{"id":423424,"date":"2025-09-14T10:13:16","date_gmt":"2025-09-14T10:13:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/423424\/"},"modified":"2025-09-14T10:13:16","modified_gmt":"2025-09-14T10:13:16","slug":"workers-reunion-brings-back-textile-memories-of-sunny-bank-mills","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/423424\/","title":{"rendered":"Workers’ reunion brings back textile memories of Sunny Bank Mills"},"content":{"rendered":"

By John Baron<\/strong><\/p>\n

Excited conversations over tea and cake, friendships rekindled and a steady flow of fond memories resonated around the gallery at Farsley\u2019s Sunny Bank Mills.<\/p>\n

Dozens of people attended the Workers\u2019 Reunion Party for\u00a0free drinks, remind swing over old photos with other former workers, games and a look around the Mill\u2019s first major group photography exhibition.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The event, part of the Mills\u2019 Heritage Festival, also offered a chance to watch a new film containing footage from the Mills\u2019 final cloth pressing in 2008.<\/p>\n

\"\"Memories: Anne Staniforth. Photo: John Baron<\/p>\n

For 83-year-old Anne Staniforth (nee Illingwater) Friday\u2019s reunion brought back memories of starting at the mill as a 14-year-old, where she was in burling and mending.<\/p>\n

These were two distinct, skilled textile finishing processes in the textile industry, where burlers remove imperfections like burrs, foreign matter, knots, and loose threads from newly woven fabric, while menders then repair any damage such as holes, tears or broken yarns by hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll my family worked here at one stage or an other,\u201d Anne said. \u201cEven my son worked here.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday brings back memories of happy times \u2013 we used to know its at Woodhouse\u2019s back then. It was the camaraderie that I remember the most. You used to know everybody here and you made a lot of friends.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing back here today brings back a lot of happy memories.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

For people like Bryan Thomson coming back to Sunny Bank on Friday was even more special \u2013 he even held his wedding reception there.<\/p>\n

Another former worker added: \u201cIt was all about community. It wasn\u2019t always easy work, but you were really close to people. They\u2019re what p.uled you through I have some good memories from here \u2013 particularly the people.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou were always happy to work here as it had such a good reputation across the world, not just Yorkshire. Farsley had a huge reputation far beyond Yorkshire.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The Workers\u2019 Reunion Party was part of the Mills\u2019 Heritage Festival this weekend.<\/p>\n

Sunny Bank Mills is now a creative space for business, arts and textile heritage.<\/p>\n

Sponsored content<\/p>\n

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