Mass Wuthering

Why, you might ask, was there a steady stream of people dressed in red climbing to Penistone Hill, above the Brontë family home in Haworth? 

It was what is known as 'The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever', held in July each year, which sees thousands of people across the world recreate the video to Kate Bush's 1978 song Wuthering Heights, inspired by Emily Brontë's novel. Dancers pay an entry fee, which raises money for charity. 

My daughter, son-in-law and younger granddaughter (all of whom simply LOVE 'dressing up') were participants so I and my older granddaughter (we don't love dressing up!) went along to watch.  

There were a few practice runs first. Though the 500 dancers were supposed to have learned the moves beforehand, the extent to which that had happened (or not) was abundantly clear!

Then - the dance. Given that it hasn't rained here for weeks, the fact that it was very windy, quite cold and very wet was ironic. They all got soaked to the skin. It was certainly 'wuthering' (definition: blustering, stormy, or roaring loudly like a heavy wind)! Remarkably, it didn't seem to dampen anyone's enthusiasm. 

There were quite a few men in frocks and dogs in frocks. The men were allowed to dance, the dogs weren't!

BBC and ITV News were there and there’s a video HERE.

The 'stream' home again was more literally that, very damp indeed. Aw. We went for a pub lunch to warm up and dry off. I'd like to say it was good fun...  

All that jazz

We've had some unbelievably hot days recently - and it's barely summer yet. I had my younger granddaughter over for the day and we wandered down to Roberts Park for an ice cream. 'Guiseley Jazz' were playing in the bandstand, and a few folk got up to dance to the infectious rhythm. It was heartwarming to see the older couple teaching the younger girls some of the moves. It all felt very relaxed and lovely - and the ice creams were good too. We even found a place to sit in the shade and the slight breeze made it feel bearable. Neither of us are sun/hot weather lovers. 

We paid a visit to Baba Jaga's hut, and I found she knew the legend quite well. She's bright as a button and quick on the uptake about most things. 

Before long she was in her favourite habitat - up a tree! 

Any railings or low walls we pass also get clambered on. From here we got a grandstand view of the Canada geese taking their babies for a paddle on the weir. The river is currently very low, but it will soon fill again as we have rain forecast for next week. 

Nostalgia

 

I was idly wondering whether writers go back and reread their own novels, or diarists thrill again to their own journal entries. (We all know that famous Oscar Wilde quote: 'I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train.')  Maybe I'm odd - or self-obsessed! - but I do occasionally like to look back at my blog, which is, after all, a record of what I've been up to for the past eighteen or so years. So I was looking back ten years, to 2016 and I found, for the 13th January, this delightful memory:

"And she's off....

We are fortunate that the town of Halifax is almost equidistant between my daughter's new home and mine - and even more fortunate that it holds the fabulous National Children's Museum: Eureka. The museum was in its infancy when my daughter was a child but is continually renewed and re-envisioned and has gone from strength to strength. My granddaughters love it - and so do we adults, as it is a wonderful place to take them when the weather precludes outdoor play. With both children still being under school age we can go during the week when it's quieter. It gets packed, as you can imagine, at weekends and holidays.

On our recent visit, E, who is four, was captivated by the workshop devoted to transport. She 'drove' a lorry, took a car through a carwash, filled up with petrol and then donned overalls to change the tyres. A future in Formula One looks assured. One-year-old M was curious at first ...  and then decided the smooth floors were perfect for getting in some walking practice. She is so proud of her new-found skills and balance.

Up...  steady...  and off she goes.....'

I loved looking back at this. Little M, the adventurer, now eleven, is still curious, brave and bright. She's a lot bigger, of course! In the meantime, she grew her hair until it reached below her waist. Last week, she had it chopped off into a very stylish, short, razor-cut bob. I believe her intention was to donate her long plaits to a charity that makes wigs for child cancer patients. 

The lost generation

I'm scraping the barrel somewhat here, as I've pretty much run out of decent photos to post. I've been really busy the last few weeks but not the kind of busy that has taken me anywhere photogenic. 

My uncle Colin, one of dad's brothers, died recently. Aged 91 and in frail health, his death wasn't unexpected, but it still feels significant. He was ten years younger than my father and when I was born he was only 17. That means my earliest memories of him are of his playfulness. They say that some of my first words as a toddler were 'Up the Stags', the Stags being the local football team - and guess who taught me to say that?  Another vivid recall is of when I was dressed in my 'nurse's outfit', aged about four I guess, and my uncle was my 'patient'. He groaned and writhed around so realistically that I got scared and thought he really was ill! He was a competent cricketer, playing in the local village team. I remember weekends at my grandma's, the womenfolk making sandwiches for the 'cricket teas' and then going to watch Colin and his younger brother play. He was also a master player of 'the bones' - a folk percussion instrument used in a similar way to playing 'spoons'. He did try to teach me once but with little success. 

It was his funeral in Retford, Nottinghamshire the other day, so of course I attended. The eulogy and all the photos on display reminded family and friends of his great capacity for fun, alongside his caring for others. It is a shock to realise that Colin was the last of my parents' generation, now 'the lost generation'. Now I'm the oldest person in my family! 

I took the train to Retford as it's a long and scary motorway drive from here. I arrived in plenty of time and, as it was a chilly but bright day, I decided I'd walk the two miles to the crematorium, rather than get a taxi. Not an especially pleasant walk as it was on a narrow pavement alongside a fairly busy road, but the sunshine was nice and the landscape different enough from my own locality to be mildly interesting. Retford is a small but very historic market town in the wide, flat, flood plain of the River Idle. It has, tragically, suffered many floods (even quite recently) and fires. In 1528 nearly three quarters of the buildings in the town were destroyed in a fire. In 1916, the local gas works was bombed and blown up spectacularly by a German Zeppelin. It may be a small place but it's had a wild ride over the years!  

The crematorium had a large memorial garden around it, with a small, reed-filled lake providing a quiet spot to sit and contemplate in the gentle, late autumn sunshine. 

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!)

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. 

My dad

I just wanted to record that my dad, Ralph, would have been 100 years old today. I find that a little hard to believe - and quite honestly I'm glad he didn't live that long! He was a lovely, truly gentle, man but in his later years he had Parkinson's Disease, which progressively diminished his quality of life. He died in 2002 aged 76. The photo above, one of my favourites, was taken on his 70th birthday. The one below was in 1947, shortly after he and my mum started dating, when he was 22 and doing National Service. I don't seem to have any photos of him on his own and that, I think, is in itself significant. He was truly a devoted family man and loved nothing better than to be with my mother, my sister and me, and among his wider family and friends. 

He trained as a telephone engineer, a career he pursued all of his working life, from apprenticeship to being in charge of a telephone exchange and, towards the end of his career, a specialist troubleshooter trusted with sorting out the most complicated faults and problems. He retired just as digital technology was coming in, something for which I think he was thankful as I don't think he'd have enjoyed having to start to learn new systems. 

As a father, he was loving and generous, even if not terribly demonstrative. He was pretty soft-hearted too. It was usually my mother who enforced the boundaries. I've many good memories of him, especially the times he and I shared together, just us. (Gentle reminder to dads to make sure to have some one-to-one time with your daughters!) He drove me up and down the country to various interviews at various universities before I left home, and made sure we did some exploring and enjoying of whatever city we were in. He had a great sense of humour and used to make us laugh by reciting 'Albert and the Lion' and other such funny monologues, as well as having the usual repertoire of 'dad' jokes. He was aspirational for us and worked hard all his life to provide us with security and a comfortable life. When my daughter was born he proved himself a fantastic grandpa: patient, kind and thoughtful and a wonderful support.  

It's easy, isn't it, to take one's parents for granted? I count myself very fortunate to have had a loving, stable and responsible father, whose love for me I never doubted because it never wavered.

Happy 100th birthday, dad! 

All aboard for 'The Railway Children'

I had an exciting adventure with my daughter and grandies the other day, when we went to see a production of 'The Railway Children', one of the Bradford City of Culture 2025 events. Closely modelled on the original 1906 novel by Edith Nesbit, and the film that was made in 1970 (rather than the more recent sequel), it all took place on the Keighley and Worth Valley heritage railway, where both films were made. The story is of a family who have to move from London to the countryside when their father is (wrongfully) imprisoned as a spy. 

We boarded a steam train at Keighley station (all part of the show) and were transported up to Oxenhope. The girls were excited to spot deer from the train windows, animals that I imagine are quite used to the steam trains passing regularly along the line. There was plenty of time to look around Oxenhope station and buy merchandise and refreshments before the actual performance began. 

My youngest granddaughter was invited to climb into the loco's cab and the engine driver explained what everything was and how it all worked. 

Then we went into the engine shed, which had been turned into a theatre with seats along both sides. The performance took place on moveable staging along the tracks in the centre, which doubled as both rooms and trains, depending on the narrative. It was hugely imaginative and very well done. There were even subtitles on an app on my phone so that I could actually follow the dialogue, which added a great deal to how much I enjoyed it. 

We weren't allowed to take photos during the performance, of course, but I did snap a couple when the cast first came in. They walked up the side stages and chatted to the audience, even singing 'happy birthday' to one little boy! 

The story was faithful to the original, and included the most dramatic episodes. At the end of Act One, the landslide on the railway line was recreated using a massive pile of suitcases and trunks (instead of rocks!) that crashed down with a roar. Then came the famous scene where Roberta (Bobbie) and Phyllis take off their red flannel petticoats and wave them to stop the oncoming train crashing... at which point a REAL steam train came chuffing into the theatre! 

The same train returned at the end, bringing home the children's father: 'Daddy, my Daddy!'  And yes, I did cry... as I always do when I watch the film - much to the amusement of my grandies.  

It was a wonderful evening, memorable and magical. I'm so glad we went - and I recommend it to anyone local (if you can afford it, anyway; these productions are not cheap). It's on until 7 September. 

The Produce and Crafts tent

Most village fetes have a Produce and Crafts tent, and Blackshaw Head was no exception. There was a variety of home-grown veg on show, and some rather pretty flower arrangements. (The gift for creating these has completely passed me by, so I do appreciate seeing the skill of others.)

Likewise, crafts like kitting, crochet and embroidery - and these rather lovely colourful quilts:

There was baking too; cakes and breads, all looking rather delicious:

In the children's section, there were some amazing models made out of recycled waste. One of my granddaughter's friends had created the cheeky seagull, who'd managed to make off with someone's ice cream. A trio of paper-plate crabs were rather effective too. 

My granddaughter herself had submitted an intricate Lego model, for which she was awarded a Highly Commended certificate. Close inspection of it revealed all manner of tiny creatures nestling in the garden. 

She is good at puzzles and was delighted to win a (nother!) stuffie in a memory game on one of the stalls. She informed me that it is a Disney character called 'Stitch': 'a genetically engineered, extraterrestrial life-form resembling a blue koala'. (So now we know.) 

Monopoly Leeds

I met my daughter and youngest grandie in Leeds at the end of the school holidays, to play 'Monopoly Leeds'. The city centre has been turned into a giant Monopoly board. Armed with a map, we explored various locations, solving puzzles and earning tokens, which could be entered into machines to win little prizes and stamps on your map. 

It was a lot of fun, though I have to say my granddaughter, who is almost ten, did far better on the puzzles than I did! We (I) did, however, walk over 13000 steps (according to my iPhone) so it was a fairly painless way to get some exercise. 

Afterwards we celebrated with coffee and ices at Haute Dolci, a café that serves only sweet creations. That in itself was an eye opener for me. The menu and ordering was via an app opened on your phone from a QR code on each table. All fine... so long as you have a smartphone and the nous to use it. I guess they have ways of serving the technologically challenged too. Happily, I could rely on my daughter to navigate all that! Once we got our ices, they were delicious. 

 

Family time

I just celebrated my birthday. (Never really welcome these days but, as my sister says, better than the alternative!) My family came over and, as it was a lovely day, we walked into Saltaire and enjoyed the simple pleasures of ice cream and a ride on the Shipley Glen Tramway. I often wonder how many people, over the years, have walked along this low wall by the almshouses. It's a comfortable height and width and so you very often see children skipping along it. I love this photo. We're all young at heart. 

All the fun of the fair

My daughter and youngest granddaughter came over to inspect progress on my apartment. The little one eventually got a bit bored by talk of decor and plans for a new bathroom, so we took pity on her and went out. We ended up at the garden centre where, as I've mentioned before on my blog, there is an old-fashioned 'Penny Arcade' full of slot machines and peepshows such as you used to find on seaside piers back in the day. £1 coin into a machine delivers a handful of old copper pennies and we managed to get ourselves quite a few more on some of the machines, by hitting the jackpot. I did quite well on the 'coin pusher' game. 

We watched Sooty's Band, a little animated puppet show featuring Sooty the bear, Sweep the dog and Soo the panda, which used to be on TV when I was a child. 

There are all sorts of weird animated scenes. M was fascinated by Frank N Stine, which eventually revealed a mermaid in the box - 'a monster of the deep'! 

As for me, I can now bear the Laughing characters. This one was 'Mick, the Jolly Gardener'. When I was child these used to make me cry! 

We all had our fortunes told by 'a gypsy'. Mine was fairly boring but the card my daughter received had us in stitches. (Obviously no-one told the gypsy that Charles is now King.) Can't wait for Thursday! Pretend to look surprised. 😂