Coffydale continues Kirkgate's coffee cultureOccupying one of Silsden's premier retailing locations, No 55 Kirkgate has contributed to the town's coffee-cum-catering culture, which along with hairdressing is a prominent part of the local economy. Coffydale, a combined cafe and bar, is owned by Louisa Rollins, who is pictured above on the right with colleague Gaynor Kelepouris. Louisa is a partner in another coffee shop in the area. The Silsden venture opened in January of this year.  No 55 Kirkgate has been a shop for well over 120 years, much of that time a grocery, being particularly remembered as Holgate's. More recently it has been a cafe, Bilaluci's following the closure of Holgate's and then the Duck Pond.

New barber Blendz into the continuing changes in Kirkgate

No 74 Kirgate, previously occupied by Silsden Vets, has a new lease of life as a barber's shop, run by Haider Ali, who is pictured above at the premises. He has been a barber for six years and the Silsden venture, called Blendz, is his first own-account business. Ali, who is from Wibsey, says he chose to open in Silsden because it looked a good place to be.

 

Wharfedale naturalist's focus on the changing biodiversity of the local countryside

Silsden Campaign for the Countryside organised a talk on the changing biodiversity of  our local countryside. The speaker was Dr Ian Brand (on the left), who chairs Wharfedale Naturalists. He is pictured with Caroline Whitaker, one of Silsden's three Green Party councillors at City Hall, and Mark Wogden, who chairs Silsden Campaign for the Countryside. The well-attended illustrated talk was held at Silsden Methodist Church on Tuesday October 29th.

Popular Kurdish barber takes a short cut to Kirkgate (from Bolton Road)

Popular Kurdish barber Saim Sarwan (pictured above), who opened his first shop at 5 Bolton Road, Silsden, in April 2021, has moved to No. 49 Kirkgate, which Saim says is bigger and in a better location than his previous premises (see my Blog of June 30th 2021), which he has vacated. The new shop is called Master Fade. The fade is a stylish and fashionable haircut. The customer pictured above having a flame treatment is Tom Cunningham.

No. 49 Kirkgate was a pharmacy for a long time but then had three changes of use in the last five years, as The Yorkshire Vaper, Dessert Bae and Raven Forge before its dazzling transformation into Master Fade.

New Briggate hairdresser sees more opportunities ahead as Silsden expands

After more than 20 years as a hairdresser renting space at other shops, Laura Davison has opened her own business, called Themis, in Briggate. Laura is pictured standing (left) with Bethany Lazenby, who will be renting a chair at the newly refurbished shop, which is pictured below. Laura was a hairdresser in Bradford and Halifax before taking a chair in Cross Hills and then for the last two years or so in Silsden. She has gone into business on her own account in Silsden spurred by the prospect of increased local housing offering more new customers.                         

Laura has chosen the shop's name in memory of the legendary singer-songwriter and poet Jim Morrison, of the 1960s rock band The Doors, whose interests included Greek mythology.

 

End of an era as one of Silsden's oldest and best-known businesses moves out of BriggateThe Silsden estate agents business started by Dennis Knowles more than 60 years ago has left its Briggate home (pictured above). Notices in the windows announce that Whitaker Cadre, which describes itself as a lettings specialist with offices in Ilkley, Leeds and Harrogate, has acquired Knowles by Zenko Properties. Knowles Estate Agency was sold to Leeds-based Zenko a few years ago by owner Michael Knowles, son of the founder. Whitaker Cadre says it has merged the Silsden acquisition with its Ilkley office and can be found at The Point in Lower Railway Road, Ilkley. The Briggate office employed three people.

Michael left the Knowles estate agency five years ago, following the Zenko purchase. He had helped run the local business for more than 40 years, having worked alongside his father before taking over. Dennis, who died in his early 80s in 2008, was one of Silsden's best-known businessmen and had been chairman of the Civic Society. Dennis started as a wholesale supplier of decorating materials before becoming an estate agent, under Harold Crane's tutelage, in about 1963. The Knowles office was originally on the ground floor of the old Yorkshire Bank building, as can be seen on the right in the above late-1960s photograph, and moved to the other side of Briggate when the Electricity Board showroom closed.

The photograph above shows the Knowles office about 12 years ago in the days of its unrivalled local standing. The estate agency continued there until shutting last week (July 19th). Director Matthew Lamb says Whitaker Cadre already has an established portfolio in Silsden, serviced from the Ilkley office, and the acquisition of the lettings business of Knowles by Zenco Properties is a natural expansion, which will be conducted under the Whitaker Cadre name. 

 

Charlotte or should it be shallot? A new face at the allotments

Gardening friends Linda Waterhouse (pictured on the left) and Liz Mortimer have added a newcomer to their Silsden allotment. Their skilfully assembled scarecrow, tastefully named Charlotte, has become a growing hit with the other members of Silsden Allotment Association. Linda and Liz each gardened larger plots until they decided to downsize this year. Rather than give up their hobby, they agreed to share a smaller plot, which still has room for Charlotte to be a colourful showpiece.

Town Hall showcases unique Silsden in Art exhibition of paintings and photographs

Silsden in Art, a major exhibition of paintings by local artists and images by local photographers, takes place at Silsden Town Hall over the Easter weekend. Pictured  above is Colin Neville, author of the Silsden in Art book, which accompanies the unique showcase of the arts scene in the area past and present.

The show has been organised by representatives of Silsden Local History Group, Silsden Photography Group, the Town Hall and Colin's Not Just Hockney art project. The picture above from the exhibition is a work by one of Silsden's most successful artists, Joseph West, who painted this scene of Raikes Road (now Bradley Road) looking towards the town, in 1919.

The exhibition illustrates how Silsden and the surrounding countryside was portrayed by artists in the past and how it is seen today. Many of the artworks have been loaned by local residents. The above view of Lumb Clough Bridge on Holden Beck was painted in 1900 by William Lambert, either just before or as a memorial just after the old structure was swept away in a flood in July of that year. Information boards will highlight other renowned Silsden-born artists of yesteryear. There will also be a display about Silsden's long-gone Picture Palace cinema.

More than 50 paintings will be featured and there will be over 100 pictures of local scenes by present-day photographers. The above image of the canal between Silsden and Kildwick was taken in 1900 by Alexander Keighley, a pioneer of pictorial movement in photography, who lived at Steeton Hall. The modern photograph below of canal boats near Silsden was taken by John Moody and will also be on display.

There will be art demonstrations by local artists and a cafe on the Saturday. Funds raised by the exhibition, including profits from sales of the Silsden in Art book, will go to the community-run Town Hall. The event opens at 9.30am on Easter Saturday, March 30th, and at 2pm on Easter Sunday, closing at 4pm on both days. Entry is free although donations for the upkeep of the Town Hall will be welcomed.

A Land For All Seasons booklet celebrates our precious fields and urges action against more losses to come

Pictured above are Carol Morrell Smith and granddaughter Evelyn Shaw with a copy of a new booklet being published by the Silsden Campaign for the Countryside. A Land For All Seasons tells the story of the fields between Hawber Cote and ancient Brown Bank Lane where, despite unprecedented objections, builders Persimmon have been given permission to site 138 houses. 

The book features words and pictures contributed by local people and combines a celebration of the history and wildlife of these much-loved, footpath-crossed fields with a lament for what will be lost.  Campaign chair Mark Wogden says the book is also a call to action to save remaining farmland for future generations. As reported in my blog of May 9th 2022, Persimmon controls a much larger adjoining area from Brunthwaite to Brown Bank where, subject to planning permission, a further 150 homes could be built by 2030 following completion in 2026 of the first phase of 138 homes. 

Carol Morrell Smith, whose family history in Silsden goes back centuries, is among  residents who have contributed memories of happy times walking the fields that are now threatened.

The book includes work by local artists Jo Whitehead, Fran Elliott and Louise Limb, stunning wildlife images by nature photographer David Dimmock and the thoughts of local children, who express their fears about climate change and loss of biodiversity. Priced at £4.99, the book will be launched at a coffee morning (9.30-11.30) at St James' Community Hall on March 9th before becoming available in local shops.

A dry day at last: it's enough to bowl you over

After dreary December and seemingly weeks of woefully wet weather, with unseasonably mild temperatures, the first weekend of January brought sunshine and cooler conditions more like we'd expect at this time of year. A cue for winter walks in Silsden's precious countryside and lanes. Also, as shown above, an unlikely opportunity to bend the knee and flex the muscles several months in advance of the new bowling season. Pictured left to right are Richard Gornall, Michael O'Neill and Brian Moorhouse, whose combined ages total 239 years. They are all senior members of Silsden Playing Fields Bowling Club, whose crown green and HQ are in Silsden park. The club welcomes new members of all ages for the new season, which starts in April.   

Fun run gives the New Year a traditional start

Silsden's 40th New Year's Day fun run brought out local families determined to defy the dismal weather that has prevailed over the holiday period. The event, raising money for charity, was instigated by Paul Buckley in 1983. Still competing, veteran Silsden runner Paul is pictured above on the right in the light-yellow training top. At the back on the left, in the red top holding his son Lennie, is Stephen Throup, whose late father, Dave Throup, set the course record of 15 mins 25 secs in the early 1990s. Stephen takes part  each year, this time with daughter Gracie, aged 8, and, making his debut, five-year-old Lennie.

The three-mile course has a stiff uphill start from The Green in Bradley Road and then goes along Hole Lane to the Heights before coming downhill into Horne Lane and finally Bradley Road. Holly Fitch (Wharfedale Harriers), of Silsden, on the right, led the women home with No.29 Annie Chambers (Keighley and Craven Athletic Club) second.

The men's race was won by Nathan Hird (right), of the well-known Silsden running  family, with Jake Norris (left) second.

The race, organised by Wharfedale Harriers, started in a chilly shower but otherwise there were some pleasant sunny intervals. The race has been held annually since 1983 with the exception of 2021, when it was cancelled because of the Covid restrictions.

Silsden families were to the fore. Pictured above are the Raven family: dad James, mum Emma and their daughters Amelia, 10, and Annabel, 8.