THIS was the scene that September at the lowest part of Woodhouse Road.
The River Worth had burst its banks at Ingrow, and had breached the walls of W Slingsby and Co Ltd in two places, washing machinery away.
At Ingrow Bridge, Hird, Priestley Ltd lost pieces of suiting, some being retrieved “at considerable risk” by people lower down the river.
Greengate House, then a private residential hotel, had a foot of water in its ground floor, and 200 bags of tops were damaged at JT Sutcliffe and Co Ltd, worsted spinners at Walk Mills.
The large number of flooded homes and damaged belongings gave rise to a peculiarly post-war problem.
Householders who had lost their ration books had to be issued with replacements, while those who had lost their actual rations were given emergency ration cards.
The photograph (above) has been supplied by Kevin Seaton, of Bradford Road in Riddlesden.
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