Oswaldtwistle Mills founder Peter Hargreaves shares memories as they approach their 200 year anniversary

By Scott Dawson Advertising

01 Apr 2025

Former Chairman of Oswaldtwistle Mills Peter Hargreaves press.JPG.jpg

Oswaldtwistle Mills, the popular and award winning shopping village, has a very long history in the local area.

Originally a cotton weaving mill since 1824 holding hundreds of looms and workers, the mill produced cotton exported all over the world until the closure of the weaving sheds in the early 1990s.

Peter Hargreaves then oversaw the rebirth of Oswaldtwistle Mills into the huge shopping complex we see today.

 Peter, who reached the grand age of 90 at the end of last year, has deep family connections to James Hargreaves, the inventor of the Spinning Jenny, and has traced his family back many generations.

He said: "The Hargreaves family has been involved with running the mill since 1874, and we're very proud of our heritage. we managed to trace the family back to 1050, when my 30th great great grandfather, Richard de Noers, was a steward to King William I. We're 14 generations ago, but we're actually linked to James Hargreaves's brother.

"In the 1950s and '60s, it became very difficult to attract weavers, so we opened a hairdressing salon at the side of the weaving shed with two hairdressers.

"We organised Bingo, where every member of staff had a Bingo card, and a new number drawn out every morning and every afternoon. The full house was £50, and the line was £25, which was more than an average wage.

"We had a very strong sports and social club with football and cricket teams, netball and table tennis teams, and they organised events right throughout the year.

"However, in 1970, the competition from cheap imports meant that we had to close 670 Lancashire looms, and I had the task of speaking to 120 employees to tell them they were going to lose their jobs.

"Then from 1 mill and 37 members of staff, the company increased to 5 mills and 536 staff with overseas companies in the United States, Denmark, France, and Northern Ireland.

"Probably in 2008, again, due to the competition from imports, we had to change the business from five mills and 536 staff to one mill and 54 staff and become a sales and marketing company and importer of textiles.

"My main memories were taking a 30-inch square aerial photograph of Britannia Mill to lunch with NatWest Bank and persuading them to provide the funds to buy the mill and machinery.

"And then later, going to the House of Commons with the local MP and seeing the Minister for Trade and Industry and obtaining a grant to buy Woodnook Mill. Then a call out of the blue from our Danish customer saying, "Would you like to buy us?" and moving all their looms and machinery to England.

"We met South Boston Council in Virginia and presented a video and they gave us Talbot Mill free of charge. We took on the previous owner and his wife and two sewing machinists, and within four years, they'd expanded to 40 staff and made over a million dollars during the year.

"Buying Taylor's Toiletries for £3,000 and renaming it the Bubble Factory, which then became the Oswaldtwistle Mills Shopping Village and Garden Centre, and flying to Chicago, travelling through a snowstorm with 6 foot drifts at the side of the road and persuading Yankee Candles to come and open the first store in the United Kingdom."

Nick Pitman, current managing director at Oswaldtwistle Mills, said: "Peter and his family have been involved with Oswaldtwistle Mills for generations, and I've worked here since I was 16. It's a real family environment - Barbara on reception used to work on the looms, so a lot of us have a long history with the building.

"We're grateful to take it forward now as custodians, and ensure generations to come enjoy it just as much as we have. Peter and his family have a wonderful collection of historic items from over the years including a working loom, and we hope to reopen those to the public in the near future."

 A video of Peter talking more about his history including childhood memories of World War II can be found on the Oswaldtwistle Mills website and social media.

 

Latest news

1

Morecambe shortlisted in National Visa Awards celebrating the UK’s thriving towns David Waddington and John O'Neill

Morecambe shortlisted in National Visa Awards celebrating the UK’s thriving towns

04 Jul 2025

2

County council sets out 'areas of focus for 2025-26 in document Coun Stephen Atkinson

County council sets out 'areas of focus for 2025-26 in document

04 Jul 2025

3

Warden Construction completes project to help Preston school double pupil numbers Warden Construction completes project to help Preston school double pupil numbers

Warden Construction completes project to help Preston school double pupil numbers

04 Jul 2025

4

Grant Thornton advises RJ Power Networks on sale to Ipsum Jamie Roberts

Grant Thornton advises RJ Power Networks on sale to Ipsum

04 Jul 2025

5

College principal resigns Karen Buchanan

College principal resigns

04 Jul 2025

Background image for hub sign up block

LBV Hub

Leverage Lancashire Business View platforms

Post your news
Post your events
Post your offers
Build your network
Improve your SEO
Gain coverage in the magazine
Sign-up
Events
LBV123 July/August Launch Event
Lancashire Business View magazine launch
Networking
16 Jul 2025

LBV123 July/August Launch Event

Burnley

08:30 - 10:30

Lancashire Built Environment Conference 2025
BEC 315 X 315 Px
Networking
25 Sep 2025

Lancashire Built Environment Conference 2025

Blackpool Football Club, Blackpool, FY1 6HX

08:30 - 13:00

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course

Preston Campus, Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 17:00

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course

Preston Campus, Preston, PR1 2HE

08:00 - 17:00

Tri-Site Survey Equipment Showcase
unnamed (2).jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
09 Jul 2025 - 09 Jul 2025

Tri-Site Survey Equipment Showcase

Crow Wood Hotel, Burnley, BB12 0RT

09:30 - 16:00

Blackburn Cathedral hosts Champagne and Diamonds Event with Ainsworth Jewellers
Champagne-Jewellery 10 07 25_page-0001.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Awards
10 Jul 2025 - 10 Jul 2025

Blackburn Cathedral hosts Champagne and Diamonds Event with Ainsworth Jewellers

Blackburn Cathedral, Blackburn, BB1 5AA

18:00 - 20:30

Choose Chorley for Business - Talent Reimagined Business Breakfast
talentreimaginedbb.png.png
LBV Hub Seminars
10 Jul 2025 - 10 Jul 2025

Choose Chorley for Business - Talent Reimagined Business Breakfast

Strawberry Fields Digital Hub, Chorley, PR71PS

08:00 - 10:30

Shaping Preston's future by remembering its past
1750160034867.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
16 Jul 2025 - 16 Jul 2025

Shaping Preston's future by remembering its past

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

18:00 - 20:30

Chamber Summer BBQ
LBV Hub Social
17 Jul 2025 - 17 Jul 2025

Chamber Summer BBQ

The Borough, Dalton Square, Lancaster, LA1 1PP

17:30 - 20:00

Preston Tech Connection: Web3 is Dead. Or is It?
July Longer Banner.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Networking
29 Jul 2025 - 29 Jul 2025

Preston Tech Connection: Web3 is Dead. Or is It?

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

18:00 - 19:30

Preston Freelancer Meet-Up: July
Longer July Banner.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Networking
31 Jul 2025 - 31 Jul 2025

Preston Freelancer Meet-Up: July

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

10:00 - 11:30

Cumbria Business Expo 2025
https---cdn.evbuc.com-images-880461633-4862066883-1-original.20241022-110415.jpeg.jpg
LBV Hub Exhibitions
19 Sep 2025 - 19 Sep 2025

Cumbria Business Expo 2025

Carlisle Racecourse, Carlisle, CA2 4TS

09:00 - 15:00

Advertise with us

Reaching 50,000 members, our print, digital and event platforms offer a fantastic way to raise your business profile and help you grow.

Find out more LBV122 Online Graphic
Subscribe now

Weekly news bulletin