Steampunk style

The World Heritage Celebrations in Saltaire last weekend certainly included some lively happenings.  One trend that I don't think the village has seen before was Steampunk.  It's not something I've come across before - and I'm not sure that I'm much the wiser even now! - but it did look lots of fun.

Caroline's (the social club) hosted a Steampunk gathering, with a concert on Friday night by the British Steampunk band BB Black Dog.  On Saturday there were groups of Steampunks out and about around Saltaire, very happy to pose for photos.

For a full explanation of what Steampunk is, please see here.  In a nutshell, it's a science fiction/fantasy genre including elements of Victorian technology (the steam) and with a creative or rebellious aspect (the punk).  It is first and foremost a literary genre (ie: written fiction) with spin-offs into games, music and  design/style.  It seems almost anything can be 'steampunked': clothes, jewellery, furniture, objects.  I guess more people are familiar with the 'goths' genre - and this seems to be a similar thing but with the link to Victorian technology.  All in all, it was rather fascinating, especially seeing the creative costumes and props.  Some of them looked more obviously 'Victorian/Edwardian' than others but they were all really creative.  As I say, those involved seemed to be having fun and making everyone else smile.  I think it fits well with Saltaire - there is an obvious link to the village's history but it's edgy, creative and modern too.  I hope they make it a regular event.