Keighley
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Keighley (pronounced ) is a town in the county of West Yorkshire, England, north west of Bradford, on the meeting point of the River Aire and the River Worth. It is within the Metropolitan Borough of Bradford and part of the Brontė Country.
The towns industries have typically been in textiles, particularly wool and cotton processing. The population grew from less than 6000 in 1800 to more than 60,000 in 1850 during a boom spurred by these industries.
On the outskirts there is Cliffe Hall, also known as Cliffe Castle and now Keighley Museum. Keighley is also the home base of the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, a heritage railway that passes through Haworth (parth of the Brontė Country, home of Anne, Charlotte and Emily Brontė) and terminates at Oxenhope. The Vintage Railway Carriage Museum is on site. Top Withens and the Brontė Waterfalls are within walking distance from a village called Stanbury, a mile and a half from Haworth.
East Riddlesden Hall is close to Keighley.
Bill Bryson in his book Notes from a Small Island jokingly asked why it was that the British army uses beautiful countryside for munition target practice, rather than a place like Keighley.
Keighley was also the setting for the film Blow Dry starring Josh Hartnett, Alan Rickman, and Bill Nighy Blow Dry opens with the announcement that the small town of Keighley will host the year 2000 British Hair Championship. Keighley's Mayor (Warren Clarke) is thrilled about the news, but when he announces it to the town's press, they all yawn disapprovingly.
In 2003 The Idler magazine set up an online poll to decide which were the 50 worst places to live in Britain. The results were published in a book Crap Towns: The 50 Worst Places to Live in the UK. Keighley came in at number 40. Keighley's local newspaper The Keighley News reported the reaction of Councillor Andrew Mallinson, chairman of Keighley Town Centre Management Group: "On the positive side it's nice to know that out of all the towns in the country, Keighley has got a mention! But on a serious note, as a group, we take any complaints or concerns seriously and are always striving to improve the town centre's image."
The attitude of most outsiders to Keighley, and, indeed, many of its residents can be summed up by the Martin Newell poem: 'I'll tell you once, I'll tell you briefly / I don't want to go to Keighley.
Keighley is also home to the Timothy Taylor Brewery, the makers of several award-winning ales such as Landlord, Taylor's Best Bitter and Golden Best.
Keighley is the birthplace of the Labour politician Denis Healey, and the 1970s/80s pop singer Kiki Dee.