New Armley Research Guide

This week Josh Flint will discuss the new Local and Family History Research Guide on Armley. This Research Guide will be of great use to anyone with an interest in the history of Armley and how that history is represented in the Leeds Central Library Collection. This article will examine interesting images highlighted in this…

Birth, Marriage and Death Indexes – A Beginner’s Guide

As part of a series examining family history resources for beginners, librarian Helen Skilbeck takes an in-depth look at one of the most useful resources for beginning your family history research: birth, marriage and death index records. You can find more information in our research guide.  One of the main resources you will use when…

The Leeds Folk Festival

This week on the Secret Library we hear from Karen Downham, Library Officer at the Central Library. Although most music events are cancelled at the moment, Karen gives us a fascinating look back to an event that took place in the 1980s – explaining, along the way, how The Rolling Stones’ 1982 European Tour caused…

Top Tips for Family Trees

Starting your family tree can be a daunting prospect but before you leap into action using Ancestry, here are some things you can do with your family to get your research off to a good start.  Dig out as many documents as possible especially birth, marriage and death certificates. Each paper certificate will cost upwards…

Ancestry for all!

As part of a series examining family history resources for beginners, librarian Helen Skilbeck takes an in-depth look at using our core genealogy subscription website, Ancestry.com… So, what is Ancestry…. Ancestry is one of the main genealogical websites in the UK. It has records that can help you to create your family tree and includes the UK census…

The Story of Hey’s Brewery Women’s Football Team in 1921

This week on the Secret Library we hear from Josh Flint on the tumultuous year that Hey’s Brewery Women’s Football team had in 1921. 1921 was a fascinating year for Women’s Football and Hey’s Brewery Women’s Football team encapsulated this, as they spent most of the year playing in front of enormous crowds and ended…

The First Leeds Panto?

To mark the forthcoming Christmas week, Librarian Antony Ramm offers a short investigation into the first pantomime performed in Leeds… In 1986 a reader of the Yorkshire Evening Post asked a simple question: What “records” were consulted for this answer is not made clear, but a previous article on the history of pantomime in Leeds…

Fiftieth Anniversary of the Moon Landing Reminiscence Session

This week Local and Family History’s Josh Flint will discuss the Moon Landing Reminiscence event held at Horsforth Library to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the Moon Landing. This event was designed for people who could remember the Moon Landing in 1969 to share their stories with children. To inspire inter-generational discussion with the guests…