NOSTALGIA reader Ken Kaye, of Brockholes, writes:

This remarkable photograph, taken in 1962, shows eight ladies and gentlemen, all of whom were employees of Joseph Sykes & Co Ltd textile manufacturers of Brockholes, who between them had a total record of service amounting to 445 years.

In the current working environment when employment contracts are often measured in a few years at the most, working for the same employer at the same workplace for more than 50 years demonstrates quite exceptional loyalty to the firm,

To reach this length of service several, if not all, these former employees must have joined the firm directly after leaving school, staying all their working lives.

At its peak Joseph Sykes & Co Ltd of Rock Mills, employed more than 500 workers, producing 10,000 yards of high quality cloth each week, from 132 looms, much of which was exported.

Their achievements were rewarded in 1931 by an official visit to the mill by HRH Prince George, Duke of Kent.

Raw wool arrived in bales from Australia and New Zealand and left the factory as finished cloth to be made into suits, coats and ladies’ skirts.

The company ceased production in 1969 having traded for almost 100 years.

The mill was demolished in 1975.

The photograph, above left, was published in the Weekly Examiner of July 6, 1962.

The accompanying story read:

In the reception room of Rock Mills, Brockholes, hang a number of photographs of groups of long serving employees.

They go back down the years, for some of the proud posers sport shiny clogs, though the shawl has been doffed for the auspicious occasion.

It is obviously the habit at Rock Mills. For when youngsters have received an initial welcome in that reception room on their interview day they have so often stayed.

But they can never outstay their welcome at the Rock Mills of Joseph Sykes and Co Ltd, worsted manufacturers. There are at least eight employees working there now to prove it.

Their ages total 556 years (average age 69 years) and their total service at the firm 445 years (average 55 years).

Theses “old hands”, still nimble of finger, are Miss Emily Sandford (67), worsted drawer, of 1, New Mill Road, Brockholes, 55 years’ service; Miss Annie Goldthorpe (63), waste sorter, 12 Rock Cottages, Brockholes, 50 years; Miss Amy Cartwright (71), mender, Rydal Mount, of Sycamore, Thongsbridge, 58; Miss Doris Moss, (64), mender, 63, Station Road, Brockholes, 50 years; Mr Albert Boothroyd (77), office staff, 34 Thirstin Road, Honley, 65 years; Mr Harold Hirst (68), foreman worsted spinner, 107, Close Hill Lane, Newsome, 55 years; Mr Fred Nicholson (64), office staff, 70, Station Road, Brockholes, 50 years and Mr Fred Dickinson, (82), warper, 7 Rock Cottages, 62 years.

Miss Sandford, Mr Boothroyd, Mr Hirst and Mr Dickinson began as part-timers at the mill at the age of 12 (for those unacquainted with the “good old days,” working a day and schooling a day).

Miss Sandford told me (writes an Examiner reporter) that as a half-timer she worked alternate days starting at 6.30 in the morning and ending the day at 5.30pm.

For her three-day half-timer week she received the princely wage of 3s 10d one week and 3s 2d the following week.

The hours for adults were 55½ a week, working Saturday mornings, of course, until 12.30pm.

All of the people in the picture had worked nowhere else but Rock Mills – except Mr Dickinson. As a youngster he left “The Rock” to work at another textile mill; for eight years, but he came back.

“Because you like it?” asked the reporter.

“It looks like it, doesn’t it,” he said with a twinkle in his eye.

They were all of the opinion that the old days were good days, despite the longer hours and lower wages.

“There was a better spirit of co-operative workmanship. We were truly one big happy family,” said Mr Hirst.

Any talk of retirement is taboo among these textile workers.

“We need only another seven years’ service each and we have topped 500 years at one firm,” said Mr Dickinson.

And these old timers have always been good timers. Rarely have they been off work and seldom late at it. In fact Mr Boothroyd had only one week off in 60 years, his record being spoiled when he had flu. After he had completed 60 years he was then off work seven weeks with pneumonia.