On Shipley Glen

Shipley Glen, where urban development meets the high moors, has been a place of leisure for centuries. In Victorian times, hordes of mill workers and their families came up here to picnic and enjoy the funfair - aerial rides and toboggan runs - that once filled this area. Nowadays it's quiet in comparison but still a spot people enjoy for dog walks, jogging and BMX bike stunts on the rocks. 

I had a walk along the edge of the escarpment, mainly to see how the heather is coming along. There's not a lot here compared to some of our wilder moorland areas but enough to gauge whether it's worth a longer trek to the Haworth or Ilkley moors. Actually it's in full bloom now, but pale and dusty looking, stressed by the hot, dry weather, clearly not its best year. In full splendour it's an unforgettable spectacle, the purple haze visible for miles, but around here it is shrinking in scope for all sorts of reasons, as the moors are managed differently, human activity takes its toll and the bully bracken encroaches. 

Part way along the Glen, Bracken Hall Countryside Centre occupies a solid 1890s farmhouse and is open at weekends and for school groups, staffed by volunteers, with exhibitions about the Glen and surrounding moorland's history, flora and wildlife.   

A local ramble

I set off for a local walk, remembering only just in time that the main footbridge across the river (into the park) is closed for much-needed repairs. (I had noticed a crack right across it for some time and it felt distinctly bouncy as you walked across!) The closure means a lengthy detour further upstream to the next footbridge, so that was the way I had to go. It's at the far end of the nature reserve by the river. From here, you can just about see the tower of Saltaire's New Mill in the far distance. 

I went straight across the Coach Road and headed up the path towards Shipley Glen. You can see the results of our long, hot spring and summer. All the grass is like straw and the trees are starting to look autumnal, leaves browning, shrivelled and beginning to fall. 

The path skirts Trench Meadows, an SSSI: Site of Special Scientific Interest. It is a lowland meadow, a nationally rare habitat, uncultivated, with species-rich grassland: lots of unusual grasses and wildflowers. It is managed by seasonal grazing by cattle, which you can just about see in the distance in my photo below. Despite this it is under threat from scrub oak invading - and human vandals, whose activities have caused the entrance gates to be padlocked to prevent access. 

The paths skirting the site are ancient bridleways, used by generations of people as thoroughfares and leisure paths. I noticed that, fairly recently, the surfaces, which were badly eroded by feet and rainwater, have been levelled and filled, making for a much safer and more pleasant walk than last time I came this way. The area is cared for by Bradford Council's countryside wardens with support from voluntary groups. 

There are acorns on the oak trees. I can never remember which species of oak is which and had to look it up again! This is a sessile oak, with leaves on stalks and acorns stalkless. The other type, pedunculate, has the opposite - stalked acorns and stalkless leaves. There are masses of rosehips everywhere and lots of blackberries too. They are a bit early, which may cause problems for our birds later on, if they can't find the food they need. 

 

Bradford Live

I've mentioned Bradford Live before. This historic art deco building in the city centre was built as a ballroom, theatre and cinema in the 1930s, becoming one of the first places to screen 'talkies'. In the 1950s it was a live music venue, hosting The Rolling Stones, the Beatles and Buddy Holly, among other legends. From the 1960s it was an Odeon cinema and bingo hall. I saw loads of films here as a student in the 70s. It closed in 2000 and became derelict, before a grassroots movement to save it resulted in an ambitious renovation programme, backed by the City Council. It has been refurbished as a live music and events venue. Seating 3000+ people, it is positioned between the larger stadia like Leeds Arena and smaller auditoriums like Bradford's existing music venue, St George's Hall. 

Restoration now completed, they held an Open Day recently, so I went along to have a look at what they have achieved. It is pretty mind-blowing. 

The scale of the work involved has been tremendous. They had to remove two concrete boxes that were installed in the 1960s to turn it into cinemas - not knowing how they were pinned to the original structure or what would be revealed. In the photo below you can perhaps see that the front of the dress circle has the original moulding along half of its width, which is absent along the right hand side. The roof structure is complex. At first I thought it must be related to the acoustics but apparently it was revealed in the restoration work. 

There's a very good explanation and photos HERE by one of the companies involved in the renovation. 

For such a large venue, the sound and lighting desk looked quite small but that's the result of modern digitalisation, making the technology in such places really quite streamlined.  

The main auditorium has three levels (I think) and the building has six bars. Those at the back on the various levels are massive, to cope with the large audiences expected. It seemed to have plenty of toilets too - very necessary but often an amenity that is sadly lacking, in my experience of some of our theatres and music venues. 

They seem to have retained the original structure where possible. The stairwells still have the original flooring. 

There are associated smaller spaces - VIP rooms and a ballroom that can be used for smaller music events, weddings and conferences. I would have liked to see backstage too, but that didn't seem to be an option. 

In the basement, the Boiler Room Bar has the shells of the original boilers that used to heat the building.

The building isn't currently listed but I think they have done such a great job of retaining its original features and integrity that it will no doubt gain listed status at some point. I'm not likely to go to a gig myself (music doesn't really work with my limited hearing) - though I'm tempted to see my favourite Christmas film 'The Holiday' with a live orchestra... Initially there seem to be a lot of tribute bands listed but then some bigger names start to edge in, notably The Kaiser Chiefs in February next year. I very much hope the venue attracts some popular bands and pays its way. 

Summer garden

Just on the Shipley edge of Saltaire, on the canal side, there is a block of old cottages called Jane Hills, built in stages between 1796 and the mid 19th century. I took these two photos because I thought the garden was so pretty, with flowers spilling over the fence and a row of annuals brightening up the canalside. 

The picture below is one that I took about three years ago, though I don't think a lot has changed since then. I included it here to show the older cottages that sit at right angles to the ones in the pictures above. They say that at least one of them (the large house at the back in the bottom photo) was a lodging house for canal boatmen. The oldest building, adjacent to that house, is now a row of three cottages but (according to Historic England) used to be a cottage and a wool workshop, and you can see (photo above) the blocked up 'taking-in door' on the gable end where goods used to be loaded into the building from the canal. 

It must originally have been a fairly isolated and rural spot, until they built Salts Mill just along the canal in the early 1850s. Since then, mills and business premises have surrounded the cottages, though now, at the back, the HMRC building has been demolished and left as a rubble-strewn site. It may or may not one day become a residential area!

William Morris stained glass

The main reason I visited Bradford Cathedral recently was because I'd booked on a guided tour of the building's William Morris stained glass. It turned out to be very interesting. 

During a period of restoration in 1863, a Mrs Tolson decided to give some money for a window in memory of her husband Richard, a Bradford solicitor. One of her late husband's friends, John Aldam Heaton, was an admirer of the work of the Pre-Raphaelites, William Morris and his friends, and suggested that the glass should be sourced from them. It was one of the first stained glass commissions the company undertook. Then a second window by the company was added in 1864. 

The windows were installed towards the east end of the church, and removed when this was remodelled. 

The one installed in 1864, in memory of Mary Hartley, was dismantled and placed in a crate, stored for 26 years until rediscovered. It has been restored and parts are now in the transepts, and some of the pieces have been arranged as an illuminated panel (above). The angels are the work of William Morris himself, with Salvator Mundi (Saviour of the World) by Albert Moore, and a Pelican (a Christian symbol) by Philip Webb in the middle. 

 

The seven-light 1863 window, 'Witnesses to Christ', was reused in the new Lady Chapel, but had to be split into three panels. I've put them together again in the composite below. 

Records have survived that detail which of the artists in the William Morris collective created each piece and how much they cost. It's really interesting to note the differences between the artists' approaches. 

The figure of John the Baptist (below), is by William Morris himself. Philip Webb was responsible for a lot of the background pieces, many of which include plants and flowers, key motifs of Pre-Raphaelite imagery. 

Mary Magdalene (below), holding her jar of anointing oil, is the work of Dante Gabriel Rossetti. She has the long russet tresses associated with many of his muses. Apparently, in the original design she was more scantily clad. This was considered inappropriate for the context so he had to add more garments. 

Ford Madox Brown contributed Abraham (below) clutching a knife, with his terrified son Isaac hanging on to his leg. Plenty of drama and emotion in this depiction. 

King David (below) is by Edward Burne-Jones, in a gentler, more romantic style. 

I love stained glass, as you know, so I found this all very fascinating. These are masterpieces, with similar works by William Morris and Co and other notable glass studios dotted around in churches all over the UK. Their significance is easily overlooked. They were meant to tell stories to (often illiterate) congregations. A picture can hold a thousand words, after all. 

Incidentally, the cathedral also unearthed the beautiful altar cloth, above, stored away in a drawer somewhere. It has been authenticated as a Morris and Co embroidery, likely done by William Morris's wife Jane, who was a skilled needlewoman. The sweeping foliage and fruit: grapes and pomegranates, are typical symbols used in the Pre-Raphaelite and Arts and Crafts movements.  

Inside Bradford Cathedral

Because Bradford Cathedral was once a parish church, it's relatively small compared to some of our majestic cathedrals and abbeys. It has, as a result, an intimacy that I really like. Alterations over the centuries meant that the beautiful roof was hidden by a false ceiling at one time, but thankfully that was stripped away in a major 19th century restoration so that the huge oak beams can be seen again. 

When the church was made a cathedral in 1919, plans were formulated to extend it. Because of the outbreak of war, the adaptations didn't happen until the 1950s/60s. At that time the whole east end of the church was rebuilt and extended, including the parts you can see in the picture below:

Originally the church had plain glass windows but in the 19th century there was a revival in the art of stained glass. The great west window (below), over the main entrance, was installed in 1863, paid for by a Bradford solicitor in memory of his sisters. Its theme is 'The Women of the Bible': the Angel Gabriel with the Virgin Mary; Mary Magdalene with the Risen Christ; Jesus with Martha and Mary of Bethany, and with the woman at the well. On the top rows, many more Biblical women are depicted. The window is the work of Heaton, Butler and Bayne. 

[Studying it closely, it supports my theory that my own church's windows are also by this company, with quite a few similarities, including the use of rich blues and purples. The company were renowned for introducing a range of new, vibrant colours in their work. There's also the fact that several depictions of Jesus show him with a red and white halo (like a lifebelt, I always think!) around his head.]

I've included some closer views of the panels: the Annunciation

and Mary Magdalene is greeted by the Risen Christ.

'Woven Lives'

I had the pleasure of going to Bradford Cathedral recently, on a beautiful day that made my heart sing. Christians have worshipped on the hill above the city for thirteen centuries. Just below, there is a river (now running in conduits underground). In Saxon times, a ford allowed people to cross. 'Broad Ford' led to the city's name. The present cathedral, Bradford's parish church until 1919, is believed to be the third church on the site, parts of it dating back to the 14th century but much enlarged and altered subsequently. What was once its crowded graveyard is now a pleasant precinct with a few clergy houses around the lawns. 

There are currently several small exhibitions in the cathedral related to Bradford people's lives and stories. The artwork made of coloured glass is 'Woven Lives', the result of various workshops in the city led by Linda Baines and Shaeron Caton-Rose. Participants used drawing and symbols to map out their lives - moments of joy and hardship - which were then screen printed onto glass tiles and fused to make the artwork.  

Happy

You'll perhaps recall that a couple of weeks ago I went to an exhibition of Liz West's work - H.A.P.P.Y - in Harrogate. (See HERE). I really liked the bold colour in her art. When I came home I looked at her website, vaguely thinking I might get a print to place in my hallway, on a wall that my daughter reckoned needed a picture. I quickly had second thoughts when I noted her prints sell for upwards of £300 (not unreasonable for original art but beyond my budget). However, she also sells small art cards, at a much more affordable price. I bought a pack of them and arranged them in a cheap frame. I'm very pleased with the effect. The little explosion of bright colour truly makes me happy! 

(Incidentally those aren't creases in the middle, just unavoidable reflections, for which I apologise.)

The print I have on the opposite wall is one I've had for years. It's a poster for an exhibition I went to in Leeds, by Andy Goldsworthy, featuring a boulder covered in poppy petals. Andy is an artist and sculptor who works with natural materials - stone, brightly coloured flowers, icicles, leaves, mud, pinecones, snow, stone, twigs, and thorns -  in site specific locations outdoors. His artworks are often ephemeral, left to age and decay naturally (though always documented in photos too). He has installed more permanent works like cairns and sheepfolds in various locations, including the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. He currently has a major retrospective exhibition in Scotland’s National Gallery, so I’m hoping to go to Edinburgh to see that in the autumn. 

Concentration

My family have recently returned from holiday so I had the pleasure of being able to spend some time with my youngest granddaughter. She is growing up fast (nearly 11) and I know that her desire to visit will soon wane in favour of activities with her peers (as is largely now the case with her big sister). I have a good relationship with them both, so it's not an issue for me, rather I see it as a normal and healthy development. I do, however, enjoy their company. She still enjoys board games; we had a couple of rounds of snakes and ladders, both of which she won! She also enjoyed sorting through a big tin of badges that originally came from my nephews. There are enough duplicates in the tin to make a good game of 'Snap', which required concentration and attention to detail. A trip to the local shop for food supplies, followed by a late lunch (menu decided by granddaughter), a bit of crafting, a little time spent reading - all in all, we spent a very pleasant day - and then dinner back at her house with my family, catching up with tales of their recent travels in Europe. An enjoyable time. 

Renovations in Shipley

There's a lot of money going into infrastructure in Shipley at the moment. This building here is now called Farfield: the Shipley Health and Wellbeing Community Centre. It has had the benefit of £3m for a full renovation from the Shipley Towns Fund (part of the government's 'Levelling up the UK' plan to invest in areas that have historically been underfunded). Formerly St Walburga's Primary School, it belongs to The Cellar Trust, a charity providing specialist mental health support. They have sought to create a calm, inclusive and accessible space for the community and are now looking for partners to run a café and offer therapeutic services. They say: 'Over time, our objective is to continue bringing people and organisations together to provide holistic support, amplify positive change, foster innovation and build a stronger, more connected community for everyone.'

Rather grand words... it would be good if they could bear positive fruit, as mental health is an area where support is very much needed and quite hard to come by.  

The renovation has been masterminded by Saltaire architects Rance Booth Smith (see HERE) and includes a new atrium, linking two wings of the original building, and a sensory garden. It looks as though it has been beautifully done, with great attention to detail. 

Rance Booth Smith have also designed and overseen the conversion of another former school building, dating back to the 1850s, in the centre of Shipley (see below). It's used by The Kirkgate Centre (a community and social action charity) and The Hive (a community arts charity). It's now the 'Shipley Sustainable Community Hub'. (See HERE) Again, it's been funded by Shipley Towns Fund, to the tune of £2.5m. The Hive now has bright and welcoming craft, pottery and woodwork rooms and the Kirkgate Centre provides a cafeteria and rooms that are extensively used by local groups for youth work, exercise classes, support groups and such like. I popped in when it was open and it is lovely inside, light and welcoming. I was going to take a few photos of the interior but it's been divided up in such a way that 'views through' are limited. In the main hall, lots of small children were having a great time playing with tons of Lego, but it wasn't appropriate to take photos of that.