Meet The Guides
All our guides have been and are still involved in not just preserving the history, but making history in Saltaire.
We fully support the UNESCO world heritage site and contribute to projects, like the restoration of the Prussian blue and white street signs.
We make a regular monthly contribution to the preservation and restoration of the Saltaire United Reformed Church. Our contributions have recently been used towards the restoration of the mausoleum where Sir Titus Salt is interred and the cleaning of the statues .
We also provide resources for the education market, for example education packs for primary schools.
All our guides are individuals and have their unique style, opinions and character. They interact with each other, just like in real life. That’s what makes our tours so special.
Meet
is Ellin Dooley, a common mill worker
Maria actually lives in Saltaire and has worked in the tourist industry for many years and is famous for being appointed Bradford District’s first Tourism Officer in 1980. She was instrumental in training the first Blue Badge Guides in Yorkshire. Not only is she a long term resident of Saltaire and an enthusiastic local historian, she is a member of Saltaire History Direct the fabulous Saltaire WI, the Saltaire Traders and supports the Saltaire Village Society, Saltaire Festival and Saltaire Inspired Her collection of fascinating facts and anecdotes bring Saltaire history to life. Her guided walks, talks and after dinner speeches are legendary and refreshingly different.
Maria’s costumed character, Mrs Ellin Dooley, is as common as muck, lives in an ordinary worker’s house on Amelia Street with her husband Henry, 12 children and another on the way.
is Matron Sarah Turner, the first matron of Sir Titus Salt’s hospital
Sheila is an actor and singer; a member of West Riding Opera and the Glen Singers. She appeared in ‘After the War is Over’ in 2012, playing a First World War nursing sister for Saltaire UNESCO World Heritage Site and most recently she played Sister Milton in ‘Not About Heroes’.
She is currently guiding for Salts Walks, playing the character of Matron Sarah Turner, a trained ‘Nightingale Nurse’. The first matron to be appointed at Salt’s Hospital, her mantra in life is ‘to purge, or not to purge?’ Sheila’s specialism is 19th Century medicine.
Please tell your friends about Saltaire Village Experience
I really really enjoyed the walk around Saltaire with Maria. She is so full of information and is a outstanding entertainer. GPs should prescribe Salts Walks for anyone suffering from the blues. The only disappointment was no souvenir pairs of Mrs Dooley’s bloomers to be had!
Dear Bill,
Please forgive the lateness of my reply to you, my computer crashed and I have only just got it working properly now. Thank you very much for your kind comments. When replicas of Mrs Dooleys favourite bloomers are made you will be the first to get a pair !
Again grateful thanks for your most welcome comments. and once agin thank you for coming on a Salts walk.
Best wishes
Maria
Hello!
I’m a teacher at Westgate Primary School in Otley making enquiries about your walking tours for our Y5 and Y6 classes this coming Autumn. I can be contacted at the school on 01943 462349. I look forward to hearing from you!
Daniel
Dear Daniel,
Thank you for your enquiry , it will be a total pleassure to look after your groups in September, I look forward to you getting back with dates.
Best wishes
Maria
What a wonderful way to learn about this unique town! This tour made the 3 hour drive to Saltaire worthwhile. Maria and her tour guide were so very knowledgeable about the city’s history and they have such a love for the town that it really made all the tour goers appreciate it. The acting skills, combined with the sense of humor made the tour a pleasure for my entire family.
had a great time being shown around, wondered if mrs dooley was a real person, if so would like to get more info fir a school project
Dear Jane,
Thank you for your comment, yes Mrs Dooley was a real person a victorian who lived in Saltaire. For more information we can arrange a time for you to interview her.
She is very busy as she has 12 children and one on the way, but she loves talking about herself.
My U3a visited Saltaire on 15th September and really enjoyed the day. The highlight was the guided visit which brought the town to life.Maria is an excellent guide and actress. Definitely keen to return next year.
I had the pleasure of meeting Mrs Ellen Dooley on a tour I led for HF Holidays. My guests loved your personalised character bookmarks and your interactive talk, really bringing the village and its residents to life. Mrs Dooley was also very persuasive in getting my character, as Chief Cashier, to part with money. Worth every farthing. Thank you.
Can I enquire re a booking for myself and my husband for Tuesday 16th October 2018 ? Times and costs also please.
Many thanks
Susan Lawson
Dear Susan,
Thank you for your enquiry, There are not guided walks on Tuesday 16th October. There is one on Wednesday 17th October at 1.00pm starting at the Saltaire United Reformed Church. The cost of the walk is £5.00 per person and you pay on the day. We also have a guided walk on Wednesday 18th October at 1.30pm,again staring at the Saltaire United Reformed Church. I hope one of those dates will suit you, let me know.
Best wishes
Maria Salts Walks and Talks
Thank you Maria, aka Mrs Dooley for a brilliant informative and humorous talk for Holmfirth U3A, it was immensely enjoyable. Should you ever tire of Saltaire (unlikely I know) please, please consider putting on a presenters course for would be speakers.
Thank you.
Dear Janet,
Thanks a million for your most welcome feedback.I am looking forward to coming back to Holmfirth to talk about what happened to Saltaire after Sir Titus Salt 1876 to 2018
Warmest wishes to all
Maria
Thank you Maria for a wonderfully entertaining and informative walk yesterday. Fabulous day out. You are a tonic for the soul. 😀
Hello Maria
I was at Lightcliffe History Society meeting last night – I enjoyed your talk and presentation – the audience were on the edge of their seats…well done
Something you may be already aware of – I was doing some brass band research a few years ago and was talking to a retired Black Dyke Band player and he reminded me that it was in Victoria Hall where the band recorded one of the few 45 rpm records the band has ever recorded c1968 . a side) Thingumbybob b) Yellow Submarine – .Paul McCartney was up from London to be at the recording having written them both. He stayed at The Midland Hotel and was at Victoria Hall part of the time. I have both recordings and have played Thingumbybob on my brass band radio show. It was a catchy tune for a childrens TV show.
Best Wishes
Chris
http://www.chrishelme-brighouse.org.uk
Dear Chris,
thank you for your lovely Comments about my talk. I do remember Paul McCartney and the Black Dyke Mills Band at Victoria Hall…what a fantastic event for Saltaire and the area. Warmest wishes for a wonderful Christmas Maria
Hi Maria
Thanks for tweeting about the Mechanics Institute today – with such lovely postcard images. We’re currently delving into our 190-year history; please would you direct me to the evidence of Titus Salt’s contribution to the Mechanics’ 1870 building?
Many thanks
Tricia Restorick
President
Bradford Mechanics Institute