Lister Park views

Lister Park, which surrounds Bradford's civic art gallery, Cartwright Hall, is always good for a wander - and is possibly at its most beautiful in autumn. I've been enjoying it since the early 1970s, when I was a student in digs nearby. Eventually, I moved into an apartment overlooking the park for a couple of years.

Its statues of Diana the huntress (top) and the stag (above) are old friends. 

The park is full of beautiful, mature trees. There's a lake, a bandstand and lots of meandering paths. Back in the day it had an open-air lido too, though that has long gone, replaced by tennis courts and sports pitches. I visited recently to enjoy a new exhibition in the gallery and I delighted in a walk round the park too, luckily dodging the rain showers.

Sunday stroll

It was a dull but dryish Sunday morning (last week) so I went for a stroll, down Victoria Road and into the park. The trees by the United Reformed Church are very definitely heading in an autumn direction. The biggest tree, that used to be so colourful, sadly collapsed a few years ago but there are still enough left to make a good show. 

In the park the monthly Farmers' Market was in full swing. It's enjoyable to browse and see what is on sale, but all the produce is pretty expensive. £8 for a small jar of honey; Greek extra virgin olive oil at eye-watering prices! Mostly beyond my budget, save for the odd splurge. There are plenty of tempting sweet foods and pastries too, but I'm eating so healthily these days that it has ruined the pleasure of such things. I had some lemon cake the other day and didn't really enjoy it at all, as I visualised the resulting blood sugar spike! 

I often wonder what Sir Titus Salt would think of all these developments...  A pizza oven at his feet! 

Beyond the park, I walked along the riverbank through the nature reserve. The wildflower meadow has been mown. I wonder if it will ever become the pretty sight that one imagines when you say 'wildflower meadow'. It was just rough ground initially and, a few years later, still seems to end up dominated by very coarse grasses and plants, with not that many actual flowers. 

Crossing the River Aire on the footbridge near Hirst Lock, autumn tints in the foliage are gathering pace here too. 

Fall

Just a random shot of a random gutter full of autumn leaves... but isn't it beautiful, when you look closely? No two leaves are the same and the way they layer is both artful and artless. 

Let's find glory in the smallest, simplest pleasures...   

Early autumn trees

It's surprising what a difference a few colder nights make at this time of year. It seems the trees get kick-started into their colour change. There are definitely more hints of autumn in the foliage than there were a week or so ago. Of course, golden leaves and blue skies are a winning combination... though the sun was a bit teasing, kept disappearing behind clouds. 

In the drizzle

My usual walk - in the drizzle! But no matter, it was very fine rain and hardly bothered me. I have invested in a hooded raincoat that comes down below my knees, so even that clammy dampness across my thighs, which can be a problem with a short jacket, is banished. ('There is no such thing as bad weather, only inadequate clothing!' 😂) 

A few quite cold nights have helped the autumn yellows to develop in the foliage. 

Apple Day

I ventured along to a local community event - one of those 'small but beautiful' things that are so worth supporting. It was a celebration of Apple Day - harvesting and juicing our local apples. It was reminiscent of events you see abroad, where communities get together to pick olives or grapes and to celebrate the harvest. I guess these kinds of happenings were more common in the past but nowadays, when many of us get most of our produce from big supermarkets, we have lost the connection with our land - and with our community. 

Many helpers chopped apples to feed into the press. The press was screwed down to pulp the fruit. 

The pulp was compressed into a sieve:

Even the youngsters lent a hand to screw the press's lid down:

And behold, the apple juice: sweet, cloudy and full of natural goodness. What might have been wasted was put to full use. 

I think it's been a good season for fruit, perhaps because our trees - stressed by the summer's drought - seem to have decided they need to produce lots of seeds to survive. I've noticed numerous boxes and baskets of apples placed outside people's garden gates, with an invitation to 'help yourself to free apples'. This little community gathering was taking sharing that one step further. 

You could also buy local jam, home-made soup, buns and delicious ice cream. It was all rather delightful. 

Green gold

There is a definite transition to autumn going on. The trees are starting to get that attractive green-gold mixture in their foliage. I really like the effect when you just glimpse the gold through curtains of green, 

or when one bright coppery branch sweeps across a green background.

The River Wharfe was fringed by golden edges on its banks. 

It's a good time of year for fungi. I thought the bracket fungus above, on a rotting log, was rather beautiful, though I have no idea which specific type it is.

Plants are dying back too. I think these (below) are butterbur, which start with weird pink flower spikes and then develop these enormous leaves that shrivel into cup shapes in autumn. Fascinating plants. I think the name came about because the leaves were used at one time to wrap butter to keep it cool. 

The sun is getting lower in the sky too, shining its rays through the trees (and shining into my eyes on the drive home!)

Gently flows the river

Last Monday morning, my plan was to spend much of the day catching up on household chores, neglected because I've been out and about a lot. But... it was such a beautiful day that it seemed criminal to stay indoors. The joy of retirement is that, within reason, you can do exactly as you like. So Plan A was ditched and Plan B followed... a drive to Bolton Abbey and a walk through the early autumnal woods. 

We've had some rain but not really a great deal. The River Wharfe was flowing gently and its surface was mirror-like. 

The Strid Gorge was slightly fuller than last time I visited about a month ago, but by no means as full as it sometimes gets. It's astonishing that the wide and mighty river narrows here to just a couple of meters across as it churns through the rocks. 

It was a blissful walk - my soul was singing - and I made the most of every minute. It's such a privilege to be within easy striking distance of all these beautiful places. I saw this quote (below) on someone else's blog (Barbara?) and thought it was wonderful. I am so deeply grateful for my life and circumstances. 

A threshold

Milner Field walk, part 1

So, the 1st of September arrived... the threshold of a new season, as we tip over into meteorological autumn. It has looked like the approach of autumn for a week or two, as the dry weather seems to have speeded up the fruiting of hedgerows and yellowing of the foliage. September 1st was, however, a lovely day and still had a summery feel with a pleasantly warm temperature, despite a stiff breeze blowing. 

I decided on a brisk walk up to Milner Field, a route I haven't taken for a while. I bumped into two of my neighbours on the way - a couple of brief but friendly chats to start me off on the right foot (as they say!) 

I crossed the canal (above) at Hirst Wood swing bridge and was attracted by the two bursts of red: the boat and the lady's jacket (with matching walking sticks, how stylish).

Next, I crossed the river and walked round to the weir that once powered the adjacent mill. The river is still quite low, though we'd had a bit of rain in the past few days. The weir now has opportunistic shrubs growing in the middle! I don't suppose they'll hold on once the winter flow builds up. 

Then up the hill to follow the carriage drive that goes through the woods to Milner Field. In parts it is now barely wide enough to allow the horse-drawn carriages that once conveyed gentry (including, in 1882, the then Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII) up to Titus Salt Junior's mansion. Not that that bothers today's users, mostly dog-walkers. I passed one chap walking nine big dogs. Thankfully, apart from one (presumably his own pet), they were all on leads. It seemed a lot for one man to handle but apparently there is no legal limit to the number that can be walked. 

There are huge trees toppled over here too, as everywhere. 

The imposing Milner Field mansion was once somewhere in the woods to the right of my photo below. You can still find traces of it if you root around, though it was left empty from the late 1920s. No-one would then buy it, as it had a macabre reputation due to the series of tragedies and early deaths that beset all its previous owners. It was mostly demolished in the 1950s. Read about its history HERE. 

Meanwhile

Meanwhile, in Saltaire, our impossibly beautiful autumn continued... 

This was a week or so ago and the leaves are much sparser now, after some heavy rain and wind. 

No words needed