Remembering when the streets of Batley were transformed into a movie set

Many film shots were taken in Batley streets while the stars were here, particularly Bromley Street and Mill Lane, Hanging Heaton, as well as on Taylor Street and some in Batley Cemetery where a mock funeral took place.

Scores of local people were chosen as “extras” and even the Mayor of Batley invited the stars and crew to his Charity Ball in Batley Town Hall.

In return they were invited to the Yorkshire premiere of the film at the Odeon theatre in Leeds, along with many of the extras and staff who worked at Petmar’s Mill.

John Gregson played Chayley Broadbent, a mill owner who inherits £62,000 (nearly two million in today’s money) on the death of his father, who had raised Chayley to be as frugal as himself.

Chayley had never been further than Barfield (the name given to Batley in both book and film) but he was eventually persuaded to visit London, and it was here where the fun really starts.

The first film shot was taken on Mill Lane and shows John Gregson entering his home at 26 Mill Lane, Hanging Heaton, and the next shot was of Susan Stephen leaving the Lakeside Cafe at Wilton Park.

However, film shots on Taylor Street needed the assistance of a Batley fireman to give the effect of rain.

He had to perch at the top of a very high step-ladder spraying the area directly in front of the camera with water from a sprinkler hosepipe, while residents lined Taylor Street holding umbrellas.

Schoolgirls from Foxcroft Secondary Modern School on their way to a cookery class at Mill Lane School could hardly believe their luck when they spotted Mr Gregson and Miss Stephen filming.

They quickly tore out pages from their exercise books and ran up to the stars to get their autographs.

Many Mill Lane residents were called on to be “extras” that day.

And local children were thrilled when invited to share a birthday cake which had previously been presented to Mr Gregson.

The film unit then moved to Batley Market Place where, because of rain, the two stars had to spend spent most of the afternoon in the unit’s single-decker luxury coach.

They were besieged for their autographs from passers-by who used anything on which to get them, including scraps of paper and even a cigarette packet.

Whether Miss Dors actually came to Batley for some of the filming is not on record, but journalist Malcolm Clegg at the time wrote that “Britain’s top glamour girl, Diana Dors, would be on location in Batley for the film”.

Perhaps there are readers out there who may know if she did come to Batley or were stand-ins used instead for her scenes here?

There may also be readers who were among those “extras”.

If so, please let us know by emailing [email protected]