The Yorkshire Film Archive collects, preserves, and shows film made in, or about Yorkshire. Our collections are non-fiction, dating from the 1890s to the present day, and providing a rich and visually compelling record of all aspects of lives, cultures, landscape, industries, major events and everyday activities, many of which are available to watch, free of charge, on our website.
This film is part of Free
Operation Progress
In post-War Yorkshire, Shipley town centre undergoes radical transformation, turning the dilapidated mill town into a vision of modernity. Will it stand the test of time?
From the collection of:
Overview
Big changes are afoot in 1950s Shipley, where the town’s Urban District Council has a series of redevelopments planned. Houses classified as slum dwellings and historic buildings like Shipley Old Hall are knocked down to make way for retail units and modern estate housing. This progress is welcomed by the residents who crowd the newly renovated market square to see the ribbon cut.
The Town and Country Planning Act of 1947 provided grants to local authorities to redevelop areas suffering dereliction or war damage, and this upbeat film by Eric Hall, who lived locally, relays the spirit of indomitable optimism which got the country back on its feet. Preserving historic landmarks took a back seat to improving living standards after the difficult war years. In Shipley, this meant that houses built by Joseph Hargreaves for his textile workers were considered unfit for habitation and torn down, replaced by concrete flats which offered all mod cons.
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