Borough gears up for VJ Day celebrations
Plus, more than 2,000 residents sign petition in protest at quality of bus services
Hello and welcome to The Calderdale Lead!
I hope you’ve all had a good start to your week and you’re either enjoying or surviving this latest heat wave we’re having.
With the kids on their summer school holiday, it really is providing a great opportunity to get outside and visit some of the borough’s brilliant parks.
I’ve been down to Centre Vale Park in Todmorden a couple of times this week with a friend’s dog me and my wife are looking after and it was heartening to see so many kids enjoying the fresh air and not being glued to their phones. (Gosh, I’ve just realised how old that makes me sound!)
The borough is gearing up to celebrate the 80th anniversary of VJ Day this weekend with a couple of fun events for all the family. Details below.
And residents have signed a petition in their thousands to protest at the state of bus services in the Upper Calder Valley which one councillor has described as ‘not acceptable’.
So, on with the news…
Residents invited to step back into 1940s to celebrate VJ Day anniversary
By Andrew Greaves
Residents across Calderdale are being urged to step back into the 1940s this weekend as the borough marks the 80th anniversary of VJ Day.
Calderdale Council is marking the anniversary, with local events to remember and show gratitude to those who served, and to celebrate and welcome peace.
Bankfield Museum in Halifax is hosting a celebration event for the whole family on Saturday, both in the museum and the surrounding Akroyd Park.
This will feature displays of military vehicles and equipment from the period and demonstrations by historical re-enactors. There will also be 1940s singers and swing dancing workshops, as well as stalls, food, entertainment and 1940s costume.
Visitors to the museum can explore its rich and diverse collections telling the story of Halifax and Calderdale. It also houses the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment Museum which tells the story of the local Regiment from its formation in 1702 until amalgamation into the Royal Yorkshire Regiment in 2006.
The regiment was heavily involved in the fighting in the Far East in World War II, with battalions from the regiment fighting in Burma (now Myanmar), including at the Battle of Sittang Bridge in 1942, where British forces suffered many losses. They continued to be involved in Burmese operations and in 1944 the regiment was part of British special forces unit, the Chindits, operating behind Japanese lines to disrupt communications and pave the way for the reconquest of Burma.
Many local people would have been involved in the Regiment’s operations and a special flag raising ceremony and two-minute silence will be held at Halifax Town Hall on Friday at midday, recognising the contributions of all those who were involved in the conflict in the Far East.
The VJ Day flag will fly both inside and outside the Town Hall and on Friday evening, Wainhouse Tower will join buildings across the country which are lighting up in honour of VJ Day.
he Mayor of Calderdale, Cllr Steven Leigh, said: “VJ Day marks 80 years since the devastating conflict, World War II, finally ended. Whilst celebrations were taking place in May 1945 for VE Day and the end of the war in Europe, many members of the British armed forces were still fighting in the Far East, enduring intense fighting in horrendous conditions in what is sometimes known as the ‘forgotten war’.
“We’re paying tribute to all those who fought in the conflict, many of whom would have been from the Calderdale area, serving in the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment.”
For more information about the VJ Day event at Bankfield Museum, click here.
Councillors urged to lobby Mayor on bus services as 2,000-plus sign petition
By John Greenwood
More than 2,000 people have signed a petition protesting the state of bus services in the upper Calder Valley.
And although West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin’s bus franchising plans aim to improve situations like this eventually, there are still issues related to it which need ironing out, say councillors.
Todmorden councillor Tyler Hanley and Calderdale councillor Jonathan Timbers promoted the petition which highlighted concerns about the erosion of bus services.
At a meeting of the full Calderdale Council, Coun Timbers ,said the situation was “disturbing” and not only in terms of the new timetables issued by operator First but other instances.
“It’s also that they don’t turn up, or they don’t go towards Todmorden from Halifax, they just stop at Hebden Bridge, stranding people who are trying to use the bus service through the valley and beyond,” he said.
Coun Timbers said there is another issue affecting the routes related to the upcoming franchising and that is whether or not these arrangements will apply to routes which go across boundaries.
These include services which go via Todmorden on to Rochdale and Burnley.
There was talk of permits for some routes rather than franchising but there was an uncertainty as to what this might mean, he said.
Coun Timbers urged senior councillors to raise the importance of this issue as part of a lot of work he said he knew they were undertaking and also ask for a briefing on permitting and franchising by West Yorkshire Combined Authority WYCA) transport officers for councillors.
This would enable issues like differences between permitting and franchising and the impact over control of routes, he said.
Cabinet member for Regeneration and Transport, Coun Sarah Courtney, said that a solution might be found to cross-border issues were still being worked on but she would happy to ask fro a wider briefing.
She said she has raised the issue of how it was going to work at WYCA’s transport committee with officers, other councillors and operator First and it was in progress.
“We’ve had assurances so far to say it should look fairly seamless with franchising services.
“It’s something I am very much asking about, it isn’t something I am prepared to let go.
“Because currently First Bus are letting the upper valley down in terms of the bus services and how people can use those services for health appointments, for work, for accessing education.
“It’s not an acceptable service,” said Coun Courtney.
An hourly service could not meaningfully be used by people to use for work, she said.
That’s it for this edition!
We’re really grateful for all the support for The Calderdale Lead and it’s heartening to see a big increase in readers over the last few weeks.
Don’t forget, you can get in touch with me at calderdale@thelead.uk with any tips, comments or observations.
Until the weekend edition, thanks for reading…
Andrew