A WINDOW TO YOUR PAST
After the fantastic success of the last event, with an incredible 2235 visitors in just two 7hr days, l suppose it was more a question of not if but when would the next event be, l'm very pleased to inform everyone that the Ridings management team lead by Barbara Winston have once again made a shop unit available to us, starting on the 10th Mar 11am press launch by invitation only and the 12-13th March open to the public 9-30am to 4-30am each day, but please keep looking in the windows for items been displayed and information regarding the event, the shop unit in question is next to H Samuel,s as you enter from the Cathedral entrance.

The event will be run under the banner of A Window To Your Past, the theme will be Births including Christenings, Marriages and Deaths. or as some might suggest, Cradle to the Grave.

A Window To Your Past team and its invited partners will have local and knowledgeable experts available through out the event, so visitors can ask any question about the exhibits or their own family history, below is a list of all societies and groups who will be taking part and a brief description of what they will be displaying.

This time we will have the added attraction of a professional film company who will be making a documentary of the event, so if you have an interesting story, photographs or would like to attend the event in period costume eg from 1900 to 1940s please let me know, because if the film company think your story or costume is of interest, then they may well be interested in filming an interview. also a number of magazines will be carrying a full feature on the event in their February issues.

We will be displaying a large number of old family weddings photographs, plus photographs of Christenings, and memorials and churches etc. will form a continuous exhibition around most of the shop unit, to compliment and add further interest there will be lots of items of memorabilia.

One of the displays that will undoubtedly attract media attention, will be the story of a local couple who met before they were born? "correct" went to the same school together, got married and were the centre of a media story that attracted press coverage from all over the world, including ITN and Yorkshire Calendar, we now have the actual TV footage along with lots of photographs etc taken at the time, including the brides actual wedding dress, all will be displayed and shown on a screen at the event, this story will guarantee lots of press interest.

Wakefield & District Family History Society
At the last Window To Your Past event Wakefield & District Family History Society took as their theme the name of Sidebottom's hardware shop which used to stand in Marygate before the row of shops were demolished around 1900. Using parish registers, census returns, newspaper reports, wills, the IGI and monumental inscriptions we traced the family tree of the Sidebottom family and eventually found a living descendant. For the coming event in March we are using photographs and original documents to show aspects in the lives of the ancestors of some our members. For instance, in the 1950s the average bill for a cremation was £55 with a Government Death Grant of £30 paying more than half of the bill. Today the bill is likely to be £2000.

Wakefield Library Service
Wakefield Library Service will be participating in the event with a display entitled “From the cradle to the grave”. Using photographs taken from both library and private collections the display will portray local people from across the Wakefield District from babyhood through schooldays and work time and will feature biographies of those who gave their lives in the service of their country during the First and Second World Wars.

West Yorkshire Archive Service
West Yorkshire Archive Service will host a display and exhibition of originals to open up the collection it hold. come along and see a baptism, wedding and burial register and find out how you can find out about your family tree. using an example WYAS will trace the life of a local person and show how you can do the same.

Outwood Community Video
Reports of Accidents and disasters in Collieries in the Wakefield and District area, there will also be photographs of Memorials to various mining disasters.

Christine Ellis
A very well known historian and lecturer on old costumes will be displaying a collection of early wedding gowns, and will be available to answer questions throughout the event.

Victor Watson
Victor attended our last event as a Town Crier, this time he will be coming in his professional capacity as a Toast Master, a very interesting and colourful Gentleman.
Please visit our website for more info and updates.

email alan@a-window-to-your-past.com