For a century or more, the ultimate use of much of New Zealand's
and Australia's wool was decided by men who passed through the doors
of Bradford's Midland Hotel (pic 1).
Discussions
over lunch tables preceded deals at the city's Wool Exchange, where
tops – the best wool, noils – short fibres, shoddy – recycled wool
- and mungo – low quality material - were traded. JB Priestley, who
worked in the city at the height of its prosperity, remembered samples
- twists of fibre in blue tissue paper – arriving from all over the
world. Among them were more exotic wools – those of llamas, yaks,
goats and the alpaca.
Spinning and weaving ceased to be cottage industries
early in the Industrial Revolution as power-operated machines were
installed in rapidly-developing mills. Originally confined to valleys,
where river flows provided power, these spread along hillsides as
the steam engine and railways developed. Picture 2 shows Bradford
in 1820, when the city was still compact. Increasing prosperity resulted
in a forest of new chimneys as well as in fine civic and public buildings,
many in a golden-brown stone very different from the local millstone
grit. These were quickly turned black under thick layers of soot;
recent cleaning has revealed their original beauty.
Beyond the murk captured by the engraver of picture
2 can be seen open country. This has always been a pleasant feature
of the city. JB Priestley recalls how, in the early 20th
century, a short - and cheap - tram ride took Bradfordians to clean
air and open spaces. Many of these are now protected within the Yorkshire
National Park. Only 10 miles from the city centre is Haworth,
where the Bronte sisters lived and wrote. The journey from Bradford
may still be made, in part, on the steam-hauled railway line where
Bramwell Bronte worked as a ticket clerk, and where the 1968 version
of the BBC TV series of "The
Railway Children" was filmed.
Most mill owners were self-made tradesmen,
not capitalists, who had worked their way up by “hard graft”.
Many seem to have been even harder than the graft that had made them;
“Very rich and very mean”, as someone described them. Many years
ago, a New Zealander recalled how his grandfather travelled to
Europe to call on a mill owner with whom he did very considerable
business.
Being a kiwi, he was much inclined to take life as he found it,
but was surprised to be taken to the lowest pub he had ever seen
(that was something in the time of his story!). Lunch consisted of
a thick slice of bread, a piece of cheese and a tankard of ale. His
host then entered into a heated bargaining session with the innkeeper
for a reduction in his bill. This, he learned, was customary among
the city's richest citizens.
Far more elaborate arrangements were called for when the great and
good of the city met on formal occasions. The grand ballroom at the
Midland, then as now, was the scene of banqueting on a heroic scale
(pic 3). Successive Lord Mayors and their ladies led their fellow-citizens
on to the dance floor at balls and assemblies that were features
of the social life of every town in more spacious days.
Today, most of the chimneys have been toppled
and the mills converted to other uses. The Midland retains its old
grandeur and comfort, though with cuisine adapted to modern tastes.
The ballroom is now most often used as for conference purposes (pic
4). Lectures, discussions and various forums explore every facet
of modern life; the words tops, noils, shoddy and mungo are seldom
heard.
Occasional links with the Land of the Long White
Cloud remain. The city's senior tourism marketing officer is a New
Zealander – John Swinburn.
Tops, Noils and,
this time, Handel's Messiah : (next page)
Picture: thanks to Midland
Hotel Bradford ( 1, 3 and 4)
Thanks to Bradford
City Libraries (picture 2).
More information about Bradford: Visit
Bradford
