COMING to a venue near you, soon!

That is the proud boast of local sports historian Dr Peter Davies and his Huddersfield University colleague Rob Light, who have painstakingly put together a series of summer exhibitions, featuring cricket clubs in the Kirklees and Calderdale areas.

A grand total of 112 venues have been arranged for the special heritage exhibitions, which include 57 pubs, 26 libraries, various community centres, social clubs, post offices, garden centres and even a police station.

Each of the 100-plus clubs in the area will have their own customised exhibition, with Davies and Light having done the research and exhibition design.

"We're very excited at the prospect of these exhibitions," said Davies, who last year received a grant of £43,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to explore the social history of cricket in Kirklees and Calderdale, and who has already produced an impressive booklet on the subject.

"We've been working hard over the last 12 months and local people will be able to see the fruits of our labour.

"The cricket clubs and leagues have been fantastic, supplying us with archive material, photos and old documents, and we have unearthed some amazing stuff and hope people support the exhibitions and the host venues which have offered us space to put them up."

The series opens at Elland Library on Monday, April 4, with an exhibition on Elland CC, while Honley can be viewed at the Allied Hotel, Church Street and Honley Library, from April 7.

Exhibition launches will last for approximately 45 minutes and will comprise light refreshments, speeches, souvenir programmes and an Antiques Roadshow-style session on local cricket memorabilia with West Yorkshire cricket expert Light giving his opinions on any items brought along (eg, old bats, balls, photographs, etc).

Entry is free. And at the end of the summer, all the displays will be donated to the respective clubs.