A WILSDEN firm of funeral directors has celebrated a milestone.

Albert Pratt's has clocked-up 150 years of trading.

The firm was started by local joiner Joseph Tordoff in Main Street, in premises at the junction with Crack Lane -– only 500 yards from its current base at 146 Main Street.

Albert's great grandfather William Carling worked for Joseph for 30 years and took over the business after Joseph's death – and the firm has remained in the Pratt family ever since.

Albert has been involved for more than 50 years and is modestly proud of its longevity. He is particularly pleased that it remains an independent family-run operation.

Over the years, he has dealt with families whose forebears had their funerals handled by his grandfather, underlining the Pratts' roots in the community.

Although now semi-retired, Mr Pratt is determined to stay involved in the business, which he steered into full-time funeral directing in 1985.

"The business started out as a general joiners and acted as the local undertaker as well and that carried on for many years," he said.

"It was the days of collecting bodies in hand carts and using a horse-drawn hearse from Queensbury for funerals.

"Much of the preparation work was done in the yards of local churches until the firm eventually had its first small chapel of rest.

"In 1985 I decided to focus on funerals and we had a purpose-built larger chapel of rest constructed."

The business, a member of the Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors, has operated from its current site since 1926 and it was extended in 1951 by converting the former South View Bakery premises.

Helen Phillips, Mr Pratt’s step-daughter, joined the business in 2010 and her sister Jill Bishop earlier this year. They have taken on the day-to-day management.

"The key aim is to remain a family firm serving local villages and staying loyal to our roots," said Helen. "We have an office in Bingley but have no plans for further physical expansion.

"We have swerved the villages around Harden, Denholme , Cullingworth , Crossflatts , Eldwick, Gilstead and, of course, Wilsden, down the years and that remains our focus."

While the basic role of an undertaker may not have changed too much, Helen said the focus now was on more personalisation of the service.

She said: "Years ago everyone had the same type of funeral but that’s changed and personalising the process is much more important."

Mr Pratt, 68, said he was delighted that Helen and Jill had taken on the running of the business.

He added: "I'm very proud that Albert Pratt continues to operate after 150 years and that my step-daughters are determined to keep it going as a traditional family business."