| Number 47, November 2006
IT’S NOT THE PAPER PEOPLE BUY,
IT’S THE PAPER BY THE PEOPLE
In this issue
ALPACAS 'R' US
Plus
The Importance of JACK GRIMLEY
95 this month
Plus
ALL OUR USUAL
UNUSUALS
PAST HAS SURPRISES
 As predicted in this space in September, a Saltaire History Club is being launched, with the purpose of providing a forum to learn what's new in the historical accounts of Saltaire and help each other add pieces to the historical jigsaw, writes Dave Shaw.
All those with an interest in the Village’s history are invited to join. The inaugural meeting will be held on Thurs Nov 16th, 7 pm in Shipley College’s Resource Centre, Exhibition Road, Saltaire. The quarterly meetings will be informal gatherings – free entry, no lengthy agendas, just round-table exchange of ideas and friendly chat. Coffee and biscuits will be available at a nominal charge.
“The venue is ideal, and the kindness of colleagues at Shipley College in making it available is much appreciated”
---------------------------------------
OUR ROGER WRITING BOOK
'A Penny For Going' is the title of an embryonic book being prepared by Roger Clarke, well-known Saltaire Guide. Roger is documenting Saltaire’s history and its regeneration through the shops in Victoria Road, Gordon Terrace and the rest of the Village, and is asking for help in preparing his book for publication. Read more>
If you recall more about any of the shops in Victoria Road, or elsewhere in the Village, you can help to record recent history for future generations.
Roger, who can be contacted via the Sentinel, looks forward to hearing from you.
---------------------------------------
CONCERTS EVERY SUMMER SUNDAY
SALTAIRE BANDSTAND, the series of free concerts in Roberts Park, proved so popular and successful that the Half Moon Steering Committee are planning a concert every Sunday afternoon in Roberts Park from May Bank Holiday to August Bank Holiday 2007. All the participants of 2006 will be invited once again, but artistes, groups and choirs who wish to perform – as well as creative artists who would like to display or sell their works in the Half Moon Cafe - are asked to get in touch with the Steering Committee (which can be done through the Sentinel).
Sponsors are needed for individual events, for a large gazebo to protect the performers, and for backstage refreshments.
---------------------------------------
BOOST FOR RESTORATION
Roberts Park will benefit to the tune of £114,800 from the National Lottery's "Parks for People" programme towards the development of a detailed stage two application which the Council hopes will help to finance a £4.9 million restoration and development programme. Principal Technical and Development Manager Ian Day said " We will be contacting relevant groups, organisations and individuals to ensure that we prepare a robust submission that demonstrates how we will restore the park, engage local people in the process and increase visitor numbers, particularly from groups that are currently uderrepresented."
---------------------------------------
REMEMBRANCE
Shipley's annual Remembrance Service takes place at St. Paul's Church on Kirkgate on Sunday November 12th. The service in church starts at 9.45am, followed by a procession to the War Memorial in Crowgill Park for the Act of Remembrance at 10.55am, when wreaths will be laid. Refreshments are served in Shipley Town Hall immediately afterwards.
This year, for the first time, we have as guest preacher the Ven. David Lee, Archdeacon of Bradford. The service will be led by Dr. Chris Clough, Reader at St. Paul's (who has just celebrated twenty-five years in this ministry), and worship will be supported by our choir and organ. The events are attended by local councillors, and by representatives of various local youth and uniformed organisations, but we warmly invite anyone who wishes to join in this act of remembrance. The church has ramped access, but the toilets are not wheelchair-accessible. There is limited parking space at the church, and we ask those who are more able to consider using the nearby public car park.
Revd. Colin Penfold
St. Paul's, Shipley
---------------------------------------
JEWELS IN THE MILL
info@kathlibbertjewellery.co.uk
 Kath Libbert Jewellery Gallery is celebrating ten years of occupying its space on the second floor of Salts Mill, with a suitably sparkling event beginning this month.
Thirty-five jewellers and metalsmiths from the UK and elsewhere have created special works, inspired by the Mill, for an exciting competiton to form the focus of a special exhibition from Nov. 10th to Jan. 28th
PRIZES
All visitors to the exhibiton will be invited to vote for their favourite entry – and automatically entered to win a £100 voucher to be spent at the gallery.
A prize of £500 will be awarded to the maker of the winning piece, as decided by a distinguished panel of judges which includes Simon Palmer, winner of the Royal Academy 2006 Windsor Newton Turner Award for Most Distinguished Watercolour.
FOR SALE
All of the competition pieces will be for sale and there will also be new collections on show by all the participating makers.
---------------------------------------
ACTION PLAN IN PROCESS
A new group, which aims to draw up a Neighbourhood Action Plan for Saltaire and Wycliffe will meet in Shipley Town Hall on November 1st at 7.30pm. A steering group met in September to review the results of a consultation exercise carried out by the Area Co-ordinator's Office at Neighbourhood Forum and other events during the summer. "The group membership seems to be heavily weighted towards the Wycliffe end and only one Saltaire Village resident came", reports Councillor Martin Love, "We do need more people to get involved with this and to have an input to the process. NAPs have been the catalyst for improvements in a number of areas in the district, and can be here too, but if it just comes from council officers and councillors it will not be a true reflection of the issues." Councillor Love also noted the lack of representation, by residents, of Saltaire at meetings of the Ward Tasking Group, which take place at 6pm on a Wednesday evening, every six weeks, in Kirkgate Community Centre. (There is also one of these on November 1st .) Regular attenders include the Police, PCSOs, councillors, Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinators, housing officers and residents of other parts of the Shipley Ward. "If no-one is there from Saltaire, we will of course raise their concerns," says Cllr. Love, "but if anyone can come, please do."
---------------------------------------
ADVENT CALENDAR
 (As reported last month:)
Saltaire residents David & Victoria Worsley have a bright idea for Christmas: They would like to start a Living Advent Calendar using the windows of Saltaire’s houses and are looking for 23 other houses to create a seasonal scene in their windows. So if you want to light up Saltaire in the build-up to Christmas please contact David or Victoria at 67 Victoria Road; (01274) 530410 to arrange a date for your window.
[Note from the webmaster: link to more info on this story>]
---------------------------------------
THE HISTORY OF VICTORIA ROAD
Jack Grimley, who owned and ran the local chemist's shop at No.12 Victoria Road, was one of the most important men in the Village in the 1950s and 60s. No.12 was one of those shops which had not changed its function since it was built by Sir Titus in the 1850s. George Baylet was the original chemist in 1871, followed by Mr. Charlesworth and then it became the Albion Drug Company, owned by Arthur Albert Abbott. Arthur was followed by Clarence Richardson, whose main chemist's shop was at 30, Bingley Road. Clarence was a flamboyant personality... Read more>
---------------------------------------
Village Website
"A darned big site and growing" is how Pamela Reynolds, who designed and maintains the Saltaire Village website, described it recently as she carried out further improvements to the structure, including a new look homepage. The site, which now boasts around 20,000 'hits' a week, carries most of the contents of the Sentinel.
In addition, features include: Saltaire Shopping, Roger Clarke’s tourist tips, FREE Classified Ads, Forum and Links to other imporant sites of local interest.
For instance, the Abbott and Carmichael Questionnaire is accessible by this means while, in relation to the History Club, Dave Shaw says "It's going to be the best way for most of us to exchange information between meetings and when we can't meet up in person. There's potential, too for a North American and mainland Europe exchange which could prove very valuable."
What's more, there's more about Shaun 's alpacas.
The site carries numerous photographs, many of which supplement Sentinel stories.
www.saltairevillage.info
---------------------------------------
Fr. Michael Kelly, former PP of St.Walburga's, Shipley, has written to confirm that he remembers the Cycle Shop at No.8 Victoria Road, which Roger asked about a while ago.
Meanwhile, Mrs. F Saville of Saltaire tells us:
"I can remember a Cycle Shop and also a Greengrocer's shop in Victoria Road. I don't remember the numbers of the shops but they were there in the early 1960s. There was also a furniture and television shop on the corner of Victoria Road and Caroline Street."
Thank you, Readers.
---------------------------------------
Villagers Andy Abbott and Yvonne Carmichael were in Biella last month for an exhibition in connection with their current project and told the Sentinel."It was great. Lots of responses and plans for development." Readers will recall that the pair are asking former millworkers in Yorkshire to share their stories with workers in the Italian town, where mills are closing, and have put together a questionnaire to gather information which may help them.
[Note from the webmaster: You can fill in Andy and Yvonne's questionnaire on-line. Follow this link> ]
---------------------------------------
 Shaun Daniel was quick to notice that the alpacas at Saltaire Festival had travelled all the way from Gloustershire and to remark "Should anybody wish to have alpacas at any event in Yorkshire please have them contact me through the Village website." For Shaun is the man behind County Alpacas of Brighouse and takes a great interest in Saltaire and its founder. In a fascinating article for the British Alpaca Society Magazine, he tells how, through a chance meeting with an old friend who had worked on the clearing out of Salts Mill, he came to view a "breathtaking" sample book which belonged to Sir Titus himself and is now in Bradford Industrial Museum, normally kept out of the sunlight and at a specific temperature and humidity. "The first thing that captures you," says Shaun, "is the freshness and brilliance of the colours. Then the material itself, almost like pure silk."
A bonus for Shaun from his research was the discovery that Sir Titus had kept alpacas at Crows Nest, just 500 yards from Shaun's present home. "So, before I even knew a thing about alpacas," he concludes, "they had always been on my doorstep, historically speaking."
[Note from webmaster: Shaun has published an article about this. Shaun and Julie Daniel are relaunching their website - more news on this soon. Follow this link>]
---------------------------------------
A MESSAGE FROM SIR TITUS SALT
The following extracts are from a report in the Bradford Observer for Sept.25th 1856 of a speech made by Sir Titus on the occasion of his being presented by his workers with a bust of himself. The ceremony, which took place on Sept 20th , was re-enacted exactly 150 years later, courtesy of Mr. Dave Shaw and friends, when Mr.Denys Salt took the part of his honourable ancestor.
"Three years ago, when I had the pleasure of meeting you at the opening of the works in Saltaire... Read more> |
