2026 AGM & Kellett Celebration. May 9th

The 129th Annual General Meeting takes place at Gracious Street Methodist Church, Chapel Street, Knaresborough at 1:30 pm on May 9th, 2026, in the Castle Room.

The public are permitted to observe the proceedings, but not vote.

At 2:30 pm, following the meeting, The YDS has arranged for an exhibition and talks celebrating the life and achievements of Arnold Kellett, a well known and respected author of dialect works, including the essential guide ‘The Yorkshire Dictionary of Dialect, Tradition and Folklore’ a work once again in demand as YDS runs its courses in ‘How to talk Tyke.’ A stalwart of YDS. Arnold published many works in dialect, including Basic Broad Yorkshire, Yorkshire Dialect Classics, and of course Ee By Gum Lord! which is a translation of the Gospels into Yorkshire.

A widely-respected local historian, scholar and published author, Dr Arnold Kellet was also a Knaresborough Mayor and a department head at King James’s School. A former Vice President of the YDS, Dr Kellett edited the Society’s annual international journal and was a popular speaker on dialect and local history..
Working with Dr Kellett’s family and the Knaresborough Museum Association (KMA), the Society has shaped an event that will reflect the breadth of his interests and achievements.
The event includes members of the Yorkshire Dialect Society reading excerpts from Dr Kellett’s poetry and prose while the KMA will be providing a display on Knaresborough’s history, accompanied by an audiovisual presentation drawing on the subjects Arnold cared about most.

The event is free of charge to the public, though donations would be very welcome.