News
Jan 2012: Our January meeting brought in a few visitors, as the subject was The Normanton Railway. Alan Dawson; who had worked there, showed slides and talked of how the old sidings worked. We saw how the engines took on water and coal and the sheds where they were put to bed. The old steam engines; - you could almost smell the smoke and hear the whistles.
Feb 2012: Dorothy and Brian Burrows were our speakers in February. The talk was 'Do You Remember?' A light hearted evening with slides of adverts showing butter at 4d per pound, fish 2d and chips1d, and you could buy a piece of mutton for 6d per pound. We looked at washing machines, televisions and other household items from the past, we were also reminded of old television programs. Very different from the computer age of today.
June 2011: For our June meeting Geoff Driscoll gave a talk on 'Good Old Days', the show put on at Leeds City Varieties.
He told us that the building had started out as a coaching inn. In 1865 entertainment was provided in the form of a singing room, originally for men only. It evolved through the next few years as a theatre for variety acts.
We were entertained by stories of acts that had appeared at the theatre in the past shows, two of the most people were Charley Chaplin and Houdini.
The theatre has been closed for refurbishment and will re-open in September with Ken Dodd, on two nights, to a sell out audience.
Nov 2010: On Armistice Day, John Rushton was the guest of a focus group, held at Garforth Library, into 'Wartime Memories', a group of teenagers asked a range of questions about life in wartime Britain.
Nov 2010: The Historical Society would like to give a huge thank you to all the people, and their organisations, that have worked on the Churchyard Survey. They are:-
- Lynn Barton of Leeds Family History Section
- Kevin Fulcher of FinePrint UK
- Mike Hansborough of Treasured Memories
- Derek Patterson of Blue Sky Web Design
Sept 2010: Vera Willis and Janet Yelland arranged some historical walks with school children from Green Lane Primary School and Margaret Benn went into the school and gave them a talk about her school days.
July 2010: Garforth Historical Society has secured Grade 2 listed status for the passenger foot bridge at Garforth Railway Station.