Our local team, Bradford City, has been promoted to League One following a successful play-off final at Wembley on Saturday 18th May. I mentioned in a recent Blog that a couple of our guys from the Kershaws Doors office were heading down to London to watch the game and are still buzzing following the win that resulted in promotion to League One. They joined about 25,000 other Bradford City fans that travelled down to Wembley for the second time this year to watch the momentous game.

The Bantams beat Northampton Town 3-0 in a comfortable game where they amazingly scored three goals in the first 30 minutes. Hanson scored the first goal after just 15 minutes; McArdle scored the second just four minutes later and Wells scored the final goal.

After six years in the bottom league of English football, Bradford will deservedly take their place in League One. In 1999 Bradford City were promoted to the Premier League and spent two years there but like many clubs they faced financial problems with some expensive signings and they faced several years of decline.  Just twelve months ago the Bantams were fighting relegation from the bottom tier of professional football so this is a major turn around for the club.

On behalf of everyone at Kershaws Doors, I’d like to offer our congratulations on a fantastic result. It is great to finally have some good news to shout about here in Bradford.

Kershaws Doors offers a wide range of modern and traditional doors. You can browse the doors online and order on the website or you can call in and see us at our showroom in Bradford, West Yorkshire. If you would like to see a particular design, you may wish to call in advance and we can advise whether we have a particular model in store to view or you can just call in. We are open Monday to Saturday.

I wrote a post a few weeks ago about our local football team, Bradford City FC, reaching the Capital One Cup final. Unfortunately on that occasion, they missed out to Swansea in a 5-0 defeat.

Bradford City are set to return to Wembley after a thrilling 3-1 victory over Burton in the second leg of the League Two Play Off Semi Finals. Burton had won the initial game 3-2 so it was a nail-biting game for the Bradford supporters, however Bradford pulled through in the second half to win 5-4 on aggregate. Nahki Wells has been branded as a local hero as he scored twice during the game, including the winning goal to firm Bradford’s place at Wembley. The faces on the fans at full time said it all as Bradford defied the odds for the second time this season to secure their place at Wembley. The Bantams will be playing Northampton on Saturday 18th May as both fight for a place in the First Division.

A couple of the guys from the Kershaws Doors office will again be making the journey down to London for this momentous game. They are confident that this trip will see a great result for the club who have had a strong season and a great build up with the high of the previous Wembley Cup Final in February. Bradford City have had the best home performance in the League this season, which surely puts them in a good position for a win at the weekend and our guys along with thousands of other fans will be singing their hearts out to support the team.

We will be watching the game with anticipation and we wish the best of luck to the Bradford City team from everyone at the Kershaws Doors office.

Many businesses are feeling the pressure at the moment. If there is a positive from this recession is seems to make many companies try harder and evaluate what changes can be made within their business in order to push it forward.

From speaking to friends and acquaintances it seems that they still visit restaurants, maybe not as frequently but it’s an activity which brings people together and  cheers us up when life feels a bit tough. Recently I visited a local pub/restaurant on a Monday evening, expecting it to be quiet, to my surprise it was bubbling with activity and the interesting thing was that it was situated in the countryside a few miles away from a village or town. So why was it so popular? Well, the food was very good and reasonably priced,  the staff were extremely pleasant and obliging and the décor and surroundings were comfortable and interesting. This business seems to have the correct formula, and if trade isn’t as good as previously then it wasn’t obvious.

After this experience I considered other establishments I have recently visited. One eatery came to mind, the food is acceptable, the staff pleasant and its in a more populated area,  but it was quiet. I remember the décor, they had repainted walls and added a few decorative touches lately but the timber doors looked tired and scratched. When visiting the wash rooms I noticed the doors were more dilapidated, with a selection of locks and bolts which had stopped working, hadn’t been removed, just had new ones added. I know I’m in the door business and notice these things but I’m sure others do also. This lack of attention to detail can influence customers, subliminal messages are sent when we see unpleasant décor and therefore effect our future choices. I always think that you can understand a business better when you visit the wash rooms.

I often see flimsy, well worn doors in restaurants and bars as economy versions have been chosen, this is false economy as a substantial timber door will last longer, look better and can be repainted to look as new at a later time. If you want to enhance your business property give us a call, you will be amazed at the impact new timber doors can do for your business.

At Kershaws Doors we supply a lot of businesses, pubs, bars, hotels and offices with doors, sometimes for refurbishing others times for design purposes. Many purchase Fire Certified doors due to legislation and of course, all hotel rooms require Fire Doors as do homes and apartments with three floors or more.  Doors adjoining integral garages must be FD30 or sometimes FD60 certification depending on the building regulations.

Kershaws Doors Ltd distribute timber doors throughout the UK via our website 1doors.co.uk. Our family business, started in 1999, has a showroom and head office in Bradford, West Yorkshire. The family have strong links with the city going back many generations; consequently, we take an avid interest in what is happening in the City of Bradford.

Recently there has been a lot of discussion about building projects (or the lack of) in the city of Bradford. The media have homed in on what is called the ‘Big Hole’ in the Centre, which is awaiting a final decision by Westfield regarding a new shopping complex. In addition, there is controversy surrounding the former 1930’s Art Deco Odeon cinema, which has been empty since the 1990’s. Recent news releases have stated that the cinema appears to be saved from demolition after many years of campaigning, however, nothing concrete (to excuse the pun) is decided. 

I have a keen interest in architecture and since the 1960’s many beautiful building have been demolished in the city, which has been a concern to me and many other Bradford citizens. I look forward to the revival of the Odeon as a grand edifice along with the Alhambra Theatre at its side.

The Odeon Cinema was originally called the New Victoria Theatre, and building works started in 1928 on the site of William Whittaker’s former brewery. The building was commissioned by Provincial Cinematograph Theatres and designed by local architect William Illingworth FRIBA who created a building slightly different to the clean-cut lines of the Art Deco buildings of the time. The style had an Italian Renaissance and Spanish influence with additional Moorish domes in keeping with the Alhambra Theatre across the road. Boasting 3,500 seats, a ballroom, restaurant and afternoon tea café this building was a true asset to the community.

Here is one of my family anecdotes. My mother went to watch a film at the original Odeon Cinema in Manchester Road on Saturday, 31st August 1940. Late that evening Hitler’s Luftwaffe bombed Bradford destroying many buildings including badly damaging the Odeon. My grand parents awaited news, but unknown to them, my mother, who was a keen dancer, had changed her plans to dancing at the New Victoria Ballroom instead. Dancing was in progress when the first bombs dropped and a thump was felt, the band momentarily stopped playing, then continued for the ‘jitter-bugging’ dancers while the raid was in progress. This was a very fortunate decision for my mum and all our family.

In September 1950 the name of the theatre was changed to the Gaumont with emphasis on film with a refurbishment in 1954 to rejuvenate the beautiful interior.

The Beatles played at the Gaumont on Saturday 2nd February 1963; they were a ‘bottom of the bill’ support act to 16-year old Helen Shapiro. The original Odeon Cinema closed in March 1969 and subsequently demolished. The name Odeon was transferred to this former New Victoria/Gaumont building. This renaming has led to some confusion since, particularly in people’s reminiscences. Regardless of any future name the building is given I hope, as do many Bradford citizens, that this local icon is given the refurbishment it deserves and becomes a useful commodity to the area again.