Cool green on hot days

Hours of wonderful tennis to enjoy from Wimbledon, some rather warm weather and some very windy days too, have conspired to keep me indoors (rather guiltily!) When I have been out, it's been refreshing to walk by water and among trees. The fresh greens of spring are giving way to that darker, rather dull and dusty, uniform green that summer adopts but, even so, the effect of all that green is cooling and soothing.  

Various scientific studies have confirmed the cooling effect of trees but you don't need a research study to notice the difference between a hot urban pavement and a shady woodland walk. We need more trees everywhere, for all sorts of reasons. 

I'm grateful for plenty of local options - woodland, parks, riverside and canalside... even if the walk home, uphill on hard pavements, often feels like a slog. Once home, I can cool off with an iced drink. I can hardly keep up with the necessary production of ice cubes (though I refuse the option of actually buying a bag of them from the supermarket!). 

Given the dry weather since early spring, Yorkshire Water has just announced a hosepipe ban. That in itself isn't an issue for me as I have no need of hosepipe for anything, but it will perhaps mean that the local hand car wash has to close, so I'll be driving around with a dusty car.  (A bucket wash, from a first floor flat, isn't really feasible.)  

The heron had the right idea, standing with his feet in cool water. I wonder if the low water level in the river impacts their feeding?  Maybe it makes it easier to find the fish? 

Towards Minimalism

I sat in on a very interesting photography talk on Zoom recently. The speaker was Caroline Preece and her subject was 'Minimalism'. I don't really think of myself as a 'minimalist' photographer, most of the time, but the images she showed kept reminding me of photos in my archive, so I dug a few of them out. 

Her criteria for minimalism were: 

- the images contain only what is absolutely necessary

- they have intent

- there is simplicity in the composition

- they contain 'negative space'

- they have a limited colour palette 

- they have balance and intentional framing

- they may contain elements of rhythm, pattern or repetition

Most of my selected photos fail these criteria on one or more levels, but I do think they are inclining towards minimalism at least. I began to realise that it's a topic that really interests me, so I shall have to think a bit more about it and try a few more intentional shots.  

The three images here are from my archives and I may have shown a couple of them on my blog before, though not for a long time. I just like them and they have stuck in my mind, for whatever reason. 

Sunset in a puddle

With all the lovely weather we've been having, I've been hoping for some good sunsets, but none have materialised. It seems that each evening a bank of low cloud builds up on the horizon, obscuring whatever sunset there might be. There are occasional wisps of pink and I caught a few lodged in a puddle. 

A family heirloom

Here's another of the pictures that I have on display in my apartment. It's relatively small, only 25 x 20cm. It's one of the few pieces I inherited from my paternal grandparents. I always liked it, even as a child, so I am very happy to have it. My mother didn't really know much about it but I presume it's Japanese, with Mount Fuji in the background. We guess it was brought back from the Far East after WWII. My dad's younger brother was stationed there for a while, after the war (I suppose when he was doing National Service) so it seems likely he brought it back as a gift. The top picture seems to be painted on very thin wood, and the bottom one on paper. The subtle pink and peach tones are lovely. I don't think it is more than a 'tourist souvenir' of the time but I'm very fond of it and it's been in my possession at least since the early 1980s, after my grandparents died. 

A walk by the Aire

Half a mile or so north of Airton, on the way to Malham, lies the hamlet of Scosthrop. There's a farm shop and tearoom here, which provided a tasty lunch and respite from the drizzle for our camera club group.

At the back there's a wonderful view up the dale and you can probably make out in the distance the limestone scar that is the famous Malham Cove. 

Just opposite the farm shop is the handsome Scosthrop Manor (below) built in 1603. (If you want a peek inside this house, see this press article HERE.) 

From here we walked along the riverside path back to Airton.

The river is the infant River Aire, whose source is a stream from Malham Tarn that disappears into the limestone and then surfaces in a spring just outside Malham. It winds its way south, gathering strength, eventually passing through Saltaire and on through Leeds to its confluence with the Ouse.  I did wonder whether the water I could see here might arrive in Saltaire before or after me. Google informs me that the river flows on average at 5 miles per hour and the distance to Saltaire is about 25 miles so it might be there in about five hours. Interesting. 

Along the way we passed bits of old machinery related to when the Airton mill was working: various cogs and sluices. 

And then we came to the mill itself, once a corn mill for the village, then a cotton spinning mill during the Industrial Revolution. 

It's now been converted into apartments: Riverside Walk. One of our group told of when he was working on the construction site during the conversion. He'd just gone for a tea break when the bit of the building he had been in suddenly collapsed! Such disasters notwithstanding, the conversion appears to have been sympathetically done. The loggia below had a bit of a French feel to it, I thought. 

Airton's Quaker Meeting House

Our main reason for going to Airton was to visit the Quaker Meeting House, since one of our members is a keyholder. It was built in the early 1600s, with the blessing of the landowner, as a meeting place for dissenters (Seekers), incorporating an earlier thatched roofed barn, which may have acted as a disguise, since dissenter meetings were illegal. It was certainly used as a Quaker Meeting House from the early 1650s, and it's recorded that George Fox, one of the Puritan founders of the Religious Society of Friends (aka Quakers) came here in 1652. 

In 1700, as recorded on the date stone above the door, it was purchased and endowed to the Quakers by William and Alice Ellis, who lived in the house opposite (see yesterday). They extended it, with a stables or barn and a cottage at the far end. These have been converted since, to be used as hostel accommodation and for a warden. 

The earliest burial in the tiny graveyard was that of Isabell Wilkinson in 1663. 

Inside, the Meeting House remains largely unaltered since the 17th and early 18th centuries. The large room is partitioned with an oak drop-leaf partition and a mezzanine floor above. It was originally unheated but a fireplace was added at some point and now there is some heating, though I noted that the central benches still have sheep's fleece coverings and plenty of blankets. At one time all the wood was painted over but in a fairly recent renovation the paint was stripped off. 

It is still used as a Quaker Meeting House, one of the oldest in the country, and can be hired for community use and events. Like most such places, it has a very peaceful air. Quakers don't have a creed. Their faith is shaped by shared values that underpin their behaviour and choices: to live relatively simply, in harmony with nature, the world and other people; to live ethically, truthfully, peaceably and with high integrity. Some of the most radical social changes in our society, like the abolition of slavery, have been led by Quaker reformers, who have been staunch and radical in their commitment to peace, equality and social justice.  

 

Airton

We had a camera club outing to Airton, a small village between Skipton and Malham. Unfortunately it happened to be a day when the much-needed rain came determinedly, in sheets of light, misty drizzle, interspersed with heavier showers. Not really a day for having cameras out but never mind. 

Airton is a very old and attractive village, constructed around various green spaces. Some of the buildings date back to the 17th century and others are more recent, early 19th century cottages no doubt linked to the cotton spinning mill, originally a corn mill, by the river. 

Oddly situated right in the middle of the village green, what is nowadays a rather pretty little rose-covered cottage is thought to be an early 19th century 'squatter cottage'. These were hastily constructed, illegal dwellings on what was common land.

Ellis House and Ellis Cottage were once one building, dating back to 1696. It has an impressive dovecote in the gable. The initials EWA on the lintel relate to the original owners, William and Alice Ellis. William Ellis was a master handloom linen weaver, and a Quaker. He bought the barn opposite the house and turned it into a Quaker Meeting Place, which I'll show you tomorrow. 

Framed

Playing with multi-layers... another image from my little project capturing the iconic details of Saltaire. I'm not sure exactly where it's leading as an endeavour but it is fun. Many of Saltaire's houses have windows with rounded arches, and a few have blocked up windows. I had the idea to frame the church's domed tower in a window arch. 

Dragon Boat racing

Dragon Boat racing is now an annual event in Roberts Park, over a whole weekend. It started in a small way in 2015 (and indeed the first such event had to be on the canal as the weather was awful and the river was in flood.) Now it's a very big occasion indeed, and raises a lot of money for various charities. I've generally stopped attending as, once you've seen one race, there's not a lot different that happens. There's a lot of waiting around whilst the teams disembark and embark and row upriver to the start and then just a couple of minutes of the excitement of an actual race - and it's not all that easy to watch the races, with limited viewpoints onto the river. The all-important leader board gets updated so you can see who's had the fastest times. 

I wanted a walk on Sunday, so I went down to the park to see what was going on. As well as the racing, there was a street food market, a funfair, a general market and an exhibition by the Royal Air Force, showcasing the many interesting and different career paths in the service. ('Not everyone is a pilot'). 

It was a warm, sunny weekend which brought lots of people out to enjoy the fun, in addition to the dragon boat teams and their supporters.  It's an opportunity too for our emergency services to engage with the public and tell people what they do. Both the police and fire brigade had demos. 

By the time I'd walked there and back and had a wander round the park, I realised it was hotter than I'd anticipated. By the time I got home I was dripping, so I needed iced drinks to cool down and a lazy afternoon to recover!  

(My apologies for the poor resolution of these photos. They look crisp and sharp on my computer but very unsharp when uploaded onto Blogger.)

Cartwright Hall and its surroundings

I always seem to gravitate towards this view of Cartwright Hall, Bradford's civic art gallery, from the Mughal Gardens, a water garden inspired by traditional Islamic garden design. 

Closer to the building, I spent some time studying the elaborate stonework of the grand entrance portico. 'Baroque' style is very fancy, isn't it? 

I quite liked the little angels hiding around the pillars. 

In front of the Hall, formal flowerbeds and seats make a pleasant area to linger in the sunshine. Years ago, the circular planting behind where the lady is sitting was one of those floral clocks that used to be a feature of our parks and seaside promenades. It used to work too!

There are a few pieces of artwork scattered around the gardens. The blue 'pudding' is a work by Osman Yousefzada, who has 'wrapped' the statue of Diana the Huntress that stands in that location. 

The grand entrance gates have history for me, since this was the gate I used to enter every morning on my way from my student bedsit to the Management Centre where I studied (more years ago than I care to remember!)  It was a lovely walk across the park, in all weathers. 

And finally, a simple picture that for some reason appealed to me to take. I think it's the repeated blue elements balanced in a triangle that I like.  Beyond the gallery there are lawns and trees, a large boating lake, a children's playground and sports areas. (Click the Lister Park label below for other photos I've taken in the park. )

The Jameel Prize

As part of the City of Culture 2025, Cartwright Hall is currently hosting 'The Jameel Prize: Moving Images'. The exhibition brings together the work of seven finalists working with film, video, digital and time-based media, in the V&A's international award for contemporary art and design inspired by Islamic culture, society and ideas. 

The winning entry, a clip of which is shown above, is the work of Khandakar Ohida (India), titled: 'Dream Your Museum', documenting her uncle's remarkable collection of objects and memorabilia. 

Marrim Akashi Sani (Iraq/Iran/USA) displayed vibrant prismatic lightboxes 'Muharram', portraying people's lives through their trinket boxes and prized possessions. 

Sadik Kwaish Alfraji (Iraq/Netherlands) offered two hand-drawn animations honouring his parents. Pictured below is a frame from 'A Thread of Light Between My Mother's Fingers and Heaven'. 

Below is a still of Zahra Malkani's 'A Ubiquitous Wetness' (Pakistan), sounds and pictures collected from communities along the Indus river and the Indian Ocean, related to spiritual and devotional practices. 

You really need a long time and the ability to pay attention to these layered and moving works, but they were all quite compelling in their different ways. 

Hockney and Mai

In perhaps an odd juxtaposition, Sir Joshua Reynolds' imposing 'Portrait of Mai' is currently being shown in the Hockney Gallery at Cartwright Hall, as part of Bradford UK City of Culture 2025. It is touring the country, having been 'saved for the nation' in 2023 in a joint venture by the National Portrait Gallery and the Getty Museum. Painted about 1776, it depicts a Polynesian man, Omai, who journeyed with Captain Cook and visited England, being much admired by London society at the time. He is painted in an arcadian scene, wearing flowing robes resembling ceremonial Tahitian dress worn by nobility and the priestly classes. The painting has quite a chequered history (see HERE), belonging to the Howards of Castle Howard for over 200 years. 

In the Hockney Gallery there is information about David Hockney's life and work, including some rather lovely sketches of Bradford scenes (above) that he made while he was a student at Bradford College of Art. There are also some colourful iPad drawings he did while living in Bridlington in the early 2000s.