Sacpots

Saltaire Arts Trail 2018
Sacpots are elastic, plastic plant pots, with flexible liners, designed to be filled with soil and moulded by the user to create an individual display. Versatile and environmentally friendly, they come in various sizes and a multitude of vibrant colours. They are designed and knitted by Marcela Livingston and were on sale in a garden on the Arts Trail.

Rather fun, I thought. 

The act of creation

Saltaire Arts Trail 2018
There were several opportunities this year to watch artists demonstrating their craft and to explore your own creativity too, with a variety of workshops on offer.

Jake Attree, a renowned Yorkshire figurative artist was offering 'Draw Saltaire' workshops, using pen and ink, graphite or oil pastels. I believe he lives in Saltaire although his studio is in Halifax.

You could also drop in to The Craft House to try weaving or making pom-poms and felt marbles.

It was lovely seeing people sitting around the village sketching.

Don't those colourful oil pastels look inviting...?

Marianne Springham

Saltaire Arts Trail 2018

Some of the art on display is easy to embrace, whereas some needs a bit more work to relate to... Marianne Springham's work fell into the latter category for me but it was certainly educative. She was exhibiting in the Methodist Church, which seemed an unlikely setting for a giant felt heart and paintings of kittens. Perhaps I should have been alerted by the row of tiny red shoes and boots on the way in! This was a bit different...

Marianne is interested in the work of 'Outsider artists' (see HERE) and this installation was inspired by Walter Potter, a Victorian taxidermist who created whimsical dioramas, using stuffed animals mimicking human life. One of his pieces was called 'The Kittens' Wedding' and that apparently inspired Marianne's painting on show here. 

Mim Robson

Saltaire Arts Trail 2018
The artist Mim Robson was busy creating pretty patterns outside the church. She was using natural materials: flower petals, leaves, seeds, stems - in a manner that reminded me of the well dressings that are common to the Derbyshire Peak District where I grew up. Well dressings are pressed into clay, whereas Mim's works were simply arranged on the ground. (Luckily, it wasn't windy.) Many of her artworks are ephemeral, inspired by land artists such as Andy Goldsworthy, and sympathetic to the surroundings, perhaps created in the woods or on a beach. They blow away, get washed away by tides or simply change and disintegrate over time, which is all part of the process. Mim also creates mandalas out of flower petals and uses henna to make patterns.

Art 2018

Saltaire Arts Trail 2018
It's that time of year again, when Saltaire is awash with bunting and artists. Although 'that time of year' was in fact, a little earlier this year... Saltaire Arts Trail usually takes place on the late May Bank Holiday weekend but this year, for some reason, it was the early May Bank Holiday. No-one was complaining since the weather was unusually glorious, a mini-heatwave in fact. It was so lovely to see the village thronged with crowds enjoying both the sunshine and the exhibitions. It is part of the tradition that some residents open their houses as mini art galleries, and there are exhibitions in the churches and Salts Mill, as well as a Makers' Fair in the Victoria Hall.

The colourful garden in the top photo belongs to the artist David Starley, a long-time resident of Saltaire, who produces wonderfully vibrant and heavily textured oil paintings of local scenes and natural subjects.

The oil painting below is by Ian Burdall, another Saltaire resident, who started out as a photographer before branching out into expressive oil paintings inspired by the North Yorkshire coast.

Cricket season

The cricket season has started, even if the warm weather is intermittent! Saltaire Cricket Cub has a very picturesque ground, in Roberts Park, against the backdrop of the mill. They say it is the only cricket ground within a World Heritage Site. They were playing as I strolled through the park on the way back from a walk, though I don't think it was a competition match and there were few spectators.

Old haunts

April was a capricious month, with all extremes of weather from snow to the hottest April day for over 70 years. Right at the end of the month, I walked my favourite local route and it's always interesting to see what has changed from last time I did it. Now spring has arrived, it is all happening fast: leaves unfurling, blossom out and even bluebells in the woods. These photos don't, however, convey how extremely cold it was. I can't recall having to wear my winter lined walking trousers so late in the year before.

The allotments in front of Salts Mill are greening up and starting to look lush. The little boat that offers short canal trips has reappeared and the ice cream boat is back in business, though possibly more hot drinks were being sold than ice creams that day. There were some baby geese on the lawns by the church, too far away to get a photo though.

The local heron was trying his luck fishing by Hirst Lock.

There were bluebells in flower on the south-facing slopes beside the River Aire, but those in Hirst Woods were not so advanced. I'll have to go back this week to see them. We've just had a very hot and sunny early May Bank Holiday weekend, so I'm sure that will have brought them out. I've been out and about at the Saltaire Arts Trail over the weekend, but photos of that will have to wait until I've had time to sort and process them...

Tiptoe through the tulips

Tulips are one of my favourite flowers. There were some tumbling out of a container in that blousy, loose kind of way they have as they mature. Even the shadows they threw looked attractive. Truly a case of tiptoeing through them! 

Yellow peril

This is an 'American skunk cabbage'. (Not the most flattering name!) There were lots of them growing in the boggy ground beside the stream that runs through Harlow Carr gardens. They were an evil, neon yellow and, whilst sculpturally arresting, they had something of a malevolent look, I thought. Apparently they are very invasive and cannot now be bought or planted. The plants at Harlow Carr are carefully controlled to prevent their spread. 

The other yellow bog plant below - a marsh marigold - is altogether more benign looking, and good for attracting bees and butterflies.

Spring at Harlow Carr

The RHS gardens at Harlow Carr near Harrogate look beautiful and immaculate at all times of year. There is something special, though, about the first flushes of Spring - the delicate hues of spring bulbs, early cherry blossom and our native primroses. You could almost hear nature awakening, stretching, breathing in the sun. It called to me to awaken, stretch and breathe too. 

May Day in Otley part 2

For dancing, you need music and the Otley May Day maypole dancers (see yesterday's post) were accompanied by the musicians that play for the Buttercross Belles and the Wharfedale Wayzgoose morris side.

The Wayzgoose are a border morris side and have very ornate and traditional costumes, with lots of bells, ribbons and feathers.

The Otley Bellman (Terry Ford) also had a hand in the proceedings. He is Otley's Town Crier, an ancient role that involves delivering messages and proclamations to the townspeople.

May Day madness

When I was a child, my parents used to take me every year to the May Festival in Wellow, Nottinghamshire, near where we lived. I used to adore it, watching children dancing around the maypole, the procession and crowning of the May Queen and all the sideshows and stalls associated with the fair. I always remember it being sunny and warm too! (I'm sure it wasn't always.)

It was with some delight therefore that I discovered that the market town of Otley, some ten miles from Saltaire, was having maypole dancing on May 1st.  It has been a tradition in this country for many hundreds of years to celebrate the pagan festival of Beltane, a farewell to winter and a celebration of things coming to life again in spring. Many towns and villages used to have maypoles and some remain, whilst others are reviving the tradition. The Otley celebration was organised by the Buttercross Belles, a ladies North-West Morris Dancing side based in Otley.

It was all very good-natured, with children encouraged to join in. The end result of ribbons wrapped round the pole was not very precise! My childhood memories are of costumed and highly trained dancers making very neat patterns with the ribbons, the patterns varying depending on the steps of the dance. But who cared about neatness? It was fun.

Towards the end, the professionals did have a go and the result was a rather neater pattern, as you can see below. Of course, once the ribbons are plaited round the pole, the dancers have to do the same dance in reverse to unplait them again. That is even more difficult.

I found the occasion surprisingly moving; lots of memories came flooding back. The only thing that wasn't quite fitting was the weather. Although thankfully dry, it was absolutely freezing cold, with the temperature more akin to November than May Day!

Spring in Saltaire

Saltaire's iconic buildings (Salts Mill, Saltaire United Reformed Church and the New Mill) look especially good in the early Spring sunshine, among the daffodils and the first sprays of apple blossom. At this time of year, things change so fast. These photos were taken on the 21st April and everything has greened up quickly since then.  

Incidentally, the early May Bank Holiday weekend, 5-7 May, sees the return of Saltaire's Arts Trail, when village houses become art galleries and there is lots to enjoy. If you're local, do think about coming. For details, please click the link. 

Sky

For all the grandeur and scale of Saltaire's Victorian architecture, it is completely overshadowed and overawed by the sheer beauty of a spring sky. I was walking through Roberts Park and the scene quite took my breath away.

i thank You, God, for this most amazing 

day: for the leaping greenly spirits of trees

and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything

which is natural which is infinite which is yes

e e cummings

A visit to Beningbrough Hall

Just before the weather warmed up, in mid-April, I went with friends to visit Beningbrough Hall, near York. It's another National Trust property (rocking that membership!), a Georgian mansion in the Italian Baroque style. Completed in 1716, it has a chequered history, including acting as a billet for British and Canadian airmen during WWII. It was acquired by the Treasury in lieu of death duties, and was offered to the National Trust in 1958, though devoid of contents. It seems that for many years the Trust wasn't sure what to do with it, and at first it was not open to the public. In recent years, a collaboration with the National Portrait Gallery has led to its use as a gallery for portraiture. There are many 18th century portraits displayed and some special exhibitions. When I was there, we saw contemporary portraits of women who have made a significant contribution to the Arts. They have also imported some furniture and there's a display about WWII and the airmen. It's all quite interesting, though it lacks the personality of some of the Trust's other properties that have been closely associated with one family or one special person. 

                                                                                                                                                                  

Beningbrough is set in some attractive gardens but it was all still winter-dormant, with very little colour apart from the daffodils. We enjoyed a breezy, chilly but pleasant walk around the estate's perimeter, following the course of the River Nidd, which joins the River Ouse at this point. There were newborn lambs leaping in the fields and some shy spring flowers under the trees. Tiny wild violets are mostly mauve but you occasionally see yellow or white ones, as pictured. The village in the distance (above) is Newton on Ouse, which we drove through on the way. It is very pretty. 

Aldwark Toll Bridge

On an outing with friends to yet another National Trust property near York (more of which tomorrow) we had to cross the River Ure on a 240+ year old toll bridge! It avoids a detour of about 25 miles and for the payment of a toll of 40p, that seems well worth the saving in time and money. Private toll bridges and roads are uncommon in Britain nowadays, though at one time most roads were toll roads and you can sometimes spot the little buildings that used to be toll houses. The first bridge at Aldwark was built by John Thomson. He used to operate a rowing boat ferry across the river but it proved dangerous so he rode to London to obtain an Act of Parliament in 1772 that enabled him to build the bridge and collect tolls. The original bridge was damaged - by an iceberg! - in the 19th century so the existing bridge was built, of iron with a hardwood deck. It makes an amazing rumble as you drive over! I didn't know about the bridge in advance and just hopped out of the car quickly to snap a photo. (It was very narrow so not really suitable to stop.) The treasures in this lovely country of ours never fail to amaze me!

This photo of the bridge itself © shirokazan (cc-by-sa/2.0) used under Creative Commons Licence

Park circle

I rather liked this random and colourful arrangement of people enjoying the sunshine in Saltaire's Roberts Park. The balustrade on the roof of the Half Moon Café provides a good vantage point for candid shots of what's going on in the lower field - and there is nearly always someone sitting on the alpaca statue. If I'd have zoomed my lens a bit wider, I could have included people sitting at tables outside the café. A bit wider still and you'd have seen lots of people having picnics and playing games on the grass. Even wider and I could have taken in the game of cricket getting underway on the adjacent pitch. There was something, though, about this circle that pleased me; it seemed adequate to convey the  mood: sunshine, friendship, relaxation... aaahh...

Steam punk

There were a few steam punk enthusiasts among the crowds in Roberts Park on World Heritage Day.  This is Jackie and Dennis, both splendidly attired for the occasion. 

WWI military camp

2018 marks 100 years since the end of WWI, the so-called Great War. (Sadly, it was not 'the war to end all wars'.) As part of the World Heritage Day event, there was a WWI military camp in Roberts Park and displays related to Saltaire's WWI history, which attracted lots of interest from visitors. 

The re-enactors take their history very seriously and are at pains to make things authentic and accurate. The unit was named as '6 Platoon B Company 1/8 Manchester Regiment' but I'm afraid I can't find any more information about the re-enactors. There is, however, a diary online detailing the horrors of the war in France and Belgium for the actual battalion (HERE).

The medic (right) was offering 'chloroform' to anyone willing to try it!


The older I've got, the more pacifist I've become. Nevertheless, I find these historical re-enactments (which usually centre around one or another of our wars, whether it's the English Civil Wars or the two World Wars) very fascinating. I think it's important that people should have the chance to learn about the past, and those involved are pretty knowledgeable and try hard to make it all interesting. They don't convey the horror of the war though. My own eyes were opened to that when I visited the battlefields and museum in Ypres, Belgium in July 2015. (HERE)


Boys and their guns though... (rolls eyes!)