Background
Hayfield Kinder Trespass Group (HKTG) was formed in 2011, as the Kinder Visitor Centre Group (KVCG). Its key purpose was to set up a visitor centre in Hayfield, which is where the 1932 Mass Trespassers assembled before setting off on their historic walk. It is also where five of the leaders or alleged leaders were arrested that afternoon, at the end of their walk. Hayfield had for years been a very popular destination for Manchester ramblers, because of its convenient railway connection with the city. The Trespass was organised and publicised by radical young Mancunians, and it is believed that most of the 400 who assembled in Hayfield on 24th April 1932 were from the Greater Manchester area.
The name change was decided in 2018, to recognise that the group had other objectives relating to the Trespass, which could be pursued whether or not we succeeded in our goal of establishing a visitor centre to publicise and explain the importance of that event.
In 2012 KVCG received a grant from the Peak District National Park, via its Sustainable Development fund. This was for our Archive Project, and enabled us to develop a website to bring together a wealth of information not only about the Mass Trespass, but also about its context and about the contribution to countryside access made by so many other groups and individuals. A few years later another grant from the same source enabled KVCG to set up some permanent installations in and around the village to explain the Trespass to visitors, and residents. Together with some pre-existing interpretation boards these have been deemed to constitute a “Trespass Trail”, which was launched in 2017.
Other things the group has done over the past seven years include advising media representatives about the Trespass, giving talks to various groups and organizations, setting up a Friends scheme to help to raise funds, and developing merchandise to sell at village events and elsewhere, again to contribute to our running costs and fundraising. While still working towards the long term aim of obtaining premises for a visitor centre, the next initiative of HKTG may be in the field of arranging more guided walks, utilizing our Trespass Trail, whereby we can simultaneously discuss the Trespass with participants, and perhaps also enable some people to access hill walking who might not otherwise do so without our assistance.
Hayfield Kinder Trespass Group:
Aims and Objectives
Overarching objective: to ensure the events of the 1932 Mass Kinder Trespass, including its methods, goals and lessons for current times, are kept alive in the public consciousness.
In pursuing this objective, we are mindful that the Kinder Trespass was not solely a single issue campaign for access to the countryside but was part of a wider political movement for greater fairness and justice within the whole of our society.
Strategies to achieve this goal include:
- Raise awareness of the Trespass and its significance, locally, regionally and nationally.
- Sustain a high physical profile in the village of Hayfield where the Trespassers congregated, including through information boards and other visuals.
- Take an active part in village organisations, events and campaigns.
- Secure permanent exhibition space to remember, and learn from, the Trespass (including the pursuit of a visitor centre should the opportunity arise).
- Sustain and develop walks and talks with a Trespass theme, to spread the message of the Trespass and to encourage wide diversity of participation.
- Identify opportunities to partner local (and where relevant, regional and national) groups, agencies, organisations and events-– to highlight the Trespass
- Work with educational institutions and professional associations to develop age appropriate information and teaching events/materials for the same end
- Liaise, as appropriate, with other access and campaigning groups who share complimentary objectives to the 1932 Trespassers, in a modern context.
- Develop and maintain a website and social media presence that informs users of all of these strategies
Committee Members
Dave Toft, Chairman
Born and brought up in Salford. He first walked on Kinder Scout in 1966, at the age of 12, on a youth club outing, and despite moving south to university and then working in London, he has been on Kinder at least once every year since. In 1996 he moved to Hayfield with his wife and two daughters and has lived in the village ever since. He has written many articles about the significance of the Mass Trespass, in magazines such as ‘Red Pepper’, ‘Trail’ and ‘Lets Go Peak District’. He gives regular talks about the context and continuing relevance of the Trespass and was recently interviewed by both Channel 5 and Sky TV for documentaries involving the events of 1932 and the continuing campaign for access. His poem on the same theme (‘Climbing Kinder – the 1932 Trespass’) has been widely circulated. He has been invited to speak about the Trespass to students at Leicester University, Loughborough University and to address a symposium organised by the Open Spces Society.
He recently published his first novel, ‘Still Point’, a political thriller set in Manchester, Salford and East London in the early 1990’s.
John Harvey, General Secretary (and Acting Treasurer)
Moved to Hayfield in 1990 to be near the hills. Hill walker, occasional fell runner and mountain biker, scrambling and via ferrata enthusiast. Experience of successfully applying for grants from Lottery and European sources as a Hayfield Parish councillor, 2006 to 2011. Works for Derbyshire County Council as a service manager.
Ian Brooke, Minutes Secretary
Born and lives in Macclesfield, Cheshire. Keen walker and outdoor enthusiast. I have spent many years involved in local village cricket clubs and served on general and fund raising committees as well as cricket ground inspection committee for Cheshire cricket league. Self employed printer, I have assisted KVCG in several marketing and printing projects.
Derek Clarke, Committee Member
Originally from Prestatyn in North Wales I served an apprenticeship as a commercial vehicle builder before going to university where I obtained a BA Degree in History and MSc in Technology and Society. In 2011 i retired after being assistant headteacher at a secondary school and a Divisional Secretary of the National Union of Teachers in Tameside. I am a Trustee for a couple of charities and have worked as a voluntarily as an advisor for a number of social enterprises. I am currently the President of Tameside NUT, Secretary of High Peak and District Co-operative Party and a Parish Councillor. I have a long time interest in local history, hence my involvement in the Mass Trespass Group.
Andy Barker, Committee member.
Phil Chapman, Committee member.
A regular visitor to the Peak District since the mid-1980s, Phil moved to Hayfield in 1995. Over the years he has served time with several village organisations, including the Civic Trust, May Queen Committee, Country Show & Sheepdog Trials, Cricket Club and Parish Council. Phil was a co-founder of the successful 2014 ‘Hayfest’ music festival.
Phil walks and runs regularly on the hills and trails around Hayfield and the wider Dark Peak.
Anne Clarke, Committee member.
Originally from Norwich I moved to Manchester in the 80’s to undertake teacher training and then worked as a primary school teacher prior to becoming a full time union official for Tameside NUT. Chair of Hayfield & New Mills Labour Party and Women’s Officer for our CLP. I am keen that our education system promotes outdoor education and working class history alongside traditional curriculum content. Currently researching to find out more about the women who took part in the Kinder Trespass.
David Gates, Committee member.
Katherine Harvey, Committee member.
I was born in Rochdale and involved with Oldham Mountain Rescue Team, Venture Scouts, Queen’s Scout and D of E Awards when young. This led to a lifelong love of beautiful landscapes, participation and fell running. Qualifications in art and design and worked in art therapy, education, youth & community work and High Peak Community Arts. I’ve since been a mental health social worker with Derbyshire County Council for over 20 years.
Francesca Klug, Committee member.
Former Committee Members
Mike Crompton, (deceased)
Mike came to Hayfield in 1975. Brought Benny Rothman to the village to give a talk on the Mass Trespass in 1979, after working on an oral history project of the British Volunteers in the SpanishCivilWar.
A former chairman and clerk of the Parish Council, former chair of Rural Action Derbyshire and vice-chair of High Peak CVS, he was a senior lecturer in Spanish at Manchester Metropolitan University. Mike was a founder member of HKTG/KVCG, and also a founder member and vice-chair of Sustainable Hayfield.
Jo Kent.
Jo was a founder member of the KVCG/HKTG, and was at times a part time paid administrator for our grant funded projects. Jo also worked as a manager in Visitor Services for the Peak District National Park. Jo later became Treasurer of the group. We also relied heavily on her all round professional, IT, and administrative skills. She Lived in Hayfield for about 15 years, but had to stand down when she left the area in 2016. Jo had a keen interest in the symbolic events of the Kinder Mass Trespass and countryside access and promoting the High Peak area.
Alison Tupman, former Committee Member
Has shared her time between Hayfield and Sheffield for the last 15 years. A keen hill walker, and Peak District and outdoor enthusiast. previously lived, walked and climbed in North Wales and was in Scotland.
Was an English teacher for 12 years and recently retired as HR Manager of a large IT company near Sheffield. Has organised many social and fund raising events for various organisations in the past. Oral History Volunteer with St Luke’s Hospice in Sheffield and so far undertaken two oral histories for KVCG.
Andy Cobley, former Treasurer
Retired Software Developer. Hayfield resident since 1988. Served with Kinder Mountain Rescue Team for 10 years, 8 of them as Hon. Treasurer, before ill-health intervened. Climbed and walked extensively throughout the UK.
Nev Kirk, former Committee Member.
Professor of History at Manchester Metropolitan University, Nev was a founder member of the group, our resident history consultant, and adviser to the Parish Council sub committee that succeeded in raising grants to set up a visitor centre in Hayfield in 2011. It was the Trespass history that led to the approval of the grant providers, but a newly elected Parish Council in May 2011 decided to abandon the scheme.
Kate Hurley, Adviser and website contributor.
Originally from Devon, moved to Sheffield in 2005. Keen history enthusiast, studied for a PhD in History specialising in the history of the Mass Trespass and the access movement. Two of her relatives were participants in the Mass Trespass from Sheffield.
Colin Divall, History consultant
Colin has variously lived in and visited Hayfield for over 25 years, and is a professor in the History department of the University of York. He was Head of the Institute of Railway Studies & Transport History, a joint initiative with the National Railway Museum, for 19 years. As well as the history of transport and mobility, his main interests are the history of technology (particularly in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries), museums and heritage, and bringing history into debates about transport policy.
About this Website
Setback and related changes
Early in 2018, around the same time we were implementing the name change to HKTG, we had a mishap with our website, kindertrespass.com – we basically lost the domain name and the whole site because a renewal notice did not reach us. That domain name was subsequently offered for sale on a website called “Hugedomains.com”, for $3895.
New website
This website, kindertrespass.org.uk, went live in July 2018. Since then we have been working on transferring data from the original site. This is a detailed, time-consuming and on-going process. We’re taking the opportunity to update the material, modernise the structure and take advantage of new technology.
In the meantime, see our extensive archived website.