Heritage Day at Keighley Library

Visitors to Keighley can discover more about the town’s heritage at Keighley Library this coming weekend. The annual Heritage Day at Keighley Library will take place on Saturday, 9 September. There will be local, family, schools and military stands and this year the event will take on a musical theme reflecting Keighley’s musical heritage. People can meet local and family history groups including Keighley Local History Society, Keighley Family History Society, Men of Worth, Keighley Schools Heritage and Airedale and Haworth writers. At 11am there will be a special Rhymetime for children of all ages with guest presenters ‘Little Notes’.  The sing-along will feature woodwind instruments and fun and games. From 11am until 4pm there will be music from local musicians Foxes Faux, Dayner Sim and Niamh Mirfield and Keighley group The Presidents. There will be displays of Keighley’s musical heritage since the 1950s from the local studies library collections. At 1pm musician and historian Gary Cavanagh author of ‘Noise of the Valleys’ will give a talk with musical clips from the CD that accompanies the book. Coun Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Environment, Sport and Culture, said:  “People can drop in throughout the day and discover more about the heritage of the local area.” Admission to the event is free and everyone is welcome.

Pupils from 12 Bradford schools to take part in Schools’ Yorkshire Tour cycle relay

Around 72 children from 12 schools across the Bradford district are taking part in a cycling relay as part of national Bike Week. The Schools’ Yorkshire Tour relay sees pupils from primary schools in the district pass a baton over 35 miles of the 395km (245 miles) route. The event has been organised by the ten Yorkshire local authorities in partnership with Sustrans and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and supported by YPO. A baton is being passed by school children and young people from school to school and local authority to local authority along the route across Yorkshire. The event started in Sheffield on 12 June and has already passed through Barnsley, Wakefield, Doncaster, East Riding and York. It will pass through North Yorkshire, Leeds, Bradford and Calderdale before ultimately finishing in Leeds on Tuesday 27 June with a celebration event. The route will use cycle lanes and numerous off-road cycleways as much as possible. A number of famous landmarks will form the backdrop to the baton handovers, including in the Bradford district the original Woolpack Inn at Esholt made famous by the long running television programme Emmerdale, Salts Mill, Bingley’s Five Rise Locks and the iconic Haworth Main Street. Pupils from Bradford will take part in Stage 11 – Leeds to Bradford and Stage 12 – Bradford to Calderdale. Children from Baildon C of E Primary School will welcome the baton to the Bradford district at the famous Woolpack Inn in Esholt where they will receive it from pupils from Yeadon Primary School on Thursday 22 June at 2pm. The baton will be taken to Byron Primary School, Barkerend for pupils from the school to start Stage 12 on Friday 23. Stage 12 will start at 8.30am where pupils from Byron Primary School, will cycle down the Leeds Bradford Cycle Superhighway passing the baton to pupils from Rainbow Primary School, Bradford in City Park. The next stop will be the Canal Road Greenway where pupils from Sandal Primary School, Baildon will take the baton along the Greenway to Salts Mill before handing it to children from Wycliffe C of E Primary School, Shipley. The baton will then be taken along the Leeds Liverpool Canal and be passed to children from Riddlesden St Mary’s Primary School at Bingley’s Five Rise Locks. The pupils will then cycle along the canal to their school where they will be met by pupils from Eastwood Community School, Keighley, to hand the baton on. The baton will then go to Parkwood Primary School, Keighley, Worth Valley Primary School, Keighley and Oakworth Primary School before being taken to Haworth. In Haworth pupils from Haworth Primary School and Lees Primary School will take a tour of Haworth, including the children tackling the famous setts of Haworth Main Street. Coun Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Environment, Sport and Culture, said: “There is a real passion for cycling in Bradford district at the moment and I’m sure the children taking part in this event will have a great time, cycling with their friends and also meeting children from other schools.” Pupils from the schools taking part in the cycle relay have also been given the opportunity to take part in a Twitter slogan competition – the winners of which will be invited to attend a celebration event at Leeds Civic Hall on 27 June 2017. Thursday 22 at 2pm at The Woolpack Inn, Esholt, BD17 7QZ Pupils from Baildon C of E Primary School will receive the baton from pupils from Yeadon Primary School at the end of Stage 11. Friday 23 8.30am to 2pm 8.30am – Byron Primary School, Barkerend, Bradford, BD3 0AB Pupils from the school will start Stage 12 of the Schools’ Yorkshire Tour 9am – City Park, Bradford, BD1 1HY Pupils from Byron Primary School will hand the baton to pupils from Rainbow Primary School at the fountains in City Park. 9.30am – Gaisby Lane junction with Canal Road Greenway Pupils from Rainbow Primary School will hand the baton to pupils from Sandal Primary School 10am – Salts Mill on Leeds Liverpool Canal by Victoria Road bridge BD18 1AE Pupils from Sandal Primary School will hand the baton to pupils from Wycliffe C of E Primary School 10.30am Five Rise Locks in Bingley, Beck Lane Bingley BD16 4DS Pupils from Wycliffe C of E Primary School will hand the baton to pupils from Riddlesden St Mary’s School at the top of Five Rise Locks 11am Riddlesden St Mary’s Primary School, Riddlesden, BD20 5AB Pupils from Riddlesden St Mary’s Primary School will hand the baton to pupils from Eastwood Primary School. 12.15pm Parkwood Primary School, Keighley, BD21 4QH Pupils from Eastwood Primary school will hand the baton over to pupils at Parkwood Primary School 12.45pm Worth Valley Primary School, Keighley, BD22 7AX Pupils from Parkwood Primary School will hand over the baton to pupils at Worth Valley Primary School 1.30pm Oakworth Primary School, Oakworth, BD22 7HX Pupils from Worth Valley Primary School will hand over the baton to pupils at Oakworth Primary School 2pm Haworth Primary School, Haworth, BD22 8DW Pupils from Oakworth Primary School will hand over the baton at Haworth Primary School. Pupils from Lees Primary School, Cross Roads and Haworth Primary School will cycle round Haworth including tackling Haworth Main Street.

Creating a Love for Reading

Reading is essential for learning and development but with the distractions of PlayStations, Xboxs, iPads, toys, TV and peer pressure, it doesn’t always get the attention it deserves. Helping your child enjoy reading is one of the most important things you can do as a parent and it’s well worth the investment of your time and energy. 

Children will learn reading skills in school, but often they come to associate reading with work, not pleasure. As a result, they lose their desire to read. And it is that desire – the curiosity and interest – that is the cornerstone to using reading and related skills successfully.

By far the most effective way to encourage your child to love books and reading is
to read aloud to them and the earlier you start, the better. Even a baby of a few months can see pictures, listen to your voice, and turn cardboard pages. Make this time together a special time when you and your child share the pleasure of a story without the distractions of TV or telephones.

You may be surprised to find that a well-written children’s book is often as big a delight to you as it is to the children. And don’t stop taking the time to read aloud once your child has learned to read for themselves. At this stage, encourage your child to read to you some of the time. This shared enjoyment will continue to strengthen your children’s interest and appreciation.

While your child is very small, it’s a good idea to start a home library for him/her, even if it’s just a shelf or two. Be sure to keep some books for little children to handle freely. How you handle books will eventually influence how your children treat them. Children imitate, so if they see that you enjoy reading and treat books gently and with respect, it is likely that they will do the same.

Why reading matters
Much research has been published to support the argument that reading to your child has many benefits for their personal, educational and social development. Here are the five key reasons why reading to your child matters, as outlined by the National Literacy Trust.

• You’ll be helping your child to succeed. Research evidence shows that your involvement in your child’s reading and learning is more important than anything else in helping them to fulfil their potential.
• You’ll be supporting your child’s language and understanding because books contain new words and concepts.
• Books support parent-child bonding in a fun, relaxed way.
• Readers are more confident and as they grow this confidence will mean they have access to greater job opportunities.
• The love of books lasts a lifetime. If children enjoy books from an early age they are likely to continue to enjoy them as they grow up, providing them with a wonderful source of pleasure and escapism.

Fiona Binns, Editor of Bradford Parents On The Go, talks about her experience of reading and her love for books.

A love for reading begins at home

I remember my mum and dad reading endless fairy tales and stories to me as a child. As a five year old I remember them reading the classics like Cinderella, Rapunzel and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs with me.

As I got older I remember lying in my bed looking at my beautiful old wardrobe wishing desperately that I too could disappear to meet my favourite characters from ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’.

I remember ‘The Famous Five’, the four children, Julian, George, Dick and Anne with their mongrel dog Timmy who together solved mysteries and became tangled up with smugglers and other criminals!

Then the schoolgirls of Malory Towers – Darrell Rivers and her friends Alicia, Betty and Sally. The girls’ boarding school located in picturesque surroundings by the sea in Cornwall.

And finally ‘The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾’ – I not only wept at how screamingly funny it was, I was touched too and moved by its content.

My own worn-out and scribbled in copies of all the above books would have to be some of my most treasured possessions… my own children think they are old and grotty but I know they will one day feel the same way about their current favourites ‘The Gruffalo’, ‘Gangsta Granny’ and ‘The Twits’.

Spring Bank Holidays Minecraft Meet

Are you looking for a fun activity to keep your primary age pupils entertained during the Spring Bank holidays?

The Curriculum Innovation team are running 4 Minecraft meets on Wed 31 May & Thu 1 June at The Innovation Centre, in Bradford

The sessions are aimed at 6 to 11 year olds and are £9.50 per child.

We will be delivering two exciting activities….

The first is a treasure hunt – will you be the first to find all 10 hidden quest objects and win the game?

In the second we will teach you how to program a robot in Minecraft and then use it to compete in a mega obstacle course race!

As a memento of the day you will be given a free photo of you in a Minecraft world to take away with you and a special souvenir. You do not need to bring any equipment along – all resources and laptops will be provided.

There is no need for parents/guardians to stay – all our staff are DBS registered and the sessions are led by experienced classroom practitioners, but if you feel more comfortable remaining on the premises we have a space where you can wait.

 

The meets are being held on Wednesday 31st May and Thursday 1st June and are repeated four times with the same session on Wednesday morning, Wednesday afternoon, Thursday morning and Thursday afternoon.

Please use the ‘Select a different date’ option on the right hand menu to select the date and time you would like to attend.

If your child is a Minecraft enthusiast then this will represent the ideal activity for the half term.

To book your place please click here.

Annual School Football Festival kicks off

One of the biggest school football festivals in the country takes place this week as almost a thousand youngsters from across the district take to the field.

The Bradford District Schools 5 v 5 Football Festival celebrates its 20th anniversary this year at the start of a big week for football in the district.

The tournament kicks off today at Keighley’s Marley Activities and Coaching Centre.

There will be 120 teams of boys and girls between the ages of eight and 14 taking part in the festival.

The event, organised by Bradford Council’s Sport & Culture Service is for the first time supported by Bradford based Square Apple Café.

Bradford Council’s assistant director of sport and culture Phil Barker said: “Primary and secondary school pupils from all over the district will be taking part in this five-a-side festival and I hope friends and relatives will go along and give them some support.

“It is important that young people are provided with enjoyable opportunities to take part in physical activity and sport.

“It is a big sporting week with Bradford City going for promotion on Saturday in the league one play off final against Millwall. We hope everyone at the five-a-side festival can take inspiration from the Bantams and give it their all.”

All members of the winning and runner-up squads in each of the six age groups ( from under nines up to under 14s) will receive a leather football and commemorative t-shirt respectively. Every participant at the event will also receive an attendance certificate.

Take the kids to Wonderlab at the National Science and Media Museum

Can you hear the vibration?

The new, state-of-the-art interactive gallery at the National Science and Media Museum is now open and invites children to become scientists through the interactive exhibits featuring the science behind light, sound and images.

With more than 20 mind-blowing attractions, Wonderlab is a wonderful place to take the kids!

The gallery features a massive mirror maze, a 15m echo tube and a musical laser tunnel, as well as the world’s first permanent 3D-printed zoetrope.

Children can turn their entire body into a corkscrew on a giant screen, take a selfie showing their face through a drop of water and shout and scream into a colossal echo tube the length of an articulated lorry!

Throughout your visit there are live experiments taking place, extraordinary experiences allowing visitors to explore the stunning science of light and sound.

Entry to Wonderlab is free but it is recommended that families book in advance through the website: www.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/wonderlab

The museum has also confirmed it will host the Soyuz TMA-19M spacecraft that carried Major Tim Peake to the International Space Station and back to earth.

Visitors will be able to see it in September when it travels outside London for the first time since it was acquired by the Science Museum Group last year.

Easter Holidays Minecraft Meet

Are you looking for a fun activity to keep your primary age pupils entertained during the Easter holidays?

The Curriculum Innovation team are running 4 Minecraft meets on Thursday, 20 April  & Friday, 21 April at The Innovation Centre Bradford.

The sessions are aimed at 6 to 11 year olds and are £8 per child.

We will use Minecraft EDU on laptops to run two activities in each session. In activity one we will travel to the Star Wars Universe. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to fly a TIE Fighter or to visit the Ewoks on Endor?  Activity two will be a Minecraft Building Challenge where you will have the opportunity to work on your own or as a team under the expert guidance of one of our Minecraft enthusiasts.

As a momento of the day you will be given a free photo of you in a Minecraft world to take away with you. You do not need to bring any equipment along – all resources and laptops will be provided.  There is no need for parents/guardians to stay – all our staff are DBS registered and the sessions are led by experienced classroom practitioners, but if you feel more comfortable remaining on the premises we have a space where you can wait.

If your child is a Minecraft enthusiast then this will represent the ideal activity for the half term.

To book your place please click here.

Note – please use the ‘Select a different date’ option on the right hand menu to select the date and time you would like to attend.

Take the children to the Splendours of the Subcontinent Exhibition at Cartwright Hall

In October 1875, the Prince of Wales set off on a four month tour of India and neighbouring countries.

An exhibition developed in collaboration with the Royal Collection Trust and our Bradford Museums and Galleries service is currently underway at Cartwright Hall.

‘Splendours of the Subcontinent’ tells the story of this grand tour through some of the finest Indian works of art that were presented to the Prince during his visit.

A golden opportunity to feast your eyes on some of the spectacular treasures showered on the Prince of Wales, later Edward VII, during his 10,000 mile odyssey to the Indian sub-continent in 1875-6.

For the family there is an Animal Crackers Family Trail whereby you have to look out for some fantastic objects and see how many animals you can find!

There are some fabulous clothes available to dress-up in and take photographs of your children in.  Please email any photographs of your children dressed up to fiona.binns@bradford.gov.uk

 

 

 

The exhibition runs until 18 June.

Free arts and entertainment to be held in city centre

A series of free events is coming to Bradford city centre this spring, including parades, talent shows and live entertainment.

The Creative Streets programme features colourful costumed parades, a quirky talent quest, an innovative indoor ‘art and performance park’ and an entertaining and interactive treasure hunt.

Bradford city centre will come alive with Bhangra, Bollywood and African drumming dance acts, cycling activities and a range of creative costume-making workshops.

Bradford’s cutting edge arts company, The Brick Box, will stage a follow-up production of their highly successful, Wild Woods ‘indoor woodland’ and performance space.

The Wild Woods in Bloom will put the spring back into Darley St and celebrate the new season with colourful and interactive installations, live performances from a host of exciting local talent, amazing workshops, family fun and games, and delicious food.

Local master mask and puppet makers, Cecil Green Arts whose workshop was destroyed in the Drummond Mill fire, will run a flamboyant Puppet Parade featuring huge colourful papier mâché pieces created by local people at special workshops.

The vibrant Puppet Parade will celebrate everything about Bradford and be accompanied by local musicians from Punjabi Roots Academy and Moseke Music.

There will be opportunities for budding cyclists to take part in Spring Flower and Shamrock Cycle Parades, and special workshops will be held to help people make costumes and decorate their bikes.

There will be chances for people to try out a range of ingenious and innovative adaptive bikes designed to cater for all ages and abilities and compete in various Tour de Yorkshire inspired activities at Bradford Capital of Cycling.

Shipley-based arts company, Q20, is teaching local school children costume design and construction, and street theatre skills so they can perform at a colourful Pirate Parade, complete with a mobile galleon.

Hundreds of young recruits will join local artists, John and Charlotte Lambert and Scott Vipond-Clarke, to rampage through Bradford city centre’s streets showing off their newly acquired buccaneering skills at a Pirate Parade.

The Pirate Pirade finishes with a swashbuckling picnic at Oaster Square.

Q20 will also stage a quirky talent quest, Top of Town’s Got Talent on 1 April.

Local people are being encouraged to ‘make an April fool of themselves’ by showcasing their special talents which could include anything from acrobatics, poetry, plate spinning, clog dancing to ear wiggling.

The fun continues with the April Fools’ Wacky Cycle Challenges where families can try out a range of unusual bicycles including reverse bikes which go backwards when you pedal forwards, tiny ‘monkey bikes’, tall ‘over-sized’ and companion bikes.

People can also try hand-cranked and recumbent cycle challenges.

Families will enjoy an interactive and dramatized treasure hunt where they will meet some larger than life characters, performed by Bradford Adept artists, Shanaz Gulzar and Steve Manthorp.

Participants of the In for a Penny Treasure Hunt will solve a series of clues to win a specially minted ‘Yorkshire Penny’ which can be kept or exchanged for discounts in selected  Bradford stores.

Lovers of Bollywood and Bhangra will enjoy an explosive performance from Bradford’s South Asian arts school, Punjabi Roots Academy in Balle!! Balle!

Punjabi Roots Academy will stage, The B3ats, a pioneering fusion music event featuring eastern and western instruments and a professional DJ.

The Academy will also run drumming workshops along with African drummer, Moses Ekebuisi.

Creative Streets runs from 11 March to 30 April in the ‘top of town’ area of Bradford including Darley Street, North Parade, Kirkgate Market and Oastler Market.

All events and workshops are free of charge.

Coun Alex Ross-Shaw, Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said: “Creative Streets will be lots of fun and we’re inviting everyone to come into Bradford to enjoy the free workshops and entertainment.

“This project is part of our on-going support designed to attract more people into the ‘top of town’ area of Bradford city centre and support the businesses in that area.”

For further information visit: www.facebook.com/CreativeStreetsBd

 

 

Opportunities for children to get active over the February half-term

Children across the Bradford district are invited to try out some new sports, reignite an interest in more traditionally popular sports or bust some moves dance at classes over the February half-term holidays.

Bradford Council’s sport and leisure service is organising the Base Camps and Dance Camps which are the ideal way to keep youngsters occupied during the school break.

The Base Camps offer the opportunity for children aged 5 to 13 to try out activities like trampolining, dodge ball and volleyball as well as have a go at more popular sports such as football, cricket, basketball and athletics.

The camps will take place at Zara Sports Centre Heaton from Monday 20 to Friday 24 February and at Richard Dunn Sports Centre from Tuesday 21 to Thursday 23.

The sessions run from 9am to 3.30pm and kids will need to bring suitable kit with trainers and a packed lunch with drinks.

Children can attend the full five day or three day camps or can just do individual days.

The five day camp cost £56 for the first child and £42 for additional children. The three day camp costs £34 per child £26 for additional children and day sessions cost £14 a child. Bradford Leisure cardholders (formerly Passport to Leisure) can take part in day sessions for £11.

The Dance Camps are being led by Dance for Life and include street dance, break dance and musical theatre. On the final day of Dance Camp the youngsters will hold a performance to show off their newly acquired skills.

The Dance camps will be at Zara Sports Centre Heaton from Monday 20 to Friday 24 February from 10am – 3.00pm. Children can attend the full five day or can just do individual days.

The five day camp costs £50 for the first child and £38 for additional children and day sessions cost £12. Bradford Leisure cardholders (formerly Passport to Leisure) can take part in day sessions for £9.

Coun Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Environment, Sport and Sustainability, said: “Our Base Camps and Dance Camps are always very popular and are a great way for youngsters to try things, improve their skills and make new friends in a safe and enjoyable environment. I’m sure they will have lots of fun.”

Places are limited so booking is essential. People can book online at www.bradford.gov.uk/sport or telephone Bradford Council’s Community Sports and Activities Development Unit on 01274 522750 or email sportsunit@bradford.gov.uk
 

Feb half term Dance Camp information