KEIGHLEY and District Local History Society has returned to its 'spiritual home'.

The society has resumed monthly meetings in the town's local studies library, which had been closed to gatherings due to pandemic restrictions.

Last year, the group met via Zoom and held a meeting at Keighley Civic Centre, where there was space for social distancing.

Kicking off talks back at the local studies library, which is on the first floor at Keighley Library, this month was Colin Thunhurst, of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal Society.

The well-attended event heard about the history of the canal locally.

Speaker at the next meeting, which takes place on Wednesday, March 8, will be writer and researcher Pam Brook.

She will speak on Morecambe: Beauty Surrounds, Health Abounds. The title is taken from the motto used by the town in its heraldic crest.

The Lancashire seaside resort has always been a popular destination for residents and work outings from Keighley, due to its easy accessibility courtesy of the railway.

Pam says: "Between 1930 and 1938, 180 lidos were built in Britain to support the health and fitness of the nation.

"Sunshine and heliotherapy were all the rage and knitwear manufacturers competed to produce the most streamlined knitted swimming costumes.

"Morecambe's Super Swimming Stadium opened in July, 1936, and provided high diving, entertainment, displays and beauty competitions until its closure in the 1970s. My talk charts the pool and the bathing costume from the interwar period to the decline of Miss Great Britain."

Anyone is welcome to attend the meeting.

Doors open at 7pm.

Entry is free for history society members, or £3.50 for non-members.

People can join on the evening. Membership costs £15 and covers the rest of the year.

There is also an option for members to attend via Zoom.

Future speakers include Graham Mitchell, who will talk about life working on the buses in Keighley in the 1960s, on April 12; and Andrew Heaton, who will speak about the Dockroyd graveyard project on May 10.

Further information about the society and its activities can be found at keighleyhistory.org.uk, and on Facebook.

The society was formed in 2004 following the centenary of Keighley Library.

In addition to its monthly meetings, with speakers on a variety of subjects relating to local history, the society holds a large amount of materials – including a considerable digital archive, providing a resource for online research.