More filming!

After another busy day with tradesmen renovating my new flat, I popped out for an early evening walk. I didn't realise that they had closed the main crossroads in the middle of Saltaire to traffic and were actively filming. Of course that limited where I could walk and I couldn't get that close to the action but every now and again they had to stop to allow local traffic and pedestrians to move around. It must be very frustrating for them really, trying to co-ordinate everything. There are loads of extras involved, which seems to involve an awful lot of standing around waiting for the odd few moments of actual filming. 

The film is 'The Choral', set in 1916: screenplay by Alan Bennett, director Nicholas Hytner and starring Ralph Fiennes, Jim Broadbent and Simon Russel Beale, though I've still seen no sign of any of them. 

I rather like the look of Saltaire when they convert the shops to more old-fashioned ones. It would be nice to have a post office, a greengrocer's and more 'ordinary' shops in the centre again. The village is now full of cafés, bars, a couple of gift shops, an art gallery, a bakery, hairdressers and an off-licence/sweetshop. The more 'useful' shops are concentrated up the hill on Gordon Terrace. 

And then it rained - a sudden, very sharp downpour with thunder and lightning! Luckily by then I was sheltered under trees on the canal towpath and was able to avoid getting drenched but it must have caused havoc on the film set. All the gravel they'd laid over the tarmac was being washed away. 

 

Fewston reflections

The Blubberhouses walk brought me back along the edge of Fewston reservoir. On a bright, sunny day, the reflections in the shallow water were vivid greens, blues and oranges. 

See how strong the colour palette is, with colours sampled directly from the images:

 

Unintentional abstract

On the edge of Fewston reservoir, I was fascinated by a grove of trees at the waterline, with trunks partially submerged. The colours and reflections made intriguing patterns. This is a straight photo but looks like something you might create with clever use of multiple exposures or software.

Filming

I had just alighted from the train at Saltaire station on my return from Leeds the other day. There were a lot of commuters going up the footpath onto Albert Terrace and we found ourselves walking right into the middle of a film set! As I mentioned the other day, they are filming an Alan Bennett drama called 'The Choral', set in WW1. It stars Ralph Fiennes, Jim Broadbent and Simon Russell Beale, so it's a high budget film. Alas, I haven't seen any of the stars round and about, just a lot of crew and extras. 

In remembrance

Yesterday, 6 June, was the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the storming in 1944 of Normandy French beaches by allied forces during WW2. Thousands of allied troops perished in the endeavour but it proved to be a significant turning point in the war, spearheading the liberation of France and Western Europe from the Nazis. There were commemorative events across the UK and in Europe, notably in Normandy itself, where state leaders gathered to honour the few remaining veterans and to remember those who died. I found it sobering and poignant, especially in view of the new threats to the continent from Russia's actions in Ukraine. 

I happened to be in Leeds to do some shopping and realised that a commemoration around the civic war memorial was taking place. It was relatively short but nicely judged: speeches from Ed Anderson, HM Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire, and the Lord Mayor (currently a woman, Councillor Abigail Marshall Katung), prayers, two minutes silence, and the laying of a few wreaths. 

There was a piper, and a bugler playing the Last Post, as is traditional at such events. Later, beacons were lit across the country as another tribute to those who fought for our freedom.  

Nature's glory

Here are a few more photos from my walk near Blubberhouses. The wetland habitat at the edge of Fewston reservoir was, to me, an interesting area and I could happily have spent more time trying to identify plants, trees and butterflies. There were a few bluebells in flower, and their distinctive colour could not really be mistaken for anything else.   

Marsh marigolds (often called kingcups) are buttercup yellow and are in the same family as meadow buttercups but like to have their roots in water. 

The pretty, white, star-like flowers of Greater stitchwort are commonly seen in spring. I love them and yet for some reason every year I forget what they are called! They have lots of folk names: 'wedding cakes', 'Star of Bethlehem' and 'daddy's shirt buttons' among them. 

I had a bit of trouble identifying this one but I'm pretty sure it's bugle (Ajuga reptans) going by the flowers, broad leaves and damp habitat. 

I'm not sure what the trees were but willow, alder, birch and hazel all tolerate having their roots flooded. 

Finally, I enjoyed the ombre effect at the water's edge, with a sunny blue sky reflected and the rust colour of the lake bed showing through near the shore. 

Bradford Cathedral

Bradford Cathedral stands on a hill in what was the oldest part of the city, Wapping, although nothing remains of the terrible Victorian slums that once surrounded what was then the parish church. It was designated a cathedral in 1919, when the Diocese of Bradford was created (and now merged with other areas to be the Diocese of Leeds). Parts of the church date back to the 14th century but it was enlarged in the 1950s and 1960s. 

It's is somewhat unusual in having several windows that celebrate women - the West Window (below) depicts women of the Bible. My favourite is the one I've shown at the top, which has three female saints: St Elizabeth of Hungary, St Hilda of Whitby and St Ethelburga of York. 

There had been some filming going on so the nave was cluttered with equipment and I couldn't get a clear shot. The photo above is an older one I took in 2019 but all the other pictures here were taken on my latest visit. 

Having originally been a parish church, it's not nearly as grand as some of our purpose-built cathedrals. It has an intimacy that I really like, and under its current Dean, Andy Bowerman, strives to be a welcoming place for everyone, with an accessible rhythm of worship, strong inter-faith links in this diverse city, and a programme of exhibitions and concerts. It welcomes visitors interested in the heritage and history of the area. 

Bradford at random

Just some random photos I took in Bradford: a queue for the bus! 

A rather nice stained glass window in a now-empty shop:

The greyhound (that has at some point been transformed into a dalmation) was once outside a beer house. The original building was demolished in the late 1800s and replaced by what is now here, but the statue was retained and incorporated into the new facade. It's another empty building so one hopes the dog will be saved again if ever the building is pulled down. 

The grand building on the corner of North Parade was originally a branch of the Yorkshire Penny Bank: 

The arches next to Forster Square railway station are these days a refuge for a small community of homeless people, who have erected tents and and curtains to give themselves a modicum of privacy. Apparently 'the powers that be' propose to close them off, and this has provoked something of an outcry, given that there are few alternatives offered for those that use them. It's all politically motivated - trying to clean the city up ahead of its tenure as City of Culture in 2025. 

It's a mean old scene, indeed. 

Around City Park

This is the first time I've seen the newly constructed One, City Park. A controversial multi-million pound high grade office development, it's hoped it will attract new, prestigious businesses to the city centre. It looks better than the old Tyrls police station that formerly occupied that area, though whether it will be worth the investment, who knows? 

Close by is the former Odeon cinema (left, below), long derelict and now being transformed into a live music venue, Bradford Live. There also appears to be some controversy over that, with uncertainty over the scheduled opening date and the status of the organisation supposed to be running it. 

City Park's central area gradually fills with water as the day goes on, and can be drained to provide venue space. 

Bradford's magnificent City Hall stands proud as a legacy of the glorious Victorian era in this city. 

A world of pure imagination

Whilst in Bradford I went into Sunbridge Wells, an innovative development of underground tunnels (originally a quarry, later a nightclub, prison cells, an air raid shelter and a plumbers' yard!) under the city centre. It houses bars, independent shops and small traders' booths in an atmospheric Victorian-inspired maze that also reaches up four floors into surrounding buildings. It tends to be quiet during the day but no doubt comes to life in the evenings. Interesting, anyway. 

 

All the fun of the market

Random pics from around Kirkgate market.

(Above): Ooh... Laa-Laa!  (Laa-Laa is one of the characters from the Teletubbies children's programme.) 

Three for the price of two

Bee- bopper twins

High-vis

Boots, not made for walking

Sometimes there is no answer, only a big ?