JAPA Paper Mill Clock + Morley Town Hall

Public timepieces, on buildings, churches, etc.
johnnykaos
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Joined: Tue 28 Jul, 2015 1:34 am

JAPA Paper Mill Clock + Morley Town Hall

Post by johnnykaos »

Hi folks! Dunno if anyone will remember this place but there used to be an old paper mill at the top of Churwell Hill in Morley called Japa Mills. Apparently this, I was told stood for Just A Paper Article although this sounds a bit doubtful.I remember there was a rectangular shaped water tower which stood out from the mill buildings as it had a large green painted tank at the top with 'JAPA' painted in large white letters. Below this was a clock face (cant remember if it was a Potts clock!). I recall as youngsters myself and friends got into this water tower structure and climbed right up to where the clock workings were. I was surprised at how small the actual clock mechanism was that drove the hands on the clock face which must have been at least 4' in diameter. The mill also had a distinctive mill siren / hooter thing that blew at certain times of day to indicate when certain shifts started / ended or when it was lunchtime.

Another things I recall distinctly is the chime of Morley town hall clock which would (and probably still does!) chime on the quarter, half and hour times. The hour chime would be a full length "ding dong ding dong... ding dong ding dong, ding dong ding dong, ding dong ding dong... and then the respective amount of dongs according to what hour of day it was. I cant remember when I last heard it as I've not been to Morley for quite a while, but it was always useful to hear as it could be heard in most parts of the town and would give you the time of day if you werent wearing a watch. Where I live now near Lawnswood there arent any chiming clocks - or even church bells that can be heard - probably drowned out by traffic noise. However on some misty mornings in the early hours in the eerie pre-dawn light I have heard a spectral chiming sound of a clock bell tolling mournfully away in half-light. It makes me think of the old church which used to be in the lost village of West End that now lies beneath Thruscross Reservoir. There are people who say that on certain days these bells can still be heard down the dale... spooky!

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tyke bhoy
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Re: JAPA Paper Mill Clock + Morley Town Hall

Post by tyke bhoy »

johnnykaos wrote:Hi folks! Dunno if anyone will remember this place but there used to be an old paper mill at the top of Churwell Hill in Morley called Japa Mills. Apparently this, I was told stood for Just A Paper Article although this sounds a bit doubtful.I remember there was a rectangular shaped water tower which stood out from the mill buildings as it had a large green painted tank at the top with 'JAPA' painted in large white letters. Below this was a clock face (cant remember if it was a Potts clock!). I recall as youngsters myself and friends got into this water tower structure and climbed right up to where the clock workings were. I was surprised at how small the actual clock mechanism was that drove the hands on the clock face which must have been at least 4' in diameter. The mill also had a distinctive mill siren / hooter thing that blew at certain times of day to indicate when certain shifts started / ended or when it was lunchtime.
Leodis certainly thinks it was Just a Paper Article http://www.leodis.net/searchResults.asp ... CURRPAGE=1
Probably the best view of the tower http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... SPLAY=FULL
Image
johnnykaos wrote:However on some misty mornings in the early hours in the eerie pre-dawn light I have heard a spectral chiming sound of a clock bell tolling mournfully away in half-light. It makes me think of the old church which used to be in the lost village of West End that now lies beneath Thruscross Reservoir. There are people who say that on certain days these bells can still be heard down the dale... spooky!
There is at least one thread on Thruscross but I wouldn't want to give Blakey nightmares
living a stones throw from the Leeds MDC border at Lofthousehttp://tykebhoy.wordpress.com/

Bobby
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Re: JAPA Paper Mill Clock + Morley Town Hall

Post by Bobby »

Yes it did stand for (Just A Paper Article) I was the chief eningineer there in the late 70s.

j.c.d.
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Re: JAPA Paper Mill Clock + Morley Town Hall

Post by j.c.d. »

Bobby wrote:Yes it did stand for (Just A Paper Article) I was the chief eningineer there in the late 70s.

I had a very good business , Green grocery, in the late 60s to the mid 70s and used to get all my brown paper bags from Japa.
The Rep was a real Gentleman, whose name I can not recall, and used to deliver to the Market Hall.
(Happy lucrative days) would not go back into that business nowadays even if I was young enough.

johnnykaos
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Re: JAPA Paper Mill Clock + Morley Town Hall

Post by johnnykaos »

Hi J.C.D, I'm a fellow Morleian! (well ex-Morleian), can you remember if there used to be a butchers shop in Morley Market called "Wilf Wade's" that did a special line in potted beef spread? Its a totally random memory I have of eating the stuff on sandwiches and that name springs to mind any time I see any meat spread these days.

j.c.d.
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Re: JAPA Paper Mill Clock + Morley Town Hall

Post by j.c.d. »

Was that was the small shop that also sold Cow heel and Tripe ? (Ugh) if so he was a young man and his place was directly opposite mine and Bentley's fresh fish shop.

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Happy Valley
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Re: JAPA Paper Mill Clock + Morley Town Hall

Post by Happy Valley »

I remember seeing the old mill from the bus when coming up Churwell Hill, but had no idea what they made or sold at the mill. Not really my neck of the woods, so I never explored it like you did Jon. Morley had some cracking places to explore though - I just wish the memories had been captured with a camera now they’ve gone.

The town hall clock was quite loud in the city streets area where I lived and I remember it well. There was no excuse for being home late with the town hall clock - it drowned the telly out so you had no chance of sneaking in late. You could hear it on the old railway line where the Carcraft showroom was later built and at the old Tingley station. Had a few mad dashes home on my bike and could just about make it in on time from there before the hour chime started. I had no chance though if I was playing around Gildersome tunnel area, and by the time I had got up to coffin corner and stopped pushing my bike it was already starting to chime.

Not sure I really remember your fruit stall in the market J.C.D. I hate the smell from the fresh fish stalls in markets so probably not one I ever used. I always used the one next to the sweet shop.

Wilf Wade’s butchers shop rings a bell with me too, but I can’t remember if there was anything special about the potted beef. I can remember that some of the butchers in Morley sold it weighed out in greased paper and paper bag rather than in tubs, perhaps this was what you meant by special potted beef Jon.

I had a quick look on Leodis but the only butchers shop photo in Morley is Webster’s at 62a Queen Street. Think that was just waste land until about 1984 though.

Wade’s was probably somewhere near the old toy shop in butchers row if it was in Morley market rather than in Peel market, but it is such a long time ago now, that only a few stall locations have stuck in my mind in both markets. I think there were a small butchers shop near Greenfield’s on the corner of South Queen Street and possibly another around the corner near Mucky Nora’s chippy but I can’t remember the names.

Morley had quite a lot of butchers for a small town. Most of the shops that I remember have been replaced with charity shops or takaways and the shopping experience in Morley that I remember is long gone now. One of the things I miss about Morley is fresh beef pies. The butchers over here only sell pork ones, and it is many years since I had a decent one. The butchers by the side door of Peel Market sold some really nice ones.

The sweet stall by the main door in the fruit and veg section off Queen Street was a favourite for getting some pick & mix sweets for the long bus ride over here on the 226 to visit family, and I remember the coffee bean stall on the end of the old toy shop row near the side door. The smell from all the different coffee beans to choose from and have ground up was unforgettable and hit you as soon as you walked through the market door. There was a tiny little stall that sold boot laces and polish etc opposite the coffee bean stall. It probably wasn’t much bigger than a red phone box. I spent some hours in the old toy shop choosing 2 Matchbox cars at 25p each with my pocket money that I wish I still had now.

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Leodian
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Re: JAPA Paper Mill Clock + Morley Town Hall

Post by Leodian »

Your "Mucky Nora’s chippy" made me :) Happy Valley.
A rainbow is a ribbon that Nature puts on when she washes her hair.

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Happy Valley
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Re: JAPA Paper Mill Clock + Morley Town Hall

Post by Happy Valley »

Not a place you would want to buy food from Leo, you could see the cat eating fish scraps off the fish prep table when you walked past the always empty chippy. A proper health hazard type place.

j.c.d.
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Re: JAPA Paper Mill Clock + Morley Town Hall

Post by j.c.d. »

[quote="Happy Valley"]I remember seeing the old mill from the bus when coming up Churwell Hill, but had no idea what they made or sold at the mill. Not really my neck of the woods, so I never explored it like you did Jon. Morley had some cracking places to explore though - I just wish the memories had been captured with a camera now they’ve gone.

The town hall clock was quite loud in the city streets area where I lived and I remember it well. There was no excuse for being home late with the town hall clock - it drowned the telly out so you had no chance of sneaking in late. You could hear it on the old railway line where the Carcraft showroom was later built and at the old Tingley station. Had a few mad dashes home on my bike and could just about make it in on time from there before the hour chime started. I had no chance though if I was playing around Gildersome tunnel area, and by the time I had got up to coffin corner and stopped pushing my bike it was already starting to chime.

Not sure I really remember your fruit stall in the market J.C.D. I hate the smell from the fresh fish stalls in markets so probably not one I ever used. I always used the one next to the sweet shop.

Wilf Wade’s butchers shop rings a bell with me too, but I can’t remember if there was anything special about the potted beef. I can remember that some of the butchers in Morley sold it weighed out in greased paper and paper bag rather than in tubs, perhaps this was what you meant by special potted beef Jon.

I had a quick look on Leodis but the only butchers shop photo in Morley is Webster’s at 62a Queen Street. Think that was just waste land until about 1984 though.

Wade’s was probably somewhere near the old toy shop in butchers row if it was in Morley market rather than in Peel market, but it is such a long time ago now, that only a few stall locations have stuck in my mind in both markets. I think there were a small butchers shop near Greenfield’s on the corner of South Queen Street and possibly another around the corner near Mucky Nora’s chippy but I can’t remember the names.

Morley had quite a lot of butchers for a small town. Most of the shops that I remember have been replaced with charity shops or takaways and the shopping experience in Morley that I remember is long gone now. One of the things I miss about Morley is fresh beef pies. The butchers over here only sell pork ones, and it is many years since I had a decent one. The butchers by the side door of Peel Market sold some really nice ones.

The sweet stall by the main door in the fruit and veg section off Queen Street was a favourite for getting some pick & mix sweets for the long bus ride over here on the 226 to visit family, and I remember the coffee bean stall on the end of the old toy shop row near the side door. The smell from all the different coffee beans to choose from and have ground up was unforgettable and hit you as soon as you walked through the market door. There was a tiny little stall that sold boot laces and polish etc opposite the coffee bean stall. It probably wasn’t much bigger than a red phone box. I spent some hours in the old toy shop choosing 2 Matchbox cars at 25p each with my pocket money that I wish I still had now.[/quote]





The main Two Butchers in Morley Market in the 60s / 70s. were Greens and Saddlers (unfortunate name for a meat purveyor) . these were inside the market and their rear entranceswere on Queen Street opp. the Queens Pub. Wilfs little Tripe shop was the same, almost opposite the Pub.
It was a vibrant little place, I remember buying a Tortoise for my kids 4/- from the pet shop, their white mice used to escape and turn up all over the place. Most of the original market is still the same these days only it has been extended.

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