Ossett

Ossett is a town in the county of West Yorkshire, England. It is located half-way between Dewsbury, to the west, and the city of Wakefield, to the east. Its ancient name was Deira.

Related Topics:
County - West Yorkshire - England - Dewsbury - Wakefield

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The town was once a thriving centre of the "shoddy" industry; i.e. the recycling of woollen garments. Coal-mining was never as intense around Ossett as in the surrounding area. The main pits were "Old Roundwood", which closed in 1966, and "Savile & Shawcross", which closed in 1968. At the time of the UK miners' strike (1984-1985), the nearest pits were "Denby Grange" and "Bulcliffe Woods" - both being about 4 miles to the south. The town's badge features images of both mills and collieries.

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The town has a current population of approximately 32,000 people, although precise figures are always seemingly hard to come by. Ossett's convenient proximity to the M1 motorway has led Ossett to become more affluent in recent years, attracting both industry and resident commuters to Leeds. House prices increased from around £50,000 in 1998 to around £130,000 in 2003 - one of the largest increases in the country. In contrast, "The Yorkshire Dictionary" defines Ossett as once being known as "wheeare the' black-leead t'tram lines", at a time when the town was seen as being dirty and having a very different reputation from what it has today.

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The Ossett accent has a very thick rhythm to it and can be found online as part of the English Accents and Dialects collection.

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The novelist Stan Barstow, the author of A Kind of Loving, was born at Ossett. Benjamin Ingham, one of the founders of Methodism also came from the town, as did the South African astronomer Cyril V. Jackson. Team 17 are based here and their most famous game - "Worms" - contained a Hell level with a sign saying, "Welcome to Ossett". (This has given the impression that the town is a unpleasant area. It is, in fact, more affluent than other towns in West Yorkshire, such as nearby Dewsbury.) The crime novelist David Peace originates from Ossett and has set many of his books around West and South Yorkshire, but never in the town itself; he now lives in Japan.

Related Topics:
Novelist - Stan Barstow - Benjamin Ingham - Methodism - South Africa - Cyril V. Jackson - Team 17 - "Worms" - Dewsbury - David Peace

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Ossett has many Primary Schools: however it now has only one High School, Ossett School.

Related Topics:
Primary Schools - High School - Ossett School

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Ossett is currently famous for its fish and chips. The quiet village of Gawthorpe to the north - which was originally a separate entity, but has become almost like a suburb of the town - is known for its striking 'water tower' and also hosts the annual World Coal-Carrying Championship and an annual 'Maypole' parade. There is also an "Ossett Brewery" in the Healey area and the "Ossett Beer Festival" takes place annually in the adjoining "Brewers' Pride" pub.

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Politically, Ossett is part of the Normanton constituency, which is represented by Ed Balls, who was formerly chief economic adviser. The seat has been continually represented by Labour since 1885: longer than any other British constituency. In local elections, Ossett tends to be keenly contested between Labour and the LibDems. The British National Party reached a high of 18.5% in 2003.

Related Topics:
Normanton - Ed Balls - British National Party

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Despite being smaller than nearby Wakefield, Ossett hosts two semi-professional football teams, to Wakefield's one. Ossett Town play at Ingfield across from the bus station, and are in the Unibond Premier Division. Neighbours Ossett Albion make their home at Queen's Terrace, more commonly known as Dimplewells, and are one league below Town, in the Unibond First Division.

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