THE Lord Mayor of Bradford, Cllr Zafar Ali has attended a special event at Harden War Memorial to launch an online archive created by Harden Parish Council.

The special digital archive is available to members of the public interested in local history and who may wish to undertake family research or find out more about Harden during the First and Second World War.

The idea for the archive started in 2014 during the run-up to the centenary of the start of the First World War. The archive is based on a research project and exhibition on Harden in the Great War, completed by Cllr Kay Kirkham and the then Clerk, Eve Haskins. It has now been digitised by web provider Digital Nomads at no cost.

There are future plans to expand the project to include more detail of others involved in the war and also to undertake research into those involved in the Second World War, before also making that available online.

Lord Mayor of Bradford, Cllr Zafar Ali, said: “This special new online archive is fascinating, offering an insight into the real, local people who served during the First World War. The team at Harden have done some remarkable work to set this up and I would encourage everyone to have a look, especially if you’re local or have family history in the area.”

Cllr Gerwyn Bryan, Harden Parish Council Chair, said: “The Lord Mayor’s visit was a useful reminder of just how much hard work has gone into maintaining and renovating the War Memorial, in researching Harden’s war history and in subsequently digitising records for access by a wider audience. The Parish Council has been delighted to facilitate these works and is grateful to all involved.”

To explore the records, visit http://hardenparishcouncil.gov.uk/war-history.

In 2017, Harden Parish Council commissioned restoration of the war memorial in Harden, successfully securing a grant from the War Memorials Trust. At that time a brass plaque was provided with a QR code linking to the website, with information about the memorial.

The Parish Council had previously applied to Historic England and after examining records and other relevant information and having considered the architectural and historic interest, Harden War Memorial was listed at Grade II.