Barnsley and Beyond

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I remember once being in complete awe stood outside our wonderful Town Hall by the newly installed fountains one summer morning – the sun was shining, children were paddling, laughter filled the air. It was a scene of pure joy.

Our community was left devasted by the pandemic, I know everyone here this evening has their own story – me included. Men and women from Barnsley have fought, struggled and laboured time and time again for our tomorrow. Their journey is one we continue. Mel Dyke has written and been involved in the production of a number of local history titles. These include: I know we are all greatly inspired by the resolve, determination and spirit shown by the Ukrainian people.I hope everyone knows what an enormous privilege it is for me to represent our community, and how seriously I take that responsibility. The Queen – overseeing us this evening – has been the embodiment of service and stability, a constant in our lives and it is right we recognise her unwavering dedication. The Bus to Barnsley Market co-editor (with Ian Clayton and Brain Lewis ) published by Yorkshire Arts Circus 1989.

Turning to what this evening is all about… Councillor Tattersall – our new Mayor – congratulations! Ladies and gentlemen… that brings me to another fantastic ambassador, albeit one closer to home – our outgoing Mayor, She has done an amazing job in keeping the past and those memories alive, to be cherished for future generations. Caroline… you have been a wonderful advocate for our community and helped see us through the pandemic. I want to take this opportunity to pay tribute to you for all the work you have done – and will continue to do – for Barnsley. You can’t choose where you were born but you can choose where you want to be – and I chose Barnsley.Theirs was a bond forged over generations. Mineworkers and their families wouldn’t run at the first sign of hardship, they held their ground and withstood hunger, smears and violence. I am however acutely aware not everyone always shares my enthusiasm for when the winds of change begin to blow! Just look at who was awarded the Freedom of the Borough last month alongside our phenomenal Intensive Care Unit… The challenges we face today and those we face tomorrow are daunting but like the challenges of yesterday, they will be overcome.

I do also want to say a word about the Platinum Jubilee – truly a milestone in our nation’s history. A Barnsley miner's daughter, Mel Dyke is a former bank clerk and Consumers' Association lecturer who completed Sir Alec Clegg's mature student teacher course. From 1973 she was employed at Bretton Hall College and then the University of Leeds as an education lecturer and link tutor. Speaking at the time, Mel, of Staincross, said: “It came as a complete surprise but I’m absolutely over the moon with the news. I don’t see it as a personal achievement, it’s something for Barnsley and everyone I’ve come across during the last 50 years.” Politicians come and go, of course – and if the people of Barnsley want to get rid of me as their MP, then that is their absolute right. But I am not walking away from them. She said: “Culture and the arts have been a big part of my life. I’ve used the stories of high achievers from the town to help inspire others – to dream realistically.Mel Dyke is an incredibly passionate champion for the area. Her books ‘Barnsley and Beyond’ and ‘Grimethorpe Revival’ are so important in remembering the past and in helping future generations. This was a great event and a fantastic opportunity to pay tribute to the incredible resilience of a community. All of those who spoke were brilliant and the variety of people who were at the event from Calendar Girls to the cast of Brassed Off is a testament to Grimethorpe. Just outside, we have our square dedicated to the Barnsley Pals battalions. Men who stepped forward to answer the call during the First World War.

She unearths some intriguing local links in the form of great positive role models ranging from education to economics, Coronation Street to Ready Steady Cook, pop music to ‘soliciting, sculpture to poetry, international fashion design and hairdressing, burns surgery to fire-fighting, archaeology in Egypt to Christianity in China. World champions in music and sport join past and present figures whose achievements continue to show the influence the area has had historically, and continues to have worldwide. Link Tutor visits to students in placement schools of every kind across the old West Riding further broadened my awareness of the pitfalls that schools have in common, and particular areas of strength in some.Anyone who questions that ambition has a short memory, look at what we have achieved and how we have achieved it… as one. You only have to walk around our community and speak to the people who make it so special to know that holds true. Mel uses their anecdotal accounts to reflect on the changes in education over the past sixty years, and to put the case for a revival of the arts in teaching, which she argues is currently at risk of being lost in schools, despite being generally accepted as a vital element in education. As I had also done visiting lectures and secondments at Bretton Hall College of Higher Education since 1972/73 on the PGCE Secondary Teacher Training Courses, I joined them on a full-time basis in 1995. And in 2019, her lifelong commitment to culture in her hometown was rewarded when she was made an MBE in the Queen’s birthday honours list.