Tulips

I'm getting a lot of pleasure from having vases of flowers around the house at the moment. It seems a simple, inexpensive way to add beauty to life, as well as holding the anticipation of warmer and more colourful days to come. Cut tulips don't last long but I do love their vibrant colours and elegant shapes. I don't have a black wall to show them off against (!) But the TV screen, with a bit of judicious cloning in the corners, provides a useful backdrop.

Spring comes to Saltaire

A few sunny days have seen the apple blossom bursting into bloom and a definite feel of Spring in the air. Though I am still finding it quite cold and have not yet shed my padded jacket, others apparently disagree. There were many folk enjoying the sunshine in Roberts Park, clad only in shorts and T shirts.

Salts Mill chimney has developed a strange, white, powdery look to its stonework after a longish spell of dry weather. It must have to do with the type of pointing they used when the chimney was repaired a few years ago. I don't think it has really improved its looks. Though it's quite probable that a bit of repointing wouldn't improve my looks either, at this stage...

Cottages

One of the reasons I like living in this part of Yorkshire is that the majority of the old houses are built of stone rather than brick. Those that have been stone-cleaned are a mellow honey colour. Others are still sooty black. But they have character. I'd like to know how old this little row of cottages is. They look like good, solid homes, plain and unpretentious. I'd like to bet they are at least as old as Saltaire and perhaps even older... early 19th century? Though they have quite a villagey feel about them, they are actually very near to the centre of Shipley, just along the road from the big Asda supermarket. Convenient, but not quite as picturesque a location as you might imagine from the photo. I could have obliterated the TV aerials but I chose not to. Plastic drainpipes, UPVC windows... but the end one has been very sympathetically treated, I think.

The Lion, the Witch...

... but no wardrobe.

I'm not generally someone who 'sees' animals in clouds or faces on vegetables, and I certainly wouldn't keep a piece of toast for eternity, even if I suspected it showed an image of the blessed Virgin Mary.  Such a tendency is apparently called Pareidolia: the psychological phenomenon whereby a vague and random stimulus (usually an image or a sound) is perceived as significant.

That didn't stop me suddenly seeing a lion and a witch on a concrete wall in Shipley!

Sluggish

The weather is getting better (slowly!). Though it's still pretty cold, especially first thing in the morning, we've had some dry, sunny days of late. It was enough to entice me out again on a lunchtime walk, anyway, and the canal towpath has dried out a bit so a stroll up to Saltaire and back made a nice break from desk-work. The sculpture is a slug and a salt-pot... one of the quirky artworks that make up the Aire Sculpture Trail. I've been feeling a bit sluggish lately so it's good to get some exercise.

More blossom

More pink blossom, this time in Saltaire. It's so pretty, so frothy looking but it soon gets dashed by the wind and we have quite a strong wind at the moment.

By the way, if anyone is nearby this coming weekend, it is Saltaire's World Heritage Celebration weekend, now an annual event but with a different 'spin' each time. This year sees the return of the Saltaire Conversazione, a concept popular in Victorian times, introduced to Saltaire in 1878 and that continued here until 1964. The original idea was an event where science, art, culture, innovation, technology and entertainment mingled, a place where people could go to enjoy themselves, talk and engage with ideas - read here for more about that. And here for a full programme of events.

Hopefully there will be lots blossoming this weekend....

A shimmer of pink

We still have bare trees, with just the faintest hint of a green haze. A single blossom tree beginning to unfurl its buds provides a splash of colour in Bradford's Lister Park.

An eye on the clock

Bradford City Hall is shrouded in scaffolding and plastic sheeting for some renovation work to the imposing Victorian facade. The clock tower, which still rings a peal of bells every quarter hour, rises from the midst as if trying to free itself and escape heavenwards. The ferris wheel or 'Bradford Eye' is a temporary addition, until 19 April, so that you can get a bird's eye view over the city. It would be interesting on a better day but the rain and the open gondolas meant that there was little point in taking a ride when I was there.  The local paper is showing some photos taken from the wheel, here.

Rainswept

Not a bad view from the front of the Media Museum either, even though Bradford these days (and particularly in the rain) is far from being the most beautiful of cities. It must have been much more imposing in its glory years, late Victorian and Edwardian times. The most lovely buildings date from then, including the fabulous City Hall, designed by Saltaire's architects Lockwood and Mawson and opened in 1873. You can see its ornate clock tower, top right. They pulled many Victorian buildings down in the 1960s and 1970s to build ugly, modernist, concrete buildings, many of which have also since been replaced, though not necessarily by architectural masterpieces.

Rainy day pattern

Rainy days and bank holidays (combined) always get me down.. so at Easter I took myself off to the Media Museum in Bradford to see an excellent exhibition: 'Drawn by Light', showcasing the archive of the Royal Photographic Society. See here for a review, if you're interested. It's fascinating to see the equipment photographers used in the early years and the quality of softness and grain in some of the early prints is beautiful. Quite different from what we're used to seeing today. The exhibition is well-curated and shows early photographs juxtaposed with more recent work from some renowned photographers like Martin Parr and Don McCullin, which in itself is thought-provoking.

A glimpse through a rainy window out of the back of the Museum provided quite an interesting pattern of lines.

Kirby Lonsdale

I didn't have much time to explore but the little market town of Kirby Lonsdale retains a pleasant, unspoilt feel. It developed at a crossing point over the River Lune and was at one time a busy and bustling place, full of drovers, packhorse carriers and farmers. Its weekly market and shops have always attracted people from a wide area and there used to be an annual fair every September. At one time it was reputed to have 29 alehouses to cater for all the thirsty visitors. Nowadays there are reminders of its history in place names - Cockpit Hill, Salt Pie Lane, Swinemarket, Jingling Lane - and the attractive mix of 17th and 18th century buildings and cottages. 

A churchyard in spring

Turning left at the top of the Radical Steps, a short stroll brings you into the churchyard of Kirby Lonsdale's parish church, St Mary's. I imagine it must be at its prettiest right now in early spring, with random sweeps of daffodils and crocuses among the gravestones.

The church (which I didn't have time to explore inside) has Norman origins, evidenced by the rounded arches. This doorway in the base of the tower appears to be Norman but has been subjected to some (not particularly sympathetic) restoration at some point. I really like the variety of colours in the stonework.

Turner inspired!

Talking of Turner and how he was inspired to paint the view over the Lune valley, I thought I'd have a play with my original photo (shown yesterday). There is an excellent iPhone app called 'Waterlogue' that gives instant and often very pleasing conversions of photos to a watercolour effect. Combining that with a bit of extra work in Photoshop to overlay some bits of 'ink' outlines resulted in the above image. Quite pleasing, I thought, in its own way...  though I'd only be proud of it if I had actually painted it for real! If Hockney can use an iPad, then surely a bit of experimenting with filters is allowable fun and can be construed as a sort of artistry. It keeps me happy anyway!

Radical steps to a famous view

After following the riverside walk from Devil's Bridge along the banks of the Lune for about 3/4 of a mile, you reach a steep flight of 86 steps, known curiously as the Radical Steps. I had to look that up to see why...  Apparently in 1820, a Dr Pearson obtained an Order allowing him to divert a public footpath that ran through his garden. There was much local opposition to this, and the steps that replaced the footpath became known as the Radical Steps because of Dr Pearson's strongly held Radical (liberal) political views.

A little to the right at the top of the steps, this lovely view opens out. Sketched and painted by Turner in 1822 (see here and here), it was described by John Ruskin in 1875 as 'one of the loveliest [views] in England, therefore the world'. That may be exaggerating somewhat but it is certainly a pleasant vista of river, meadows, ancient woodlands and rolling hills.

Devil's Bridge

It hardly feels like a year ago since I was at this spot before, but it is. You may remember my photos of the two bridges at Kirby Lonsdale. The older bridge in the foreground is known as Devil's Bridge. It's a convenient stopping off point on the journey from Saltaire to Cumbria, with a refreshment van should you be in need of a cup of tea and a bacon sandwich. The weather, which had been dull and drizzly, perked up a little so I decided I'd stretch my legs and follow a short walk along the riverside that had been recommended by a friend.

Dreaming of spring

I've taken several photos at this spot before. It's an old mill pond up in Shipley Glen. It's in quite a shady spot and it's one of those places that always promises more photographically than it actually seems to deliver, if you know what I mean. I live in hope - and playing around with the reflections of trees on the water produced quite a pretty, soft image.

Happy Easter to all who celebrate it, happy Sunday to those who don't.

Another Tour

I quite liked the juxtaposition of all these elements. The cyclist picture is actually part of the advertising outside an independent bike shop in Shipley. Ellis Briggs Cycles has traded in the town since 1936. They sell new bikes and offer repair and customising services as well as selling accessories. Along with All Terrain Cycles in Salts Mill, cyclists around here are pretty well catered for and I noticed a new Community Cycle Workshop is about to open in the town too.

Following the success of the Tour de France Grand Départ last year, the Tour de Yorkshire will take place over three days 1-3 May across much of Yorkshire. It includes a stage all around this area, from Wakefield to Leeds, on Sunday 3. Hopefully I can get to see some of it again.

Good Friday

Almost forgot that I have been keeping this aside to post today, Good Friday. It's one of the bas-relief pieces that make up the Stations of the Cross in St Wilfrid's Church, Harrogate. The artist was Frances Darlington (1880-1939).

New build

Another controversial development is rapidly rising up in the centre of Saltaire. It is the extension to Shipley College, a purpose-built teaching block for students with learning difficulties and disabilities. At the moment it does seem a bit overwhelming. When the scaffold is down and the building rendered and finished it will, I'm sure, look good. I guess everyone will get used to it after a time. The village is not an historic monument to be preserved in aspic but a living and developing community. The College is a vital part of the equation and, occupying as it does some of the most significant of the historic Victorian buildings, it plays a crucial role in maintaining them in good order. Not to mention the value of people coming in everyday to study and work in the village. Nor its role in collecting, documenting, storing and displaying the important papers, photos and memorabilia that make up the Saltaire Archive.

Patience

Mrs Mallard didn't flinch when I stopped close beside her with my camera.  She looked as if she was patiently waiting for something... Spring perhaps?