Review of the year 2014: July

Princess Anne dropped into Dewsbury Town Hall to hear about a new safety scheme in Kirklees. The Princess Royal listened to representatives of the Restorative Community Safety Partnership. But Kirklees Council imposed a ban on reporting prior to the event, leaving many people feeling they had missed out on the chance to see royalty.

Cleckheaton hosted another successful three-day folk festival featuring big names and a bigger parade. Dougie MacLean and Jez Lowe played at Cleckheaton Town Hall, while the streets came alive with eccentric performers in spectacular dress.

A four-year project to commemorate Batley and Birstall soldiers who died during WWI got under way. The dedicated volunteers of Project Bugle, which received £17,500 from the Heritage Lottery Fund, are recording the stories of each soldier from the area who never came back. More than 100 people packed out Batley Town Hall for the project’s official start.

Councillors and local people reacted angrily to suggestions that Kirklees Council could shut Mirfield Library. The most drastic measure still under consideration by councillors it to shut every library in Kirklees apart from Dewsbury and Huddersfield.