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We serve breakfast, morning coffee, cooked lunches and afternoon tea.
Groups and coach parties always welcome. Disabled toilets and baby
change facilities available. |
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Hattie’s is owned and run by Stephen H. Smith - the H in Stephen H. Smith is for Hattersley - the oldest firm of loom makers in the world established in 1789 by
our ancestor Richard Hattersley - shortened to Hattie's we aim to serve top
quality locally made food that he would have been proud of! Hattersley built the
first wool weaving power loom which met its end in Shipley when it was smashed
by a group of “Luddites” (revolutionary hand loom weavers fearful for their
future - a wood carving of the scene appeared in The London Times). Many
Hattersley pedal powered looms are still used today to weave Harris Tweed in
Scotland.
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HISTORY DATING BACK TO 1789
After serving his apprenticeship in 1784 at Kirkstall Forge, Richard
Hattersley set up his own business at Stubbings Mill, Airworth, manufacturing
nuts and bolts. The business expanded and
diversified into manufacturing spindles and rollers, prompting a move in 1800 to
more spacious premises at South Street, Keighley.
THE "LUDDITES"
Richard's son George came into the business and took over its running.
In 1834 he was asked to build a power loom for weaving worsted
cloth. Despite the fact that it was
generally accepted that good worsted cloth could only be produced on hand looms
George was to prove them wrong as he completed the world's first worsted power
loom. The original power loom met its end at Nab
Wood, near Shipley, en route to Hattersley's first customer in Bradford where it
was smashed by a group of "Luddites" - revolutionary hand loom weavers - fearful
of their future livelihood. Not to be deterred
by this temporary setback, the company soon manufactured a replacement machine
and successfully delivered it to their customer and it was not long before they
went into full time production of their revolutionary looms, ironically creating
jobs for many of the former hand loom weavers who had tried so hard to stop
their progress at the outset.
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Woodcut print from The London Times August
16th 1862
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THE DOBBY
In 1867 Goerge Hattersley and Sons created a major breakthrough for the
textile industry in the form of the "Dobby", a mechanical heald lifting device
which allowed weaving of much more intricate patterns on any looms to which it
was fitted.
NARROW FABRIC LOOMS
Hattersley's continued to prosper with the number of employees peaking to
around 1100 just prior to the First World War. In
1908 Hattersley developed the world's first smallware (or narrow fabric) loom.
Despite the fact that this innovation was not
taken seriously by the industry, the directors showed their confidence in their
own product by buying Cabbage Mills in Keighley, filling it with their own
machines and starting the production of tapes and webbings for industry in
general. This venture was an unqualified
success, with them working around the clock during the First World War to
produce tapes, metal ribbons and webbings for the services.
This "narrow fabrics" part of the business was eventually relocated to the
larger premises of Greengate Shed in Keighley, where it continues to operate as
Hattersley Aladdin Ltd to this day.
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Hattersley heavy wire loom with works
foreman
Mr Smith Midgeley |
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STANDARD LOOM AND RAYON
In 1921 the Hattersley Standard Loom, designed and built by the company,
was to sell in its thousands, bringing considerable financial success to the
company. In the 1930's progress continued when rayon
(man made silk) was invented and Silsden, near Keighley, became recognised
universally as being the centre of the rayon fabric manufacturing industry, with
all companies involved using the specially developed Hattersley Silk Loom to
achieve this end.
HARRIS TWEED AND THE DOMESTIC LOOM
The Hattersley "Domestic Loom"
was manufactured until 1981
- having being developed for markets overseas
in the British Empire. Ironically
it was Scotland's Harris Tweed Industry which
adopted it in the greatest numbers.
The loom combined all the know-how of 19th
century loom engineering into a small, compact format.
The first thirty Hattersley's were sent to the Outer Hebrides in 1919.
These were 36 inches in the reed space and single
shuttle. In 1924 the first six shuttle, 40 inch reed space looms arrived in
Stornoway and this type of loom was the most commonly used loom in the islands
and is still in use today.
END OF AN ERA
Success continued for George Hattersley until the 1960's. After this
point, along with much of the British Textile Industry, the company, despite
diversification into other products, was hit by a general decline in trade
culminating in the closure of George Hattersley and Sons Textile Engineering
factory in 1984.
HATTERSLEY ALADDIN LTD.
The "narrow fabrics" part of Hattersley continues to be a successful business to
this day - manufacturing wicks for use in paraffin heaters and in refrigerators
used in disaster areas where there is no electrical power. Their webbing
is used in Barbour wax coats, Morgan cars, commercial boiler doors, zoos and
fashion accessories. . Ford cars and on webbing for
Morgan cars. Visit www.hattersleyaladdin.co.uk.
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Hattersley exhibition stand in Roubaix
France 1911 |
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