Dewsbury and Batley 2/5/1987

Trip to get the old train tickets for my collection before they were removed in 1988

[@AmaanStorm]

I’m originally born and bred in dewsbury. Lived there for 29 years but moved out to Leeds in 2009. I was 7 when you made this video and you were literally a 5 minute walk from my parental home! Physically the town hasn’t changed much as a lot of the significant changes happened back in the 80’s, but it’s become a forgotten land. Kirklees council did a good job of siphoning all the money out of Dewsbury and injecting it in to the crap hole that is Huddersfield. They left Dewsbury completely desolate with empty buildings because they sold all the assets that the previous council owned (Dewsbury Council) to out of town/country landlords who have embezzled their money in to Dewsburys buildings but have no want to rent the properties out. And if they do, they’re extortionate, chasing small businesses away. Plus the greedy council charge extortionate business rates. Such a shame because it’s actually a beautiful town. Just through curiosity, where did you guys come from?

[@satguru]

Thanks a lot. I'd never been there before or since and was impressed how rural it all was and the roads went through mixed town and countryside. I collected the old cardboard train tickets and that line still used them at the time so was on my visiting list.

[@AmaanStorm]

You should post the video (and the tickets) to the ‘Dewsbury pictures old and new’ page on Facebook! There are a lot of people on there who are fascinated with all the bits of local history. They’d love that. Thanks for posting this nugget. I showed my mum and she smiled and the memories of Dewsbury in the 80’s flooded back

[@satguru]

@@AmaanStorm Thanks, will do if I can post on it, otherwise you can just copy the URL and post it there now.

[@KarmasAbutch]

ooh yeah I can second this. Was from Savilletown In the early 70s with mi Gran up the road at Staincliffe by the Hospital we were all born in. But for some reason my Mum moved to bloody Huddersfield in search of a better ... I don’t know what. You can dress up an armpit as much as you want but it’s still an armpit. I remember Dewsbury as a safe, tidy, proud little mill town and loved the market. Last time I was there about 2003 just before mi other Gran went into a home and she was shut in the house all week with noisemakers hanging from all the windows and doors to deter burglars and had to wait 2 days after Pension day to go to the post office, coz of the lads that’d snatch it off the pensioners on their way back home. She was scared to go in her own garden coz last time she’d found a lad laid down in her greenhouse hiding from the police. I’ll never go back again coz it’s too heartbreaking to know what was there and now isn’t. No community anymore... unless you count groups of druggies. I’ll never go back to Hudds just coz it’s shit and always was haha

[@AmaanStorm]

@@KarmasAbutch whereabouts in saviletown? Do you remember? I was from there originally before I moved

[@andykenyon6879]

Zhivagos opposite Dewsbury station & Xclusive opposite Batley station, happy memories

[@HarlequinJitsu]

Wow. I was 10 & used to go to an arcade in Dewsbury as well as the baths.

[@jan53232]

OMG! You were in Batley! That's my neck of the woods. I left 25 years ago, I couldn't wait to get the hell out of there.

[@strawberryfieldsforever3308]

If 25 years ago you thought it was bad enough that you couldn't wait to get out..then you certainly wouldn't want to go back these days'.. same with Dewsbury.

[@satguru]

I collected the old card train tickets and covered the country before they stopped making them in 1988.

[@hkgaming8792]

Loool I live here now it’s improved alot

[@satguru]

Good to hear it!

[@zoer144]

My mother said the same.. she left in the 60s after marrying at 18! I loved childhood trips to Batley to stay with my grandfather.

[@TheWarriorWay]

Wow Just wow

[@ajs41]

It looks like the video is near Hendon at the end.

[@satguru]

Well done, that's exactly where we were, it was driving round Brent Cross roundabout heading home over the road.

[@Loverboy19691]

Can anyone remember Howard Burnette, The Complete entertainer, he was from Bately, he sang round the clubs.

[@P.O.T.E.]

Thanks for uploading. I've actually lived here since 2006. Interesting to see Batley Station back then. Also weird to hear the Radio 4 skit of Benjamin Zephania at Oxford University. Wouldn't get away with broadcasting that nowadays!

[@satguru]

Sorry I missed all the comments, I'm very glad Peter had his camera as he used to come out with me and filmed everything. You really appreciate it years later. I went back to Harrogate last year for the first time since 1992.

[@ClipCrew]

Born in Batley in 2005, seeing it The was like... what

[@satguru]

I was very lucky my friend Peter had a video camera, we captured so much in the 80s.

[@cameronali3456]

Sick video I won 3 then

[@kingshearer2]

is that the car radio🤣

[@satguru]

Yes, lucky there wasn't music on, I had one video pulled as they said it breached copyright.