In my bones

As a resident of 22 years, I've lived in Saltaire longer than I've lived in any other one place during my life. It's under my skin and in my bones, in much the way that Blackpool is etched through the length of a stick of rock candy. I'd even go so far as to say that I'd be able to identify Salts Mill in most circumstances. It is so iconic and recognisable. (Long term readers of my blog may feel the same! Possibly eternally bored of the same views? There are, after all, only so many photos you can take in a square mile.)


Try these three vignettes: a reflection, the tip of a chimney and a window (though originally, I think, a loading bay to transfer goods to and from canal barges. You can see the opening has been bricked up at the base.) 

Yes, I'd recognise them anywhere.

HB details

A few details that caught my eye during my wanderings around Hebden Bridge. The clock was installed on St George's Street to mark the Millennium in 2000. It has rings of orbiting planets that move around the clock face.

I spotted a round arched window in a building that I think is known as Machpelah House.

Who wouldn't like a turquoise door surrounded by pink rambling roses?

The prow of a canal boat moored on the Rochdale Canal.

Detail of another narrowboat - with daisies on the canal bank.

And another pink rose. I liked the delicacy of the flower against the gritty stone of the gatepost it was growing over.

How much is that kitty...?

Spotted a rather sleepy looking cat sitting on a windowsill in the sun. It put me in mind of that song: 'How much is that doggy in the window?'

Then I had a little play with the photo, adding layers and textures. I don't like the effect of the glazing bar down the middle, but I had some fun anyway.

Albert Road architecture

All this lockdown exercise has me pounding the streets of Saltaire in a way that I haven't done since I started this blog and was intent on studying the history and architecture of the village. It is thought that, unusually, it was all planned as a complete entity by Sir Titus Salt and his architects, Lockwood and Mawson, even though it took several years for whole village to be completed. There are recurrent motifs throughout the village, and there are several designs of windows with rounded tops. Some of the most ornate are to be found on the large houses on Albert Road, built for the Victorian professional classes: teachers, accountants and senior managers at the Mill. Originally this road formed the western boundary of the village and would have had a pleasant aspect over open fields. Of course, more modern development has encroached but it is still a wide and pleasant street. 

Mosaic art

This interesting mosaic, made of tiles or pottery pieces, along with the shutters and the greenery made me feel suddenly as if I was somewhere in the Mediterranean, instead of in the middle of Saltaire. I don't think this is a coronavirus-inspired 'cheer you up' artwork but it cheered me up anyway. Inspired by Frida Kahlo, perhaps?

A heart tree

More rainbow coloured artwork. This 'heart tree' has been painted on the window of Salt Pots Ceramic Studio. Normally you can book parties and workshops here to enjoy painting on plates and other ceramics, helped along by coffee and cake - all good convivial fun. Of course, the studio has had to close, along with the majority of our shops, salons and services, because of this virus. One wonders how many of them will be able to reopen when the lockdown is lifted. I imagine the future will be pretty uncertain for some. I think it likely too that non-essential creative and cultural outlets may be among the last to be allowed to reopen, since they could be considered non-essential. Essential though, for those who rely on them for income - and essential for those of us that feel life is hardly worth living without being able to play and explore.

VE Day 75th anniversary

The 75th anniversary of VE Day was celebrated locally in quite a muted fashion. I don't think people's hearts were in it really, given the social distancing measures in place. I had a wander around the village but there didn't seem to be any street parties, unlike in some places where people have held 'parties' with everyone sitting in their own front gardens. There were a few folk sitting in the back street next to mine, but it hardly seemed to qualify as a party. I did, apparently, miss the piper playing in the grounds of the church. You can see a video of that HERE.

There was some bunting around and a few decorated windows.

My daughter apparently spent the morning baking scones and cakes, using recipes she found in my late mum's old cookery file, which I thought was quite sweet of her. They had 'afternoon tea' in the garden later. She asked me if I had any mementoes of VE day and I've searched my old photos but I couldn't find anything. My parents were just a little too young to be conscripted during the war. They both left school in the later years of the war and took jobs in the General Post Office, dad as an apprenticed telephone engineer and mum as a telephonist. I seem to remember her telling me she was seconded to London for a few months and I think she may have been there on VE Day but that's all I know. Dad later did National Service in REME (Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) but that was after the war ended. In all my rummaging, I did unearth this rather nice photo (below) of the two of them taken in 1947.

Someone else in Saltaire had obviously unearthed some old photos too, as there were a few displayed in a window with the details of who they were. They were nice to see.

'We'll meet again...' seems quite an appropriate anthem now, as then. For all the horrors and individual sufferings of this viral pandemic, I still don't think it comes near the struggle, sacrifice and privations suffered by the generations that had to endure the two World Wars.

Be kind

Here are a couple more of Saltaire's decorated windows. The one above has a spring theme and was apparently inspired by David Hockney's recent work, 'Do remember they can't cancel the Spring'. 

Then I spotted the one below: Be kind...

.... and spread a little sunshine... and hearts and rainbows.

Today, Easter Sunday, we celebrate Christ risen, bringing hope, love and new life out of death. Perhaps we need to hear that message especially at the present time.
Wishing everyone a very happy Easter, even though it may be the strangest you've ever spent.

Wartime spirit?

Another decorated window, from another near neighbour. This one references Vera Lynn's famous wartime song, meant to keep up the spirits of the nation at a difficult time. We do need a bit of that now, I guess. (Now you're singing it, aren't you?)

Stay at home!

As I mentioned the other day, Saltaire residents have adapted our 'Living Advent Calendar' tradition to this new situation. Encouraging artworks are appearing all over the village. Here are a few I saw on a short walk the other day. There are plenty of rainbows, a sign universally recognised as one of hope.

I loved this one, drawn in a childish hand: Everything will go OK!  We all need to believe and hang on to that, don't we?

And here's a rainbow in a heart - you can't get much more positive than that.

One of my neighbours vows 'No Surrrender' to this awful virus.

My best wishes to everyone, wherever you are. 

Thanks and prayers too for our health workers, emergency services, all our key workers in food distribution and everyone trying to make this awful situation a little better.

Stay at home (if you can), stay safe and well, stay positive!

Lockdown, Day 3

Yesterday was Day 3 of this strange new world of lockdown due to coronavirus. Our government decreed on Monday that people MUST stay at home. We are allowed to:
- go outside to exercise once per day, so long as we keep a 2 metre distance from others;
- make infrequent shopping trips for essential supplies;
- take care of medical needs and of those who are vulnerable;
- travel to and from work if essential, though most people have been encouraged to work from home where possible.

My own careful isolation has been going on for about a week longer, apart from a trip to the supermarket and a trip to the hairdresser last week. (Glad I did that! The hair salons have all had to close now.) I'm feeling fit, well and quite cheerful most of the time. The novelty is interesting so far. I recognise that I'm in a very fortunate position compared with perhaps the majority of people and I am grateful.

So yesterday I went out for my allowed walk. It doesn't say anything about not being allowed to take a camera, or how far or how long you can walk for! Saltaire was quiet and largely traffic free and it all felt quite weird. The few people about were all careful to keep their distance from each other. Most public places are closed, including children's playgrounds - sad to see them all lying unused. Roberts Park itself is open but there were few people there. There was a police helicopter hovering around, maybe keeping a check on how well the measures were being observed. We were all being good!

As you know if you regularly read this blog, Saltaire has had the tradition for many years of decorating windows in Advent, the month leading to Christmas. Now people are starting to decorate their windows to keep everyone's spirits up in this unusual and unsettling time, as we battle to keep our health service functioning and to save lives at risk from this deadly virus. They are posting one window each day on Facebook - see HERE.

When it's grey

You'll recall the press photo exhibition at Cartwright Hall that I visited in January (HERE). Well, there have been a couple of associated talks by press photographers and I went to hear Danny Lawson speak. He is the photographer who took that amazing photograph (HERE) of Meghan Markle, caught in a shaft of sunlight on her way up the aisle at her wedding to Prince Harry, as well as many more instantly recognisable and incredible photos that have appeared in our newspapers and magazines. It was fascinating to listen to his stories and to see some of the camera equipment he uses too. Let's just say that I couldn't have lifted most of his cameras and lenses!

Seeing such brilliant work can either make me feel a little disheartened or inspired. February was such a very wet and grey month, I started to feel a little desperate to get out and find some decent photos. Half the time I didn't want to take my 'big' camera out because of the wet. I came out of the talk and got my phone out and took a few random shots, just to satisfy my urge to 'make something'.

There were plenty of puddles in which to find reflections. I liked the way the tarmac glittered, giving the appearance of stars in the sky. Then I spotted what must be the longest bench in the world. (!) The back of Cartwright Hall has rather lovely windows - and finally I found some colour in a winter flowering heather.

Wakefield windows

I had a trip to The Hepworth in Wakefield with a friend just before Christmas. I wanted to see an exhibition that included some of David Hockney's early work and, anyway, it's a while since I'd visited, there's a great café and it was chance to catch up on news with a good friend. We enjoyed ourselves, though it's arguable that both of us would have come away with better photos had we not been distracted by chatting!

As always, the building itself excites me as much as the work on show. It's all about light and shadow, with some wonderful views from the windows. In the photo above, I managed to frame the spire of Wakefield Cathedral in one of the characteristic holes in a huge Barbara Hepworth sculpture.

Below is a striking hand-painted bronze sculpture by Rebecca Warren. I think it's a representation of a human form, though to me it just looked lumpy! I liked the colouring and patina though - and I loved its juxtaposition with the glowing golden branches of the willow tree outside.

The sculpture was more attractive in close-up. I could see a face (perhaps an angel) in this bit, though it wasn't meant to be a face.

Another year gone

Saltaire Living Advent Calendar 2019

So Christmas is over, another year gone... and, in the words (approximately) of the song, what have we done? I won't attempt to answer that!

I do, however, wish everyone a very Happy New Year, hoping 2020 brings good health and much joy to your lives. Wishing too that this will be the year when we move globally in a more positive direction, towards peace, stability and an end to the trashing of our natural world, people's lives and livelihoods, and the balance of our earth. No more swanning about - let's make some real progress.

Advent windows 9

Saltaire Living Advent Calendar 2019

This whimsical cut-out is just part of a double spread window in the old Salts Hospital building, now apartments. It was created by the people who make Saltaire Soap, high quality soap handmade from natural ingredients. They sell it through local fairs, markets and online (HERE). I must admit I've never tried it. I do now use soap bars, after years of using the plastic packaged liquid stuff, and have finally worked out how to stop the bars going too soggy. (Sit them on a silicone pan scrubber!) One bar lasts me ages and I'm still working through a stock of soaps I've been gifted at various times. I understand that the Saltaire soap is very good, with lovely scents and gentle on the skin. I'll have to treat myself one day.

Advent windows 8

Saltaire Living Advent Calendar 2019

This is an interesting window. The Rydals Museum in Mark, Sweden is housed in a former mill that still has working looms. It was built around the same time as Salts Mill, by their version of Sir Titus Salt, a man called Sven Erikson. This year they have worked in partnership with Saltaire to produce their own first Advent Calendar event and they have exchanged a window with Saltaire. The window sent to us shows Rydals Mill, with snow on the ground and a smoking chimney made of cotton from the mill. Red linen thread combines with the cotton to form a Christmas wreath. In return, Saltaire sent them a window which they unveiled on Christmas Eve.

Isn't it heart-warming how these partnerships come about and foster good relationships across the miles?

Advent windows 7

Saltaire Living Advent Calendar 2019

Our local first school, Saltaire Primary, has a celebration of dance through the ages in their advent window. I was born too late to be in on the jitterbug scene of the 40s, though Saturday Night Fever in the 70s doesn't seem that long ago! Oh dear... I've never been a great dancer, I must admit, but Top of the Pops was a 'must watch' programme for years in my youth.

Here's another window that used silhouettes, this time of cats. Cat-themed windows seem to have been quite popular this year. I suppose it reflects the number of cats that live around the village.

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 5

Saltaire Living Advent Calendar 2019

'Veg on the Edge' are the local folk working together in their spare time to grow fruit and vegetables for the community on odd bits of land in Saltaire. (See my post HERE for more info.) They seem to have persuaded Santa to fill a sleigh with cheery veg for Christmas dinner. Veg on the Sledge - ha!

Advent windows 4

Saltaire Living Advent Calendar 2019

This wonderful tissue paper creation, in a window on Albert Road, depicts another vulnerable species, the whale. He looks quite a friendly one, blowing a very colourful water spout. Its creators, Katy and Rick, say they 'had a whale of a time' making it! I'd say it was well worth the effort. It was tricky to photograph. I had to avoid a large van and a tree in front of the window, so it is a little skewed but still shows the lovely detail.