Real Voices of Happy Valley

Nina Smith is very active. Chair of Yorkshire Rail Futures, founding member of Friends of Hebden Bridge Railway Station, active in campaigning for sustainable transport in the area. She is also a long time member of Calder Voices Choir and plays a lot of walking cricket and table tennis. Nina has edited a couple of books published by the Hebden Bridge Historical Society. Here Nina's focus is...

Sherel Rutherford and Dunc Foster love the valley and its natural resources. They forage natural ingredients for teas and wines and lead foraging and natural wine making events. There is more information on their website www.moonfull.co.uk

Dave chats with Ian Pepper who runs Technical Difficulties, an open mic night at the Puzzle Hall pub, Sowerby Bridge. Technical Difficulties is a home for experimental music, one of the few (though growing in number) in the West Yorkshire area. This is another example of someone in the valley who thought there was gap in music provision, so decided to fill it himself. You will hear a lot of chat,...

Viv and Dave talk to Pam Warhurst about her role as Chair of the Todmorden Book Festival. Pam explains why it is called a 'book' festival and why it is important for the town and reflects the cultural diversity of Todmorden. She also indicates how she'd like it to develop in the context of Todmorden's town plan. 

Beth is a young mother of two who is always busy and always seemingly optimistic. After having had to give up on the hospitality trade due to the pandemic - restaurants in Hebden Bridge and Hipperholme - she did care work, was a receptionist and retrained as a masseuse, running her own business in Todmorden. Meanwhile she raises money for Medical Aid for Palestinians in response to the horrors in...

Dave chats with Andrew Bibby, journalist and author of books on housing and worker co-ops, the Pennines and several crime novels set in Cumbria. Andre highlights the role played by people form the Calder valley in historical development of co-operatives  and they discuss how that radical history has influenced modern day life and culture in the valley

Dave chats to Pip Fowler about his music, his band the Sentimentalists and Music for the Many, a project which brings music education to schools in Todmorden. Music for the Many attempts to reduced the harm to music education caused by government cuts and addresses the benefits of music and the arts to individuals, communities and the economy.

Viv chats with Emily Watnick about u3a Todmorden, appearing on TV quiz shows and how a new Yorker ends up living in the Calder Valley. This series of podcasts highlights the people of Calder Valley, made famous by various TV shows as 'Happy Valley'. Real Voices of Happy Valley is based on the idea that everyone has an interesting story behind them - and that is certainly true of this val...

We continue a chat with Jack Straw. In this episode Jack tells of his adventurous move to Orkney and discusses the differences - and some similarities - in culture. Jack returns every month or two because despite his love of life on a very small island there are things about the valley that drag him back: family, friends, trees and hill walks among others. But life on a small island is fascinating...

Dave and Viv settle into their new home in Todmorden and Dave chats with Jack Straw. Jack lived in Sour Hall above Todmorden for many years. He was brought to the Calder Valley by his love of the countryside and music. Jack mentions several festivals he's worked at and a few of the musicians and other volunteers he's met. He encourages others to get involved

After a quarter of a century Viv ad Dave Boardman leave Hebden Bridge and move along the valley to Todmorden - a town on the border of Lancashire and Yorkshire. Only 4/5 miles but culturally it feel quite different, more 'down to earth'. The two towns have the usual local rivalry, each looking down at the other but they are both in the same quirky valley. For a flavour listen to this by...

Dave chats with Christopher Goddard about his maps and books - guides to walks in the Calder Valley, Yorkshire Moors and the English Coast. As Viv points out there are specific guides to walking in the footsteps of Anne Lister and the Cragg Vale Coiners too. Dave first encountered Chris as a DJ offering eclectic world music DJ sets at the Trades Club in Hebden Bridge... yet another fascinating cha...

Jill takes on the patriarchy via her gender politics, peace activism, and her relationship with the environment. She arrived in the Calder Valley in the 1980s, lived in a lesbian collective, spent time at Greenham Common and other peace camps and has her own perspective on women, women's rights and the patriarchy

Stephen May chats with Viv and Dave about his road to being a novelist, how he got to the Calder Valley, education and playing football in his 50s. 

This episode features Viv and Dave chatting with Liz Thorpe, former Mayor of Todmorden, volunteer at Cornholme Old Library Food Bank, Dementia Friendly Todmorden, Incredible Edible… Viv and Dave speak to Liz at home about how she got involved, how important the work in and how community minded the town of Todmorden has ben over the years

Viv chats with Chris Ratcliffe, a man ahead of his time. With Elain Connell Chris created Pennine Pens, published Jill Liddington's book on Anne Lister which informed the TV series Gentleman Jack, started possibly the world's first literary online forum on Sylvia Plath and created Hebweb an early community news website, which is still providing the opportunity for open discussion and deb...

Viv and Dave chat with Winston Plowes, environmental artists, surrealist poet, creative writer... AS much of Winston's work is outdoors that's where we met - on a narrow bridge at the top of Birchcliffe Woods in Hebden Bridge. The sounds of the outdoors are there: goats, winds, running water and people wandering past. Winston is a fascinating character, we could have spoken with him all...

Dave celebrated a birthday - moving from mid-sixties to mid-to-late-sixties during the Women's World Cup, so Viv talks to him about his lengthy experience of football at various ages, regionals and levels. Everyone is encouraged to play

High Hurst was a couple of fields from an old farm. The top field is now an allotment and the bottom field is very special. A project to protect it as a special heritage environmental site has attracted lots of volunteers with lots of enthusiasm. Here we speak to Neil Diment and Kerry McQuade, just two of those volunteers. It is yet another example of the fascinating things people get up to in the...

Dave chats to Colin Lyall of Lyall's Bookshop in Todmorden. Colin started the UFO meet at the Golden Lion pub six years ago. His interest is in mysterious events and how people cope with them. He also runs an excellent bookshop. Colin's enthusiasm is infectious and he's definitely a man you'd want to sit and listen to ...

Viv and Dave look at a small percentage of the arts available at the Open Studios Weekend in Hebden Bridge.  They chat with some of the artists, and get an idea of the wide ranges of arts available in the area. More information and some artists websites are available on their Facebook page Real Voices of Happy Valley. This series of podcasts give voice to some of the many people of Happy Valley an...

Viv talks to Pat Fairclough about starting a bookclub, which has been running for 17 years. Started, as many things are, in the Fox and Goose community pub, it is more than a bookclub as you will discover.  This may give you ideas about how to start and maintain your own bookclub. It is not the only one ...

This episode includes the voices of many of those who make Hebden Bridge Folk Roots Festival happen. From the 'money honeys' who sell tickets to the sound engineer, photographer, company secretary and volunteers - all essential roles. Find out about the variety of roles that often go unnoticed at a festival and the co-operative, community spirit that permeates small festivals and events....

During lockdown Roger spent a lot of time sitting at his kitchen table observing the wildlife - mostly birds - in his garden.  He set up his camera and his interest in photography, birds and community led to a series of calendars which helped raise money for local community projects - including food banks. Find out how covid (and not being invited to Boris Johnson's parties) provided the time...

Back from their travels Viv and Dave Boardman have started season 2 . Retitled Real Voices of Happy Valley this series will look at and look for the wide variety of interesting people and activities  in the Upper Calder Valley - the valley highlighted in TV series like "Happy Valley", "Last Tango in Halifax" and "Gallows Pole". This is the real Happy Valley and its co...