Bradford's showpieces

Whilst some of the city centre of Bradford is currently a bit grim (see HERE) the lower part of town has undoubtedly been improved in recent years. The Broadway shopping centre is pleasant and the City Council have spent a lot of money transforming the area around the rather magnificent City Hall. Several 1960s concrete buildings were demolished (among them, Provincial House, the office block where I first started work in Bradford). The area has been opened up and 'City Park' constructed: a rather clever paved area that can either be drained for concerts and events or filled with water to provide a shallow mirror pool, where families congregate in summer and children splash in the fountains. (See HERE) Most days, it is empty in the mornings and gradually fills up during the day. Not sure I've ever photographed it part full before...

Some day, I must photograph more of City Hall. Designed by Saltaire's architects, Lockwood and Mawson, and opened in 1873, it has 35 statues of British kings and queens around the exterior, supposedly in chronological order. William IV (seen here) has presumably observed a lot of life passing in front of him.