Photos of Pontefract and Castleford in days gone by

Our selection of nostalgia photos includes a wooden replica of Pontefract Castle erected in  Pontefract Park.
Replica of Pontefract Castle in Pontefract ParkReplica of Pontefract Castle in Pontefract Park
Replica of Pontefract Castle in Pontefract Park

Pontefract Round Table held an annual fundraising event and that year they built the replica with donations of wood, food, drink and offers of help from other organisations. The Prince of Wales Colliery can be seen in the background to the right.

The residents of Keswick Drive, Airedale are seen here in 1981. They are preparing for a wheelbarrow race as part of their celebrations of the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer on July 29.

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The third picture shows a Donkey Derby organised by the Lions Club which took place on the Smawthorne Recreation Ground, Castleford, possibly in the 1970s.

The residents of Keswick Drive, Airedale, in 1981. They are preparing for a
wheelbarrow race as part of their celebration of the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana SpencerThe residents of Keswick Drive, Airedale, in 1981. They are preparing for a
wheelbarrow race as part of their celebration of the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer
The residents of Keswick Drive, Airedale, in 1981. They are preparing for a wheelbarrow race as part of their celebration of the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer

Finally, the front of what was then the new Hemsworth Library, taken on May 30, 1955.

Photographs supplied by Wakefield Libraries. See many more at the comprehensive website www.twixtaireandcalder.org.uk