Programme
IHS meetings will now be held at a new venue, St George’s Centre, 60 Great George Street, Leeds LS1 3DL, on Saturdays at 11:00 am unless otherwise indicated. Full details of how to find the venue can be found at https://stgeorgescentreleeds.org.uk/find-us. Visitors are always welcome; a £2 donation would be appreciated towards costs. Following our meetings, all are welcome to join us for lunch at the nearby hostelry, The Fox & Newt.
Wherever possible talks will be hybrid In-Person / Online.
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25 October 2025
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Jowett – the Yorkshire Car. Barbara Atack, the Jowett Car Club
Jowett Cars were made in Bradford between 1910 and 1954, the only Yorkshire car that was really successful. Benjamin & William Jowett formed the Jowett Motoring Manufacturing Company in 1901 to undertake general engineering work, and produced their first car by 1906. It was after World War II that production flourished with over 40,000 "Bradfords" and 24,000 "Javelins". The Jowett Car Club reached its centenary in centenary in 2023 and is the world's oldest one-make car club.
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29 November 2025
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Leeds Engineering - from the Great Exhibition to the Great War - and its Distinctive Diversity, 1850-1918. Andrew Kirk
The talk starts with Leeds's very particular response to the Great Exhibition, then details the rapid expansion of steam-driven engineering in the city. Andrew describes the main drivers of this expansion and its diverse spread of trades, examining the lack of reference to Leeds engineering in historical literature and its lack of celebration, even in Leeds. Finally, he describes, for the first time, the decisive influence that Leeds engineers had on national munitions policy at a critical point in British history.
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13 December 2025
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The Stockton & Darlington Railway at 200. Eric Branse-Instone (Historic England)
A whistle-stop tour down the 1825 main line of the Stockton & Darlington Railway, looking at what survives of this pioneering line, its many stories and myths. Eric will draw on his work reassessing the listings and scheduling as part of Historic England's Heritage Action Zone 2018-2023, which helped support preparations for this year's bicentenary celebrations. The talk will explore various aspects, such as the development of the railway station as a concept, how and why the S&DR proved to be so internationally influential, and the way in which pioneering development often works through learning from mistakes..
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24 January 2026
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Joint meeting with the Newcomen Society at Armley Mills Industrial Museum
Morning seminar with talks by Dr Michael Bailey on Leeds Locomotive Builders, and John McGoldrick on The Locomotives in the Museum Collection and The Refurbishment of the Galleries.
Buffet lunch (charge will apply) followed by an accompanied tour of the museum galleries. Booking will be essential - details to follow.
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28 February 2026
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Mining in the UK - a 6,000 Year History. Steve Denton, retired H.M. Chief Inspector of Mines
This presentation looks at the history of mining in the UK from around the start of the Neolithic period through to modern times, describing what drove the various 'mining revolutions' and looks at the mining techniques used to exploit various minerals - starting with flint and ending with the whole raft of things we mine today. It concludes with a look at where the future may lie. Our speaker spent most of his working life within the mining sector. He trained with the National Coal Board as a mining engineer and operations manager before joining HSE as a Mines Inspector, eventually becoming H.M. Chief Inspector of Mines. He is a Chartered Mining Engineer and a Fellow of the Institution of Materials, Metallurgy and Mining.
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28 March 2026
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Hidden Beneath our Feet: The Story of Sewerage in Leeds. David Sellers, retired Flood Risk Manager for Leeds City Council
The sewerage network beneath our feet is taken for granted as one of the pre-requisites of civilised life, being very much ‘out of site, out of mind’. Consequently, the history of our sewerage inheritance is hidden even more effectively than the sewers themselves. This illustrated talk brings to light some of its milestones – from the cholera epidemics of the 1830s to the environmental controversies of the present day. The talk is based on a recently updated and re-published book of the same title (1997 and 2023). Our speaker spent nearly 30 years as a Chartered Civil Engineer designing sewer systems for Leeds. His main interest is the history of astronomy, and he is the author of several books on this topic.
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25 April 2026
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Section AGM and Members Presentations
After a very short AGM, members are invited to share any knowledge of industrial history subjects. Please bring any digital images on a memory stick.
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During 2024-2025 these talks were given.
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19th October 2024
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Dr Phil Judkins - Wakefield’s Railways and their Associated Industries
The Wakefield area has one of the densest concentrations of railways in the UK, from early colliery railroads to 21st-century mainline stations. Of special interest are the industries which grew up around the various local stations, from mining to malt to rhubarb growing, and their changing relationships over time with the development of the railway system. Phil Judkins
talk will illustrate the variety of these industries and their rise, fall, and rebirth over the last 250 years.
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30 November 2024
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Eric Branse-Instone - Designating Industrial Heritage Sites for Historic England Listing
The speaker has spent the last 30 years assessing sites of all types and dates for national designation, principally Scheduled Monuments and Listed Buildings. Having previously worked as an industrial archaeologist, industrial heritage has been a particular speciality. His talk, illustrated by his casework, mainly from Yorkshire, will provide an insight into assessing industrial sites for statutory protection: how we decide what is of national importance or special interest, what sorts of things we look for and how we make our recommendations to government. He will also highlight the problems of older designations and explain how interested members of the public can help add to our collective knowledge of listed and scheduled sites, helping to protect them for future generations.
The speaker is Historic England's listing adviser for the North-East and Yorkshire Region.
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14 December 2024
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Eric Jackson - The History of the English Canals
This talk starts with the Industrial Revolution and the transportation system as it existed at that time, comparing the load-carrying capacities of different modes of transportation. It tells of the first commercial canal, the Bridgewater, the subsequent; Canal Mania; and the rapid growth of the canal system, focussing on the engineers and canal promoters, how the canals and their infrastructure were built, their operation, and how tolls were calculated and collected. Then with the coming of the railways, gradual decline, the closure of some canals with their take-over by the railway companies, nationalisation of the system after the Second World War and the beginnings of firstly the preservation, then later the restoration movements. A change in the attitude towards canals saw the growth of the leisure boat industry, with some notable restoration projects.
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25 January 2025
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John S Lee - Medieval Cloth Making in Yorkshire
This talk will examine the medieval cloth-making industry in Yorkshire. It will explore the different processes involved in making cloth. Several of these terms are still mentioned in everyday speech when we talk of being ‘dyed in the wool’ or ‘on tenterhooks’. It will also examine those working within the industry, including the weavers who are detailed in an inquisition of 1399 covering the county, and the clothiers who co-ordinated production and marketed the cloth, negotiating with merchants from London and occasionally overseas.
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22 February 2025
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Colin A Carbert - Bramham Moor Aerodrome and the Role of the Royal Flying Corps at the Base in World War I
An account of a little-known local facet of the 1st World War, an airfield which was established near Tadcaster as a home defence base and training installation. Our speaker has researched the subject thoroughly from the personal accounts and diaries of those who served there, to the inquests of those who were sadly lost.
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22 March 2025
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Dan Waterfall (CFA Archaeology) - Mining, Milling and Machinery: Archaeological Excavations at Logic Leeds, Sovereign Square, and Water Lane
This talk will cover three archaeological excavations which CFA Archaeology have carried out in the Leeds area in recent years: the remains of 19th/20th-century coal mine infrastructure at Nursery Pit on the city’s eastern fringe, a site located at Sovereign Street, behind Leeds railway station which identified part of the tail race of a water mill, and an excavation which uncovered part of the Midland Junction Foundry on Water Lane.
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26 April 2025
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Section AGM and Members Presentations
After a very short AGM, members are invited to share any knowledge of industrial history subjects.
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During 2023-2024 these talks were given.
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28th October 2023
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Ken Cothliff – A History of the Avro Aircraft Factory in Yeadon, 1941 to 1947.
In 1941 the largest single-span "shadow" factory of its time was opened to the north of Yeadon Aerodrome, its purpose to build aircraft for the Royal Air Force. Approximately 4,000 Avro Ansons were built there along with 700 Lancaster Bombers and Yorkshire Transports, plus spares.
Our speaker is an aviation historian, archivist for the Leeds-Bradford Airport and a key figure in organising a memorial to the Avro and Lancaster aircraft which were built there. He is also the author of “Yeadon Above the Rest”, which tells the story of the airport from its beginnings.
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25 November 2023
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John Clay – The Story of Mohair.
A brief outline of the origins of mohair and its processes, through to the production of a woven fabric.
Our speaker joined Black Dyke Mills Band aged 14 in 1958 and began his apprenticeship there a year later. He became the manager in charge of all operations: scouring, carding, combing, drawing, spinning, twisting and winding of mohair into yarn.
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9 December 2023
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Dave Hogg – A Day in the Life of a Yorkshire Miner.
A talk which will go through the typical working day of a coal miner in the modern era, explaining the workings of a modern coal mine and the techniques used.
Our speaker, a former underground worker at Sharlston Colliery, will also offer his account of the far-reaching 1984-85 strike.
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27 January 2024
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Derek Rayner – The Builders of Road Steam Engines in Leeds.
A look at the many types of products from the five major constructors, and others, along with the present-day commemorative items relating to them in the fine engineering city of Leeds and elsewhere.
Our speaker is the author of several books on steam traction and has a road engine of his own.
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24 February 2024
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Stephen Walker – An Industrial History of Goole in Old Picture Postcards.
Learn about the history of Goole Docks from their founding in 1826 to their current operations. If you want to know what a Tom Pudding is, what a Tannet Hoist does or what the tri-colour of buff, black and red signifies, then this talk will be of interest!
Our speaker is the Principal Conservation Officer for Hull City Council, an active member of the Goole Civic Society and the Goole First World War Research Grou
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23 March 2024
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Karen Adams – The History of Rowntrees.
This talk shows how Joseph Rowntree’s family progressed from a grocery business to establishing one of the best-known sweet manufacturing dynasties, and takes a look at the places around York connected with them.
Our speaker is a professional archaeologist, originally from York, who has excavated sites of many different periods from the Iron Age to the modern.
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20 April 2024
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Section AGM and Members Presentations
Following a concise AGM, members are encouraged to give short accounts of their industrial history interests or research, whether illustrated or not. Please let Jane or me know in advance if you wish to give a presentation so that we can arrange the programme.
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During 2022-2023 these talks were given.
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15 October 2022
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Stuart Hartley – What Made Yorkshire Great
This talk outlines the things that made Yorkshire great, people, events inventions etc, many that you will not associate with Yorkshire heritage. Many everyday items were made and developed in Yorkshire.
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26 November 2022
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Stephen Caunce – Feeding the UK: Agricultures’ Long Mechanisation
Agriculture goes back millennia, and has generally been perceived as having become imprisoned by in-built reluctance to adopt new technical opportunities. Against that, historians in the late 19th century began to talk of a British agricultural revolution which mirrored its industrial precursor, including a central place for steam power. The speaker will outline his research which suggests that in Britain most components of both approaches need to be questioned, down to the adoption of tractors after WW2.
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17 December 2022
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John Cruickshank – Spinning Through the West Riding
The West Riding woollen industry was a market leader in the textile industry, and a major exporter, long before the factory era and this talk will discuss the processes and technology of yarn production before industrialisation.
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28 January 2023
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Mike Clarke – The Craftsman and the Industrial Revolution
Please Note – This will be an online talk and we are exploring if it will be possible to show it at Swarthmore for members who wish to meet in-person
A review of European technical publications from around 1800 suggests that technical theory and mathematics were far more advanced on the continent than in Great Britain, yet the Industrial Revolution began here. This talk explores the reasons behind 18th-century technical development, the way the role of the craftsman was central to that development and why that role has changed, with the subsequent decline in the perceived importance of the craftsman. This research is based upon the speaker’s recent translation of the Austrian Sebastian Maillard’s 1817 book on canal building, and his current project translating Johann Hogrewe’s 1780 book on English canals.
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25 February 2023
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Mike Turpin – War on the Home Front; World War 1 - The Devil’s Porridge
In World War I Britain quickly started to run out of munitions. This talk looks at the increased production following the 1915 Munitions Act and the social implications that followed. The talk focuses on the 'Devil's Porridge' factory in Scotland and the Barnbow shell-filling facility here in Yorkshire.
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25 March 2023
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Brian Hull – The Garforth Mines and the Aberford Railway
The Gascoigne mines in Garforth were served through the nineteenth century by the railways or waggonways, later powered by steam engines. The Garforth mines utilised both the public railway and also the private line to Aberford. The talk outlines these but focuses on the massive disaster of 1873 which brought mining operations to a standstill and almost caused the closure of all the Gascoigne pits. Showing incredible ingenuity the engineer Mr Wormald saved the day!
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15 April 2023
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Section AGM and Members Presentations
If any member wishes to give a talk please let me know well in advance so that we can arrange the programme accordingly
Please note this meeting will start at 10.45am.
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During 2021-2022 these talks were given.
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23 October 2021
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Reservoir Railways - Visualising the Construction of Hebden Bridge’s Reservoirs (1870 - 1935). Dr Michael O’Grady Many miles of narrow gauge rail lines were laid, and later removed, in the construction of Widdop, Walshaw Dean and Gorple earth embankment reservoirs. The talk will explore historical and current digital methods for investigating the extent of these major works and rail line locations. It will show the upland countryside in a different light, one where hundreds of men would battle materials and weather for several years to provide us with our drinking water infrastructure. This image-rich talk will be a visual feast of old maps, satellite images, recently published LiDAR data and also show some 'then and now' photo comparisons.
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20 November 2021.
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Rosedale Railway for Iron and Steel Making in 19th Century Teesside and County Durham. Rob Shorland-Ball Ironstone was industrial gold in the 19th century, and rich deposits were found in Rosedale, North Yorkshire. It was worked there in several mines but the markets for it were on Teesside and across the Tees in County Durham. The Rosedale Railway, a standard-gauge mineral line, was built on either side of the dale to the mines, then down a steep rope-worked incline to Battersby and thence to Teesside. There are still extensive remains, illustrated in this talk, in Rosedale.
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18 December 2021
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Warships to Spaceships - The Life and Work of Sir Barnes Wallis. Chris Henderson (Trustee of the Barnes Wallis Foundation) Leaving school without any qualifications, Barnes Wallis pursued his ambition to be an engineer and went on to become one of Britain's greatest inventors. Known best for his invention and development of the 'bouncing bomb' used by 617 Squadron to attack the Ruhr dams, Barnes Wallis' career spanned over six decades working on warships, airships, aircraft, weapons and even a connection with the first manned spaceflight to the Moon.
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An online only meeting on 5 February 2022
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An Introduction to the Modern Military Archaeology of the North York Moors. Roger Thomas (Historic England) The beauty and emptiness of the North York Moors is highly deceptive. Apart from RAF Fylingdales Moor, few people appreciate that the area has any modern military history or archaeology to offer. The passage of time dictates that those with first-hand memories grow fewer by the day and knowledge is now passing into the domain of modern conflict archaeologists. The North York Moors were very much a militarised landscape in the Second World War, and to a lesser extent during the First World War, continuing to be so well into the early years of the Cold War. The demolition of the larger sites and the restoration of the landscape gives the impression that there is nothing much to find, but this couldn't be further from the truth; evidence of antiinvasion defences, gun batteries, artillery and bombing ranges, camp sites, anti-aircraft gun sites and depots, bombing decoys, radar and radio stations, etc. all lurk in the undergrowth waiting to be found, recorded, identified and interpreted.
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19 February 2022.
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Unfortunately Professor Richardson is unable to give his talk on Joseph Aspdin's Patent Portland Cement.
Jane Ellis has kindly offered to step in at short notice and speak on Around the UK in Classic Railway Posters. The railway poster evokes fond memories of "the golden age of rail travel" which was probably between the wars, though it had humble beginnings and evolved from the mid-1800s with the advancement of printing techniques and the use of colour. The classic poster as we know it declined with the post-war formation of British Railways. Many of the railway companies used the skills of well-known artists to create the images in their posters and were proud to be associated with them. We shall see the work of many different artists, using their own very individual styles, aimed not only at holidaymakers but also, surprisingly, at industrialists.
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19 March 2022
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Unfortunately the talk "An Interactive History of Coal Mining in Yorkshire" by Eddie Downes cannot now take place.
Instead Bill Jagger has stepped in at short notice and will speak on RH Greaves - A Man Who Built Bridges.
The USA was generally ahead of the UK in its use of reinforced concrete. The subject of the talk was a contract manager working for the major railway construction companies. He was involved a variety of contracts but his main responsibility was building reinforced concrete structures, mainly railway bridges. All were in the southeast of the USA. The archive from which the historic photographs are extracted is his record of the contracts he was involved in, plus some more general (often railway) images. His photographs also show some of the construction working practices of the day. The archive, and hence the talk, covers the period from 1914 to 1920. The talk includes modern images of some of the bridges and locations.
This talk will be in person only.
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23 April 2022
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Section AGM
Please note this meeting will start at 10.45am.
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