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Nostalgia

The Queen at Ascot - her favourite horse race meeting

Facts and figures about the Queen's love of horse racing - and the Grand Nationa...

Roy Jenkins visited Birstall ahead of the 1983 General Election.

Nostalgia: Visit ahead of 1983 general election

Irvine Patnick after the 1992 election success

Retro: White togas and pitched battles for right to vote

Jamie Bennett with a letter from Buckingham Palace in 1981.

Nostalgia: Royal correspondence after wedding message

Flashback to 1947-48 and the packed house of happy faces at Dewsbury Town Hall as Eddie Waring brought his famous rugby show to his own home town for the first time.

Nostalgia with Margaret Watson: A home win for Eddie Waring

Rod Shimwell receives his BAC Golfing Trophy in 1983.

Nostalgia: Golf honour from the RAF

Janet Beard receives her Duke of Edinburgh Award in 1975.

Nostalgia: Gold standard from the Duke

Nostalgia: From the archives

Lynda Hardwick celebrates her 90th birthday.

Nostalgia: A landmark birthday

Mullen School of Theatre Dancers in 1990. Dewsbury Collegians concert.

NOSTALGIA: Mullen dance school steps out in style!

Ebenezer Methodist Church, Hanging Heaton, Christmas fair 1982

NOSTALGIA: Children come out for Christmas fair
Anyone remember this?

90th Birthday party for Mrs Buckley in Soothill Working Mens club, 1980.

NOSTALGIA: Hip hip hooray for Mrs Buckley!

Maureen Hall with her antique watch box.

NOSTALGIA: Batley’s finest antique fair

This picture taken at the bottom of Victoria Road, Springfield, Dewsbury, probably in the 1920s or 30s,is an important piece of social history. It shows the kind of houses built during the Industrial Revolution. The houses were demolished in the mid 1950s during the town's massive slum clearance programme.

Nostalgia with Margaret Watson: Streets of my childhood

A 1960s postcard of Heckmondwike.

Nostalgia: Heckmondwike by the sea!

Jack Crumak, who fought in World War One (back row, second from right). He is pictured with team mates of the Albion Hotel Football Club in 1918 when he returned from the war.

Nostalgia with Margaret Watson: Escaping war’s shadow

Ronnie Gibson with his vintage warplane in 1977.

Nostalgia: Ronnie takes to the skies

Eleanor Taylor marks 40 years of book-selling at Batley Market.

Nostalgia: Eleanor’s 40 bookish years!

Melinda Brooke celebrates after being named Regional Retailer of the Year in 1981.

Nostalgia: Award-winning Melinda makes a meal of it!

Nostalgia: Cricket players pose for team photo

Nostalgia: Tots brave snow for Soothill panto

Nostalgia: Top scout award for Karen

Nostalgia: From the archives

Firemen tackle a blaze at Colin Parkinson Limited Shoddy and Waste, Batley Carr, in 1995.

Nostalgia: Reader’s memories of factory fire in Batley Carr

Mirfield's Vale Cinema back in 1994.

Nostalgia: Memories of the Vale Cinema

ercy Jeeves, who was born in Earlsheaton. in his uniform. Picture from the Kelly Collection.

Nostalgia with Margaret Watson: Honouring unsung heroes

This photograph tells a story of the local carpet weaving industry. It was taken in 1973 when Heckmondwike Carpets celebrated their centenary. The name of those pictured are not known, but the young girl we believe was a designer or secretary at the firm.

Nostalgia with Margaret Watson: Images from a bygone era

The Duke and Queen of Batley at Staincliffe Manorfield School in 1984. (d123n021)

Nostalgia: Batley royals greet subjects!
How’s this for a right royal ceremony?

HISTORIC BUILDING Tom and Shirley Norbury who ran the park mansion cafe in Dewsbury's Crow Nest Park for 29 years. This picture was taken in 1991 as they prepared to close their business.

Nostalgia with Margaret Watson: Joyful mansion memories

Birstall Market, 1989.

Nostalgia: Happier times in the market

COMMEMORATIVE CLOCK Heckmondwike's clock was in need of repairs back in 1995.

Nostalgia: The time? Wait a minute...

HAPPY COUPLES This picture of a double wedding found its way into a large collection of photographs shared with us which have never been reclaimed by their owners.

Nostalgia with Margaret Watson: A sense of occasion

PAST LIFE Mirfield's former cinema and bingo hall back in 1994.

Nostalgia: Mirfield’s old bingo hall and cinema

TOWN CELEBRATION Do you remember why this large crowd gathered in Batley Market Place in 1994?

Nostalgia: Crowd gathers in centre

Spenborough swimming pool in 1993.

Nostalgia: Taking a dip at Spen baths

Ruddle Rhoda, pictured outside her home in Batley Carr, nursing her sister's child, also called Rhoda, whom she adopted when her mother died in childbirth.

Nostalgia with Margaret Watson: Strong-minded spinster Ruddle Rhoda was a genuin...

Mirfield town centre in 1992, with Black Bull pub in background. (d123n005)

Nostalgia: 1990s street scene

People sitting in Green Park, Heckmondwike, in 1991. (d123n002)

Nostalgia: Green Park in full bloom

Firemen tackle a blaze at Colin Parkinson Limited Shoddy and Waste, Batley Carr, in 1995.

Nostalgia: Firemen hose down smoking business

Soldiers from the Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry form a sombre guard of honour outside Dewsbury Cemetery for the burial of their comrade, Private John Myers, who was tragically killed in February 1915. The Reverend F.J.Martin (pictured), curate-in-charge of St Mary's Church, Savile Town, conducted the funeral service.

Nostalgia with Margaret Watson: Tragedy on British shores

SCHOOL DAYS This photograph is of Earlsheaton Infants School, and the name on the back is Bernard Normally.

Nostalgia with Margaret Watson: Help us with old photos

MUSICAL MEMORIES Junior school pupils performed with world class musicians from the Halle Orchestra.

Nostalgia: Dewsbury kids get musical

PADDLE POWER Players in the 1965 tournament at Ravensthorpe Youth Club.

Nostalgia: Ping-pong-a-riffic in Ravey!

This is how the bottom end of Wakefield Road used to look before road widening in 1960/1. The photograph was probably taken from a window in Dewsbury Town Hall just below.. In the foreground on the bottom right (where the Beverley sign can be seen) is the Forrester's Arms public house, and just behind are the storage buildings of the old Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway. In the background can be seen the spire of St Peter's Church, Earlsheaton, now demolished. The photographs are part of a collection taken by the old Dewsbury Borough Engineer's Department.

Nostalgia with Margaret Watson: Fantastic pictures of Wakefield Road from 1960s ...

LIFE LESSONS Rosemary Butler and Cheryl Saxton feed two-year-old Carol Guy.

Nostalgia: Feeding time in classroom
Pupils learned different things at school back in 1965 – a point perfectly illustrated by this picture from our archives.

Nostalgia: A fitting tribute to Stanley

Nostalgia: Get your skates on! The big freeze of ‘40

Churchill greeting crowds in Heckmondwike on his last visit to the area in 1945.

Tributes to Churchill - 50 years on

Nostalgia with Margaret Watson: Views roll back the years

The Batley youngsters went missing after a tiff.

NOSTALGIA: Runaways return after brothers’ tiff

NOSTALGIA: Low Moor church welcomes new vicar

New Year's Eve dance in Batley 1964/65.

NOSTALGIA: New Year’s Eve celebrations in Batley

PAST TIMES The first Ebenezer Chapel, built in 1814.

Nostalgia with Margaret Watson: Christmas spirit was alive and well at Ebenezer ...

STARRING ROLES Pupils who performed in Boothroyd's 1984 Nativity play.

Nostalgia: Boothroyd’s Christmas story

OUR WINNERS The victors in the Spenborough Guardian's 1984 whisky competition.

Nostalgia: Drinks on the Guardian!