Morris Minor Owners Club

This was a publicity stunt in the early 60's showing the pinpoint skill in demolition of a mill chimney by a local steeplejack, you can just see the van at the base of the chimney

That is a Morris Cowley half-ton van. Good useful vehicles.

I hope it wasn't Fred Dibnah heading off home for his tea!

JOWETTJAVELIN wrote: ↑Sun May 22, 2022 12:39 pm That is a Morris Cowley half-ton van. Good useful vehicles.

Nothing wrong with your eyesight, well spotted!

Good photo. A shame the mill and van are now long gone.

Lots of mills and chimneys gone, but the town is a lot cleaner now, 100,000 looms in the 1920's and a forest of chimneys

nutsandbolts wrote: ↑Sun May 22, 2022 5:01 pm Lots of mills and chimneys gone, but the town is a lot cleaner now, 100,000 looms in the 1920's and a forest of chimneys

You can see where Lowry got his inspiration. The photos more like a Lowry painting than a Lowry painting. Nice historical photo.

jagnut66 wrote: ↑Tue May 24, 2022 9:18 am
They were part of our cultural heritage and could have been converted into flats and apartments to provide housing, whilst retaining the historical 'look' of the area.

While I like the sentiment of that, the reality can be different.
You have to remember those were draughty cavernous buildings with no cavity walls etc so a lot of additional insulation required. Then you have to think about the glazing, replace all the old windows with modern triple glazed, or retain the old exterior and have significant secondary glazing... the more you think about it the less attractive and viable it becomes.
Ultimately, those old buildings weren't built to last; working buildings, put up as quick as they could to get yet another mill working, I doubt the owner's imagined them being there more than their own lifetimes.
The owner's personal houses on the other hand were probably very well built, of the best materials.

retain the old exterior and have significant secondary glazing

This is what they did with the old train sheds at Wolverton Works, Milton Keynes.
Saved externally, updated internally (though I believe some structural features may have been retained and incorporated) and thereby repurposed, whilst retaining the heritage for future generations to see (link below).
Best wishes,
Mike.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=htt ... AdAAAAABAD

Some of the old mills are still standing in the 'weavers triangle' in the photo, and there are about 6 mill chimneys remaining, many mills were destroyed by fire even after use as a weaving shed due to the wooden floors being saturated with oils from cotton production.

There is still a beam engine in situ (the only cotton mill one left in England) and we have a working museum mill 'Queen St mill Burnley' there are a few back to back houses remaining in the area but not as dwellings, the dwellings were demolished in the 1930's - 50's

Burnley was one of the first smokeless zones in the country in the early 60's

Burnley was one of the first smokeless zones in the country in the early 60's

There's irony.........