Real Voices of Happy Valley

Episode 54 features Jill Robinson talking about her Berringden Brow books and the life and adventures of Jess, a single mother in a Pennine town. It’s not quite autobiographical, but everything in th…

Lizzie Rowan, with her wife TJ, runs Full of Joy Animal Sanctuary. It offers forever homes to animals in need. It's had pigs, goats, ponies. chickens, turkeys, geese, sheep, ferrets and terrapins. Th…

Les Gillon talks with Dave about his music, his latest band and recording, what inspires him and how lucky we are in the Calder Valley to have such creative talent, venues and an audience for origina…

Cornholme is often seen as the ‘forgotten valley end’ of Calderdale. So much so that it seemed to be the ideal spot for the somewhat mystifying TV series ‘Passenger’ (ITVx). Yet there are lots of thi…

Trina Lucas, former museums conference organiser, music lover, long time Calder Valley resident has taken up the role of Events Manager at Mytholmroyd Community & Leisure Centre. Already recognised a…

John Billingsley worked at Hebden Bridge library for three decades, now organises Todmorden Folklore Centre’s library. He developed an interest in the folklore of the valley, its icons, its stories a…

Viv and Dave chat with Rosie Grant and Lisa van der Zanden at Natural Endings, a funeral service which puts the family/friends at the centre of funeral planning. They are both committed to ensuring t…

The u3a is an organisation that brings retired people together to share their interests and skills. People can continue to pursue interests and/or develop new ones. There are people in their 80s able…

Keith Crabtree, born in Cornholme, lived in Todmorden all his life, worked for Environmental Health at Calderdle council and became a flood warden on his retirement. Now a flood volunteer, Keith has …

Nicola Warren is a popular as a School Crossing Patrol getting children and parents safety across the road to their school. There is so much more to her life than that as people who cross roads every…

Madeleine Brooks is a singer songwriter living in Todmorden. She runs an open mic at The Puzzle Hall, Sowerby Bridge and, ‘cut her teeth’ on the stage at Hebden Bridge Trades Club – a real voice of h…

Catherine Shelley, is kept busy by being vicar of St Mary’s Todmorden, St Peter’s, Walsden and St Michael’s, Cornholme. Catherine, originally from Manchester, gave up a career in law to follow her fa…

Episode 54 features Jill Robinson talking about her Berringden Brow books - and the life and adventures of Jess, a single mother in a Pennine town. It’s not quite autobiographical, but everything in …

Episode 53 of Real Voices of Happy Valley is a chat with Natalie George of Big Tree which now runs the Oddfellows Hall, next to Todmorden Market. The building has a long history as an entertainment h…

Claire Convallaria interested Viv with her work on projects encouraging and enabling girls into science education and careers. Like so many we speak to on Real Voices, she does far more than that. Cl…

Mark Simmonds has advised many communities on saving community assets like shops, pubs, skate parks and much more, generally by creating community co-operatives. This means investing in your communit…

Alison Redfern created a scarecrow festival to help raise funds for St Peter's Church. Seven years later Walsden Scarecrow Festival is part of the local calendar, brings the village together with peo…

Keith Wilson is a well known face in the Calder Valley and many have seen the results of his skills in stone walling, treeplanting, coppicing etc without realising. Admire his work in the beer garden…

Ashleigh Cooper has been in Calder Valley for 35 years and has retired from his antique dealer job (mostly). He works at the RSPCA shop in Hebden Bridge and is active in sports for the not-so-young, …

Viv and Dave chat with Cath Baker mostly about her work protecting badgers. There are people who deliberately attack badgers but many are inadvertently injured or killed by cars, people digging or bu…