OneGuyFromBarlick

I have had a request. Matthew Engels (Who wrote about England and included a piece about Barlick) is writing another book and needs to talk to weavers about their time in the mill. I can't think of one because mine are all dead. Does anyone know a weaver who would be willing to give Matthew some time?

I'll have a word with a friend of mine who spent a good portion of his life first weaving then tackling, he's now 83 so he should be able to go back a long way.

Thanks P. Sounds ideal. Matthew is going to contact me and I'll pass the information on when it is to hand.
Any other contacts welcome.....

There should be one down at Bancroft left if she is still around on the firing days. Have another friend now over in Burnley who I think worked at Lamberts (?) in Colne.

Chris says Matthew is on holiday but he has passed the information on to him. I'll report what happens.

Matthew has contacted me and we will speak shortly......

I shall be speaking to Matthew at 09:00 this morning......

90 minutes on the phone. Matthew has a lot of homework to do and I think I have convinced him of that. He knows nothing about the industry and I suggested the easiest way to a quick understanding was to buy my book on Bancroft and read it. After all I have bought his books!

Does Matthew Engels know of Sam Hanna of Burnley who did a lot of film recording of local industries? Sam Hanna It may be worth his while having a look through some of his work.

The impression I get is that the weaving bit isn't a major part of his new book and I'm afraid I buried him with new information yesterday He has retired to get his thoughts in order and then contact me again when he knows what he wants to concentrate on. I shall certainly mention Sam, it's a good suggestion.

I wonder in what context the story of weavers fits in his thoughts ? It seems clear that the move from self-employed weaving at a good rate to working in mechanised factories gave a great change, but in and around the Barnoldswick area the weaving sheds were organised as much on a co-operative or loom rent systems that the pre-concieved ideas of down-trodden workers going to the rate of a vicious employer was not always true. Though the histories here do show from time to time and place to place something akin to that might be true.