| Number 42, June 2006
YOUR CHANCE TO SING WITH TOP CLASS CHOIR
Plus A WEEKEND WITH THE NAVY
Plus CORONATION DAY REMEMBERED
Plus ALL OUR USUAL UNUSUALS
BANDS TAKE STAND GRAMMAR GIRLS WILL SET THE TONE
AS REPORTED FIRST IN THE Saltaire Sentinel,The Half Moon Steering Group, made up of representatives of local organisations in Saltaire, Shipley and Baildon, has put together a programme of free concerts on the site of the former bandstand in Roberts Park this summer. “Saltaire Bandstand” will take place every second Sunday from June 11th to August 20th, at 2.30pm, re-introducing the idea of free park music on a Sunday afternoon. As well as brass band music, there will be a concert band, line-dancing, folk, classical and rock music, so take your pick. All the artists have kindly signed up to perform free of charge, visitors will be asked to contribute to a collection.
The Half Moon Café will be open, and Friends of Roberts Park will offer cream teas and other refreshments. Each event will be accompanied by a display and sale of work by six local artists at the Half Moon Café. The Café itself will be open every Saturday and Sunday throughout the summer.
Come and use this Victorian Café, lovingly restored by local enthusiasts for the benefit of the community, and hopefully the first of many steps to make every corner of Saltaire worthy of World Heritage status.
Eddie Lawler
WORLD HERITAGE PLAN ANTICIPATES DISASTER
The latest report on progress of the World Heritage Site Management Plan, expected soon, will include the unpleasant but necessary topic of how residents would cope in the event of a large scale emergency. The local United Reformed Church would, of course, be likely to have an important role in contingency co-ordination and accommodation of displaced persons.
One elder at the church, who asked not to be identified as he is also the editor of a local newspaper, suggested: "It would be a good idea for local people to familiarise themselves with the building before disaster strikes, by attending Sunday morning worship on a regular basis."
On a more light hearted note, the document will also address present and future management of traffic in and around the World Heritage Site. Improvement plans for Roberts Park, as well as the church, will also feature in the discussion.
CHURCH TO BE DRAMATIC SETTING OF SCHOOLROOM
Schooling Miss Martha is the intriguing title of a drama, written and directed by Harriet Townsend, to be presented jointly by Saltaire Information Centre and Kaleidoscope (the youth section of Bingley Little Theatre) as part of Saltaire Festival 2006.
Performances will be given in one of the downstairs rooms at Saltaire United Reformed Church; which is, appropriately, the setting for the play, as the plot has it become a temporary schoolroom in 1877. It is the year after Sir Titus Salt's death, and the Albert Road school buildings have not yet been completed. As a result, the school is being housed in various locations around the Village. This is the story of a talented local girl who wishes to become a teacher. Unfortunately, she neglected to tell her parents of her progress in this direction; with dramatic results. The audience will be treated to a glimpse of a Victorian classroom and its curriculum and experience the social divisions within Saltaire society of the time. Meanwhile, subplots involving unruly children should give the younger Kaleidoscope performers a chance to shine!
There is a definite element of truth in the story: The school did indeed seek accommodation, including the Methodist Church and the Institute, in the year prior to the opening of its Albert Road premises in 1878. Fans of Roger Clarke, familiar with his portrayal of the Rev David Cowan, will not be surprised to learn that he (Rev. Cowan, not Roger) was also one of the school's governors at the time, adding to the likelihood of the scenario.
CONCERT GOERS ENJOY CREAM
Saint Paul's Church, Shipley, was packed on the afternoon of Sunday, May 21st for the special concert, announced in last month's Sentinel, in honour of Mr. Malcom Hudson celebrating fifty years of faithful service to the choir.
A cleverly planned programme ensured a comprehensive selection of musical styles at a suitably entertaining pace.
Performances by members of the all age choir, both as solos and in ensembles of all sizes, were of such high quality that it would be unfair to select any for special mention. Proceedings were compered to a professional standard by Mr. Christopher Clough and brought to a fitting climax when Mr. Hudson himself was persuaded (with little difficulty) to contribute a rousing rendition of Sir Arthur Sullivan's The Lost Chord.
Not to be overshadowed, however, Malcolm's wife Janet, together with her team of helpers, was thought by some to have 'topped the bill' and quite literally put the icing on the cake with an array of refreshments which deserves to be recorded as part of local history (as it soon became)!
Saltaire Shopping, going online this month, is a new part of the Saltaire Village website which aims to provide the local community with a "tabletop" to show and sell their wares. The idea is to sell quirky things, selected for their individual appeal, and the site has been designed with category headings: Gifts, Art & Images, Books and Stationery. E-mail links will put buyers and sellers in contact with each other. "Where there are multiple items available," says web designer Pamela Reynolds, "We provide a PayPal button so you can buy the item directly."
The Village website has a range of other attractions including a discussion forum and ways of keeping up with the very latest news of the Friends of Roberts Park, Shipley Glen Tramway, Saltairy Tales, Festival 2006, Friends of Saltaire Primary School, Saltaire Cricket Club and the local Green Party.
www.saltairevillage.info
June 1879
Read more >
This month:
Carol and Christine Lodge share their memories with Roger Clarke
As a snapshot of community spirit, Coronation Day, 1953 will take some beating. Twins Carol and Christine Lodge (their names reflect their Christmas birthday) were 3 years old at the time, living on William Henry Street in Saltaire; which had entered the competition for the best coronation street party in Shipley West ward. Read more>
Thanks to our presence on the website, we recently received our first e-mail from Waban, Minnesota; sent by Robert Welbourn, who describes himself as an "Old Bradfordian in exile", and writes: "I read Roger Clarke's history of Victoria Road with great interest, as it has a considerable bearing on my own family. My great-great grandfather, Joseph Charlesworth (1816-1868), came to Saltaire in around 1855 from Hepworth and can be found in the 1861 census as the grocer at No.11 Victoria Street. I was particularly interested to hear that Sir Titus Salt interviewed the tenants of Victoria Road (then Victoria Street) to assess their moral character, as this fits with the family story that Joseph was brought from Hepworth by Sir Titus. How he came to be appraised of the opportunity to move to the nascent village remains a mystery to me; was there perhaps a connection with the Salt family from when Sir Titus lived at Crow's Nest near Halifax? Mr Welbourn continues with a fascinating family history which Sentinel readers will be able to enjoy next month .
Thanks, Sentinel, for your support on our Easter Egg Hunt, which was a runaway success. We ran out of clues and eggs! We planned for approximately a hundred and forty-four children; it was probably over two hundred.
Sharon Ashton, Friends of Roberts Park
Thank you, Sharon, for the feedback and information. The Sentinel has a role to play in reporting things which have already taken place. Even though a monthly publication like this obviously cannot compete with the wider press in terms of newsworthiness, it can provide more coverage of issues of particular interest to local people, as well as vistors and overseas readers, and fulfil a service to local history. Would-be reporters please bear in mind that the Sentinel provides a rare opportunity for publication of one's efforts. [Editor]
I am grateful to Les and Ronnie Smith for meeting with me to share some of their recollections about life in the Mill and the Village from the 1930s onwards.
Ronnie, now 76, was employed at Firth's bakery at 2, Victoria Road for thirty-four years. Mrs Firth ran the business with sons Frank and Jack, but when Jack became ill in 1952 Ronnie took his place in the bake house. In the late 1950s the business expanded, taking over No 3. The basements in the two buildings were knocked through and larger ovens installed. the ground floor of No.3 was rented out to a ladies' hairdresser and later to a bookmaker. The Firth family lived on the first floor. As most of the trade was with mill workers and villagers, the closure of the Mill had a huge impact and Firth's closed in 1988.
[Les and Ronnie Smith are soon to be featured in our Saltaire people column. – Ed]
If you recall more about any of the shops in Victoria Road, you can help the Sentinel to record recent history for future generations. We look forward to hearing from you.
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