Author: Barnsley Civic Trust

George Orwell’s stay in Barnsley: Blue Plaque and Talk

One of the most celebrated writers of the 20th century, George Orwell stayed in Barnsley in 1936. He wanted to see for himself the living conditions of working class people for his book ‘The Road To Wigan Pier’. He stayed at a house in Agnes Terrace, still there today.

A Blue Plaque commemorating George Orwell’s stay in Barnsley will be unveiled on Friday 26 April. The main event to mark the occasion is a talk at 1pm in the Miners’ Hall, Victoria Road, next door to the NUM building.

Edana Guest will give the talk about George Orwell’s time in Barnsley, his experiences and what he found out. Edana has written an article about George Orwell’s stay in Barnsley in the excellent ‘Memories of Barnsley’.

Her talk will be kindly hosted by the NUM in the magnificent Miners’ Hall in Victoria Road, Barnsley, next door to the NUM Offices. Do come along to this there is no need to book. Come for 1pm. No need to book.

The unveiling of the Blue Plaque will then take place later as a small event in Day Street at the end of Agnes Terrace.

It’s for invited guests in view of the traffic in the area and the space that is available. Safety has to be a consideration. See comment.

This event is being held in partnership with Barnsley Archives & Local Studies. We are pleased that members of the Orwell Society including Richard Blair, George Orwell’s son and Patron of the Society, and the Chair of the Orwell Society, Quentin Kopp, will be present.

Do come along to the tak at the Miners’ Hall at 1pm, there is no need to book. It’s open to everyone: booking for the talk is not necessary.

Our thanks to Edana Guest for all she has done to arrange this event.

The Rise and Fall of the Linen Industry in Barnsley’, the 2024 Bramah Lecture, given by Bill Gaunt.

Linen Weavers Cottages

Linen industry weavers’ cottages. Thanks to the Tasker Trust for the image.

In the period either side of 1800, Barnsley was the leading linen producer in England. This is the fascinating story of the linen industry in Barnsley and will cover the physical and cultural heritage of that bygone prosperity.

The 2024 Bramah Lecture is on Monday 8th April in the Learning Lab at Barnsley Town Hall, starting at 6.30pm. Use Barnsley Town Hall’s ‘Experience Barnsley’ entrance from Barnsley Pals Centenary Square. All welcome.

On this occasion there is a limit on numbers able to get in the room, so it’s essential to let us know if you intend to come. We can’t let people in beyond the capacity of the room!
Email allenparks22@hotmail.com to reserve a place.

The Bramah Lecture is an annual lecture commemorating the inventor, Joseph Bramah; it has taken place in Barnsley since 1999, sponsored by Barnsley Council. Barnsley Archives and Local Studies, Barnsley Civic Trust and South Yorkshire Industrial History Society are jointly organising this year’s lecture.

John Love


Barnsley Civic Trust has been very saddened by the death of its Chairman, John Love.

John was a hardworking and dedicated member of the Trust and was very fond of his home town.

He passed away peacefully on February 26th.

John has chaired the Trust since Covid times and helped to get it going again after it temporarily ceased to operate.

John had served on the Trust’s Executive Committee for many years before the pandemic and was responsible, among other things, for the success of its Blue Plaques scheme.

John Love (central) with the Blue Plaque to Joseph Bramah at Wentworth Castle.

john Love (centre), Chair Barnsley Civic Trust, with the Joseph Bramah Blue Plaque at Wentworth Castle

John will be much missed. He was active in many walks of life.

What was in the News about Barnsley in the 1800s?

A talk on ‘What was in the News about Barnsley in the 1800s’ by Josh Daniels. To be held in Barnsley Town Hall at 6.30pm on Thursday 21 March. Hear all about it!  Click on this post to tell us if you intend to attend.

Barnsley was flourishing in the 1800s —and the media knew the country had to be told of what was going on in this industrial powerhouse. This talk will go over some of the daily goings on and the major events that the press picked up on, ranging from tragedies, to successes, to places that are vastly different to where we know and love today.

Joshua Daniels is a historian, filmmaker, and heritage tour guide. Barnsley Civic Trust talks are held in partnership with Barnsley Archives and Local Studies Service and are open to all to attend. Tell us if you intend to come. 

Barnsley Canal presentation–Thursday 29 February

An illustrated presentation on ‘The fascinating story of The Barnsley Canal – its history and its route’ by Stephen Woodcock. To be held in the Barnsley Town Hall commencing at 6.30pm.

All our talks are held in partnership with Barnsley Archives and Local Studies Service and are free to all to attend. Non members of the trust will be particularly welcome . Booking is not necessary

Presentation by Ronnie Steele

‘Build It For Barry’, ‘A Blue Plaque For Brian Glover’ and ‘Norman Rimmington – Forever One Of Our Own’.

Barnsley Civic Trust is delighted to present a talk by local author, Ronnie Steele: Dramatic tales of Barry Hines, Brian Glover, and Norman Rimmington —and growing up in the 1960s! The talk will be held in the Council Chamber at Barnsley Town Hall, commencing at 6.30pm, on Thursday 25th January 2024.

Encouraged by author, Milly Johnson, and sculptor, Graham Ibbeson, Ronnie wrote stories about his heroes and published three highly acclaimed books containing 70 tales about growing up in Barnsley.

28 years a teacher in Barnsley, Ronnie seized the opportunity of honouring his favourite teachers, Barry Hines, author of Kes, and actor, Brian Glover who taught him at Longcar Central School during the 1960s, before they became famous. Norman Rimmington, of course, is a legendary figure of Barnsley FC.

Ronnie led projects for a statue in honour of Barry Hines, and a Barnsley Civic Trust Blue Plaque for Brian Glover.

We were pleased to see Barnsley Chronicle’s article about Ronnie’s talk …

The Development of Barnsley Town Centre, Thursday 30 November.

Kathy McArdle, Barnsley Council Service Director for Regeneration and Culture, is giving a talk on the development of Barnsley Town Centre. This will bring us right up to date with what has taken place and what the future may hold to keep the town centre vibrant with the pressures that it faces.

The presentation is in the Learning Lab of Experience Barnsley in the Town Hall with the kind cooperation of Barnsley Archives and Local Studies.
Please note the earlier start time and the venue: 
6.30pm, Barnsley Town Hall Learning Lab
Thursday 30 November: All welcome

History of Barnsley’s Trinity Players, Thursday 9 November

Barnsley Civic Trust had a fascinating talk on November 9th by Phil Johnson: The History of the Trinity Players. Founded in the 1930s, the Players are one of the oldest theatre groups in Yorkshire. They are based at the Trinity Church Hall, up from Summer Lane. Paul described their early history when they were called the Farrar Street Players, their popular local dialect plays and the time when they went ‘On the Move’ performing in many local venues.

Mining under Barnsley: NLS maps

One of the sources for Paul Darlow’s talk on Mining under Barnsley was the treasure trove of historic maps on the National Library of Scotland’s website, enlaced of course by Paul’s local knowledge and research.

Mining under Barnsley, a talk in the Miners’ Hall, Thursday 19 October

Paul Darlow giving a talk to a group in the Miners Hall

Paul Darlow gave a great talk on the fascinating history of the mining of coal under Barnsley Town Centre and the area around it. Paul Darlow is an Author, Historian, Curator and former Miner.

The talk was held in the NUM Miners’ Hall in Victoria Road, itself steeped in history and well worth a visit in its own right.

A Barnsley Civic Trust talk: Thursday 19 October, 7pm in the Miners’ Hall in Victoria Road, next door to the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) building. All welcome.