UK Hemingway Gathering June 2002
7 – 10 June 2002 at Wakefield, Yorkshire, England
(based at the Holiday Inn, Ossett)
The Hemingway Gathering 2002 has taken place. By anyone’s standards, it is reasonable to claim that this first ever Hemingway Gathering in the UK was a success. We have received many congratulatory messages including several that asked, ”When will the next Gathering be taking place?”
We believe that there were a total of forty-eight people who attended, the majority of which were present on the three days, Friday to Sunday. We were lucky with the weather and the choice of locations. The weekend was made all that much more enjoyable by the participants that came along. Everyone seemed very enthusiastic and motivated, determined to get plenty out of the weekend and willing to put plenty in.
Whilst most attendees were from various parts of England, there were those that had travelled from the north of Scotland, Canada and Tasmania. Most were clearly descended from the Dewsbury families as would be expected, but there were others whose lines had so far been traced to other parts of the West Riding of Yorkshire, Lancashire, London and Glasgow. Quite whether in time we shall see all these traced back to one single source is debatable, but it is reasonable to anticipate that we will trace most back to the West Riding of Yorkshire.
There were many photographs taken during the weekend and these will be posted here in due course. If any participants have any of their own photographs that they are happy to share, please send them in to me so that I can add them to the montage that will be posted here. Some group photographs were taken by Dave Hemingway and these will be displayed here as soon as possible and we shall be making a copy available to all participants.
I have asked one of those who attended to document their view of the weekend with the intention of publishing it in the next edition of the Hemingway and variants Journal.
Both Ron and I have taken a great deal of pleasure from the feedback received following the weekend. We are very pleased that everyone seems to have enjoyed themselves. Furthermore, I can confirm that Ron and I have had a follow-up meeting and are committed to arranging a similar event in 2004. It will be along similar lines as the 2002 event and based in a hotel somewhere in the Leeds, Bradford Wakefield area (perhaps at the same hotel in Ossett). The date of the event will be Friday 4 June to Monday 7 June 2004. (Anyone who wants to help to construct the next event should get in touch!)
Many thanks.
Maurice & Pam Hemingway
Offord Darcy
3 August 2002
