THE terrible fire that destroyed Drummond Mill last month has led many people to reflect on the history of the mighty Manningham building.

Anne Selka is the grandaughter of Sam Selka, who bought the mill more than 80 years ago. She got in touch to tell us Sam's story which, like the stories of other owners of the mill, links it closely with Bradford's Jewish history.

When Sam Selka arrived in Bradford from Moravia (now part of the Czech Republic), he worked as an employee in textiles for a period of 14 years.

"In 1916 Sam started his own business as a cloth trader. In 1920 he started to commission the manufacture of his own cloth, and three years later bought out the manufacturer, Cranbook Mills," says Anne. "His exacting standards - he inspected every piece himself - and excellent quality allowed the business to grow at a time when many others were shrinking and closing.

"In 1931 he bought the (then failing) Drummonds. The Yorkshire Observer reported the purchase on February 5: 'The plant at Lumb Lane Mills includes 44,000 worsted spindles and 250 broad looms and is therefore one of the largest worsted plants in Yorkshire.

Continues Anne: "The mill had been working in a very limited capacity, with the majority of the 800 employees out of work. Sam was convinced that the market would recover in the short term and made the brave decision to put into work some 2,000 pieces of his standard serge cloth. This provided employment for the staff, a fact that contributed to the high esteem in which he was held by them and in the community."

In 1935 Sam fell ill and died in November, 1936. An article in the Yorkshire Observer on November 6 called him a “capable leader” who had achieved much success in times of unparalleled industrial and economic difficulty .

"Sam was always proud of his Jewish race and faith and maintained his Jewish beliefs all his life," says Anne. "He always attended the synagogue for the Jewish New Year, the Day of Atonement and Passover, and gave generously to Jewish and non Jewish charities. He was also one of the earliest supporters of the Zionist movement.

"At the time of his death his oldest son Joseph, aged 21, and second son Michael, 19, were already in the business. Just over two years later war broke out and the brothers served their country as an Air Force Flight Lieutenant and Army Captain respectively .

"During the war Drummonds ticked over under the guidance of the firm's accountants. After the war the two brothers returned to run the business. They were held in the same high esteem as their father and together they successfully ran the business for the next 30 years.

"In 1974 the privately owned James Drummond and Sons Ltd took over Stroud Riley and Co Ltd, a publicly listed company. The family continued to be represented by Sam’s grandson, Edward, who worked in the business and was a director until he left in 1993.

"Thus ending the successful Selka/Drummond relationship that spanned three generations and lasted over 60 years."