A little bit from a local history book (Laisterdyke Roundabout, which is pretty specialist you’ll have to agree):
My great-grandfather Robert Rawnsley had been one of the “pillars” of the Idle Congregational Church, and my father was, for some time after my birth, the Captain of their cricket team. Between my fourth and fifth birthdays, however, we moved from 66 Bradford Road to 28 Thornhill Place, Thornbury. From that time I was taken to the Maltby Street Primitive Methodist Church.
There’s also mention of the Ebenezer Church which, apparently (apparently enough to gain a ! for the statement) was one of only two Ebenezer’s in the country that didn’t join the Methodists when all the others did.
!
I assume that the Idle in Congregational is a place, not an activity. But really, who knows?
http://www.idleworkingmensclub.co.uk
Firm I work for was based in Idle for most of its existence (founded 1803). Belonged to a family of very tight Yorkshiremen who were more certainly not idle, nor would they allow any hint of it in there workforce.
*their workforce (oh for an edit function)
I thought the schism North of Watford gap was more shia/sunni.
It’s rarely sunny North of Watford…
When I lived near Idle the Idle Baptist Church had a Minister called Rev Ernest Whalley.
For some reason he called himself Ernie.
Proof: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/iJpOzbF5rSnbk2VzHjU88Ohcq1U/appointments