Acre Mill Memorial
From George Murphy
Sunday, 19 February 2012
30 years ago I lived next door to a man who was dying from asbestosis as a result of working at Acre Mill. I notice that the husbands, wives and children of former asbestos workers are also dying each year from pulmonary afflictions.
This has been a terrible disaster for the area and I've often wondered if a memorial has been erected to mark our respect for employees and their families? Asbestosis and associated illnesses seem to develop slowly but inexorably and rob people of their old age.
From Lizzie D
Monday, 20 February 2012
I think the legacy is that people are still dying. I am not sure that people would want to be reminded of this, and as I have lost several relatives and friends to the disease. I have my own memories of them that need no official plaque. I am reminded of them every time I see the wasteland that was Acre Mill itself.
We could of course erect a memorial, but there are many others who have also died through industry. Maybe a statue of a mill worker on the marina (as in the style of the Sowerby Bridge one), would reflect our town's heritage and also act as a memorial for those that wished it. Far better than the fustian cutter's blade that we currently have.
HebWeb Feature: Asbestos and the legacy of Acre Mill