As part of Armed Forces Festival, on Tuesday 4 June, Crossgates Library hosted a talk by East Leeds History and Archaeology Society on the Barnbow story, and the tragedy that befell the workforce – mostly women - of the munitions factory in December 1916. There was very significant interest in the event, with tickets selling out quickly. We had an audience of 30, with attendees both local and from further afield. We were honoured to also receive a visit from the family of Amelia Stewart, one of the women who lost their lives through injury after the tragedy, and who has a local street named after her in remembrance. Attendees commented, the event was “Interesting, informative and delivered with passion”, and “It was very informative, as I didn’t know much about my local history, thank you.”
Accompanying the talk, the library is hosting a pop-up Barnbow exhibition throughout June, documenting the events of 1916, and also paying tribute to those whose lives were lost and irreversibly altered by the disaster. You can read more about the Barnbow story on The Secret Library Blog and a special collection of images can be viewed in the curated gallery on Leodis.