Discover the characters and places of bygone Thornton

Chairman Terry Miller offers an insight into the characters and places visitors can learn about.

Canon Tollit

Canon Arthur Canon Tollit Tollit was a kindly man well-liked by Thornton school children when he often told them stories from scripture making them come to life.

He was an England national chess player and as a result of his contacts, he brought many of his friends to school to meet the children. On one occasion he introduced them to a very well-dressed lady in a large hat and long dress. She sang songs from the Indian Raj.

Les Kellet

A professional wrestler, Les always put on a good show because he played to the audience for laughs. He was an excellent wrestler and won many trophies.

Les Kellett in the 1960s

Les and his wife hosted the Terminus café where trolley buses terminated before returning to Bradford. Mums and young children out for walks would call in for a cup of tea. Les always gave the children some kind of treat, usually sweets in winter and ice cream in summer.

Thornton Swimming Baths

A treat for children. Many people will recall taking pop bottles back to the shops to collect pennies to pay to enter the baths. The water always seemed cold and the chlorine made your eyes water. You always went home with grazes to elbows, knees and feet because the floor of the bath was concrete and very rough to the skin.

Bronte Archers

Bronte Archers comprised mainly recently demobbed servicemen from the Second World War who established the club in Back Lane Thornton, using a field at the side of the Fever Hospital. This was very handy for the Mountain Ash pub just across the lane where they could store their equipment and of course enjoy a pint or two.

members of Bronte Archers

As the club grew they were able the build a hut to house their targets etc and entertain other clubs in competition. The club had both men’s and ladies’ teams and produced winners of trophies in and around the Yorkshire area. Being at the top of a hill and open to the elements, it made accuracy with a bow quite difficult and passers-by on Back Lane kept a wary eye on the archers. As the club expanded, they moved to more centralised premises in Apperley Bridge where they still perform.

Trolley buses

Trolley buses were ideal passenger transport for the steady climb up the hill from Bradford to Thornton. They were quiet and did not emit any fumes as did the West Yorkshire buses that operated on the same route. The trolley buses replaced the trams that used the same route but were confined to the tracks in the road. The electrical power was supplied by wires suspended above the road and fastened to telegraph poles.

A trolleybus making its way up Thornton Road, 1970

Because the trolley routes included two other termini at Bell Dean and Springhead Road, the buses had to be manhandled by removing the trolley bus poles from the Thornton Road route and putting them on to the return journey wires towards Bradford. The conductor had to pull the trolley poles off the existing wires and transfer them to the other route which could be difficult as they were heavily sprung to ensure supply of electricity. If the conductor missed attaching the pole to the replacement wire the pole would fly up into the air after which the unfortunate person had to fish for a connection to pull it down on to the correct wire. This was great fun for spectators and very embarrassing for the conductor.

Albion Mill

The mill was in the middle of a change of ownership and a change of the items being produced. Formerly the Northrop family produced traditional woven fabrics but as time went on they became uncompetitive against competition from abroad, so they sold out to another company who converted the mill to producing a current fashionable item in candlewick. This continued until it too lost its attraction to consumers and the mill closed.

Workers' outing, Albion Mill

Mill workers

We are unsure of the reason for this picture but it was taken outside Dole Mill in Thornton Road. The picture of a group of all male young and old workers is a mystery and perhaps someone reading this could tell us more about them.

Workers at Dole Mill

Could they be a sporting team of some kind or a particular department in the mill? With splendid moustaches and clean shirts they certainly meant to be at their best for whatever event.

About Thornton Antiquarian Society

The society came into existence in February 2002 with its first annual general meeting.

Why was it called Antiquarian? Because it developed from a Thornton reminiscing group who as they grew decided that to rename themselves as a local history group would be too ordinary and so decided on the name antiquarian. It did cause some consternation, for example members were asked on more than one occasion if it was anything to do with fish.

Definitions suggest that the title suits the group because it is said to mean an interpretation of Thornton’s past rather than a definitive record.

South Square, Thornton, 1981

At the outset most records and artefacts were kept in members' homes, until the day when the society became involved with South Square which had received lottery funding for an update of the premises. As a result a room became available and all records and artefacts were and still are housed there. Luckily an experience museum curator was appointed: Lorraine Greenald used her expertise to train antiquarians to create files both manually and on computer. So the archive was born. Prior to this, on our first open day in 2004 all exhibits were brought to the Methodist Hall venue by members and afterwards returned to their homes - quite an achievement.

Membership increased as new topics were introduced. Because the space at South Square was not big enough, meetings are held at Thornton Community Centre on Market Street. Thornton Antiquarian Society is preserving the heritage of Thornton for the young to study and also provides social interaction for the seniors who have the memories to hand on to future generations.

The society meetings, normally with speakers, take place on Wednesdays throughout the year at 2pm, normally at Thornton Community Centre, Market Street. All are welcome.

The open day is at Thornton Methodist Church Hall, Headrow Court, off Thornton Road, on Saturday June 24 from 10am to 4pm

To contact Thornton Antiquarian Society email: antiquarians@southsquarecentre.co.uk

*All pictures courtesy of Thornton Antiquarian Society