Yorkshire's mill history: Bringing an old mule back to work after a century of spinning

Now housed at the Leeds Industrial Museum, it suffered a mystery mechanical problem just before Christmas and was temporarily pulled out of action. With the help of expert Derek Bird the old mule has been artfully restored, fine-tuning her inner-workings to bring her back to splendour once more.

Mr Bird, whose first job was as a textile machinery maker at Keighley’s Prince-Smith and Stells Ltd, has volunteered his skills at a number of the region's museums.

He said: "My real passion is working with machinery and I was for many years a volunteer at Bradford Industrial Museum, restoring the Noble Comb, among other work there. So now in retirement I’m returning to the work I did as an apprentice at Prince-Smith's. There’s never a dull moment at present.”

The mule was originally made in 1904 by Platt Brothers and Co. Ltd. Records show it was for the prosperous woollen manufacturer James Ives and Co. Ltd. of Yeadon's Leafield Mills, one of eight that he ordered in 1903 and were delivered the following year.

Even today, the quality of the fabric it can produce is so high that the machine is still used for bespoke commercial blanket production.

John McGoldrick, Leeds Museums and Galleries curator of industrial history said: “The mule is a truly unique and astonishingly complex piece of machinery, and its longevity is a testament to the quality of workmanship which went into its creation more than 120 years ago.

“Like most old machines, it can be cranky at times, but the museum isn’t quite the same without it, so we’re incredibly grateful to Derek for lending us his considerable knowledge and expertise and for getting it back in working order."

Leeds Industrial Museum, where the mule now spins several times a week for demonstrations, was itself one of the world's largest woollen mills. Bought in the late 1700s by Leeds cloth merchant by Colonel Thomas Lloyd, it was he who expanded operations so dramatically that it grew to an empire. While the original buildings were later destroyed by fire, they were later rebuilt in 1805 by the noted woollen merchant Benjamin Gott, and the museum now houses vintage machinery such as this mule and traditional looms.

Coun Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council’s member for culture, said it is “incredible” to see the story such machines share in the innovation of industry.

He said: “The textile industry is one of the cornerstones of Leeds’s history and heritage and played a massive role in establishing the city as an economic powerhouse.”