Let commence our walk at the Richard Oastler end of Bethel Street a building that has dominated the junction from when it was first built as the Park Chapel in 1875. It will be of interest to readers that the original Park Chapel on that site dated back another hundred years to when that was originally built in 1775.
At the side of the Richard Oastler is Hall Street a small often un-noticed street, which gives access to the rear of the Civic Hall and the back of the shops that front onto Bradford Road, it takes its name from the buildings itself as in Public Hall. There is a small pathway along Hall Street that does give access into Park Row, a route that a few may remember from their wartime visits to one of Brighouse’s British Café’s which was in Park Row or to their work at the former Sharpe’s Leatherworks.
The Civic Hall was originally built in 1866 (there is a date on the front elevation on the right handside just under the troughing) as the old Municipal Offices after Brighouse gained its Local Board status. Of course, many older readers will remember it better as the Savoy Picture house or as it was often called 'The Bug Hut'.
Some wise old students may even remember their day's when they visited the premises for their Adult Education lessons which in the early days was run by the Brighouse Mechanic's Institute, who shared a number of the rooms.
Moving along Bethel Street there was Mr Clarke's boot repairing shop, which in later years was run under the name of Salter and Salter. Passing Park Chapel and I know that many of you will be thinking that Park Street was named after Park Chapel. Well, that is as far from the truth as you could imagine because at the junction of Bethel Street and Park Street the history books tell us there actually was a Park and even a pond at that location. With the construction and opening of new streets in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Park Street seemed the appropriate name to call it.
Moving along the street we had Jackson’s drapers’ shop and Kershaw's chemist and where the conveinience store is today was the bacon shop. Few will remember the Stag and Pheasant Inn, which is now occupied by Ed Taylor's hairdressers. The courts closed down this old inn like many others during the 1920s owing to the high and unacceptable number of drunks being brought before them.
How many can remember Coombes the shoe repairers who were in business well into the 1960s? They used to be at the corner with Park Street. Almost next door in the 1960s was the Echo office, where regular town centre visitors will remember looking at the photographs in the front window to see if there was one of you on display and who can’t remember the Aladdin’s cave next door Joan’s Bargain Stores.
Before the First World War period, there was Henry Smith the decorator, next, we arrived at the original shop of John Francis Brown the ironmonger. This was their first shop before moving to the larger and more prestigious premises near the Anchor Bridge or should we now say the Bridge Inn bridge? it doesn’t have the same ring about it as the old place had. John Francis Brown's and in later years Oddjobs was a shop where you could buy almost anything, " Have you three dozen one-inch flat head nails ", you might ask." No, but I have half a dozen here in my pocket if they will see you on till I get some ", that was the kind of help and service you would have got in those days.
Passing Watson's tinners, Harrison’s furniture shop, Dyson’s drapers' shop you then arrived at Fillingham’s butchers’ shop and almost to the corner of what is now Market Street ending with Tom Fox's newspaper and stationers shop, the letter we are displaying with this story. Not forgetting the Old Bethel Chapel which had been on that site since 1811, but from as long ago as 1896 had become commercial premises – in later years Kirklees Printers being just one of the business to establish themselves there.Now it is occupied bt Yorkshire Payments.
With Arthur Kay having his leather shop which today is a ladies fashion shop,we next have what was the Prince of Wales, but like many pubs of the present era it too changed it name to the Old Ship Inn. It was redeveloped during the 1920s to bring the frontage in line with its neighbours. Bethel Street had a truly vast choice of shops and range of goods available for the continually demanding local populous.
Once you turned the corner passing Holroyd Buildings and into Briggate where you could buy everything from tobacco at William Pillings, tea at Arthur Altham’s to a Saddle at Webster’s.
Holroyd Buildings was a triangular-shaped building which was demolished before the 1st World War owing to that part of the town centre suffering from traffic problems! This property had been built during the 1850s but the traders who occupied it before its demolition included Linney's Drapers shop, Samuel Wilkinson’s painters and decorators, Yorkshire Boot Company and Gregson’s butcher's shop. Finally, there was 'Skinny' Joe Marsden's wholesale fruit business, where it was often suggested he got that name from being a bit skinny with his money but that was not true, he got the name simply through the number of rabbits he skinned.
The one thing that has certainly changed over the years is the shop letter-headed notepaper. With printing now being considerably more expensive, you can appreciate why you do not see such decorative 'bills' as this one that Tom Fox had in May 1914.
Whilst it would be fair to say that most young children of today don't particularly like the weekly shopping expedition to town with mum and dad. When they look back in later years will they remember any other shops than the Supermarkets or the giant shopping centres?
