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Queensbury TimesQueensbury TimesQueensbury TimesQueensbury Times September 2010

Delivered free, each month, to 2,500 households in the village.

Featuring John Foster’s Black Dyke Mills

Community Magazine and Business Directory

2

Queensbury born business man, Michael

Binns, launched his own company this year

with over 10 years experience in the trade.

His vision is to provide “old fashioned

quality at old fashioned prices”.

Picture Perfect draws on over 20 years

experience of local fitters and builders

within the Queensbury area.

With key contacts in the industry the com-

pany is able to supply quality products at

competitive prices.

The business is based at the Black Dyke

Mills on Brighouse Road, a location Mi-

chael is more than familiar with having

started out there as an apprentice Warp

Twister in 1977.

Michael’s competitive nature has led him

to join many sports teams in the past in-

cluding the Wheatsheaf and Halfway

House football teams, Queensbury rugby

league and Union Croft cricket team.

Today he is Captain of the local Queens-

bury Golf Club.

Picture Perfect not only provides bespoke

designs for conservatories, windows and

doors (with no obligation quotations) but

also assistance with planning applications.

As a member of Certass, all installations

are backed by an independent insurance

guarantee (in addition to the company

guarantee) and comply with current Build-

ing Regulations.

Unit 27, Black Dyke Mills, Brighouse Road, Queensbury, Bradford, BD13 1QA

Why not let Picture Perfect transform your home...

Make your purchase before 1st

December, 2010 and pay only 5% VAT on windows and 10% VAT on conservatories

(must quote Queensbury Times).

Free Phone

0800 849 9166

3

Please mention Queensbury Times when responding to adverts

Welcome to Queensbury TimesWelcome to Queensbury TimesWelcome to Queensbury TimesWelcome to Queensbury Times

WELCOME to the very first edition of Queensbury Times, a new independent community magazine and business direc-

tory.

This is a monthly magazine for the com-munity to share exciting news and views

and local community events.

In this issue we feature the history of John Foster’s Black Dyke Mills built

between 1825 and 1898.

Also the controversial Hazelhurst quarry

development.

Business features include Picture Perfect

(opposite).

Check out the Club and Events pages. Like to sing? Then join the Queensbury

Singers (p11).

Interested in art? Then why not visit the

local art exhibition in September (p10)

Queensbury Times would love to hear from you so please forward your local

events, news and views.

Community Events and Clubs are adver-

tised at no cost.

Business advertising rates are very com-petitive and can be downloaded from the

web site or posted to you on request.

Look forward to hearing from you!

Community Events: [email protected]

News and Views: [email protected]

Advertising: [email protected]

Visit web site: www.queeensburytimes.co.uk

Editor: Margaret Patrick

[email protected]

Published by: Queensbury Times

20 Hainsworth Moor Crescent, BD13 2LZ Phone 01274 477680

Issue 1 Issue 1 Issue 1 Issue 1

Contents

Picture Perfect .................................p 2 The History of Foster’s Mill ............p 7 Hazelhurst Quarry Development....p 5 Events.............................................p10 Clubs................................................p11

4

Lil’ Mikey’s big brother, Oscar, is doing a Fun Run for his school. It is three miles

in total and Oscar, having just completed the first two miles, is two-thirds of the

way there. As he runs past his mum and dad and Lil’ Mikey, who are all cheering

him on, he looks a little distressed. He is not finding it much fun any more; he has

seen the time and worked out that he is only averaging four miles an hour. He

wanted to average six miles an hour to beat his Personal Best – so he tells himself

he must go a bit faster no matter how worn out he is.

How fast will Oscar have to run the final mile in order to get his average speed for

the whole Fun Run up to six miles per hour?

Lil’ Mikey’s MindbenderLil’ Mikey’s MindbenderLil’ Mikey’s MindbenderLil’ Mikey’s Mindbender The Not-So-Fun Run

As the Fun Run is three miles long, if his overall speed was six miles per hour he would do the whole

run in thirty minutes. However, it has taken him thirty minutes to run the first two miles at four miles

an hour, so he would have to run the final mile in 0 minutes… so no matter how fast he runs, he

would not increase his average speed to six miles per hour, not even with an Olympic sprint!

5


Hazelhurst Quarry DevelopmentHazelhurst Quarry DevelopmentHazelhurst Quarry DevelopmentHazelhurst Quarry Development On Friday 23rd July Councillor Michael Walls joined a group of Queensbury residents who are organising themselves to speak out against proposed develop-

ment at Hazelhurst Quarry.

Developers are believed to be planning over 140 houses on the site and they obviously think that Queensbury’s roads, schools and other facilities have got the

capacity to take it!

Residents, however, think that the developers have no idea of the pressure local roads are under – they didn’t even bother invit-ing residents who don’t overlook the site to the original consulta-tion event – and feel that their opinions, and knowledge of the local conditions, should be taken

into account.

The group met at the Omnibus pub in Ambler Thorn to gauge the strength of local feeling and

were delighted to have at least

100 people turn up.

In fact there were so many peo-ple that it was decided to hold a further, more formal, meeting to

better plan the group’s response.

The planning application is ex-pected to be made in mid-August. At this point the No Quarry Build group will be sub-mitting as many detailed objec-

tions as possible.

If you would like to know more about the group or to join in op-posing this development please

contact them:-

Email :

[email protected]

Facebook:

http://tinyurl.com/3a42ros

(Article kindly provided by the No Quarry Build Group).

7


The Industrial Revolution

In the early to mid 19th century mechanisa-

tion of the textile industry was rapidly in-

creasing.

As a result, woollen and worsted manufac-

turers were able to make the transition

from domestic based processes to larger

scale factory based processes.

John Foster who, by the early to mid

1830’s employed approximately 700 hand

loom weavers, was no exception:

• He had already mechanised the spin-

ning process by renting a mill & install-

ing his own machinery and employing

40 spinners in the Great Horton area.

• The demand for cloth was increasing

rapidly.

• John Foster decided to consolidate his

business by bringing all his worsted

processes together at one site, partly to

reduce the overhead, but also to accom-

modate other mechanised processes,

e.g. power loom weaving.

• By this time Foster was financially se-

cure and, following his marriage to

Ruth Briggs, Foster had sufficient land

available for building

a mill complex.

• He also owned valu-

able resources such as

coal and clay.

• Other resources such

as stone and sand were available locally

as well.

The Building of the Black Dyke Mills

Building started in January 1835. Sand was

carted from Illingworth Moor; timber was

purchased from a company in Leeds and

lime was purchased in Bradford.

Stone for the walls, flagging the ground

floors and roof tiles was obtained from

local quarries.

Although initially just a spinning mill, an

engine, chimney and warehouse were built

to facilitate the spinning process and stor-

age of wool.

In 1836 Foster installed the first power

looms leading to an increasing demand for

spun yarn and in turn more demand for

power.

A painting of the Black Dyke Mills in 1842

shows that after only seven years the mill

complex had expanded considerably. There

were:

• Three mill chimneys instead of one.

• Additional buildings to the south of the

complex, two and three storeys high.

Two of the buildings, one a mill, each had

three windows at the gable end in a distinc-

tive, but very simplistic Venetian style.

The Black Dyke Mills The Black Dyke Mills The Black Dyke Mills The Black Dyke Mills ---- Architectural Influences Architectural Influences Architectural Influences Architectural Influences ---- Part 1Part 1Part 1Part 1

8

Initial expansion of the

Black Dyke Mills

A later painting in 1848 shows further ex-

pansion of the mill and two significant

changes:

• Addition of a five storey spinning mill

(with additional roof space, indicated

by the windows and door at the gable

end)

• A new entrance to the mill yard.

The new mill entrance alluded to a Roman

triumphal arch, similar to a structure built

in St. Andrea, Mantua in 1472.

Also very simplistic Venetian windows

flanked the arch.

A painting in 1851 shows the mill complex

had expanded again.

Two new warehouses appear to have re-

placed the two smaller buildings to the

south of the large shed mill.

A plan of the Black Dyke Mill in 1854

shows the weaving and combing sheds not

visible on any of the paintings and the lay-

out of the mill in more detail.

Although the site was clearly designed to

facilitate the manufacture of worsted cloth,

its expansion in a piece-meal fashion meant

that not all processes seamlessly followed

each other:

In 1854 there was a dry house next to the

‘old boiler house’ – probably an indoor

tenter frame.

Across the yard from the dry house were

two large wool warehouses and these

probably stored the washed wool prior to

the preparatory wool combing process,

which appeared to take place on the north

side of the mill next to the weaving sheds.

A small piece warehouse was situated adja-

cent to the large weaving shed (‘old shed’)

and suggests finished cloth was stored

there.

The Spinning Mill

Mills were generally designed to provide

an uninterrupted workspace however the

plan shows that the spinning mill was di-

vided into two areas (in an approximately

6:4 ratio).

This suggests that the original use of the

mill may have been partly for storage (the

smaller area) and partly for spinning. This

was quite common in specialised spinning

mills at that time.

As production increased the mill space

needed to expand. Therefore the new wool

warehouses were built to free up the mill

space being used for storage.

The movement of goods and raw materials

took place internally initially. In the 1848

painting no external staircase was visible.


9


The 1854 plan shows the addition of an

external circular staircase, required proba-

bly as a result of the increased flow of ma-

terials through the mill.

This design would also not have en-

croached on valuable workspace within the

mill.

New technology

By 1868 the mill complex had almost dou-

bled in size.

The most striking change was the consoli-

dation of the three mill chimneys into one.

By 1848 Foster had taken advantage of

recent innovative technology known as

compounding or ‘McNaughting’.

This technology combined with the rotative

motion of a beam engine meant that enor-

mous power output was possible.

A comparison of the 1854 & 1868 site

plans show:

• Change of boiler house location to

south west side of site.

• A new mill, about the same size as the

original, had been built into which a

new engine house had been incorpo-

rated providing 2-100 horsepower.

• The two original engine houses remain

(25 & 65 horsepower), but their boiler

houses and chimneys have been re-

moved.

• This suggests that all the engine houses

were in use providing up to 185 horse-

power.

The new chimney was taller than the origi-

nals and built to withstand high winds by

using a common local octagonal design

which provided less resistance to the wind.

In October’s issue part 2 of this article

looks at the introduction of fire-

proofing, privies and the elegant facade

that still adorns the high street today.


Bibliography:

Giles, Colum and Goodhall, Ian H. (1992)

Yorkshire Textile Mills, London: HMSO.

Sigsworth, Eric. (1958) Black Dyke Mills.

A History, Liverpool University Press.

- N.B. there is a copy of this very engaging

book in the Local History reference sec-

tion of the Queensbury Library. It contains

the plans and paintings referred to in this

article (which for copyright reasons can’t

be reproduced here).

Summerson, John. (1980) The Classical

Language of Architecture, London:

Thames & Hudson Ltd.

10

LOCAL ARTISTS PLEASE NOTE!

West End Methodist Church in Queens-

bury is to host an Art Exhibition in

September at which all items are available

for purchase.

On Friday 10th September from 7 pm until

9 pm there will be a Preview Supper for

exhibitors and guests. Admission to this is

by ticket only.

Special guests at that supper are Geoffrey

Knight FIGA BWS and Mrs Denise Ouk-

haba BA.

The exhibition is open to the public from: - 10 am until 4.30 pm on Saturday 11th

- 12 noon until 4.30 pm on Sunday 12th

Admission is free and light lunches and

refreshments are available on both days.

Tickets for the preview supper (£1.50) and

application forms for submission of items

are available from Joan Batty Tel: 01274

410192.

(Application forms for submission are also

available from Picture This, 33 Chapel

Street, Queensbury, tel: 01274 814357).

Dates for the CalendarDates for the CalendarDates for the CalendarDates for the Calendar

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11


QUEENSBURY SINGERS

A new community choir for

Queensbury

We are a small, friendly, informal choir –

recently formed in Queensbury.

We meet every Friday at the Baptist

Chapel on Chapel Street from 7 - 9pm.

We sing all sorts – folk, pop, show songs,

world music, jazz, sacred and gospel (the

group is non-religious).

There are about 26 of us – all ages – and

we want to attract more members.

We don’t audition! If you love singing –

that’s all that matters. Come along and

give it a try.

Contact us by

email [email protected]

or

mobile. 07882 657 072.

Clubs and GroupsClubs and GroupsClubs and GroupsClubs and Groups

QUEENSBURY LOCAL HISTORY GROUP

Meets every first Friday of the month at

14.00 in Victoria Hall.

Useful Telephone Numbers

Russell Road Medical Centre

Doctors Surgery

01274 880507

The Willows Medical Centre

Doctors Surgery

0844 477 3909

NHS Direct

www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/

0845 4647

Queensbury Library

01274 882261

Queensbury Pool

01274 883978

12

September marks the start of Autumn and, as the leaves begin to turn, it’s time to start preparing the

garden for the winter ahead...

Round the GardenRound the GardenRound the GardenRound the Garden

You can’t garden by the calendar. Seasons

vary year on year and by region. Spring

arrives later and autumn earlier in Scotland

than it does on the south coast of England.

As the date of the first frost could be after

November 30th or earlier than October 1st,

September is the best time to begin autumn

preparations. The great Geoff Hamilton

said that he always erred on the side of

pessimism with the weather as it seemed

the safest bet!

Here are some of the most important au-

tumnal garden tasks…

This is the time of year to plant new shrubs

and trees. The soil is still warm and they’ll

be poised to sprout early the following

spring.

Take a look at your perennials. Are there

clumps that have grown too large for the

space? Lift them gently with a garden fork

and divide them into two or three. Use

these to fill any gaps you have or swap

them with a fellow gardener for something

different.

Depending on your location you may be

able to stop mowing the lawn. Once you

do, spike it all over and rake out the moss.

You could brush a mixture of two parts

sharp sand and one part fine compost over

the top. This improves the rooting area of

the lawn, fills any hollows and aids drain-

age.

Generally tidy up and remove weeds, an-

nuals and fallen leaves.

Cut down perennials that have finished

flowering. Don’t be too enthusiastic

though. Some grasses and flowers produce

lovely seed heads which look magical on

frosty mornings and provide food for gar-

den birds.

If you have a pond, now is the time to

clean it out and cover it with netting to

prevent leaves falling in.

Consider buying a compost bin if you don’t

have one. The autumn tidy up will provide

lots of material to compost. If you have a

lot of fallen leaves, don’t waste them.

Gather them up (avoiding those with black

spots or mildew), put them in a perforated

dustbin liner and leave them somewhere

sheltered. In the spring you’ll have lovely,

nutritious leaf mould to dig into your soil.

If you have a greenhouse, start closing it at

night. I keep a pot of fresh herbs in mine so

I can pick them through the winter. Parsley

and mint are particularly suitable.

Finally, pot up some early spring flowering

bulbs. It will give you something to look

forward to throughout the winter months.

Hopefully we still have a few more warm

weeks ahead of us yet but, by putting some

work in now, you can relax when the tem-

perature drops in the knowledge that your

garden is all prepared.

13


14

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If you think your business

can benefit from advertising

in Queensbury Times please

contact us:-

telephone:

01274 477 680

email:

[email protected]

or

visit the web site:

www.queensburytimes.co.uk

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Beauticians Seeking Advertiser

Bespoke Conservatories, Win-

dows & Doors Picture Perfect 2

Blinds Seeking Advertiser

Builder Seeking Advertiser

Butchers Stainthorpes 15

Carpets & Rugs Seeking Advertiser

Children’s Activities Victoria Hall Children’s Centre

4

Car Valeting Seeking Advertiser

Cycles, Service & Repairs Firth Cycles 10

Cleaning

Michelle Renard 3

Computer Servicing Seeking Advertiser

Conservatories Picture Perfect 2

Dentist Seeking Advertiser

Designer Clothing Seeking Advertiser

Electrical Retailer

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Entertainment Agency Seeking Advertiser

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Finance Co

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Fine Arts Gallery Picture This 10

Furniture Retailer Seeking Advertiser

Garden Design

Muddy Boots 13

Garden Maintenance

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Gas & Ctrl Heating Negas 6

Hairdressers Seeking Advertiser

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Ironing Service

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Picture Framing &

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Windows Picture Perfect 2

15


Name a British dish. Roast beef and Yorkshire

pudding? Shepherds’ pie? Spotted dick? Now

ask your child to name a traditional British

dish. Can they?

In recent years we have become a multi-cultural

society and we’ve happily adopted pasta from

Italy, curry from India and noodles from China.

Whilst we should be proud of the fact that

we’ve welcomed and assimilated these new

tastes, we seem to be in danger of forgetting or

ignoring our own national and regional dishes.

It’s a sad fact that many school children (and

almost as many adults) have little or no knowl-

edge of our culinary heritage in spite of it being

rich and varied.

British Food Fortnight exists to put British food

firmly in the spotlight. It aims to encourage us

to enjoy fresh, seasonal produce and regional

dishes. To this end it takes place during harvest

time, which is the traditional time for celebrat-

ing food. This year it also has the additional aim

of helping our children to discover all that’s

wonderful about British food.

The theme is Are you cooking it? Many schools

are participating with the aim of teaching chil-

dren how to prepare simple meals from fresh,

seasonal ingredients.

British Food FortnightBritish Food FortnightBritish Food FortnightBritish Food Fortnight 18th September – 3rd October

There is even a prize for the school which incor-

porates cooking into the curriculum in the most

innovative way.

High street shops, farm shops and delicatessens

will also be joining in, stocking British produce

and running tasting sessions and cookery dem-

onstrations.

One exciting move is the commitment of 3,000

cooks and chefs across the country to go into

schools to help teachers organise practical cook-

ery events. A similar project has run success-

fully across the Channel for several years with

French chefs going into schools to teach the

values behind Gallic cuisine.

With global warming rarely out of the news

these days it’s reassuring to know that buying

locally farmed, seasonal produce is the most eco

-friendly choice too. It’s comforting to know

that by buying British we’re doing our bit to

save the planet.

During British Food Fortnight:

Visit a local farmers’ market. Discover your

local farm shop. Sign up to a local vegetable

box scheme. Visit your local butcher. Shop for

and cook at least one traditional or regional dish

with your children. Visit a participating restau-

rant or pub and try a British dish you’ve never

tried before.

For more information visit

www.britishfoodfortnight.co.uk

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