Venus in Blue Jeans

Another evening sky, from my balcony. At a quarter to eleven at night, it was still quite light and the sky really was the most extraordinary shade of blue. You won't be able to see it on a small screen but, just above the third 'E' in my jennyfreckles watermark, Venus is shining brightly, a tiny pinprick steadily sinking below the horizon. 

It reminded me of a long-forgotten pop song, 'Venus in Blue Jeans', which reached no.4 in the British charts in 1962, a recording by Mark Wynter. Given that I was only ten, the fact that I can still remember the lyrics amazes me!  

'She's Venus in blue jeans,
Mona Lisa with a ponytail,
She's a walkin' talkin' work of art
She's the girl who stole my heart.'

The night sky

No apologies for another night sky picture. This one, last Friday evening, was so breathtaking I have to share it here. Even more incredible when you realise this was 11pm at night. The moon was so bright. It's a bit blurry in my pic but it was a phone shot and it was too late to be bothered to go find my big camera and tripod. 

Friday was my birthday and I'd had a lovely day: time with friends and quiet time alone. I had some wonderful news from my elder granddaughter, who has been awarded the 'Character Prize' out of her entire school year group (about 250 pupils). They said she: 'flies under the radar but is an A-star student, demonstrating all the qualities, character and values [that the school seeks to foster].' I think she's amazing - she has a quiet strength - and it's lovely that her teachers and peers think so too. So that was a delightful birthday gift, as was the beautiful sky to round the day off. 

Today would have been my mum's 99th birthday, so this is for her. She'd have been very proud of her great granddaughter too, and I'm so glad she lived long enough to meet her a few times. 

Solstice

Here we are at the mid-point of the year, the summer solstice. The seasons fly by these days! I love these light nights, and always mourn when we start the downward path to darkness again. 

A couple of nights ago, at 10.30 pm, in the throes of England's first World Cup match (!), I got up to draw the curtains and I noticed the thinnest crescent moon - a waxing crescent - and the brightly shining Venus in very close conjunction. I found this rather thrilling! The match was rather thrilling too, it has to be said: England 4, Croatia 2. A good start to our campaign. 

Lantern Parade

As part of the World Heritage Day celebrations in Roberts Park, Cecil Green Arts collective organised a lantern parade. The puppets are amazing. Lots of children had attended workshops to make illuminated willow wands and colourful paper lanterns too. The atmosphere was wonderful as they paraded around the park at dusk. It was actually darker than it looks on some of my photos, but I've lightened them so you can see some detail. 

 

Angelic voices

I'm not sure I've ever previously noticed all the angels that grace the ceiling in Bradford's Cathedral. The subtle lighting at the 'After Dark' event really brought them out. I counted twenty of them, each one different. Many were holding musical instruments. They look to be part of the original 15th century oak ceiling so they will be over 500 years old. Isn't that amazing? They have expressive little faces and I was glad my longest lens was able to pick them out sufficiently well to be able to appreciate them. 

Mood lighting

Some of the lighting in Bradford cathedral for the 'After Dark' event was spectacular. St Aidan's Chapel, added in 1950, commemorates Bishop Aidan of Lindisfarne, who evangelised the north of England in the 7th century. It holds some beautiful textile hangings that reference the islands of Iona and Lindisfarne, and a Yorkshire dale. The chapel was illuminated with a lamp that bathed the walls with swirling aqua and green, almost like being underwater.  It was stunning and very peaceful. 

The Icon of the Holy Spirit, in another chapel, was lit by a similar swirly lamp, this time in red and orange, referring to the fire of the Holy Spirit. Created by John Coleman in 2008, the Pentecost icon depicts the apostles with various symbols: a dove, a sunburst and a landscape which is the Cow and Calf Rocks in Ilkley.

The play of light and shadow around the cathedral was intriguing. Some of the lighting picked out things you don't especially notice in daylight, like this skull on a memorial. Dating to the 1700s, it's a memento mori, a reminder of the inevitability of death.  

After dark

Bradford Cathedral offered an 'After Dark' session, with the interior illuminated by discreet floodlights and lots of candles. It looked beautiful and was a good chance to experience the building 'in a different light', literally. Photographically it was something of a challenge but noise elimination software these days is very good at minimising that grain you get in dim lighting conditions.

As cathedrals go it's an intimate space, having once been a parish church, but it's lovely because of that. The lighting really enhanced certain features like the wonderful fifteenth century oak ceiling in the nave. The Tudor (1536), wood font cover, elaborately carved, was shown off beautifully by red spotlighting. 

 

Bradford by night

I don't often go into Bradford at night so it was interesting to see how the recent pedestrianisation has improved the environment, making safe walkways and all attractively lit. Last year's City of Culture award provided the impetus for many improvements. I don't know if the clock tower on City Hall is always so colourful but it gave a nice effect in the distance. 

It's perhaps a pity that the Wool Exchange, a magnificent Victorian building, is not better illuminated. You can see its shadowy presence in the centre of the photo below.

On the route down to Forster Square rail station, the dark arches under the viaduct have been fenced off. This was somewhat controversial, as they used to be home to quite a gathering of rough sleepers. People complained that they were being 'sanitised' because of the City of Culture initiative. I guess they were and I'm not sure whether alternative provision was made. There seem now to be a lot of folk bedded down in shop doorways, all over the place. Now the arches are lit at night and looked quite intriguing... better than they look during the day! 

Twilight, Albert Terrace

It's no wonder that Albert Terrace is used so often as a film location. It is very atmospheric, and timeless (at least when there aren't too many cars visible). I love it best at twilight when the moody shadows add even more character. 

 

Evening in Roberts Park

More early evening wandering, this time in Roberts Park. It's probably my favourite time of day to see the New Mill, when there's still a bit of colour in the sky and the lights are on in the NHS offices, enlivening the reflection in the river. 

You get a double value sunset when it's mirrored in the river. This one wasn't stunning but it was quite pretty. The lights of the Boathouse glowed invitingly. This was a boathouse in Victorian times, when people could hire rowing boats on the river. It's been a bar/restaurant for as long as I can remember. 

The bandstand is lit with coloured lights and provides a lovely focal point above the Half Moon pavilion. 

Opposite the bandstand, the statue of Sir Titus Salt was silhouetted against the evening sky. 

 

Seeing things in a different light

The sub-zero temperatures have eased, though it's still quite cold. Tuesday turned out to be a better day than forecast and I longed for a walk. Unfortunately I had to wait at home for a parcel delivery that didn't arrive until late afternoon, by which time it was starting to get dark. I went out anyway. Sometimes it's good to see familiar scenes in a different light. 

Salt Brewery, in what used to be the Edwardian tramsheds built in 1904, looked attractive and inviting with its glowing lights. Though open, at that hour it wasn't exactly busy. 

Sunset was creeping in by the time I got down to the canal, just a gentle glow, not spectacular but still good to see. 

Parts of the canal were still frozen, meaning that some of the ducks were standing on ice and others swimming in the water. That's not something you often see. 

The lights in Saltaire were beginning to come on by the time I reached the village. People were making their way home from work and college, no doubt relieved, as I was, not to be slithering on ice. 

Christmas Eve Tractor Run

Well, this was a lot of fun even if it did turn out to be a photographic disaster as far as I was concerned. Every Christmas Eve in Calderdale, local farmers and businesses put on a charity tractor run, this year raising funds for Candlelighters, a children's cancer charity, and Forget Me Not children's hospice. The cavalcade of tractors, trucks and vans travels a circular route through the Calder valley, passing right by the end of the road where my daughter lives. I've never been to see it before and didn't really know what to expect but it was long (about 150 vehicles) and very loud, with music and horns blasting. I had not expected them to move so fast and it proved impossible for me to get clear photos, in the dark, with all the bright headlights and the vehicles travelling at that speed. So I'm sorry for the blur but I did want to show a few pics, just to remember it by. I was cold too. Note to self to dress even more warmly next time... you get colder standing still, of course, and there was a long wait. I soon warmed up back at my family's home, with a cup of tea and a thoughtfully provided hot water bottle! (They look after dear old gran very well.) 

If I go again next year, I will hopefully be better prepared.

When I eventually drove home, I was followed by a tractor making its way back to its farm. It was like being chased by a Christmas tree!  😂 😂.