A Lady of Letters
One is a rural village in Barnsley known for its stage of rolling green countryside on which stands a stately home and folly castle; the other a remotely romantic Italian lakeside town flanked by the amphitheatre-style Adamello mountain. Poles apart in characteristics and distance. Yet banded together in a shared admiration for one very influential woman whose life story was preserved in the many letters she famously wrote. For Stainborough in Barnsley and Lovere in the Lombardy province of Italy both bear monuments...
Mail and Female
For centuries, Britain’s postal service has connected companies and customers, families and friends; spreading word far and wide from remote and rural corners to bustling towns and cities. The Post Office has become a trusted friend for communities to rely on, its workers always going that extra mile to make...
Wentworth Woodhouse’s Wishlist
Here you are, minding your own business watching the TV with the heating on full blast and the tumble dryer going, when an envelope from your energy supplier drops through the letter box. The winter months have cost you dearly; next year’s bill will be going up – again… The...
Ladies of the Manor
It’s been the domestic dwelling of many Members of Parliament, a couple of Prime Ministers and even a former Lord Mayor of Sheffield. But amidst the aristocratic wealth predominantly associated with the UK’s largest private residence, the rooms within Wentworth Woodhouse were also once the not-so-humble abode of hundreds of...
Recall the Midwife
Common Threads: Characters that framed the villages Women whose calming presence, words of encouragement and even the simple offer of tea and toast will be remembered long after the pain has been forgotten by the exhausted new mothers they helped to make. To tie in with her Common Threads project,...
Barnsley’s fortress flourishes again
Wentworth Castle Gardens, one of our county’s greatest 18th century estates and the only grade I listed park and gardens within South Yorkshire, has officially re-opened. Originally created for the privileged few, the glorious gardens, woodland and parkland are now preserved for all to enjoy. The spectacular estate was closed...
Long Live the Queen
The ‘Queen of Villages’ will reclaim her throne when an ambitious project returns her neglected hall to its palatial former glory.
Ringing in the New
A vision to breathe new life into a parish church and create a community hub fit for the 21st century is gradually taking shape in Wortley where a chapel in the village can be traced back as far as medieval times. While proudly celebrating its heritage and fulfilling its primary...
Shining a Light on Community Spirit
Every picture tells a story and perhaps few more vividly than those documenting pivotal moments in life. One such film capturing the horror and aftermath of England’s worst mining disaster in Barnsley more than 150 years ago is again shining a light on a spirited community after scooping a highly...
Aroundtown Meets Margaret Drinkall
When Yorkshire-born Margaret Drinkall suggests that you stop thinking about something and get on and do it, you know she’s talking from first-hand experience and with a genuine passion to see others take the plunge and follow their dreams. As the published author of 31 books – and counting –...
