A SERIES of talks about Yorkshire will be held in Ben Rhydding over the next few months.

The Lectures are being staged by local historian and film-maker Mark Saville who has spent the past 17 years recording all aspects of Yorkshire on film, in photographs and in print. He has brought everything together as a series of two-hour talks that includes thousands of photographs and hours of video.

"No one has ever covered Yorkshire in this way – probably because it’s so big," said Mark who has spent two years putting together more than 75 talks on the county.

"I’ve had people born, bred and still living in their hometowns who’ve found out things they never knew. Then there’s people who’ve recently moved here and know nothing about the area and a tour guide comes all the way from Salford to tell others about it.

"The huge variety in one talk is absolutely amazing from churches to brass bands, from being out at sea to watching fell runners atop Ingleborough. Yorkshire really does have it all."

The talks will take place in the Cinema Room at The Wheatley Arms in Ben Rhydding every Monday morning at 10am from January 9. People can come for the series or just drop-in on the ones they are interested in.

The first talk is an overview of the History of Yorkshire with the following 13 weeks covering Bolton Abbey, Richmond, York, Knaresborough, Hebden Bridge, Scarborough, North York Moors, Halifax, Hull, Skipton, South Yorkshire and the Holderness Coast.

"It’s a great place to meet like-minded people and at The Wheatley we’re putting on monthly socials so that people can get to know one another," Mark said.

Entrance costs £8 and includes tea or coffee with biscuits. Further information is available at marksaville@btconnect.com or on 07741 294262.

Mark has produced more than 20 DVDs and written a number of books about Yorkshire over the past 15 years.