WARTIME communal feeding centres will be the focus of an event in Ilkley this month.

A session at Ilkley Manor House will be the first in a round of discussions about food in Ilkley during the Second World War.

It is being organised by the Ilkley local History Hub and will take place at Ilkley Manor House from 2pm to 4pm on Saturday February 29.

Organiser Alex Cockshott said : “There were several communal feeding centres. One was at the King’s Hall annexe kitchen, another in the crypt at Wells Road Methodist Church and another at the Drill Hall.”

She added: “Does anybody have family stories about the feeding centres in Ilkley and what they served there?

“We shall be looking at some of the adverts from the Ilkley Gazette of Dalton Flakes which were produced at the former Ilkley Brewery on Railway Road.”

This year the Local History Hub is also encouraging people to share information from their deeds to help create a picture of how Ilkley has developed since the start of the major land sales 1867. Some of the land sale maps from the Hepper collection can be seen in the Manor House housebody.

During 2020 a series of history hub coffee mornings will be held at the Manor House, on Castle Yard, Church Street, on Fridays. They will take place at 10.15am for 10.30am.

On February 28 John Jackson will talk about Undercliffe Cemetery, on March 27 Alex Cockshott will discuss The Ilkley Land Sales, on April 24 Shirley Wise will look at Otley’s Teutonic Links.

Alex and John Cockshott will discuss Ilkley in 1945 on May 29, Trevor Nicholson will talk about The Gardens of Harewood House on June 26, and Peter Wood will discuss The History of Ilkley Grammar School on July 31.

On August 28 Mike Dixon will talk about Ilkley and the Water Cure, on September 25 Carry Lynott will look at The Heritage of All Saints Church, and on October 30 Richard Walton will discuss Addingham’s Railway. The subject of the coffee morning on December 4 is to be arranged.

Contact jcockshott@uwclub.net or visit http://manorhouse.ilkley.org for further information.

Percy Dalton gave the Manor House to Ilkley and the building became the town’s museum in 1961.

The historic building was officially reopened for the community in 2018 and is the venue for regular events by the Friends of Ilkley Manor House.The mid-14th century stone house and courtyard sits within the footprint of the Roman fort, Olicana.