Gannex. Broad Lea Mills, Elland.

[Rochester]

History thanks to Converse..

http://www.urbexforums.co.uk/showthr...ghlight=gannex

King Elvis thread from last year, its gone downhill since.

http://www.urbexforums.co.uk/showthr...ghlight=gannex

Gannex. Broad Lea Mills, Elland.

Bit of history for those who don't know about this famous mill:

GANNEX was founded in the 1950s by Joseph Kagan, a Lithuanian refugee and former concentration camp inmate.

Its most famous product, the Gannex coat - bonding a nylon waterproof outer coating to a woollen lining - was worn by Harold Wilson and the Duke of Edinburgh and was issued to police forces UK-wide.

When Harold Wilson, the rising star of Labour politics, started wearing his Gannex raincoats in the mid-1950s, the brand and Lord Kagan's name became well-known, not just in Britain but across the world.

Soon other leaders including American president Lyndon Johnson, Russian premier Nikita Khrushchev as well as Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh were also wearing his coats.

Lord Kagan suffered a fall from grace in 1980 after he was charged with tax evasion and sentenced to 10 months in Rudgate Prison.

Although he was stripped of his knighthood he retained his peerage and was a prominent speaker in the House of Lords, tackling a wide range of subjects.

Sales of Gannex coats helped turn Lord Kagan into one of the UK's top tycoons.

The UK company closed in the early 1990's due to changes in fashion and cheap foreign imports.



Housing Association Buys Gannex Mills and Development Site
A local housing association has completed the purchase of the former Gannex Mills at Elland, near Halifax.


Pennine Housing Association has bought the redundant industrial complex on Dewsbury Road, along with a nearby development site for an undisclosed sum.

Matthew Scholey of Chartered Surveyors Eddisons, who concluded the sale on behalf of City Services Limited – In Administration, said:

‘This deal has been completed despite some very tough economic conditions and our client is pleased with the price we have achieved.’

The former mill building occupies a 9.18 acre site and was previously ear marked for a £35m office development as part of a significant investment in the town by City Services Limited (trading as Clayton Homes), prior to the company going into administration on 12th August 2009.

http://www.eddisons.com/pages/home_p...e/default.aspx

[Rebel]

Keep meaning to take a look at this again but it looks like conversion work is starting. I've had a look around the small buildings before. Are the old photos still there?

[Rochester]

Keep meaning to take a look at this again but it looks like conversion work is starting. I've had a look around the small buildings before. Are the old photos still there?

Didn't see any Rebel, do you know where they were?

[ERNIE99_UK]

The pigeon looks spakked out.

Its a nice old mill and very famous too- Harold Wilson wore a Gannex coat.

[Rebel]

Didn't see any Rebel, do you know where they were?

On the floor in a similar location to here:



There were 100's of them.

[BB]

Thats a nice mill!

[converse1]

Great place but going down hill rapidly!
Nice work SS.

[Rochester]

Taken Yesterday.

[boxfrenzy]

Nice one mate, this is always a good mill to see. I like the coat hangers photograph

[minxy*]

Brilliant stuff