The bonnie, blooming heather

Like bluebells, the heather peaks at different times in different places. I took a walk on Shipley Glen and found it in bloom, perhaps not quite at its peak but near enough. (I'm hoping the heather on Haworth Moor is a bit slower to bloom. I'm supposed to be leading a photo walk there in mid-August and I was hoping for some colour then!) I do love the soft tones, though purple isn't a colour I'd ever wear, or decorate my house with. It's very pretty on the moors though. 

I really love the harmony of purples, greys and greens that you get with heather, the gritstone rocks, soft mauve grasses and, in this case, some purple flowered rosebay willowherb in the background.

Shinrin-yoku

The quiet sounds in the woods, the scent of trees and earth, the sunlight playing through the leaves, the fresh air; all these things are comforting and soothing. Being among trees can restore our mood, re-energise us and refresh us, easing our stresses. The Japanese have a name for it: shinrin-yoku, the practice of forest-bathing. I've been doing it a lot since we went into lockdown! I seem to have posted little else on my blog for weeks apart from walks through the woods and along the canal and river. Happily, I have quite a lot of choice about where to walk among trees. The photo above shows an ancient bridleway that snakes down the hillside from Gilstead to the bottom of Shipley Glen, skirting the old Milner Field estate. 

The tree in the picture below is near the top of Shipley Glen. Its lovely arching boughs make you feel really cocooned underneath it. The green leaves spread like a canopy almost down to the ground. 

I noticed this little stand of birches in Trench Meadows SSSI, the silvery trunks being picked up and echoed by the delicate white flowers scattered in the grass. I was too far away to see what the flowers actually were.

The quiet eye

'In common things that round us lie

Some random truths he can impart,

The harvest of a quiet eye

That broods and sleeps on his own heart.'

Those lines were written by the poet William Wordsworth in the early 1800s (A Poet's Epitaph). I'd argue that they are as applicable to a photographer or an artist as a poet, perhaps more so. I'm interested in photography as a 'mindful' practice and lately I've been seeking to slow down and notice the 'common things that round us lie', often to be found in the smallest details. Here is the 'harvest of a quiet eye' from a recent walk. 

The pretty blue egg shell is, I think, a blackbird's egg. I couldn't tell if it had hatched properly and been discarded from the nest or been damaged by a predator.

Spring is beginning to segue into early summer. The hawthorn blossom is fading, the 'candles' on the horse chestnut trees are at their peak (cue lots of sneezing from me!)

In Trench Woods, along Shipley Glen, the lichen covered rocks and old tree trunks are sometimes almost indistinguishable from each other; trees have embraced the terrain through which they grow.

Then there's evidence of man's activity: an old gatepost stands in a field like a prehistoric standing stone in miniature.

Young calves were as curious about me as I was about them. Look at him! Big ears, whiskery nose, eyes perfectly set to see forwards and sideways. Not the most beautiful face, though perhaps his mother loved him...

Closed

The coronavirus crisis in the UK is gathering pace. Opportunities for interesting walks seem to be shrinking under the constraints of the lockdown situation, which they have tightened by degrees. We are now only allowed to exercise from home (no car journeys) and they have closed car parks and even roads to discourage access to the more attractive areas. (I still find it hard to understand the logic completely.) The local council have closed not only the car parking areas on Shipley Glen but also the entirety of Glen Road, to deter people. The sign says: "Car park closed. Stay at home. You must not drive to green spaces for exercise, walk to your local green space instead."

The car parking spaces on the far side of Roberts Park are also closed off (below). That's all very well but it does mean that the nature margins of the more urban areas, like the canal towpath and local woods, are more and more congested since they are the only accessible areas for the vast majority of local people. It also means those determined, for whatever reason, to use their cars are now parking on Victoria Road and our residential streets in Saltaire for access to the park and towpath. But hey, at least we're still allowed out to exercise, so far, and for that I'm grateful. The moors are theoretically still available to me but the wilder areas are a loooong walk for me... too far for most days.

I am taking the government's instructions seriously and staying inside at home, apart from very infrequent trips to get milk and other necessities from the supermarket, and short local solitary walks. I've learned not to go out when the sun is shining, on the whole. Too crowded! I'm also tending to walk in the late afternoon, when fewer people seem to be about. But even so, it's getting a bit boring treading the same few basic routes day after day. As for photos, it's harder to think of things I haven't snapped a million times already. I rarely take my camera out now, making do with my phone.

I do, however, accept that the more we all comply the quicker this will be over - so

'Stay home, protect the NHS, save lives!' 

I'm truly grateful for all those health care staff and key workers who don't have the luxury of staying safe at home. Whenever I'm feeling a bit grumbly, I think of the sacrifices they are making, and the pain of those who have lost loved ones to the virus. My own minor discomforts are small in comparison.

Winter trees

Winter trees on Shipley Glen.

And one in Roberts Park that is closer to its spring incarnation...  A bit more sunshine and those magnolia buds will unfurl in all their glory:

Don McCullin's landscapes

Most people have heard of the acclaimed photographer Don McCullin and I guess many associate him with his war photography or perhaps gritty black and white photos of northern cities. He's 84 now and in his later years has taken to landscape photography. (See HERE). I recognise his greatness but he's another photographer whose work I can't say that I actually like. He seems to have the ability to make any scene look like a war zone! I think his photos of people are actually a lot more successful.

My own photographic style is rather the opposite of his, striving to make even ordinary scenes look colourful and, if possible, beautiful. So it was a challenge to me to be faced with the theme for my online group in November, which was to take a photo inspired by Don McCullin's landscapes: a black and white, dark and moody scene!

My offering, above, was taken on Shipley Glen, when the weather did more than oblige and created plenty of moodiness.

Harriers v Cyclists

I was negotiating my way along the rather muddy and slippery moorland at the top of Shipley Glen, when I noticed a skein of brightly coloured vests ahead of me - runners and cyclists. I was just too late to see exactly what was going on but then later, as I turned round to return the way I'd come, they also returned and passed me. I realised it was the annual 'Harriers v Cyclists' race, organised by Bingley Harriers running club.

They start at the Fisherman Pub on the canal, following a course through the Milner Field estate, across Loadpit Beck by the mill pond, through Shipley Glen and up the steep bank to Glen Road (where I took these photos). Their route, a little over 5 miles (8 km) in total but with a steep 300m climb, then circles round Hope Hill on Baildon Moor and back along the same path into the valley. They compete for the Fisherman Trophy. The course record is around 34 minutes. This year, the fastest male runner (Nathan Edmondson) completed it in 36 min 01.7 sec and the fastest cyclist (David Mirfield) in 36 min 56.7 sec, so there is not much in it. The fastest women clocked 43:43 running and 58:25 cycling. Most of the cyclists I watched dismounted at the top of the steep bank where I photographed them, which I suppose slows them down a little. Getting filthy and bruised is one thing, but risking your neck is another, I guess.

I felt a little crazy to be out walking on such a gloomy and damp day, but there are many folk who think nothing of spending their weekends getting all muddy and wet in the name of sport!

The chap with the stick was a marshal showing the competitors where the route down the crag face started, as it is quite hard to see - not really a path, more of a scramble.

On the edge

What with my cataract surgery and the endless rain, I've stayed close to home for most of November. Thankfully this area has not suffered floods, though further south around Doncaster the flooding has been catastrophic. After a while, my need just to get out and breathe the fresh air got the better of me so I ventured up to the top of Shipley Glen for a walk along the edge. Muddy and damp it may have been but I enjoyed it. The trees still held a little autumn colour. Some on the hillside are tall enough nowadays to block the view but every now and again a vista opens up and you can see across to the other side of the Aire valley.

A ride up the Tramway

Every weekend, the dedicated team of volunteers at the Shipley Glen Tramway crank up the mechanisms and keep the trams running. Since 1895 the two cable-driven cars have transported thousands of visitors up and down the steep hillside at the back of Saltaire's Roberts Park, to enjoy the fresh air and moorland views. At one time there was a funfair up there, with lots of exciting rides. Nowadays there is just moorland with some good walks and plenty of rocks for children to scramble on (and a convenient pub for refreshment).

I usually make myself walk up the hill, along the steep path at the side of the Tramway, simply for the health benefit. Every now and again, I pay my £1 for the privilege of a ride just to help keep the tramway going. It would be such a shame if it closed but it exists on a shoestring. The December 'Santa Specials' are probably all that keeps it viable.

It took me a while....

I was a bit flummoxed by this sign outside the Old Glen Tea Rooms up on Shipley Glen. 'Surely', I thought, 'that's a bit of an odd thing to say if you're advertising your wares....' 'There are better home made cakes than the Glen Tea Rooms.' Doesn't it need a 'no' in there somewhere? It was only after a minute or two that I twigged that the little chap illustrated is Pinocchio, famed for telling lies... Doh! I'm a bit slow! I guess the advert worked, up to a point, as I certainly took notice of it. I didn't try the cakes though, so I can't say one way or another whether the claim is true or not.

Volunteers at Bracken Hall

These ladies are some of the volunteers who are keeping Shipley Glen's Bracken Hall Countryside Centre open, through the Friends of Bracken Hall and with the support of Baildon Town Council. They weren't all that sure about having their photos taken but they kindly agreed.

The Centre first opened in 1981 and was run as a private business by the people who lived in the adjacent house. Later it was transferred to Bradford Council, who ran it for many years as an educational outreach centre. Budget cuts meant that could not continue and the centre closed in 2013. A concerted effort by the Friends means it's now able to open at weekends. It organises guided walks and supports school visits to the area, as well as having an interesting and varied display inside, covering the social, industrial and natural history of the area. It also has a nice wildlife-friendly garden. It's well worth popping in if you're walking on Shipley Glen. They even offered me chocolates and a cup of tea!

The adjoining Bracken Hall House is now run as a luxury B&B and has five star reviews.

Going up, coming down

I walked up through the woods beside the Shipley Glen Tramway one recent Sunday, when the tramway was in operation. All was quiet and then suddenly there was a rushing, clanking sort of noise as the cable mechanism started to roll. There are two cars, one going up and one coming down, passing halfway along the track. It took me slightly by surprise but I did manage to snap a photo.

The Glen Tramway has been in existence since 1895, and is now run by volunteers through a charitable trust. It operates at weekends, taking people from Saltaire up to the top of Shipley Glen. In Victorian/ Edwardian times there were many fairground attractions up there. Nowadays it is just a pleasant, open area of rocks and heathland, with paths through the woods leading down into the valley and access routes to the higher moorland above.

Seeing the cars pass reminded me of the 1912 silent film clip that is held by the Yorkshire Film Archive, which always makes me crack up. There's a bit where the tramcar passes ... and then nothing... and then the tramcar passes the other way... and so on.  It's HERE if you want to watch it - and I do recommend it. The tramway bit is from 1 minute in, but the rest is interesting too, showing the old fairground rides and the crowds. At about 3 minutes, there is footage of crowds on Victoria Road in Saltaire, and the pleasure boat on the river by the Boathouse in the park.

The photo below (taken at a different time) shows the bottom terminus, where there is a ticket office and a small museum full of old photos, artefacts and information.

Rally for Suffrage, Shipley Glen

Anniversary Commemoration of the Rally for Suffrage that took place on Shipley Glen in 1908.  

The marchers arriving on Shipley Glen. 

Fun and festivities went on for the rest of the day, with picnics, stalls, speeches and music on the stage, much as must have happened 110 years ago.

Feminism is for everyone

Some of the colourful costumes worn by marchers commemorating the 110th anniversary of the March for Suffrage on Shipley Glen, 1908.

Fought for, died for, use your vote!

The 'Hats Off, Forward Together' March set off from Roberts Park and climbed up to Shipley Glen on the path beside the Glen Tramway, following the route that the original demonstration took 110 years ago. 

It was loud, spirited and good natured, with people chanting: 

'Fought for, died for, use your vote!'

Glory in the woods

Way back in September, it seemed autumn was going to come early this year, as the leaves started to look a bit brown. Somehow though, the season has ended up dragging itself out so that it is only now, mid-November, that the richest colours are showing through. The best of the gold is confined largely to beeches and birches. Walking in Trench Woods was delightful, with sprays of tiny gold leaves clinging on under the empty canopy of the larger trees.