John Bostock: Legacy of Farsley textile boss lives on - as new building unveiled
He was the well-respected west Leeds textile boss known for his vision and tenacity.
The late John Carradale Bostock is credited for the transformation of Gaunts Ltd in Farsley from its textile roots into the business centre that it is today.
John was born in Horsforth, spent his youth in Myanmar and India, then returned to Yorkshire in the late 1940s before joining Gaunts in 1954. He studied textile technology at the University of Leeds and returned to Gaunts in 1957 to set up the company’s quality control department.
After climbing the managerial ladder, he was eventually appointed group managing director and group chairman. He retired in 2012 after close on 60 years of service and died in 2014.
Whilst in textiles, he was a member of the Junior Chamber of Commerce, a Director of the Worsted Spinners Federation Ltd, a Council Member of the Wool Industries Research Association, a Council member of the Management Service Centre for the Wool Textile Industry and a Fellow of the Institute of Directors. He was a magistrate from 1972 to 2002 and appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for the County of North Yorkshire in 1991 and awarded the MBE in 2002 for services to the community and especially the magistracy.
Fast forward to 2026 and the father-of-three continues to leave his mark on the firm with a newly completed £4 million commercial development at Springfield Mills named in his honour.
The Bostock Building, features eight high-quality hybrid commercial units across two floors, offering modern workshop and office accommodation and the exciting new development, the first of its kind on the site for 70 years.
It was opened by John’s widow Christine Bostock with more than 50 people attending the ribbon cutting ceremony.
She said: “He started with textiles originally and when textiles declined he came into the property business which has been very successful.”