The “Keighley for Britain” exhibition was held in the Drill Hall off Lawkholme Lane between Saturday 19th and Saturday 26th November 1949. It was to showcase several businesses from Keighley and to stress the need for productivity and savings in the post-Second World War period. The exhibition was opened by Lord Calverley (Deputy Lord Lieutenant of the West Riding of Yorkshire) at 1.30pm on the first Saturday.
Exhibitors included Trico (The Rustless Iron Co. Ltd.), Keighley Grinders (Machine Tools) Ltd., Keighley Lifts Ltd., Wimsol Ltd., Timothy Taylor & Co. Ltd., Rhone Spinning Co. Ltd., Elma Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Verniers (Keighley) Ltd., J. H. Binns & Co. Ltd., T. Holmes & Co., Keighley Laboratories Ltd., Jonas Wells Ltd., D. Mitchell & Co. Ltd., Peter Black (Keighley) Ltd., Dean, Smith & Grace Ltd., R. V. Marriner Ltd., Airedale Dying & Finishing Co. Ltd., Driver, Hartley & Co. Ltd., J. H. Heaton Ltd., J. Mitchell & Co. (Tinners) Ltd., Beechey, Many & Co. Ltd., Prince-Smith & Stells Ltd. and British N. S. F. Co. Ltd.
A 40-page guide to the exhibition was printed by The Keighley Printers Ltd., High Street, and cost six pence to buy. The cover design was by Norman Whitaker of the Keighley School of Art and Crafts. The booklet was donated by Tim Neal. The full booklet can be viewed on the History Society’s Flickr site.
The booklet contained a message from Councillor C. A. Harrison (square inset), Chairman of the Keighley National Savings Committee: “The town’s magnificent Savings record during the war and the continued support for the Movement since are well known. The present economic situation is as serious a threat to our national life as any war-time dangers and your Committee, in assisting the organisation of this Exhibition, trusts that it will be an incentive towards additional production of the many goods for which the town is world-famous and a reminder that the regular savings of all sections of the community can also play a vital part in assisting our national recovery.”
The booklet also contained a message from the Mayor of Keighley, Councillor G. Samuel Mason (oval inset): “Keighley is proud of its industries and its craftsmen and I trust that this opportunity of seeing their products will be a great stimulus to everyone to increase the productivity which is such a vital need at the present time.”
The advert for the exhibition (top right) appeared in the Keighley News of 5th November 1949 and was donated by Eddie Kelly. Colour photograph of the Drill Hall taken by Tim Neal in 2018.
