By Sam Gaunt
As ‘Salsa de Cuba’ wound down from their final song at the ‘Old Woollen’ event space in Sunny Bank Mills on a Thursday night just before Christmas, I was surprised.
Partially because I hadn’t expected to join a conga line and attempt to dance to salsa for the first time in my life, but mainly because I hadn’t expected to find such an energetic and well-received salsa event at the Mills, where I had been working for a week.
Before the show, I had talked to a bartender at Amity Brew Co, a craft beer venue next-door. He told me that really, Farsley was “the best place to be” in the local area for a night-out.
Fun at the Salsa de Cuba night. Photo: John McEvoy
The following day I spoke to Dick Bonham, one of the three founding directors of the Old Woollen venue. Dick stressed that Farsley, and specifically Sunny Bank Mills, has “been a place of creativity”, since the Mills’ heyday as a centre of textile production in West Yorkshire – the Old Woollen is an expression of this legacy.
Dick and his business partners, Choque Hosein and Howard Bradley, first came together through the Farsley ‘Community Festival’, for the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations in 2012.
A Yard Party at Old Woollen. Photo: Morris Longfellow
Howard played an instrumental role in these celebrations; Dick told me that at this time the Community Festival grew from “30 people in the church hall” to “around 10,000” by the time of the Jubilee.
With Choque’s background in the music industry, Dick’s experience in theatre production and Howard’s key community role, their partnership represents a diverse blend of interests and dispositions that defines their “very eclectic” offering.
Feel the music: Salsa de Cuba night. Photo: John McEvoy
The range of events put on at the Old Woollen, including a pre-Christmas slot with Martin Kemp, the monthly ‘Bingo For the People!’ (with a £750 grand prize) and of course, ‘Salsa de Cuba’, encapsulates Dick’s vision for the venue.
The team at the Old Woollen are intent on “appealing to different audiences”, and ultimately providing a venue that fulfils the “opportunity to access amazing…art”.
Speaking on their influences, Dick elaborated on the inspiration that they found in the Batley Variety Club – a former institution of West Yorkshire, where their guiding philosophy was the attraction of top talent – even from across the pond.
Martin Kemp at The Old Woollen. Photo: Morris Longfellow
Dick stresses the importance of aligning with the Variety Club’s philosophy of putting “the best thing on stage that… [we] can”.
The nature of Sunny Bank Mills has changed but at its core, Farsley remains a place where “the community is built around [the Mills]”.
The Old Woollen at Sunny Bank Mills. Photo: SBM
Now, with a community of musical retailers, including ‘Record Plant’ vinyl retailers and, next-door and the newly opened ‘Spinning Room’, specialising in high-quality sound systems, the hub of Sunny Bank Mills is staying true to its communal, artistic roots whilst providing a constantly evolving space.
For Dick, “a built environment that facilitates community is…really important”. Within this, the Old Woollen provides a “very inclusive” space, where a broad cross-section of the West Yorkshire community come to enjoy themselves
Through their expansion upon the existing artistic and cultural legacy of the Mills, and in tune with Farsley’s “independent spirit”, the Old Woollen has become a dynamic and exciting venue – a crucial part of the local community and Sunny Bank Mills.
Just before I left the venue after filling my salsa boots, I said goodbye to a volunteer from the Mills whom I had recently met, asking if they were going to attend the next event. This was a silly question; they told me that they came every week.
The Old Woollen at Sunny Bank Mills. Photo: SBM
- Sam Gaunt is a fourth year History undergraduate at Edinburgh University. He is part of the seventh generation of the Gaunt family and recently spent a week at Sunny Bank Mills on placement learning about what makes the Mills one of the most exciting and respected cultural and community hubs in the Yorkshire region.
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