I am very pleased to say the response was terrific and both properties are now let." (Less than a week)
Calder High: Former Calder High teacher of 27 years, Anne Todd, tells of an atmosphere of mistrust and anxiety among staff, lack of experience among management, deteriorating behaviour since the last inspection and streaming imposed without consultation. Read more in the HebWeb Forum.
Small Ads - "We placed a job ad on the Hebweb recently, intending to keep it there for 2 weeks, but we had to take it down after 3 days due to the huge response generated"
Five hundred words on Hebden Bridge - "Everything in the house was heated by the fire, all the old terraced houses used coal for heat and cooking back then, the valley had a serious smog problem." Read more from Dave Bridges' 500 words.
Local papers: HB Times office to close, journalist Susan Press tells HebWeb - see Forum thread. Update from Cllr Tim Swift: Halifax Courier to go weekly. "Those interested in the many goings-on in the upper valley are increasingly likely to turn to the 'Hebweb', the flourishing local website of town news and views." says Martin Wainwright, writing in the Guardian's Northerner Blog
Jason Elliott's 500 Faces of Hebden Bridge
Small Ads - I just wanted to let you know that through my small ad on your site I found my ideal new home, meeting all my requirements. Thank you very much for such a great resource
Mytholmroyd Net - serving the community of Mytholmroyd for 12 years
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