Vicky Hall

I haven't shown a photo of this place very recently. It is of course the Victoria Hall (affectionately known locally as Vicky Hall) in the centre of Saltaire. Formerly known as the Saltaire Club and Institute, it was opened in 1871. Like so much of Saltaire, it was designed by architects Lockwood and Mawson. Sited opposite the Factory Schools (see HERE) these public buildings and their landscaped gardens make an imposing centrepiece for the village. Sir Titus Salt, the mill owner and village founder, was keen for children to be educated and also wanted to provide a place for recreation, culture and learning for adults. It held a reading room, library, laboratory, chess and draughts room, smoking room, billiard room, a lecture hall seating 800, classrooms, a gym and a rifle drill-room. It is still a focal point for activities, exhibitions, classes and celebrations.

Of course, it is currently closed due to the coronavirus outbreak. I've no idea when it will reopen. It all feels a bit desolate but at least the floodlights still come on at night, showing what a significant building it is.

Vigilance at dusk

I happened to be walking through the centre of Saltaire at dusk when the sky was still quite light and the floodlights that illuminate the main historic buildings had come on. It all looked rather nice. The lion, Vigilance, still does guard duty, though his name has almost worn off his plinth. The building was originally Saltaire's Factory Schools, opened in 1868 to comply with the 1844 Factory Act that required child workers to be educated for three hours a day as well as working in the mill for 6.5 hours (!)  Children had formerly been taught in the mill's Dining Hall. There was one school for boys and one for girls, in the same building and they took 750 pupils. They had advanced facilities for the time,  including central heating, gas lighting and playgrounds at the rear.  It is now part of Shipley College.

Celebrating the NHS

This weekend we are celebrating 72 years of our wonderful NHS, our National Health Service, and remembering those who have lost their lives as a result of Covid19. Landmarks across the country have been floodlit in blue, including the New Mill in Saltaire. It houses offices for the Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust, which administers mental health care, dentistry, community health and specialist learning disability services in the local area.

It is a poignant anniversary this year, as we consider the huge and vital role our health services have had to play in the coronavirus pandemic, and the sacrifices its staff have had to make, not least those who have sadly lost their own lives through ministering to others. (And it's not over yet...) 

The NHS is just a little older than me! Conceived during the war years, it was launched with cross-party support in 1948 by the post-war Labour government under the leadership of Aneurin Bevan, then Minister for Health. (Though initially it was opposed by many doctors.) For the first time it brought all health care under one umbrella, free at the point of need. It has, of course, been endlessly 'reviewed' and reorganised over the years, sometimes for better and sometimes for worse. There has always been the headache of how to pay for a service that has become increasingly stretched, with ever-increasing demand and rising costs as technology and our expectations have developed. For the past decade or more it has arguably been underfunded and undervalued, with steady attrition and privatisation. Who knows what the future holds? One can only hope that the current crisis has focussed the minds that have the power, to make them see just how vital it is to have a joined-up health service that cares for everyone equally, as envisaged all those years ago. 

I was born into its care and it has shepherded me through many major and minor traumas, as well safely delivering the precious gift of my daughter. I am grateful to the NHS and those who work in it. I sincerely hope it will be there to see me to my grave!! (But not yet!)

People Play

I met my daughter at Halifax's Piece Hall recently, for a meal and then a trip to the theatre. We went to see 'Giovanni Pernice: This is Me' at the Victoria Theatre, a touring dance show starring the Italian professional dancer from 'Strictly Come Dancing'. It was colourful, cheeky and actually very funny in parts, with fabulous dancing, lighting and costumes as you'd imagine. We had a very good time, part of our Christmas present to each other. It's not often that just the two of us meet up separate from the rest of the family, so I enjoyed that.

Beforehand I explored the new sculpture installation in the Piece Hall courtyard. Called 'People Play', it has been commissioned from emerging artist Alice Irwin. It consists of nine large, colourful painted metal characters, exploring the concept of childhood, play and also referencing the treatment of children in the textile trade in Victorian times. I found it quite fun, though not especially engaging. Children (perhaps inevitably) seemed more drawn to it and to the holes and spaces within the figures. The Piece Hall is such a vast space that things within it seem tiny by comparison so, although the pieces were substantial, they still seemed a little lost in the space. But perhaps there is food for thought there too... 

It looked more interesting after dark, when a heavy rainstorm created reflections to add to the illuminations created for the exhibition's opening night.

St Pancras Renaissance

My nephew had thoughtfully chosen The Gilbert Scott restaurant in the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel for our meeting and meal in London. Thoughtful because it is just across the road from Kings Cross station, from where our train departed in the evening; grand but not intimidating, it is relatively quiet in the early evening, with tables spaced quite widely and soft furnishings to absorb clatter; and they have a good gluten free menu - so it was ideal for deaf old me and my dietary needs. The food and service were excellent and it was such a delight to be able to converse quite easily, at least until the venue started to fill up with diners as the evening progressed.

I've admired the amazing building many times but I'd never been inside and it is even more amazing inside. It was designed by George Gilbert Scott, opening in 1873 as the Midland Grand Hotel, in front of St Pancras railway station. The original hotel closed in 1935 and the building became railway offices. There was a fierce campaign to save it from demolition in the 1960s. Between 2004-11, it was extensively redeveloped into a hotel and apartments. It really is magnificent. It would have been a crime if it had been demolished. My phone pics aren't brilliant but they give an idea of the grandeur.

Advent windows 6

Saltaire Living Advent Calendar 2019

Some of our local shops get involved in decorating their windows as part of the Living Advent Calendar festival. I always enjoy the display in Louise Perry's bridal shop on Caroline Street - angels this year.

The homewares and gifts shop, Rad Studio, on Victoria Road, is also in on the act, with a new Christmas bauble being painted in on the window every day. You can't really see the painted picture in my photo but I thought the shop looked very colourful and welcoming with all the lights on.

Advent windows 1

Saltaire Living Advent Calendar 2019

Advent: expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus at Christmas and for his return at the Second Coming. In Saltaire, the season of Advent means the village becomes a Living Advent Calendar, with an illuminated window unveiled every day from 1 December up to Christmas Eve. It's a lovely tradition and one that I enjoy photographing. Where better to start than the Nativity window above the door of the iconic Saltaire United Reformed Church.

Saltaire lights up

The Saltaire Christmas lights were switched on at the beginning of December but I wasn't able to go to the event and have only recently found time to go out after dark to see them. There aren't many; just a tree in front of the Victoria Hall and some small trees on the shops up on Gordon Terrace. Quite tasteful though. We don't like too much bling around here! The floodlights are always lit at night, to show off the wonderful architecture and our four lions. 'Peace' looks very peaceful lying beside the Christmas tree. The tree must be 15 feet high but it seems dwarfed by the huge bulk of the Hall. 

Carols at Costa

It was the day before the General Election and I was feeling really down and despondent. I needed to get myself into a more Christmassy and generous spirited mood. Shipley Christians Together were advertising 'Carols at Costa' in Shipley, an event in the local coffee shop to raise money for Christian Aid, so I thought I'd pop down and join in. I met up with some friends there and we had a good time singing carols and joining in the general merriment. There was a fiendish quiz, to try and work out the names of some well-known carols! Music was provided by local musician and legend, John Froud, and his daughter. We sang familiar carols and some Christmas songs, including a local version of 'On the first day of Christmas':

'On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: a fat rascal and a cup of tea; 
On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me: two flat caps and a fat rascal and a cup of tea; 
On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me: three Brontë sisters, two flat caps and a fat rascal and a cup of tea'

and so on, in the same Yorkshire vein! (For the non-Yorkshire folk, a fat rascal is the name of a sweet fruit scone that is a local speciality, especially those made by the famous Betty's Tea Rooms.)

Walking through Shipley market place to get to Costa, I stopped to take a phone snap of the Christmas tree. It has flashing lights, so that is hard to convey in a static shot. It looks, in reality, a little brighter and more colourful than it appears here. It's spoiled every year by the railings around it!

Glow again in close up

At the kitchen garden end of Harlow Carr Gardens, the illuminations were more 'staged', with flowers made of lights and fairy lights twined around the arches and fences. Still pretty, but with a different feel from the coloured floodlights in the rest of the garden. By this time, it was getting quite busy and I kept having to wait ages for people to pass. It was properly dark so I was using very long exposures with my tripod. People tended to amble along quite slowly so I kept getting 'ghosts' in the pics!

At one point the path was too narrow to use my tripod, so I tried some ICM (intentional camera movement) shots. I quite like the one below. 'ICM trees' are a bit of a cliché nowadays but the lighting gives a fresher feel to the image, I think.

This, below, is an ICM image too. When I was checking the histogram for the exposure in my processing software, it gave me deep blue 'warning lights' where the deepest shadow was. I like the contrast of the cool and warm tones so I took a screenshot, to make an abstract with a difference!  

Glow

I went, for the first time, to the annual winter illuminations at RHS Harlow Carr. This year it is entitled 'Glow' - and they certainly did. In past years, friends have told me it was a bit underwhelming so I never bothered to make the journey on a cold winter evening. But I was in the mood for an outing and the weather forecast was improving after daytime rain so I hopped in the car. I'm glad I went. Perhaps they've made it a bit bigger and grander this year... there was plenty to enjoy and the gardens, familiar by day, take on an other-worldly aspect with the lights.

Leeds Light Night 2

On the way back to the rail station to get my train home, I watched an installation called 'The Vision', by Studio Ocubo from Portugal, which was projected onto the facade of the Queen's Hotel. It lasted about five minutes; these things must take weeks of work to put together in order to produce just those five minutes.

I must admit I found rather more joy, personally, in watching the children walking around with light lasers, lit balloons and umbrellas threaded with lights. The advent of the LED has really sparked off a revolution and there were many street sellers with carts full of sparkly wares.

Leeds Light Night 1

I happened to be in Leeds city centre one day last week and decided I'd stay into the evening to see some of the annual Light Night, a two day festival when key buildings in the city are illuminated and there are sound and light installations at various points.

I found that many of the events were like 'performances' so there turned out to be quite a lot of waiting around for things to start. With that, and the crowds and the rain, I soon realised I wasn't really in the mood for it all. (To be honest, these days I seldom am in the mood for cities with their bustle and noise.) There was a parade too but I decided not to stay for that.

I saw a performance by a flying violinist from Cirque Bijou, in the Trinity shopping centre. Quite spectacular, with fireworks too - but I had to wait ages for just five minutes of action!

There were some rather fun installations like illuminated musical see-saws and cycles that people could ride to light up the structure with their pedal power.

There was also a pretty display of lights hung from the trees in St John's churchyard, with (recorded) music by Opera North's orchestra, performing 'Swans Migrating' by Rautavaara and an actual piano recital in the church itself. I'm sure the music was wonderful but, as I'm so deaf, it sadly didn't mean much to me. In future years I will have to be more careful to choose which events to see. There were many on offer but so spread out around the city centre that you couldn't possibly see them all. There are, I notice, videos on YouTube now too, which is possibly an easier way to experience it all, in more comfort!

Sundowner Lantern Parade

As part of the World Heritage Day celebrations in Saltaire, the talented people at Cecil Green Arts organised a Lantern Parade around Roberts Park as the sun went down. They had some of their large scale paper lanterns, like the fox above, which are exquisite. Then there were scores of children and local people carrying pyramidal lanterns that they'd made in workshops in the weeks leading up to the event. It was rather a wonderful sight. 

Musicians wrapped in coloured lights led the parade, and then came a lantern like a jellyfish, with coloured streamers:

There was an owl, a turtle, seagulls and a pig on a bike. They had one of their large figures:

and a huge bee or wasp too. It's amazing how much character they manage to invoke with just paper, paint and a willow framework.

The evening ended with fire jugglers and the burning of a paper hare, representing Spring I suppose. I'm sure it wasn't meant to be the Easter bunny!!

Ill-fated in Ilkley

I went over to Ilkley to have a walk by the river and to take some photos of the Christmas lights. It was, unfortunately, an ill-fated expedition. On the way back to my car, I managed to trip over a low kerb in the dark. I went flying and so did my DSLR camera, bouncing on its lens hood, which shattered. It's a bit poorly now... Although only the filter glass cracked (not the lens) and it still takes photos, the zoom mechanism is stiff and there are artefacts on the LCD screen. I've taken it to a camera shop in Leeds to get an estimate for repair. It may well not be worth it. (I have insurance but since the camera is quite an old model, it won't pay out enough to make it worth claiming.) Boo.

Never mind, that is only 'stuff' and can be replaced, even if at some cost. Thankfully, I've no broken bones, and just suffered some cuts, grazes and bruises. One of those times when you just wish you could turn the clock back two minutes!

And after all that, none of my photos turned out all that well anyway! These are the best of the bunch but don't give anything like a true idea of the lights, which are in reality very pretty, all strung through the trees.

Night lights

More photos from Salford Quays in Greater Manchester. (See also yesterday) The weird building above (another example of 'Deconstructivist' architecture?) is The Lowry theatre and gallery complex, named after Manchester's famous painter, L S Lowry, and holding some of his work. It was designed by Michael Wilford and opened in 1999. Shops, offices and restaurants surround it. 

Below: a detail of The Lowry, with coloured walls, lights and reflections combining to remind me of stained glass. 

Below: it was that pop of red that attracted me, stark amid the green and yellow colouring of a modern, glass office block.

Salford Quays

Across the water from the Imperial War Museum (see yesterday) is an area called Salford Quays. It used to be docks beside the Manchester Ship Canal. In the 1980s, a huge urban regeneration project transformed it into a vibrant area that combines residential property, commercial, cultural and retail space. It is home to The Lowry theatre complex and across the dock from that is the huge Media City, where the BBC, ITV and other creative enterprises have offices and studios.

It's a wonderful place to explore at dusk when the lights come on, reflected in the water. We camera club members were all very happy!