In search of colour - 8

OK, here's one that's not red - well, not really!

Cyclamens are such pretty little flowers, but they don't do well indoors.  This one seems to like its position on the steps, cool yet sheltered - and it can see everything that's going on!

In search of colour - 7

Saltaire has managed to hang on to its iconic, old-fashioned red telephone box.  It adds a splash of colour in the middle of the village, in the little square where Saltaire's wash-house once stood.

In search of colour - 6

A holly bush adds a touch of colour in front of Saltaire's New Mill.

In search of colour - 5

Hardy little pansies in a bright red pot make an attractive point of colour further along Albert Terrace. I always think it's nice that people seem happy to leave pots outside their houses, right on the street.  I would have thought someone might walk off with it - perhaps they're more interested in pinching the lead off the roof!

In search of colour - 4

This series could just as easily have been called 'Saltaire Rouge', taking a theme from Virginia's wonderful blog 'Paris through my lens'.  This dear lady in red chose just the right moment to walk along Albert Terrace.  Thank you, whoever you are!  (The other couple could be William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, having an incognito break in Saltaire?)

In search of colour - 3

Red berries - some sort of a pyracantha (firethorn) shrub, I think - make a bright foreground, with Saltaire's United Reformed Church tower behind.

Turner-esque

Hmm, start a new series and then a sky like this comes along....  So amazing, I couldn't wait to show you!  I will return to my 'search for colour' tomorrow - though in fact there's plenty of colour here too.

I think J M W Turner, 'the painter of light', might have enjoyed this view over Saltaire, taken on Monday.

In search of colour - 2

Subtle colour here, in the Christmas wreath, the stained glass and the bright leaves.  Not a standard Saltaire front door (the heritage doors have four horizontal panels, like this).  No doubt it's frowned upon by the planners, but it is quite smart nevertheless.  Note also the difference in colour between the cleaned (sand-blasted) stonework and the original, blackened by soot from the years of coal fires and belching mill chimneys.  Most of the public buildings have been cleaned up but some of the houses have and some have not.  I guess which you prefer is a matter of personal taste.

In search of colour - 1

It may be mild weather here but the downside of that is that it's damp, drizzly and incessantly grey.  Short of photos and short of inspiration, I set off in search of some colour in Saltaire... I found it in all sorts of unusual places.  This abandoned Christmas bauble looked like it was suffering a bad hangover, collapsed among the leaves in the gutter.

2012 dawns

I must admit to being rather envious of the beautiful dawn skies that Vicki often posts on her blog - the backdrop of the Appalachian Mountains is a tad superior to Shipley town centre, it has to be said.  Nevertheless, the sky as I walked to work on Friday was pretty stunning.  And yes, red sky in the morning did result in rain by the afternoon, those shepherds/sailors were right!

This seemed a fitting image for the start of another year.  I'm personally hoping for rather less family drama in 2012... but I give thanks for all my blessings.   'God's in his heaven, all's right with the world. ' Sadly we know all's not right with everything in the world, but sometimes just choosing to focus on the bright side does help, I find.

The long view

The view of the long south front of Salts Mill, taken from the railway bridge - probably the most iconic image of Saltaire (even seen in the video intro to our local BBC News programme).  It looks nice with the honey-coloured stone catching the sunshine - and the red SALTS sign.... our equivalent of the Hollywood sign, I always think!

I don't know why, but it seemed a suitable photo to round off another year.  I guess I've learned to 'take the long view' about a lot of things as I've got older and (possibly) wiser.

I tried correcting the verticals on this (Michael will be pleased to know) but I decided I preferred it distorted.  It emphasises the mill's bulk and length, I think.  And by the way, my current header picture is a night-time view of all these windows.  I like the way the lit windows have different colour temperatures.

Triffid

I don't think I have posted a photo before showing the close-up detail of a column of the bandstand in Roberts Park. (See my post last Tuesday for a photo of the whole structure.) There was originally a modest bandstand in Victorian times but it was dismantled at some stage.  During the restoration of the park in 2010 the bandstand was re-instated.  On the website of Chris Topp, wrought iron works, I've recently come across a fascinating account of how the design evolved, from a series of drawings made by children at Saltaire Primary School, who combined the two ideas of 'music' and 'park'.  The result was these colourful horns blowing flowers.  Actually there are four different designs for the capitals.  The account is, I think, worth reading and the results worth studying.

Santa Claus

As we say goodbye to Christmas 2011, I leave you with one final window from Saltaire's Living Advent Calendar.  In fact I think this was a 'first' for Saltaire, in that it was not just one static image but a series of projected images, showing different depictions of Santa Claus.   I don't know where the original images came from... perhaps old Christmas cards, postcards or magic lantern slides, but they had a lot of charm.  I am showing a collage of just four of them but there were several more and the website has a short video showing them all.

Santa Claus is of course a person wreathed in myth, legend and folklore, said to relate to Saint Nicholas, a 4th century Greek Bishop with a reputation for secretly giving gifts.  This led via the Dutch elision 'Sinterklaas' to the modern name Santa Claus.  I have to say that I find these old drawings rather more appealing than the popular portly red and white fellow we see these days.

Anyway, I hope you were well-behaved enough during 2011 that he left you some gifts!

I think I know why the dog howls at the moon

Another of Saltaire's Living Advent Calendar windows - and a rare guest photographer on Salt & Light.  I tried and failed to take a decent photo of this window.  There was a tree in the way, hence the slightly sideways viewpoint.  But more of a problem was that, with my short lens, I would have had to set up my tripod in the middle of Albert Road in the dark.  As I didn't think that very advisable, I am delighted my friend Roy had a longer lens and the generosity to let me use his photo.

The painting reminded me of this music track by Johnny Clegg - 'Dela (I think I know why the dog howls at the moon)'.  It's part of the soundtrack to a Disney movie, "George of the Jungle".  (I know, my mind works funny sometimes!!)



One day I looked up and there you were,
like a simple question looking for an answer.
Now I am the whale listening to some inner call,
swimming blindly to throw myself upon your shore.
What if I don't find you when I have landed?
Will you leave me here to die on your shore stranded?

I think I know why the dog howls at the moon.
I think I know why the dog howls at the moon.


Ah well, put it down to the stress of Christmas....

As the sun sets

Isn't it nice how late afternoon winter sunshine makes colours glow?  The statue of Sir Titus Salt in Saltaire's Roberts Park overlooks the restored bandstand, with one of the restored pavilions in the background.  The statue was erected in 1903 to commemorate the centenary of Salt's birth and was commissioned by Sir James Roberts, the Managing Director of the Mill at the time.  The front of the statue can be seen here.

Lights

The Christmas tree outside Saltaire's Victoria Hall would have benefited from a few more lights, I think - especially as it has to compete with the floodlighting of the magnificent Italianate facade of the Hall. (Compare with my picture two years ago.) Nevertheless, when I was out with my tripod the other night I felt it was worthy of a photo.  I'm still practising both the use of the tripod and my new camera's settings for night photography.  It always feels bit of an effort to go out, especially on a cold evening - but I do like night shots and it's something I'd like to learn to do well.  I'm fortunate that several of Saltare's public buildings are floodlit at night so there are subjects right on my doorstep.

Santa baby

Big yawn... Santa baby had a hard night!  This photo of my grand-daughter, taken on my daughter's iPhone (amazing gadget) is one that has made me smile so many times in the past couple of weeks.  She's such a cutie. (I know, I'm biased!)  I hope, like me, you feel truly blessed by those things that money can't buy - life, love, family, friends.  And friends for me definitely includes all you lovely folk I've met through blogging. Wishing you all a very happy Christmas Day - with chance for a snooze if you need one!

(And if you need some more cuteness have a look at this:  "How to wrap a cat for Christmas"!)

Nativity

‘For to us a child is born…and he will be called Wonderful Counsellor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.’ Isaiah 9: 6

Wishing you, and all those whom you love, a joy-filled and peaceful Christmas - wherever you are and whatever you will be doing.  The Nativity tableau that ended my church's 'Walking Nativity' earlier this month seems a suitable picture to remind of the story at the heart of Christmas.

One of my friends had this on his Facebook page. (I'm sure he won't mind me pinching it.)  I thought it a timely reminder:

1 Corinthians 13, the Christmas Version: 

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, friends and neighbours, I’m just another decorator. 
If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family, friends and neighbours, I’m just another cook. 
If I work at the soup kitchen, sing carols in the nursing home and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family, friends and neighbours, it profits me nothing. 
If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir’s cantata but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point! 
Love stops the cooking to hug the child. Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband. Love is kind, though harried and tired. 
Love doesn’t envy another’s home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens. 
Love doesn’t yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way. Love doesn’t give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can’t. 
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. 
Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust, but giving the gift of love will endure forever.  Christmas is love.

Number 17

The Advent window unveiled on 17th December, as part of Saltaire's Living Advent Calendar, showed this delightful and masterly painting of Saltaire's historic United Reformed Church, in the snow.  Perhaps it was inspired by last year at this time, when it looked quite like this!  I think I'm right in saying that it was painted by one of Saltaire's resident artists, David Starley, whose bold oil paintings of local scenes I have mentioned before.  Isn't it wonderful how much effort our artistic community puts into these windows?  Each one must take hours of thought and work, each one is a little gem - and all for a brief 'exhibition' through until January 5th.

Bradford Voices

My brisk walk on a decidedly chilly Sunday afternoon was brightened by the festive songs in Roberts Park from 'Bradford Voices'.  They are a community choir based in Saltaire.  I have several friends who are members.  (Singing seems to be something a lot of my friends have taken up in later years.  I might have joined them but I'm too deaf even to hear myself sing, never mind everyone else!  And I most likely sing flat now..)  Bradford Voices meet weekly in the Methodist Church Hall to sing and enjoy music together.  Part of their ethos is that everyone has a voice and is encouraged to sing, whether or not they can read music.  There are no auditions and, though they make a very nice sound, their approach seems to be a lot more 'laid-back' than some choirs.  They do lots of performances and many of them seem to be outside, street-based.  Clearly one of the prerequisites for joining is a good set of thermal underwear!  They had a small but appreciative audience by the Half-Moon Café in the park (funny how no-one likes to sit on the front row) and they managed to keep singing, despite me running around taking photos.