In 1985 Jim Young recalled his memories of shops and businesses in Settle. Jim Young and Lois Whaite are brother and sister and Jim was a day visitor at Greenfoot when Lois was resident there.
Firstly, Peter Jackson, builder and repairer. He was a small and fussy man, but a humorous type. He was a very good man at his job and very conscientious. Just across the road was Herbert Bullock, carter and general removals man. He also was a very genial and happy type of person. On the bottom of the village green stood the tan yard, where they used to tan leather, which was a very good quality and was known as Harvey Bend. It was mainly used for the manufacture of footwear. There were a number of pits, six feet long, three feet wide and six feet deep. In these pits were put a layer of ground bark water as well as cowskins, and so on until it was full to the top. These stayed in the pits for six months and taken out to go through another process, before finally becoming leather. The bark they used was oak bark and ground by themselves with a horse-drawn grinder. When the skins or leather were taken out of the pits the smell was not quite enjoyable.
Next was a builder called Andrew Hartley, but he lived in Giggleswick. He was also known to be a very good man at his work. His yard was situated at the top end of the Green. After that follows Parker Bros. who were a very old established firm of joiners, and were well known throughout the Settle area and district. A job done by them was a job well and truly done, and I would like to mention that they were very good to children. There was also a pig yard where Thos. Lord used to keep pigs and breed them. Mr Bert Young had a boot and clog repairing shop at the end of Commercial St. Bert was very good at turning old boots and shoes into clogs, which is now rarely practised. Now comes Harry Lord's shop where one could buy nearly anything from a tin to an elephant. Harry's shop sold clothing and groceries. Dick Lord's toffee shop was a favourite with all the children as he had a talking parrot. After Dick Lord's came the co-op stores, which was the first store in Settle. Like Harry Lord's it was a general store. It followed on with Thos. Frankland, butcher, who used to keep his own cattle and slaughter them. After followed Thos. Lord and Son, better known as the London Warehouse because of the variety of fruit and vegetables they used to sell, which was of the highest quality. This is a very old established firm and still trade in Cheapside. Opposite was Tom Grisedale's furniture shop. Further down was a confectioner's shop, and next door was a hardware shop owned by Mr Hadfield. Following this was a hairdresser's shop (Gents) owned by Mr Ernest Cokell. Woolgars shop was a Davies Gents Outfitter and bespoke Tailor with a very good reputable name. Opposite is the Folly, a very fine old building which was built in the 17th century. It was split into two parts, one part was a furniture shop owned by Jimmy Grisedale and his son Herbert. They were also joiners and cabinet makers. The other part was occupied by Mr W. Ecclestone, scrap merchants. Why the name Folly? Well when it was built the person who had it built ran out of money and it was never quite finished off.
I would like to point out that all these businesses are now defunct, except Thos. Lord's who now trade in Cheapside.
(Courtesy Elizabeth Shorrock)