When Markets Were Markets

This photograph comes from the same strip of negatives as the one I featured yesterday and, we now know - thanks to research by Paul Hartley and Michael Horsfield - was taken back in 1967/68. It shows the old Brighouse Market, not far from where the bus station is today. This was back in the … Continue reading When Markets Were Markets

Time Extinguisher

I've tried to make up for the lack of a precise date on this photograph of mine by going back to the archives of the Milk Marketing Board to discover when this "Thirst Extinguisher" advert was current. No success so far, but perhaps the Bedford van and the three wheeled car are better clues. My … Continue reading Time Extinguisher

The Fourth Piggy

This is one of the old mills that line the Calder and Hebble Navigation as it makes its way through Brighouse. It's like a practical demonstration of every kind of building method known to mankind. If there had been four little piggies in the tale, this is how the fourth piggy would have built his … Continue reading The Fourth Piggy

Happy Christmas

A Happy Christmas to all my friends out there on the various social media platforms.

Putting On The Ritz

The building that was known by everyone as Brighouse Ritz was destroyed by fire on Saturday. It was a building full of history and a building full of memories. It had seen films, dancing, organ recitals, cabaret, and visits from some of the greats of twentieth-century popular music. It's a sad loss to the town.

Thrift And Guns

Short of funds? Don't let that worry you. These days you'd reach for your credit card; 110 years ago you might reach out to the Brighouse Equitable Self-Help Thrift Society. And if that didn't work, you could always buy a battery, a record and an air gun from Richardson's on Bethel Street.

Prospect Of Brighouse

I don't know what I was thinking when I took this photo - it was a very long time ago. Perhaps it was the end of a film, and I managed to squeeze in an extra shot; perhaps the view looked clearer than it turned out to be. My "Prospect Of Brighouse" managed to capture … Continue reading Prospect Of Brighouse

Burnt Cotton

This image is taken from a 1903 picture postcard of the River Calder in Brighouse. The card, which is from my collection, was sent in October 1903, and the message on the reverse states, "We have just been witnessing an enormous fire, a cotton mill burnt to the ground." The mill in question was Ormerod's … Continue reading Burnt Cotton

Electric Beauty

Built in 1909, Brighouse's Electricity Works, which is situated on the main Bradford to Huddersfield Road immediately next to the canal, is a functional structure built with a Yorkshire faith in substance over style. The exception is the small stone date plaque, which matches in Art Nouveau elegance anything that can be found on the … Continue reading Electric Beauty