Life in thriving village which has 'more' than its bigger neighbours

THE big blue Rolls Royce parked up in the village centre is my first indication that this place appears to be thriving. The second is that most of the parking spaces are taken.

- By ANDREW ROBINSON

Caffe Dolce Vita, Lindley

I end up having to park outside the village centre and walk in.

Anyone familiar with Lindley in Huddersfield will tell you this is pretty standard.

Huddersfield Royal Infirmary is just down the road and Lindley village has no shortage of cafes, bars, restaurants and shops.

The main street is often busy with traffic, some of it heading to or from the M62.

If you stop and chat to people, as I did on a Friday lunchtime, you might be surprised to learn that many shoppers and cafe users are not from Lindley, they are just visiting. They seem to love the place and are regulars.

Gena Wilkinson, who was visiting from Brighouse, is a fan of Caffe Dolce Vita which she calls Sam's as he's the owner.

"Best cappuccino in town," says Gena. "Fantastic lunch, pasta, paninis. There's more in Lindley with all these shops than there is in Huddersfield and Halifax."

Retired plumber and former semiprofessional rugby player Frank Hutton has lived in Lindley for around 30 years and can't fault it.