All things woolly

From this ⬆️  to this ⬇️ ... 

Yorkshire has a centuries' long tradition of sheep farming - and with it, of course, a long tradition of spinning and weaving, originally as a home-based industry and then, after the Industrial Revolution, in the mills that sprang up all over the area. Thankfully the skills of the homeworkers never quite died out and there are guilds dedicated to supporting those who still practise the crafts of spinning, weaving and knitting. 

At Masham Sheep Fair, dedicated to all things woolly, you could buy full fleeces as they come, straight off the sheep, and you could also buy skeins of wool, handspun and hand dyed. 

In the village hall, there was a wool craft fair. Ladies were demonstrating spinning and weaving and there were some beautiful products to buy, including sweaters, scarves, throws, socks and a good selection of knitted soft toys.  

The sheep races

Among the events at Masham Sheep Fair are the sheep races. Four sheep are enticed along a run, with the promise of some food. They all have ribbons and there is a sweepstake, betting on which sheep will reach the food trough first. It's a light-hearted way of raising money for charity.

However, there has been a petition raised by animal rights activists (who have probably never even seen the 'races') to have them banned as being cruel. To be honest, the sheep didn't look in the least uncomfortable or frightened to me. The crowd weren't roaring noisily and the animals were just running after the food, which I have often seen them do in the fields when the farmer arrives with the buckets. 'They don't know they're racing. They aren't actually racing. They're just trotting for some food.' It's hardly bull-running, as the local paper pointed out. They don't get stabbed at the end!

Masham Sheep Fair

The small market town of Masham, in Wensleydale, has for the past 30 years held an annual sheep fair in the market square. The fair commemorates the sheep sales that used to be held here, which thrived because of the town's proximity to Jervaulx and Fountains Abbey, with their large flocks of sheep. The fair raises a lot of money for charity. This year, the beneficiary will be the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

I love the bustle of these kind of events and Masham is a lovely setting, its square lined with fine Georgian buildings.

Incidentally, the judge in the photo below (in the pale green jacket) is Sir Gary Verity. He is a sheep farmer but perhaps is more famous for being the Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, the county's official tourism agency. He was responsible for bringing the Grand Départ of the Tour de France to the county in 2014, and since then for inaugurating the Tour de Yorkshire cycle race.

A walk in the woods

A walk in the woods, around the Bingley St Ives estate. Signs of autumn are very visible.

Fear

The theme in my online club for September was 'Fear'. I find the emotion themes are really difficult. They seem to need people in them and I rarely feel very comfortable photographing people. I came up with this composite image, using one of the willow sculptures that are dotted around Harlow Carr Gardens. Rather light-hearted - so we'll see what comments I get this month.

Orange and green

Kay Latto

There is an autumn sculpture trail at RHS Harlow Carr Gardens, an added pleasure as you walk through the natural beauty of the gardens. I was particularly impressed by these pieces made by the Ripon-based artist, Kay Latto.

The one above is called 'The Space Between'. Unusually, it was designed to view from the front, the back being hollow. The bust below is 'Summer', one of four heads collectively entitled 'The Four Seasons'.

They are first sculpted in clay, kiln fired and then a mould is made and cast in bronze powder and resin. I think the faces have a wonderful strength and beauty.  If I won the lottery, I'd buy things like this!

These boots...

... were made for walking - but now they're plant pots. Rather a good idea, I think, and certainly colourful.

Still rolling along

Another of my photos from Leeds Dock - You may recall seeing a post featuring this sculpture before (HERE).  The poor guy is still trying to roll the ball along, getting nowhere. It takes on a different feel after dark, with the lights twinkling in the reflective sphere. The sculptor is Kevin Atherton and it's entitled 'A reflective approach'. There's a similar but smaller sphere further back.

Leeds Dock at night

I met up with some friends from my camera club in Leeds one evening to take some photos around the Dock area. This is where the Leeds-Liverpool Canal ends and joins up with the Aire and Calder Navigation. The canal basin area has been redeveloped in recent times and is surrounded by apartments, offices, bars and restaurants. The Royal Armouries Museum is also in the vicinity (to the left on my photo). It can be quite a lively place during the day and at night comes to life with all the lights reflected in the water. It was drizzling heavily all evening so I had to keep wiping rain off my lens. (One of my photos has some interestingly blurry 'bokeh' caused by the raindrops.) At one point we all decamped to a café for coffee and to get dry, which warmed us up and provided some good camaraderie. Great fun - and I feel a lot safer in this kind of environment when I'm with friends. Not really a good place to hang around alone at night, I guess.

Climbing Kilnsey Crag

The showground is right underneath the famous Kilnsey Crag, which is a magnet for climbers. It was rather fun watching them, as well as enjoying all that the Kilnsey Show itself had to offer. According to a climbing article (here) the Crag 'offers some of the best sport climbing to be found anywhere in Britain', with around 120 different routes. (Ignore the three power lines in the photo above, they were between me and the Crag and look enormous through the telephoto lens!)

Senior Crag Race

Kilnsey Show 2017

The highlight of the annual Kilnsey Show is the Crag Race. Fell races (where people run up and down hills - for fun) are not uncommon hereabouts but the Kilnsey race is arguably the hardest of all. The 2 km course starts in the valley bottom and heads directly up the fell side to the top of Kilnsey Crag and then (literally) straight back down, skidding down the scree slopes. The record was set in 1982 at 07:35 minutes, by local runner Mick Hawkins and has not yet been broken. 

This year, the Senior Men's race was won by Nick Swinburn from Northumberland Fell Runners club, in 08.03 minutes. He is the guy (120) in the photo above. At that point, just after starting the race, he was in second place.  A former competitor, Roger Ingham, said of it: 'The Crag Race is explosive - you need to be in pole position half way up because it's hard to pass on the scree - and it's fearsome coming down.' Nick seems to have taken that to heart and appeared to be in a good position from an early stage. 

In the photo below the runners are streaming across the lower slopes. Their destination is the red flag, among the people at the top right!

By the time they crested the ridge (below), Nick was leading and continued at the front until he ran home in first place.
Incidentally, some of the guys from my camera club were up there taking photos. You can perhaps see one of them in dark clothing on the left of the runners, with a light-coloured dog (below). They got some incredible pictures... but you wouldn't ever find me up there! There was someone taking video with a drone too.

The descent from the top flag is precipitous!

A round of applause for a worthy winner!

Baa, neigh, moo.

Kilnsey Show 2017

'Baa, we're stuck in this truck and want to be out of here.'  These sheep were awaiting the shearing demonstration.  

And ... who knew that there was such a thing as a miniature donkey? The miniature donkey had an even tinier foal. Just too cute!

I also loved the highland calf, furry, ginger and very interested in all that was going on.

Sheepdog trials

Kilnsey Show 2017
In the Dales where sheep farming is a way of life, it seemed appropriate that there were sheepdog trials as part of the Show.
I love to watch these intelligent dogs working out strategy and lying low in the grass, creeping forward stealthily and then darting like lightning to round up those sheep that make a run for it.

Judging sheep

Kilnsey Show 2017

No, not 'the ones that got away'! During the judging of the livestock, the judges want to see them walk. The cattle are led around on ropes but the sheep are are held until it's their turn and then let loose. It can be quite amusing when they want to assert their independence!  

Sheep judging is a serious business, and requires some concentration.

Kilnsey Show 2017

Another show, though this one is going back a couple of weeks. (I can't keep up with myself!)  I was delighted to tick off another item on my bucket list with a visit to the 120th Kilnsey Show. I've thought about going many times but it is always held on the Tuesday after August Bank Holiday Monday so I've always been at work until now. (Yay!) It's held in a gorgeous setting, in fields right under Kilnsey Crag, in my favourite of the Yorkshire Dales, Upper Wharfedale. It is a 'proper' agricultural show, reflecting the surrounding Dales rural life, farming, culture and crafts. There are trade stands for farmers and more livestock than at our local Bingley Show but plenty of general interest too and plenty to learn for a 'townie' like me. 

It's always interesting to see how they go about building a dry-stone wall, an ancient craft that is being nurtured in our limestone dales. There were trophies for those judged best Junior and Senior Dry Stone Walling Champions. 

It was lovely to see the shire horses too. Now they don't use them for farm work there are many fewer than there used to be; yet another piece of our history that enthusiasts are trying to preserve.

The morning of the show is taken up with horse riding and jumping in the main ring. I didn't see much of it but there were some beautiful horses around. The one below looks like it was dipped in chocolate! So pretty.

Autumn approaching

I made another trip to Harlow Carr, the RHS garden near Harrogate. (I'm making the most of my RHS membership.) I was a little surprised to see how many of the trees are already adopting their autumn colours. It's rather early; I wouldn't usually expect to see this depth of colour until October. Always beautiful though, whenever the season arrives.

The Piano Raft

I've seen this remarkable vessel on the canal around the area before, though in recent months it appears to have been extended and embellished. It is the 'Piano Raft', the home of Ben Cummins - artist, former university lecturer and wandering nomad. Four years ago, he set himself the task of transporting a piano (that appears to have seen better days) from Liverpool to London by canal, on this floating raft that has no motor and has to be pulled. Perhaps sensibly, he has given himself 25 years to achieve it! The entire raft is made of recycled items - the doors and drawers of vintage furniture, pallets, a window made out of a washing machine door - all floating on blue plastic barrels. He uses a small bath to row to shore, when that is needed. Recently he has extended the space to provide a platform to be used for theatre workshops along the way.

It's becoming quite famous. There have been numerous articles in the press (see HERE) and Ben himself has a Facebook page (HERE), a Twitter account and quite a devoted following.  Easy perhaps, to dismiss it all as a bit bonkers... but Ben is a really open and friendly guy, full of ideas and enthusiasm. It wouldn't be the kind of life that most of us would choose, perhaps, but there's a lot to be said for a free spirit, a sustainable and creative lifestyle and the giving and receiving of simple hospitality and friendship. I hope Ben stays afloat, in every sense of the word. 

Star Wars Saltaire

Fun to see a mini Star Wars invasion during Saltaire Festival...  The films rather passed me by; I'm not really a fan of that kind of thing. I just about recognise some of the characters. The belly dancer wanted a selfie with (I think) the Red Squadron fighters. They looked a bit friendlier than Darth Vader and the Stormtroopers. There were so many people crowding round that it was difficult to get photos.

Festival colour

Saltaire Festival 2017

Colourful balloons...

Slushies...

Licorice candy laces...

Soaps...

Festival Monochrome

Saltaire Festival 2017
The second weekend of the Festival, cool but mostly dry this year, really brought out the crowds. This is Exhibition Road, the broad street behind the Victoria Hall and in front of Shipley College's Exhibition Building. Closed to traffic and lined with a 'continental market', here you can buy street food of all kinds from all over the world - from Spanish paella to Asian curries, French tartiflette, Provencal chicken, ostrich and kangaroo burgers, crepes and churros - as well as coffee, slushies and ice creams.
(I've blurred the face of the little girl at the front, as I mostly try to avoid having identifiable children on here, though it's hard when there are crowds.)