Saltaire Daily Photo

Excitement at the Five Rise Locks

2012-01-31T07:00:00.009Z

It's been well publicised, so lots of you knew.... This is the answer to yesterday's puzzle - the crowds flocked to Bingley's famous Five Rise Locks at the weekend to catch a rare sight of the locks drained of water. And not only to look... thanks to some carefully constructed scaffolding, you could actually walk right through the flight, from the top to the bottom. The locks have been drained in order to allow engineers to replace four of the six huge pairs of lock gates, which are made of solid oak but which inevitably over the years start to rot and leak. For further information, please take a look at the article put together by our local paper.

The spectacular staircase of five locks, built by John Longbotham, was completed in 1774, enabling boats to make the 60 foot ascent or descent of this stretch of the Leeds-Liverpool Canal. It takes about an hour and a half for a boat to navigate through.

PS I'm still unable to comment on some blogs so if you haven't seen me lately, I'm sorry.

Multitudes

2012-01-30T07:00:00.006Z

Here's a puzzle...... where are these people? And why are they here?

I'll give the answer tomorrow.......

It's all downhill from here...

2012-01-29T07:00:00.002Z

Follow the 'yellow brick road' in yesterday's post far enough and you arrive at a viewpoint, from where you can see a vast panorama up and down the valley. The view down to Saltaire is largely hidden by trees but in the winter they are less dense and I managed to find this glimpse through. You can see Salts Mill in the foreground, with the houses of Baildon above it on the far side of the valley. The little hamlet in between is Baildon Green - see here for a photo I took there.

I took the above with my Nikon and at the moment I only have the kit lens 18-55mm, which can often be frustrating. Compare it with this photo that I took from more or less the same spot in 2010 with my Panasonic, which has a huge telephoto zoom (but a smaller sensor... a case of swings and roundabouts).

Yellow brick road... oh, OK, grey tarmac then...

2012-01-28T07:00:00.001Z

Sometimes I start to feel a little confined, hemmed in on the floor of the Aire valley where I live, work and conduct much of my life. Luckily, it doesn't take long to escape; a brisk up-hill walk on either side of the valley soon sees you crest a ridge and suddenly there's a marvellous view and a great feeling of space and light. The north side of the valley takes you up on to Shipley Glen and Baildon Moor, a large area of which still feels satisfyingly 'wild' and natural (even though it has been shaped by man's activities for centuries). The south side, rather more built up, nevertheless has a wonderful area of open parkland, thanks to a benefactor, Sir Norman Rae, who gifted the land to Shipley Council in 1920 for the benefit of the community. I always enjoy walking through this avenue of trees. Even though I know exactly where it goes, I still get a childish feeling of adventure, following a path that 'disappears' into the distance.

Fence post

2012-01-27T07:00:00.001Z

Another experiment in processing, this time a photo of a wooden fence post covered in frost. I liked the way the frost had formed circles along the growth rings of the wood ... though I don't know why it had. Close inspection revealed all sorts of subtle colour and texture. Amazing what beauty there is - not far away, just in the local allotments beside Salts Mill.

Saltaire's historic church

2012-01-25T07:00:00.001Z

The same frosty, misty morning as in the previous post supplied this photograph of Saltaire's URC church, from the towpath of the Leeds-Liverpool Canal. I know I've posted pictures from roughly this spot before (see here and here ) but I really enjoy seeing familiar places in different lights and weathers. In the winter too, when the trees are bare, you can see much more of the church and fully appreciate its unusual design.

Saltaire mist

2012-01-23T07:00:00.001Z

A sharp frost one morning - and a line of black-headed gulls (in their winter plumage) seemed almost frozen to the spot on the riverbank. On the opposite bank you can see the Saltaire Boathouse - originally a Victorian boathouse but now a thriving pub/restaurant. Beyond that, the metal footbridge connects Roberts Park with the village of Saltaire and behind that the bulky shapes of Saltaire's mills rise through the mist.

Taking shape

2012-01-22T07:00:00.003Z

Teeth are big business these days. There was an article in the newspaper recently saying how many celebrities, including the Duchess of Cambridge, are having expensive cosmetic treatments on their teeth. And what, perhaps you're asking, has that got to do with a half-finished building in Shipley? Well, this is going to be the headquarters of an orthodontics firm, Ortho-Care (UK) Ltd. You may recall me showing the skeleton of the factory way back in the spring. From this to this to the above, in about eight months. The glazing is in and they are working on the interior now.

The factory has turned out to be much larger than it looked at first - unfortunately for the residents of the cottages behind it. Furthermore its modern, angular design bears little relationship to anything in the surrounding area, and certainly not to the historic, honey stone mill buildings of Saltaire, which are now hidden behind it. The wing that you can't see, at the back, is clad in dark grey metal sheeting. I'm a bit surprised that it got through the planning process - but maybe that shouldn't surprise me really! It is supposed to be a very eco-conscious construction, so perhaps that triumphed over aesthetics.

Zigging and zagging

2012-01-21T07:00:00.002Z

When it's cold and dull outside, it feels more enticing to stay in playing with photo processing than it does to go out with my camera. This started off as a reflection of some houses/apartments and trees in the canal - 'nowt special', as they say in Yorkshire. (ie: Nothing special!) I took it because I liked the strong zig-zag line and I think this graphic treatment emphasises that. Perhaps it's still nowt special. I quite like it, though I'm sure it could be refined further. It's good to push the boundaries and try something different. I guess this qualifies as a 'Weekend Reflection' - though not my usual kind of entry into the theme day. Do click the link and explore some more of the entries. There are some great photos this week.

Janescapes

2012-01-20T07:00:00.001Z

Painting © Jane Fielder and used with the artist's kind permission.

Isn't great when, even though you might have lived in an area a long time, you still discover something new? That happened to me the other day when I went to Bingley, the next little town up the Aire valley. I'd seen an ad in the local paper about a sale at an art gallery and thought it would be worth investigating. It certainly was! The gallery is owned by an artist called Jane Fielder, who displays her own work and that of other artists. She is currently (until 26 February) staging 'The Under-the-Bed Sale': "a sort of artistic jumble sale, things that artists have stashed away... work that hasn't had chance to be seen before." It was a treasure trove of work of all kinds, and all at really reasonable prices. There were several pieces I would have loved to bring home.... had to make do with some greetings cards, but they're delightful.

I haven't seen Jane's own work before either and was utterly captivated by it. She produces mainly 'quirky urban landscapes depicting Bingley and the surrounding areas in a humorous and original manner, which have become known as Janescapes.' They are charming, colourful and optimistic paintings - and it's fun to identify the local landmarks, recognisable even though they aren't necessarily shown exactly as they appear in reality. I had a quick chat with Jane and she seems exactly the kind of warm, friendly, generous person that her paintings would suggest. She trained initially as a teacher, and later studied art and she says she always dreamt of becoming an artist - a dream finally fully realised when she left teaching in 1999 to concentrate solely on painting. Her love and enthusiasm for her subject shines through. She says, "On a bright day I can look across the never ending rows of terraces with their chimneys casting black shadows, echoed by the vast mill chimneys, highlighted only by rows of billowing washing and bras the size of windows, and think it is the most wonderful place in the world". Well, I might not have been able to put it so eloquently but I totally agree!

The Bingley Gallery Open: Thurs-Fri 12-6; Sat-Sun 10-5 www.thebingleygallery.com
29A Park Road
Bingley
BD16 4BQ

Aint nothin but a hound dog..

2012-01-19T07:00:00.002Z

Another 'looking up' find.... I have puzzled to discover the origins of this dog, perched high up on a building in Bradford's Northgate. I was pretty sure it was a pub sign and I think I've found the answer in 'Bradford's Timeline', which says in 1893 "The Greyhound Inn, Northgate - closed". I imagine this building was the Greyhound Inn and, although the inn closed almost 120 years ago, the faithful dog still sits waiting and watching. What a lot of change he must have seen.

Masonic decay

2012-01-18T07:00:00.003Z

Bradford is definitely one of those cities where 'looking up' beyond the contemporary or tatty shopfronts is worthwhile. This building on John Street was originally known as Unity Hall, and was leased by Bradford's German community. The stone head is the German poet, Friedrich Von Schiller. Later it became a Masonic Hall and later still was used by The Oddfellows. It is now empty and sadly decaying.

Yorkshire Penny Bank

2012-01-17T07:00:00.002Z

Although some of Bradford's city centre is looking quite run-down, and well-meaning modernisers in the 70s destroyed some of the lovely old Victorian buildings, many gems survive - none more attractive than the Yorkshire Penny Bank building in North Parade. Built in 1895, it is now a Grade 1 listed building, though it appears currently to be unused, having latterly functioned as a pub and restaurant.

The Yorkshire Penny Bank organisation still exists, although it is now called simply the Yorkshire Bank. It was founded in 1859 by Edward Akroyd, a Halifax mill-owner philanthropist in a similar vein to Sir Titus Salt. He too built housing for his workers around his mills and worked hard as a businessman and MP to improve the lot of ordinary working families. The Yorkshire Penny Bank was also the first school bank. I can remember taking my savings to school and giving them to my teacher, who wrote it all down in my own little bank book.

They say round here: "Where there's muck there's brass." So perhaps it's not surprising that a Yorkshire bank did well.

The Co-op

2012-01-16T07:00:00.005Z

It's very different from the heavy stone Victorian architecture in Bradford but somehow I've always quite liked this building, Sunwin House, opened in 1936 as The Co-operative Emporium, the flagship store of Bradford's Co-operative Society. It was designed by W A Johnson, the Co-operative Wholesale Society's chief architect, in the 'International Modernist' style. It's a Grade II listed building, owing to its intact survival both inside and out. When the Co-op pulled out in 2004, it briefly became a T J Hughes store. That also closed down recently and now it's another empty building. Let's hope it doesn't deteriorate and that someone else is visionary enough to take it over (John Lewis?? hint, hint...)

Generations of Bradford folk must have memories of the store. I recall in my student days buying my first ever small black and white TV from here, on an interest-free credit deal that I was scrupulous about paying off every month. I felt very grown-up! Lots of children must have been brought here to buy their 'best coats' and shoes and to whisper their hopes to Santa Claus in his grotto at Christmas.

(I'm having problems commenting on some blogs, so if that's yours - sorry! Let's hope Blogger sorts the problem out quickly. I suspect if you change the comments setting to 'pop-up' it might help.)

The Hallé

2012-01-15T07:00:00.004Z

From 'hole' to 'Hallé'... It may not have lovely shops to entice me, but Bradford does have some excellent museums (including the National Media Museum), galleries, theatres to be proud of and a good concert hall, St George's Hall, designed by Saltaire's architects Lockwood and Mawson. It provides the Yorkshire venue for the world famous Hallé Orchestra, based at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester but who have played regular concerts in Bradford since 1865. And don't they travel in style? This is one of their smart vans, complete with its personalised numberplate - HA10 LLE!

The Hole

2012-01-14T07:00:00.000Z

This is the famous 'hole' in Bradford's city centre. It used to be a concrete shopping centre, built in the 70s and functional rather than beautiful. That got pulled down and developers (Westfield) were going to build a smart new centre..... They started digging.... and then the recession came along and all work ceased, leaving this very large and ugly hole. The Council made a big fuss about turfing some of it over to make a 'People's Park' - huh? Which is not so much a park but more an area of ... well, turf really. Who knows whether we will ever see a shopping centre. But for that matter, who wants another one? There are all the usual chain stores further up in the city centre. Though actually there are more 'pound shops' and closed-down shops than decent stores.

Like it or not, most people with the means to do so go shopping in Leeds, which is a much bigger city and much more vibrant, and only 20 minutes away on the train. (A new shopping centre is under construction there.) I'd like to be loyal to Bradford, which was once a great city and could still have lots going for it... But the shopping area is terribly depressing. If a local councillor asked me (and none of them ever have!) I'd say the only thing that would entice me back to shopping in Bradford would be if John Lewis were to open a store here. They have such great shops and the nearest branch is in Sheffield or Manchester, far too far away for me. I shop online with them sometimes but it would be bliss to have a local store. How about it... is anyone listening?

The buildings on the left in this photo are Victorian buildings, part of Bradford's 'Little Germany' area, so-called because they were built by German merchants in the 19th century. You can also see the tower of Bradford Cathedral, a lovely church that at one time was at the heart of the old city. This area housed the slums that prompted Sir Titus Salt to build Saltaire, to remove his workers from the dreadful living conditions of the city in the early 19th century. I would have thought someone could usefully be exploring 'the hole' as an archeological dig whilst it's just empty.

One landscape, many views

2012-01-13T07:00:00.007Z

I was in Bradford recently and took the opportunity to reconnoitre the new City Park, which has been under construction for a while, around the lovely old City Hall... it's not yet finished enough for good photos, I decided. (I was wrong - check this out..) However, I did notice this interesting reflection in a nearby building.

Our local newspaper, The Telegraph and Argus, built an extension to its Victorian headquarters some years ago. This large glass-clad wing houses its printing presses. Look carefully and you can see some rolls of newsprint ready to be used. At present it has this huge banner: "Bradford - one landscape, many views" at the top of the window. I thought the reflection was a nice illustration of just that sentiment. The largest reflected building is one of the solid Victorian structures that are scattered about the city and houses the local council's finance department, among other businesses. The buildings to the left are what remains of some developments built in the 60s/70s, some of which have already been demolished(!)

If I can get round to linking it, this will be a 'Weekend Reflections' post... I haven't done one for a while.... (Later)... OK, I'm linked. Click here to get access to everyone else's gorgeous and imaginative reflections themed photos for this weekend.

In search of colour - 10

2012-01-12T07:00:00.011Z

Rainbow colours in Salts Mill's 1853 Gallery.

That's the end of the colour series for now... but it taught me the value of going out with my camera and holding some kind of 'theme' in mind. Must try a few more ideas...

In search of colour - 9

2012-01-11T07:00:00.002Z

Soft, muted shades... a grey door and pink blossom. I'm not sure if this is a winter-flowering variety or a tree that is severely confused by the recent mild weather. Either way, it's pretty and a pleasant sight on an otherwise grey day.

In search of colour - 8

2012-01-10T07:00:00.000Z

OK, here's one that's not red - well, not really!

Cyclamens are such pretty little flowers, but they don't do well indoors. This one seems to like its position on the steps, cool yet sheltered - and it can see everything that's going on!

In search of colour - 7

2012-01-09T07:00:00.006Z

Saltaire has managed to hang on to its iconic, old-fashioned red telephone box. It adds a splash of colour in the middle of the village, in the little square where Saltaire's wash-house once stood.

In search of colour - 6

2012-01-08T07:00:00.012Z

A holly bush adds a touch of colour in front of Saltaire's New Mill.

In search of colour - 5

2012-01-07T07:00:00.011Z

Hardy little pansies in a bright red pot make an attractive point of colour further along Albert Terrace. I always think it's nice that people seem happy to leave pots outside their houses, right on the street. I would have thought someone might walk off with it - perhaps they're more interested in pinching the lead off the roof!

In search of colour - 4

2012-01-06T07:00:00.021Z

This series could just as easily have been called 'Saltaire Rouge', taking a theme from Virginia's wonderful blog 'Paris through my lens'. This dear lady in red chose just the right moment to walk along Albert Terrace. Thank you, whoever you are! (The other couple could be William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, having an incognito break in Saltaire?)

In search of colour - 3

2012-01-05T07:00:00.006Z

Red berries - some sort of a pyracantha (firethorn) shrub, I think - make a bright foreground, with Saltaire's United Reformed Church tower behind.

Turner-esque

2012-01-04T07:00:00.008Z

Hmm, start a new series and then a sky like this comes along.... So amazing, I couldn't wait to show you! I will return to my 'search for colour' tomorrow - though in fact there's plenty of colour here too.

I think J M W Turner, 'the painter of light', might have enjoyed this view over Saltaire, taken on Monday.

In search of colour - 2

2012-01-03T07:00:00.005Z

Subtle colour here, in the Christmas wreath, the stained glass and the bright leaves. Not a standard Saltaire front door (the heritage doors have four horizontal panels, like this). No doubt it's frowned upon by the planners, but it is quite smart nevertheless. Note also the difference in colour between the cleaned (sand-blasted) stonework and the original, blackened by soot from the years of coal fires and belching mill chimneys. Most of the public buildings have been cleaned up but some of the houses have and some have not. I guess which you prefer is a matter of personal taste.

In search of colour - 1

2012-01-02T07:00:00.001Z

It may be mild weather here but the downside of that is that it's damp, drizzly and incessantly grey. Short of photos and short of inspiration, I set off in search of some colour in Saltaire... I found it in all sorts of unusual places. This abandoned Christmas bauble looked like it was suffering a bad hangover, collapsed among the leaves in the gutter.

2012 dawns

2012-01-01T00:22:00.000Z

I must admit to being rather envious of the beautiful dawn skies that Vicki often posts on her blog - the backdrop of the Appalachian Mountains is a tad superior to Shipley town centre, it has to be said. Nevertheless, the sky as I walked to work on Friday was pretty stunning. And yes, red sky in the morning did result in rain by the afternoon, those shepherds/sailors were right!

This seemed a fitting image for the start of another year. I'm personally hoping for rather less family drama in 2012... but I give thanks for all my blessings. 'God's in his heaven, all's right with the world. ' Sadly we know all's not right with everything in the world, but sometimes just choosing to focus on the bright side does help, I find.

The long view

2011-12-31T07:00:00.003Z

The view of the long south front of Salts Mill, taken from the railway bridge - probably the most iconic image of Saltaire (even seen in the video intro to our local BBC News programme). It looks nice with the honey-coloured stone catching the sunshine - and the red SALTS sign.... our equivalent of the Hollywood sign, I always think!

I don't know why, but it seemed a suitable photo to round off another year. I guess I've learned to 'take the long view' about a lot of things as I've got older and (possibly) wiser.

I tried correcting the verticals on this (Michael will be pleased to know) but I decided I preferred it distorted. It emphasises the mill's bulk and length, I think. And by the way, my current header picture is a night-time view of all these windows. I like the way the lit windows have different colour temperatures.

Triffid

2011-12-30T07:00:00.006Z

I don't think I have posted a photo before showing the close-up detail of a column of the bandstand in Roberts Park. (See my post last Tuesday for a photo of the whole structure.) There was originally a modest bandstand in Victorian times but it was dismantled at some stage. During the restoration of the park in 2010 the bandstand was re-instated. On the website of Chris Topp, wrought iron works, I've recently come across a fascinating account of how the design evolved, from a series of drawings made by children at Saltaire Primary School, who combined the two ideas of 'music' and 'park'. The result was these colourful horns blowing flowers. Actually there are four different designs for the capitals. The account is, I think, worth reading and the results worth studying.

Santa Claus

2011-12-29T07:00:00.003Z

As we say goodbye to Christmas 2011, I leave you with one final window from Saltaire's Living Advent Calendar. In fact I think this was a 'first' for Saltaire, in that it was not just one static image but a series of projected images, showing different depictions of Santa Claus. I don't know where the original images came from... perhaps old Christmas cards, postcards or magic lantern slides, but they had a lot of charm. I am showing a collage of just four of them but there were several more and the website has a short video showing them all.

Santa Claus is of course a person wreathed in myth, legend and folklore, said to relate to Saint Nicholas, a 4th century Greek Bishop with a reputation for secretly giving gifts. This led via the Dutch elision 'Sinterklaas' to the modern name Santa Claus. I have to say that I find these old drawings rather more appealing than the popular portly red and white fellow we see these days.

Anyway, I hope you were well-behaved enough during 2011 that he left you some gifts!

I think I know why the dog howls at the moon

2011-12-28T07:00:00.001Z

Another of Saltaire's Living Advent Calendar windows - and a rare guest photographer on Salt & Light. I tried and failed to take a decent photo of this window. There was a tree in the way, hence the slightly sideways viewpoint. But more of a problem was that, with my short lens, I would have had to set up my tripod in the middle of Albert Road in the dark. As I didn't think that very advisable, I am delighted my friend Roy had a longer lens and the generosity to let me use his photo.

The painting reminded me of this music track by Johnny Clegg - 'Dela (I think I know why the dog howls at the moon)'. It's part of the soundtrack to a Disney movie, "George of the Jungle". (I know, my mind works funny sometimes!!)

One day I looked up and there you were,
like a simple question looking for an answer.
Now I am the whale listening to some inner call,
swimming blindly to throw myself upon your shore.
What if I don't find you when I have landed?
Will you leave me here to die on your shore stranded?

I think I know why the dog howls at the moon.
I think I know why the dog howls at the moon.

Ah well, put it down to the stress of Christmas....

As the sun sets

2011-12-27T07:00:00.003Z

Isn't it nice how late afternoon winter sunshine makes colours glow? The statue of Sir Titus Salt in Saltaire's Roberts Park overlooks the restored bandstand, with one of the restored pavilions in the background. The statue was erected in 1903 to commemorate the centenary of Salt's birth and was commissioned by Sir James Roberts, the Managing Director of the Mill at the time. The front of the statue can be seen here.

Lights

2011-12-26T07:00:00.005Z

The Christmas tree outside Saltaire's Victoria Hall would have benefited from a few more lights, I think - especially as it has to compete with the floodlighting of the magnificent Italianate facade of the Hall. (Compare with my picture two years ago.) Nevertheless, when I was out with my tripod the other night I felt it was worthy of a photo. I'm still practising both the use of the tripod and my new camera's settings for night photography. It always feels bit of an effort to go out, especially on a cold evening - but I do like night shots and it's something I'd like to learn to do well. I'm fortunate that several of Saltare's public buildings are floodlit at night so there are subjects right on my doorstep.

Santa baby

2011-12-25T07:00:00.005Z

Big yawn... Santa baby had a hard night! This photo of my grand-daughter, taken on my daughter's iPhone (amazing gadget) is one that has made me smile so many times in the past couple of weeks. She's such a cutie. (I know, I'm biased!) I hope, like me, you feel truly blessed by those things that money can't buy - life, love, family, friends. And friends for me definitely includes all you lovely folk I've met through blogging. Wishing you all a very happy Christmas Day - with chance for a snooze if you need one!

(And if you need some more cuteness have a look at this: "How to wrap a cat for Christmas"!)

Nativity

2011-12-24T07:00:00.004Z

‘For to us a child is born…and he will be called Wonderful Counsellor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.’ Isaiah 9: 6

Wishing you, and all those whom you love, a joy-filled and peaceful Christmas - wherever you are and whatever you will be doing. The Nativity tableau that ended my church's 'Walking Nativity' earlier this month seems a suitable picture to remind of the story at the heart of Christmas.

One of my friends had this on his Facebook page. (I'm sure he won't mind me pinching it.) I thought it a timely reminder:

1 Corinthians 13, the Christmas Version:

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, friends and neighbours, I’m just another decorator.
If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family, friends and neighbours, I’m just another cook.
If I work at the soup kitchen, sing carols in the nursing home and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family, friends and neighbours, it profits me nothing.
If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir’s cantata but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point!
Love stops the cooking to hug the child. Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband. Love is kind, though harried and tired.
Love doesn’t envy another’s home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.
Love doesn’t yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way. Love doesn’t give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can’t.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.
Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust, but giving the gift of love will endure forever. Christmas is love.

Number 17

2011-12-23T07:00:00.001Z

The Advent window unveiled on 17th December, as part of Saltaire's Living Advent Calendar, showed this delightful and masterly painting of Saltaire's historic United Reformed Church, in the snow. Perhaps it was inspired by last year at this time, when it looked quite like this! I think I'm right in saying that it was painted by one of Saltaire's resident artists, David Starley, whose bold oil paintings of local scenes I have mentioned before. Isn't it wonderful how much effort our artistic community puts into these windows? Each one must take hours of thought and work, each one is a little gem - and all for a brief 'exhibition' through until January 5th.

Bradford Voices

2011-12-22T07:00:00.000Z

My brisk walk on a decidedly chilly Sunday afternoon was brightened by the festive songs in Roberts Park from 'Bradford Voices'. They are a community choir based in Saltaire. I have several friends who are members. (Singing seems to be something a lot of my friends have taken up in later years. I might have joined them but I'm too deaf even to hear myself sing, never mind everyone else! And I most likely sing flat now..) Bradford Voices meet weekly in the Methodist Church Hall to sing and enjoy music together. Part of their ethos is that everyone has a voice and is encouraged to sing, whether or not they can read music. There are no auditions and, though they make a very nice sound, their approach seems to be a lot more 'laid-back' than some choirs. They do lots of performances and many of them seem to be outside, street-based. Clearly one of the prerequisites for joining is a good set of thermal underwear! They had a small but appreciative audience by the Half-Moon Café in the park (funny how no-one likes to sit on the front row) and they managed to keep singing, despite me running around taking photos.

Gnomes need homes

2011-12-21T07:00:00.006Z

I visited the annual Christkindelmarkt in Leeds Millennium Square on Saturday, hoping to buy some authentic German Stollen cake. (I bought some last year and it was lovely.) Sadly, no cake to be seen, though plenty of other sweet treats - marshmallows, chocolates, doughnuts, poffertjes, sticky nuts... There were many colourful stalls, none more so than this one full of cheeky garden gnomes. Heigh ho, heigh ho.... Happily, M&S supplied the Stollen!

Sorry I'm not getting around to commenting on many blogs this week. I will be back as soon as time stretches again!

Christmas shopping

2011-12-20T07:00:00.002Z

Here's an unusual view of one of the main pedestrianised shopping areas, Briggate, in Leeds city centre. It is usually thronged with shoppers but on Saturday there was also a fun fair. I paid my £1 and climbed the helter-skelter to see what the view was like from the top! Mind you, I chose to return sedately down the steps rather than take the quick route down the slide. (I had my precious Nikon hanging round my neck!) Somewhere among the crowds you will see a Salvation Army band playing Christmas carols - and also a fire engine. The fire crew was in the Victoria Quarter arcade and seemed to be pumping out the basement of a jeweller's shop - I'm not sure why. It all added to the fun!

11m Britons were expected to go shopping last Saturday, spending something like £1.05 billion. (I wonder how they work that out?)

Saturday morning lie-in?

2011-12-19T07:00:00.001Z

'The 99%' camped around the Christmas tree in Leeds City Square seemed to be having a Saturday morning lie-in. When I passed by, there was no evidence of 'Occupy Leeds' protestors, only sealed-up tents. This is a small section of the global 'Occupy' movement, one of many such camps in UK cities, the biggest and most publicised being the one outside St Paul's Cathedral in London. They seem to have identified a problem ('all the power and money [is] in the hands of a corrupt and self-serving top 1%') but as yet I haven't heard any solutions. Whilst not unsympathetic to them or their ideals, I suspect many of those involved across the country are serial activists - not so long ago they were all climbing trees as 'eco-warriors'. Methinks the 50% of the 99% who have jobs might be contributing to their upkeep (though it's sadly true that a lot of young people who would love to have a job can't get one right now).

The imposing building in the background used to be the main Post Office in Leeds. Seems to me that we owe the 1% of Victorians quite a debt...

Glory to God

2011-12-18T07:00:00.016Z

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying:

'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests.' Luke 2:13-14

To be honest, I find Christmas a time of greatly mixed feelings. On the one hand, it's chance to reflect again on the beginning of the central story of the Christian faith, that God sent his son to be born among us, to bring us life. And given my own thankfulness for my granddaughter's recent birth, that story this year has a special relevance. It was a delight to see it enacted once again by members of our church, including the youth group, in our third 'Walking Nativity'. You'll see we have some angels among us!

On the other hand, every year I seem to feel increasingly uncomfortable with the excesses with which we are urged to celebrate the festival. Magazines full of recipes, presents, ideas for decorations seem to make Christmas something of a competitive sport. I know there are many people who have a real gift for making Christmas special for their families and children and I'm not knocking that. Nor am I deriding the joy and meaning that comes from dusting off the family's traditions and decorations - and the memories that come with them. It just seems sad that the Christmas story (to me anyway) holds the antidote to the emptiness that it seems some people try to fill with alcohol, food or lavish spending - and yet time and again we fail to make the connection.

To use that wonderful American expression... Just sayin'...

Three kings

2011-12-17T07:00:00.000Z

The advent window at Saltaire's Methodist Church takes a suitably religious theme, that of the three magi journeying to Bethlehem. This window was produced by members of the Art Group that meets in the Methodist church halls. I like the boldness of the kings - such strong graphic shapes suit the medium, I think.

To see more of the windows from Saltaire's Living Advent Calendar, scroll through my blog or look at the web page hosted by the Saltaire Village website.

Festive tree 2011

2011-12-16T07:00:00.000Z

Salts Mill in Saltaire has at least two Christmas trees each year: one in the 1853 Gallery, which I showed a photo of last year and one in the Book Shop. I liked this one best this year. It has candy canes and little toys and lots of 'Hohoho's, all rather jolly. I'm hoping I get as many big presents as this from Santa... but I don't think there's much chance of that. Anyway, they're all too big to be an iPad!

Upside down

2011-12-15T07:00:00.017Z

I recently posted a photo of Saltaire's New Mill, taken from the canal towpath on the Shipley side. I suppose that's really the iconic view of the New Mill but I guess there have been many photographers who have also noticed and caught this 'upside down' view of the mill chimney, reflected in the water of the canal that runs between the New Mill and Salts Mill itself. Taken from the Victoria Road bridge, it also shows the sole remaining covered walkway that links the mills. There used to be three. To see the same scene the proper way up, look here!

As I've said previously (but will repeat for the benefit of those who've not been following my blog for long) the New Mill chimney is a copy of the campanile of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari in Venice, a gesture that took the Victorian Italianate architecture of Saltaire to a new level. I still feel amazed at the grandeur of these industrial buildings, and indeed of the whole village. Sir Titus Salt must have wanted it all to be such a grand statement. He was fifty years old when Salts Mill opened in 1853 and could, I suppose, happily have retired with his wealth intact. For complex reasons - political, social, economic and personal - he chose to invest his fortune in building the huge mill and its surrounding village. It brought all his textile manufacturing operations together on one vast site and provided a much healthier and more pleasant environment for his workers to live in, away from the noxious conditions of the time in Bradford. Salt must have seemed like Father Christmas to them! (though there was of course a healthy dose of self-interest alongside his paternalism).

Hoots

2011-12-14T07:00:00.015Z

I love this one, the tenth window in Saltaire's Living Advent Calendar. It's only small - the transom window above the front door of a house on Rhodes Street - but I think it's really imaginative and rather sweet. Some of the owls look like mere babies, but it put me in mind of this quote:

'A wise old owl sat on an oak; the more he saw the less he spoke;
The less he spoke the more he heard; why aren't we like that wise old bird?'

And - ha! - did you know the collective name for a group of owls is a parliament?!

Row, row, row, row the boat

2011-12-13T07:00:00.004Z

Here's a rare sight - a rowing crew gliding through Saltaire on the canal. Bradford Amateur Rowing Club has its boathouse on the River Aire up by Hirst Weir, on land given to them by Sir Titus Salt in 1893. You can often see rowers practising there, but I don't think I've ever seen them on this stretch of water. We've had a lot of rain lately and there are flood warnings on some of our rivers so I can only assume that the river itself is too swollen and dangerous to use at the moment. The canal looks fuller than usual, actually.

I know little about rowing so I can't say for sure what type of boat this is. The four oarsmen have two oars each so Wikipedia tells me that they are sculling. They have a cox too though. They must be dedicated, to be out practising on a Sunday morning in December in the rain.

Reindeer Race

2011-12-12T07:00:00.007Z

Steady heavy drizzle didn't seem to deter the runners (and walkers) who took part in Epilepsy Action's annual charity 5km Reindeer Stampede in Roberts Park on Sunday. The rain nearly put me off going out but it seemed a shame not to document the event (I missed it last year). The light was so dull that I had a bit of a fight with my camera to get shots that weren't blurred! Note the long lens the pro was using (bottom left) - I think he was probably from the local newspaper. Runners seemed glad to reach the finish line by the bandstand, to collect their medal and a rather soggy mince pie! I'm not sure what the resident alpacas thought of all the 'reindeer' running by... I do salute those who organise and participate in such events, in order to raise money for good causes. In these times of government cut-backs, volunteer action is even more important to support those whose lives are, for whatever reason, made difficult.

Two by two

2011-12-11T07:00:00.002Z

It's time for another of Saltaire's Living Advent Calendar windows, I think. This, the second window, is quite a contrast to the one I showed you first. It's much more detailed, showing Noah's Ark with the animals going in two by two. Very attractive and rather magical, I think this would appeal to children especially. They'd be excited to discover all the different creatures - do you see the sea-horses? The window can be found on Constance Street. See my post of 2 December for an explanation of the Living Advent Calendar idea and a photo of the first window.

Star light

2011-12-10T07:00:00.002Z

Family life has been so exciting of late (!) that I don't seem to feel like I need Christmas on top of it - and I sense that others are finding it a bit hard to get into the right frame of mind too, for one reason or another. With the global economic gloom and the news from the Eurozone, everything seems rather depressing. I have to say that I'm glad I'm not a retailer or market trader. There was a Christmas market in Shipley yesterday but there didn't seem to be many shoppers. I'm only going to be spending about half of what I'd usually spend on gifts and I guess that's true for others too. Even the Christmas lights seem a bit sparse this year. I walked all the way up to Shipley's main square to take a photo of the (very modern) Christmas tree, only to find it wasn't even lit! Still I did find this star illumination against the background of Shipley's clock tower (the tower a 60's design that you either love or hate). I did take several photos of the illuminations that were pin-sharp - but perversely preferred this one, where my hand slipped!

Rose & Co

2011-12-09T07:00:00.001Z

Rose & Co's famous Apothecary shop in Haworth is like a step back in time. Lit by sparkling chandeliers and always beautifully fragranced, the shop has old-style, rich mahogany and glass display cabinets. It sells high-class bath, beauty and household products, some still manufactured to old-fashioned formulations. The shop is a restored Victorian druggist shop and is reputed to be where Branwell Brontë bought the laudanum (tincture of opium) to which he was addicted. He was also an alcoholic and sadly these addictions masked the tuberculosis from which he suffered, until it was too late to save him. He died at the age of 31 and his sisters Emily and Anne also died of the disease within a year of his death.

Haworth Couldn't Wear Less

2011-12-08T07:00:00.003Z

I imagine most people will have heard of the wonderful film 'Calendar Girls', based on the real life exploits of a group of women from a W.I. (Women's Institute) in the Yorkshire Dales, who had the idea to pose naked for a calendar to raise money for charity. It sparked global interest - and since then several other groups have followed their lead and done similar things. It seems that Haworth has joined the trend, with their 2012 calendars 'Haworth Couldn't Wear Less' (women only and men only versions!) Believe it or not, this is part of the fund-raising effort for the restoration of the parish church, which is in a poor state and urgently needs repair. Christmas present, anyone?

The photo above shows an advertisement for the calendar, behind the village stocks - with a picture of the men actually sitting in the stocks. Stocks, of course, were at one time a common sight in English villages. Local troublemakers were pinned into them and exposed to the scorn of passers-by who often threw mud or rotten vegetables at the offenders. No evidence that the calendar models got pelted with anything - but I'll bet there were some ripe comments made at the time.

Haworth in festive mood

2011-12-07T07:00:00.003Z

When I'm trying to get into the mood for Christmas, a trip to Haworth often helps. Its cobbled streets and olde-worlde charm somehow seem right for the festive season. Most weekends in December they have some kind of theme going on. Last weekend there was a wartime flavour, with a 1940s vintage fair and a Wartime Christmas Ball on Saturday in the Community Centre. Next weekend will be even more spectacular, with carol-singing and a torchlight procession up the Main Street. The Christmas decorations are cheery and even the red phone box seems to add a festive touch.

Haworth, of course, was the home of the literary Brontë family. Patrick Brontë, father of Charlotte, Emily and Anne, was the parish priest of Haworth's church. Branwell, their brother, used to frequent the Black Bull pub, seen in my photo. He was a freemason and was the secretary of the local Lodge, which at one time used to meet in the pub.

Day care

2011-12-06T07:00:00.010Z

I was reminded of this when I read Alan's blog a week or so ago. He was saying that his wife's 'default' activity is shopping, whereas his most definitely is not. I'm sure that's true of a lot of marriages - and an enterprising pub in Shipley has recognised that fact. Conveniently situated beside the Leeds-bound platform of Shipley railway station, it's ideally placed for a wife to settle her husband in the day-care centre before catching the train to the city shops. I should think it will be busy in the run up to Christmas.

Shadow rings

2011-12-05T07:00:00.001Z

The window of Dot the Jewellers in Saltaire's Victoria Road provides an interesting play of light and shadow on a sunny day.

Trading from these premises since 2007, the owner John Bradley makes exquisite, modern, bespoke jewellery (mainly engagement, wedding and eternity rings) using computer-aided design. I've featured the shop on this blog before, when they had a robbery in 2009, but thankfully that unhappy incident does not appear to have affected their trade.

The shop, Number 5 Victoria Road, started life as a general dealer's before becoming, amongst other things: a china shop, a butcher's, a lemon cheese maker's, a tea room, a fish and chip shop and a junk shop. In 1993 the upper floors became the offices of a photographic agency, owned by Asadour Guzelian, which supplied photos to national newspapers. It was apparently his intention to develop a photo gallery at street level (I would have liked that!) but that never really happened and the jeweller moved in. The photo agency eventually moved to larger premises in Bradford's Little Germany.

Winter light

2011-12-04T07:00:00.003Z

A familiar view of Saltaire's New Mill, with its ornate chimney. I have featured this several times before on my blog, and yet sometimes I seem to see it afresh - in a new light, as it were. I like the way the weak winter sunshine picks out the shape and lends a muted colour palette.

In a pear tree

2011-12-02T16:29:00.000Z

For the sixth year running, Saltaire is sharing its Living Advent Calendar in the run up to Christmas - 24 windows around the village, illuminated with festive scenes. Every day from 1st to 24th December a new scene is 'opened' at dusk and those so inclined can follow the trail around the village, discovering the wonderfully creative interpretations that our inventive residents put together. This is the first one, on Titus Street.

Regular readers of my blog will remember me featuring some of the windows in previous years. I think it's a wonderful 'new tradition'. It certainly brings me a lot of pleasure as I'm sure it does others too. It's even featured on The Guardian website already this year.

There are two associated celebrations: this Saturday 3rd there is an event (featuring Hall Royd Brass Band) at the Victoria Hall at 6.30pm to mark the switching-on of the Christmas lights. Later, on Christmas Eve at 7pm, there is carol singing round the village, following the Advent Trail. No excuse not to get into the festive mood!

Bubbles

2011-12-01T17:24:00.001Z

Living in such a historic place as Saltaire and keen to showcase its rugged beauty to those who have never visited, I sometimes think I may be in danger of 'talking up' the area as a whole. There is lots that is genuinely attractive and worthy of photographing - but we have our share of 'ordinary' (and 'horrible') as well. Oddly enough, I am always pleased to see those aspects of other parts of the world on other people's blogs. It's interesting to see the similarities and differences and those are often more obvious in the 'ordinary' aspects of our towns and cities. With that in mind, I am determined to capture a few of the less immediately attractive parts of Saltaire and Shipley.

What better place to start than an enterprise that I pass daily on my walk to work: 'Bubbles', the hand car-wash. There was time when all car-washes in these parts were those fearsome drive-through type with huge rotating brushes that threatened to tear off your car aerial or any loose bits of trim. My daughter, as a child, always used to get excited when the car was dunked in foam. These days they seem to be a dying breed, supplanted by armies of young men energetically spraying and polishing. Supposed to be less likely to scratch the paintwork - but I have my doubts! Anyway, Bubbles is a cheerful looking place and seems to do a good trade most of the time. A lot of my neighbours seem to stick with the old-fashioned methodology - a soapy sponge and a bucket or a hosepipe, on the street outside the house. Much cheaper. Much more convivial too; someone always stops to chat.

Dragon

2011-11-30T07:00:00.003Z

Not many people know that there's a fire-breathing dragon hiding under the road bridge over the Leeds- Liverpool Canal in Shipley ... I don't know how long this mural has been there. It's a bit faded and marked and has seen better days. I don't know its history either, whether it was commissioned or is simply 'graffiti'. I'm quite fond of it though; it's a friendly-looking creature and it certainly brightens up what would otherwise be a very boring stretch of grey concrete.

Three chimneys

2011-11-28T07:41:00.001Z

[Mouse over]
Narrowboats moored for the winter beside Shipley Wharf. It seemed a popular spot for fishermen that day. I wonder if the fish congregate here? Perhaps by the boats it's a bit warmer or something? (Can you tell I've never done any fishing?!) In the distance you can see Saltaire's three chimneys. The palest square one on the right is Salts Mill. The others belong to smaller mills at Salts Wharf.

Mouse over for the colour version of this photo. I think I prefer the simpler lines of the black and white version, although it was initially the colours of the boats and autumn trees that enticed me to take the photo. The morning light was nice that day.

The Park Lodge

2011-11-27T07:00:00.001Z

Saltaire Park was opened in 1871, laid out with a large cricket field, the Half Moon Pavilion, the bandstand and a number of walks and avenues around a central promenade, surrounded by shrubs, trees and formal planting. In those days Victoria Road, the main thoroughfare through Saltaire, crossed the River Aire by a bridge and ended at the Lodge you see here, with the entrance to the park on the left. To the right and through metal gates, a long private carriageway led up to Milner Field, the grand house built by Titus Salt Junior and later lived in by Sir James Roberts' family.

The Park was renamed Roberts Park in 1920, when it was given to Bradford Corporation by Sir James Roberts (who in 1918 had sold Salts Mill and Saltaire to a consortium of businessmen). Sir James was another remarkable man, who had revived the fortunes of Salts Mill after it went into liquidation in 1892 and who contributed much to Saltaire's history. (He later bought Haworth's Brontë Parsonage and bequeathed it to the nation.) He outlived his four sons and the park is dedicated to one of them, Bertram Foster Roberts, who I believe died in 1912.

Eye of the Tiger

2011-11-26T07:00:00.002Z

One of the undoubted benefits from the restoration of Saltaire's Roberts Park in 2010 was the creation of a large and well-equipped play area. It caters not only for smaller children but for young teenagers too, having an area set aside for skateboarding and BMX bikes. It is always packed full of youngsters and has obviously proved popular. A curved wall provides some separation between the different activities, and this has been painted with eye-catching graffiti-style murals, including this magnificent tiger's eye. Saltaire is full of surprises!

Secret Santa

2011-11-25T07:00:00.004Z

Life is so full at the moment that I haven't even begun to think about Christmas. I was a bit startled therefore to notice this cheery little fellow atop the steps leading to Saltaire's Visitor Information Centre. Nice to know I don't have to go far to buy my charity Christmas cards this year though. (And now I come to think of it, there's only one month to go... eek! Better start thinking about it then...)

Longing

2011-11-24T07:00:00.004Z

Spotted outside Salts Village Bakery and Tearooms on Saturday morning, this little dog looked as though it was longing for a cuppa. Or at least to get into the warm fug inside, on what was quite a chilly, misty morning.

Fire and Ice

2011-11-23T07:00:00.003Z

More pictures from Bradford's 'Fire and Ice' Spectacular... The fire came in the shape of an towering robotic reflective metal sculpture with glowing lights - the Ice Queen - that glided along on wheels and emitted huge billows of flames. Definitely spectacular! I don't know what the children made of it. I would have been terrified as a child, but today's kids seem to be made of stronger stuff.

The ice was a trail of attractive ice sculptures around the city centre, that told the story of a kind-hearted little angel who had no wings. Of course, she earned her wings in the end, though by the time the sculptor, Jamie Wardley, had finished carving the last block, the angel's wings were fast vanishing, melting on what was - for November - quite a warm day in the sheltered city centre. Jamie, of 'Sand in Your Eye', is a local artist with an international reputation, who uses sand and ice for his work. He made an amazing sand sculpture of Charles Darwin in Bradford two years ago, to mark the bicentenary of Darwin's birth.

Ice maidens

2011-11-22T07:00:00.003Z

I don't know if other cities do the same thing, but Bradford usually has some kind of festivities in the city centre to mark the 'Grand Switching-on of the Christmas Lights'. It always seems too early to me to be thinking about Christmas in mid-November, but I guess the shops need the trade, particularly at the moment.

This year's 'Spectacular' was on the theme of 'Fire and Ice' so I went along to see what it was all about. These two young ladies were walking around on stilts, looking rather beautiful and mysterious. I suppose they were Ice Maidens or Ice Queens.

I didn't stay for the show at dusk, when there was to be some kind of theatrical event and fireworks. (Not much is allowed to come between me and my Saturday night viewing of the TV show 'Strictly Come Dancing'!)

The building behind the girls is Bradford's ornate City Hall, another beautiful building built in Italianate style. Designed by Saltaire's architects, Lockwood and Mawson, it was opened in 1873, shortly after Saltaire was finished.

Love trees

2011-11-21T07:00:00.005Z

Spotted this in London on one of my visits. It was actually a sign meant to warn buses and high vehicles about overhanging tree branches - Low Trees - but somebody had been quite creative in amending it. Anyway... I do!

J'adore...

2011-11-20T07:00:00.005Z

Mum and baby. I'll let you gaze too....

Time flies...

2011-11-19T17:03:00.000Z

It's a typical November day here - chilly, misty, a hint of watery sunshine every now and again. The trees have shed most of their leaves; it only needs a few days of wind for the rest to drop, but the air is very still. I've had one of those ordinary days, catching up on chores, a bit of shopping, a short walk - but it's been good and I am so thankful for 'ordinary'.

I don't know where the time is going at the moment....! My last few posts were auto-posted as I've been in London for a few days giving my daughter some support. Pleased to report that mum, dad and baby are all well and thriving. I had forgotten just how much time and space a tiny baby commands, but she is adorable and getting less tiny by the day - 2.2 kg now (that's 4 lbs 13 oz). I find I spend a lot of time just gazing at her.... even though my role was meant to be cooking, washing and generally keeping the home fires burning. I did plenty of that, actually.

Arrived home to find my internet connection was up the spout and I've spent two days trying to figure it out. My ISP has tinkered about with the service to increase the broadband speed - and kindly sent me an email with an incorrect user-name to re-establish my connection. Grrr. Anyway, eventually got it sorted, to my relief. I really hate being without it. And that problem solved seems finally to have allowed me to relax, after quite a tense few weeks. So I'm really enjoying my weekend. I might even find time to visit a few blogs again, which I have sadly neglected to do. Hope you have a lovely weekend too.

PS: My title reminded me of a punctuation puzzle my high school English teacher once gave us to do:

time flies you cannot they pass much too quickly

It's that time of year...

2011-11-18T07:00:00.002Z

It's that time of year again, where the nights are drawing in and it's getting dark when I leave work around 5pm. I can never decide if I like it or not. I like the blue dusk sky and I like seeing lights twinkling. It feels good when I finally reach the cosiness of home after a brisk and often chilly walk. Right now it's light when I leave for work in the mornings but in a week or two it will be dark then as well and that's what I dislike - never being at home in the daylight, except for at the weekends. Opportunities for photography become more limited too. This year I must get out with my tripod and take some more night scenes...

What with dashing up and down to and from London several times recently, being a doting grandmother ;-) I am a bit short on scenic pictures. (I am of course building up quite a stock of baby photos!) I actually took this photo earlier this year... Now they are building an orthodontics factory on the wasteland where I stood to take the picture, so the whole terrain is changing. The buildings you can see are the old Victoria Mills, now converted into apartments, and one of the new blocks they have also built on the complex. (Click label below for more photos of Victoria Mills).

Let's have a butchers...

2011-11-17T07:00:00.000Z

At one time Saltaire had shops on most of the street corners, but nowadays only a handful remain outside the main parades of Victoria Street and Gordon Terrace. No 14 Katherine Street has always been a butcher's shop. In 1974 it was taken over by Harry Hodgson and remains today in the care of his son Eric. At its peak, the shop had six full-time and two part-time staff and was open six days a week. Now Eric does most of his business supplying restaurants, pubs and nursing homes and the shop only opens on Friday and Saturday mornings. Apparently most of the difficulty stems from the huge burden of rules and regulation and the associated paperwork, much of it stemming from the foot and mouth crisis in UK in 2001/02 which resulted in increased regulation from our own government and the EU. It's not to say that this regulation is unnecessary but it does present a large administrative burden that is particularly hard for a small business to carry. I imagine that the shop will one day close completely, perhaps when Eric chooses to retire, but it will be a loss for the village and its history. I'm fond of the rather endearing signage and hope that stays even when the shop is gone!

By the way, many of you will know that 'To have a butchers (hook)' is Cockney rhyming slang for 'To have a look'. Not very Yorkshire, for sure, but it seemed a good title!

A Penny for Going

2011-11-15T20:00:00.003Z

I don't remember if I mentioned it at the time but a few weeks ago I went to a meeting of the Saltaire History Club, at which two new books related to Saltaire were introduced. I (of course) bought them both and have started reading this one: 'A Penny for Going' by Roger Clarke. It recounts Saltaire's history through its shops and shopkeepers, and reflects on how changes in society since the mid 1800s have been mirrored in the changes to the number and type of shops in and around the village. There used to be many more shops than there are now and at one time Saltaire could supply pretty much everything a family needed from within the village. Not so now, when we go further afield to supermarkets, the city centres and retail parks for life's basic necessities - and the village's shops are by and large supplying the needs of visitors and tourists for snacks, gifts and luxury products.

The author, Roger Clarke, is a well-respected local historian, tour guide and writer who makes a huge contribution to Saltaire through his knowledge of its past and his enthusiasm for its present. All proceeds from the sale of the book are being donated to Saltaire United Reformed Church.

A peal appeal

2011-11-14T07:42:00.001Z

The November edition of Saltaire's village magazine, Saltaire Sentinel, carries an appeal for new bell-ringers to join the team at the historic Saltaire United Reformed Church. Ringing practice is on Monday evenings at 7pm and those interested are invited to come to the tower on a practice night to see what the role involves.

Saltaire's Congregational Church (now the URC) was opened in 1859 but it was not until 1870 that bells were hung in the tower, in accordance with Sir Titus Salt's original intentions. Made in Birmingham at a cost of £300, there were six bells, hung so as to enable traditional English Change Ringing. (The world of bell-ringing is wonderfully historic and full of arcane terminology. I tried it myself when I was at university, just out of interest. I had a great uncle who was a bell-ringer at Newark Parish Church so maybe it's in my blood.) Bells are very rare in non-conformist churches but they were happily accepted by Saltaire's residents.

It is believed that the original bells were rung for the last time in 1918, for the signing of the Armistice at the end of the 1st World War. By then they had realised that the tower was not strong enough to support the stress involved in ringing. The bells were later scrapped, for a value of £85.

Jonathan Silver, the entrepreneur who rescued Saltaire in the 1980s, sadly died in 1997. His widow, Maggie, chose to provide a new set of bells for the church as a memorial to Jonathan. The tower was strengthened and bells cast in Holland, this time costing £30,000, were installed in 2003. They were rung for the first time in September 2003 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Sir Titus Salt's birth and the 150th anniversary of the opening of Salts Mill. Again the village has almost universally welcomed them (though wooden baffles were added in the tower to make life easier for the residents of Albert Terrace whose homes directly face the church). I love to hear them ringing to call people to church on Sunday mornings and for weddings and special occasions.

(Information largely gathered from Saltaire URC's own guide book.)

Sepia Saturday tribute

2011-11-12T07:00:00.000Z

For several years I have been delighting in the writings of Alan Burnett, another Yorkshire blogger, whose primary blog is 'News from Nowhere'. I know I'm not the only one who thoroughly enjoys the eclectic, thought-provoking and amusing fare on offer there. He also hosts 'Sepia Saturday' together with Kat Mortenson ('Poetikat's Invisible Keepsakes') - which provides an opportunity for bloggers to share their history through photographs. I've much enjoyed reading the offerings but have never joined in. Actually I don't have that many old photos and need to wait for retirement (ha!) to find time to scan those I do have. However, as this weekend is the 100th Sepia Saturday and therefore something of a milestone worth celebrating, I have dug deep ....

Since grandparenting is ever on my mind these days, I am sharing this photo. Dated February 1953, it was taken at the wedding of my maternal grandfather. (His smart three-piece suit and her real fur coat perhaps demonstrate that this was a very special occasion.) Grandad's first wife, my mother's mother, sadly died in her early 50s, before I was born. Some time later he married again, to his first wife's sister, my great aunt Alice. The child in the photo is.... me! (At just eight months old I was probably as chubby as I've ever been!) So Grandad and Aunt Alice were my much-loved grandparents. I have to say that Aunt Alice loved me as much, I am sure, as my 'real' grandmother would have done. I remember happy times spent with them, pottering around their little terraced house or playing outside in their back garden. Grandad had been a miner and suffered terribly from asthma and emphysema, so he couldn't run around much but nevertheless they found ways of amusing me as a child. Aunt Alice had a pretty musical box, like a Swiss chalet, that played 'La Vie en Rose' when the roof was lifted - such a delight to be allowed to play with it. I have so many good memories (of both sets of grandparents in fact) and count myself very blessed to have had the security of their love and attention. Grandparent-grandchild is a special relationship. I only hope I can be the same source of blessing to my new granddaughter, as I'm sure she will be to me.

Autumn reflections

2011-11-11T07:00:00.003Z

At the far edge of Hirst Woods, just outside Saltaire, there is a point where the River Aire curves round and passes underneath the Leeds-Liverpool Canal, which flows over the Dowley Gap Aqueduct. I took this photo not far from there, enjoying the way the bright patches of autumn colour were reflected in the river. I had a bit of a muddy scramble down the bank to get it!

It's my entry this week into Weekend Reflections, hosted here. Please follow the link to discover the other entries this week. There are always some amazing interpretations of the Reflections theme.

Tree hugs

2011-11-10T07:00:00.007Z

"The wonder is that we can see these trees and not wonder more."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

A majestic old beech tree in Hirst Woods glows softly in the afternoon sunshine... I love these woods in the spring, when the green leaves are fresh and hazy and there are swathes of bluebells, but I love it too in the autumn. The sunlight slants gold through the canopy and underfoot the dry leaves and beech mast crunch with every step. It thrills me to live within a fifteen minute walk of this patch of ancient woodland, so familiar and yet always new. I can lose myself walking there, lose my petty preoccupations and concerns. The power of trees to soothe and uplift is awesome. Just like being hugged!

Corner kick

2011-11-09T07:00:00.002Z

Because there are playing fields between the River Aire and the Leeds-Liverpool Canal in Saltaire, a walk along the towpath can be enlivened - depending on whether it's summer or winter - by watching a game of cricket or football (soccer). On Sunday it was the turn of the footballers and Salts FC (in the yellow and blue strip) were playing Elland Sports in the County Cup. Although, at the time I was passing, the away team often seemed to have the upper hand, in fact the overall result was a 2-1 victory for the home side. Hooray! On the other pitch behind the adults, Shipley Juniors were also having a lively game.

Salts FC has a long history, from the 1920s when Salts (Saltaire) Ltd bought back land from Shipley Council and developed the playing fields, with sections for tennis, crown green bowls, cricket and football, all of which still prosper. Salts (Saltaire) Cricket Club is distinct from the older Saltaire Cricket Club that plays in Roberts Park. A clubhouse built in 1937 still survives and provides a focal point for social activities.

Saltaire Farmers' Market

2011-11-08T07:00:00.001Z

For several years now, Saltaire has had a Farmers' Market on the Caroline Street car park. It's held on the third Saturday every month and sells a range of local and home made produce - seasonal organic fruit and vegetables, meat and sausages, cheeses, pickles, bread, eggs, honey, jams and preserves, flowers and herbs. Sadly the size of the market has steadily diminished and I believe its future is under review by the local Council who organise it.

It's such a great idea but I personally harbour a lot of guilt that I don't actually use it much - even though I believe it is A Good Thing. Why don't I? Well, for a start I can never remember which Saturday it's open and by the time I'm up and out on a Saturday, they tend to be packing up! From that point of view I'm sure it would do better if it were a weekly market. For another thing, it's not especially cheap... sure, you get what you pay for in terms of quality but I do have to watch my budget. Thirdly there's only me, so I don't have a large weekly shop and some of the stuff it sells I hardly ever eat (meat, bread [ie: wheat], preserves, pickles). There is a regular (ordinary) market not far away in Shipley and a big supermarket too, so convenient. I tend to shop on a Friday night to leave the weekend free and like to plan my menus, rather than just going along to 'see what they have this week'. I know, I ought to make the effort. Despite my non-patronage, I do hope the Farmers' Market continues and grows stronger. Ventures like that 'fit' with Saltaire somehow and ought to be a good thing for the village as a whole.

The first leaves of autumn

2011-11-06T07:00:00.001Z

Saltaire Connected

2011-11-05T07:00:00.001Z

Had a really interesting evening at the Caroline Street Social Club last Tuesday at the 'Saltaire Connected' event. Organised by the Saltaire Village Society, it was an opportunity for those involved with groups and events in and around Saltaire to get together and share information. Each group had a few minutes to say a little about their work and interests and then there was plenty of time to circulate, chat, gather information and make contacts. It's amazing how much is going on in this small area - and wonderful to see the range of interests people have and how passionate and committed people are, both to their particular activity and to the village as a community. Most encouraging.

I was fortunate to be able to take this photo of Mrs Ellin Dooley having a friendly chat with an alpaca. Mrs Dooley is one of the costumed guides who takes tour groups around Saltaire on 'Salts Walks'. A down-to-earth character with a large family and a generous nature, she always has lots of gossip to share. She is played by Maria Glot, who lives in Saltaire and has been involved in tourism for many years. Maria's in-depth knowledge and her fund of facts and anecdotes really brings Saltaire's history to life.

Vintage

2011-11-04T07:00:00.006Z

Well dear friends, you only have yourselves to blame for this! You asked to see some of the ensembles I wore for the recent Vintage Fashion Show, so here they are: a silky top embellished with beads and embroidery (Next) and a very beautiful lace dress and jacket (Florentyna Dawn) which made me look decidedly 'mother of the bride'. I also wore a pale pink chiffon evening dress, a brown suedette trouser suit and a slinky bias-cut silk dress. It was actually all more fun than I imagined. No-one took it too seriously and I didn't feel as self-conscious as I expected, walking down the red carpet. Maybe I could get used to that kind of attention!

The event, as I said before, was to raise funds for a local Christian charity, the Zephaniah Trust, that does good work with children and young people in schools and youth clubs. I am pleased to say that over £1,400.00 was raised - a good evening's work. Congratulations to all those involved and special thanks to Julie at Zeph Trust and Heidi, our own church youth worker, who both worked extremely hard for weeks to organise the event.

(Photos taken by Steve Rayner and used with permission.)

Pink

2011-11-03T07:00:00.002Z

Since I became grandmother to a baby granddaughter it seems like I've started seeing pink everywhere!

How should we remember?

2011-11-02T07:00:00.005Z

Related to my musings the other week on the subject of great men, there have been several calls for some kind of memorial to Jonathan Silver, the entrepreneur whose vision in the 1980s was the saving of Salts Mill and Saltaire. It's an interesting debate, isn't it, whether people should be remembered in a statue or simply by the legacy of their activities. Sir Titus Salt has both - Saltaire itself and (several) statues and busts dotted around the place. Some were unveiled whilst he was still alive, others posthumously.

The statue above stands in the High Street in Skipton. Erected in 1888, it shows Sir Mathew Wilson (1802-1891), 1st baronet of Eshton Hall Gargrave, a local landowner, Liberal politician and the longest-serving magistrate in Skipton's history. He became a JP at 22 and served until he was 88. Apparently there was some controversy over the statue, which was paid for by his friends. It was applauded by the local Liberal-leaning newspaper as 'a work of art fit to grace any street in the land' but derided by the rival paper who declared it 'a passable likeness of the old gentleman, who seems to be perched atop a gravestone'. Despite the rancour, Sir Mathew himself attended the unveiling.

I think I would prefer to be remembered for the library in the background, built with money donated by the Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. It was opened in 1910 by Sir Mathew Amcotts Wilson (4th baronet).

Holy Trinity Church, Skipton

2011-11-01T07:00:00.007Z

Skipton's Holy Trinity Church stands in a prime position at the top of the High Street, just in front of the castle. A church has stood on the site since the 1100s but the present church has been altered and repaired many times over the years. It still moves with the times. I had a very tasty lunch in the Refectory - homemade butternut squash and red pepper soup. I have learned that where a local church serves meals or snacks it is well worth trying - usually very reasonably priced, excellent quality and served by friendly folk - with the bonus that their profits usually go to support the church or to charity.

Serene green

2011-10-31T07:46:00.000Z

I've mentioned before that there is a lovely walk from Skipton town centre, up along the Springs (or Thanet) Canal, behind the castle and up into Skipton woods. It was especially nice to walk there in the dappled shade on what was quite a hot day. The branch canal, built to load limestone from local quarries to take down to the cities of Leeds and Bradford, is only half a mile long. Beyond that the walk passes between a natural stream known as Eller Beck and a channel that carries water from a mill pond (just visible in the background of my photo), which I think used to power a sawmill and corn mill near Skipton Castle. The woods are alive with birds. I once saw a kingfisher up here - but sadly it wasn't apparent on this recent walk.

Of course, the leaves will now be looking much more golden and autumnal - but let's enjoy that brief 'Indian summer' (only a month ago) while we can!

Rock'n'roll

2011-10-30T15:15:00.000Z

I could spend all day watching the reflections on the canal, especially when there are a few narrowboats bringing some good colour. I spotted this pattern alongside the moorings in Skipton. The red blobs were moving mesmerisingly from right to left in a continuous stream, like some kind of lava lamp on speed. I only had my small camera with me so it was tricky - with the shutter-lag - to catch the pattern. This was the best of four or five efforts. It said 'rock and roll' to me (though you'll have to imagine the rolling effect of the water).

Disembarking

2011-10-29T21:06:00.000+01:00

As I'm sure you'll understand, I haven't had much time or inclination for taking photos in the last couple of weeks, so I'm falling back on a short series I took a few weeks ago, during that brief "Indian summer" we had. I took a trip up the valley to the little market town of Skipton. The place was full of people (mainly retirees) enjoying the sunshine - and what better way to do that than a trip on a boat up the canal and back. These people were just disembarking and there was a queue of folks waiting to replace them. I think the late summer weather must have been a wonderful bonus for those who make their living from tourism.

The canal basin is always a busy, colourful spot. The old canalside buildings have been successfully adapted into shops and restaurants. They have retained some of the original features, like the big wooden hoists that at one time were used to winch cargo from the holds of the canal barges.

For more photos of Skipton please click the label below.

The times they are a-changin...

2011-10-25T20:21:00.000+01:00

'Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.' Albert Camus

I haven't had much time or space to look out at the world this last week, but it seems suddenly to be fully autumn here. The sun makes everything shine gold. Autumn can seem like a time of endings, of harvest, with a sense of 'drawing in' - and there is a lot of cosy pleasure in that. But for me it has always felt like a time of new beginnings too. Maybe that has its origins in it being the start of a new school year - new teachers, new classes, new books. I used to love getting new exercise books with their clean, blank pages. It's a long time since I was in school (!) but that promise of potential has never gone away. This year of course - and suddenly - I have real potential to enjoy in my tiny granddaughter's new life.

I am happy to report that my daughter has been allowed home, though now she has a long commute to the hospital every day which will be tiring for her. The baby seems to be thriving, snuggled in her incubator; each day brings a small step of progress. I am just so thankful - and especially so when I heard tonight on the news about the two-week old baby, her mum and grandma pulled from the wreckage of their home days after the Turkish earthquake. My heart goes out to them.

I've used this photo on my blog before but it's one of my favourites for this season. I took it in my local woods, Hirst Woods. So sorry that I haven't been visiting or commenting on your blogs lately. I will catch up one day, I'm sure.

Surprise!

2011-10-21T17:49:00.000+01:00

As Margaret Thatcher so famously reported some years ago: "We are a grandmother"!

Elodie Grace was born by Caesarian section on Tuesday 18 October at about 4pm. After my visit last Sunday, my daughter became increasingly unwell and it was clear by Tuesday that they would have to deliver the baby quickly. I got on a train for the 3+ hours trip and arrived at the hospital just about the same time as my granddaughter was delivered. She is almost 8 weeks early, weighs only about 3lb (1.4 kilos) but is breathing unaided and seems healthy. My daughter's blood pressure is still not stabilised but she is improving and she has been taken in a wheelchair to visit Elodie several times now.

I stayed with them all until Thursday evening and then felt confident that I could safely leave them; they are in good hands. The hospital staff have been fantastic and my son-in-law has been amazing (as indeed has my daughter herself).

I hope to go down again when my daughter is discharged from the hospital. I imagine the baby will have to stay in for a few weeks, until she gets a bit bigger. Because of infection control measures, only the parents themselves are allowed into the Special Baby Care Unit so I will have to be content with photos for now. (This one was taken by my son in law.) But isn't she beautiful?

It has been a worrying few days. I am thankful for her safe delivery and pray that both my lovely girls continue to recover well and my son-in-law finds the strength and energy he needs to support them both.

Many thanks for all your encouraging comments. Premature babies are by no means uncommon and it is so heartening to read that others have gone through similar things and thrived. I won't be giving too many updates on my blog as it isn't really a personal journal, but I imagine that some snippets of grandmotherhood will find their way onto here! It will be quite an adventure....

Look up ...

2011-10-19T07:00:00.000+01:00

As a founder member of the Victorian Society, the poet Sir John Betjeman ought to be happy to be on the Saltaire blog! The statue, as I'm sure you know, is not in Saltaire, but proudly stands in London's St Pancras International Station, which in the past he lobbied to save. It's a sculpture by Martin Jennings and I love it. It has such a sense of presence, life and lightness even though it's cast in bronze.

I have to confess I don't know many Betjeman quotes and none that seemed apt here. But the way he's looking up reminds me of a little prayer card I have that simply says: "Look up when you're feeling down". Wise words.

Anticipation...

2011-10-17T20:53:00.002+01:00

Made an unscheduled day-trip to London on Sunday.... There are signs that the city is anticipating the Olympics in 2012. The Olympic rings hand proudly in St Pancras Station, ready to welcome our European visitors as they disembark from the Eurostar train. I tried every which way to get the clock properly in the red circle but there's a wide stairwell in the way and I couldn't get any higher or further to the left so this is my best effort!

My daughter, whose baby was due in early December, is unfortunately in hospital at the moment, with some complications. Hence the flying visit, to lend moral support. She is not feeling particularly unwell, but they are carefully monitoring the baby's progress and it looks very much like she may have to have an early Caesarean delivery, perhaps as soon as next week. We are all inevitably a bit anxious, but the sense of anticipation is growing.... I'm sad that she is being cheated of those last few weeks of preparation, both physical and emotional, and we won't have our planned shopping trip together to buy baby things, at least not this side of the birth. But all that matters is that she and the baby stay safe and healthy.

The Book Barge

2011-10-16T07:00:00.001+01:00

Two things to intrigue me in Saltaire on Friday... the old car I showed yesterday and this narrowboat. The ice-cream boat has disappeared from its mooring on the canal. I suppose the weather is getting a bit too autumnal for anyone to want ice-cream. Last winter it remained moored there but was vandalised, so perhaps they have decided not to risk that this winter. Anyway, in its place was The Book Barge, doing exactly what that suggests - selling books. And - isn't Google marvellous? - I have found out all about it here. If you read their blog here you'll discover they had quite an adventure on the way to Saltaire. Unfortunately I didn't have time to hang round in Saltaire on Friday to chat to them - but if the barge stays around for a few days, I'll see what I can do. Meantime, we can enjoy the thought of people doing innovative things on boats - hooray! - and also make the most of the lovely autumn colours in Roberts Park, all golden in the evening sunshine.

A quick snap!

2011-10-14T18:05:00.000+01:00

As it was such a pleasant sunny evening when I left work (a welcome change from the incessant drizzle we've had for days) I walked the long way home tonight, along the canal and up Victoria Road. I was just in time to see this lovely old car, doing a U-turn outside Salts Mill. I had my compact camera in my bag so I snatched it out and caught this very quick snap. I have no idea what kind of car it was - it was round and off almost before I had registered it properly. I did note that it was a left-hand drive model, unusual in this country. But isn't it gorgeous in that cream and red livery? Somehow, it looked entirely at home, there on the cobbles in front of the old mill buildings.

Fund raiser

2011-10-13T07:00:00.019+01:00

When I joined St Peter's Church in Shipley, quite a few years ago now, I had not expected the upturn in my social life that quickly followed! There's always something going on: regular meetings of all sorts (including the Photography Group that I belong to) and numerous one-off events. One of my friends recently offered to get me a ticket for a charity fund-raising evening.... another Vintage Fashion Show. The next thing I knew, I had been persuaded into being a model for the event. (They obviously needed some vintage models to go with the clothes....)

Last night was a 'trying-on' session - rather fun, sorting through piles of clothes to see what would fit and look 'cat-walk appropriate'. I have ended up with five different outfits, so I will have to manage some quick changes. I have to say that vintage is not something I generally buy (apart from the items I own that have become vintage!) but it is interesting trying shapes and colours you perhaps wouldn't normally be drawn to. All I need to do now is practise that model walk!

The show is this Saturday 15 October at 7pm and it's in a good cause, raising funds for The Zephaniah Trust, a local Christian organisation working with children, mainly within Bradford's schools, using creative means to communicate the love of God in simple but effective ways.

Saltaire's Winter Bandstand

2011-10-11T07:00:00.008+01:00

Throughout the summer, there is a regular programme of music on Sunday afternoons in the bandstand in Roberts Park - an electic mix of big and small bands, choirs, jazz, folk... It's very pleasant to laze and listen. This year, the Caroline Street Social Club has arranged to continue the music throughout the winter. Every second Sunday of the month, the Club is hosting a free concert from 2-4pm. The first was this last Sunday, so I went along just to see what it was like ... and I was very glad I did. The bar is open, so you can enjoy anything from Saltaire Blonde through diet Coke (me) to tea or coffee (at very reasonable prices). The audience was small but appreciative and the atmosphere very genuine and friendly.

The performers this time were four young jazz musicians from the Leeds College of Music: Ben Powling - sax, George Birkett - guitar/leader, Sam Dutton-Taylor - bass and Finn Booth - drums. Now, to be honest, I don't know that much about jazz but I did enjoy the concert. It was obvious that they were individually very talented and I enjoyed watching the way they they worked together, very sensitive and responsive to each other and to their music. I do love watching people engaged in doing what they love. And I liked the way that jazz can be enjoyed as a kind of wave flowing over and through you or in a more focussed way, concentrating and watching. I took along the Sunday paper, got myself a drink from the bar and relaxed into their music, sometimes paying attention, sometimes letting myself drift. A good way to spend a wet and windy Sunday afternoon. I shall do it again. Thanks guys.

The concerts through til Christmas are:
13th November - Arcomnia / The Broken Hearts Club
11th December - The Delvaux

and they continue monthly until 13th May. So if you live in or near Saltaire, get yourself down here, enjoy the music and support our local Club.

Departures

2011-10-10T07:00:00.010+01:00

No comment.. (Except to stress that this is not my clothing!)

Nostalgia

2011-10-09T07:00:00.000+01:00

A few weeks ago, Martin at 'Square Sunshine', one of my favourite blogs, wrote a thoughtful little piece about the power of the place where you were born, how it can soothe and calm one's soul. I hope he won't mind me quoting from it: "Years ago, I unconsciously planted my flags of reminder. They still fluttered in the lanes and cast shadows on the flint.... There can be only one true place where my body and soul feel perfectly at ease. It's a force of attraction that's impossible for me to deny, an invisible, unbreakable tie that holds me fast as the world changes around and about. It may not be where I live, but it's home all the same."

Well, that (though I could never have expressed it so poetically) is exactly how I feel about north
Nottinghamshire. Whenever I go back and see again the mellow old brick - so different from Saltaire where I live now - and the little alleyways between the houses, I am transported back to the comfort of my childhood. I had a great aunt and uncle (on my mother's side) who lived in Southwell, in a red-brick terraced cottage across the fields from the Minster. Whether it was the attraction of their dog, a wire-haired fox terrier; the fact that they still had an outside loo across the yard or the quaintly old-fashioned cottage with its real fire, rag rugs and three flying plaster ducks on the wall, I don't know - but I loved to visit them when I was a child. Uncle Jim was over 100 when he died and Auntie Hilda was 97. I'm glad I knew them.

The Southwell yard above is not the one where they lived but it reminded me of it.

A doll's house and a cooking apple

2011-10-08T07:00:00.004+01:00

Southwell itself is an attractive little town, full of fine Georgian and Regency buildings (1700s - early 1800s) like this house on Church Street, opposite the Minster. It reminds me of a doll's house, so symmetrical - you almost feel you could unhook the front wall and start re-arranging the furniture inside!

The town also prides itself as the birthplace of the Bramley cooking apple. The story goes that sometime between 1809 and 1815, a young woman named Mary Ann Brailsford grew an apple tree seedling from a pip from an apple grown on a tree at the bottom of her garden. The seedling went on to produce good fruit and in 1837 the house's then occupier, Matthew Bramley allowed a local gardener, Henry Merryweather, to take cuttings and register it as the Bramley Seedling.

Detail in stone and wood

2011-10-07T07:00:00.003+01:00

I loved the textures of the stone pillars and carved wood of the main door into Southwell Minster. The pattern on the wood was almost like quilting. I think if I was a knitter (which I'm not) this might inspire me into creating a chunky scarf or jumper! It reminds me of an Aran pattern.