EAW031408 ENGLAND (1950). Terraced housing and industrial buildings around Pellon Lane, Halifax, 1950

23 Brook Street

Haigh Street

Cosy Cinema, Queens Road

As children we played in this area called "The Rocks"

Toilet block (there were no inside toilets or bathrooms)

Fitzwilliam Street

Hartley Street

This area of closely packed housing was known as Mount Pleasant. The houses were replaced in the 1960s by the new school which replaced Pellon Lane J&I School nearby. The new school was named Beech Hill J&I School after the nearby mansion.

Samuel Highley's a worsted manufacturer employing hundreds of local women.

The West Mount Wire Works of J&A Binns Ltd (later Carrington Binns). A large nursing home now stands on this site.

This path, along the top of a deep valley, was always known locally as the Carriage Drive. It led to Birks Hall Mansion, a substantial residence about a mile away at Wheatley.

Pellon Lane Junior & Infant School, always known locally as "the Board School". The building no longer exists; all that's left is part of the wall outside separating the playground from Pellon Lane.

Ajax Domestic Appliances manufacturers of the Ada washing machine, a very popular post-war brand.

Beech Hill, a fairly substantial mansion. It was demolished in the 1950s and the surrounding grounds became the playing field for the nearby Pellon Lane School.

The only bomb to land on Halifax in World Ward II landed here in Hanson Lane. This was at about 9.00 p.m. on Friday, November 22nd 1940 and it killed eleven people (had it fallen just a few yards away hundreds of people in the Halifax Workhouse could have been killed and injured. As it was, the only real damage done to the Workhouse was to the external wall, which in this photo has been rebuilt. The pub just across Hanson Lane, the West Hill Tavern, was badly damaged but was later re-opened.

Fletcher's Dyehouse. Now demolished.

At the time of this photo, this was Whitley's mill. The Whitley's were a prosperous and influential family. John Henry Whitley, one of the sons, became Liberal M.P. for Halifax (1900 - 1918) and went on to become Speaker of the House of Commons. In the 1950s he gave his name to a local secondary school, J. H. Whitley's. One of his brothers, Percival, gave his name to the local further education college ( now Calderdale College). Later in the 1960s the mill was taken over by Kumfikar who made seat covers for motor vehicles.

In the 1950s this empty piece of land was the Halifax fairground ( about 4 times a year).

This empty site was the Halifax Cattle Market - incredibly busy on Fridays.

St. Augustine's C. Of E. Church. It contained woodwork by Robert Thompson of Kilburn, Yorkshire who was known as 'the Mouseman' as he included small wooden mice hidden in his work. The church was demolished in the early 1970s I would guess.

At the time of this photo, this was St. Augustine's Vicarage. Now a busy community centre.

St. Augustine's Junior & Infants School. Still operating in 2014 as far as I know.

St. John's Hospital - formerly the Halifax Workhouse.

St. John's Hospital - formerly the Halifax Workhouse.