Publications

Divi Day - the story of Morley Co-op

In 2009, local lady Anne Jones made a very thorough and interesting study on the Morley Co-op which was published by Delta Print as 'Divi Day'. The title reflected the yearly time when Morley people could collect a dividend from all the goods that they had bought at the Co-op during the previous year.
The Co-op provided stable and welcome employment for many people and Anne tells of their lives inside and outside of the organisation. On the cover, for example, we see employees at the New Park Street store and a number of these stayed with the Co-op all their working lives.

The local Co-op started in 1866 when a group, encouraged by the success of such organisations across the North of England, formed it with their own money and work. They were quickly rewarded for their efforts and by 1869 they were able to open a large store in the centre of town at the corner of Commercial Street and Albion Street. Nowadays the building is a solicitor's office but the Co-op sign can still be seen, carved into the stonework at the top corner.

Although the present-day Co-op has lost its dominance here, Anne shows that the old buildings still survive and are well-used, testifying to good and hardy design.
Across is one such in Central Morley which was opened as a large general store at the corner of Albion Street and Queen Street in 1899. It is shown as it was in 1920 when it offered a wide range of goods other than food. Many of the smaller branches have been taken over by small business people such as hair-dressers and dress shops.

Anne's book has proved to be very popular and remains in demand. She has kindly agreed that future sales of the book will be donated to the Society funds and you can be sure that we will put this to good use. You can buy the book for £5.00 by contacting us through the website

Newsletters

A newsletter is published at the time of each monthly lecture. This gives information about the evening's events, an up-date of Society affairs and, also, a small article about the Heritage of Morley.

The newsletters are in Adobe Reader (PDF) format. If you don't have Adobe reader on your machine you can download it here.

Old Newsletters

Sep-2015_Apr-2016 All the newsletters for the 2015-16 Season

Sep-2016-Apr-2017 All the newsletters for the 2016-17 Season

Sep-2017-Apr-2018 All the newsletters for the 2017-18 Season

Sep-2018-Apr-2019 All the newsletters for the 2018-19 Season

Newsletters for 2019-20

September 2019 Newsletter
Speaker details. Remarks about AGM, lecture on Christopher Saxton. Tribute to Marilyn Harrop. Details of new booklet on Victorian pubs. Heritage Open Day and Arts Festival events in September-October 2019.

October 2019 Newsletter

Speaker details. David Glover's talk on the Piece Hall and its surrounds in Halifax. Events during The Heritage Weekend and the Morley Arts Festival. Presentation of the Freedom Casket of Samuel Rhodes to Morley by his great-granddaughter Nina Graham.

November 2019 Newsletter

Details of the speaker and changes due to the forthcoming General Election. Kitty Ross' talk. Tribute to Barbara Booth, deceased former member. 1905 photo of men in Morley Tunnel. New Booklet on the Commemorations carried out for men who died as a result of their service in the Great War who are buried locally. Details of discovered architectural drawings of Lumb Hall, Drighlington, a C17 listed building.

December 2019

NewsletterJackie Depelle talk at the Nazarene due to the General Election. Report on Geoffrey Foster's talk on Fraudulent Leeds Attorneys. A Christmas Advert in Morley. Details of the reformation of Morley Rugby Union in 1919-20. Details of the Society trip are given

January 2020

Newsletter Introduction to the speaker, Dr Phil Judson. Report on Jackie Depelle's talk on Weathervanes and important buildings in Pudsey. More details on the Society trip to Halifax. A tribute to our late Secretary Robert Brook who died after a long illness.

February 2020

Newsletter Introduction to the speakers Jackie and Bob Lawrence of East Leeds History Society. Report on Dr Phil Judson's talk about the effects of the Zeppelins during the Great War. Society Trip details. The repair of Andrew Lane which was to become Peel Street in Morley.

March 2020 Newsletter
Brian Hull acted as a replacement speaker as Stephanie Davies had to cancel. He was to give a talk about Partington Hall, the ancestral home of the Gascoignes. Details given of the talk on Leonora Cohen and Montague Burton by Jackie and Bob Lawrence. The opening of the Montague Burton store and the new Morley Co-op emporium in 1938. Some details on the Society trip. The unveiling of two War Memorials in St Peter's and St Andrew's Churches in 1921.

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