Around Garforth : Images of England

This fascinating selection of over 200 old photographs and postcards comes from the archives of the Garforth Historical Society. The society''s logo represents the history of the former village, now a town: Garforth lay in the medieval Wapentake of Skyrack (Shire Oak) which is in the County of Yorkshire (white rose) and was economically supported by agriculture (wheatsheaf) and coal mining (safety lamp).

This collection gives an insight into the lives and industries which have shaped the past of the area. Coal mining and agriculture were once the major industries, and life for many meant working underground in the pits, or on the land raising livestock or helping to harvest crops such as potatoes, raspberries and rhubarb.

The reader is taken on a tour, meeting shopkeepers, businessmen, miners and farmers, and visiting the pits, schools and churches. All aspects of everyday life as it used to be are explored, as are the changes which have shaped the town of today. This pictorial record also remembers the struggles of wartime, and fondly recalls celebrations, sports and recreation, such as the Garforth brass band and carnivals.

Each image is accompanied by a wealth of local historical knowledge, serving as a valuable record of the town''s past. Images of Around Garforth will evoke nostalgic memories in older Garfordians of its rural past, and inform younger residents of their heritage.