There are many great reasons to explore the suburb of Lindley in West Yorkshire. Jo Haywood finds at least five

Timely piece There’s no excuse for being late in Lindley, where life runs like clockwork thanks to the quarter hour chimes of its 83ft-tall, 111-year-old clock tower. This wonderful Grade II listed landmark, which stands proud at the junction of Acre Street, Plover Road, Lidgett Street, Daisy Lea Lane and Occupation Road (yes, it really is that big), ticked its first tock on Christmas Eve in 1902. Built from local stone with walls more than two-feet thick, it has 69 spiral stairs up to its balcony and has four clock faces, each six-and-a-half feet in diameter and illuminated at night (so there’s no excuse for missing the last bus). But there’s more to this desirable Huddersfield suburb than punctuality so, for starters, here are a few more of my reasons to love Lindley.

It hits all the right notes... Lindley has an admirable musical heritage, beginning in the late 1830s with the founding of Lindley Band, one of the first brass bands in the UK. Now known as The Lindley Band, it has its own purpose-built rehearsal and performance space in Holly Bank Road and is led by musical director Chris Lewis, director of music at Rishworth School, Halifax. In recent years, the unmistakable star quality of the band has been captured on the big and small screen, first in a Paramount Pictures film called Asylum (the script called for ‘a sad looking group of brass musicians’), then in the hit TV series Life on Mars, which saw the band members scattered across the road during a particularly frantic car chase. But they’re not Lindley’s only claim to musical fame. The junior school choir won Songs of Praise School Choir of the Year in 2008 and scooped the prestigious Children’s Choir of the Year title at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall in 2012, earning them a place on the stage at the Choir of the Year competition at the Royal Festival Hall in London, where they were narrowly beaten by the music students of Les Sirenes in Glasgow.

It’s a health hub... Lindley is home to the district’s main hospital, Huddersfield Royal Infirmary, which was opened in 1967 by Prime Minister (and local lad) Harold Wilson. Work also recently began on Acre Mill, which sits opposite the infirmary, to create a £9 million state-of-the-art health centre, providing facilities for around 200,000 outpatients. The former steel wire mill, owned by Joseph Sykes & Sons, was whimsically regarded by locals as the biggest mill in the world as it went three-quarters of the way round The Globe – the name of a pub relaunched as The Nightingale in 2010.

It puts the fun in fundraising... By the time you read this, Lindley will have just held its first fundraising 10K to give local causes a welcome boost. The event was organised by Lindley Community Group, the powerhouse behind the annual carnival, also at the end of June. Previous carnivals have proved extremely successful, drawing healthy crowds despite the uncertain summer weather. ‘It’s a community festival and a real family event for the people of Lindley,’ said Councillor Cahal Burke, one of the founding members and current chairman of the community group. ‘We hope to continue it for many more years to come.’

It retains its independence... Lindley has a small Sainsbury’s store, but it remains largely dominated by quality independent shops, bistros, takeaways and pubs. There’s a butcher, a baker – no sign of a candlestick-maker – as well as a fruit and veg shop, florists, delis, an optician, chemist, hairdressers, gift shops, clothes and lingerie boutiques, and even a quality children’s bookshop (something of a rarity these days). And as if all that wasn’t exciting enough, there’s also a free car park at the top of Holly Bank Road. Independent shops and free parking – what other reasons do you need to love Lindley?

My Lindley life...

Cahal Burke, local resident and Liberal Democrat councillor for Lindley

‘My wife and I bought our first house here and, though we’ve moved house twice since and had two children, we’ve never left Lindley.

‘The buildings are particularly special, with fine examples of Edgar Wood’s architecture in the imposing clock tower and the impressive Briar Court and Banney Royd buildings, which attract much attention from Wood enthusiasts. I’ve been to the top of the clock tower and looked around Briar Court and it’s a real pleasure to experience the history first hand.

‘There are many positives to living in Lindley: the great range of independent shops and restaurants, including the award-winning Eric’s restaurant; the great community feeling the local schools and churches provide; the popular summer carnival; and the numerous events throughout the year, including flower festivals and craft fairs.

‘There really aren’t many downsides. We’re close to the town centre and have easy access to the M62. Both local schools are outstanding and we have a choice of parks and open spaces. These positive aspects have, however, led to much housing development in the area, which is a concern for many residents.

‘Not many people know that there used to be an impressively grand building on Kirkwood Drive, a housing estate built in the 1970s. The original estate’s lake is still used by local anglers and the gate house at Crosland Road is now a private home.’