Where there's muck there's still brass

From the archive, first published Monday 5th Mar 2007.

Yorkshire grit is alive and well when it comes to self-made wealth.

The county has been named as the third most affluent place in Britain, according to a new wealth map'.

And the entrepreneurial skill and drive of businessmen like Bradford supermarket tycoon Sir Ken Morrison is key to the Yorkshire success story, the survey suggests.

Not surprisingly, London topped the poll having 13 per cent of Britain's richest people, who have more than £100,000 in investable assets.

Hampshire was second with eight per cent and Yorkshire was the leading northern county with 6.1 per cent.

Lancashire rated in sixth place with 3.8 per cent.

The survey by Barclays Wealth Insights, is based on new information from the Economist Intelligence Unit and Ledbury Research.

It found that self-generated wealth was the key factor to the success of Yorkshire's richest people with 74 per cent of those questioned citing enterprise as the primary source of their wealth.

And the county was below the national average for inherited wealth with only 26 per cent, the average being 30 per cent.

Property was found to be a crucial source of investment here with more than a quarter of those surveyed having more than 30 per cent of their money tied up in bricks and mortar.

In the Bradford area, Ilkley has seen the biggest prosperity boom. The town now boasts more millionaires per square mile than anywhere else in Yorkshire. More than 100 live in the town, where property prices have soared to an average of £300,000.

According to the latest Sunday Times Rich List, Bradford also has its fair share of high flyers.

Among the economic elite who have made themselves rich from humble origins are:

Sir Ken Morrison, top right, who founded his supermarket group with one shop inherited from his father and has turned the company into a billion pound empire.

Jack Tordoff, above left, who started out at the age of 15 with a box of spanners and has built his company JCT600 to be one of the leading car dealerships in the north.

Madan Showan, bottom right, owner of electrical retailer Empire who arrived in Bradford from Punjab at the age of 12 without being able to speak a word of English. He worked in his parent's grocery shop and left school at 16. He now has an estimated fortune of £5 million.

Dilbag Singh, bottom centre, owner of Dilbag Cloth House, arrived from Punjab with £3 to his name. He found work in a Bradford factory and eventually managed to buy his first shop for £50. The firm now employs 55 people and is valued at an estimated £30 million.

Mike Cartwright, policy executive for Bradford Chamber of Commerce, said the county's inclusion in the wealth list was a welcome surprise.

He said: "While this survey might confirm perceptions that we Tykes are a thrifty lot it also shows that Yorkshire is the equal of anywhere in the country for wealth creation.

"The cautious side of Yorkshire folk won't be a surprise either but it is good to see that our entrepreneurs are in the top three of wealthy counties."

Mark Kibblewhite, managing director of Barclay's wealth's private banking division, said: "The changing map of wealth in the UK provides a positive outlook for the future of wealth across the country.

"There has never been a better time to be living in the UK as wealth is now truly open to everyone with enterprise and endeavour the main route to riches."

e-mail: paddy.mcguffin

@bradford.newsquest.co.uk