Hallmark building (for Dave)

It's always a pleasure to get messages from readers who enjoy my blog. Not long ago I had a lovely email from Dave in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. He said that, for three years, he'd lived in the UK in nearby Harrogate and worked in Bradford, at Hallmark Cards. It made me think that, although the building is only a couple of miles from here and I know it well, I'd never photographed it or shown it on my blog. When I found out it is for sale, I thought I'd better hurry up!

'Hallmark House' (formerly Sharps Card Factory) is a wonderful Art Deco building, built in 1936, originally for W N Sharpe printers. Hallmark, the greetings card company, took it over in 1984 as its UK headquarters and refurbished the main Grade II listed building in 2001. Now, they are consolidating their business onto one site at the far side of Bradford, meaning the building is up for sale - with a £7 million price tag!

I only hope it is sold quickly and not allowed to deteriorate. It would be lovely turned into luxury apartments. It has huge windows and attractive detailing. The large site as a whole is level and attractively placed, in a prime semi-rural position on top of a hill on the boundary between Bradford and Shipley. If I had £7 million, I'd snap it up!

I did my best with the photos but it has more security than a prison, with close-meshed fences, huge electric gates, high hedges and trees all round. I tried chatting up the security guard, who was very nice but he wouldn't let me past the barriers!