New centre's rooms remember the stars

Oct 21 2002 By Andrew Baldwin, The Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Film star James Mason, who already has a Huddersfield street named after him, is another personality who will be honoured.

Born in Huddersfield in 1909, he went on to become the country's most popular male actor in the 1940s.

At one stage he was getting 5,000 letters a week from adoring fans.

The star of Alfred Hitchcock's North By North-West and Lolita, he died in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1984.

A fourth room is a tribute to Bill Owen, the actor who played Compo in TV's Last Of The Summer Wine for 26 years.

The comedy star who became a legend in his wool hat and wellies died in 1999 after a battle with cancer.

He was London-born, but fell in love with the Holme Valley when filming the long-running series and is buried there.

Mrs Castle will perform the official opening at Syngenta next Monday. Kirklees mayor Clr Margaret Bates will also be present.

A Syngenta spokesman said: "The company felt it would be fitting and appropriate to name these rooms after personalities with local connections."