A piece of Huddersfield history is slowly vanishing from the town’s skyline.
But a group of amateur film-makers have ensured the disappearance of the town’s former YMCA building will be captured for posterity.
And members of the Huddersfield Film Makers Club have landed a scoop – filming the opening of a time capsule buried in the bowels of the historic building.
They were on hand when demolition contractors opened the lead-lined capsule.
The contractors are working to flatten all buildings within the block bordered by Northumberland Street, St Peter’s Street, Primitive Street and Lord Street.
It includes some historic architecture but the buildings are to go after Kirklees Council found the cost of their upkeep was prohibitive.
The block, within the Huddersfield Town Centre Conservation Area, contains a former Sunday School building, opened in 1889, and a 1960s tower block, formerly home to the YMCA.
The 1964-built St Peter’s buildings were also once the site of Huddersfield Polytechnic and one of the town’s first Chinese restaurants, the Hong Kong.
The oldest building is the former Northumberland Street Primitive Methodist Sunday School and it was there that contractors uncovered the glass capsule, encased in lead.
It was opened and found to contain documents relating to the building – which cost the princely sum of £3,000 to build.
It also contained copies of old newspapers from 1888, which have now been handed to Kirklees Museums Service.
The episode was captured by film-makers Stewart Gledhill and Trevor Spencer who were filming the demolition for the film club’s annual magazine documentary.
Trevor said: “Stewart was filming and he got chatting to two of the men on site, Tony Jackson and Dave Owen.
“They got in touch with him to say they had uncovered the capsule and, amazingly, we were there when they opened it.
“The contents, especially the newspapers, were in remarkable condition and could easily be read.
“It is a building which has dominated Huddersfield for so long and we wanted to capture its demolition”.
The film will be screened by the club at their annual show in Huddersfield Town Hall from November 18 to 23.
Queen Victoria was on the throne and Lord Salisbury was the Prime Minister at 10, Downing Street
Headlines in the year were dominated by a series of gruesome murders in London - attributed to a sinister figure called Jack the Ripper
The world’s first film, or moving picture, was produced in Leeds. It was called Roundhay Garden Scene and lasted just a few seconds
The English Football League was founded with 12 clubs: Accrington, Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, Burnley, Derby County, Everton, Notts County, Preston North End, Stoke, West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
John L Sullivan was crowned world heavyweight champion
And in Huddersfield, Longwood Harriers athletics club was formed.
