There is a genuine buzz about Brighouse - and the locals intend to keep it that way.
The Calderdale town's businesses and residents have taken it on themselves to promote the town and they are doing a marvellous job, with tens of thousands of people flocking to events such as the food and crafts markets, the Brighouse Festival, the 1940s weekend, the Victorian Christmas, the 60s weekend and the Canals and Music Festival.
Many of the impressive old buildings in the centre have been restored and brought back into full use.
It's a great place to shop, to dine, to drink and to live.
HISTORY
Records show that there was a wooden bridge over the River Calder in a small hamlet near Rastrick in 1275 - and that hamlet was known as "Bridge House", which later of course became Brighouse.
The town grew slowly, with the flour mills and textile mills boosting its prosperity in the 16th and 17th centuries.
PROPERTY MARKET
There is an intriguing mix of property available in Brighouse. Large detached family homes line some main roads, while big residential estates have developed across much of the town.
Many streets of terraced houses still remain and some of the former mills have been converted into trendy flats and apartments.
Most of the sales in Brighouse over the past year were terraced properties which on average sold for £112,413. Semi-detached properties had an average sold price of £158,641 and detached properties averaged at £283,429.
Brighouse, with an overall average price of £156,504 was more expensive than nearby Rastrick (£136,354), but was cheaper than Lightcliffe (£224,716) and Hipperholme (£230,756).
In the past year house prices in Brighouse were similar to the year before and similar to 2008 when they averaged at £157,278.
Last year was a busy one for the property market with 416 sales, according to Rightmove.
Prices varied from a flat at £44,000 to a five-bedroom detached house at £630,000.
SCHOOLS
Brighouse itself boasts a number of schools and in general, they attract good comments from Ofsted inspectors.
Bridge End House Nursery - Good
St Andrews CE (VA) Infants School - Good
St Andrews CE (VA) Junior School - Requires improvement
Woodhouse Primary School - Outstanding
Brighouse High School - Good
William Henry Smith School - Good
TRANSPORT
Brighouse Railway Station reopened in 2000 and provides the town with access to the National Rail network. All services are sponsored by Metro and provided by Northern. The current service is part of both the Huddersfield Line and the Caldervale Line, with services on the Huddersfield Line between Leeds and Manchester Victoria and services on the Calderdale Line between Leeds and Wakefield Westgate via Bradford, Halifax and Huddersfield. Direct services to London Kings Cross are also available, with four services per day provided by Grand Central.
Bus services operate frequently to Bradford, Halifax, Huddersfield and Leeds, with the Brighouse Bus Station offering these as well as services to outlying districts.
The station - recently refurbished - offers 20 services by operators Arriva, First, Yorkshire Tiger and Halifax Bus Company.
In addition, there is a daytime Tesco-sponsored ShopHopper service, operated by the TJ Walsh, around the town centre, linking the bus station to the superstore.
For bus details call Metroline on 0113 2457676.
SHOPPING
The main shopping streets are Commercial Street and Bethel Street, and there is virtually everything on offer.
Shops include Wilko, Boyes, M & Co, Czerwik (a specialist cheese and wine shop), Lords PhotoDigital, Harrison Lord Gallery & Studio, Just Books, Design 55, Superdrug, Boots, Hallmarks, Thorntons, Simply Sweets, Wesbters Interiors and Jack Fulton. Additionally there are Sainsbury's and Tesco stores on the ring road.
Brighouse also has an excellent range of quirky independent shops, including Enzo, Moo, Earth Angel, The Veg Shop, The Flower Garden, Le Gourmet Pies and S & L Custance butchers.
SOCIAL LIFE
Pubs, restaurants, cafes and takeaways sit side by side throughout the town centre. The pubs including the imposing Richard Oastler, part of the Wetherspoon group, The Calder, the Bridge, The Old Ship, Millers Bar, the Black Bull and The George.If it's a special meal you are after, then again you are spoiled for choice: Brooks, Meze, Bellinis and Prego are always popular.
The café culture is catered for with the likes of Fratellis, No 43 Coffee House, Secret Tea Rooms, Cristaz café, The Hatch and Merrie England.And, of course, there are takeaways of every design, with Brighouse establishing a fine reputation for its traditional fish and chips with the likes of Blakeleys, The Golden Hind and The Happy Haddock.
OUT & ABOUT
Wellholme Park is situated close to the town centre and is famed for its spectacular floral bedding displays, and its double web net in the play area which stands at over 6m high.
Wellholme has two crown greens and one flat bowling green. There are also four tennis courts, Crazy Golf managed by the Woodvale Bowling Club, a play area, a Skate Park and an outdoor gym.
The Brighouse Swimming Pool and Fitness Centre sits next to the Park.
Brighouse Town soccer club, Brighouse Cricket Club and Brighouse Rangers rugby league side all run several teams.
And for a novel adventure, try the ROKT Climbing Centre in the former Sugdens flour mill right in the heart of the town centre.
There are dozens of walks starting in and around Brighouse town centre, while the 18-mile Brighouse Boundary Walk takes in the centre and some of the stunning countryside.
Originally created in 1993 to celebrate the centenary of the former Borough of Brighouse and re-launched in 2001, the Walk encircles the town, gaining access to the moors and crossing the Calder Valley.
DID YOU KNOW?
Brighouse was the original home of the Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band, founded in 1881. They are currently based next to Brighouse High School in Hove Edge, just north of Brighouse. and are best known for their work with the late Terry Wogan in 1977 , when they recorded "The Floral Dance" which reached Number 2 in the UK top 40 and stayed there for 6 weeks.
