1. The Mill Bank Newsletter: September 2011
The End of Kebroyd Mill
In spite of the planning permission for the “refurbishment” of Kebroyd Mills, including the retention of Dene
Mill and Old Mill and the clock tower, (see below, from 2010), the final structures at Kebroyd Mill were de‐
molished during the week beginning 15th August, severing the gas main, and leaving nothing to connect this
important historical landmark with the future.
Mill Bank once housed more than twice its cur‐
rent population, and many people worked all
their lives at this mill. No‐one seems to know if
the total demolition was approved, but it cer‐
tainly was not communicated to local people if
so. Was the council aware of what happened?
It’s a blow to many who had hoped to see the
original promise of refurbished buildings and
restored woodlands fulfilled. Local people will
also want to be re‐assured about the material
that was hurriedly buried in a huge pit on the
16th August. What was it, and does it pose a health risk to future residents? Write to your councillor if you
are concerned. We will pass on any further information we receive from our enquiries.
The Newsletter is produced by The Mill Bank Group, a voluntary community group looking after the village and
local environment. Our activities include caring for public spaces, planting, repairs, local history, events and the
Yorkshire in Bloom competition. We are always looking for voluntary help from people of all ages with all kinds of
skills and interests. We welcome ideas for village improvements. Contact the Mill Bank Group on
1
01422 823 110

2. firm. The original date of 29th September is now
Mountain Bike Challenge Sunday 9 October
freed for members to attend a stage adaptation of
9‐9.30
“The Great Gatsby” at the Square Chapel.
The 24th St Paul’s Scout Group at Sowerby Bridge is
organising its annual mountain bike race once again Mary’s Race for Life raises £400
in the autumn. The racers will be whistling through
Mill Bank between 9.00 and 9.30 am on Sunday 9
October, approaching the village from Sowerby via
Birks Lane, then down Lower Mill Bank Road on the
way to Soyland. The race is a fund raiser for good
causes, and details can be seen at
www.cmbm.org.uk.
It’s a spectacular sight as they speed down the hill,
and the riders seem to appreciate being cheered
on. But if you do so, please take great care, espe‐
cially with children and pets, and keep well out of
the road: the bikes travel at great speed, especially
on Lower Mill Bank Road. Thoughtful parking will
be especially appreciated. For further information
please contact Tony Gledhill 07770598317
A picture from the 2010 race Congratulations to Mary Higgins for completing
the Race for life and raising in excess of £400 for
cancer research.
A bench to remember Craig
Friends of Craig Higgins have erected this unusual
and handsome bench, which looks over the mill
pond at Cottonstones. It’s a quirky choice that Craig
would surely have approved of. Craig’s brother
Nigel has kindly taken over the work of taming the
grass in the community garden.
Readers Group
The last book reviewed was The Great Gatsby, by F,
Scott Fitzgerald, widely regarded as one of the finest
American novels of the 20th century, full of atmosphere.
Published in 1925, it is a tragic story leading to the killing
of the central character, set on Long Island and in New Mill Bank Group AGM—November
York during 1922. This was the age of Prohibition and
the novel deals partly with the ill‐gotten wealth from At the annual meeting this year we hope our
bootlegging. The book went down well with most of the guest speaker will open a discussion about the
group. possibilities for local power generation. Date
The next book will be HMS Surprise by Patrick O’Brian. to be confirmed. See page 3 for a warm up.
The meeting is expected to be moved to the 27th Sep‐ The Mill Bank Group’s Newsletter is on
tember, at the Alma, but members should check to con‐
Facebook
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3. Return of Water Power? Cold Fusion
A few generations ago, several local mills were powered Any exceptional nuclear physicists living in the vil‐
by the water in the stream flowing down from Severhills lage able to knock up a fusion device in the garden
to Kebroyd. The remains of the Fiddle Wood waterways shed to solve the world’s energy problems? Do
and sluices are still clearly evident, though long ‐derelict. write in if so.
Many of us are concerned at the soaring cost of energy,
and the carbon impact on the environment. So is there
Rushbearing 3 rd and 4th September
any point in looking at the use of local natural resources For anyone who has moved into the village re‐
to contribute to energy generation? cently, it may be helpful to know a bit about
Rushbearing: and don’t forget to turn out on the
We asked Peter Hill, from the Micro Hydro Centre at 4th September to enjoy the show. The sun usually
Hebble End Mill, to look at the possibilities for the shines!
stream running from Mill Bank to Kebroyd. His initial
view is that there may be some potential, due to the The Rushbearing celebrations date from the 17th
long drop at the end of the system. But the flow is low, century when floor rushes were replenished in
and to get the best from a system the whole length of Churches at the end of the summer. For many years
the infrastructure would have to be used and might re‐ there was fiercely disputed competition for the best
quire a pipe to be laid. This would be expensive. And the dressed cart. Records show Rushbearing still being
longer the section of river used for generation, the less celebrated in Triangle in the 1800s when the festi‐
water you are allowed to take. The depleted stretch val lasted a full week with the cart visiting Soyland
could potentially be as much as 400m (from the weir to and Rishworth. The Rushcart custom died out for a
the mill) while although the festival remained, and then in
We expect an assessment from Peter in the next few
weeks and will be interested to know what you think
about this possibility.
Wind turbines?
There are other possibilities, but they do seem to cause
controversy. The growing number of wind turbines has
been accepted and successful in some nearby places: for
example the award‐winning scheme by John Denton on
Blueball Road. Elsewhere it has been resented and re‐
fused planning permission: for example when a 15m tur‐
bine was proposed at a farm above Cottonstones, close
to the Conservation Area boundary. Views about the
visual impact and noise of these machines seem to vary
quite widely. the beginning of the 20th century the Rushcart was
resurrected in Sowerby Bridge.
Solar panels? Now, each year, sixty men in white shirts and clogs
There seem to be few local examples of the panels, per‐ haul the 16 foot cart on a 10 mile route, with musi‐
haps because of Mill Bank’s Conservation Area status. In cians and dancers over the first weekend in Sep‐
Calderdale, planning permission is given for solar panels, tember. Stops are made at Parish Churches where
subject to certain conditions, namely that there is mini‐ token rushes are presented as part of a short cere‐
mum impact on buildings in the Area, protecting the mony and at local hostelries where the dancing and
character and nature of the Area. revelry is rewarded with refreshments.
Panels require an unshaded roof with a pitch of about 40 Don’t miss the parade through the village on Sun‐
degrees, facing south‐east to south‐west. Installation day afternoon 4th Sep.
costs have come down , and many believe the invest‐
ment value of the scheme now makes this very attrac‐ The St Mary’s ceremony will be at 1 pm, followed
tive. There is an inflation‐linked increase to the feed‐in by dancing and drama at The Alma at 1.30 pm. The
tariff payments so that returns can be above 10% a year. parade will pass through the village at about 2.30
If you install before next April – when new payment tar‐ pm .
iffs are set to come into force – you are guaranteed the
tariffs for the next 25 years at the old rate.
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4. Dripping Success—the Mill Bank Garden and Landscapes Art Exhibition
The first Mill Bank Garden Art Exhibition was held ganisers recover!
on Sunday 12 July ‐ and how it rained! But not
enough to dampen the spirits of nearly 200 people A CD with images of most of the exhibition
who splashed around the village to see the work of work is available from Ruth, priced at £5.00.
23 artists, inspired by Mill Bank’s gardens and land‐ ruth.beazley@btopenworld.com
scapes.
There was something to please most tastes, from
drawing, painting and printing to paper sculpture
and light boxes. Many were impressed with the
quality of the work and the curation, especially for a
first event. The beauty of the local environment is
obviously strong inspiration for the creative spirit in
both young and not so young.
Pam Parkinson threw open her doors at The Old
Sunday School, which made a fantastic space to
hang most of the paintings: and on the way down
the hill visitors were able to admire the planting in
the graveyard which was looking especially well af‐
ter the recent ‘Mill Bank in Bloom’ judges’ inspec‐
tion .
The Knowsley Farm garden was at its glorious sum‐
mer best: a colourful tribute to the gardening skills
of Paddy and Sue. Various ceramics, wooden sculp‐ Sue Walker’s greenhouse provided an unusual but
tures and garden art from scrap materials were skil‐ effective space to exhibit her work, exploring bo‐
fully embedded in the foliage. tanical themes.
There was music to serenade the outdoor exhibits ——————————————————
along with Ruth’s photographs of Kebroyd Mills and
The Mill Bank Calendar 2012
some from the top of St Mary’s spire. Sue used her
greenhouse as a back drop for a dark interpretation The 2012 calendar is at the printers and will be
of old botanical drawings. Ruth took over the sum‐ available in September. Once again, there will be 12
beautiful photos of the village and surrounding area
mer house with exhibits commemorating the now
for a year round visual feast. Proceeds from sales
derelict mill sites and forgotten mill workers. Sue’s
are the main source of funds for plants, repairs and
studio displayed more of her work in progress and other projects that help to keep the village in
some colourful quilts. shape, so please buy one for all your loved ones.
The artists’ baking was also a big attraction for preferably two.
some. For others it was the chance to socialise that
was appreciated. Along with other supporting art‐
ists, local friends and families, people arrived in Mill The Mill Bank Calendar
Bank from hundreds of miles north and south. Sue
and Ruth who organised the exhibition were de‐ 2012
lighted that a good day was had by all and that a
new network of local artists has been created.
There have been many requests to repeat the event
which could possibly result in another exhibition
being organised in the future if and when the or‐
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5. It’s not that she objects to parental involvement—quite the
opposite —but sees this as needing skilled management to find
a balance of respect for the professionalism and commitment
of teachers, against the partnership benefits from getting par‐
ents involved.
Are small schools a good thing? Whilst admitting that they can
feel a bit claustrophobic at times, she remains a fan of the per‐
sonal attention, freedoms and more relaxed relationships that
small schools permit. But in a small school “the quality of lead‐
ership is really important” is even more important, and “you
must have the right staff” to make it work effectively.
Teachers in primary education in most places are predomi‐
nantly female, and there has been criticism that this has meant
“over feminisation” of education and lack of relevance for
boys: “Yes– under‐achievement amongst boys needs attention.
They need to move around more and explore outside the class‐
room, rather than being asked from a young age to just sit and
learn”. She sees this tendency as an unintended consequence
of the written evidence requirements demanded from teachers
in the assessment system. Although the foundation curriculum
Pam Taylor Retires and Reflects encourages a physically active approach to learning, she be‐
Pam Taylor, the Deputy Head Teacher at St Mary’s, retired at the end of lieves this should extend throughout the primary years, along
with more creative work.
the summer term. A greatly respected figure at the school, she will be
greatly missed for her expertise, the depth of her understanding of We talked about what makes an excellent school, and I asked if
individual children and families, and as an anchor for the whole school, she thought class sizes were a critical factor in getting results.
especially in turbulent times. She worked with 3 different heads during “I’m not convinced: you need a happy medium, with enough
her appointment and was acting Head for an interim period during children to bounce ideas off each other. It’s more about the
2009. After a lifetime in teaching, with only a short break to raise her relationships, mutual respect and a good atmosphere”. And
own children, she spoke about her experiences and thoughts about the about wider values too: “Life’s tough. Sometimes we offer chil‐
future. dren more choice than is always good for them, make excuses,
and pussyfoot around, to avoid upsetting them. Sometimes we
Originally trained at St Mark’s and St John’s College in Chelsea, Pam
all have to do what is asked, and just get on with it”.
graduated in the 70s. Having sampled the pleasures of the Kings Road
for long enough, her first permanent appointment was in the tough Asked about the influences on her teaching, Pam cites fellow
docks area of Plymouth. Armed with that experience, but pining for her teachers, rather than theorists or senior staff as most impor‐
native Yorkshire, she returned to teach firstly at Heckmondwike and tant. “I’ve been really fortunate” she says, “people I have
later at Barkisland, before moving to St Marys as the deputy in 2002. worked alongside—many teachers and also parents—have
At that time, the National Curriculum was well established: “a good been really committed professionals, and socially easy to get
on with”.
thing” she says, “it brought more structure where it was needed”. St
Mary’s had a strong community school emphasis, taking children from a Airing some of her worries about the future, she is concerned
wide variety of backgrounds and abilities, as now. There were strong about the loss of creative activity in the pressured curriculum,
links with parents, and perhaps rather less questioning of the school’s with so much emphasis on early progress with reading and
regime and results by parents and children than has been the case in numbers. Also about the “fast tracking” of head teachers, and
recent years. The then Head Teacher, Danny Mollen and his partner the risks of getting out of touch with the children: she thinks it
were very much a part of the social life of the village, and known to important that head teachers should continue to teach for
most. Later, Simon Scott became head teacher, with a different outlook some of the time, and know what teachers are doing in the
and bags of charisma: “A strong people‐person. He got everyone on classroom.
board.”
What’s next? “I’m not retiring from life! There’s a long list of
Pam is concerned about the way that rising expectations are sometimes things I haven't been able to do”. She makes light of the years
expressed by parents, and at the loss of respect for teachers and of 14 hour weekdays, and the countless lost Sunday after‐
schools: and clearly thinks that things have swung too far. “Children noons, but admits she is looking forward to more time with
have too many choices now, and can’t always cope”: she worries about family and friends, to travel—”Australia is a possibility” ‐ to
the mistrust by parents that is stoked up by the media, and the pres‐ reading more biography, building a bonfire of accumulated
sure on SATs results : ”Some parents think they know all about educa‐ teaching paraphernalia, and sorting out a new kitchen.
tion, and expect too much: but sometimes they don’t know their own
We wish her all the very best.
children’s abilities well enough.”
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