Voices of Denton

The text of this book is made up entirely of the memories of Denton people collected by members of the Denton Local History Society on tape and transcribed onto the page. The reminiscences of over seventy people describe childhood, schooling, work in factories, shops and farms, wartime experiences and aspects of family and social life covering most of this century.

Memories of hatting, an activity now all but lost in Denton, are particularly interesting because they describe in detail the skills and processes involved in an industry that was until recently the area''s major employer. Terms like planking, stumping, blocking and trimming, and names like Wilsons, Wildes and Shaws are largely unknown to today''s youth but only a generation ago were the topics of everyday conversation for these were the processes and the employers in local hat making. Just as fascinating too, are the accounts of life on local farms and in high street shops, the effects of wartime rationing and the pleasures of the Whit walks.

The book is extensively illustrated with contemporary photographs, largely chosen from the family albums of the people who were interviewed, and bring to life the memories that they accompany. The stories are sometimes amusing and sometimes poignant but all are an important record of a time gone by.