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Blue plaque to mark office park's industrial heritage
A WEST Yorkshire industrial landmark which has been brought 'back to life' is to be celebrated with the unveiling next week of a blue plaque.
Since renovation work began early last year, the Charles Roberts Office Park at Horbury Junction has once more become a hub of industry – as it was in its heyday when tanks which helped to win the Second World War were built there.
The site's heritage will be celebrated with the unveiling of a blue plaque, erected by Horbury Civic Society.
The ceremony will be conducted by Margaret Wood, chairman of Wakefield First, the city's development agency.
A spokesman said Mrs Wood was the ideal choice to unveil the plaque because of her role with Wakefield First, which is leading regeneration across the Wakefield district, and the proximity of her own company ICW UK Ltd which is also situated at Horbury Junction.
Wakefield's Mayor, Coun Jacqui Williams, will also be attending the event, along with her consort, Horbury councillors, the Horbury Civic Society, some of the current tenants from the office park and some past employees from the former factory.
The site was an important part of Horbury's industrial heritage and was formerly the home of the Charles Roberts factory. The company had the sole patent for building wooden railway carriages for the country and built Churchill tanks in the Second World War.
Local playwright, Stan Barstow, was once an employee at the Charles Roberts factory and he recounts how romance blossomed with his wife, while they were both working at the firm, in his autobiography In His Own Good Time. It was later occupied by Bombardier, which refurbished railway and London Underground carriages, until its closure in 2005. Following the factory's closure, the site stood empty until it was acquired by Magna Holdings Ltd.
The new Charles Roberts Office Park now boasts a string of international tenants including international marine boiler company, Aolberg Industries and French textile company Asselin Thibeau.
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Wednesday 23 May 2012
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