ST GEORGE'S DAY – HERITAGE DAY | 15
StGeorge's Day
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here were festivities, food and fun on the weekend of St George’s Day, April 22 and 23 2017. With support from Keighley Town Council, Bradford Council hosted a special three-day outdoor market on Low Street, outside the Market Hall, opening on Thursday April 20 and closing at the end of Saturday afternoon. Meanwhile, on the Saturday, Keighley Town Council provided free children’s and street entertainment at nearby Church Green. The weather was kind and many people enjoyed the day. The former Deputy Town Mayor of Keighley, Councillor Barry Thorne, opened the children’s and street entertainment on Church Green at 10am. Two large inflatables kept the children busy, while giant board games, face painting and a range of hot and cold food also proved popular, together with music from a medieval piper. On Sunday April 23, Keighley Scouts held its annual St George’s parade and service, attended by the former Town Mayor, Councillor Shabir Ahmed, who took the salute with the District Commissioner. The Town Council, working with Bradford Council, erected banners celebrating the scouting movement, which were displayed from the lamp columns on Cavendish Street. Banners featuring the cross of St George were similarly erected in North Street.
o mark Heritage Day 2017, two important public buildings, the Civic Centre on North Street and the Town Hall on Bow Street, were opened to residents and visitors by Keighley Town Council. The special openings on Saturday September 9 ran alongside other similar events in the town, including events at Cliffe Castle, East Riddlesden Hall and the museums of the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, which were all opened as part of the National Heritage Open Days. Keighley Library was also opened to host an exhibition all about the history of music in the town. During the morning, illustrated talks and guided tours were held in the Civic Centre, which was originally the town’s courthouse and “lock-up” and later expanded to include a superintendent’s house and police station. An insight into the development of policing in the town was provided by former police officer, Councillor Peter Corkindale, who conducted tours of the former cells complete with police equipment uniforms and other memorabilia. On the afternoon, visitors were also greeted by Town Mayor, Councillor Mohammed Nazam who welcomed residents into the Council Chamber at Keighley Town Hall. Visitors were able to appreciate the large collections of paintings and photographs of past majors and dignitaries which adorn the walls.
AUTUMN 2017 | KTCConnect