Our ‘ghost town’ has turned into a ‘boom town’ with a wicked vibe – people come from miles away for the food and drink

LOCALS say their once “ghost town” has been transformed into a “boom town” with a wicked vibe and attracts people from miles away.

The West Yorkshire town of Batley is thriving thanks to the wide variety of food and drink outlets, including a Greggs and a German Doner Kebab.

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Restaurant manager Irfan Haider, who helps run the HFC diner and takeaway in the town centre says that while some pubs and clubs have closed, lots of new businesses have sprung up in recent years.

Irfan, who was born and bred in Batley, told the Yorkshire Examiner: “Batley is absolutely booming. It’s wicked.

“There are a lot of chicken places, chai places and ice cream places. We get a lot of people coming (for food) from Sheffield, Bradford and Wakefield.”

Batley was given a boost earlier this year following the news that Kirklees Council had secured £12million from the government’s Levelling Up fund.

The money will go to improve Commercial Street which will be partly pedestrianised and the creation of an events space in front of the town hall.

Omar Salam, who works in the centre of Batley said that most of the retail units were open and there were only a few “closed” or “to let” signs dotted about.

He described the town as being “alright” with a lot of food places but added while it can be busy on some days, Monday and Tuesday could be “quiet”.

Rehana Bhoola, who grew up in the town said: “It’s very nice; it is busy and safe. It has a lot of atmosphere.”

However she said there was a lack of toilets especially for young mums who need somewhere to change their babies.

Plumber Neil McIntyre, 57, said that if it wasn’t for the town’s takeaways Batley “would be dead”.

It’s very nice; it is busy and safe. It has a lot of atmosphere

Rehana Bhoola

However, not everyone is convinced the town is on the up.

Mark Diesel, 51, said the town centre was “pretty sleepy and laid back” and lacked clothes and shoe shops.

He also highlighted a problem with young people who he said sniffed “laughing gas” (nitrous oxide) and claimed “you see the canisters everywhere”.

Mark though did say the Batley Memorial Garden had a “nice, chilled out atmosphere”.

He said: “It’s not booming in my opinion – maybe on a night time when you get people going to restaurants.”

Valerie, who has lived in the town for 47 years, also wasn’t convinced things were looking up for the town, saying there were too many “d*******s” on motorbikes who performed wheelies along Commercial Street.

Batley is absolutely booming. It’s wicked

Restaurant manager Irfan Haider

She said she had nearly been hit by one riding on the pavement last week.

Valerie would also like to police officers “on the beat” to deter criminals and reassure the law-abiding people.

She added she’d had all her garden furniture stolen from her garden and the cops simply gave her a crime number.

It is perhaps apt that Batley is building itself a reputation as a place for food and drink as it is well-known for being the home of Fox’s Biscuits.

Michael Spedding opened a confectionary shop in the town in 1853 which quickly became a success.

His son-in-law Fred Ellis Fox took over the business in 1897 and transformed it into FE Fox & Co which still makes the popular biscuits today.

Batley’s history though goes all the way back to the Doomsday Book when it was known at Bateleia and the manor was owned by Ilbert de Lacy and later to the Battes.

The area also has a coal mining history with White Lee coal mine first opening in the 16th century and a pit remained open until 1973.

Batley was also given a boost with its first water mill in 1796, giving many people employment and attracted others there.

By the 19th century the town’s main industry was the shoddy trade – the recycling of woollen good, grinding down old clothes and then re-spinning the yarn.

Batley was the leader in this process and by 1860, 80 companies, who employed 550 workers were producing 7,000 tonnes of shoddy.

The owners became known as Shoddy Barons.

The decline of the town though mirrored the general decline in the textile industry.

Nowadays, some of those old mill buildings have been transformed into factory outlets and retail villages.

Nearby, there is Wilton Park which has a butterfly house and an observatory where the local astronomy society meets.

There is also the Bagshaw Museum, which was the home of former “Shoddy Baron’ George Sheard, which features local exhibits as well as an Ancient Egypt display.

Car buffs may also like to visit the Yorkshire Motor Museum which holds a small but interesting collection of vintage and veteran cars.

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