Number 17
Introduction
A Story of Cloth, Care & Childhood.
When John Jagger built the Carr Lane parade in 1925, he created more than just a few new shops. He gave Slaithwaite a strong, stone‑built high street that reflected hope after the First World War. Each unit was meant for small, family‑run businesses. Jagger kept some of the shops for years—he didn’t sell **No. 17 until 1954—but it quickly began its own story as one of the village’s best‑loved shops.
Legacy
From selling cotton to handing out ration books to scooping sweets, No. 17 Carr Lane has always adapted to what the village needed. Its story captures Slaithwaite’s mix of hard work, creativity, and kindness. As one local once said, “You could always find something you didn’t know you needed—and you always left with a paper bag rustling in your hand.”
Fun Fact
Creative Response
Susanna is an actor, storyteller and facilitator. She has performed in children’s theatre festivals from Canada to Korea and is described by the British Theatre Guide as an ‘endearing, engaging storytelling figure.’ Susanna spent ten years teaching English and drama before returning to freelance work as a Creative Development Specialist.
“Most of my work on the SlawitSHOP! project has been coordination and file management but here I want to tell a story from the perspective of one who is long gone and sadly never aware of their part in the parade’s legacy.
I have been fascinated by several characters but the one that has proved both intriguing and elusive is that of the eponymous Bottomley, from the parade’s toys & sweet shop. Born in 1873, Mr Bottomley’s burial was recorded in Marsden in 1953, yet no record or evidence of his grave exists.
This is Mr Bottomley’s story, told through his wife, Mary’s eyes”
The Watershed
Slaithwaite Moonraking