THE MEMORIES of FRANK SENIOR HIS LIFE in SALTAIRE and WORK in SALTS MILL BETWEEN 1918 and 1983
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THE MEMORIES OF FRANK SENIOR HIS LIFE IN SALTAIRE AND WORK IN SALTS MILL BETWEEN 1918 and 1983 Frank at 19 years of age Compiled and produced by Maggie Smith in December 2013, with grateful thanks to Frank for his hours of time so generously given. 1 Frank Senior’s story of life and The Problems of finding employment in the 1920’s, The work in Saltaire, 1918 - 1938. 1926 general strike in the United Kingdom was a general I was born in 1918 and had a strike that lasted nine days, from 4 May 1926 to 13 May younger sister. I spent my early 1926. It was called by the General Council of the Trades childhood in Saltaire. My father Union Congress (TUC) in an unsuccessful attempt to force came from Batley and worked at JT the British government to act to prevent wage reduction and and J Taylors in Batley as a loom worsening conditions for tuner. My mother’s family, 800,000 locked-out coal miners . Some 1.7 million originally from Cleckheaton, moved workers went out, especially in transport and heavy industry. to Saltaire in 1890. My mother was Amongst the causes were – The born there in 1896. My parents First World War: The heavy domestic use of coal in the war were married in 1918 in Saltaire meant that rich seams were depleted. Britain exported less United Reformed Church. coal in the war than it would have done in peacetime, I recall that when I was about 5 allowing other countries to fill the gap. years of age my father was still Mine owners wanted to working in Batley and had to leave normalise profits even during times of economic instability, Shipley at 4.40am to travel to work which often took the form of wage reductions for miners in each day. My father did get very their employ. Coupled with the prospect of longer working tired and had wanted to transfer his hours, the industry was thrown into disarray. The miners' pay work to the Bradford Area to work had gone down from £6.00 to £3.90 in the space of seven on finer looms but struggled to find years. Mine owners announced that their intention was to loom tuning work at this time. He further reduce miners' wages. They rejected the miners terms eventually accepted a job at Salt’s - "Not a penny off the pay, not a minute on the day." Mill as a labourer to alleviate the The TUC responded to this news long journeys. by promising to support the miners in their dispute. 2 My father liked living in Saltaire but The Great Depression, from 1929 In October 1929, the was disappointed that he couldn’t Stock Market Crash in New York heralded the worldwide Great follow his trade. As a general Depression. John Maynard Keynes, who had not predicted labourer his work was less stable the slump, said, "'There will be no serious direct consequences and my mother had to work as a in London. We find the look ahead decidedly encouraging” weaver to help with the family History was to prove him income. wrong. The Great Depression in the During the general depression and United Kingdom , also known as the Great Slump , was a period periods of labour strike actions of of national economic downturn in the 1930s, which had its the 1920’s, my dad was out of work origins in the global Great Depression. It was Britain's for 4 years. In the early 1930’s largest and most profound economic depression of the things were very bad and whilst my 20th century dad did receive some small welfare At the depth in summer 1932, registered unemployed benefits (known as transitional numbered 3.5 million , and many more had only part-time benefits) and we rented the house employment. Particularly from Salts at 4 shillings a week, we hardest hit by economic problems were the industrial often couldn’t afford this amount. and mining areas in the north of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. As soon as I was 12 years of age I Unemployment reached 70% in some areas at the start of the got applied for and got a licence to 1930s. work from the Shipley Education In May 1929 , a minority Labour Committee and I started delivering government headed by Ramsay MacDonald came to office with morning and evening newspapers Liberal support. This was only the second time a Labour which took me about 6 hours a day government had been in office (they had briefly been in office but each round was worth 6 pence in 1924), and few of the government's members had any and it helped the family during a deep knowledge of economics depressing time. I found then that or experience of running the economy. 3 the cinema was a ‘great escape’ for MacdonaldsThe Saltaire andGovernment Bradford Gaumontacted and Pictureappointed Houses a me in any spare time. committee to review the state Theof public Saltaire finances. cinema The building May enjoyedReport of a Julyprominent 1931 urged position public at In 1931, luxury cinemas began to be thesector busy wage junction cuts and of Bingley large cuts Roadin public and spending Saltaire Road (notably and in built and Bradford had one of the oppositebenefit payments the former to tramthe depot.unemployed) Technically to avoid it was incurring not finest, it was called ‘The New actuallya budget in deficit. the village The senseof Saltaire was butthat just the outsidedeficit was its boundary dangerous in Victoria’ – later to become the Shipley.and had Theto be Saltaire reduced; Picture the Houseproposal Ltd was was to listed meet with £24 Gaumont and Saltaire also had a capitalmillion ofby £20,000increased and taxes directors, on H.the Cottam rich, and and £96 J. Read,million by new Gaumont. You could go to purchasedeconomies, land of which to build £64 their would newcome cinema. from unemployment The Building was either before 6pm and get in for 6 designedrelief. by a local Bradford Architect and City Alderman, pence and then see a double WilliamThis proposal Illingworth proved FRIBA, deeply FSA, LRLAunpopular of Sunbridge within the Road, Labour who feature, a cartoon, the news and wasParty also and responsible among its main for the designsupporters, of the the Prince's trade Hallunions, in also have the Wurlitzer playing. You Shipleywhich along and hiswith most several notable designgovernment of the ministers fabulous refusedNew went into another world with thick Victoriato support Cinema any such ( later measures Gaumont/OdeonThe dispute over spending 123 ) in and Bradfordwage cuts city split centre. the Labour carpets and comfortable seats and government: as it turned out, this experience was my main Forbeyond Saltaire recovery. Illingworth designed an imposing Ashlar stone-builtOn 24 August, three-storey MacDonald interest in life. frontagesubmitted with the square resignation columns of supportinghis ministers a distinctiveand led his apex senior My family lived at 18 Edward Street abovecolleagues the projectionin forming room.the new A wroughtNational ironGovernment. and glass canopy in the village. From 12 years of age extendedMacDonald the and full his width supporters of the frontagewere expelled with afrom sign theproclaiming Labour "MostParty and up toadopted date pictures the label and I was earning 8 shillings and best"National music". Labour". sixpence and this was given to my TheSoon main after entrance this , a General to the left of theElection building was had called. a floor The and mother. Prior to this money earned staircaseelection resultedlaid with in marble a terrazzo.Conservative The structurelandslide wasvictory, from the newspaper rounds, I used toppedwith the by now a golden leaderless dome. Labour Its splendidParty winning interior only with 46 1500seats in to go to the shops for older people seatsParliament. was in AfterRenaissance the 1931 style withelection a balcony the national and a large 30 and run Saturday errands for 2 feetgovernment diameter became circular dome in theConservative-dominated, roof setting a new trend for shillings – I would walk to Bradford suburbanalthough MacDonaldcinema design. continued as Prime Minister until 1935. and back to get full value for my 4 money and use all that I had to buy toys. I was a member of the Saltaire Congregational Church, being baptised there, and for 15 or 16 Saltaire United Reformed years I went to Sunday school on SaltaireChurch is United truly one Reformed of the Churchnation's is most truly precious one of the Victorian Victoria Road, I enjoyed the bible nation'sarchitectural most gems. precious The Victorian church, architecturalbuilt by Sir Titus gems. Salt The in 1859 church, classes. Apart from my work at this builtnear byBradford, Sir Titus West Salt inYorkshire, 1859 nearis a unique Bradford, example West ofYorkshire, age, the cinema, helping neighbours isItalianate a unique religious example architecture. of ItalianateIt boasts many religious architecturally architecture. and Sunday school, I was a bit of a Itand boasts historically many architecturallyimportant andfeatures historically and has important been lone wolf. Unfortunately I spent featuresdescribed and as ahas classic been "Cathedral describedof Congregationalism". as a classic "Cathedral of Congregationalism". most of my school holidays with my This Grade 1 Listed Building (in Grandma in Batley so wasn’t Thisthe same Grade category 1 Listed asBuilding Hampton (in theCourt same Palace category and Salisbury as Hampton considered to be a regular attendee CourtCathedral) Palace lies and in theSalisbury valley of Cathedral)the River Aire, lies atin the valleyfoot of of the thePennine River Moors Aire, at and the at foot the of the at Sunday school. Pennineentrance Moors to the andYorkshire at the Dales. entrancePaid for out to theof his Yorkshire own pocket Dales.