The One Hundred and Thirty-first Annual Report 2009

BHAS presidential badge of office The Council of the Society has pleasure in presenting its Annual Report for the year ended 31 May 2009. The first of the winter lectures took place on Wednesday 10 September 2008 and there followed a series of monthly meetings through to May 2009. The Annual General Meeting took place in the Central Library Bradford on Wednesday 8 October 2008, with the President Bob Duckett in the Chair. He welcomed those present and thanked officers and members of the Council for their work during the year. The meeting confirmed the Council's recommendation as to the appointment of officers for the year and similarly confirmed the reappointment of Maurice Smithies FCA, as Honorary Auditor. Astrid Hansen was confirmed as the President for 2009-11. At the end of the meeting Mr Duckett delivered his presidential address on "Bradford and the Brontës".

Lectures

The winter lectures were held in the Central Library, Bradford and the Council is grateful to its Lectures Secretary Betty Woodrow for her work in arranging the programme, welcoming the speakers and providing refreshments. Usually over twenty members attended. The practice of holding winter meetings in the mornings and summer meetings in the evenings was continued and worked well. Our Librarian, David Croft, was on hand to enable members to use the Society's library. The Central Library remains an excellent venue. The programme was as follows:

10 September 2008	The Measure of the Meat: Diet in Yorkshire Monasteries, by Eileen White
8 October 2008	AGM and Presidential Address: Bradford and the Brontës, by Bob Duckett
12 November 2008	Listed Buildings of the Bradford and Leeds Area, by Patrick Clarke
10 December 2008	Cruel Lives: Housing and Health in Victorian Britain, by John Brooke
14 January 2009	Bygone Yorkshire: Places and Buildings which Disappeared in the 1960s and 1970s, by Terry Sutton
11 February 2009	The National Trust on the Yorkshire Coast, by Trevor Moody
11 March 2009	Old Bradford in Pictures, by David Croft
8 April 2009	The Incomparable Mr Sharp: Bradford's Astronomer and Mathematician, by Astrid Hansen
13 May 2009	The Work of the English Country Potter: Mediaeval and Post-Mediaeval Ceramics, by John Hudson

Excursions

An excursion to Halifax took place during Sunday afternoon, 14 September 2008. It was led by David Nortcliffe of Calder Heritage Walks, and included a tour of the Town Hall as well as an extensive walk around many historic sites in the town centre. It was attended by twenty members and guests and two children. Mr Nortcliffe's exposition of Halifax history was very well received, and we are grateful to Angela Holmes for organising the visit.

A visit to Kirkstall Abbey, led by Eileen White, has been planned for Saturday afternoon, 22 August 2009. Details will be circulated to members.

Membership

The Society currently has 65 paid up members, including those in joint membership, and. 27 visitors were welcomed to our meetings. Ten new members joined the Society this year; two members resigned and seven did not pay their subscriptions. The council greatly regrets the deaths of Mr Fred Scott, Mr Maurice Colgan, and Mrs Marlene Roper, all regular attenders at our meetings.

The newsletter was discontinued and instead we agreed to promote events and provide information through the Society's website.

The Council thanks Mrs Angela Holmes for her work as Membership Secretary and Mrs Muriel Shackleton as lecture registrar.

Library

The Society's Library has seen a number of developments under the energetic Honorary Librarian, David Croft. He has undertaken a stock-taking of the books and has prepared a new subject catalogue, which is available to Society members. Concurrent with these developments were the identification and disposal of books and journals on non-Yorkshire subjects in order to reduce overcrowding and raise revenue. The former has allowed a more efficient service while the latter has enabled new stock to be purchased. We are, though, always grateful for donations. Work continues on dealing with glass negatives, transparencies and archive material. The issue of books has increased. Council wishes to thank the hard work put in by David.

The Bradford Antiquary

Issue number 12 of The Bradford Antiquary was published in October 2008, with a variety of interesting articles. Particularly notable was an extended critique of the new Oxford Dictionary of National Biography by James Ogden; this highlighted the Bradford celebrities the ODNB had omitted!

An innovation was the listing of the large number of other local history societies with a note of their activities. There were articles by members of three of these societies, and with Ilkley, Keighley and Burley-in-Wharfedale subjects featured, we hope that The Bradford Antiquary will continue to serve as a publishing outlet for serious research on the wider Bradford area.

We are pleased to report that an article by Dr Christine Alvin on Dr Bell and Anthrax published in the 2007 issue of The Bradford Antiquary featured in the April 2009 issue of the BBC magazine Who Do You Think You Are?

The Society wishes to thank Bob Duckett for his excellent work as Editor.

Website

The Website (www.bradfordhistorical.org.uk) continues to provide information about the Society to the world at large, with a number of enquiries received. A number of new features are planned including an index to The Bradford Antiquary. Members and users are invited to suggest further improvements.

Other Initiatives

On the initiative of Astrid Hansen, a plaque celebrating the Bradford astronomer and mathematician, Abraham Sharp, was produced and placed in the site of his home at Horton Hall, now the location of All Saints C of E Primary School. The Bishop of Bradford unveiled the plaque on 17th July 2009. Financial assistance was given by the Community Chest.

The Society supported a successful grant application for Lottery funding by the Friends of Buck Wood to investigate a possible pre-historic enclosure in the wood. The Society was represented at the local and family history fair organised by the Aldersgate Methodist Church and Low Moor Local History Group in April.

General

The Council expresses its thanks to all its officers who have ensured the smooth running of the Society during the year and to members for their continuing support. We all wish a speedy recovery to its Secretary, Angela Holmes, after illness.

We look forward to continuing our work to promote the history of Bradford.

On behalf of the Council,

BOB DUCKETT

Bradford, 20 July 2009

President