Belthorn History Society
As summer rolls in The History Society’s last meet up of spring welcomed it with a trip onboard the barge Bill Hunt, sailing the Blackburn stretch of The Leeds Liverpool Canal in May. Now the evenings are longer and warmer there are three trips out for the high summer months. If you’re interested in local history, or just fancy one of the meetings, please come along with we other Belthorners. We meet on every third Monday of the month until September when we switch to the third Tuesday to tie in with The Shed. Here’s what the society’s up to for the rest of the year…
SUMMER / AUTUMN PROGRAMME 2011
July 18 - A Historical Tour of Darwen Town Centre. Led by Darwen’s Jayne Waring we’re having a peramble around the centre, looking at the many old buildings and talking over the story of this town that’s so familiar to Belthorn. Meet outside Darwen library at 7.30pm. Plenty of free parking nearby, please contact Diane if you need a lift. We’re asking a donation of £2.00 each for this guided tour by Jayne.
August 15 - The Cemetery Walk. Blackburn’s old cemetery was opened in 1851 and is the final resting place of many local notables amongst the 200,000 recumbent. Following a walk laid out by Gordon Hartley and Albert Branscombe of The Blackburn Local History Society we’ll be visiting this beautiful and evocative spot, and some of the more curious residents including Fred Kempster ‘The Blackburn Giant’ and poor Alice Beetham, the victim of a scandalous murder in 1912. Again information leaflets provided, meet at the Top Cemetery Gate at 7.30pm. Please ring Diane for directions or a lift.
September 20 - DVD Night. We switch to Tuesdays for the next three meetings. We’ve Darwen 1939 - 1949 to show, a collection of images set to the music and sounds of the era. Also we have a couple of short films from the amazing Edwardian Mitchell and Kenyon collection which was found in a shop cellar on Northgate and restored by the British Film Institute. We’ll be meeting in The Shed at 7.30pm.
October 18 - Jenny’s Talk. Our chairperson Jenny will be talking about the kinds of utensils and recipes found in days gone by in that heart of the home, the kitchen. Again we’ll be meeting in The Shed at 7.30pm, and if you have any peculiar or old items please bring them along.
November 22 - Lancashire Quiz Night. As the last event of this year it’s time for a few drinks and a natter. Diane will be holding the now customary Lancashire Quiz, followed with a Jacob's Join supper. Gather by the log stove in The Shed at 7.30pm.
Thanks to everyone who’s been along so far, it’s been both interesting and entertaining. Particular thanks to those who came to the April meeting about wartime evacuees and the village, a great evening. We’re always looking for ideas for future meetings so if you have any suggestions please let us know. Here’s to a lovely summer on the hill.
If anyone has any photos, artefacts, ephemera, stories, facts or information relating to Belthorn and the village’s history that they’d like to share please let us know. EMAIL - BelthornVillageHistorySociety@googlemail.com
