Village ‘nice and peaceful’ ... but some are fearful for its future
SHOPKEEPERS SAY THEY ARE SUFFERING FROM RISING PRICES
HAVING lived in Almondbury for nearly 60 years, Garth Hinchliffe is well-placed to comment on the changing fortunes of the historic Huddersfield village.
The retired foundry worker believes that the heart of Almondbury village hasn’t changed a great deal in half a century.
“It is nice, quiet, and peaceful,” he says of the village centre. “I have lived in Almondbury for 57 years and I don’t think this part of the village has really changed.”
Recent crime data suggests that the Almondbury and Waterloo areas have a higher-than-average crime rate compared with other parts of Huddersfield, but crime didn’t seem to be too high on the agenda when the Examiner visited the village on
Wednesday morning.
Garth, 80, a retired foundry worker, said that aside from “one or two idiots”, crime is not a major problem.
And he said the village had managed to hang onto its amenities where others had lost them. There’s still a butcher - Dyson Meats in Northgate - along with pubs the Radcliffe Arms and The Woolpack, both in Westgate, a Liberal Club and the Conservative Club, housed in the glorious timber-framed Wormall’s Hall (or Wormald’s), a listed building dating back to Tudor times.
The village is blessed with historic buildings, from the Grade I listed All Hallows church to
Castle Hill, a scheduled ancient monument a mile-and-a-half from the village centre.
But, post-Covid, not everyone is enjoying village life to the full, according to Garth. Some older people are fearful of going into enclosed places such as shops due to ongoing fears about Covid. “We know quite a few in the older generation - they are so scared of it. It’s spoiled their lives. Some people have not come back to church due to Covid. Some people are just scared of it.” Rocky Jalota, who has been running the village newsagents since 1990, believes some customers no longer call in due to Covid fears.
The shop used to be very busy, but “like everywhere it’s just dead” which he says is due to people’s lack of money and rising prices. He says even schoolchildren don’t visit the shop like they once did.
“Prices have gone up. Something for £1 is now £1.25 and that’s a big increase on a small product. Everything is going up; it is frightening. People are more conscious of what they are spending. People are not shopping locally, they are doing online stuff and not getting out of their houses.”
And he says older people are “still wary” of Covid. “A lot of customers don’t come in (the shop). I’ve not seen them for years.
“I reckon 30-40% of them (customers) don’t come in - they might leave a cheque or send a family member in
When I go to the cash and carry, other shopkeepers say ‘is it worth it?’
Rocky Jalota
(to pay for their newspapers).”
Rocky believes the rise in people working from home has also hit retailers hard.
He adds: “This year has been bad for everything (in business). We are just trying to get through it.”
He says his energy bills for the shop have risen ‘four fold.’
“When I go to the cash and carry other shopkeepers say ‘is it worth it?’”
After chatting to the Examiner for around 10 minutes, Rocky said: “You have been standing here 10 minutes and not one customer. Look at the main road (Northgate) - it’s dead.”
Almondbury resident Moira Fiddes describes the village as ‘pleasant - nice and peaceful.’
She added: “We have all the amenities we need - butchers, newsagents, chemists, and the expanded Co-op. The newsagent is very good with deliveries.”
Daz, 41, who was visiting his mum in the village, said: “It is a lovely little village with everything you need. It’s a good village - my mum loves it.”
A man who was sunbathing on his front patio, who did not want to be named, said it was a ‘beautiful little village’ but was blighted by late-night street racing. “They ride up and down on motorbikes on one wheel. The police don’t give a s***.
“Quad bikes and cars on Sunday night trying to do 100mph (on Northgate). I can hear them at 3am trying to break the speed limit.”
Rodney and Janet Winterbottom are both fans of the historic heart of the village.
“We have lived in Almondbury for 43 years. If I moved I would still want to live in Almondbury,” said Janet.
“It’s perfect is Almondbury,” says Rodney.
Janet adds: “I like the village centre and I like that it is old. I like the buildings and the walks up to Castle Hill.”