The 9th of September, 2025, marks the 150th anniversary of the completion of Wainhouse Tower; but who built it and why? History Out Loud regulars, Sarah and Gill, get together to discuss the facts, the fiction and the scurrilous gossip surrounding Halifax's most iconic landmark...

And now for something a bit different...

In this episode, History Out Loud has a chat with illustrator and author, Chris Mould, about his life growing up in West Yorkshire and the characters he has brought to life in books such as The Iron Man, Animal Farm and the graphic novel, War of the Worlds.

Chris currently has an exhibition of his work at Bankfield Museum, Halifax, running until the 30th of August 2025.

To find out more, please visit: https://museums.calderdale.gov.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/world-chris-mould/

In this episode, history enthusiast, Marlene Oliveira and History Out Loud's Gill put on their crampons and follow in the footsteps of famous diarist, Anne Lister, as she climbs Mont Perdu and The Vignemale, in the Pyrenees.

Unfortunately Gill did fall into a few pronunciation crevices, but she manged to make it to the top in once piece.

In this episode History Out Loud's Sarah takes over the presenter seat :) for a chat with Rob Kilner, from Calderdale Markets, about the history of market trading in Halifax.

This episode dovetails with the Halifax Borough Market 'Streets in the Sky' event, taking place in Central Library and Archives on the 12th of February. Though this event is fully booked, do drop in to the Local Studies department in Central Library to learn more about this spectacular borough market,

and visit the Calderdale Markets webpage :

https://new.calderdale.gov.uk/communities/calderdale-markets/market-halls/halifax

'Prepare to be amazed by the full street of terrace houses and old Victorian hotel above the market's roof!'

In this 'Christmas Special' episode, Sarah and Gill take a not too serious look back at some local Christmas news stories...

"A landscape is never properly settled until it is named and given stories".

Welcome back listeners for a bumper episode in which returning guest, John Billingsley, and Gill take a long ramble over the epic topic of Moorland...

Author, Paul Weatherhead, makes a welcome return to the podcast.

In this episode he sheds light on the historical legends, ghouls, hoaxes and headless phantoms that have beset the Calder Valley, and now haunt the pages of his popular book, 'Weird Calderdale'...

In this episode we chat with Sarah Browning, a member of the Friends of Christ Church Todmorden community group, about the history of Christ Church and their valiant work in uncovering and preserving forgotten graves.

Brambles, knot-weed, grave robbers and a trick cyclist are up for discussion...

Thornton village, the birthplace of the Brontës, is often overlooked with regard to its cultural and historical significance.

In this episode, we chat to local historian, Steve Stanworth, about how the family came to be living in Thornton, and the Brontë Birthplace Campaign's mission to preserve and celebrate this important part of history.

https://brontebirthplace.com/

It's 2024 and Sarah and Gill are back with another episode!

Join them as they explore the curious history of The Running Man of Halifax, and the infamous Halifax Gibbet...

(Note: we will be discussing execution by decapitation)