For anyone struggling to place the location of this photograph – Christ Church Methodist church is on the right, the building behind the tree to the church’s left is a shop which some may remember was a betting office, but these days it is Palmer and Palmer the kitchen fitters display shop and office on the corner of George Street.

The building beyond that is the Hipperholme fish and chip shop but the big change to this scene was when the building on the left-hand side which was often referred to as ‘Coffin-end’ because of its shape and was part of Smallwood’s Roydlands Farm, property which was still there in the early  1960s. Today it is part of the car park and where the Christmas tree stands.

On closer examination of the photograph in the centre is a man standing on a horse-drawn carriage and appearing to address the crowd. There are a number of police officers looking on and they are wearing the West Riding Constabulary gendarmerie style flat top summer helmets which were worn up until 1923. Amongst the crowds are symbols depicting royalty which are probably th biggest clue to what the occasion was. It is possibly June 1911 and part of the celebrations for the coronation of King George V and Queen Mary.

1911 was a busy year in this area, it was in May when Sir Algernon Firth of the carpet mill gave the community as a coronation gift a plot of land which when the re-development work was completed was re-named King George V Park in Wakefield Road.

On July 15, the official laying of the foundation stone was held at the new St Chad’s Church in Hove Edge. Then on the July 31, Lady Janet Firth present to the residents of Bailiff Bridge a drinking fountain. This was to be a familiar sight in the village until its removal in 1962 having been described as a road hazard.

At the Rydings, the grounds of the Brighouse Library, two trees were planted by the Mayor Alderman Robert Thornton JP and Mr John Henry Kershaw who was the Borough’s oldest Sunday school teacher. Whilst up at Round Hill in Rastrick there was an ox roasting and with the activities for children, this was described as a great day out.    

This was a happy occasions for all parts of the town.