REVIEW OF THE YEAR 2012
2012 will be remembered in future years for the summer floods and the opening of the new Town Hall.
THE FLOODS
The floods were covered by the HebWeb as they happened. Thousands logged on to our website for the latest info, photos and video. First there was the June Flood of Friday evening, 22nd June.
Hebden Bridge under water © HebWeb
JUNE FLOOD - After heavy rain all day Friday, 22nd June, flood sirens went just before 8pm. Just hours later, the whole of the centre of Hebden Bridge was flooded. Market Street, Bridge Gate, Old Gate, Albert Street and Crown Street were all under water and impassable.
Market Street - click to enlarge- Photo: HebWeb
JULY FLOOD - Just over two weeks after the 'worst for 50 years' flood, came a another. And this was just 3 days after the river nearly burst its banks again on Friday during the royal visit.
Above:New Town Hall in action - crowds enjoying the warm
Hebden Bridge October sunshine. Click photo to enlarge.
HEBDEN BRIDGE'S COMMUNITY-RUN TOWN HALL: OPEN AT LAST: A major new building in the centre of town providing important community assets finally opened over the summer of 2012. Read more and at the bottom of this news pages are links to the nearly 40 news items on the HebWeb, following the project from start to finish.
The HebWeb listed about 400 events and a similar number of small ads. Hundreds of news items were posted, along with around 500 news photos and images.
HEBWEB FORUM: The most discussed issues were bus problems, plans for a new supermarket and hotel at Brown's site, the proposed extension to Nutclough Mill, the Town Hall cafe, a call for Cllr Nader Fekri to fight a bye-election, the floods, Craig Whittaker's views on same-sex marriage, Himalayan Balsam, charity shops, NHS and the Hebden Royd 2012/13 Precept.
OTHER NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
Here are some of the hightlights of other news we covered, starting in January 2012.
CRAIG WHITTAKER MP ARRESTED - alleged assault on his son, in Mytholmroyd, West Yorks, at 10.30pm on Boxing Day. Read more
MISS RUSTY (Leonara Rustamova) is celebrating a further victory. She is now free to teach in schools again, as the General Teaching Council drop proceedings against her. See HebWeb feature for extensive background to this story. (12 Feb) Update: see Mail Online (13 Feb)
CALDER HIGH GIVEN 'NOTICE TO IMPROVE FOLLOWING OFSTED. Less than a week after Riverside received its unfavourable Ofsted report, the inspection of Calder High raises further questions about the education of Hebden Bridge children and students. Read more (6 March)
BROWN'S SITE: How should the Brown's site be used? Community Meeting 25th April. Read more (23 April)
GRANT SUCCESS FOR VILLAGE TURBINE: Blackshaw Head based Pennine Community Power has won a grant of £30,000 which will partly fund a community wind turbine at Blackshaw Head. Read more (5 April). BLACKSHAW HEAD WIND TURBINE PROJECT - public meeting and share offer. Renewable energy enterprise has launched shares and hopes to generate over £100K for local community. Read more. (5 July)
COMMUNITY WIND TURBINE - share offer success! Blackshaw Head will be supplying the National Grid by October. Read more (8 Aug)
HEBDEN BRIDGE: A SENSE OF BELONGING by Paul Barker. New book illustrating how Hebden Bridge has changed from when the mills closed until it gradually became 'the Greenwich Village of the north'. Read more (25 April)
FOX FRIENDS RAISE £400 AT CAMRA FESTIVAL. A bar at the CAMRA festival pulled in another £400 to help create West Yorkshire's first co-operative pub. Read more and listen to item on Radio Leeds (15 May)
HEBDEN BLUES FESTIVAL BLOWS INTO TOWN: This weekend sees a massive music fesival back in Hebden Bridge. With three dozen bands playing in seven venues across the town, fans of the blues from all over the country are heading our way. Read more (30 May)
Handmade Parade 2012 - photo: HebWeb
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.
BAN THE BURN: On August 12th (the "Glorious Twelfth" marking the official start of the grouse-shooting season) Treesponsibility are planning a "Ban the Burn" protest Walk to Walshaw Estate, leaving from Hebden Bridge at 9.30 am. Read more. (3 Aug)
CALDER HIGH ACADEMY? Parents have received a letter from the chair of governors, Rob Good, dated 23rd November, confirming that "the Dept. for Education's view is that Calder High School will become a sponsored academy."
The VALLEY OF LIGHTS stunned the many hundreds who packed the streets of Hebden Bridge Thursday evening, 29th November. A magnificent evening of parades, illuminated cyclists, frosty moonlight, music, street markets and entertainers showed once again what a quirky, funky, colourful, creative community we live in. More photos.
Many thanks and Happy New Year to all those who read and support the HebWeb, especially those who have sent us their news items, event details and photos, shared their views on the Forum and submitted their Small Ads.
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