To the woods

More autumn trees! These from a wander through Hirst Woods in the sunshine. The entire wood is carpeted thickly with leaves and beech mast, though there are still plenty of leaves yet to fall. 

I enjoy tramping the ancient, hollowed out trackways, strong links to our ancestors who also used these woods. Some worked in the long abandoned mill by the river, some even lived here, in cottages whose broken walls can still be traced. Iron Age Britons may have had a small settlement in the wood, which sits on a glacial moraine; traces of a circular structure have been identified. Charcoal burners had their kilns here. Nowadays, people walk their dogs, children build dens, all manner of wildlife lives in the undergrowth and the trees breathe for us. 

A hint of a rainbow

Dramatic skies and light drizzle resulted in the faintest hint of a rainbow over Salts Mill. I did wait to see if it would come stronger but what little sunshine there was to create it disappeared behind a cloud, so eventually I continued on my way. 

I could see it again as I walked up Saltaire Road. There's something eternally joyful about rainbows (even faint ones), isn't there? 

I do also love the effect of sunlight on the stone set against a dramatic stormy sky, even when there isn't a rainbow. 

Autumnal trio

A trio of local shots... our tree-lined streets are a joy to behold on a sunny autumn day. (Though not usually that quiet!) 

Climb the road up the hill for a quarter mile or so and the views along the Aire valley towards Bingley are magnificent. 

Singing farewell

Ann Hamilton's installation 'We Will Sing' in the roof space at Salts Mill has just closed. I've seen it several times but I decided I needed one last look... It's always the vibrant colours, lyrical drapes and folds of the woollen cloaks that attract me most. In fact, if those cloaks were being auctioned off as it closes, I'd buy one! (I'm not aware that they are; I suppose the installation may go on to be shown elsewhere, though it was created specifically for this space in the mill and I don't think it would have the same impact anywhere else. The roof space is a creative event in itself!)

During the time the installation has been on display, people have responded to the artist's request to 'write a letter to the future' and there have been volunteers reading out many of the responses. I imagine that was interesting to listen to - though, of course, with my impaired hearing, it was not possible for me to decipher.  

The lengths of fine blue fabric in the other room have the event name woven into the selvedges. All the cloth used was made by William Halstead, a local manufacturer of high quality wool and mohair cloth, based in the same mill in Bradford for the last 150 years. Nowadays they supply fabric to the top couturiers and fashion brands across the world. 

So the haunting music that has echoed around this space for the last few months is quieted. I feel it's been a great privilege to have had this on my doorstep, among the many wonderful offerings that have been part of Bradford City of Culture 2025. 

 

Autumn in Roberts Park

It took me quite a few days to recover from my trip to Edinburgh. I did so much walking there that I rather tired myself out. Of course, it didn't help that I had a flu vaccination when I got back too, and that added to my lethargy. I'm feeling more like my usual self now but I haven't really stirred myself to do anything other than a few local walks. The autumn colours are gorgeous, so I won't apologise too much for yet another post full of trees. 

All of these pics were taken in Saltaire's Roberts Park. It was a lovely day and the squirrels were very busy racing around - looking for food or burying food, I'm not sure which.  

An ancient set of stocks that I understand used to be in Shipley market place (on Stocks Hill) is now located in Roberts Park. I sometimes think it's a punishment we ought to return to using. I'm sure we all have some folks we'd like to see pinned in there, having tomatoes or wet sponges thrown at them with accompanying jeers. Personally I'd put those dog walkers who don't clear up after their dog, or - almost worse - clean up and then hang the plastic bag on a tree! And the drivers of big SUVs that park on the pavement and don't leave room for folks to pass safely.

The signs of the times...

Another fiery sunset. I never get tired of seeing them. You know what they say... 'Red sky at night, shepherds' delight.' (Or sailors', depending, I suppose, on how near you are to the coast.) It's said to mean good weather on the following day. We shall see. And I learned something today... the red sky lore is, apparently, even something that Jesus is said to have alluded to (according to the Bible, Matthew 16: 2b-3) when rebuking the Pharisees and Sadducees:

'When it is evening, you say, "It will be fair weather; for the sky is red." And in the morning, "It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening." You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.'

Still true, I think! 

Azure and aurum

Azure and aurum; blue and gold. These are the colours of autumn, at least on the days we've been lucky enough to have a bit of sunshine. Familiar local scenes are lifted to another level in these conditions. 

Makers' Fair

Periodically there is a Makers' Fair in Saltaire's Victoria Hall, an opportunity to buy beautifully made, hand crafted items from the makers themselves - and a chance to chat, get to know them and find out about their techniques if you wish to. They are usually very happy to talk to you. Most items are quite reasonably priced so I have to hold on to my wallet as it's easy to be tempted by a ceramic piece, a print or some jewellery. I always buy a few greetings cards for my stash, as they at least are affordable, special and support the entrepreneurs a little. 

I was intending to walk down to the recent 'Winter Makers' Fair' anyway, and when my son-in-law said he was bringing my grand-girls, well of course I had to meet up with them. They're growing up fast, now 14 and 11. The older one is now taller than me! My youngest was holding a large wooden 'ice lolly', a decorative wall piece that her dad had just bought. They have all sorts of quirky things in their house and are always keen to support local artists and makers. They'll probably be horrified at me sharing this photo but it's a rare occasion to get a picture with us all in (especially one where we all look reasonably sane and normal... you should see the outtakes!)

Full-on autumn

It's been wetter of late, so I've had to fit my walks in between showers, sometimes more successfully than others. It's now full-on autumn, lots of colour on the trees and leaves falling everywhere. There's a nice view of the woods on the hillside as I walk down Victoria Road towards the park, and in autumn the varied colour looks good... but I have to get to about this point on the road to avoid a multitude of signs and 'street furniture' distracting from the scene - and then you can't see as much of the hillside.  (Photography is often a compromise!) 

The view from the bridge to the canal below is a classic one. That tree on the right is always a wonderful sight in autumn. I'm not sure what species it is but it usually has good colour. I enjoyed the lady's red beret, echoing the red on the boats. 

The canal surface and the towpath are covered in leaves. It can be a bit slippery. I usually keep away from the edge, not wishing to have an unplanned swim!

A little further on and a lady was feeding the mute swans. She'd managed to attract eleven of them and a duck or three! There are rarely that many all in one spot. 

Then the skies cleared briefly to give a lovely patch of blue. It didn't last long, the rain showers returned but I had my umbrella so I was happily singing in the rain. 

Hidden in the woods

Northcliffe Park has a large area of woodland. A lot of the trees are oaks, which tend to have wonderfully twisted shapes. There's abundant wildlife there too - squirrels, birds and even deer if you're lucky and quiet enough to spot them. Lately, other interesting things have appeared...

There is this 'Sound Horn', a curious wooden cone, which invites you to sit in it to hear the sounds of the forest, amplified. My hearing needs more than amplification (!) so I can't vouch for its effect but it's a fascinating idea.  

The horn has been placed there by NEET - Northcliffe Environmental Enterprises Team. They work at the Northcliffe allotments to enable people with learning difficulties to live inclusive and fulfilling lives, growing vegetables and plants for sale, doing woodwork and running a café there. They have also been instrumental in getting this willow arch erected - part, it seems, of an intended arts trail through the woodland. 

The 'den' apparently started life during the COVID lockdown, people adding branches to it as they took walks, symbolising hope and connection during that very strange time. 

It being near Halloween, there were a few ghoulish additions! 

In the allotments, a couple of rather amusing 'scarecrows':

 

The Big Sing

Our Shipley Churches Together wanted to commemorate Bradford's City of Culture year, and decided on an event called 'The Big Sing'. Hosted in Saltaire's beautiful United Reformed Church, we spent an afternoon and evening enjoying praising God through many wonderful songs and hymns of worship. 

The event started with a recital by members of Hallroyd Brass Band, who also happen to be celebrating their 80th anniversary, founded at Hallroyd Methodist Church in 1945. That was followed by a lively session of singing by our primary school children, with Shipley singer-songwriter John Froud, who regularly goes into schools to lead assemblies and workshops. 

There was organ music too, making use of the URC's pipe organ, installed in 1890, which occupies pride of place at the front of this 'Cathedral of Congregationalism'. 

My own church, St Peter's Shipley, then led us in 'Christian songs through the decades', starting with one of my personal favourites 'How Great Thou Art', which actually has a long history beginning as a Swedish poem from the 1880s. It was heard in Ukraine in the 1930s, having been put to music, then translated into English and published in 1949. It became popular here and in the USA in the 1950s, thanks to the evangelist Billy Graham. It's a wonderful song. 'Shine Jesus Shine' (Graham Kendrick) from the 1980s is a belter of a feel-good song, as is 'My Jesus, My Saviour' by the Australian Darlene Zschech written in 1993. Another of my personal favourites is 'In Christ Alone', that wonderful encapsulation of the Gospel - the good news of Christ - with words by Stuart Townend (a Yorkshire lad) and music by Keith Getty. 

In the evening there was a celebration of church music with strong links to Bradford and this part of Yorkshire. There's a surprising richness of history there, and the minister of Shipley Baptist Church, Keith Jones, guided us through it - dressed in very appropriate attire for the wonderful setting we were in, and with all the clarity and gravitas that one might have expected from a Victorian pastor.

All in all, a very good 'do'. 

 

Out and about in Saltaire

Out and about in Saltaire - trees rapidly turning autumnal and beginning to drop their leaves. (The sound of leaf blowers is everywhere! Such noisy contraptions.)

The stretch of Victoria Road outside the Victoria Hall was closed to traffic when I walked down. They are filming again but there wasn't a lot to see... some classic cars, a van full of props...   

and the Victoria Hall unaccountably now 'Sowerby Bridge Town Hall'. (I felt quite affronted!) Sowerby Bridge is a town in neighbouring Calderdale and did in fact have its own Town Hall at one time, nothing like as grand. I didn't see any filming going on, though it looked as though they might have been within the Victoria Hall itself. I gather they are filming 'Ink', a major film about Rupert Murdoch's media empire, starring Guy Pearce and Jack O'Connell and directed by Danny Boyle. (Wonderfully creative chap, who masterminded the fabulous 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony.)