New exhibition shows Folly Hall Mills over more than a century

Jan 19 2009 by David Himelfield, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Pictures from the mill

FORMER employees of Joseph Lumb & Sons have been honoured in an exhibition at Huddersfield Art Gallery.

Ex-workers met to share tales of their days at the fine worsted manufacturer, which occupied Folly Hall Mills between about 1853 and 1982.

The display, organised by Huddersfield Civic Society, featured portraits of former employees from as early as 1880 up to the days the looms finally shut down.

Here are some of their tales:

Harry Silver-Crossley, of Paddock, worked at Joseph Lumb’s from 1880 to 1941 grading the wool into different gauges before his death in 1942.

His son Matthew Crossley, 87, of Marsh recalls: “He worked 62 years at Lumb’s. He didn’t work anywhere else.

“I don’t think he was poorly the whole time he worked there. He was a tough man.

“He’d walk to work everyday because he didn’t like the tram or the bus. I think he was saving the money for beer because times were hard then.

“He got the chance to go to Australia as a buyer but he didn’t go because he didn’t like sailing.

“He started at 6am and worked until 6pm and when he came home you’d stay out of his way.

“He never complained about his job but I think he could have bettered himself because he was an intelligent man.”

Andrew Eccles, 51, of Rastrick, left school for a job as colour matcher at Lumb’s in 1973. A colour matcher was responsible for ensuring the colour of thread matched the client’s specification.

He was promoted to a sales manager role where he worked until the company closed in 1982. Afterwards he joined the police where he now works as a sergeant.

Mr Eccles remembers: “I look back on it fondly. The camaraderie was great and everyone knew each other.

“People would tell you when they thought a girl fancied you. They’d try to match you up!

“When I was doing sales we got to travel up and down the country making sure the product was as they wanted.

“It was very sad when it closed and people were really surprised.”

Former Lumb’s director Miles Jessop is the grandson of Lumbs’ director William Lumb. Mr Jessop, formerly of Almondbury, joined the family business in 1960 after leaving school.

He worked his way up from the production floor to director in the late 1960s before leaving in 1972 to buy a hotel in Borrowdale, Cumbria.

Mr Jessop said: “One of the most wonderful things was working on the shop floor. The people who worked there were the salt of the earth.

“I worked all over the company so I had a complete approach to the process.

“It was wonderful working as a director. The only reason I left was because I could see the way textiles was going.

“I think this even is wonderful. It’s great to see one’s ancestors recognised and all the people who have worked there over generations.”