To Batley and Back!

Leaving the West Yorkshire town of Huddersfield through Kirkheaton, one passes green fields baked by the summer sun. The fields teem with young lambs, gambolling innocently, unaware of the light traffic as it weaves its way out of the town.

Down through Hopton, over the bridge where the cool River Colne bubbles and ambles looking for a way to the coast. On, through the trading post of Ravensthorpe, into the small former mill town of Dewsbury, where humans are gambling seriously with everyday life; a quick left turn before you enter Dewsbury will bring you into the former hamlet of Batley.

It is hard to capture the beauty of this small hamlet, mainly because beauty is the one thing it lacks!

Smoke-blackened rows of squalid terraced houses house so many people that ants would petition against over-crowding if they lived there.

Batley is a place where all men are equal: they are all poor! Batley is where racism and fundamentalism live together in a cauldron of hate. Where one side points out the faults and stupidity of the other side, both oblivious to the pointlessness of it all!

Batley, where fat women dress inappropriately, letting pale white tattooed flesh hang like lard mountains unable to be contained by the skimpy clothing they are nearly wearing. While other women are covered from head to foot in inconspicuous black gowns and veils that make them look very conspicuous.

Batley, where some men pray in mosques hoping for a miracle to change their mundane lives, while other men pray in betting shops for the same outcome.

Batley, where a town has sold its soul to a supermarket chain in the hope of survival, but the cancer has taken hold and killed off the local shops leaving nothing but the tumour called Tesco’s.

But please don’t think that everything about Batley is negative; it does have a positive side as well.

Batley has free parking! Leaving Batley onto the A62 and back down towards Huddersfield, green fields spring into view like mirages in the desert. Smiling faces can be seen greeting each other in warm friendship.

Down through Colne Bridge and back to the safety of Huddersfield where multiculturalism strives to progress and discuss its differences. Huddersfield a melting pot of people, ideas and poetry.

This piece has been written by the Batley tourist board, why not visit us?