Guiseley

From Includipedia, the inclusionist encyclopedia

Guiseley is a small town in the Metropolitan Borough of Leeds in the county of West Yorkshire, England. It is situated next to Otley and Menston and the A65 runs straight through the town's main shopping street.

Image:HarryramsdenGuiseley 25mar07.jpg

The Guiseley branch of Harry Ramsden's, situated near the town's White Cross roundabout

The town is most famous for Harry Ramsden, who sold his fish and chips from a small shed next to the tram stop. In 1930 he opened his first fish restaurant (which is still trading) and was, for many years, "the world's biggest fish and chip shop". Harry Corbett married Harry Ramsden's daughter, and Corbett's famous children's television character and puppet Sooty was conceived in another fish and chip shop in the town in 1948.

The town was also the home of Silver Cross pram manufacturer, whose factory was in Guiseley from 1936 to 2002.

Guiseley's parish church of St Oswald's was used by generations of the Longfellow family. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's grandfather left here for the New World in the 18th century. Patrick Brontë and Maria Branwell were married at St Oswald's and became the parents of six children, including Anne, Charlotte and Emily Brontë.

Guiseley also host their own semi-professional football team, Guiseley AFC, at Nethermoor, Guiseley's cricket team sharing the club house. Aireborough RUFC is also situated in Guiseley at Nunroyd Park.

The former Yorkshire and England cricket captain Brian Close lived in the town during his childhood.

Other well-known people who currently live in Guiseley include the singer Tasmin Archer, famous for her number one single 'Sleeping Satellite', rugby league coach Brian Noble and Hull City footballer Dean Windass.

Guiseley is also the home of young up and coming jazz/easy listening singer Peter Grant