Town looks for Kes factor to take flight once again

Barry Hines’s A Kestrel for a Knave appeared in bookshops in 1968, and just a year later the Ken Loach film version, Kes, was released in cinemas, bringing fame to actors like Brian Glover and Lynne Perrie.

The unforgiving landscape of Barnsley’s coalfield provided the backdrop for the exploits of a neglected teenage boy, and many of the extras used by Loach in the film were drawn from mining communities.

Those communities have now changed significantly but their attachment to the film remains strong, and organisers of events to be held later this year are hoping to track down people who were involved.

Jill Craven of Barnsley Libraries, said the original idea had been a “mass giveaway” of A Kestrel for a Knave to mark the opening of a new library in Hoyland, south of Barnsley, where filming of Kes took place.

But she said the response to a revival of interest in both the book and film had been huge and led to Made in Hoyland, a series of events which will celebrate the area’s role in bringing the story to life.

“This will be the biggest event we have ever held in Hoyland. We wanted to celebrate the opening of the new library, because it used to be in a portable building and now it is a purpose built space,” said Ms Craven.

“We thought a book giveaway would be a good idea, but it just grew from there and we have already been given some memorabilia and have plans for several events.

“Now we are really looking for people who took part in the filming who have things like signed scripts or other things relating to the film to add to what we can display.”

Ms Craven said the book’s author, who was born in the Hoyland area,was being told what was happening by his wife Eleanor, but would not be able to take part because he is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

However, Dai Bradley, who was born in Barnsley and played Billy Casper, has agreed to take part and will give a talk on his role in the film and how it changed his life.

Ms Craven said events will be held in conjunction with Kirk Balk Community School in Hoyland, which has recently moved to a new building but was the place where Hines was both a pupil and a teacher for a time.

The giveaway of the book has been sponsored by Barclays bank as part of the national Big Read campaign, and both pupils at 
the school and members of Hoyland Readers’ Group have committed to read and discuss the novel.

Memorabilia from Hines’s own collection, which is currently held by Sheffield University will also be on display at the library during the three-week event alongside any pieces brought forward by locals.

“The key for us to encourage people to read and if they read this book or watch the film they can still go to the places where it is set or see where filming happened,” said Ms Craven.

“It is still on the reading list at Kirk Balk School and many of the issues the book deals with are the same today, like not fitting in and bullying, and we want people to reconnect with the story.”

Other events organised include a demonstration by the Yorkshire Hawking Club, which will give people the chance to see a bird like the one which features in the story up close.

A prize draw will also be held with a day’s falconry for the winner, while a music workshop with local musician and poet 
Ray Hearne will encourage people to write poems and 
songs about the area as it is 
today.

Coun Jenny Platts, Barnsley Council’s cabinet member in charge of libraries welcomed the new interest in the book and film.

She added: “Barnsley library service is delighted to be hosting this series of events. This display is sure to be of great interest both to those who were in the film and to many who haven’t seen it yet.”

The Made in Hoyland project takes place in March. Anyone involved with filming who can offer anything for display should contact Hoyland Library on 01226 355832.

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