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Category: PAST SPEAKERS – 2025

Members Meeting – 12th March, 2025

Halifax Zoo and Amusement Park

The guest speaker for the March meeting was Christine Leveridge who enthralled a well attended meeting at Elland Working Men’s Club.

Christine’s talk was based on the short but spectacular account of the Halifax Zoo and Amusement Park. The Zoo was located at Chevinedge, Siddal in the early 1900’s and now is a housing estate. Many of the old photographs of the area and zoo had been found on old postcards and were shown in the presentation. More recent photographs of the area had been taken by Christine and were shown as a comparison.

May 1909 saw the opening of the Zoo and Amusement Park with an estimated crowd of 40,000 people. The local tram service from Halifax carried many visitors to the Salterhebble stop where they disembarked. The King Cross Band played in the afternoon and there was a firework display in the evening.

The zoo had a wide range of animals on display including an African elephant, a Russian bear, a lioness, a pair of wolves, a hyena, a white Arabian camel, leopard, Russian and Artic foxes, ducks and geese, pygmy cattle and pelicans. Add to this list polar bears, monkeys, yaks, zebras and a baboon and the crowds of visitors were well catered for.

The cages that housed the animals were rather basic and cramped for space. Reports of visitors taunting or poking animals with sticks or umbrellas were quite regular. The escape of two bears from the zoo caused great attention.

One spectacular event brought in the crowds was performed by Captain Spencer. A huge balloon was inflated with 15,000  cubit feet of gas which would carry Captain Spencer into the sky. Once inflated the balloon was seen shooting up some 4,00 feet carrying its passenger seated below with his parachute. The Captain made a safe descent by parachute and was then driven back to a cheering crowd of 10,000 people.

Sadly the Zoo was closed in 1916 due to the increased cost of animal feed and falling numbers in these war time years. Many animals were sold off and items found there way to other parks.

Members Meeting 12th February 2025

Robina Hodgson – A Tudor Lady in Costume, Herbs and More

Nearly 50 members of the Society were pleased to welcome the return of Robina Hodgson.  At her last visit, Robina gave a talk on the Home Front.  This time, Robina came dressed in clothes which would have been worn by a typical middle class lady in the 16th century, typical of those that would have been worn by the family at places such as Shibden Hall.

Robina went on to describe, and to show, the various items of clothes a lady would have worn in the period and the laws which dictated which colours she could and could not wear.  No crimson or gold. No ermine or velvet. These were only allowed if you were of noble standing.

Robina continued to give details of the marriage and the duties of the lady of the household.   In Tudor times the legal age for marriage was 12 years for a girl and 14 years for a boy. Although they could legally be married at that age it was more likely that they were betrothed rather than married. Arranged marriages between families involved a dowry and were dealt with in a business like fashion.

A wife’s duty was to look after the house. She had to be capable of carrying out all duties that she would ask her household staff to carry out.

She was also expected to have children.  It was not unusual at the time for many women to have died whilst in childbirth. 25% of the children born were not expected to be expected to reach the age of 1.  There was still a significant mortality rate up to the age of 5.  The life expectancy of some one living at the time was 40 years of age.

Herbs were wildly used in Tudor times. It was not unusual for the household to be infested with fleas, vermin or other nasties. Herbs were used to try and eradicate the infestations and to also perfume the house.

Mattresses at the time were stuffed with straw. A welcome home for fleas.  Lavender and Woodruff were used to combat these.  What did they use to get rid of the mice and rats? A cat!  with maybe the help of a mousetrap or two, aniseed or arsenic.

Plates and cups were made of pewter with a lead base. It was accepted that a cup would be passed around. Water was not drunk but, instead, beer or ale.

Salt was a very important commodity.  The importance of a person was indicated by where they were positioned when sat at the table. Those of greater importance were sat closer to the master of the house and above the position of the salt on the table.

After the presentation members were invited to examine the items brought by Robina and to take a muslin cloth and a selection of herbs to make their own sachet/bouquet garni.

Members thoroughly enjoyed the evening. Hopefully Robina will return again sometime in the future.