Blue Plaque tells historic pub's remarkable story

The historic Red Lion pub, in Kirkgate, has been honoured with a blue heritage plaque, which tells the story of the inn's unique contribution to community life. Landlord and brewer Luke Reid (right) is pictured with David Mason, chair of the Silsden Local History Group, which has funded and installed the award. It is the third plaque the group has presented to the town. The Red Lion was originally a mediaeval farmstead. By the early 1700s the farming Horne family had introduced a brewhouse and inn with stabling. Later, in the19th century, the pub became the centre of social and cultural life under the musical Weatherhead family, who ran the Red Lion for more than 100 years.

Newly on display in the tap room is the old pub sign pictured above, which has been loaned by Richard Spencer, owner of P. J. Motors, whose grandparents John and Edith Spencer ran the pub for 17 years up to 1976. Since 2015, the pub has been owned by the Reid family, which has moved its microbrewery to the premises. Production will resume shortly after a refit and two of the most popular brews of the 10 offered so far, Cobbied Ale, a traditional bitter, and Luke's Brew, a strong IPA, will return. 

Tom and Caitlin take the plunge with their own business

One of Silsden's oldest shop premises has been given a makeover by a couple who aim to ride the crest of a new wave of drinking hang-outs. No .55 Kirkgate is now The Duck Pond, a bottle shop and coffee house, run by partners Tom Grummett and Caitlin Schofield, pictured above and below, who live in Steeton.

Tom's experience is in bar management and the hotel trade while Cailtin worked for an events company and in catering. They have pooled their knowledge and resources to add The Duck Pond to Silsden's retail and catering transformation. The downstairs area offers a "carefully curated selection of beers, wines and spirits." Upstairs is the coffee-house part of the business, which overlooks Stakes Beck where the ducks gather by the bridge. The premises have been a shop for well over 120 years, for much of the time a grocery, particularly being remembered as Holgates. More recently it was Bilaluci's café. Photographs over the years were featured in my posts of August 28th, 2013, and September 6th, 2016.

Friends of Silsden's Green Places go to town with

a blooming good summer show

The Friends of Silsden's Green Places have adorned the main streets with 76 hanging baskets. Pictured above are some of the committee members (left to right): Tess Jurin, Carol Smith, town councillor Darren Edwards, chair Joyce Kilvington and her golden retriever Connie, vice-chair Barry Thomas and Stephanie Calvert-Smith.

In return for having a bright floral display, shops and businesses undertake to keep the baskets watered.

The Friends have also newly provided and planted up four  hayracks on the bridge over Stakes Beck. The group was formed in 2016, since when it has made a colourful and greatly appreciated impact by tidying and maintaining public green places, providing planters and installing benches in tranquil settings.

Senior citizens salute a Silsden centenarian

Silsden born and bred, Mary Greenwood was the VIP guest at the summertime tea for senior citizens on Saturday, July 6th. Mary celebrated her 100th birthday in May and at the Town Hall tea she was presented with a specially decorated cake to mark the milestone. 

The summer treat for senior citizens is organised by the Friends of the Town Hall and funded by the Harry Beverley Tillotson Trust. 

The 60 guests were entertained by Kitty LaMare, a star singer of songs from the 1940s. The summer event is complemented by a Christmas tea for a similar number of seniors. The teas are the revival of a Silsden tradition, which lapsed in the 1970s.  

Beck duck race and Park Day fun in the sun contribute to Silsden's month of grand events

Families basked in the sun at Silsden's annual Park Day on Saturday, July 6th, a headline part of the town's Grand July of events. Dog Show classes are a popular feature of the Park Day's fun activities and entertainments and pictured above are twins Isabella and Francesca McKenzie with their 16-week-old, long-haired chihuahuas Lunar and Mollie, who won the cutest-pup competition.

The park showed yet again what a precious community asset it is. The day had commenced with the annual duck race at Stakes Beck, after which families streamed to the park. The annual Murder Mile road run on Thursday the 4th opened Silsden's Grand July of events, which celebrate the momentous time five years ago when the Tour de France came through Silsden on the route of the Grand Depart in Yorkshire.

The Silsden Stormettes Under 13s rugby league team are pictured with coach Nigel Crouch before their match against Stanningley Girls. Silsden Storm boys Under 13s were also in Park Day action, heavily defeating Garforth Tigers.

Silsden Singers conducted by musical director Janet Russell welcomed families as the park programme commenced. 

The Punch and Judy show by Professor Keith Davies was as popular as ever. 

It's not easy to eat an ice cream while concentrating on Punch and Judy as young Oscar Woods demonstrates. He is pictured with his dad Andrew Woods and sister Mia, who slept through it all.

Frankie Huchinson was deep in thought at the Punch and Judy show.

The 'handsomest dog or bitch' class was won by Labrador Lily Rose, pictured above  with owner Darren Maroney. Second was border collie Sky, pictured on the left with friends Macy Clarke and Halle Dent. Third was labradoodle Bee, pictured on the right with owner Reuben MacLeod.

Three-year-old Teddy Wilkinson tackles the children's cycling course.

Daniel Nicholson, five, took the ramps in his stride.

It was a perfect day for chilling out.

Sisters Edie and Mabel Marriott had fun with a gadget that created super-sized bubbles.  

Sisters Athena and Thea Blondel (on the right) and Chloe and Jacob Graham (on the left) enjoyed clay modelling at a craft table run by Ann and Graham Reay.

Keeping cool in the shade. The day's events also included children's tennis, crown green bowls tuition from members of the Silsden Playing Field Bowling Club, and novelty running races. In the evening, there was a concert titled "Sixty Voices Sing" at Silsden Methodist Church given by the Heath Chorus, an award-winning choir from Staffordshire, supported by the Aire Valley Singers. The Grand July events also include history walks, an open garden in Hunters Meadow, a family art session, and a Belgium-themed evening (this year's Tour de France Grand Depart was in Belgium). The final attraction is the annual gala on the 28th, when the town band will also perform.

The duck race at Stakes Beck brought out the crowds and got the fun day off to a grand start.

Hundreds of ducks were purchased for a fund-raising £1 a piece.

Photographic exhibition celebrates Silsden in springtime

Fiona Pietrovito and her mother, Mary Brook, admire the 'best in show' photograph at an exhibition celebrating Silsden in springtime. Local photographers submitted more than 80 photos for the exhibition, which was the focal point of a fund-raising coffee morning held at the Town Hall on June 1st by the Silsden Campaign for the Countryside. The 'best in show' photograph was taken by Silsden Photography Group member Mark Waddington and was of a sunset viewed from the footpath from Light Bank Lane to the Nab. The judges were local artist Jo Whitehead and Silsden town councillor Darren Edwards, of the Friends of Silsden's Green Places.

An unexpected visitor was a former student of well-known Silsden artist Hildred Harpin. Mrs Doreen Godfrey (nee Barritt), pictured above, of Thwaites Brow, Keighley, brought a sketch of her younger self produced by Mr Harpin during a class at the old Keighley Junior Art School in 1952. A Harpin watercolour of Swartha was also on display, loaned by Silsden resident Mrs Joan Todd. The event, which included stalls, was held to build up a fighting fund to protect Silsden against unsustainable development. 

Silsden soldier's grave lovingly tended in the Netherlands

Above: the grave of a Silsden soldier who was killed in action in the Netherlands in the Second World War has been lovingly adopted for the last nine years by an ex-pat.

Signalman Harry Farrar, pictured above, was 27 when he died on December 18th, 1944. His widow, Agnes, and four-year-old son lived in Albert Square. Before the war Harry had worked for Messrs John Woodrow and Sons and at Becks Mill, Silsden.

Harry is buried at Brunssum Cemetery, pictured above, where there are more than 300 graves of British soldiers. Harry's grave was adopted nine years ago by Rob Ash, who lives near Maastricht. He chose to adopt Harry's grave as Rob, like Harry, had served in the Royal Corps of Signals (1990-2000).

Remembrance Day in the Netherlands is held on May 4th, the day before the anniversary of Liberation Day. The service at the Brunssum Cemetery is always well attended, as can be seen in the above photograph. Last year there was a Lancaster bomber flyover. United States forces liberated Brunssum in 1944 and were followed soon after by the 43rd Division of the Royal Corps of Signals, which made its HQ in the town. Harry Farrar, the son of Harry and Mary Farrar, is commemorated on the Silsden War Memorial. The Keighley News report of his death described Harry as a despatch rider.