A GROUP of young Italian women were starting a new life when this photograph was taken at Nunroyd Mills in around 1968.

Pictured (centre) is Ersilia Harrison, the mother of Aireborough Historical Society archivist Carlo Harrison. Ersilia came to Yeadon from Italy after marriage .

Carlo said: “Ersilia was employed as a pattern weaver and an interpreter for 12 Italian girls brought over to England by the management of Peate’s Mill to train as weavers.

“You would think in mill towns like Guiseley and Yeadon there would be no shortage of weavers, but this was not the case.

“The Italian girls stayed in a hostel together in Oxford Road, Guiseley and of course integrated and married into our community.”

The second, undated, photograph shows the the Catholic garden party in Burley.