Flicking through a copy of the Halifax Courier of the 13th December 1913, as one does, my attention is captured by an advert from Greenwoods, the Halifax booksellers. It's partly the design of the advert - the illustration and the typeface in finest art nouveau style. It's partly the tag-line "Established 1890 - Therefore in … Continue reading Shelves Of Memories
Category: Random History
The Theatre Will Be Well Aired
Christmas is a time for good cheer, festive gatherings, and seasonal entertainment treats: and what better Christmas treat could you imagine than a concert by the Lancashire Bell Ringers! This is the prospect that was on offer to the citizens of Halifax back in 1843, when "lovers of music and novelty" were "earnestly solicited to … Continue reading The Theatre Will Be Well Aired
HALIFAX WAKES WEEK
Browsing through the Halifax Courier from 70 years ago you might be tempted to think that little has changed. The headlines deal with a possible train strike and worsening relations with Russia. Look inside, however, and you get a sudden reminder of how some things do change, because 70 years ago today it was the … Continue reading HALIFAX WAKES WEEK
History, Economics, And The Price Of A New Suit
This Halifax advert from 1922 proclaims “the pound buys more at Pinders this Spring!" Such words are unfamiliar to us living at a time when the pound buys less and less. But economics is a strange science - falling prices can be as bad as rising prices. My late, lamented Uncle Frank used to record … Continue reading History, Economics, And The Price Of A New Suit
Water Is Best
An article in the Illustrated London News of the 13th August 1859 reminds us of the gift of a water fountain to the people of Halifax by Joseph Thorp. The fountain was erected in People's Park, where it stands to this day. Whilst such a gift, two or three centuries earlier, might have been mainly … Continue reading Water Is Best
A Commercial Death
A strange coincidence brought together a photograph and a story. The photograph was one of my own, and was taken over fifty years ago, just a mile or so from where I now live. It shows Huddersfield Road as it emerges from the town of Brighouse and the junction with Aire Street and Lords Lane. … Continue reading A Commercial Death
On This Day : Clogs Fund For Halifax
CLOGS FUND FOR HALIFAX TO RELIEVE SERIOUS SITUATION Education Department To Administer You would shudder if you knew how many children in Halifax possess neither boots, nor clogs worthy the name of protection. The brightness of school is something that counts in many of these lives, but, however eager they are to go, their footwear … Continue reading On This Day : Clogs Fund For Halifax
On This Day : That’s Magic!
On this day 144 years ago, Dr Lynn and his Hindoo Jugglers were due to perform at Brighouse Town Hall. By the time the performance was due to start - they's mysteriously vanished. That's magic!
Expectation And Warning
All photographs capture time: old photographs capture history. This is a random image from my "Lost and Found" box - I know neither man nor dog, neither time nor place. There was a pencilled caption on the reverse of the tiny print which said "D and Louchs", but which is which I have no idea. … Continue reading Expectation And Warning
alanburnett.com 