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'Keighley' (pronounced Keeth-ly or ) is a town and civil parish in the county of West Yorkshire, England, northwest of Bradford, at the confluence of the River Aire and the River Worth. The town has a population of 51,429 (2001 census), making it the third largest civil parish in England. It is within the Metropolitan Borough of Bradford and part of the Brontë Country. It is located at .

Contents

History and population

Religion

Geography

Architecture

Local highlights

Keighley in film

Famous people

The Joy of Keighley

Politics

Town twinning

References

External links

History and population

The town's industries have typically been in textiles, particularly wool and cotton processing. In addition to the manufacture of textiles there were several large factories making textile machinery. Two of these were Dean, Smith & Grace and Prince, Smith & Stell - the former still operating but now much better known as a world-class manufacturer of CNC machine tools, particularly precision lathes. The population grew from less than 6,000 in 1800 to more than 60,000 in 1850 during a boom spurred by these industries.
The town became a municipal borough in 1882, but was merged into the Metropolitan Borough of Bradford in 1974 under the Local Government Act. The merger caused a lot of bitterness among Keighley people who resented being 'taken over' by Bradford and accused the city's council of neglecting the town. Civil parish status was restored to Keighley in 2002, providing it with its own town council. The council's 30 members elect a mayor from amongst their number once a year.

Religion

Keighley has a parish church (St. Andrew's Shared Church) and is home to many Christian denominations. It has churches and places of worship for Methodists, United Reformers, Mormons, Quakers and the Salvation Army. Keighley also contains a significant Roman Catholic minority who were established in the mid-20th century with the arrival of many Irish immigrants who came to work in the many textile and weaving industries. Keighley has four Roman Catholic churches and four Roman Catholic schools.
The first ever spiritualist church in Britain was founded at Keighley. David Richmond, although not originally from the town, stayed there for many years, and helped to establish the movement. Spiritualism died out after the Second World War, but the Keighley church remains open; there are still more spiritualist churches in West and South Yorkshire than is usual for British counties.
In the 1960s the town sustained a significant influx of newcomers from the Azad Kashmir region of Pakistan and the Sylhet district of what is now Bangladesh. Most of these predominantly Muslim migrants were initially employed in the textiles industry but the decline of this sector inflicted great economic hardship on the two communities.
Since then the Kashmiris and Sylhetis have struggled to carve a fresh niche through private enterprise, particularly in the taxi and restaurant trades. In 2006 the town was home to about 8,000 Muslims and seven mosques. The purpose-built Emily Street mosque in Lawkholme is set to be one of the largest in northern England. Most of Keighley's Muslims live in Lawkholme, Highfield, Showfield and Knowle Park, with smaller clusters residing in Dalton Lane, Stockbridge and Shann Park. 15 per cent of the town's population is Muslim.

Geography

Keighley lies at the confluence of the River Worth and River Aire in the south Pennines. Its northernmost boundary is marked by the suburb of Utley and its southern limit is the Bracken Bank housing estate. To the west, the town advances up the hill to the suburb of Black Hill and in the east it terminates at the residential neighbourhoods of Long Lee and Thwaites Brow. The outlying northeastern suburb of Riddlesden is sometimes referred to as a separate village, though strictly speaking it is part of the town.
The River Aire passes through northeastern Keighley, dividing the neighbourhood of Stockbridge and running roughly parallel to the Leeds-Liverpool Canal. The Worth links up with the Aire in Stockbridge and runs southwestly, dividing eastern Keighley from central and western districts of the town. The Worth is lined with abandoned, semi-derelict industrial sites and tracts of waste ground dating from the period when Keighley thrived as a major textile centre.
Parts of Keighley are very prone to flooding and the town was particularly badly hit in 2000. Since then, £millions have been spent on strengthening flood defences.
Outlying villages to the south of the town include Oakworth, Cross Roads, Haworth, Stanbury, Oxenhope, Cullingworth and Denholme. The two main settlements to the north are Silsden and Steeton.

Architecture

Like many other British towns and cities, Keighley was extensively remodelled in the 1960s and lost many historic buildings. However, the town has managed to retain some of it's heritage.
East Riddlesden Hall and Cliffe Castle are fine, country houses. There are also a succession of large, gracious town houses along Skipton Road which contrast sharply with the cramped rows of terraces in the streets behind them. Lawkholme is dominated by the Markazi Jamia mosque on Emily Street, which will have an ornamental minaret and two prominent green domes when finished.
The town's central library is another highlight. It was the first Carnegie Library in England and was opened in 1904 with a grant of £10,000 from Andrew Carnegie. The library is currently undergoing an extensive refurbishment due to a poor state of repair. these works will be completed by the end of august 2007, Many of the town's former mill buildings are still intact, though a lot of these are crumbling due to vandalism and neglect.
The centre of the town contains both modern buildings (such as Keighley College) and fine examples of Victorian commercial architecture, including the long terrace of Cavendish Street with its 200 metre ornamental canopy. There is an award winning bus station which opened in 2002 near the Airedale Shopping Centre. There are several tower blocks in Parkwood Rise, Holycroft and Ingrow. There is also a central multi-storey car park. Traffic congestion is a perennial problem in Keighley.

Local highlights

On the outskirts of the town there is Cliffe Hall, also known as Cliffe Castle, and now Keighley Museum. Keighley is also the home base of the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, a heritage railway that passes through Haworth (part of the Brontë Country, home of Anne, Charlotte and Emily Brontë) and terminates at Oxenhope. At Ingrow there is the Museum of Rail Travel. Top Withens and the Brontë Waterfall are within walking distance from a village called Stanbury, a mile and a half from Haworth.
East Riddlesden Hall is close to Keighley. There is a Morrisons on Worth Way, and a Sainsbury's on Cavendish Street. In September 2006, following a major planning inquiry, permission was granted for a new Asda superstore to be built on Bradford Street. However, the front page headline in the Keighley News on September 21st, 2006 reported that this store would not be completed and open for business until 2009.
Local schools are Greenhead High School in Utley, Oakbank School, South Craven School in Cross Hills (North Yorkshire), Parkside Secondary School in Cullingworth and the Holy Family Roman Catholic School. These schools are for pupils aged 11-18.
Keighley Cougars RLFC are based at Royd Ings Avenue and play semi-pro rugby league in National League 2. Their ground's traditional name is Lawkholme Lane but has more recently been named 'Cougar Park'.
Keighley is also home to the Timothy Taylor Brewery, the makers of several award-winning ales such as Landlord, Taylor's Best Bitter and Golden Best.

Keighley in film

Keighley was the setting for the film ''Blow Dry'' starring Josh Hartnett, Alan Rickman, and Bill Nighy. ''Blow Dry'' opens with the announcement that the small town of Keighley will host the year 2000 British Hair Championships. Keighley's mayor (Warren Clarke) is thrilled about the news, but when he announces it to the town's press, they all yawn disapprovingly. (The film was actually shot in Dewsbury.)
Most of the 2004 film ''Yasmin'' was shot in Keighley. Written by Simon Beaufoy and mostly filmed in Lawkholme, it tells the story of a British Muslim woman who has her life disrupted by the impact of the September 11th attacks on America. Mr Beaufoy said the film was originally set in Oldham, Lancashire, but "worked its way across the Pennines".
The Keighley and Worth Valley Light Railway (KWVLR), running steam trains from Keighley to Haworth and Oxenhope, has been used in several films, including ''The Railway Children'', ''Yanks'', and the film of the Pink Floyd musical ''The Wall''.

Famous people

★ George Nicholson (1760–1825), printer, was born in Keighley.^[1]

★ Margaret Wintringham (1879–1955), the second woman to take a seat in the House of Commons^[2]

★ Dr. John Kilcoyne, Star of was born and raised in Keighley.

★ Gothic rock band Skeletal Family formed in the town.
Famous people who have lived in Keighley include the Labour politician Denis Healey,^[3] former Labour spindoctor Alastair Campbell,^[4] television comedy actress Mollie Sugden and the 1970s/1980s pop singer Kiki Dee. Television agony aunt and author Claire Rayner lived in Keighley as an evacuee during the Second World War. Paul Hudson, a local weather forecaster, is a Keighlian. Ricky Wilson, of Leeds five-piece Kaiser Chiefs, is also a native of Keighley.^[5]

The Joy of Keighley

Bill Bryson in his book ''Notes from a Small Island'' jokingly asked why it was that the British Army uses beautiful countryside for munition target practice, rather than a place like Keighley.
In 2003 ''The Idler'' magazine set up an online poll to decide which were the 50 worst places to live in Britain. The results were published in the book ''Crap Towns: The 50 Worst Places to Live in the UK''. Keighley came in at number 40. Keighley's local newspaper, the ''Keighley News'', reported the reaction of Councillor Andrew Mallinson, chairman of Keighley Town Centre Management Group: "On the positive side, it's nice to know that out of all the towns in the country, Keighley has got a mention! But on a serious note, as a group, we take any complaints or concerns seriously and are always striving to improve the town centre's image."
The attitude of most outsiders to Keighley, and, indeed, many of its residents can be summed up by the John Cooper-Clarke poem: "I'll tell you once, I'll tell you briefly, I don't want to go to Keighley." However, many residents do not feel this way about the town and are quite fond of its history, charm, and character. These are also often remarked upon by tourists. Keighley is a keen competitor in the Yorkshire in Bloom Competition, and its enthusiastic, colourful floral displays do much to enhance the town centre during the summer months.
Keighley is surrounded by plenty of beautiful scenery, much of which is visible from the centre of the town. Its rather unfair, down-market image is also being countered by the popularity of pleasant, middle class neighbourhoods such as Shann Park, High Spring Gardens, Oakworth, Haworth, Wheathead, Riddlesden and Thwaites Brow – areas which combine low crime rates, decent housing and stunning views across the town.

Politics

Keighley is represented in the House of Commons by Labour MP Ann Cryer, who has been in office since 1997, when she took over from Conservative MP Gary Waller.
Keighley was also at the centre of activities by the British National Party (BNP) in the May 2005 general elections when the party's leader Nick Griffin stood for Parliament. He was defeated by Ann Cryer, who was one of a small number of Labour MPs to report an increased majority. In March 2006, the town's mayoress, Rose Thompson, caused further political shockwaves by announcing she had joined the BNP.
Even more recently, the issue of Keighley being part of Bradford has become a political talking point. In June 2006, the leader of Bradford District Council, Conservative Councillor Kris Hopkins, was quoted in the Keighley News as suggesting it might be a good idea for Keighley to become an independent authority once again.

Town twinning

★ Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

★ Poix du Nord, France

★ Manzini, Swaziland

References

1. Oxford Online Dictionary of National Bibliography - George Nicholson
2. Oxford Online Dictionary of National Bibliography: Margaret Wintringham
3. Denis Healey bio
4. Scotsman article
5. Guardian article

External links

★ Keighley Online Community and Tourism Site

★ Keighley community web site

★ Islam Keighley

★ Parish Church

★ Ingrow Railway Centre

★ Keighley Boys' Grammar School

★ Keighley Celtic FC Supporters' Club

★ Keighley Cougars Rugby League

★ Directory of Keighley Businesses

★ The Leeds Liverpool Canal at Keighley

★ Gang Rivalry