Horbury People’s Museum opens with celebration of town’s manufacturing past

The People’s Museum, in Horbury, features exhibits donated by members of the public following an appeal.

The items have gone on permanent display at the town’s library after funding for the project was secured by local councillors.

Museum curator Helen Bickerdike said: “We have called it the People’s Museum because it is for the people of Horbury and the items have been loaned by local people to tell the social history of Horbury.

“I had a lady who was born in Horbury but has lived in Germeny for years and years who offered items from the old Horbury District Council days.

“She travelled from Germany to Horbury to bring them in person last week. The response has been brilliant.”

Horbury’s contribution to industry and manufacturing features strongly in the opening exhibition.

It celebrates William Sykes, whose saddlery business in the town grew into one of the world’s leading sports equipment brands.

The Sykes zig-zag branded football was used in the FA Cup finals of 1936, 1937, 1939 and 1946.

The family business also manufacturing cricket bats.

Donald Bradman, still widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time, played with bats produced by Sykes throughout his career.

In 1929, shortly after the Australian scored the then highest first-class innings of 340, Sykes signed him up to promote what became known as the Don Bradman bat, or the Autograph bat.

Sykes was taken over by Slazenger in 1942 and produced golf clubs that won four Open championships with South African Bobby Locke.

Even more famously, the company made the footballs for the 1966 World Cup, including the ball that Sir Geoff Hurst scored his hat-trick with to help England lift the trophy after beating West Germany 4-2 at Wembley.

Charles Roberts railway carriage makers are also featured in the display.

Roberts moved his firm from Wakefield to Horbury Junction in 1856.

The company had the sole patent for and supplied the whole country with wooden railway coaches.

During the Second World War the factory switched its production to building Churchill tanks and munitions.

They are also credited with making the nation’s one millionth wartime bomb.

Richard Sutcliffe is also remembered among the exhibits.

He invented the world’s first mining conveyor belt and set up his own firm in Horbury to manufacture it.

By the time of his death in 1930, at the age of 81, the belt was established in many of Britain’s mines and was soon exported around the world.

By 1972, Richard Sutcliffe Ltd had 1,110 employees, with 742 working in Horbury.

It is hoped the exhibits can be refreshed three times a year to include themed displays.

A Remembrance Day theme is planned for later in the year to mark Horbury’s war contribution.

Ms Bickerdike added: “We are hoping to do other displays on Horbury’s educational and religious past.

“There are so many other themes that we can look at.

“Horbury might be a small place but it is absolutely packed with heritage.”

Capital grant funding for the museum was secured from Wakefield Council by councillors Darren Byford and Deb Nicholls on behalf of Friends of Horbury Library and Horbury Village Partnership.

Coun Byford said: “Within hours of a Facebook appeal we had so many people wanting to donate stuff.

“This is part of a wider project to promote the heritage of Horbury.

“Different groups are doing different things and it is being fully supported by Wakefield Council.”

Chris Williams, senior library officer, said: “We’re really thankful to the local elected members for supporting The Friends of Horbury Library and the Horbury Village Partnership with the People’s Museum project.

“The museum will enable the library service to engage with the local community to showcase the history of Horbury through themed displays.”

Anyone who would like to loan to items to the museum is asked to e-mail [email protected]