Holdsworth of Scargill - Cyclopaedia: Names of Work Colleagues

Jim Ainley, was a mechanic, who came to Holdsworth to replace Fred Helliwell.
It was during Jim's time that the whole maintenance and engineering department was reduced from circa twenty individuals to just two; Ron Woodyatt and Jim Ainley.
Joinery, building, plumbing, electrical and engineering facilities were all outsourced, as the modern machinery did not require engineering work to any great degree. This brought about a massive reduction in cost, and any fitting work was carried out by the technicians in the production areas.

Tony Appleyard, 1 Aug 2000

Appleyard, Tony

Tony Appleyard, joined John Holdsworth & Co Ltd as a creeler and taking-in operative, collecting, measuring and recording each roll of fabric that came off every loom. Subsequently Tony was promoted to supervisor, and eventually shift manager. Tony obtained the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health's managing safely certificate in 2000.
Tony's mother Linda Appleyard worked as a mender in the Mill.

A LISTER TRUCK
These trucks, known as "Listers". The first Lister Auto-truck was sold in 1926, with a 600cc engine made by J. A. Prestwich & Co. The basic standard model sold for under £100, and in 1954 a diesel model was introduced.

Armitage, Harry

Harry looked after the coal-fired Lancashire boilers, and the disposal of ash which was brought from the boiler-house up to the park at the rear of the offices, or buried in the disused canal basin.
The Lancashire boilers were replaced in the early 1970's.

Armstrong, Charles

Charlie Armstrong, became the yarn winding overlooker. He retired in the late 1970's, and died withing a year. His son Christopher Armstrongworked in the mill for a short period.
During the Second World War, Charlie was captured and imprisoned as P.O.W. in Far East

Astwood, Patricia

Visit to Gebr. Happich, Wuppertal, and Siemens, 2005

David Holdsworth, Patricia Astwood, Richard Field
in Wuppertal, Germany, March 2005

Patricia Astwood, joined John Holdsworth & Co Ltd as the loom production planner in the weaving office, having previously worked in dyeing at the Thomas Burnley Group. During Patricia's nearly 20 years' career with Holdsworth, she developed the role to include yarn purchasing, and planning all production activities, in close liaison with sales, working increasingly with forecasting techniques and quality control procedures.

Patricia married Robert (Bob) Astwood, and they lived in Skircoat Green, close to the Mill.

Outside the business, Patricia has been involved in a number of voluntary services. She was a member of Halifax Choral Society for 25 years and has also been stage director at Halifax Playhouse and served on the Thespians' management committee with her husband Robert.
As well as being a school governor, Patricia became chair of Calderdale Association of School Governing Bodies and regional director of the National Governors Association.

In the Queen's Birthday honours, June 2009, Patricia Astwood was awarded an MBE for voluntary services,

Bailey, Cyril

Cyril Bailey was born in 1908, and worked at John Holdsworth & Co Ltd from leaving school c1922 until 1973 as a Loom Weaver without a break apart from his war service years, when he served in the Army as a gunner in the Royal Artillery.

On his retirement in 1973, Cyril received his long service award from the Company (see picture, left). He died soon afterwards in 1974.

Cyril married Winifred; they lived in a house at Penuel Place, Siddal, a short walk from the Mill along Farrar Mill Lane. This house seemed to have passed down the generations.

Cyril and Winifred had a son Gordon, and a grand-daughter Carolyn (now Carolyn Heywood.)

Carolyn Heywood kindly provided this information, in Aug and Sept 2009.

Baird, Keith

Keith Baird, yarn winding supervisor, joined John Holdsworth & Co Ltd after a cereer serving in the Royal Navy.

Keith married Marjorie Sutcliffe, who was working under his supervision, and was Malcolm Sutcliffe's sister.

Baker, Alfie

Alfie Baker, apprentice joiner to Allan Cooke, just seemed to carry his tools until 1959.
One day, the girls in the office were complaining that there was a smell in the air there.
After taking up the floorboards, Alfie found a decomposing rat, and brought it out, swinging it round by its tail above his head in front of the girls to their screams of horror.
Information provided by Trevor Marsden

Baker, Brian

Brian Baker, joined Holdsworth's as a creeler straight from school. He became the production planning administrator and in 2005, the work study co-ordinator.
Brian married Annette Sandland, and subsequently left Holdsworth's for the nearby Nestlé UK Ltd factory at Albion Mills, previsously Mackintosh's Toffees, and later Rowntree Mackintosh.

Barber, Harold

Harold Barber, boilerman and tractor driver, 1980's - late 1990's. Lived in Siddal, close to the Mill.

Bates, Jack

Jack Bates, a Halifax councillor and alderman, worked in A-Shed as a weaver, and later, in the late 1960's as a creeling instructor. Jack joined the RAF as LA/C.
Jack married Betty, who worked in Standeven's mill at Ladyship Mills, alongside Michael Holdsworth, while he was training and studying textiles.

Bates, Ronnie

Beeley, Simon

Simon Beeley, sales representative.
Born on 23rd July 1966, Simon joined John Holdsworth & Co Ltd on 30th November 1987.
Simon left the Company in order to set up in competition against Holdsworth on his own on 3rd Aug 1999.
Simon married designer and work colleague at Holdsworth's, Samantha Oldroyd.

Binns, Hetty Cavell

Hetty Binns, yarn winder with many years service in the Mill. She was one of five sisters, including Lottie Eagling who married Milford Bannister.
Hetty now aged 90, is living in Southowram, Halifax in May 2009.

Mrs Dina Holdsworth and Tracey Binns, 1988

Binns, Tracey

Tracey Binns, receptionist and wages clerk. Tracey was the receptionist for several years, and took on the administration of wages immediately after Audrey Harker retired.
In about 2003, with the contracting-out of wages and salaries to an external supplier, the position of wages controller at John Holdsworth & Co Ltd became redundant and Tracey left the company.
Married name Tracey Morley.

David Bradley, April 2001

Bradley, David

Bradley, Derek

Bullough, Joe

Joe Bullough, wire-loom weaver, D-shed, and subsequently after official retirement as pattern weaver.
Born on 9th March 1923, Joe joined John Holdsworth & Co Ltd at their Shaw Lodge Mills, Halifax on 29th July 1968.
Joe retired on 12th March 1993.

Carre, Bernard

Bernard Carre, the warp dresser during the 1980's and 90's until his retirement.

Carter, Clement

Clem Carter, weaver.
Clem Carter was born on 25 Oct 1913, and retired on 19 Nov 1977.

Andrew Charlesworth, April 2001

Charlesworth, Andrew

Gordon Charlesworth, 1986

Charlesworth, Gordon

Gordon Charlesworth, warehouseman in yarn processing department.
Husband of Sylvia Charlesworth, a weft winder in the mill.
Father of Andrew Charlesworth, warp dresser and Kevin Charlesworth, a yarn twister all of whom worked in the Mill.

Charlesworth, Luther

Luther Charlesworth, was the company electrician. He retired in the late 1960's.

Trevor Chatburn & Mrs. Chatburn, 1977

Chatburn, Trevor

Trevor Chatburn, weaver, then loom tuner.
In his weaving days, Trevor was apparently an incredibly fast creeler.

Allan Cooke, Dec 1986

Cooke, Allan

Allan Cooke, John Holdsworth & Co Ltd's joiner, and had an apprentice, Alfie Baker, until 1959.
A keen cyclist, Allan left the company in the 1980's to work overseas.
His son Ian Cooke, a yarn twisting operative became a warp dresser for Holdsworth's after Bernard Carre retired.
Allan's other son was killed in a cycling accident at the newly-installed traffic lights at King Cross, Halifax, which as I recall had been incorrectly sequenced. (DWH.2009)

Cooke, Ian

Chris Corbett, at work in Holdsworth's, ca 1939
notice the smart shirt and tie

Corbett, Chris

Subsequently, Chris became a Wire-Loom weaver, making the moquette for London Transport. Tom Lister was the weaving shed foreman at that time; Jack Smith was the weaving manager and a Mr. Irving was in charge of the clocking cards and the shed office, which was at the foot of the shed steps.

Chris was called up, but had already volunteered for the navy, and served as a QR2 gunner, (Quarters Rating [Armourer] 2nd class) acting petty officer, on Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships and ended up on HMS Exmoor, a Hunt class destroyer and the flotilla leader. Chris was in charge of guns and took part in several Russian and Atlantic convoys, and took part in the Dodecanese Campaign in the Mediterranean Sea near the Dodecanese Islands. The ship was about to be sent to Japan, but the atomic bomb stopped that.
Chris saw the German battlecruiser Scharnhorst go down; its boilers blew up and made a huge explosion. She was sunk after being engaged by Allied forces at the Battle of North Cape on 26th December 1943. Of a total complement of 1,968 men, only 36 survivors - none an officer - were rescued from the frigid seas. The survivors formed a ship-mates group, and Chris Corbett met six of these survivors.

More details on Chris Corbett's story, following interview aged 93 in June 2009. Click Here.

Corroy, Harold

Crossley, Edward

Field, Richard

Richard Field, Lab technician, then in 1995 Richard joined the sales team as a sales representative, and in 2005 Richard became a European sales manager.

Fielding, Bill

Formby, Mike

Mike Formby, sales manager.
Having previously worked as sales representative for a firm of coach trimmers, Mike joined John Holdsworth & Co Ltd in order to target sales through direct contact with the UK coach and bus operators, and the seat trimmers, offering an ex-stock service for a limited range of standard products.
In time Mike took on additional accounts, including some of the existing European markets.

Shay Workshop Competition - Winners 1933
John Holdsworth & Co Ltd

Francis, Cyril Albert

Cyril played football for John Holdsworth & Co Ltd in the Shay Workshop Competition who were the Winners in 1933. As a creeler with the company in the early 1930s, Cyril was sent out to buy a rabbit, potatoes, carrots and onions which the time-keeper would prepare for about ten men. On a Friday lunchtime, the creelers were sent by the weavers for fish and chips at 3d a time. Cyril, who was earning 15s a week at the time, earned almost as much from running these errands. He used two local fish and chip shops, one paying him a penny in the shilling commission, the other a penny-halfpenny, while each of the weavers usually gave him a penny as well.
Cyril became a weaver in time, and was called up for national service.
On returning from active service jobs were scarce, and Cyril, like many of his colleagues, was able to find employment at Crossley Carpets in Dean Clough. He later returned to Holdsworths at Shaw Lodge Mills.
In the late 1970's Cyril was involved in installation and training the operatives to run the brand new double-rapier moquette looms supplied by SACM, Mertens and Frohwein and by Gusken.

Cyril Francis at The Shay,
Halifax Evening Courier
Published 17 Dec 2010

Was Cyril, 94. the ultimate Shayman?
HE followed their ups and downs for more than 89 years and even checked their final result just days before he died. Cyril Albert Francis certainly was a true Shayman.
He watched his first Halifax Town game aged five and his passion continued until his death at 94. He had trained as a painter but moved into the textile industry.
He married Alice in 1937 and the couple stayed very much in love for 73 years, receiving a telegram from the Queen on their 72nd anniversary.
When the Second World War broke out, Cyril joined the Royal Artillery. Captured by the Japanese in 1941, he was a prisoner of war in Camp Tai, Burma, until his release in 1945.
He worked on the Burma railway, made famous in the film Bridge On The River Kwai.
He returned to his family at Clover Hill Terrace, Halifax in 1945 and worked as a weaver at Crossley's carpets, Dean Clough.
One of his proudest moments was watching his beloved Town take on Tottenham Hotspur on February 14, 1953.
Players lining up against Halifax included future England manager Alf Ramsey and Bill Nicholson, who would later be Spurs' manager.
Before the match could go ahead, Cyril was one of many fans who took to the pitch to clear it of snow.
The former Holy Trinity pupil went from fan to proud team member when he joined the back- room staff as kitman at the age of 65.
For around 15 years he looked after the players, helping out around the stadium and preparing them for kick-off.
His family treasure a letter signed by King George VI, thanking him for his military service and three medals for his wartime heroics, including the 1939-1945 star, the Pacific Star and the War Medal.
Cyril's footballing heritage continues with his son, Robert, and grandson, David, a former semi-professional player.
Cyril will be missed by his family, including Robert, two grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

Anton Gabrielli, 2003

Gabrielli, Anton

Anton Gabrielli, production shift manager.
Having previously worked at C. & J. Antich & Sons Ltd, Huddersfield, Anton joined John Holdsworth & Co Ltd in May 1999 as a shift supervisor.
In addition his normal duties, Anton volunteered to take responsibility for issues relating to operative training, a role strengthened by his previous experience having been employed with the Huddersfield and District Textile Training Group.
Anton left Holdsworth's in February 2008.

Gartside, Leslie

Leslie Gartside was in charge of the engineers until the 1960's, when Harold Hanson took the position of Works Engineer.

Julia Gaukroger with David Holdsworth,
attending Bradford Textile Society Dinner,
November 2004

Gaukroger, Julia

Linda Greenwood, 2005

Greenwood, Linda

Hainsworth, Jos

Jos Hainsworth, weaver. He worked on loom number 28B, the furthest face-to-face loom in B-shed in the 1960's.

Halstead, Eric

Donald Halstead, card-cutting, 1982

Halstead, Donald

Donald Halstead, after working previously in the weaving department, joined the card stamping department as apprentice to Edward Crossley.
Donald remained a jacquard card stamper, becoming department head, until he retired after 50 years service in 1979.
His position was succeeded by David Bradley.
Served as Gunner, 13/54 Heavy Regiment Royal Artillery
in North Africa and Italy 1939-1945

Halstead, Frank

Harold and Mona Hanson, 1977

Hanson, Harold

Harold Hanson, works engineer in charge of the mechanics' department during the 1970's and 80's.

Hanson, Rita

Helliwell, Fred

Fred Helliwell, mechanic.
Nick-name "Smog", a large man, smoked about 40 full-strength cigarettes per day. (T.M.2000)

Hussey, Carl

Carl Hussey, wire-loom weaver and loomer. Carl's wife Heather was the patetrn-book maker in the Design Department.

Peter Ibberson, July 2000

Ibberson, Peter

Vincent & Elsie Jenkins, 1977

Jenkins, Vincent

Robert Junk, Jan 2001

Junk, Robert

Robert Junk joined John Holdsworth & Co Ltd in the accounts department after leaving the army.
Robert subsequently moved to the Sales department, where he looked after logistics and international trade issues, including customs and duty management.
Robert married Lucy Sutcliffe, Malcolm Sutcliffe's daughter.

Paul Kendall, 2 Aug 2000

Kendall, Paul

Paul Kendall, warp knotter and loom threader, trained as apprentice to Leslie Hinchliffe.
Paul's mother Marjorie was a mender in the company.

King, Albert

Albert King worked as a weaver before and after the War. He was a stoker 1st class in the navy. (No. PKX139411). He organised the football team, and married Hilda.

Laycock, Kenneth

Mina Lee, daughter, Billy Lee, 1977

Lee, Billy

Billy Lee, as well as being a face-to-face weaver, Billy looked after the employees' sick fund.
Billy's wife Mina Lee was a yarn winder in the Mill.

Lister, Tom

Tom Lister was Shed Foreman and looked after the weaving with Walter Townend before Jack Smith. This would be in the 1930's, before the war. Each shed had its own boss. We wove for Morris Motors.

Livesey, Eileen

Longbottom, Fred

Maher, Harold

Harold Maher, wire-loom weaver, A-shed and C-shed to 1970's. Harold taught David Holdsworth to weave wire-looms in 1969.

Marsden, Trevor

Trevor Marsden joined the company as a boy and became financial director after a career in the accounts department. Trevor married Eleanor. Trevor left John Holdsworth & Company in 2006.

McCartney, Bill

McCartney, Jack

Melling, Harold

Melling, Peter

Peter Melling was a mechanical fitter in the company. Son of Harold Melling.
Peter had to retire from work due to the deterioration in his eyesight from which he eventually went blind. Peter was a champion fundraiser for the blind in Halifax, often to be seen with his guide dog collecting at the entrances to the retail stores in Halifax.

Morris, Ernest

Ernest Morris works electrician. 1970's and 1980's. Worked with his apprentice, Alan Tasker.
When Ernest retired, the electricians department was closed down and all electrical maintenance work sub-contracted to Tredix Electrical of Brighouse, run by father and son, Trevor and Steve Dixon.

June Wroot & Ghulam Murtaza in Winding Department, Feb 2006

Mrs Dina Holdsworth & Ghulam Murtaza, March 2007

Murtaza, Ghulam

Ghulam Murtaza, technician and technical manager. Joined Holdsworth from Dracup Jacquards, trading under name Eltex of Sweden.

Oldfield, Percy

Percy Oldfield was a mechanical engineer in the company.
He usually operated the lathe immediately outside the mechanics' office door, employed making spare loom parts from steel castings.
Percy retired in the 1970's.

Christine Ogilvie, 25 Aug 2000

Ogilvie, Christine

Christine Ogilvie, yarn winder, yarn twister, creeler and assistant weaver.

Christine married David Pitten, also a yarn twister in the Mill, on 4 June 1994.

Oldroyd, Samantha

Scott Potter, 5 Oct 2000

Potter, Scott

Priestley, Tom

"In the early 1950's John Balmforth sacked him, but he would not go. He sat in the big chair in the mechanic's cabin for 20 years and did virtually nothing. He was a close friend of Walter Townend. He always came to work in a brown smock and trilby hat.

"Tom's grand-daughter Josephine Whitaker was the 11th victim of the Yorkshire Ripper, Peter Sutcliffe, killed at the age of 19 on Savile Park on 4 April 1979, whilst walking home after visiting her grandparents, Tom and Mary Priestley, showing them the new silver watch she had just bought for £60." (T.M. 2000)

Keith I Ramsden, June 2000

Ramsden, Keith I.

Keith Baird, Gary Rochford, Oct 2001

Rochford, Gary

Derrick & Val Rooke with Michael Holdsworth, 1989

Rooke, Valerie

Val Rooke, secretary to the directors, pre 1978 until the 1990's. Married to Derrick Rooke.
Birthday on 14th Feb, hence her name after St. Valentine.

Ryder, Rhoda

Rhoda Ryder, winder and cleaner. Mother of Betty Ainley, Gordon Ryder, Kath.
Rhoda's birthday was 13th January, and she died on 12th May 1998. She lived at 13 Livingstone Street, Lee Mount.

Seed, Valerie

Val Seed, fabric mender, subsequently sales administrator.
Married Graham Jackson, joiner of Siddal, to become Valerie Jackson.

Smith, Arthur

Arthur Smith, Night Watchman and boiler-man on nights; lived just up the hill from the boiler-house.
When he left the company, his position was taken by Jack Ainley, Betty Ainley's (nee Ryder) husband.

Stone, Elsie

Suddick, Ernest

Suddick, Thomas

Sunter, William; 'Billy'

Lucy Sutcliffe, Val Seed, Dec 2001

Sutcliffe, Lucy

Sutcliffe, Roy

Roy Sutcliffe, delivery driver and garage mechanic.
Roy left Holdsworth around 1970 to run own service garage at Walnut Street Garage.

Tasker, Alan

Alan Tasker, apprentice electrician who worked with Ernest Morris in the 1980's. Alan left when the electricians department was closed on Ernest's retirement.

Taylor, Alf

Tomlinson, Graham

Graham Tomlinson, Oct 2001

Graham Tomlinson, July 2007

Graham Tomlinson, production shift manager, with special responsibilty for materials management.
Graham's wife Lorraine also worked in the company for a short period of time, from 2005-2006 when she made her mark as an excellent office cleaner, so much so that she was head-hunted by a local school.

In Graham's own words:
"I started at John Holdsworth in September 1996 and was trained up by Tony Appleyard for the position of Night Weaving Supervisor. I was interviewed for the position by Malcolm Sutctiffe then the Weaving Manager.
Things were very hectic then; I was working five 12 hour nights plus Sunday days on overtime; I look back and wonder how I coped but that was the Holdsworth way, when things were very busy the majority of people mucked in.

I had a baptism of fire early on in the job when I suspended a creeler for refusing to do a reasonable request, then I suspended the Union representative at the same time for abusive behaviour resulting in the whole of the Asian workforce walking out.
The Holdsworth Family gave me a 100% backing on my actions; I think they realised here is someone who would not be intimidated by certain individuals which had probably happened in the past, I certainly appreciated the backing and after the incident I was given much more respect by the workforce.

When I first started on nights, the factory was running at full capacity with more or less the same production and support personnel as on days.
Over the years as things became less busy the Night Shift was reduced accordingly as this was the most expensive shift to run. Eventually D-Shed ran on nights only when wire loom moquette was in demand. The Twisting was closed down altogether, Winding was reduced and the main Weaving Sheds A and C were also reduced according to production requirements.

Over the years I was becoming concerned that yarn distribution and traceably could a lot better than it was, the Weaving Supervisors were spending to much time on yarn related problems than concentrating on the job in hand. I put these concerns to David Fleming, the Production Manager who listened to my suggestions how to improve things. He asked to come on days to put some of my ideas into operation, especially as Denis Farrar could cope with the diminished Night Shift.
I got stuck in and things started to improve as I controlled what was issued from the Yarn Stores (the right yarn for the right job) and made sure there was tractability of yarn from the looms right back to the Yarn Stores.

Unexpectedly soon after I was getting on top of things Tony Appleyard left Holdsworth to take up a position with a previous Production Manager, David Midgley and I returned to Weaving Supervisor duties alongside Anton Gabrielli working 6-2 and 2-10 alternating shifts. Fortunately Tony came back and eventually I went back to the yarn controlling side of things whilst covering for the Weaving Supervisors when required, up to the time of my retirement in December 2007."

Graham's pastimes included Railway History, and he was always helpful as our 'Raiway Buff.' Contributions to local railways history, including photographs of Holdsworth Bridge and Dryclough Junction have been provided by Graham.

Tordoff, Alf

Ronnie Tordoff, 1977

Tordoff, Ronnie

Tordoff, Mrs. Ronnie

Wood, Evelyn

She was related to the Wood coach-builders family of Nicholl and Wood, established by Jack Nicholl and Richard Wood who had been apprentices at Pollit & Wigzell Limited, World-famous steam-engine builders of Sowerby Bridge.

Outside working life, Evelyn Wood was permanent vocalist to Albert Wood's successful professional danceband - The Woodchoppers - (evidently she was fantastic).

Wells, Keith

Wood, Stanley

Stanley Wood had a distinguished sporting career before joining Holdsworth. He received a cup-winners medal with WBA at Wembley in 1931, and played for England once.
Stanley Wood worked in the general office as the chief clerk.
He died at the bus-stop, waiting for a bus at the foot of Salterhebble Hill, Halifax.

Woodyatt, Ron

Ron Woodyatt, works engineer in charge of the mechanics' department.
Ron joined the company to fill the position when Harold Hanson left.
Ron had previously held the same position at the Rishworth mill and in Sowerby Bridge.
Ron married Larraine, and became step-father of Scott Potter.

Wroot, June

June Wroot, April 2001

June Wroot, yarn rewinder and splitter for weaving operations. June's work area was consistently the tidyest on the factory floor, in which she took great pride. June operated the M-86 winder.

Holdsworth Family History

Holdsworth's Cyclopaedia & Glossary: Events, People, Terms

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Names of Work Colleagues

Ainley, Jack

Ainley, James E.