"I went to gaol a rebel, but I have come out a regular terror".

Just one of many unforgettable quotes from suffragette and house-builder, Laura Annie Willson.  In this episode we are joined by local historian, Anne Kirker, to discuss the life and times of this dynamic and inspiring woman.

In our first episode of 2023, Sarah and Gill discuss the life and work of  Henry Blackburn, Todmorden's long-suffering Nuisance Inspector.

But what exactly did his job entail?

Sarah has been delving into the library archives and has all the answers...

* If you'd like to find out about Halifax's first Sanitary Inspector, there will be a fascinating display at Halifax Central Library and Archives from the beginning of February.

Who was Buffalo Bill and how did he end up in Halifax?

Saddle up and join Gill and Sarah for a galloping, bullwhacking, sharpshooting ride through the life and times of one of the most famous showmen of the 19th century...

In this episode, History Out Loud has a chat with cartographer and author, Christopher Goddard, about his life as a map maker and his 'expeditions' over the moorlands and through the woods of West Yorkshire..

If you would like to learn more about Chris' work, please visit: https://christophergoddard.net/

In this episode we are joined by local historian, writer and a founding member of the Sowerby Bridge Rushbearing Revival, Garry Stringfellow. 

What is rushbearing? When did it begin? Why do remnants of the custom survive today? 

Garry has all the answers...

"...and then, if they love the truth, they must tell to each other what is truth or what they think is the truth; that is the sum of my offending."

How did Todmorden man, Sam Fielden, end up at the centre of the famous 1886 Haymarket Riot in Chicago? This month's guest, Sarah Browning, has been investigating...

Join us again for part two of the ever-morphing legend of Robin Hood. In this episode Paul Weatherhead and John Billingsley are back with Gill Carpenter to discuss documented hauntings and supernatural experiences at the grave on the Kirklees estate.

For further reading check out these two books:

- ‘Weird Calderdale – Strange and Horrible Local History’, by Paul Weatherhead.

- ‘Hood, Head and Hag – Further Folk Tales from Calderdale’, by John Billingsley.

Local folklorist, John Billingsley and 'Weird Historian' Paul Weatherhead make a welcome return to History Out Loud to discuss the legend of Robin Hood, his death at Kirklees Priory and the mysterious goings on thereafter... 

This will be a bumper two-parter - we had so much to say! 

*For further reading, check out these two books: 

- 'Hood Head and Hag - Further Folk Tales from Calderdale', by John Billingsley 

- 'Weird Calderdale - Strange and Horrible Local History', by Paul Weatherhead.