TONY WALLIS

  'TALK CASTLEFORD WITH TONY' presents: Castleford has buildings that once buzzed with life but now stand silent, waiting for someone to imagine their next chapter. In this series I’ll share images of these forgotten places and using AI explore how they might be brought back into use. I’d love to hear your ideas, memories, and visions for their future. What do you think these buildings become? Join the discussion in the comments below or on Facebook and help shape the story of our shared landscape. Tony Number 1 From OLD MARKET HALL to MARKET CLOCK ARCADE Now -  Next? The old market hall serves as a pedestrian walkway from a car park to Carlton Street and across the road to Carlton Lanes. The sides are no longer in use. The inside is unused space while the outside looks like a derelict building. Problems solved by this proposal to change -  The clock and the walkway are enhanced by the name ‘Clock Arcade.’ (I'd like 'Market Clock Arcade' but ChatGPT disagreed, even ...

  2026 is a fantastic centenary year for Castleford. Here I list how our town has changed while keeping its character over the last 100 years. This year "Talking Cas' and 'Talk Castleford with Tony' will discuss these events and, just as important, looking forward to the next years, the next century even. Tell me what you think. What memories of the town do you have and how do you hope the town will be like in the future. Tony CASTLEFORD 1926 TO 2025 This is not a comprehensive chronology. It does, however, lists important events for discussion. It starts 100 years ago but there are important events like the First World War including the Barnbow incidents that happened before then. Castleford 1926-2026 image created using AI to add humour to the narrative.  it is not an accurate depiction of the town over those years. 1926 The General Strike Workers, especially miners and their families in Castleford experience hardship, lowered income. A bitterness toward the establis...

  Talking Cas – January 22, 2026 One of the real pleasures of writing this blog is hearing back from you — your memories, your opinions, and sometimes your disagreements. This week is one where I’m  especially  hoping you’ll comment, because we’re talking about a place that many of you know well, even if you don’t always stop to think about it. Just a few minutes from the town centre lies a quiet green treasure:  The Valley Gardens . And I’d love to know — what does the Valley Gardens mean to you? 🌳 A Green Route Through the Heart of Cas Tucked away yet surprisingly close, the Valley Gardens is one of those places that quietly gets on with being useful. Families wander through, dog walkers pass the time of day, older residents sit and watch the world go by, and children burn off energy in the new play area. The park offers trees, a gentle stream, plenty of benches, and now a modern play space. It also forms a lovely green route from  Lower Oxford Street th...

'Talking Cas 5/1/2026 ' by 'Talking Castleford with Tony' Well, so far I’m pleased with my weather app. While the news is threatening snow and all the problems it brings, my app gets it right (so far) - sunshine and a cool wind that makes it feel colder. I hope it keeps that up, although, it’s predicting rain and sleet for tomorrow.  On Saturday, I was reading a few newspapers and came across an interesting in I. It is headed “Inside the Warehouse Town where thousands are struggling to find jobs”. One of its highlights is Castleford. The think tank, the Resolution Foundation, says the number of people working in warehouses here is 4 times the national average. This is a concern, the foundation says, because ware house jobs tend not be as secure as other employment. In the 2000s, in my early years as a councillor, ware houses were springing up in areas like Europort and Glasshoughton. The council was good publicizing the excellent road and rail links that Castleford has....

Castleford 1926-2026 image created using AI to add humour to the narrative.  it is not an accurate depiction of the town over those years. Happy New Year, Castleford As we step into 2026, we’re also stepping into a truly special year, one packed with centenaries that help tell the story of who we are, where we’ve come from, and where we might be heading next. A hundred years ago, Castleford felt the full force of events that shaped communities across the country. The 1926 General Strike hit mining families especially hard, and here in Cas, coal mining was not just an industry; it was the backbone of everyday life. Behind every pit were families, friendships, and a shared resilience that still echoes through the town today. Yet 1926 was not only a year of hardship. It was also a year of beginnings. Out of those challenging times came institutions that have become part of our identity: the Castleford Male Voice Choir raised its first harmonies, the Royal Naval Association was formed,...