Threads: where have all the factories gone?


The working mills may have all gone, but did you, your parents, relatives or anyone you know work in any of the textile mills in the lower Derwent Valley? 
(Anywhere between Masson Mill in Matlock Bath and the Silk Mill in Derby.)

We would like to capture your memories of  work, life and times, so that they are not lost for ever! They could be from the 1920s, 30s, 40s, or up until the late 80s, when the last mills in Belper closed.  Or are you still/were you until recently working in the remaining textiles works, such as Courtaulds’ Aristoc factory or Stevenson’s Dyeworks?

Artists and young people want to come and listen to your stories, getting together in groups or meeting to chat with you individually. The memories you share could become part of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site’s website and the artsderbyshire website. We hope this will entice both young and old to read, listen and look at the sites to get a better understanding of what working life and times were like, from those who really know – those who did the work!

View the printed flyer for this project (PDF format, opens in a new window)

Give Sarah or Jane a ring at Fleet Arts on 01773 820484 or email sarah@fleet-arts.org