Friday 8 June 1917
Although born in Bradford, Mr Willie Sutcliffe came
to Shipley when he was only one year old so that he
can with justice almost be claimed as a native. In his
youth he was a pupil of Mr Newboult, late of Bradford
and now of South Africa.
His career as an organist opened at the Windhill
Wesleyan Chapel in 1887 and was there continued
until 1893. He then went to the Lancaster Wesleyan
Church where he was organist for ten years. After this
he accepted the position as organist and choir master at
the Manningham Wesleyan Church.
Mr Sutcliffe’s brother, at this time organist at the
Saltaire Wesleyan Chapel, accepted a position at Salem
Congregational Church Manningham and Mr Sutcliffe
was invited to be organist at Saltaire, a position he still holds.
Orchestral work
When at Lancaster, Mr Sutcliffe was music master to the Lancaster College,
Morecambe. He also had considerable experience in orchestral work and was
conductor of the Rosse Street Brotherhood Orchestra, Shipley, up to last year.
He was founder of the orchestra in Rosse Street which, with Westcliffe Road
Orchestra, formed the nucleus of the Shipley Orchestral Society of which he is
now the conductor and which recently took part in the patriotic concert given at
the Pavilion de Luxe.
Although for the present the society is held up owing to so many of its
members having been called to military service, there is every hope that with
the return to normal times, the efficiency of the orchestra will be renewed.
At the heart of Shipley’s music scene
A gift of an altar cloth bordered with
beautiful lace work has been
presented to Windhill Parish Church
by Miss Nellie Batley. Miss Trevethan
has worked a very handsome
embroidered altar cloth which is to be
given to Likoma Cathedral in Central
Africa.
Altar cloth gifts
Wood Ranger has some
success against foxes
in Dawson Wood
For a long time foxes have been
doing considerable damage in
Thackley and district and quite a
number of poultry houses have been
raided with the result that owners
have suffered severe losses.
These, however, are at last being
coped with and five – young and old
– have been either shot or trapped by
Mr Eke, the Corporation’s wood
ranger.
Fine vixen
Last Thursday morning he shot a
very fine vixen in a disused quarry in
Dawson Wood at Hill Top.
She measured 48 inches from the tip
of the nost to the tip of the tail, stood
19 inches high and turned the scale
at 16 lbs.
Quite a sensation was caused when
it was known and a large number of
people ccalled to see it.
There has also been good sport on
Idle Moor where several others have
been caught.
When the representation of the
People’s Bill now before
Parliament becomes law, the
Shipley Parliamentary Division
as we have known it, will cease
to exist.
Idle, Eccleshill, which includes
Greengates, Low Moor and North
Bierley will be taken into the City of
Bradford.
This will leave Shipley, which gives
its name to the Division, without any
connecting link with the remaining
part of the constituency.
Negotiations
It would, therefore, be necessary for
Shipley to combine with other
districts for parliamentary electoral
purposes.
Naturally the Shipley Council desire
that the Division should retain its
present name so is entering into
negotiations with townships whose
association Shipley would be
mutually advantageous.
The clause in the Bill which seeks to
effect the redistribution of seats
throughout the country provides that
the standard unit of population for a
Member of Parliamennt shall be
70,000 and obviously the most
suitable townships to join Shipley
would be Bingley, Baildon, Esholt,
Hawksworth, Menston, Rawdon and
Calverley.
These districts would form a fairly
compact Parliamentary Division in the
watershed of the Aire Valley.
All the townships named have similar
interests with the manufacture of
textiles as a their principal trade and
this is a matter of essential importance
in the representation which is to be
obtained in Parliament.
Industrial
The Division suggested would be
chiefly industrial but also to some
extent residential.
The instruction issued to the
Boundary Commissioners is to the
effect that consideration should be
given as far as possible to to the
segregation of industrial and rural
areas and the agricultural districts
in the Wharfe Valley should seek
other associations.
We understand there is likely to be no
objection to such a scheme on the part
of Bingley and it is clearly in the
interests of Baildon to join Shipley in
the scheme.
Geographical
What view may be taken by Menston,
Rawdon and the other places named
we cannot say but a glance at the map
of the West Riding would convince
anybody that apart from the other
cosiderations to which we have
referred, the scheme is well worthy of
consideration even from a
geographical point of view.
We agree with Cllr C E Learoyd that
the matter is an urgent one and ought
to be dealt with at once. As he urges,
there is the danger at a time like this
that very important things may be
rushed through without proper
consideration being given to them.
Shipley needs to act on new parliamentary boundaries
Mr Charles Messenger of 4 Mafeking Terrace, Bolton
Woods, reported that four chickens had been taken from
his hen house
Detective Brown made inquiries which led him to a house
in 12 North Brook Street, Bolton Road, Bradford where he
found a fowl in the cupboard plucked ready for cooking.
In the ash it he also found a quantity of feathers which Mr
Messenger recognised as similar to those of the fowls
which he had lost.
Detective Brown then charged George William Berry, a
teamer who formerly lived in Spurr Road, near the Market
Place, Shipley.
The prisoner replied: “Yes I took three in a sack and put
them in the backyard of the Venture Hotel and when I
came out someone had taken them.
Back for another
“I then went back for another and that’s the one you’ve
got.”
Berry was bought up at Bradford West Riding Police Court
where Supt Fairbairn said he had previously been before
the court on three occasions.
Prisoner was sent to gaol for three months with hard
labour.
Three months’ gaol with hard labour for fowl deed
Among the topics discussed by Baildon Education Committee was non-
attendance at school. The average attendance in their schools was 83 percent
but it dropped to 46 percent in the case of the National Mixed Infants.
The chairman, Cllr William Holmes, pointed out that one cause of non-
attendance might be that some of the children were at work in factories
He thought it would be a good idea of the Press would give publicity to the
importance of children school regularly.
Summer Time
The Clerk, Mr Edward Steel, said the attendance was better this year than last
Because of Summer Time, the parents had to go to bed earlier in order to get to
work. Still the attendance was much below what it should be.
Chairman: “We cannot issue an order compelling people to go to bed at a
certain time. It would, however, be wise to use our influence to impress upon
teachers and children the necessity of earlier hours.
Early to bed, early to rise…
The previous week the paper had
carried a story that a discharged
soldier had been appointed as
caretaker at Crowgill Park.
But this week the council notes
included the statement:
“Unfortunately the discharged soldier
had not turned out successful
“He had not been seen near the park
for a week and had not sent any
word. He had simply stayed away.”
Discharged soldier job
not a success
Fear wounded soldiers’
seats might be used by
Weary Willies
Shipley Council showed some
concern over the plan to switch six
garden seats from Crowgill Park to
Alexandra Square in Saltaire and to
put nine other seats around the town
for the use of wounded soldiers.
In supporting Cllr Hirst’s statement
that he hoped ‘the necessity for seats
would only be temporary,’ Cllr
Midgley expressed fears that ‘the
seats might be taken advantage of by
people who would be better
employed working than sitting about.
Free bowls
“We do not want to have a lot of
seats knocking about the town for
‘Weary Willies’ and ‘Tired Tims’.
“I hope the Council will see that the
seats are reserved for wounded
soldiers.”
Cllr Hirst said there would be notices
fixed to the seats that they should be
saved for wounded soldiers.
He also announced that the wounded
would be allowed to use the bowling
greens free of charge.
Since the last meeting of the
Council’s Highways Committee, two
of their horses had been taken by the
military authorities.
In consequence, the Council were in
great difficulty in carrying out their
work, especially in road works, in the
Ashpit cleansing department and the
carting of coal and coke.
The Northern Command at York had
been requested that instructions
should be given to the Remount
Department that no more horses
should be taken from the Council to
meet the military requirements.
Military horse demands
hampering Council
Seagulls coming inland
in search of food
The Shipley and district branch of the
Workers’ Educational Association
held their second ramble of this year
under the leadership of Mr W H
Parkin.
They studied the habits and songs of
birds and, to some minor extent, of
insects and animal life in Shipley
Glen.
Mr Parkin called attention to visits
which are paid in increasing numbers
by seagulls to inland sewage farms.
Rarely seen
Forty or fifty years ago, when such
farms were not known as they are
today, the seagull was rarely seen as
far inland as the Shipley and
Bradford district.
Now, however, a small colony of gulls
may be found in the vicinity of many
of our inland sewage arms, the birds
being scavengers an havig found the
farms in their search for food.
Before removing a new gas mantle
from its box, pass a thread through
the loop on the top and soak it for five
minutes in a tumbler of white vinegar.
Hang till quite dry.
Treated in this way, the mantle will
last much longer and give a far more
brilliant light and the bracket can be
safely shaken without any harm to
the mantle.
Gas mantle economy
IN MEMORIAM
RAISBECK - in loving memory of
Pte Maurice Raisbeck (24) only son
of Mr and Mrs Lewis Raisbeck, 29
Baildon Bridge. KIA May 3rd