Days Out

Clarion House

Every Sunday a unique opportunity exists to visit the tea rooms of Nelson Independent Labour Party at Clarion House, an event that started over 100 years ago.  At one time this type of meeting was quite common but today Clarion House may be the only surviving example of this.

Further details are available here www.clarionhouse.org.uk

Calderdale Heritage Walks

If you enjoy walking and also want to learn about the local environs then why not join one of the walks organised by Calderdale Heritage Walks.  The walks are generally suitable for all and generally you can just turn up on the day without prior booking.

For further information please use this link.  CHW

Calderdale Industrial Museum

Recently re-opened and only open on a Saturday this museum explains the many aspects of Halifax and District industrial and manufacturing heritage.  Ranging from machine tools, through coal mining, weaving to toffee making you'll certainly come away  with an appreciation of the many ways in which Halifax impacted on the world, for example at one time 80% of all the Moquette manufactured was made in halifax.

Further information can be found on their website.

Dick Craven's

If you have watched Heartbeat you will have seen some of Dick's motorcycles and other vehicles.  Dick has a private museum with a large collection of motorcycles, approximately 250, and a smaller number of other vehicles.  He is open once a month on the 1st Sunday of the month and also on Bank Holiday Mondays.  The museum is approximately 2 miles from the end of the York bypass at Sockton on Forest.

Further information can be found here www.cravencollection.co.uk

Luddite Trail

Spen Valley Civic Society have created two circular "way-marked" walks, to show you where the violent events of the 1812 Luddite risings in Spen Valley took place.  You can download a pdf leaflet of both walks by following this link.

Manchester's Baby

During the Second World War in utmost secrecy a team including Alan Turing and Tommy Flowers developed the world's first electronic computer at Bletchley Park.  The existence was kept a secret until the mid 1970s.  Alan Turing after working at Bletchley Park returned to academia and helped work on a computer at Manchester University nicknamed  Baby.   This computer is now on working display at the Manchester Museum of Science and Technolgy.

Follow this link for further information.

Manchester Museum

Did you know that the University of Manchester has a museum with free admission that among other things has an interesting gallery on Eqyptology?  Situated near Oxford Road railway station with Picadilly station being slightly further away it's well worth a visit.

More information can be found here.

Rochdale Co-operative Museum

Immerse yourself in the history of the Co-operative movement by visiting the Rochdale Museum.

For further information see Rochdale Pioneers Museum

Saltaire

We have a World Heritage Site on our doorstep at Saltaire.  Every Saturday and Sunday guided walks talk place starting at the Saltaire Visitor Centre at 2pm.

Further information can be found by visiting www.saltairevillage.info

Scarborough Maritime Heritage

Visiting Scarborough, then why not call in at their heritage centre.  Did you know that during WW2 Scarborough was home to a Y station that was eavesdropping on German communications?  GCHQ still has a station at Scarborough that employs a substantial number of personnel.  See also the photographs of the effects of the German bombardment during WW1.

For further information follow this link SMH

Shipley Glen Tramway

Opened roughly 120 years ago the Shipley Glen Tramway has been  providing a pleasurable ride on the 20 inch track thanks recently to a dedicated band of volunteers.  Help them to keep it open by patronising it.

Further details are available here www.shipleyglentramway.co.uk

Thackray Medical Museum

Situated in Leeds at Saint James' Hospital in part of the old workhouse this fascinating museum illustrates the development of medical and surgical techniques.

For more information click here

Thermo-Nuclear Bomb

The United Kingdom developed a series of Atomic (A) bombs and Thermo-Nuclear (H) bombs, one of these now decommissioned H bombs was given to the Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington and is on public display.

For details of the Yorkshire Air Museum click here

Turbinia

Charles Parsons designed the modern steam turbine which is used in power stations and in a modified format is found in jet engines.  Parsons designed a boat to demonstrate its use in marine propulsion, this boat caused a sensation at the 1897 Spithead Review.  See Turbinia, which is now restored to her former glory, at the Discovery Museum in Newcastle.

For more information about the museum follow this link

Wainhouse Tower

Generally open only 6 days each year this 275 foot folly is accessible to the public to ascend the 403 steps to the viewing platform.

Further information can be found here Wainhouse Tower

York's Nuclear Bunker

During the Cold War a series of Royal Observer Corps 3 man bunkers were built, the nearest to us was at Gomersal.  In the 1960s a nuclear-blast-proof underground bunker was constructed as a monitoring post in Popeley Fields, one of over 1500 constructed in the UK. The ROC was stood down during the late 80s with the reduced threat of the Cold War and the bunkers were either abandoned, sold or given back to the land owners.  These were designed to feed information back to a Regional Bunker about, for example, the size and position of a nuclear bomb blast.  Our regional bunker is now in the ownership of English Heritage and can be visited, the visits last about two hours and need to be booked in advance.

More information can be found here  York Cold War Bunker