The Wakefield & District Family History AGM and ‘Wakefield Memories.’

On Saturday 3rd July 2021 the Society held its AGM. Once the formalities were completed members were treated to a slide show depicting scenes from Wakefield’s past. Chris Welch, our chairman, with permission from Mike Hooley of the Outwood Video Club, presented a series slides of photos, paintings and moving films with background music. The first series consisted of a number of photos of the streets in the city centre and suburbs from the Edwardian period. Some scenes appeared to have hardly changed others had disappeared or had been given modern facelift. Some members will recall The Six Chimneys where a modern store is now in its place on Kirkgate, the Technical and Art College on Wood Street and Bishop Garth off Westfield Road and now being developed into a new housing estate. Chris had the help of his son to provide background music with a solo singer giving a rendition of ‘I’m Yorkshire Man.’

The next film depicted scenes of street, parks and public buildings filmed in the 70s and 80s.  This was followed by a film on Wakefield’s 99 arches of the railway viaduct that cuts through the city. Finally, Joan Hackney, a member of the Outwood Video Club, provided a journey through ‘The Great Outwood.’ The film gave a potted history of the suburb to the north of the city centre with some location scenes around its park and busy scenes cut through by Leeds Road.

If anyone is interested in looking at more films provided by the Outwood Video Club then go online to: MrHooley21.

Our next meeting is on the 7th August when our guest speaker will be David Annal and ‘The Enumerator Strikes Back.’