Number 140 September 2014

______MANAGEMENT MANIA

HERITAGE PLAN UPDATE DUE

The World Heritage There will be a In this issue Celebrating Site Management public consultation PICTURE Plan for Saltaire event on 10 th of this HOUSE has been updated in month, 2-7pm, in REMEMBERED Plus All Year draft form, but the Caroline Street ALL OUR USUAL there is still time for Social Club, so ‘drop Round UNUSUALS residents to offer in’ at any time to see

HERITAGE suggestions or even and discuss the Plan. HISTORY objections. [Continued on Page 4>] OPEN DAY CLUB

Bradford Libraries will “NOT ABOUT HEROES” The next meeting of the

be holding a Heritage Saltaire History Club is th Open Day in Shipley – ‘THE SURVIVORS 1919’ on Thursday, 4 of this

Library on Saturday, A unique promenade play for the Saltaire month from 7 to 9pm in th September 20 , from Festival performed on Saturday and Sunday, the Methodist Church th 10am to 3pm, focusing September 13 & 14th at 11-15am and 2-3pm. on Saltaire Road. on the history and Meet characters whose experiences in the Great In an appropriately

heritage of Shipley, War have changed their lives forever. Come timed programme, Mike Saltaire and . If and share their stories. and Tish Lawson will

you would like to Tickets are now on sale, at £7 (£5 concessions), be speaking about contribute to the ex- available from Saltaire Visitor Information "Baildon's response to

hibition of memorabilia, Centre - Tel 01274 437942, Salts Walks 01274 the Great War" while please contact Peter 599887, mobile: 07801449105, or on-line at Richard Coomber takes Walker to indicate your www.saltairevillageexperience.co.uk recruiting the troops as equipment needs. www.saltairefestival.co.uk his theme in "The peter.walker@ Details and images on websites. Finger Points at You". .gov.uk In case of heavy rain performances will be in the Admission is free and Tel. 01274 433671 all are welcome. Saltaire United Reformed Church (downstairs).

WHATEVER IT IS - SAY IT IN THE Sentinel ! [email protected] OR c/o The Saltaire Bookshop, 1 Myrtle Place The Deadline is always 20 th of the month prior to publication.

2 Stories from SALTAIRE PICTURE HOUSE World War One By Colin Coates The First of Many Fatalities nd September 22 1914 saw Saltaire suffer its first known fatality of the Great War. The brave soldier was Sam Spencer , a 32 year old married mill worker with a loving wife, Edith (nee Bennett), and a young daughter, Grace (born 1908) who lived at 10 Fanny Street in Saltaire. Sam served as a Private with the 1st

Battalion Royal Scot Fusiliers. They formed part of the 9 th Brigade who were Roger Clarke writes: one of the first Brigades to see action in Donald Swift [See ‘Saltaire Folk’, opposite ] showed me a France. Sam died as his battalion fought commemorative programme for the opening of the Saltaire in the First Battle of Aisne. Picture House (which was on Road, opposite the Tram As reported in the Shipley Times , a Sheds, where the filling-station is now located). The Picture memorial service was held for Sam on th House was opened on Saturday, June 17 , 1922 by Thomas Saturday, October 17 th , 1914 at Saltaire Blythe Esq, JP, and Lord Mayor of Bradford. There was a full Congregationalist Church (now URC). programme of films including “The Virtuous Vamp” and “Our Here is an extract from the report;- Mutual Friend” by Charles Dickens. The latter is described as “A “The pastor, the Rev. P. Drummond superb Nordisk masterpiece”. Admission was 8d, 1/- and 1/6d. Pringle conducted the service. A peal of Proceeds from the opening went to the Princess Mary New Wing muffled bells was rung by the church at Saltaire Hospital. The programme describes the cinema in ringers under the leadership of Mr. A. detail as follows:- “The Saltaire Picture House is an imposing Riley. The choir were in attendance and structure erected in the Renaissance style, with ashlar stone front, Mr. W. Sutcliffe officiated at the organ. over-mounted by a golden globe. It is built from the designs of The church was filled with worshippers Mr William Illingworth, and local firms have been mainly who had gathered to express their entrusted with the work required. There is a verandah over the sympathy with the widow and the other whole of the front of the building, in the centre of which is a kiosk relatives of the deceased. for the purpose of retailing sweets. There is a spacious main Following a short address by the pastor entrance, the floor of which is laid with marble terrazzo, and the the organist played the Dead March same material is utilised for the staircase, the floor of the circle from Handel’s “Saul”. The impressive and the auditorium. The fibrous plaster decorations throughout are service was brought to a close with the in the Neo-Grec style. The proscenium is artistically decorated in singing of the National Anthem. pale green, cream and gold, and the Ionic columns on each side Sam is remembered on the memorial at are also similarly adorned. There is seating for 1,500 people, with La Ferte-Sous-Jouarre, a small village tip-up chairs of the latest and most comfortable design. 66km east of Paris. He is also Handsome Wilton carpets of royal blue and gold cover the floor, remembered on the Rolls of Honour at and harmonise admirably with the entire decorative scheme. Nab Wood, St. Pauls, St. Peters & Great care has been devoted to the heating and ventilation of the Saltaire URC. Sam had an elder brother, new building. The hall is well lighted by electric installation, and Holdsworth, who also sadly lost his life the whole building is fire-proof. The special orchestra has been serving his country. engaged under the direction of Mr J W Brayshaw. Messrs Hilton and Hilton has supplied a full concert grand piano. The To help with local commemorations management can be relied upon to provide the best and latest of World War One, please contact pictures. ” The 8-piece orchestra performed as musical either Colin Coates or Dave Shaw: accompaniment to these early silent films, and included the grand [email protected] piano mentioned above and a reed organ. or mobile 07736408339

Roger Clarke’s Saltaire Folk PETER The SPA

DONALD SWIFT 21 Titus Street RANDALL I talked with Donald Swift the day before his 92 nd birthday. When he was seven years old he moved The Authentic Gentleman’s into 6, Lockwood St with his parents. He lived there Village corner shop Hairdresser from 1929 to 1933 when he moved to 18, Park St, Open Mon-Sat and remained there until 1946 when he moved out of 8am-10pm 205 Bingley Road the Saltaire area to Windhill and later to Sandbeds, Sun. 10am-10pm 01274 – 597140 . Many years later, he and his late wife, 01274 – 826534 ______May , returned to Saltaire to live at 23, Dove St. ______VICTORIA May was employed as a spinner in the Lobby of SALTAIRE TEAROOMS , on the top floor of the Mill, and talked of the intense heat there because the roof windows BOOKSHOP 8 Victoria Road could not be opened. Whitewashing them regularly Open Daily 1 Myrtle Place to keep out the sunlight did little to rectify the Tuesday- Saturday Coffee, tea, cakes, scones, problem. Donald was an engineer, but never worked snacks and novelty gifts 10am - 5pm in the Mill. Donald’s recollection of events is New/Second-hand books 01274 - 823092 remarkable: One of his earliest memories of the 01274 – 589144 ______village is watching guests arrive in their limousines CAROLINE at the Lockwood St entrance to Victoria Hall for the VICARS first night of the Conversazione, a grand three day Café Bistro SOCIAL CLUB event of eating, drinking, dancing, etc. Caroline Street, always The balcony in the main hall of Victoria Hall used to 79 Victoria Road has a welcome for all. enclose three sides, but in 1929, the floor was re-laid “Pop in and see us!” Regular Events and the side balconies were removed, extending the 01274 – 597818 01274 – 585140 dancing area by removing the pillars which ______supported them. I had previously understood that ADVERTISING SALTS they had been removed earlier to improve the All the establishments acoustics, but Donald’s account is quite credible. promoted here serve as All the streets of Saltaire used to be cobbled using outlets for this paper. MILL sandstone setts, unlike the granite setts which are Advertising space is Opened in 1853 used on Albert Terrace. New toilets, installed in the NOT for sale . and still houses in the mid 1930s, needed most of the cobbles The Saltaire Sentinel Open Every Day to be removed from the backstreets, which were then can also be found at concreted, to accommodate the new sewage system. Attractions include : VICTORIA HALL [If any readers remember the main streets being Saltaire SALT’S DINER tarmacked, the Sentinel wants to hear from you .] UNITED Cafe in to When living at Park St, Donald’s house overlooked REFORMED a number of wooden hostels. He understands that the Opera these were built for women from South Yorkshire to CHURCH Saltaire SALTAIRE work in local mills in the early 1920s but had closed by 1929 when he moved to Park St. In 1934, they POST OFFICE HISTORY re-opened for about 18 months but were then closed Saltaire EXHIBITION again and sold. One building which remained in use MEDICAL was the old dining hall, continuing to be a 1853 Gallery PRACTICE community resource, housing Salts Gymnastics Saltaire THE HOME Club, with a dance every Wednesday to the music of VISITOR and many other, varied Tom Cheetham and his Raiders. During the War, it INFORMATION retail outlets was commandeered as a dining hall for the Army CENTRE ADMISSION FREE Service Corps. Shipley Fire Station now occupies Shipley and Baildon 01274 - 531163 this site. An Ordnance Survey map for 1934 clearly LIBRARIES shows the huts, described as a YWCA Hostel.

Notices - News - Announcements - News - Notices

MORE ON THE MANAGEMENT PLAN VILLAGE GREAT WAR [Continued from front page ] Since September WEBSITE Dina Plowes , who wrote to 2013 public events and meetings have been The Saltaire Sentinel is us last month, is surely not held in Saltaire to gather the views of available online, via the not the only itreader to have residents, land and property owners, schools, noticed that our special businesses and organisations including the for profit Saltaire Village supplement to commemorate Saltaire Village Society, from whose input Website, thanks to Pamela the outbreak of World War over fifty projects have been drafted, Reynolds , who manages One made no mention of the covering six main areas relating to the site at

contribution made to the war conservation, tourism, education, transport, www.saltairevillage.info effort by women or community and the buffer zone. conscientious objectors. Anyone wanting to see the draft plan and th BANDSTAND This situation will be comment on it has until October 6 and, GOES TO THE rectified (with readers’ help, if unable to attend the consultation event we hope) as we continue to [see page 1 ], should visit the webpage: FESTIVAL follow the tragic history of www.bradford.gov.uk/consultations FREE music at the the conflict month by month. www.bradford.gov.uk/saltaire bandstand in Roberts Park Meanwhile, we are reliably The Management Plan can also be viewed at, Sunday, Sept. 14 th informed that the History and a consultation questionnaire obtained 1-5pm from, Shipley Town Hall. Club meeting will focus on Den Miller ______women of Baildon during Strid the war, while the station SALTAIRE VILLAGE SOCIETY CONTACT DETAILS Gerry Cooper & porter, a central character in Phil Snell the drama “.Not About Saltaire Village Society can be contacted by Roger Davis

Heroes” is female. [ See front e-mail at [email protected] or Also: Sept. 7 th , 2.30pm: page for details of both .] via the Saltaire Bookshop, 1 Myrtle Place, Jolly Jivers in person or by telephone on 01274 589144 Saltaire Cricket Club - or like our Facebook Page! ______WORLD HERITAGE TABLE TOP SALE SALTAIRE FESTIVAL WHEELIE Victoria Hall Does NOT talk rubbish September 21st The twelfth Saltaire Festival runs from 13 th to 21 st of this month. Doors open at 10 am. While continuing to fulfill its role in 01274 787908 Sentinel ______reporting other matters the , as always, extends its congratulations and best Cuppacare wishes for further success to the organisers in New Kirkgate, Shipley, is and all concerned. a non-profit enterprise, kept The usual brochure is available locally and open from 10am until can be downloaded from the village website: 1.30pm on Mondays and www.saltairevillage.info

Fridays by Shipley Updated details of events are also on the " Management Plan? Christians Together. Festival’s own website: Fine – as long as it doesn’t saltai refestival.co.uk keep me off the streets!” The Saltaire Sentinel , written by the people of Saltaire and photocopied by in the heart of Saltaire every month, is not affiliated to, nor in any way controlled or influenced by any group, society or organisation . [email protected] Sadly, sooner or later you will dispose of this copy of the Sentinel . Please do so with care for o ur World Heritage Site environment.