HebWeb Small Ads: "We've had lots of responses and have found some great tenants."

£12 million boost for flood protection in Hebden Bridge - The funding boost is part of the Government's new multi-billion-pound investment across the country, including an immediate cash injection to speed up flood scheme construction. Read more.

Survey Results from the Hebden Bridge Business Forum Survey show support for a moratorium on flood alleviation works planned for next year in Hebden Bridge. And for cancellation or delay of the Keighley Road roadworks. See results. (10 July)

Keighley Road Closures and Improvements The works are scheduled for weekdays from Monday 6 July until to Friday 20 November. For the first six weeks, the road will be closed between Hebden Bridge and Oxenhope with local access only between Hebden Bridge and Pecket Well. Read more

Film: Slow the Flow together - A special online film screening of Slowing The Flow Together was on Weds 3 June; it was a chance to see how flood risk has been reduced in Calderdale using natural methods. See What's On for more info

Town Council meetings go online Hebden Royd Town Council held its first official remote meeting on Wednesday 20th May. Local councillors, town council officers, and members of the public stayed at home and gathered around laptops and mobile devices. Read more (22 May)

Waste and Recycling Centre to re-open at Eastwood, from Friday 22 May. It will not be as previously. There will be traffic management and strict safety measures in place to protect both staff and visitors. Read more (20 May)

Calderdale says don't open schools if not safe: The Council is advising local schools not to open more widely until they can be confident that children and teaching staff are able to return to classrooms safely. The Government has set five key tests which must guide any decision to re-open. Read more (19 May)

Wild garlic in May: many of our wooded valleys are revealing seas of wild garlic. Click photo to enlarge. (22 May)

Recycle Radio is back. For more local community radio. Broadcasting to you live from Hebden Bridge. Tune in from 2pm every Saturday at Recycle Radio for tunes, chat, local acts and making a connection with your community. See What's on for more info

Hardcastle Crags tweeted, "We're working hard to welcome you back, but Hardcastle Crags remains closed for now. The public rights of way remain open for those who can walk to Hardcastle Crags." (20 May)

Misbehaviour Live Q&A by means of Zoom was on Weds, 20 May at 8pm, organised by Hebden Bridge Film Festival. See What's on for more info

Town Council resumes meetings with Zoom, on Weds 20 May. See agenda here.

Bluebells: most of our valley woods are now swathed in bluebells. Click photo to enlarge. (14 May)

Coronavirus Deaths In Calderdale, there were 85 coronavirus-related deaths up to the 1 May. In this area 18% of all deaths involved coronavirus between 29 February and 1 May

Floods in the Congo: Over the weekend of 17-19 April, flooding caused dozens of deaths and made a large numbers homeless in the community of Uvira in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Town Council has sent a letter of support. Read more. (27 April)

Coronavirus support available in the Upper Valley - download leaflet (29 April)

Moorland Fire At Widdop: Fire crews tackle burning moorland blaze near Hebden Bridge. See ITV report

Hebden Bridge's Joan Pearce (100) recovers from Coronavirus - see YouTube video of Joan being clapped as she left hospital on Monday, 13 April. And see HebWeb Forum for an example of Joan's poetry.

Coronavirus: Frequently Asked Questions - from the Town Council on volunteering, accessing reliable information, contacting the council, foodbanks, extra support, who delivers locally, disability access forum, the Picture House and more. See FAQs.

Sand in your Eyes thank the NHS - with their latest creation, all 100 metres of it. Click image to enlarge. See ITV News report and Sandinyoureyes FB page. (17 April)

Coronavirus in Calderdale - 107 new cases so far in July - 3 more new cases reported in the past 24 hours and 49 new cases reported in the past week, taking the total in Calderdale to 759. (21 July)

BFI Boost for Hebden Bridge Picture House The Picture House has been awarded £8,500 to help the community arts venue to survive the ongoing shutdown due to COVID-19. More info

New car park at Stubbing Holme, 44 new parking places at Hebden Bridge Station, 200 places at Mytholmroyd Station and the abolition of the proposed one-way system in Hebden Bridge are the latest changes announced today by Calderdale Council.

Playgrounds and outdoor gyms to reopen All play areas and outdoor gyms in Calderdale are due to reopen by Friday 10 July, – but the Council has issued important guidance to ensure everyone can enjoy the facilities safely, as COVID-19 is still within our communities. More info

Coronavirus numbers in Calderdale: On 2 July, it was revealed that the figures published by the Government, and daily updated on the HebWeb, did not include home and drive through tests. Now they are included, the number of reported cases in Calderdale more than doubled. (2 July)

West Yorkshire Devolution: Deadline for comments 19th July. Leaders of the five West Yorkshire councils have secured a devolution deal with Government, which will see a transfer of powers and investment from Whitehall. See details and give feedback

Raw sewage discharged into rivers Storm overflow spilled into the Hebden Water 27 times in 2019 (65 hours) and 60 times into Cragg Brook (417 hours). There were significant spills into the Calder at Cornholme, Todmorden and Brearley. See this interactive map. (2 July)

Hebden Bridge Flood alleviation work delayed: Work is now expected to start in summer 2021, but it is not expected to be completed before summer 2024, taking three instead of the planned two years. Read BBC news report (30 June)

100 days of Lockdown in Calderdale As the country approaches its 100th day of lockdown, Calderdale Council has reflected upon the enormous joint effort and kindness that have defined the response to COVID-19 across the borough. Read more (29 June)

Toilets to re-open on New Road, near the bus stop, next Tuesday 7 July, from Tuesday to Saturday from 9.30am-4.30pm.

Hebden Bridge Picture House to re-open in Autumn - Whilst our cinema remains closed due to the continuing risks of Coronavirus, they are re-assuring customers that they will be re-opening our doors in early to mid Autumn. Read Picture House statement

Hebden Bridge & District Old People’s Welfare Committee is the Mayor’s chosen charity - Read more (25 June).

Old Gate will be closed to traffic. Loading will be allowed before 10am and after 4pm. All parking bays on Crown Street will be closed off. This is to help social distancing as shops re-open, and will continue until at least the end of July. (13 June)

Workers' Co-ops Conference goes online - planned for July, two events to mark the 150th anniversary celebrations for worker-led co-ops will now be online from 3-4 July. More info

Black Lives Matter: Local trades unions call for justice West Yorkshire Association of Trades Union Councils (WYATUC) has expressed solidarity with those campaigning for justice and real, meaningful equality for Black people. Read more (16 June)

The Bookcase and other shops in Hebden Bridge re-opened Monday, 15 June.

Schools can consider wider re-opening from 15 June - Calderdale Council supports local schools to open more widely from Monday 15 June, provided that they are confident it is safe for children and staff to return. More info (9 June)

Flood Alleviation Scheme - survey work means pavement closures. The Environment Agency and Calderdale are designing a Flood Alleviation Scheme for Hebden Bridge. There will be a need for localised pavement diversions to close off access to specific areas. More info (9 June)

Boost for natural flood management New projects using nature to help reduce flood risk in Calderdale will soon get off the ground, thanks to a £112,000 funding boost from Calderdale Council and the Environment Agency. More info (8 June)

Re-opening of shops - see discussion on this HebWeb Forum thread (3 June)

What's on? - Film Festival present The Australian Dream, Recycle Radio and Fundraising Takeaway at Leila's Kitchen

Latest Flood News During Storm Ciara, more than 100mm of rain fell between 11pm on Saturday 8 and 11am on Sunday 9 Feb - the second highest flood event recorded in the Calder Valley, second only to the Boxing Day flooding of 2015 - more than a month's rainfall over 48 hours (129.8mm). Read latest news. (1 June)

HebWeb Small Ads positive feedback - received today: 1. "Brilliant as ever. Thank you. Ads fulfilled". 2. "We've been inundated with enquiries from potential tenants." (31 May)

New Caldene Bridge opened Monday The opening of the new bridge, at 10am, Mon 18 May, is a major milestone for the Mytholmroyd Flood Alleviation Scheme. The old bridge was a serious constriction to flood flows and contributed towards the Boxing Day 2015 floods. Read more.

Plan to open waste sites expected soon In the meantime, fortnightly garden waste collections will now resume for existing subscribers, and we're encouraged to report instances of fly-tipping. More info

Covid-19 deaths in Hebden Bridge: A contributor to the HebWeb Forum has found Office for National Statistics data that reveals there were 4 deaths in Hebden Bridge related to Covid-19 in the period to 17 April. (3 May)

Any Frontline workers out there needing PPE? - See this forum thread (24 April)

Hebden Bridge Flood Alleviation Scheme - Listed Building Consent applications for some of these works have been submitted, eg in respect of all three bridges, Innovation and the Town Hall. Read more

Cancellation of Hebden Bridge Vintage Weekend  Because of Covid-19 the Rotary Club of Hebden Bridge have come to the conclusion it will not be possible to hold the Vintage Weekend in August of this year. This will be a disappointment to everyone but the safety of the public has to be our priority. (21 April)

Grants from Hebden Bridge Rotary Club The local Rotary Club awards grants to local, national and international charities and good causes. Income comes from running events such as the Duck Race and the Vintage Weekend. Each year, they distribute around £45,000 in grants. Read more, and how to apply

Channel 4 News - report from locked-down Hebden Bridge, on Weds, 8 April 2020.

Letters of Support from Twinning/ Friendship Towns: Hebden Royd Town Council (HRTC) sent letters of support to our Twinning and Friendship towns in St Pol sur Ternoise, Warstein and Paratico, in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Read more (4 April)

Before the bug: In the absence of very much news during the lockdown, the HebWeb is taking the opportunity to celebrate our area by digging into our archives. Most days, our home page will be updated with HebWeb articles from the same date from the past 25 years. See articles posted since 1 April

HebWeb Discussion: Hebden Bridge and the coronavirus; staying at home; masks; building work continues, nuisance burning; Poetry for tough times and more.

Coronavirus: Food for vulnerable people in Calderdale who are being supported to get the food they need during the COVID-19 outbreak, through food parcels, food banks and free school meals. More info (31 March)

Slow The Flow cancels volunteer activity for the time being as a result of the Coronavirus Pandemic. More info (18 March)

Wadsworth Parish Council meetings are cancelled until further notice - alternative arrangements will be put in place over the coming weeks. 

More coronavirus cancellations: May's Local Elections, the Mayor's Ceilidh (21 March), the next Local History talk (25 March) and Discovering Ted Hughes' Yorkshire. (21 March)

Three cases of Coronavirus are currently being reported in Calderdale (18 March)

HebWeb Forum: Hebden Bridge and the coronavirus

And the winner is… Calder Valley Community Land Trust! With first prize for Social Investment at the Awards ceremony in Leeds yesterday (March 12) organised by Social Enterprise Yorkshire and Humber. Read more

Extinction Rebellion Flashmob - Dozens of dancers took over Hebden Bridge, Saturday lunchtime, 7 March. See XR Facebook. Click photo to enlarge.

Cancelled: Discovering Ted Hughes's Yorkshire: Trail Maps Launch on Sat 21 March. Literary and heritage trail, with maps designed by HB cartographer Chris Goddard. Poetry readings from Carola Luther and David Morley, and a talk by Hughes expert, Dr Steve Ely. Read more

Funding for flood-hit communities The Calder Valley was the worst hit area in England during the recent floods. For details of grants, council tax relief and the flood resilience scheme, see this news page.

Flood relief The Government has now confirmed Calderdale Council will receive funding to help support residents and businesses affected by Storm Ciara. Read more (19 Feb)

THE 9 FEBRUARY FLOOD Photos and links to info and support, news and media reports and HebWeb reports of five previous major floods since the millennium. This page will be updated with further info as it comes in.

Storm Dennis update Flood wardens have reported "a fairly quiet night with all rivers rising close to, but not above their banks. All "high risk" areas have peaked with EA advising that the storm appears to be easing off and rainfall turning to light showers throughout Sunday." (9.30, 16 Feb)

Army deployed to help support the ongoing recovery from last weekend's flooding and the preparations for Storm Dennis. Flood alert in place for Upper Calder catchment. River Calder at 1.7 metres in Hebden Bridge. (8.15pm, 15 Feb)

Hebden Bridge Group Practice - appointments by phone only Due to the emerging Coronavirus situation the reception areas have been closed in order to protect the population and prevent spread of the virus. All appointments have been converted to telephone consultations. Read more (18 March)

Hebden Bridge Picture House and Hebden Royd Council offices close. See statement from the Town Council.

HebWeb Small Ads. Message received about ad for 2 bed house: "I've had so many people message about this I can't keep up with replying."

Slow the Flow Latest news Slow The Flow have been incredibly busy in the last month as a result of Storms Ciara and Dennis.  Read about some of the activities the group has been up to and dates to watch out for over the next few weeks. Read more (5 March)

Skipton's First World War POW Camp Anne Buckley, in a talk to the Local History Society, told about being handed a book written in German, which had been lying forgotten in the storeroom of Skipton Library since the 1950s. Read report (29 Feb)

Preparing for Storm Dennis Calderdale Council is preparing for Storm Dennis, which is expected to hit the our area this Saturday and into Sunday. An Amber weather warning is in place. With the ground already saturated, rivers are due to respond quickly. Read more (11 Feb)

HebWeb Forum - Floods

Environment secretary snubs meeting with campaigners Tory MP Theresa Villiers ducks out of meeting with Ban the Burn campaigners during visit to Calder Valley. See Morning Star report (13 Feb)

Guardian Report "Mytholmroyd community members say slow progress left properties unprotected. . . . Sourena Jowkar was totting up the damage at his Persian cafe, Leila’s Kitchen, which opened four months ago. He was full of praise for local people who were helping him with the clear-up." (11 Feb)

Daily Mirror report "Labour MP for Halifax, Holly Lynch, said there was a 'sense of absolute devastation' as the Environment Agency comes under fire for taking so long to complete flood defences." (11 Feb)

Morning Star report: Calder Valley MP Craig Whittaker voted against extra funding for flood defences following 2015’s Boxing Day deluge

BBC report - Storm Ciara aftermath: Calder Valley assesses flood damage. Barry Greenwood said, "Something had to be done to stop repeat flooding." (10 Feb)

Floods parking restrictions in Hebden Bridge lifted, free food at the Town Hall, schools closed. Roads now passable, cleaning materials and help at Hubs: Hebden Bridge and Todmorden Town Halls, Mytholmroyd Library. More info (10 Feb)

ITV report on Mytholmroyd: "Four years, millions of pounds, hundreds of men in orange jackets .... and look what's happened to the Calder Valley again."

Flooded six times since 2000 - there have now been six major floods, and many more smaller ones in the past 20 years. Links to HebWeb reports of previous floods.

FLOODED AGAIN! - Hebden Bridge, Mytholmroyd and the Upper Calder Valley are currently impassible. Sirens were sounded at 8am. See the Facebook Group Calder Valley Flood Support for latest info. The Environment Agency has issued flood warnings for the whole area. Rivers expected to rise until around midday. (9 Feb, updated 11am)

HebWeb Forum - opinion is divided on the proposed "traffic improvements."

No Arts Festival for 2020 - The Festival’s taking a year’s break and the board is looking to recruit new trustees and a Chair to lead the way forward.

HebWeb Small Ads - The HebWeb is brilliant. Found tutor within 3 days. The response was excellent as was the calibre of the candidates.

HebWeb coverage of the 2019 General Election is at caldervalley.org.uk along with info on general elections back to 1997.

Hebden Bridge Camera Club Exhibition Winners The Club’s annual exhibition was an extremely successful week as in previous years. Over 1200 visitors from near and far viewed the 66 prints on display at the Town Hall and almost 900 of those took part in the vote for the ‘People’s Choice’. Read more (11 Sept)

Yorkshire Post on Hebden Bridge: "A Yorkshire town with an independent streak… Hebden is a striking town in an even more striking location."

Water subsiding after peakng at midday - (9 Feb, 2.30pm)

Mytholmroyd this morning, Sun 9 Feb. Posted in Hebden Bridge Flood Action Group Facebook group

Carbon neutral by 2038 - or sooner! After declaring a Climate Emergency on 30 January 2019, Calderdale Council is proposing another significant move in its fight against climate change – to make the borough carbon neutral by 2038. Read more (3 Feb)

Northern to be nationalised The company which operates most of our local trains, was taken under Government control. See BBC report (29 Jan)

Maps of Road changes for Hebden Bridge - see larger version of the above map, and four other ones designed to help explain the changes. The deadline has been extended to 14 February to make representations. Click here to make your views known. See discussion on the HebWeb Forum (26 Jan)

Opposition grows to "traffic improvements" which include making the Keighley Road at Commercial Street one way, banning commuter parking on the A646 between Hebden Bridge Station and Mytholmroyd, and banning parking on Market Street. The HB Business Forum is campaigning against the changes. Read more

Small Ads - "We filled the vacancy thanks to the Hebweb, brilliant service"

Hebden Bridge on Woman’s Hour (from around 28 mins in) - our area is praised for being friendly to lesbians the liberal minded, creatives and progressives, for its co-operatives, hippies and Sylvia Plath’s grave. And they plan to do a Woman’s Hour from Hebden Bridge. (27 Nov)

"Britain at its best: Hebden Bridge where Ed Sheeran was born is a true northern star,” declares Mail Online article. Apparently, our town is  'just right side of gentrified’. Read article

More tree cover still needed in Hebden Bridge, say Friends of the Earth. The organisation claims trees can act as effective flood defences, helping to reduce peak water levels by as much as a quarter. See ITV report.

BBC1 Countryfile at Hardcastle Crags "We're in West Yorkshire and this is one of its true hidden gems." And featuring the work of Slow the Flow Calderdale. (17 June)

Banking in Hebden Bridge: 'The only banks left in Hebden Bridge are grass ones down by the river'. See this weekend's article on the bankless town of Hebden Bridge in This is Money

The National Geographic’s Cool List for 2019 has West Yorkshire at number 7. The Calder Valley is highlighted - "with hippyish Hebden Bridge as its epicentre" - as a "burgeoning hub for restaurants and independent shops." )

Small Ads: "Hebweb scores again! I have sold my electric lawnmower today"

HebWeb Small Ads We've been overwhelmed with the response and quality of applicants! Thanks so much!

Small Ads - 3 two bed houses to rent, all announced the same day, on the HebWeb Smalls Ads page

Small Ads message - "Once again, great success by placing my house to rent on HebWeb!"

Huffington Post on Hebden Bridge: "You will find a town that was almost abandoned, but brought back to life by hippies, artists and lesbians looking for a place to make a life." Written by Sean Pert, who continues: "The town doesn't just tolerate its LGBT+ community, it values and embraces us." Read more

No banks. No petrol. Lloyds Bank was the last bank left in Hebden Bridge. It closed this month. Shepherds was the last petrol garage still open in Hebden Bridge. It stopped selling petrol this month.

Hebden Bridge artist Kate Lycett featured in Yorkshire Post feature

Hebden Bridge: How a thriving town lost its last bank: This Guardian article reports that, "Residents feel angry and let down as Lloyds departs, but one man (David Fletcher) has a plan to fill the gap." Only a few years ago, Hebden Bridge had five full time banks. The last one, Lloyds, closed last week. Read article (26 Jan)

Hebden Bridge is Cool - Hebden Bridge has made National Geographic's Cool list. "The Calder Valley - with hippyish Hebden Bridge as its epicentre - is a burgeoning hub for restaurants and independent shops." See article. (4 Dec)

Fox and Goose one of top 50 pubs according to The Guardian

Hebden Bridge features in The Spectator "The Yorkshire town that’s gone from dirty old buildings to New Age nirvana" by William Cook.

Swimming pool latest. It's still going ahead but, because of the 2015 Flood, not yet. And not in Hebden Bridge. Read the latest statement from the Swimming Pool Association, and follow the links for how the HebWeb has covered this controversial issue over many years. More

Small Ads: "Please can you remove small ad. I had a response within an hour of the ad going live and the first viewer took the house. I had 8 requests to view in 24 hours. Brilliant!"

Small Ads message - "Just to say that my cottage has now been let. Thanks once again to HebWeb!"

Small Ads: We had a prospective buyer view it, she loves the house and has put in offer we've accepted. So, thank-you!

"In a world where style often triumphs over substance, Hebweb is reassuringly informative, reliable and clear. An invaluable community resource and public information forum reflecting the independent spirit of Hebden Bridge. Lesley at Elmet Farmhouse.

Small Ads: "Amazing but my house in Tod got rented out within 30 minutes after putting the house on Hebweb."

Small Ads success - "Hi there I have found lovely tenants for my house in less than 24 hours. Amazing!" Re house to let in Mytholmroyd.

Small Ads - "Choosing to advertise the house for rent on the Hebweb was incredibly effective. The perfect tenants were found within 48 hours"

From Steve Farrell, now living in Mysore, India: "As someone who lives abroad, the Hebweb site has always been critical for keeping in touch 'back home' in Hebden. I've just needed to re-advertise my home for rent, so where to turn to? The Hebweb, of course. The Ad was up within minutes and there were 10 enquiries within 24 hours. Superb!" See Small Ads.

'Greatest Town in Europe' - as well as being the 4th funkiest town in the world, Culture Trip gives 12 Reasons why Hebden Bridge 'is known as the greatest town in Europe'. Read article

Far more than a large home page, the HebWeb is now an essential local resource. It has been around for nearly 23 years, covering local news, events, opinions, tourist info, small ads, where to stay and much, much more. Updated every day. Read more and go deeper into the HebWeb.

Hebden Bridge in Yorkshire crowned best place in the UK - 'Machine learning' used millions of data points to discover top locations. Read more

From the archive: The Times listed the 30 coolest places to live in Britain. Number one was Hebden Bridge.

Let's move to Hebden Bridge From the Guardian. If the roots of its liberal and creative image are a mystery, its appeal is obvious. See also: HebWeb report from Sept 2005

HebWeb Small Ads message: "Please could you close the advert? We've been overwhelmed with the response and quality of applicants! Thanks so much!"

Hebden Bridge Station car park to expand: Calderdale Council is working with Network Rail, which owns the land to the east of the existing station car park to create 46 extra places. Read more.

Some years ago in the Guardian, Martin Wainwright wrote, "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 2012

Less than an hour from Hebden Bridge: try these halls, houses and galleries which many may not have heard about. Yet they are just on our doorstep. If you can’t find anything to do locally (see What’s On), have a look at this new HebWeb Feature.

Hebden Bridge, the UK's second city, BBC article by Evan Davis. "Hebden Bridge is an inverted city with a greenbelt centre and suburbs called Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool." Read the article

Small Ads: "House successfully rented through Hebweb. Fantastic posting wall!"

Selling my house on HebWeb was "extremely successful - I hope to complete on the sale in 2 weeks time, and I think I could have sold it a few times over."

Smll Ads: "I had so many wonderful responses to my ad for someone to help me re-organize my house post-flood, I wanted to employ everyone! Thank you." - Susan

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

Small Ads: "Ad posted Monday, lease to be signed Saturday and tenant moving in Sunday. Thanks HebWeb."

"Unbelievable result Hebweb. So many enquiries in response to the small ad on your site and now have lovely new tenants. What a success - Thank you Hebweb."

HebWeb also available on the slightly shorter hebdenbridge.uk as well as hebdenbridge.co.uk

Guardian Northerner: What the UK can learn from Hebden Bridge? The BBC's Mind the Gap asks how London's success can be replicated elsewhere: Claire Donnelly argues that our small town could have the answer. Read more

"Many thanks Hebweb, the Small Ad asking for Volunteers to cook and help at Wadsworth Lunch Club has already had success. We now have someone coming to help cook. We'd still welcome a washer up, and occasional helpers please."

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"

Britain's favourite market town? Hebden Bridge has been shortlisted in the 'Britain's favourite market town' category in the BBC Countryfile Magazine Awards 2013. Read more

Guardian Northerner: Hebden Bridge the UK's coolest place? The Yorkshire Paradise has won its fourth accolade in a decade. Born, brought up and living here, Rachel Pickering is loyal, but has one or two cautionary thoughts.

Small Ads - "I am very pleased to say the response was terrific and both properties are now let." (Less than a week)

Small ads: "We've successfully rented our house. Thanks for an excellent service - I'll heartily recommend Hebweb, as our house was previously listed through an estate agent who didn't manage to get us a tenant in 3 months - through Hebweb we had 4 prospective tenants within a week."