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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Yorkshire (East Riding & York) Lookup Requests => Yorkshire (East Riding & York) => England => Completed Yorkshire (East Riding & York) Requests => Topic started by: AussieLad on Tuesday 05 November 13 07:26 GMT (UK)
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While I live in Australia, I am aware that Leeds was/is in West Riding/West Yorkshire but I understand that the Yorkshire Post & the Yorkshire Evening Post were/are distributed throughout Yorkshire. I am looking for a YP or YEP article featuring a broadcast from London on 14 November 1922 that was received in City Square, Leeds and relayed to a crowd that filled the square for the event. Neither the British Newspaper Archive nor findmypast's British Newspapers database offer either the YP or YEP for the date/period in question nor can I find other online databases that offer relevant access. Please could SKS identify the library(ies) that have a copy of the relevant article/report and obtain a copy for me? The article/report should feature (John) Cyril Ratciffe of Dewsbury Road, Leeds as the owner/operator of the receiving wireless equipment.
Many thanks in anticipation of somebody's kind assistance.
AL
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Hi
Have you contacted West Yorkshire Archives to see if they can help
http://www.archives.wyjs.org.uk/archives-ask-the-experts.asp
Dawn
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Thanks for that info Dawn. I've emailed the WYAS Leeds archive to ask whether they hold copies of one or both newspapers for publication days in November 1922.
AL
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Hello Al,
They should have it at Leeds Central Library, I will go in and have a look for you. Hopefully on Thursday.
Elin
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If you hear back from WYAS before Thursday let me know.
Elin
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Thank you very much indeed Elin - most kind of you! Suspect I won't hear from WYAS till next week, if then, as they're closed this week.
AL
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Ok, I will go in on Thursday then AL.
Elin :)
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Great Elin, thank you again.
AL
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Hi Elin,
Further research suggests that if the Leeds City Square broadcast event didn't take place on 14 Nov. or 15 Nov. 1922, as mentioned in my earlier post to this forum, then it took place 17 months later, on 23 April, 1924. That day, King George V and Queen Mary opened the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley, Middlesex and King George made the first radio broadcast by a British monarch, which was relayed to major cities around Britain, including Leeds. The Daily Mail (London) claimed credit for publicising the event and making special arrangments for massed crowds to hear the King's speech via the radio broadcast. Trust this may help your search when you visit Leeds Central Library tomorrow.
Cheers
AL
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Ok AL I will check both dates and thereabouts.
Elin
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Hello Al,
Sorry but I haven't had any luck. I looked in the YEP, the YP and the Leeds Mercury for both dates. I could find nothing relating to radio broadcasts for the first date.
There was a lot of material relevant to the broadcast of the King's speech but sadly no mention of John Cyril Radcliffe. The broadcasts in Leeds took place in Victoria Square in front of Leeds Town Hall and at the Mansion in Roundhay Park. The photo's shown are for Roundhay Park and while one of the articles mentioned who had provided the radio equipment for the Park no mention was made about who was responsible for the equipment at Victoria Square.
What information do you already have about this, could it give us any clues?
Sorry that I couldn't be more helpful. :(
Elin
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Hello Elin,
Congratulations, you've cracked it - I'm sure now of the event and its location! I have 2 photographs of the event, with Cyril Ratcliffe and his wireless equipment set up at the base of a major monument/statue which is set in a large square. Unfortunately, the heavy smog/fog makes the location very difficult to identify from the photos and we assumed incorrectly that it was City Square. However, having your information and then looking via Leodis at photos of the Queen Victoria monument (which was located in Victoria Square from 1905-1937), I am convinced that Cyril & his equipment was set up there on 23 April 1924, with his back to Leeds Town Hall and the statue of Sir Robert Peel to his right side.
Thank you very much indeed for your most helpful research.
AL
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Hello AL,
I am really pleased that it has been of some use! :) It is good to have the event confirmed. I've just been looking at the Leodis pictures, it looks so different now. I think that the Robert Peel statue is now in Hyde Park, Leeds and I don't know what happened to Queen Victoria. It's a much smaller space now.
Best wishes, Elin