Jaume Plensa at YSP

My main reason for visiting the Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP) was to see the Jaume Plensa exhibition.  I first saw this artist's work on another blog (JM's Oeiras Daily Photo as far as I remember) - though I've looked again there to compare and I can't find it now!  Plensa is a Spanish artist who works on a large scale using steel, glass and neon lights.  My art guide is extremely sniffy about him ... "an example of the new academic modern orthodoxy heavily promoted by the official art establishment... [he is] only the designer, the physical creation is done anonymously, presumably in a factory..... objects made to look significant, portentous and profound by being displayed in isolation or attached to big white walls in official spaces.... what do they amount to? Profundity or banality?"! 

Personally, I found the pieces quite attractive and interesting (but then I'm not an art snob!)  They are accessible, not simply for looking at but for touching and exploring; I watched lots of people climbing in and out of the huge figures and the children seemed fascinated by them.  Comments on the YSP website are overwhelmingly positive too.  These photos show the massive figure called "House of Knowledge" (2008).  The one below puts it in its context in the YSP gardens and the people inside it give it scale. I like the way the willow tree echoes the shape.

(Photos taken with my Panasonic DMC-FZ18)

Pierced

"And a sword will pierce your own soul too."  Luke 2:35

For some reason that I can never quite fathom, this is my favourite of all the art works at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.  It is Héros de Lumière, 1986 by the Polish artist Igor Mitoraj.  Carved from a block of white carrara marble, as favoured by Renaissance sculptors like Michelangelo, it has the feel of a classical piece and yet nods to Surrealism (it has a face on its shoulder, the lips just visible here).  It always makes me think of the passage in the Bible where Simeon prophesies over the infant Jesus and warns Mary, his mother, of the heartbreak to come.  Michelangelo believed he was carving to release figures trapped in the stone - and this piece has that kind of sense for me.

(Photo taken with my Panasonic DMC-FZ18)

Yorkshire Sculpture Park

(Taken with my Panasonic DMC-FZ18)

I had a magical day out recently at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park near Wakefield, about a 3/4 hour drive from here.  It's vast area (500 acres) of parkland, meadow, gardens and lake, surrounding the 18th century Bretton Hall, which was once the home of Sir William Wentworth.  The house became a teacher training college for many years but that has now closed.  The Sculpture Park was started some 33 years ago and has grown and developed to become 'a centre of international, national and regional importance for the production, exhibition and appreciation of modern and contemporary sculptures'.  The 18th century deerpark, now full of contented sheep and geese, is home to a range of sculptures, some by Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth (both born locally).  My photo shows a Henry Moore bronze "Upright Motive No 9" (1979).  There are visiting exhibitions and indoor gallery spaces too and they have recently restored some of the gardens and parkland, so that even more of the estate is open to the public.

It's a fantastic, unusual, exciting place.  You can take a long, exhilarating walk in the fresh air whilst at the same time admiring some of the most important sculptures of the last century.  Kids love it and, even if you can't walk so far, there are lovely gardens and galleries close to the entrance. When you're done, there's a couple of good tea shops and a gift shop.

Magazine not included...

A bit of light relief - sorely needed more or less everywhere at the moment, I think!  This is not the kind of image I usually post on my blog - but I thought it so silly that it's amusing and I thought you might like it too.  It's the little carton (measuring 14x10x6 cms) that contains eight sachets of my secret vice - Nescafé's creamy, frothy Vanilla Latte drink.  I allow myself one at work when I'm feeling stressed, as it's so comforting.  So it makes me laugh when it says "Shopping can be exhausting..."  Try working for the government, love, that's all I can say!  And as for "Serving suggestion. Magazine not included"... huh?  Well, I'm not that bothered about the magazine... but what about the man?  Hey?  My box doesn't contain a man!

Rosebay view

This is the glorious view from in front of Dick Hudson's pub (see yesterday).  As you can imagine, it can get pretty windy up here, but the evening I went it was beautiful: warm, sunny, calm and clear.  Just the place for clearing one's head!  You can't pick it out on the photo but I could see the Emley Moor TV mast, which must be 20 miles away.  (Mind you, that is the tallest freestanding structure in the UK and will still be so when the Shard in London is finished next year, though that will be the tallest building.)  Funny how it almost looks like flat scenery.  In fact beyond the line of trees the land dips steeply down into the Aire valley and then eventually rises again to the hills in the far distance.

The purple flowers in the foreground are rosebay willowherb  or fireweed (epilobium augustifolium - don't you just love those Latin names?), which I think is rather a cheerful plant, though its parachute seeds spread easily and it's considered an invasive pest by gardeners.

Dick Hudson's

Friday evening and I needed to get some space after a heavy week at work so I decided to drive up to the edge of Bingley Moor, to a pub known as Dick Hudson's.  I didn't go in (sorry Alan!) so I can't tell you what it's like inside or what the food is like, though it was busy.  It underwent a major refurbishment earlier this year, but it seems to be getting mixed reviews.  It sits in a lovely spot though, with panoramic views over Bingley and the Aire valley, right over to the city of Bradford on the skyline.  On a pleasant evening it would be good to sit in the garden and enjoy a glass of real ale and the scenery.  I had a bit of a walk and appreciated the 'wide' end of my new lens, great for capturing the view and all that sky.

There has been a tavern up here since the 17th century, a traveller's rest on the old pack horse trail from Ilkley to Bingley.  The pub moved to its present site, Highgate Farm, when a road down to Eldwick was built.  In 1850 the farm and pub, then known as The Fleece, were taken over by landlord Dick Hudson and it has been known as Dick Hudson's ever since, though for a long time the sign still said The Fleece.  In Victorian and Edwardian times, the pub became very popular with working class families escaping the nearby textile towns at weekends and Bank Holidays to enjoy a bracing walk over the moors to Ilkley.  The pub made a good halfway house for dinner and tea and apparently did a roaring trade in roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, and ploughman's lunches.  (Not much changes then..)  For an interesting write-up of its history, see here.

Tourists

Here's Saltaire as I have never quite shown it before on this blog - full of tourists and in wide-angle too.  Last weekend's weather was gratifyingly pleasant so I was able to have a walk with my new camera and try it out.  Inevitably, most of the rest of the world was out having a walk round Saltaire too but the village has a good feel when it's full of people enjoying themselves.  As my house is not on one of the main tourist streets, I don't get people peeking in through my windows (just lots of cars parked outside) so I really don't mind living in a tourist hot-spot - and anyway there are plenty of times when it's quiet and still beautiful.

My new Nikon has an 18-55mm lens.  18mm is a wider angle than my other cameras and it makes quite a difference when shooting landscapes.  Here, it puts the church in its context quite effectively. (My book says: 'using wide-angle lenses causes things that are closer to the lens to look disproportionately larger than things that are further away'.  Yes, I would agree with that.)  Victoria Road is a fairly steep hill up from the river and the lampost on the left is genuinely a bit drunken, though possibly not quite as much as it appears in my photo.  (I did try a bit of Photoshop straightening but it affected the rest of the image too much so I left it alone.)

For those not yet familiar with my home village of Saltaire, the church is Saltaire United Reformed Church, a Victorian masterpiece commissioned by the founder of Saltaire, Sir Titus Salt and opened in 1859.  Click the label 'Saltaire URC' below, for more photos and information.

Whatever floats your boat

(Click photo to enlarge)

I just added another thing to my bucket list... a cruise on the Leeds-Liverpool Canal on this 5-star rated hotel boat, The Lady Teal.   It was moored in Saltaire the other day when I passed by, and it looks so smart and elegant.  It's a wide-bodied barge, not a narrowboat, and must benefit from the extra space.  It has two double bedrooms and a single, all with en-suite facilities.  At the bow it has a large lounge that can be sealed in poor weather or opened up in the sunshine.  Imagine sitting there and watching the world slowly glide by, whilst sipping your favourite tipple.  Or relaxing in the deck garden as the sun goes down.  I sound like an advert, don't I?  And I'm not getting paid for this! But I can't think of a more relaxing holiday (given some half-way decent weather anyway).  60th birthday treat for me next year, maybe?  I didn't get any Olympic tickets, which was going to be my treat.  :-(  There was a time when I would have been happier crewing a boat like this, but maybe not now!

Just realised all those trees and clouds in the canal would qualify this for Weekend Reflections - which has changed its blog address so none of my past links work anymore!  Find it now here and marvel at the many interpretations of the theme.  James's own photo this week is a stunner.

Mesostic poems

Three from a selection of mesostic poems, part of an artwork called 'Propogator' (2003) by the artist Alec Finlay, in the permanent exhibition at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

      SpinaChy                                                      Thread                                Milky
           disH                                          And                                   spInes
             wIth                                                buttoNs                                    yelLowy
          lunCh                                                         Sewn                             pricKs
          bacK                                     neatlY
          When                                                                                                  The
             thE                                                                            Hillside
earthmothEr                                                                                                        Is
          ruleD                                                                                                        Scattered
                                                                                                                         wiTh
                                                                                                                       purpLe
                                                                                                                          defEnces

                                                                                                                        
I didn't know what a mesostic poem was until I saw these.  Wikipedia tells me they are where a vertical phrase intersects lines of horizontal text.  Similar to an acrostic but the vertical phrase intersects through the middle not at the beginning of the line.  (Hard to line them up in Blogger though!)   I thought Betsy might like these...she's good at acrostic poems.  They look deceptively simple... but see how the words capture the essence of each plant.

I shall bring you more photos from my lovely day out at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park soon.

School's out

(Photo taken with my compact)

Aha... yes, you were right, scaffolding planks (who knew they could be so colourful?).... part of a spider's web of metalwork engulfing the local primary school.  It's summer: school's out, repairs are IN!

There are several local elementary schools.  There's one at the top end of the village called Saltaire Primary School, and this one at the bottom end is Wycliffe CE (Church of England) Primary School.   This school was until relatively recently a 'middle school' taking pupils from 9 years old to 13.  Now it takes children from the the age of 4 through until they go to secondary school at 11.  But it was first opened in the 1890s (I think) as a Board School, at a time when education in Britain was going through major changes.

A hotch-potch of governesses, private schools, church (National) schools and factory schools like Salt's schools in Saltaire became a much more organised system of education for all children.  This was thanks to various Education Acts passed by reforming Victorian politicians - notably the 1870 Education Act introduced by the Bradford MP W E Forster, which set up School Boards to establish and administer primary schools.  As you can see, many of these original Victorian buildings have given good service, and in most cases have happily adapted to the ongoing changes in style and emphasis in our children's education.

Stopped in my tracks...

(Photo taken with my compact)

Out of the front door (remember to lock it!), turn right up the street, cross the road, left at the junction and straight on for a good long way.... that's my daily walk to work each morning.....but... uh?....what's this?... this wasn't here yesterday morning....very colourful... but what is it?

Double first

This will no doubt leave some of you highly amused (tomato grower extraordinaire Vicki; macro queen Anita)  but this photo represents a double first for me.  These are the first tomatoes I have ever grown... and no-one is more surprised than me that they have actually filled out and turned red!  I have only a small paved yard with a tiny border, and am not at all a keen gardener.  So when a work colleague gave me a few tomato plants a while back, I was not hopeful of success.  Since I have done nothing more than water them (and that only when I remembered!) I consider the appearance of fruit to be a minor miracle.

They seemed like a good subject for me to begin to explore my new camera.  Spent ages reading the manual.  I read about focus modes, AF-area modes and metering systems.  These things sound so sensible and straightforward when I read about them but then all the stuff seems to fall out of my brain as soon as I pick a camera up.  Anyway, I managed to figure out that for tomatoes I needed AF-S, single point autofocus and matrix metering... With the lens at 55mm, Aperture priority (whoo, I nearly always used scene modes on my other cameras) and ISO 400 I found f 5.6 (the widest it would go) gave me a shutter speed of 1/320.  No flash - that's the sun you can see shining. Anyway, that seemed to work quite well.  My first DSLR close-up. It made the background satisfyingly blurry.  It also shows up all the little hairy, dusty bits that maybe I should have tidied up first!

I hope some of it becomes second-nature before too long.  There seems so much to think about!  Am having to remind myself that the skills development model I used to teach moves from unconscious incompetence (you don't know what you don't know) to conscious incompetence (you are painfully aware of all that you don't know).  Persevere and one day you achieve conscious competence (you can do it but you still have to think about it) and in time even unconscious competence (it's so much part of what you do that you don't even think about it anymore).  My aim is that one day my camera will be like an extension of me.  (Preferably long enough before I die that I can enjoy it!)

Done it!

So... I've finally done it! Bought myself a DSLR that is.  I've been wrestling with whether to or not for absolutely ages.  The scales were always finely balanced: investment v indulgence; lightness and versatility v better performance and so on.  But just lately I've been kicking against the limitations of my other two cameras - a Panasonic TZ5 compact and a Panasonic DMC-FZ18 'bridge' camera.  They're both great cameras in their own ways and have served me well for several years - and there will be many occasions when I will continue to use them.  But neither of them allow for full control over depth of field and neither of them take filters, and several times lately I have really felt I wanted those facilities.  Plus I really couldn't enlarge my photos to a commercial size and there have been a couple of occasions when that has meant I missed a chance to sell a print - not the end of the world for me, but it would have been nice.

I have no intention of being anything but a photographic hobbyist (and blogger of course) but there comes a time when your horizons need to be pushed just a bit further.  So I'm joining the ranks and starting on a new learning curve.  It might mean the quality of my photos takes a dive!  But I hope I'll soon get the hang of the basics.  (I aim to be reasonably competent by the time my granddaughter is born in early December!)

As you can see from the photo, I've bought a Nikon D3100.  I chose that for several reasons - crucially, that I could afford it!  It's had a good write-up in all the mags and it was recommended to me by John Gravett, who is an inspirational photographer and superb teacher. (He led the LPH photography holiday/workshop I went on in May.)  The final 'push' was that I got chatting to a girl at the Bingley Show who was using one and she said she really loved it.  My first impressions are good.  It has auto-functions that mean even a non-techy can use it straight out of the box but plenty of scope to take control too.  It feels good in my hands and is much more satisfyingly clunky than my other cameras.  But it's not too heavy with the 18-55mm kit lens.

Despite the fact that I should be well 'grown-up' by now and therefore quite well-balanced about major purchases - and I don't have to justify it to anyone -  I'm a curious mixture of delighted, scared (in case I find out I can't adapt to it) and horrified that I can think of spending all that money (when there are people starving in Africa...)  Is that just me or do other people have those kind of mixed feelings when they buy new gear?  Anyway, like it or not (!) I will be sharing my progress on my blogs.  I enjoy watching other people's experiments with new cameras and lenses and blogland is a good place to be inspired - so here goes....

Saltaire Archive

Saltaire's archive of photos, documents and memorabilia is usually opened to the public once a year and this year it's from 1st to 12th August (presumably including the weekend, though the poster doesn't specify.)  It would be well worth a visit if you're in the area.  There is a permanent display in Salts Mill but it shows only a fraction of what is stored.  There are new treasures arriving all the time too.  Our local paper's write-up promises the 1897 diary of one of the village residents.

I like the poster.  The main picture shows the Saltaire boathouse and the pleasure steamer that used to give people short rides on the river.   The school may be Saltaire's factory school or the primary school on Albert Road, then there is the old postcard of Salt's Mill (you can recognise the New Mill's chimney) and finally Sir Titus Salt himself - with a splendid beard!

Heavy horses

Perhaps the highlight of Bingley Show for me was seeing these 'heavy horses' in the show ring.  Also known as shire horses, they were at one time very common in Britain.  In fact one of my great-grandfathers made his living as a blacksmith in Sheffield, shoeing these beasts.  They used to be used for ploughing, logging and as cart horses.  Immensely strong, they were also used to pull barges along our canals. A few breweries still use them to haul the drays used to deliver beer barrels to pubs.  The city of Bradford uses its team of heavy horses to pull a water cart, watering the floral hanging baskets around the shopping centre - and, when they're not working, you can see the horses at the Industrial Museum.

Sadly they are dying out as working horses, overtaken by mechanisation.  (It was recently announced that the Bradford horses are likely to be sold as part of budget cuts, though there has been quite an outcry about that.)  Most of the remaining horses are kept as pets - but at six feet tall at the shoulder, weighing as much as a family car and costing about the same to keep (about £80 a week and a new horseshoe alone can cost £60) they're not the kind of thing you can keep in your backyard.  They are considered to be at risk - there are said to be less than 1500 breeding mares alive today (globally I think that is, not just in the UK) but I gather that numbers have begun to increase again in recent years, thanks to a few specialist breeders here and in the USA.

Are you trying to make me look like an ass?

Meet Warrior and Cheyenne - a much more cuddly pair than their names would suggest.  They were two of about six donkeys providing rides for children at this year's Bingley Show.  It's an English seaside tradition to have donkey rides along the beach.  I can still remember the feel of their warm, rough hair against my shorts-clad legs as a child, and the sound of the bells on their harness.  Sadly, I'm too old for rides now... but I was pleased to see the tradition continued at the Show and there were lots of happy kiddies laying down memories for the future.

[Yes, I know this photo would have been better with a bit of depth of field blur on the cluttered background.  My camera won't do that.... but my new one might!  ;-) ]

Prize vegetables

It warms my heart to know that there are still people in this land who can be bothered to grow and tend their potatoes, beetroot, onions, carrots or cabbages in the fond hope that they might be able to produce and exhibit three perfect specimens!  This was the horticultural tent at Bingley Show.  A wonderful antidote to the madness of phone hacking, drink and drug-ruined celebs and the mindless violence we've seen on our news screens lately.  (Though who knows what plotting and skulduggery goes on behind the scenes before a local show....)

Herding geese

You've heard, I'm sure, the idiomatic saying about herding cats... well, here at Bingley Show there were dogs herding geese - and it looked about as difficult as herding cats would be.  It made everyone laugh!

I do love border collies though.  They are the traditional British 'sheepdog', highly intelligent and athletic and, I think, very attractive dogs.  One of my friends once told me she thought if I was a dog I'd be a border collie, as she said they often have one ear cocked.... and, being very hard of hearing, I often tilt my head to one side trying to hear better!  So I think that was her reasoning, rather than the fact that I'm intelligent, athletic (not!), attractive and good at herding cats...!

Bingley Show

Bingley is the next town up the Aire valley from Saltaire and every year it holds a one-day agricultural show  - a surprisingly large event for a small town.  This year was the 131st show.  It is a wonderful mix of traditional and modern, tasteful and tacky.  The focal point has always been the chance for local farmers to show their livestock, and local people to enter handicrafts, flowers and vegetables into the show's 'classes' to be judged.  There are numerous trade stands; it is a place for farmers and local businesses to network.  But it also provides a fun day out for families, with lots to watch in the show arena - from show-jumping to clowns, stunt bikes to sheep-shearing.  There is usually some kind of highlight like sky-diving too.  This year there was to be a fly-past by a Lancaster Bomber from the RAF memorial flight (the same one that flew over London after the Royal Wedding) - though I didn't see that, as I had to leave before the scheduled time.

I never find it easy to get photos; the crowds mean you often can't get close enough to the action and the background is always cluttered, but I keep trying every year to somehow capture the essence of the event.  At least it was a dry and bright day this year.  It traditionally rains on Show day and often the park meadow is a sea of mud!  I was rather taken by these cattle (Herefords, I think).  I'm not sure if it was a family group or the winners in each class - but there was an enormous (though seemingly quite docile) bull, a couple of heifers and a cow with a calf.

Another cream tea!

I couldn't miss the opportunity for another cream tea this weekend!  Some friends of mine opened their garden to raise funds to buy an 'Event Shelter' for our church's young people's groups to use when they go to summer festivals.  (I didn't know what that was.  I'm told it's a kind of gazebo where the group can gather to chat, pray and worship together.)  Coming soon to New Wine - so look out for it, H!  And if you want to know what New Wine is, then keep an eye on H's blog, Little Sealed Packages, in a couple of week's time.

Since it was a lovely day, it wasn't a great hardship to go along to support the cause.  It's a beautiful garden, cleverly laid out to make the most of the very steeply sloping site.  I've posted a photo of it before and it looks just as gorgeous in the summer as in the spring - full of colour and interest.  I'm totally happy to sit in my friends' gardens, chat, enjoy tea and cakes - and listen (in this case) to some live music played by a couple of members of 'Hot Aire'.  No hardship at all.

A spring of water

Another view of the round pool and statue at Parcevall Hall.  There is a biblical quote etched into the paving stone, from John 4: 'A spring of water welling up to eternal life'.

The full quote is:
Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

I have always found time spent at Parcevall, whether a few hours or a few days, has been a refreshing experience for me.  I go back to normal life feeling more grounded, spiritually nourished and with a better perspective on things. I guess we all need to find places we can go to, or activities we can do, that have that effect on us.  What is yours?

Dragonfly

I don't do a lot of macro photography as I have never figured out really how to use my camera's macro function.  I don't think it's anything like as good as a DSLR macro lens would be.  Nevertheless I quite liked this close-up image of a dragonfly and its shadow.  I don't know much about them - from 'googling' the species I think it is some kind of Hawker (Aeshna) but that's as far as I've got.   Any dragonfly experts out there?

Isn't nature amazing though?....so many wonderful varieties of flora and fauna, each exquisite down to the tiniest detail.  I've just been watching part of a David Attenborough programme (he's one of England's 'national treasures'!)  about Madagascar on TV, and wow, the variety of life there is incredible. Such weird and wonderful creatures. You couldn't make it up!  80% of the island's animals and plants are unique to Madagascar. (Not sure if the TV link will be viewable outside UK but you could try.)
---
I'm shocked at the dreadful scenes in Norway and send my heartfelt condolences to anyone affected by those horrific acts of violence.  My thoughts and prayers too to all of you suffering the extreme heatwave in North America (much as I wish it was a bit warmer here, I don't like it hot - and that heat and humidity must be literally a killer).  Hope you can find ways of staying cool.

Waterlilies

There are several ponds and water features around Parcevall Hall gardens, and one had these pretty pink waterlilies -  nymphaea - though I don't know what variety they are.  Such exotic flowers to find in a windswept and remote location.

What a view!

Parcevall Hall's gardens extend over 24 acres on a steeply sloping site.  Some of the area is orchard and woodland but around the house there are formal terraced gardens, whilst behind is an interesting rock garden, carved out of the limestone bedrock, and a pretty rose garden.  There are magnificent views across to the hill known as Simon's Seat and down towards the valley of the River Wharfe - and happily there are plenty of benches strategically placed to make the most of the scenery.

Originally laid out by Sir William Milner from 1927, the gardens became neglected after his death until a restoration programme was started in the 1980s.  Now back to their former glory, they are carefully managed to provide interest all year round (though the site is remote and can be difficult to access in winter.)  The hall and gardens have been featured in films and on TV and though not attracting hordes of visitors (thankfully it retains a peaceful feel) they are of great interest to garden enthusiasts.
-----

I was pondering John's comment yesterday about my photos having 'balance and serenity'.  I think I do very much seek out those qualities in my lifestyle and environment - and I suppose, by definition therefore, my photos.  Working for a large public sector organisation that, despite its protestations to the contrary, seems hell-bent on demoralising its workforce and making it impossible for us to give the public the good service they deserve - and then coming home to the media stories of greed, corruption and "couldn't care less about others, only seeking to serve myself" in high places... I really need beauty and peace and I find it most easily in nature (though that also has its harsh side).  Today's good news is: my daughter's 20 week scan is fine - and it's a girl.  And my mum's treatment is working as hoped and she is doing well.  Praise God - and thank you for your kind thoughts and comments on both matters.

A little bit of heaven on earth

Up in the Yorkshire Dales, just over the hill from Trollerdale (see yesterday) this lovely old manor house nestles into the hillside.  It's known as Parcevall Hall and was built as a farmhouse in about 1584.  Sensitively extended into a hall over the years, it became the home of Sir William Milner, who bequeathed it on his death in 1960 to the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham (an Anglo-Catholic shrine and place of pilgrimage in Norfolk).  Now leased by the Diocese of Bradford (Church of England) it is used as a conference and retreat centre.  I think it's one of the most beautiful places I know.

I have several times stayed here, both on retreat and running several training conferences (in my previous self-employed life).  It's a really peaceful, serene place. The old building is beautiful and full of lovely things.  I once slept in its grand four-poster bed - and some of the cast-iron Victorian baths are nearly big enough to swim in! (Sir William Milner was 6'7" tall so that perhaps explains the size of the baths.) The house is only open to guests but the extensive gardens are open to the public to enjoy.

Here be trolls.....

I had a day out recently up into the beautiful and wild scenery of the Craven area of Yorkshire, in Lower Wharfedale in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.  It's less than an hour's drive from Saltaire but the scenery is very different.  This is limestone country - with rocky outcrops, disappearing streams, potholes and caves.  Here is the little valley called Trollerdale that leads up to a narrow limestone gorge called Troller's Gill.  Look carefully and you can see a few walkers and people picnicking.  They need to be watchful...  Legend has it that the valley is populated by trolls who hurl rocks down on unsuspecting travellers.  The ravine is reputedly haunted by the Barghest, the terrifying ghostly black hound of Craven, said to be the inspiration for Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes story, 'The Hound of the Baskervilles'.  It's a very beautiful spot but also quite isolated and it does have rather an eerie feel.  I wouldn't choose to walk up there on my own!

Sunday bridge

Looking back to a time when it wasn't raining....sigh!.... this is Barden Bridge - across the River Wharfe up in the Yorkshire Dales.  It's my entry for the Sunday Bridges theme hosted by Louis La Vache.  It amazes me just how many variations there are on the simple idea of a bridge.  After all, they all have the one purpose: to get from one side of an obstacle to another - and yet the ways mankind has dreamed up to do that are myriad.  This is a good solid stone bridge, but it has a narrow roadway - designed I think for the days before cars were common.  It has little niches for pedestrians to step out of the way of vehicles.

Barden Bridge is on the Bolton Abbey Estate, adjacent to the ruin of the sixteenth century hunting lodge known as Barden Tower.

Saturday story

Wet weekends are a pain for a dedicated photo blogger.... two precious days off work and no chance to get out and take photos... The only solution is to try an idea pioneered by my lovely and very creative blogfriend, Betsy, over at 'My Five Men'  and document my day's activities.  I'm sure she won't mind being copied - it's fun to see how other people spend their days.

Click to enlarge

1 Oops, a late start... a Saturday lie-in is a treat (Note special vibrating alarm clock for deaf person assumes person also blind... has numbers 2 inches high)  2 First cup of tea is the best!   3 Yup, it's rainin'   4 Breakfast: Puffed rice, some of 'Betsy's granola' (she's a star, that girl!) and some juice   5 Shower, wash hair, paint toenails   6 Load the washing machine   7 Get the Marigolds on and clean the bathroom   8 Wrap gift for a friend   9 Change bedding; love the way it looks all clean and love even more sliding into clean sheets at bedtime   10 Still rainin'   11 Lunch: homemade mushroom soup, ciabatta with blue cheese and more tea   12 Off to help celebrate a friend's retirement   13 Sneaked a peek inside the church where friend has been vicar for 25 years   14 Wishing you a long & happy retirement, Gordon & Lis   15 Negotiating the Bradford inner ring road (the lovely old building opposite is the Paper Hall, the oldest house in Bradford, built in 1640) - note sudden but short-lived blue sky  16 More traffic lights   17 Supermarket shop on the way home   18 Sit down with a cup of frothy coffee and a chapter of my book  19  Take out trash and check how the garden looks after all that rain   20 Watch tea-time TV News   21 Catch up on the ironing   22 What's for dinner? Chicken curry   23 Old-fashioned washing-up   24 Time for blogging :)

Swishing

Have you ever 'swished'?  Well, neither had I until the other night but I tried it and it was fun!  According to the fount of all knowledge, Wikipedia, 'Swishing' refers to swapping an item of clothing, shoes or an accessory with friends or acquaintances.  I'd not heard of it before, but some of the young women at our church, St Peter's in Shipley, decided to hold a 'swishing' party to raise funds for our youth work. (We employ a full-time youth worker and run holiday clubs, community events and regular youth club nights, all paid for by our congregation.)

The idea was that you took along some clothes that 'you would be proud to hand on to someone else' (ie: not your oldest tat!) and something to drink, plus a monetary donation if you wished.  All the clothes were displayed and for the first hour you were free to browse and try things on.  After an hour, the Swish was declared 'open', at which point you could claim the item or items you had set your sights on... provided no-one else had the same idea.  I was very fortunate to gain a lovely easy-fitting cotton twill jacket in a soft sage green (see inset pic), which is as comfortable as a second skin.  From The Earth Collection, it's ethically made too, so I can feel doubly happy.  I managed to offload a pair of rather nice taupe shoes which I'd worn twice and which pinched unbearably (bad shopping error), and a silk chiffon skirt that I wore to my daughter's graduation but that I have quite simply grown too fat for.  (Middle-aged spread!)  It's kind of heart-warming to know your well-loved things have gone to good homes.

Treasures

More garden treasures: this time a collection of stone jars, jugs and shells tastefully arranged on a little table under a willow tree.  This too was one of the 'Open Gardens' though it happens to belong to a friend of mine.  I may not be a gardener myself, but some of my best friends are!

I played around with this photo, following the 'recipe' given in a camera magazine.  I subscribe to a couple of magazines and wish I had time to experiment a bit more with their suggestions (as well as all the tutorials on the internet) as there are some good ideas within them.

Bird spa - and a stone face

No apologies for having a garden-themed week this week...  Nab Wood's 'Open Gardens' were so beautiful and deserve a wider audience.   This is another of the terraces in the garden I featured yesterday.  The owner showed me some photographs of how the garden looked when they bought the house - and it was literally bare earth and rubbish.  To have turned it into this little oasis in (I think he said) 11 years is nothing short of a miracle.

One of the interesting games you can play when looking round the open gardens is to spot the half-hidden, quirky little treasures that people have placed.  Here, the bird bath takes centre-stage and I'll bet the birds love to splash in it.... but can you see the stone face in the corner of the border, a bit like one of the Easter Island statues?

Herbaceous border

All those keen gardeners out there will correct me if I'm wrong but I think this is what we in England call an 'herbaceous border' (and in North America, a perennial border?)  Whatever, I thought it looked magnificent, even in the small space of this back garden.  One of my favourite gardens from this year's 'Open Gardens', it was a steeply sloping site cleverly arranged into three level terraces.  Each little 'room' was delightful.

The beauty of a rose...

....needs no explanation.

An English garden

Every year in the Saltaire/Nab Wood area there is a weekend when a number of local families open their gardens to the public, to raise money for The Children's Society charity.  There are usually about 12 gardens in the scheme, all within an area of about a square mile, so it's easy to plan a delightful walk that takes in several in an afternoon.  The weather was warm and damp but the occasional rain showers didn't curb my enthusiasm.  I'm not a keen gardener but I do like looking at other people's efforts! And, with careful planning, I managed to arrive at one that was serving cream teas (scones, strawberries and cream, with a cup of tea) at just the time when I needed a brief sit-down and a drink.

The gardens vary in size but most are quite modest, belonging to the detached and semi-detached houses that make up the Nab Wood area.  Nevertheless, it is wonderful what keen gardeners are able to do with quite small plots.  In the one in this photo, they were growing fruit and vegetables happily alongside the very pretty flower borders.

Hunkering down..

 

Just as parents-to-be need to do a lot of preparing and 'nesting' in the months leading up to the birth, so (it seems) do grannies-to-be ... or is it only me?  I find myself looking with new interest at babies in general and noticing shops that sell baby things and adverts for 'nearly-new' sales that I've never taken any interest in before. I know it's no good indulging my yearning for little baby clothes - my daughter tends to be rather particular about things and I doubt my taste would concur with hers.  But I did have a good idea (I think) to start a collection of books, to keep at my house, that might provide some amusement for my precious grandchild in years to come: books I loved as a child, books my daughter loved and selected modern children's classics.  However reliant we all are on computers and electronic gadgets, I still think there's a place for books in the life of a child.  And even if (horror) my own grandchild(ren) turn out to be book-averse, as some are, it will serve to amuse me!  (I don't know why I don't have any left over from the early days but I don't.  Obviously too ruthless in my decluttering in times past.)

I even found a lovely place to start a wish-list: http://www.librarything.com - where you can search for titles, start your own lists and link in to reviews and sellers too.  A lot of fun.  Needless to say, all suggestions for additions to my list will be gratefully received and enjoyed.

This photo has very little to do with all that!  But I decided to post it simply because I like it.  It fits well with the Weekend Reflections theme and if you like reflections in all guises, then do have a look at the other entries this week - here.  This attractive spot is a few miles along the Leeds-Liverpool Canal in Riddlesden.   It would be a gorgeous place to hunker down for the afternoon with a drink and a book - though perhaps not the best place to settle with a toddler in tow!

Working on the water

This is something you'd never get me doing!  I can't stand climbing ladders and I especially couldn't stand being on a ladder with its feet in the canal!  It looks like these are painters with quite a demanding task ahead of them - though the canal isn't very deep really.  I featured this lovely little window before on this blog.  It's an office, with a very attractive outlook onto the canal.  I don't think I'd get much work done if my desk was there.  It's right beside the overnight moorings for boats at Salts Wharf and there are usually a couple of narrowboats tied up.

Waiting for a train

To me, there is something vaguely exciting, unsettling and romantic about places of transit: airports and railway stations in particular.  Saltaire station looks especially romantic right now - the little waiting shelter is covered over with a mass of the palest pink roses.  I have no idea what variety they are... some sort of climbing rose with very dense, small petalled rosettes of flowers, and very pretty.

The station itself used to be a lot more attractive than it is now (see here for an old photo).  The railway pre-existed Saltaire (and was one of the reasons Titus Salt chose this site for his mill) and the  station opened in 1856.  It was closed by government cuts in 1965 but thankfully reopened again in 1984.  It is now a busy commuter line with links to Leeds and Bradford; both cities can be accessed in less than 20 minutes. Having a station so near at hand is great - Leeds is a very good shopping centre and both Leeds and Bradford have some excellent theatres and other cultural venues.  As you can imagine, when my daughter was in her teens the bonus of being near the station meant I didn't have to worry about transport when she went off on (frequent) nights out with her friends.

The building behind the station is the old Saltaire Dining Hall, which used to provide meals for the mill workers and is now part of Shipley College. Beyond that you can see the top of the New Mill's chimney.

Evening's shadows

I walked home the long way round after the evening service at church on Sunday.  The day had been sunny and warm and the evening was delightful with its golden light and long shadows.  In many ways it's the best time in Saltaire, when all the crowds of visitors have gone home and the village settles down quietly for the night.  Meandering along Albert Terrace, negotiating the uneven stone setts ( I had high-ish heels on, not a good idea on that road!) it struck me how leafy this part of Saltaire looks in summer.  Maybe the trees have grown a bit since the 1850s... nevertheless, I fancied I saw a Victorian crinoline swishing round one of the corners....

Sunday praise

Those of you who have been following my blog for a while will have become familiar with the square mile of northern England that is the World Heritage Site of Saltaire.  I have covered most aspects over the two years I've been blogging, so I can't show you much that is new.  You've seen this bandstand in Roberts Park before - not the original Victorian one, which was demolished years ago, but the new one that was introduced when the park was refurbished in 2010.

What you won't have seen before is this choir:  it's the choir and music group from my church, St Peter's in Shipley, who filled the regular 'Sunday Concert in the Park' slot this afternoon, along with a local band called 'Hot Aire'.  It's been a glorious day, bright sunshine and pleasantly warm, so the park was full of people strolling and sitting.  I think most enjoyed the music, which was a mixture of traditional hymns and modern worship songs.  I'm sure Sir Titus Salt, staunch Christian that he was, would have been delighted to hear godly praise in his park on a Sunday afternoon.  Well done, St Peter's folk!

Happy days

Well, hello.... I think it's time to start blogging again after my short break.  I've had some busy, happy days:

❀ celebrated two birthdays - mine and my mum's.  No big fuss, but some laid-back celebrations with friends.  You may recall me saying my mum has not been well for several months.  I'm pleased to report she is responding well to treatment and I'm not nearly as worried about her as I was a while ago.

❀ did some necessary chores in the house and garden... I have herbs! I'm really pleased. As I've said before, I don't have a green finger on me, so anything that grows in my tiny patch is a bonus.  I just need to remember to water it as we are having some very dry weather again.

❀ ate lots - strawberries (and cream sometimes) and rather too many M&S Rocky Road mini-bites, a delicious confection of marshmallow, raisins, crunchy biscuit pieces and chocolate. Only 50 calories apiece.  If only I could just eat one...

❀ watched some tennis.  I've loved Wimbledon since I was a schoolkid, when for one glorious fortnight a year we were allowed to watch TV in our PE lessons, instead of doing unspeakably awful things running around with balls outside. (Hockey, tennis, no matter - I was terrible at everything and hated PE with a vengeance!)

❀ spent an exhausting but fulfilling few days in London, helping my daughter and son-in-law to move to a new flat - their first purchase after renting for several years.  They're thrilled and it was a pleasure to be able to lend a hand.  I packed a van-load of boxes and gave the new flat a good clean before all their stuff arrived.  As J now carries a neat little baby-bump, I was keen to spare her the effort of scrubbing floors and washing tiles down.  Pity it was the hottest few days in London since 1996... Phew!
There were a few teething problems - one involving 'the washing machine of doom' as my daughter termed it, which had been left behind by the previous owners.  It flooded the kitchen with stinky black water, which then proceeded to drip through the ceiling of the flat below - not a good intro to your new neighbours!  However, thanks to fervent prayer, a charming plumber and some very good-natured removal men, the problem was solved satisfactorily.

Now life is resuming its more usual rhythm and I hope to be able to get back to taking photos and posting blogs.  I have changed the blog name, mainly so I can escape the pressure of daily posts, which was becoming a bit too demanding.  I don't think you'll see much significant change but I am giving myself a wider scope than 'Saltaire Daily Photo' allowed.

Tweaking....

I'm in the process of 'tweaking' this blog a bit.  Normal service will be resumed shortly!

If you want photos, have a look at my other blog: 'Seeking the Quiet Eye', where I have posted some from my recent holiday in the Lake District.

Reflections... in more ways than one

This is a repost of a picture I posted way back near the beginning of this blog - but I still like it.  It shows Salts Mill on the left and the New Mill on the right, from the towpath of the Leeds-Liverpool Canal, which cuts between the two.  It's one of the iconic views of Saltaire; similar photos appear in most magazine articles about the village.  But it's atypical because there was no wind and the reflections were mirror-like.  This corridor acts like a wind-tunnel, channelling the prevailing westerlies.  Sir Titus Salt placed the mills on this side of the village of Saltaire so that the smoke from the chimneys would be blown away from the houses.  In the distance you can see the sole remaining green, covered walkway that connects the two mill buildings.  At one time there were three bridges.

It's a good photo for Weekend Reflections this week.  For more entries please click this link.

I'm choosing a 'blast from my past' as today marks the second anniversary of starting this blog.  I only meant to do it for a year.... but then it turned out to be so much fun, not least because of the wonderful fellowship of fellow bloggers.  Many, many thanks for all the lovely encouraging comments you've left over those two years.  I'm going to carry on blogging but I'm considering a slight tweak to the blog.  To be honest, the daily format is proving a bit of a constraint as lately I seem to have more demands on my time. And that will (happily) get 'worse' rather than better in the future... my first grandchild is expected in December this year.  I'm thrilled to bits, of course!

I'm going to take a short break, to relax, reflect and regroup - and celebrate another birthday next week too.  I'll be back soon. Don't go away!  (In the meantime I might put some photos on my other blog. 'Seeking the Quiet Eye' so keep a look-out there.)

Mr & Mrs Swan and family

Well, I won't be beaten!  Having complained the other day that swans won't 'pose' for me, I managed to catch quite an attractive grouping of Saltaire's adult pair with their two surviving cygnets.  To add to the fun, the adults had their wings up in that elusive posture they sometimes adopt, enjoying - I imagine - the warm sunshine on their backs.  I say 'elusive' because in my experience they immediately retract when they spot a camera (or maybe just MY camera!)  In this case they hadn't seen me because I was hiding on the bridge above - ha!  And although there is a bit of shadow on two of the birds' heads, I managed on the whole not to blow-out the highlights on their feathers.  I'll give this one 7 out of 10, which is a big advance on previous attempts!

I was interested in Dianne's comment on my previous swan post that she only sees Black swans in Adelaide.   Black swans are only seen here in collections or as escapes.  The swans above are our native Mute swans.  We also see Whooper swans and Bewick's swans but only overwintering in our estuaries and wetlands; they don't breed here.  I have loved these amazing birds ever since I saw the amazing spectacle of hundreds of Whooper swans flying in at dusk, at one of our bird reserves in Cambridgeshire - moving, beautiful and reminiscent of a ballet; one of those lifetime 'must-see' experiences, in my opinion.  So strong yet so graceful, swans often mate for life and are celebrated in folklore and myths.  But at one time they were bred here for food and were so valued that they were marked by their owners.  All unmarked birds were considered to be the property of the Crown.

Serendipity

This is not one of the best photos I've ever taken, but I'm posting it because of a little happy accident.  I took a short walk last Sunday morning (taking advantage of the early sunshine before it rained) and noticed this narrowboat moored opposite Saltaire's church.  It's fairly usual to see some boats fastened up there but I noticed this one particularly because it was newly painted and smarter than average.  There didn't seem to be anyone on board - or maybe they were having a Sunday morning lie-in.  Anyway, I didn't really take much more notice and discarded the photo later as being a bit below my quality standard for the blog. (It's a tricky location, as it's heavily shaded by the trees.)

I subscribe to 'Google Alerts' for Saltaire and some time later an alert popped up indicating a blog entry mentioning Saltaire.  To my delight, the blog - Narrowboat Tacet - is about this very boat and has a post about their journey through Saltaire.  So we'll say hello to Ian and Karen (and Jumble the dog).  They're rather bravely having a 'grown-up gap year' adventure, living on their narrowboat and exploring the inland waterways of Britain - and blogging along the way.  I've a secret yearning to do the same really, so I can only envy them, and I'll be following their exploits with interest from now on.  I wish them all the best and hope it's lots of fun.

Growing your own

Part of the original plan for Titus Salt's model village of Saltaire included areas of allotment gardens, because the houses have no gardens to speak of.  'Growing your own' vegetables never went totally out of fashion but in recent times it's enjoying a huge resurgence in this country - thanks in part to the recession but also to its popularisation by TV chefs like Jamie Oliver and Nigel Slater.  I was struck by how neat this allotment is.  Rows of potatoes, beans and onions appear to be growing vigorously despite the dry spring we had.  (I must point out that it's not mine....  I haven't a green finger on my body and all my veg comes in plastic bags from the supermarket!)