Notice of closure
Market Weighton Civic Society was established as a registered charity back in 1972 and was run by a committee of volunteers from the town.
In 2015, the committee decided to retire but couldn’t find any new local people willing to take on the running of the Society. Rather than allowing the Society to close, it was agreed that the YHACS committee should step in and take on responsibility for running the Society as a temporary arrangement. This was done in the hope that it would provide a breathing space to allow more time to find local people who were willing to step up and take over.
A couple of events were held in the town and communications issued by local press and a newly created Twitter account.
It wasn’t very easy for the YHACS Committee to be actively involved in local events within Market Weighton as only one of the YHACS committee actually lived in the town – others lived as far away as Filey, Wakefield, Goole, Ilkley, Addingham, Hull and Selby – and YHACS committee members were also kept very busy running their own civic societies in their home locations.
Having tried without success to muster local interest since taking on responsibility for its running in 2015, the YHACS committee made the reluctant decision to close the Society at a meeting held on 19th November 2022.
At the time of closure, the Society had remaining assets of £385 which was held by YHACS. The YHACS committee will now look to find a project on which to spend this money for the benefit of Market Weighton while having regard to the charitable aims of Market Weighton Civic Society outlined in the Society’s constitution.
The Charity Commission have been notified of the decision to close the Society.
Market Weighton Civic Society unveils new blue plaque to aeronautical engineer, Hilda Lyon (1896-1946)
On Thursday, 27th June 2019, the Society, under the auspices of the YHACS committee, unveiled a new blue plaque to commemorate the life and achievements of Hilda Lyon, who was born in the town in 1896 where her father ran a grocer’s shop in Market Place.
The plaque was unveiled by HM Lord-Lieutenant of the East Riding of Yorkshire, The Hon. Dame Susan Cunliffe-Lister, DCVO in front of an audience of local residents, family members, representatives from engineering and transport organisations and local businesspeople.
The event, which was held at the new Town Hall, was opened by Kevin Trickett MBE, chair of YHACS and acting chair of Market Weighton Civic Society, and guests were welcomed by the Mayor of Market Weighton, Councillor Peter Hemmerman. Guest speaker Dr Nina Baker, representing the Women in Engineering Society, outlined the story of Hilda’s career and explained how her research into aerodynamics had helped to shape the R101 airship and also US submarines with what is known as ‘the Lyon shape’ still being used in submarine design today.
Members of the Lyon Family, including guest speaker Valerie Lyon who had flown in from Australia, and others from the USA, were later photographed with the plaque before it was installed on the front of McColl’s store in Market Place, the building where the Lyon family lived and ran their grocery shop.
On behalf of Market Weighton Civic Society, YHACS would like to place on record our thanks to Market Weighton Town Council for agreeing to host the event at the Town Hall and to the following individuals and organisations for their generosity in providing funds to pay for the plaque and the reception:
Valerie Lyon, Barbara English MBE, The Market Weighton Community Charity Shop, McColl’s and Market Weighton Town Council.
And, finally, thanks also to McColl’s for allowing the plaque to be erected on their premises.