This quarterly magazine was edited by Brian Barker, published by Northern Line Design of Otley and printed in the town; once an important centre for the printing trade. Its strap line was “Recording Yesterday’s World for Tomorrow’s People” then later “Discovering Yorkshire’s History and Heritage” and finally “Yorkshire’s Independent Local History Magazine”.
Most of the public would have come across the magazine in local shops or at events such as family history fairs. But despite some dedicated readers it was never a big seller and probably made little if any profit. The magazine had its first regular issue in March 1997 and was then, mainly, published quarterly. This cover is of Issue 11 and had a dateline of Autumn 1999. The last issue seen was dated Spring 2004 and this was most likely the final issue.
Finding copies of “Old Yorkshire” magazine today is not an easy task. It was never produced in large volumes and very few come on the market. At the last check there was just one for sale in eBay UK.
Through a much appreciated donation of a collection of Old Yorkshire magazines these web pages have been extended to include much more info - subject to copyright [Thanks to Andrew for this kind contribution]
Who Produced It?
Names taken from various editions of the magazine - without any direct knowledge of the people involved!
Editor Brian Barker (1951-2014) Editorial Advisor Carol Bartlett later Diane Crowther Editorial Assistants Karen Engstrom, Val Spence Advertising Kate Hobson Subscriptions Pauline Barker Design and Origination Brian Barker, Gary Stanley, Karen Engstrom Website Editor Debbie Waller later Melanie Barker, Martin Abrahams Distribution Sally Hampshaw Illustrator Franzisca Guedel Publisher Northern Line Design, 111 Wrenbeck Drive, Otley LS21 1BP (t: 01943 461211) later Old Yorkshire Publications - at same address Printer MGC Printers, Otley LS21 2RD later Paul Clark Printing, Toppesfield CO9 4DQ
Earlier Works
The name of the modern magazine is not unique and was inspired by one of the same name published by Morley historian William Smith from 1881 to 1889.
This Victorian bound-book contains a set of the original magazines. It is available online as a free PDF download at the Internet Archive - but you can also find copies for sale. One company is even selling books that are a printout of the free PDF [Money for nowt]
Back Catalogue
Known Magazine Editions ISSN 1365-8387
Pilot - Sandal Castle, Wakefield; Railway horses, Bradford; Featherstone's sewage problems; Romans at Ravenscar
Issue 1 March 1997: South Yorkshire Childhood; The Butler's and Beecroft's at Kirkstall Forge; Cat’s Eyes; Rawfolds 1812; Featherstone's water supply; North-east Yorkshire water courses; Elizabeth Beecroft; A Halifax artist; Shepherd's Pie; Sailor’s Church
Issue 2 June 1997: Memories of Thirsk; Battle of Stamford Bridge; Huddersfield mill memories; Wives for sale; Progress in Pudsey part 1
Issue 3 September 1997: Burn village memories; Middlesbrough meteorite; Henry Briggs, coal owner; Huddersfield trams; Bombs on Bradford; A Victorian decorates, John Tillotson; Progress in Pudsey part 2
Issue 4 Winter 1997: Captain James Cook; The 15 Day Vote; Bradford’s Disease; The Face on the Chimney; Askern Gas; Our Street in the 20’s; Royal Retreat; Charles Dixon; Blackpool’s Yorkshire Heritage
Issue 5 Spring 1998: The Buckden Pike Fox; Electricity comes to Roudhay; Whitsuntide - Lament for a Lost Holiday; Life in Old Haworth; The Spy Tower at Fagley; Old Yorkshire Games; Rhubarb, Rhubarb; Jemmy Hirst
Issue 6 Summer 1998: Robin Hoods Bay 1953; The Hull Blitz; A Bingley chimney sweep; Morris Dancing; Kit Brown - A Bridlington hero; The Embsay storm 1908; A Scarborough childhood; Vanishing Yorkshire; Early railways; Whitby
Issue 7 Autumn 1998: Knaresborough Castle; 200 years of Yarn; Yorkshire Wells; Heath Old Hall; Margaret McMillan; Yorkshiremen in Virginia; South Yorkshire schooldays; Fountains Abbey; Beverley
Issue 8 Winter 1998: Yorkshire’s Canal Builders; The Bilberry Dam disaster, Holmfirth; Yeadon snow; Methley Hall; Captain Cook country; The Navvies; Weston Church; Battle of Winwaed; Cleckheaton Accident
Issue 9 Spring 1999: Lady Anne Clifford; John Barran; Forest of Knaresborough; Morton Banks Hospital; Birstall parish register; Emma Dawson and the Lifeboat Window; Cholera in Huddersfield; and Family History items
Issue 10 Summer 1999: Oakwell Hall, Haworth - Gas Explosion; Duncombe Park and Rievaulx Terrace; The Alternative Society; Lee Fair; Witchcraft; Bingley; Holbeck
Issue 12 Winter 1999: Sale of the Century; Public Heritage; Silent witness Towton; Twelve pence made one shilling; Harry Ramsden; Lake dwellings; Calverley Hall
Issue 13 Spring 2000: The Wonders of Wensleydale; Armley back-to-backs; Calder Valley pace-egg plays; Nidd Valley Railway; Spen Valley; Saxton; Haworth; Folklore
Issue 14 Summer 2000: Phyllis Bentley; Haworth - A Yorkshire Diary; Yorkshiremen in Virginia; Rudston - A village history; Hornsea; Isle of Skye; Armley; Banks; Parliament
Issue 15 Autumn 2000: Yorkshire Jewel; Ancestors - A Yorkshire Printer; Normanton - a town’s history; Ripon - An American view; Twelve Apostles; Castle Hill; Witch Posts; East Riding Industries
Issue 16 Winter 2000: Thornton Dale; Bolton Castle and the Scropes; Yorkshire place names; Growing up in Sheffield; Robin Hood; Lifeboats; Bradford turn-out; Leeds City Varieties
Issue 17 Spring 2001: Old Yorkshire in New Scotland; Seeking work; Gypsey Race; The Scropes; Yorkshire Pudding; Carleton; Clifton Miniatures; Coverdale; Easby Abbey; Cleckheaton
Issue 18 Early Summer 2001: Beautiful Dales; Hull’s Garden Village; Old summer wine; Hobs; Hot metal; Ancestors; Carlton; Richard Bentley; The Scropes
Issue 19 Mid Summer 2001: Red House; Wolds aerolith; Batley; Winifred Holtby; Richard Bentley; Rothwell; The Scropes; Blind Jack; Staithes; Roach House
Issue 20 Autumn 2001: Heroes of Dewsbury; Featherstone Massacre; Mill memories; Wartime memories; Dolly Shepherd; Richard Bentlry; Romans at Filey; Bainbridge; Lest we forget; Wibsey Old Windmill; Mary Ward; King & Queen of Holderness
Issue 21 Winter 2001: When great-gran was a bairn; Penistone; Otley’s old market stone; Kelly’s eye; Mill memories; Brave little birds; Snowed up at Clayton Heights; The Hermitage; Turner; A York childhood
Issue 22 Spring 2002: Desperate remedies; Stone secrets; Rupert’s barn; First Leeds Festival 1858; Bramley Liberal Club; Classic grand tour; Mill memories; White rabbit and friends; Wicked and wonderful women, A pile of old rocks; Down’t pit; On Greenhow Hill; Old Yorkshire patchwork quilt
Issue 23 Early Summer 2002: Skipton Castle; The Overlooker; Halifax; Penhill Preceptory; Railways of Leeds; Towton Battlefield; Grave discovery: Carlin Peas - a penance or treat?; Bishop Monkton; Mill memories; Curious inscriptions; Calder Valley calling; Sir Clements Robert Markham
Issue 24 Summer 2002: East Riddlesden Hall; We’re all smiles now; History of James Ives & Co; Drainage of Hatfield Chase; Fatal accident; The same old Yorkshire; Glimpses of a charming past; A steamy experience; Railways of Leeds; A tribute; The hand of glory; The Snappers; Roos
Issue 25 Autumn 2002: Another country; Richmond’s Georgian Theatre; Old Manor Potteries; Solemnities and dark shades; A village shop in the fifties; Methley miscellany; Charles Sikes; Boiling well; Bradford Gas; 16th December 1914
Issue 26 Winter 2002: A fortune out of a frying pan; Romans in Yorkshire; Pateley Bridge; Mother’s shopping secret; Christmas at York 1572; Packmen, carriers and packhorse roads; Thomas Carling; Black Bull Birstall; Minds spell-bound by ancients
Issue 27 Spring 2003: Road to Haworth; Street life in Heckmondwike; Amy Johnson; Ryedale Railway; Old Yorkshire scenes; George Washington tyke?; Garforth; Bulmer’s stone; Ravenspur and its invasions
Issue 28 Summer 2003: Harome; Time for clocks; Invisible enemy; Conisbrough Castle; Fearnley’s boneshakers; Yorkshire’s churches; John Braine; Halifax gibbet; Don’t stop at the station; Clash of cymbals
Issue 29 Autumn 2003: Brompton birdman; Author’s bones dug up; Cleckheaton in the 1940s/50s; Medieval South Yorkshire; John Woolman, William Smith; Holidays in the 1950s; Saltaire; Newton Priory; Chumping; Wrenthorpe
Issue 30 Winter 2003: Whitaker’s Hull; Mulgrave Castle; Wilsden; Kirkstall Abbey; Amy Johnson; A chimney-sweep’s death; Oy Up; Across the moors; Yorkshire rhymes; Yorkshire quiz
Issue 31 Spring 2004: Jack Creaser; The Ilkley Cure; Mount Grace priory; Executions at York; Crow Hill; Epitaph at Easingwold
