Master of Bankdam, The

Grandson of Simeon Crowther Senior, Simeon Crowther Junior tells us about his family history . . . "I am a Yorkshire Woollen man. Our business was started by my grandfather in Ramsfield over a hundred yeas ago . . . "

". . . and I suppose the town then looked pretty much the same as it does today. A grey town . . . "

" . . . a town of grey stone houses and grey slate tiles and grey factory chimneys." Hedley Midgley tells us that this film is based on the book "The Crowthers of Bank Dankdam" by Thomas Armstrong who lived at 97 Lamb Hall Road, Longwood in Huddersfield. The nearest mills were at Milnsbridge in Huddersfield so perhaps these were the inspiration for the book." . . . and maybe a possible clue to the locations?

"Dominating it all were the large mills, those of the Shaws and the Dawsons." With the footage also appearing in 'A Boy, a Girl and a Bike', David Reed explains that in the background stand the woollen mills on Bridge Street in Slaithwaite, Yorkshire seen from Manchester Road with the foreground chimney standing behind buildings at the corner of Britannia Road and Kiln Hill.

"And then came the smaller, but still impressive, factories of the Whitehead-Garsides and the Kilners." Bank Bottom Mill in Marsden, Yorkshire.

"Running along the valley you found the smaller mills, with my grandfather's place, Bankdam, the humblest of them all."

Becoming pregnant by Simeon Crowther's son Joshua, Anne Pickersgill loses her job at Dawson & Son's Dowling Mill.

Simeon Junior continues "My grandfather did work hard. during the next three years he quietly expanded his business." An unidentified mill at the moment, the building is seen from a different angle later.

"Amongst other things he built himself a new office . . . and grandmother got her parlour back."

Simeon Crowther did work hard, but not always quite so hard as his wife thought, making time to visit Anne and his grandson Simeon Junior.

At the studio, Joshua Crowther (Dennis Price) and his brother Zebediah (Stephen Murray) are made equal partners in the business.

Simeon Crowther admires his new mill telling Tom France "It's not t'biggest, but it'll be first in't valley that can do every process from raw material to finished article."

When Tom asks, Simeon explains that workmen are lengthening the chimney stack about thirty feet to bring it above a nearby hill for a better draft.

Despite set backs the business grows over time, acquiring other films including Cutside Mills where Simeon Junior becomes the manager.

The wedding between Simeon Crowther Junior and Alice France takes place. St. Bartholomew's church on Church Lane in Marsden, Yorkshire recognised by Stephen Miller.

Zebediah Crowther and his family return home to Crow Hill after the reception.

With their father, Joshua and Zebediah discuss subscribing to build a hospital wing. This is a wider shot of the mill seen earlier.

After Simeon Crowther Senior passes away and Joshua is killed in a mill collapse partially blamed on his brother, the De Lacey's head to meet with Zebediah, the new Master of Bankdam.

Young Simeon takes up the story again "With my Uncle Zebediah safely in Vienna, my Aunt Clara and Lancelot Handel Crowther, to quote him, lashed out a bit. Steeples Hall was only one example of their reckless extravagance." Found by Stephen Miller, this is Cannon Hall on Bark House Lane in Cawthorne near Barnsley, Yorkshire.

A strike is called when staff are put on short time and Cutside Mill is threatened with closure after new tariffs are applied on exports to America.

Simeon Junior walks through the the mill's lifeless yard with Tom France (Herbert Lomas).