Patricia Barraclough turned a passion for fashion into a thriving retail business.
Patricia, who has died aged 87, ran her own womenswear business for many years, selling high-end fashions including ball gowns, evening dresses and mother-of-the-bride outfits to discerning customers.
She set up Patricia’s Fashions more than 40 years ago in a vacant shop unit at Wakefield Road, Aspley, and later relocated to Westbourne Road, Marsh. She finally retired about 15 years ago when she was in her 70s.
Patricia was born in Paddock and grew up in the Newsome area. She left school at 14 to train as a mender in a local textile mill – a highly skilled job which involved mending cloth which had been accidentally damaged during the production process.
When manufacturers began to outsource the work she set up her own business, Longwood Mending Company, initially working from a single room in a terraced house in Longwood but later moving to larger premises at Silver Street, Aspley.
When a shop around the corner in Wakefield Road became vacant, Patricia took the premises to open her fashion shop. She ran both businesses simultaneously, but was always to be found behind the counter in the shop.
Her daughter, Lesley Whiting, said: “Patricia’s became quite famous. There was a period when it was so popular everyone knew where my mother’s shop was. It had a regular clientele.
“She was so into fashion. She was always smartly dressed herself and was quite an imposing, very elegant woman. She went to all the fashion shows and visited the wholesalers and fashion houses she preferred. She did a huge business in evening gowns and ball gowns and outfits for weddings and special occasions. It was very smart, high-end, good quality womenswear.”
Patricia met her future husband, Roy Barraclough, at a dance at Cambridge Road baths. The couple were married when Roy was home on leave during his National Service in Egypt. The couple had a son, John, and a daughter Lesley. Roy died about 40 years ago.
Patricia, who lived at Golcar, then met John Byrne who became her long-term partner.
Along with her son and daughter, Patricia leaves four granddaughters, Francesca, Natalie, Suzie and Pearl and a grandson, Barney.
A funeral service will be held at noon on Friday, January 5, at St John’s Church, Golcar.
