Latest news with #Pennines
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
‘What Bradford needs a is a proper museum about the city' says Civic Society chair
NEWS that Forster Square is being served by an extra six LNER London services per day will hopefully bring an influx of new visitors to the city - while also making it easier for us Bradfordians to enjoy trips to our nation's great capital. But, after our southern thrill-seekers have meandered through our smart-looking historic streets, had a cup of tea using proper tap water, and enjoyed curry that makes a Brick Lane biryani taste like a limp cheese sandwich by comparison, where would they discover the story of Bradford? Because while we can boast an outstanding collection of Council museums and galleries, a world-famous national museum, and a peppering of fascinating independent sites, Bradford still doesn't have a proper city museum. Nowhere in the centre can you really discover how Bradford grew from a sleepy Pennine backwater to one of the great industrial capitals of the world. You can't see our civic treasures, or learn about our great characters, or discover our proud history of migration, social reform, and pioneering spirit. Nor is there a 'warts and all' bit that chronicles some of the city's darkest days, but times that we must none-the-less never forget or, more importantly, learn lessons from. Pull-up banners, hastily-converted shop units, or occasional glimpses inside City Hall's civic rooms simply won't cut it. We need a big old stone building, full to the brim with weird and wonderful things, where you can get lost on a rainy Sunday afternoon or spend far too much money on fridge magnets and stationery. It should be where children hear tales of the Bradford Boar and make Minecraft Little Germanys; where grown-ups exchange knowing glances at a Rita, Sue, and Bob Too original movie poster; and where the even older folk marvel at posh old shop signs and artefacts from decades gone by. A proper celebration of Bradfordia, past, present, and future. If this all sounds fanciful given the Council's well-documented financial challenges, the conditions are right to make it happen. It's believed that the city will, at some point soon, need a new museums and galleries store to replace its crumbling backroom sites. It has also been stated, as outlined in the much-trumpeted 10 year cultural strategy, that there should be a standalone site in the city centre to help tell the 'story of Bradford' - a vision that has yet to materialise despite being mid-way through the UK City of Culture year. Plans for a mini museum inside City Hall were scuppered when a deal with the National Rugby League Museum fell through, and besides, the grand old building is already busy with new municipal functions and the excellent Police Museum. It's also a matter of public record (no pun intended) that the West Yorkshire Archives and local studies centre needs a new Bradford home. Presumably that search comes with a bit of regional funding in place too. Aside from the need and desire for a new city centre museum, Bradford is increasingly adored by lots of national bodies with regular funding streams, such as Historic England, and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. With grand old sites like the Bradford Club on Piece Hall Yard, the striking terracotta Prudential building, and any number of ex bank buildings now up for grabs, the city's new Heritage Action Zone can comfortably host something with a fine civic and cultural function to keep the good people of this city entertained and enlightened. A proper city museum is an essential ingredient in any town looking to flex its municipal muscles. Leeds boldly created one in its main square; London is opening a new mega museum in 2026; and Liverpool has recently bagged £10m from the Government to build on its already excellent museums offer. Now is not the time for Bradford to be thinking small. Culture, heritage, and experiential activities are what are tempting people back to historic town centres, not retail, and with footfall rising in the city centre we need to be creating even more attractions that will see people returning in 2026, 2027, and years to come. The recent launch of our new website for Little Germany - thanks to the hard work of Impact Hub Yorkshire and other local partners - has shown that there is still such a strong appetite to make more of Bradford's history and heritage, and even more fascinating, there are still so many unanswered questions too. I hope that the upcoming changes and further reshaping of the city centre can provide an opportunity to satisfy that curiosity, and to create a new civic space for us all to take pride in, for us all to own, and for us all to contribute towards. That is the stuff proper cities are made of. * Si Cunningham is chair of Bradford Civic Society.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Latest images from major search operation after girl 'falls into reservoir' near Greater Manchester
Search and rescue teams have returned to a reservoir near Greater Manchester after a teenage girl 'fell into the water'. A major search operation has begun its second day at Baitings Dam, in the Pennines, this morning (May 29). Emergency services were first called out to the scene at around 1.17pm on Wednesday afternoon. READ MORE: LIVE: M66 queues and major road CLOSED as heavy rain causes flooding - latest updates READ MORE: 'An Uber driver dropped a cigarette in the street, then I got a letter that tore my family's life apart' Officers received reports that a girl had fallen into water at the reservoir, off Rochdale Road, between Littleborough and Ripponden. Underwater search teams joined police, firefighters and paramedics at the Yorkshire Water reservoir. West Yorkshire Police told the Manchester Evening News that searches remain ongoing this morning. The girl's age and name, and circumstances surrounding the incident, are yet to be revealed. New images from the scene this morning show multiple marine and underwater search unit vehicles parked by Baitings Dam. Search teams are working in difficult conditions, with heavy rain having battered the Pennines this morning. Two police search boats have been seen in attendance this morning. Officers and Yorkshire Water staff have been seen on foot in the area, while a cordon is in place. A car park next to the reservoir has been taped off by police this morning. In a previous statement issued by West Yorkshire Police on Wednesday, a force spokesperson said: "Shortly after 1.17pm this afternoon police were called to a report a girl had fallen into water at Baitings Dam near Ripponden. "Emergency services are currently on the scene, with searches ongoing to locate the girl." Firefighters from West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester attended the scene on Wednesday. Join the Manchester Evening News WhatsApp group HERE Yorkshire Ambulance Service also sent its Hazardous Area Response Team to the scene. Anyone who has any information which could assist ongoing searches is asked to contact Calderdale District Police online at or by calling 101, referencing police log 797 of Wednesday, May 28.
The Guardian
23-05-2025
- Climate
- The Guardian
Wildfire warning signs put up in Peak District as climate crisis increases threat
Wildfire warning signs normally seen in the parched Australian outback have been installed in the UK for the first time. In a stark illustration of the worsening impact of the climate emergency, signs have been put up in the Peak District and south Pennines, where there have been more than 30 moorland fires since March. It is part of efforts by rangers and volunteers to prevent discarded cigarettes, campfires and barbecues from sparking more fires during the prolonged warm and dry weather. Matt Scott-Campbell, of the Moors for the Future Partnership, said the aim was to inform the public about the growing risk of wildfires. 'These signs are normally used in countries that have lived with the risk of wildfire for generations. But now we are seeing the effects of climate change … this might be the beginning of us as a society really coming to terms with the fact that we need to modify our behaviours when we're accessing wild places.' He said the area between Sheffield and Manchester was facing a triple challenge of a warming climate, increasing visitor numbers and a budget reduction of about 50% in the past decade. 'We really want to encourage people to come and experience these amazing habitats, these ultra-high-value peatland ecosystems. But we need to be accessing them and enjoying them responsibly in ways that don't create fires,' Scott-Campbell said. For the past 20 years specialist teams have been working on the moors to try to manage and preserve the nature-rich peatland, blocking erosion gullies to increase water retention and cutting back heather to create a more diverse habitat. An initial inspection of the land after the recent spate of fires found that those areas that had been restored and protected had survived with less damage. Scott-Campbell said: 'Damaging fire events like those of recent weeks only increase the urgency with which we must act to restore and protect degraded blanket bog habitats in the face of a changing climate.' Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion Phil Mulligan, the chief executive of the Peak District national park, said healthy and restored uplands were already playing a vital role in efforts to tackle the climate emergency and he urged all visitors to be vigilant about fire risks. 'I cannot stress enough the need for care, responsibility and vigilance when visiting the countryside of our national parks,' he said. 'None of us want to play witness to the very picture-postcard views we cherish being lost to fire.'
The Guardian
13-05-2025
- The Guardian
Brontë country to become protected national nature reserve
The sweeping landscapes of the Pennines inspired the Brontë sisters, and now those lands are being protected as one of England's biggest nature reserves. A huge new national nature reserve, to be called the Bradford Pennine Gateway, is being announced by the government on Tuesday. It will give Bradford, one of Britain's largest and most nature-deprived cities, easier and more protected access to green space The Brontë family lived in nearby Haworth, and the surrounding hills and moors inspired the scenery for novels including Wuthering Heights. The 1,274-hectare (3,148-acre) reserve links eight nature sites within the Bradford and South Pennines region and other areas including Penistone Hill country park near Haworth. The reserve will also protect rare wildlife such as adders, curlew and golden plover. Approximately 90% of the area comprises UK priority habitats including peat bogs, heathlands and wetlands. Tony Juniper, the chair of Natural England, said: 'Reversing the historic declines in nature and moving toward ecological recovery requires bigger, better and more joined up areas for nature to thrive. The opening of this reserve is an important moment in this journey, marking a significant achievement in our efforts to protect and enhance the natural environment. 'By working with local partners providing accessible nature near to urban areas, we are fostering a deeper connection between communities and nature, promoting wellbeing and inspiring the next generation to support biodiversity recovery.' The government will work with the local council and other groups to raise awareness of the reserve in Bradford and organise visits to the area. Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion The councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, the executive member for regeneration, planning and transport at Bradford council, said: 'Around two-thirds of our district is rural, and we boast unique and breathtaking scenery. The creation of the Bradford Pennine Gateway national nature reserve ensures that these sites are protected and accessible for everyone in our district and beyond.' The government has recently faced criticism for tabling proposed legislation that would allow developers to build on green space without creating alternatives nearby. New nature areas, parks and community gardens created to offset the removal of green spaces to make way for housing developments may not even have to be in the same county under the planning and infrastructure bill.
BBC News
12-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Oldham: The view on immigration from a town transformed by it
It's fair to say Oldham is no stranger to has transformed the town, a place that has witnessed a faster than average population rise between the last two Censuses (2011 – 2021) and where almost one in five residents (17.8%) were born outside the what do the prime minister's words mean here, when he warned that without changes to cut migration, the UK was at risk of becoming an "island of strangers"?Yorkshire Street runs straight through the town centre, and it's here where we met John and them they've been repairing roads in Oldham for more than 50 years. They welcome the government's pledge to reduce migration."We're a bit overrun aren't we, with the NHS and everything," the younger John explains."You can't get doctors or dentist. And housing for young people, you can't get on the market."The reason he gives for struggling to access these services is simple: "There's just too many people."But he recognises the country depends on overseas labour - "the country needs it don't it" - says the older John."Where does the country go from here. In another 10, 15 years it's going to be a different place completely isn't it. "Concerns about the pace of change are not limited to those born and bred in this part of the Pennines. Hussein was born in Pakistan and moved here forty years ago. He now runs a thriving mobile phone shop at Tommyfield indoor tells the BBC he is so frustrated with rising immigration he voted for Brexit in 2016 and has since written to Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner about his concerns."We are already short of jobs," he tells us."If we are getting professionals from outside, what are you going to do about the professionals in this country? It means they're going to hurt the working class." Back on Yorkshire Street, we caught up with Michelle Delaney in the doorway of her charity, Project Pearl."This used to be a pub, that used to be a pub, that up there was a pub and it's now a takeaway place," she says, pointing to at least half a dozen chicken shops, plus the same number again of Eastern European mini marts and Middle Eastern-run Michelle is not worried about the post-Covid change on her high street. Her big concern is who will staff care homes and hospitals."What will we do if we haven't got the nurses, and the doctors, the carers and all the others to do the jobs that they do, like they did with my Mum and my husband when they were ill," she tells us. "How will we manage?" And it's that question causing deep concern at Pennine Social Care on Union Street. Directors Violet Gutu and Elliot Sparks simply do not know how they will explains that 99% of her work depends on "foreign workers." "We have tried local recruitment but we've failed in many cases," she says. From their brightly painted offices, this care provision agency and charity works in multiple areas to support those with disabilities and mental health crises – from providing support workers or carers, to throwing the doors open for training and creative their care, Elliot and Violet both say these vulnerable children and adults would be left to struggle almost completely alone."The effects could be quite catastrophic.""The rules change but the responsibilities don't," Elliot explained. "We rely on good staff, with good hearts, who've given up their lives, their families to come here and take care of our vulnerable people."Violet, who came to the UK herself from Zimbabwe over twenty years ago, became emotional when explaining how proud she is of her staff. "So long as you're an immigrant there's no appreciation for you whatsoever. There's always backlash."The challenge for the government is to address deep public concerns on immigration in the UK, without threatening public services.
