Monthly Archives: September 2017

Industrial Archaeology

On the 27^th of September the Forum welcomed its guest speaker Mike Bowers from Boston Spa. Mike is a retired school teacher whose lifelong interest has been the history of industry and he titled his talk Industrial Archaeology.

The basis of his talk was a selection of his slide collection taken over the last fifty years most of which featured scenes from his native Derbyshire where much of the early developments of the Industrial Revolution took place.

The first source of power was water which was exploited by the ancient Egyptians and featured in the Domesday Book and Mike’s slides featured derelict water wheels of various designs.

The textile industry began in the weavers’ cottages and the first factory as we would understand it was built by Richard Arkwright in Cromford, Derbyshire. Although Arkwright employed child labour he was a relatively benevolent employer compared with some of his contemporaries;

Arkwright provided housing for his workers and schools for their children. Early factories had armed guards to protect them from groups such as the Luddites who saw the machines taking away their jobs.

Mike’s presentation moved on to the iron industry in Shropshire and Sheffield before concentrating on the development of transport, particularly canals and wagon systems powered by fixed engines.

After questions and comments from the Forum members Mike Earle thanked Mike Bowers for a fascinating talk.

Percy Shaw inventor of the Cats Eye road stud

At the Forum’s meeting held on the 20^th of September Speaker Finder John Spinner re-introduced an old friend, Chris Helmes.

The subject of his talk was Percy Shaw – the man who put the Cats-eye on the road.

Percy Shaw was born in Halifax in 1890, one of a poor family of 14 children. As a child he moved to the nearby village of Boothtown to a house where he lived for the rest of his life.

He left school aged 13 and, after a number of dead-end jobs, he and his father set up a business doing any small jobs and repairs required. His social life involved a regular visit to the Old Dolphin pub in Queensbury and it was whilst travelling home on his motor cycle that he realised the need for road markings visible in the dark.

It is not clear how he devised the cats-eye but he set up the Reflective Roadstud Company which was an instant success. He became a local celebrity due to his eccentric lifestyle, always dressing scruffily and restricting his social life to visits to the Old Dolphin; his one luxury being a Rolls Royce car.

He achieved national fame when he was the subject of an interview by Alan Whicker and received an OBE in 1965 for services to exports, dying in 1976 age 86.

Chris circulated a cats-eye for us to see its unique features including self-cleaning and ability to withstand heavy traffic and the forum members plied him with many questions.

Chairman Mike Earle proposed a vote of thanks enthusiastically supported by all the members.

Stories and Legacies of the First World War in Leeds and Yorkshire

The Forum convened on the 13^th of September after its summer break.

Members stood to remember a former committee member Doug Emmingham who passed away during the break.

The first speaker for the season was Professor Alison Fell from Leeds University whose subject was Stories and Legacies of the First World War in Leeds and Yorkshire.

Professor Fell ran a project in 2014 with schools, museums and other organisations to establish six research groups covering various subjects related to how the war affected our area.

The majority of local men who joined the army were either drafted into the Leeds Rifles or the Leeds Pals Regiment. Although a large number of them died in France many also fought in Gallipoli alongside Australians and New Zealanders. The death rate for British troops was 12%, lower than is generally believed.

Alison related the problems experienced by large employers such as Tetley’s Brewery who lost many skilled workers to the army and related the story of a university academic with a German name although he was British citizen.

The last subject which Alison raised was the settlement of 250,000 Belgian refugees, a large number of who settled in Leeds and were treated as heroes but became less popular as the war progressed.

Duncan Verity proposed a vote of thanks which was enthusiastically supported by Forum members.

On the 27th of September the Forum welcomed its guest speaker Mike Bowers from Boston Spa. Mike is a retired school teacher whose lifelong interest has been the history of industry and he titled his talk Industrial Archaeology.

On the 27^th of September the Forum welcomed its guest speaker Mike Bowers from Boston Spa. Mike is a retired school teacher whose lifelong interest has been the history of industry and he titled his talk Industrial Archaeology.