Chris Helme - for thirty years he was a serving Police Officer and was awarded the British Empire Medal in 1990 for his service in the community. He has written five local history books, and written a weekly nostalgia column in the ‘Brighouse Echo’ weekly newspaper for over twenty four years. He has produced a sixty-minute nostalgia cassette tape based on a number of the stories from his column and a number of other small publications. He has also written a number of articles which have been published in regional magazines. For over twenty five years he has taught local history to Adult Community Learning Classes in the Brighouse and Elland areas of Calderdale. More recently he has presented a number of OCN classes on Committee Skills. Teaching older users the mysteries of the mobile phone have been classes he has been presenting for almost three years, and more recently classes in very basic computers skills for older people.

For over forty five years he has played in and been associated with the brass band movement.

During the mid 1990’s he was beginning to be in demand as a speaker and has now developed a style that has both informed and entertained the almost countless audiences that have heard any of the numerous lecture presentations he has delivered. His presentations have often been described as ‘Infotainment’.  He has developed a presentational style that can both conjure laughter and melancholy through his various subjects that have been appreciated at Probus Clubs, Women’s Institutes, Wine Circles, Church Circles, Luncheon Clubs, Coffee Mornings, Trefoil Guild, History Societies, 3rd Age groups, Rotary, Round Table Clubs and many more including on two occasions at the National Association of Brass Band Conductors annual convention. He is a regular speaker at Luncheon Clubs.

He is regularly asked to return to many groups a second and often a third time and is often called on to help out at short notice.  Speaker Finders have often asked him if he knows of any other speakers. As a result of these requests in 1997 he published the first edition of his West Yorkshire Speaker Directory, with 60 speakers, presenters, slide show hosts and small group musical entertainers. These directories have now become bi-annual publications with the current 2009/2010 West, North and South Yorkshire Speaker Directory’s on sale but they are only available from the author or through Waterstone’s / Amazon.com book shops and website.
In recent years he has regularly contributed to ‘Brass Review’ a specialist brass band magazine and three years ago he was commissioned to write a regular 2000 word storey for the ‘British Bandsman’ magazine. His stories of brass band nostalgia are about some of the personalities and bands from yesteryear and have proved very popular. He was a regular contributor to the very popular www.4barsrest.com brass band website. Where his stories about some of the legendary performers and bands of the past have been appreciated by the huge number of brass band enthusiasts from around the world who regularly log on to this successful website.   

Chris is a an editor for the Calderdale Talking Newspaper where he and his group of readers help by producing their quarterly magazine tape which is a  blend of nostalgia, memories and how life used to be – a mixture well appreciated by the all their listeners.  He is also the producer and presenter of ‘Sunday Bandstand’ 2pm / 3pm every Sunday on Phoenix FM 96.7 (Beyond Calderdale it is only accessible via the internet www.phoenixfm.co.uk )

Publications

1. West, North & South Yorkshire Speaker Directories – all three are bi-annual publications designed to help Speaker Finders - a must for all Speaker Secretaries - £7.99 including p/p.

2. ‘…James Shepherd - the famous Newbiggin-by-the-Sea Cornet Player…’ This is a thumbnail sketch of the former Black Dyke Mills Band principal cornet player and founder of his famous James Shepherd Versatile Brass ensemble. £4.99 including p/p

3. ‘…Brighouse & District…’ This fascinating collection of over 200 archive photographs which illustrates some of the historical developments which have shaped the town of Brighouse was first published in July 2005. This book will rekindle fond memories of the past for anyone who has lived or worked in Brighouse, and will delight those who want to find out more about the colourful history of the town. £12.99 (£14.99 inc p/p)

4. ‘…Sunny Vale Pleasure Gardens…’ A fascinating look at what was the Alton Towers of the nineteenth century. ‘Sunny Bunces’, as it was referred to by the generations of small children who visited over a period of 75 years before it all finally came to an end was the destination for those Sunday school annual summer treats – magical moments from the childhood days of yesteryear.
£12.99 (£14.99 inc p/p)

4. ‘…What Brass Bands Did For Me …’ A fascinating look An inside view of personalities from the world of brass bands (both living and deceased), the impact it had on their lives and those people around them. A fascinating insight into some of the foremost figures in both their own banding area and the national scene. Evoking many happy memories for those who have been involved with bands at any level over the years. An essential record of life in the mill towns as it once was. A triumphant celebration of a community that lives on into the twenty-first century. Illustrated with over 100 previously unpublished archive photographs
£12.99 (£14.99 inc p/p)