Spen Valley Through the Years
by Maurice Popplewell
1927 to 1929

1927

Our King George is now 62 and Baldwin is Prime Minister. A Royal Charter is granted to the BBC and Sir John Reith became the first director general. Major Seagrave clocked up 203mph at Daytona Beach, and Lindbergh flew the Atlantic alone on May 21st. Talking pictures arrived, the slow foxtrot, and the first automatic traffic signals.

Heckmondwike Secondary School. Miss A.G. Rhodes, very graciously presented a second scholarship, tenable at the University of Leeds, in memory of her mother. It was known as the "Elizabeth Rhodes Scholarship." The fees at this time for non-scholarship holders were £3 3s a term, and there was an entrance exam. At the prize giving on 11th November, I see that Elsie Bousfield was awarded the Rex Scholarum Gold Medal, and Ernest R Pyco got the Sir John Simon prize. The school football and hockey captains were Leslie Goldthorp and Elsie Bousfield.

Mr & Mrs Tom Myers celebrated their Silver Wedding Anniversary on October 22nd at Cleckheaton Town Hall, when they were presented with an"Elysian" Chappell piano by the Divisional Labour Party. The presentation was made by the Rt. Hon. Philip Snowden, and congratulatory letters were read from Ramsay MacDonald, Herbert Smith (Pres. Yorks Miners Union), J.R. Clynes, Sir John Simon and others.

The Hightown New Road was opened. 8 to 10,000 people gathered and there was motorcycle racing up and down the new stretch of road. There was a hearty dinner at the George Hotel for all the 'cream' of Cleckheaton society at the time!

The President of Heckmondwike Co-op, Mr A. Wilson, speaking about the labour troubles of 1926, said: "The lessons to be learnt from the 1926 problems were that strikes, disputes, class warfare and class distinction were outworn theories. It had been proved that the results were disastrous both for employees and employers." In 1927, we had the lowest strike figures for 40 years, since records were kept.

'Toby' Visits Liversedge. He wrote to his aunt: In previous letters I told you Birstall was old, Cleckheaton was new and Heckmondwike indescribable. Liversedge is all three! What strikes me about the place is its immensity. It is not on a mountain, nor in a valley. This morning I set off on a long thoroughfare that seemed the highroad to nowhere. All the forenoon I walked, on and on. At 1 o'clock I pulled up at a tavern, for I was very weary and faint. Expecting to be in the next county I asked the landlord: "Tha're i' Liversedge," he said. Through the afternoon and evening I tramped straight ahead. I pen these lines by the bedside where I intend to stay, footsore, weary and worn. I am still in Liversedge!! So far as I can make out Liversedge is bounded on the north by Rawfolds and Moorbottom, on the south by Roberttown, on the east by Millbridge and on the west by Hightown. Heckmondwike is all centre, Liversedge is all outside. For architecture, ponder the Town Hall, Clough Miln, the Spen Bridge and Lower Trippy. They have a fine cemetery, stuck on a hill top. And there is Knowler Hill, evidently placed for balancing purposes. Residents at one time were Charlotte Bronte and Michael McCabe, a benevolent gentleman who dealt in pots. I am convinced that in these regions known as Spen Valley is to be found the secret of the Elixir of Life. It is quite evident that some of the people never die!

The Hartshead Pageant was mentioned in my 1925 notes, when I spoke of the preparations being made for this event, to be staged here in 1927. The last Saturday in June, the 25th, the first Saturday in July, and the Wednesday in between were the dates. The 'theatre' was the lower section of a large field, and the audience used a field opposite, from the slopes of which the wide expanse of stage could be seen. But there were no seats, and heavy rain on the first Saturday ruined the first performance. A thousand packaged teas were there, for a dripping audience of 500 valiant souls. The vicar made an appeal - all walked back to the village day school and young lads hawked 500 of the teas around the district. A concert of part-songs, dances and good humour provided some entertainment. Dr. Phyllis Bentley attended. The following Wednesday kept fine and 1,500 turned up. On the second Saturday 6,000 came along to make the Pageant a big success, with £300 plus for the church funds.

'Ideal' Coaches. G.A. Kilburn & Sons with their popular vehicles started a regular service from Heckmondwike to Hightown and Scholes.

Spen Valley Labour Exchange gave details of our wholly unemployed at January 3rd as men 679, boys 7, women 82, girls 14 - total 782.

Prices. The LMS ran an excursion to London, Saturday, Heckmondwike 10.55am, St. Pancras 3.34pm. Return 12.30am (early Sunday morning)...9s 6d return. Whittakers Halifax Brewery - Standard Stout 8d pint, half-pints 5d, 'nips' 4d.

Morris modernised his 'Bull Nose' to a 'Flat Nosed' Cowley.

Cinema. 'It,' with Clara Bow. 'Beau Geste,' with Ronald Colman. 'Hindle Wakes,' with Estelle Brody.

Songs. My heart stood still, Blue skies, Charmaine, Ain't she sweet, Crazy words, Crazy tune, Diane, Ramona, Side by side, One alone, My blue heaven, Souvenirs and Let a smile be your umbrella.

And...we had a total eclipse of the sun on June 29th, visible in the Valley. 

1928

By 1928, women, like men, could vote at 21; up to then it had been 30 for the womenfolk. They shortened their skirts to 10" from the ground and favoured the boyish, flat-chested figure, with the 'Eton Crop' to complete the picture. D.H.Lawrence wrote 'Lady Chatterley's Lover,' the first Mickey Mouse films by Disney appeared, Joe Davis won the World Billiards Championship and the Olympic Games were held in Amsterdam. Talkies arrived and the BBC Orchestra under Jack Payne. All the youngsters collected cigarette cards and Blackburn Rovers beat Huddersfield Town 3-1 in the Cup Final.

Book of Remembrance. At Heckmondwike, Councillor Fred Kershaw unveiled the 'Sarcophagus and Book of Remembrance,' now in the library. It contains the names of 1,357 who served from the town in 1914/18, and of the 157 of them who made the supreme sacrifice.

Harry Ramsden opened his famous fish and chip shop in a wooden hut at Guiseley. They now employ around 150 people in shifts. He was t celebrate 40 years in the trade later by re-instituting his 'penn'oths and ha'porths' for a day. Ignoring the cost of petrol, folks came over from Lancashire to have a cheap meal! Their present profit forecast is £460,000 for the year, with around 10,000 customers served every day.

On January 13th, Mr Thomas William Thompson, local librarian, gave a talk to the George Street Young People's Fellowship entitled 'A Toathry owd 'eckmondwikers an' summat abaht 'em.' I have mentioned Doss Rouse in an earlier report. Another character was John Wood (known by everyone as 'Lord Kettlewell'), who died in 1887, and is buried in Heckmondwike Cemetery. He was an inveterate drinker, and believe it or not had been in prison 75 times, all for short spells. He lived when water had to be fetched from the town's well; there was usually a queue, and he would take a very dirty kettle which he would rub against the girls pinafores to advance his place in the queue. 'Here comes Lord Kettlewell' they would say, and get out of his way. A typical court case was one where PC Rampton said Kettlewell told a rambling tale of coming out of jail, getting jobs at cleaning out middens and cleaning chimneys. But folks, he said, would give him bits of bacon, cheese and drops of beer. He didn't want anybody's help because it encouraged him to drink again! 'Let me off,' he said, 'and I'll never come here again!' He got a month or 20s and costs. To the magistrate he said, ' Thank you sir, one month, thank you!' He had just one penny in his pocket!

The Thompson Jowett Memorial Homes were built in Scholes under the will of the late Thompson Jowett, a Scholes man who had made his fortune as an enterprising engineer, who never forgot the village of his birth. Originally the accommodation was for four old local couples, but later the two end houses were made into two singles each. They are lived in free of all costs, including rates and rent, gas central heating, lighting, curtains, etc. The gardens are attended to also.

Hartshead held its second Pageant, following the successful one in 1927. The Pageant master, the Rev. H.N. Pobjoy, received a telegram from the Sheriff of Nottingham, announcing his intention to be present: he came as the guest of Sir George Armytage, in whose company he enjoyed the colourful event, which ended with a satisfactory profit towards the Sunday School Building Fund.

Fire at Flush Mills. On 4th November, fire broke out in the printing department at the rear of the offices on the main road. Very soon the warehouse, pattern room, showrooms and the main office block were gutted. Damage amounted to over £150,000. The heat was so intense that I remember seeing a huge steel safe, inside an equally strong strong-room, being opened some days later. Every bit of paper, including currency had been reduced to ashes. At the time I was a clerk in their counting house, and I have ever since had a very real fear of fire!

Heckmondwike Co-op had a special offer of an attache case containing: a tablet of naptha soap, a tablet of floating soap, a tablet of Old English lavender soap, a packet of Solvo powder, a packer of soap flakes and a shaving stick...all for 1s 11½d (including case).

Yorkshire Bus Company announced a new direct route to Leeds, (Gildersome, Smithies, Heckmondwike Green, Roberttown and Bradley). The 'Ideal' company promptly announced their new service, over the same route!! It was a situation which could not last for ever.

Theatre Royal, Dewsbury. Jack Hylton and his band entertained during the year. Dewsbury was in the top line of theatre venues, attracting the best in entertainment. Circle and stalls were 3s 6d, side circle 3s 4d, other seats 2s down to 6d.

Prices. Cleckheaton Co-op offered Common nuts (coal) at 1s 7½d a bag, best house at 2s 2d delivered. At Cooper's garage you could pick up a new Austin Seven for £135. Whisky at this time was 12s 6d a bottle, port 3s and sherry 3s to 5s.

Songs of the year. Sonny Boy; Spread a little happiness; Ballin' the Jack; Fancy our meeting; Ah, sweet mystery of life; My blue heaven; Constantinople; That's my weakness now; All by yourself in the moonlight.

1929

King George is 64, and Stanley Baldwin is Prime Minister until June when Ramsay MacDonald leads a Labour Government which lasts two years. The Poor Law Act was replaced by Public Assistance Committees. Noel Coward wrote 'Bitter Sweet,' J.B. Priestley wrote 'The Good Companions.' The word Apartheid was first used. Bradman scored 452 not out, a world record, and quartz crystal clocks gave us precise timing. But the big date was October 29th, called 'Black Tuesday,' when the American Stock Exchange crashed, with losses of 14 billion dollars.

In January, the local Labour party met their new candidate, Mr H.H. Elvin (50). He had lived 8 years in India, and it was thought he would be a suitable opponent to Sire John Simon, Chairman of the India Commission.

Hartshead held another spectacular event, 'The story of Robin Hood,' with the Rev. Pobjoy playing the part of Little John.

Spenborough Library started to take shape. James Hoskins got the building contract, Beaumont & Smith the joinery, Crowther Wood the plumbing, Sellers the plastering, Burnhills the painting, F.W. Birkett the electrics. R. Castle & Son were the architects.

Pinching Cases. An Oakenshaw woman of 51, Edith Whittle, was charged with stealing a lady's handbag and a lady's gown, the property of Asa Lingard. She was given 12 months' hard labour, which from this distance seems to be a severe punishment. And 2 boys, hurriers at Dark Lane colliery, Mirfield, were had up for stealing 2 meat pies worth 2½d each from a shop counter. Each was put on 2 years' probation and fined 18s costs. Ernest Richardson stole his mother's Co-op dividend of 18s. He went to Bradford and spent it, then gave himself up and was fined 30s and 5s costs. What a silly man!!

Heaton Avenue School, Cleckheaton was built under Spenborough's Authority and opened by Lord Eustace Percy, President of the Board of Education, March 1st 1929.

Local Election on 30th May. The result was:
Sir John Simon KC (Lib) 22,039
H.H. Elvin (Lab) 20,300
Shaukat Usmani (Com) 242

Usmani, the Communist, was in prison in Meerut, awaiting trial on a sedition charge. Mr G. Brown of 1 Mortimer Street, Cleckheaton, was his agent.

Heckmondwike Secondary School. The parents' Scholarship Committee organised a bazaar, 'A Chinese Market' on Saturday April 13th. The Chairman was Miss Lilian Hocknell, an old scholar and a nationally famous children's artist. Major W.C. Fenton, another old boy, and a respected industrialist in the Valley, was the opener. He said, "I don't think folk like being told off, but they will put up with it if they think you are being fair. If you make a mistake, admit it as soon as possible. The success of any management depends on being trusted." The Mayor of Harrogate was present. He told of a well-known Harrogate man who was asked if he had been educated at Eton. 'No, Cleckheaton!!' he said. The event raised £2,000 for the Scholarship Fund.

A Hungry Dog. A Cleckheaton man went into his local and noticed the landlord's fox terrier lying in a corner. He put down his shopping and ordered a pint. He felt something hit his foot and on looking down saw a pear. On further investigation, he discovered that the dog had eaten a pound of sausages, four eggs, half a cauliflower and three pears! The dog was not punished, for he seemed to be suffering enough.

Unusual Sale. Cleckheaton Co-op had a strange sale, for certain items were offered which were to be reduced each day until they were sold!

Entertainments. There was much activity in the Valley with the various societies. Feb. 2nd, St. Saviours Operatic Society put on 'HMS Pinafore,' with Mrs J. Ackroyd as 'Buttercup,' and John Firth as 'Sir Joseph Porter.' On the same day the Heckmondwike Secondary School Operatic Society had 'Trial by Jury' and 'Pirates,' with Geoffrey Burnley, naturally, as 'The Judge.' Providence Place at Cleckheaton, put on 'Peggy.' That's all I know about it! And Central celebrated their Jubilee.

Dr. Henley, of Bevor House, Heckmondwike, died, aged 58. He was well known for his meticulous attention to his patients, and would walk miles at night to attend to his sick. On one occasion a child was seriously ill and the mother had no idea how to make poultices to overcome the crisis. The doctor took off his coat, did the job for four hours, and saved the child's life. He must have felt well satisfied with his night's work!

Poor Trade. Gomersall's, Cookes, Wadsworths, Andertons, Atkinsons, Mark Oldroyds and many more local concerns served notice of wage reductions of 10%. The minimum wage of £2 14s 10d dropped to about £2 10s. Women workers received 30s instead of 32s 6d.

Providence Place ran a trip to Edinburgh and the Forth Bridge on May 11th. It cost 35s for adults, and boys and girls under 15 20s. They left Cleckheaton at 4am by bus to Bradford. Bacon, eggs, sausages etc. for breakfast on the train, tour around Edinburgh, lunch of sirloin and Yorkshire puds etc., then special train to the Bridge. Good steamer trip then back to the capital for cold meats or fish, scones etc. They left Waverley station at 8.30pm for roast mutton, fresh fruit tart, ice cream etc., coffee was 4d extra!! Back home by bus at 2.30am, very tired but surely not hungry!!

The Spen Valley Women's Liberal Association heard about the trip and had one on July 13th. Same venue, same price, but they had a trip up the west coast to Wemyss Bay on the 'Duchess of Argyle.'

Films of 1929 included: Broadway Melody with Bessie Love and Love Parade with Maurice Chevalier, and a basketful of songs: Blue Moon, You were meant for me, Wedding of a painted doll, Tiptoe through the tulips, Painting the clouds with sunshine, Sonny boy, Singing in the rain, All by yourself in the moonlight, I lift up my finger, You're the cream in my coffee, Louise and I've got a feeling I'm falling.