We met Pollie Toothill, Saltaire Victorian, who gave us a potted history of Saltaire, telling us the story of the village – including her own tale, plus a scandal or two – and all about Sir Titus Salt. We also met one or two other villagers from this time.

Crossing the bridge over the river to the park, we said goodbye to Victorian Saltaire and boarded the Time Machine, AKA the 130-year old Shipley Glen Tramway, rode through the magical glen and time-travelled forward to Edwardian England.

There we met the next guide, Nell Kenney, the forgotten Bingley Suffragette, who took us to the site of the ‘monster’ Suffragette rally where up to 100,000 people gathered in 1908. Nell told us her story and that of her sisters, in particular her younger and more famous sister Annie, who caught the eye of the then Prime Minister.

This event is part of Heritage Open Days, England’s largest festival of history and culture, and is presented by an organisation involved in Bradford 2025’s Elevate programme, which aims to strengthen, sustain and increase the agility of Bradford’s heritage sector.