Pontefract

I recently went with a friend to Pontefract for the first time, to see a photography exhibition. Pontefract is a historic market town near Wakefield, about an hour's drive from Saltaire. I didn't know what to expect but was pleasantly surprised by the buildings and layout, if not by the obvious impoverishment in the centre. The town grew up at a crossing point of the River Aire. It has a castle (which I didn't see as time was limited) and a nice open town centre around the historic market hall. In recent years it has suffered, like so many local places, due to the closure of all the local coal mines, which brought high unemployment. It's famous for growing liquorice to make 'Pontefract Cake' sweets, and I believe sweets are still produced there, in two factories. 

The church of St Giles, in the market square, is one of two parish churches in the town, built in the 18th century with a rather fine tower. 

I noticed one or two painted murals around the streets, like the one below that clearly stemmed from the Covid lockdown period: 'Though we're apart, you're always in my heart'. I read that the murals were created by a local artist, Rachel List. I was intrigued by the name of the alley: Ducks and Green Pease Row - hinting at the wealth of history in the town. 

More history was suggested by the numbers of pubs and former pubs around the centre. Our town centres are changing fast and many pubs and shops are closing, a trend exacerbated by the long-term downturn that Covid caused and the current cost of living crisis. The sad atmosphere of our towns isn't confined to the North of England by any means, but you can't help but notice it. We looked long and hard even to find a coffee shop open but when we did come across one, it was very pleasant and welcoming. 

Around Addingham

Addingham is an historic and attractive village, strung out long and thin along the main street, with a cluster of 18th century buildings that date back to when it was mainly sustained by farming and handloom weaving. It is well cared for, with a community garden (above) and a community hub and library in the old school room, where you can use free wi-fi, see exhibitions and explore the area's history. (I actually visited to see a photo exhibition by one of our camera club members - and was offered a free and very nice cup of coffee while I browsed.) By the early 19th century weaving was transferring to mills and eventually there were five textile mills around the village. A wave of building in the 1870s resulted in rows of Victorian terraced houses and shops (somewhat reminiscent of Saltaire, see below) and the village thrived. The last textile mill closed in 1976 and now the village is largely a commuter and retirement community. 

The church lies at the east end of Addingham, surrounded by fields and some lovely old villas and converted farm buildings. There are numerous tracks and footpaths and the Dalesway long distance path passes through along the riverside. 

I just took a few snaps along the way and I think I must go back and explore some more of the old centre and its little backstreets and buildings. 

Riverside

I had a lovely walk along the riverside from Ilkley to Addingham recently. It wasn't, it has to be said, a particularly nice day, being heavily overcast, but the dry spell continues and the River Wharfe is consequently quite low. The season unfolds: hawthorn blossom is already starting to fade. The stars of the show on this day were the clumps of Cuckooflowers, sometimes called Lady's Smock. Its pink and white flowers bloom from April (when the cuckoos return to our countryside) in damp meadows and on the riverside.

It is buttercup season too. There are a few different types but all are that strong buttery yellow with shiny petals. We used to hold them under our chins as children to see the yellow reflected, asking 'Do you like butter?' If there was a reflection the answer was 'yes', of course. 

I enjoyed how this little patch nestled into the fallen tree trunk in quite an attractive arrangement. I tried the same image in mono... needs a bit more punch, I think. I'll have to play around with the edit a bit more. 

 

The view less photographed

There was some lovely light the other evening as I was walking in the park... but only the same views to photograph. Mind you, I don't often take a close-up of the footbridge that leads over the river into the park from Saltaire. It's fairly boring and tatty! I often think its a shame that they had to demolish the original road bridge, which was located just beyond where the footbridge is now, between it and the weir. Apparently it became unsafe and was removed in the 1950s. 

On the photo below you can see (in front of those trees) part of the original bridge parapet, where Victoria Road now terminates. Some things stay the same and some things have changed but life in Saltaire goes on very happily, some 170 years after it was all built. 

Together

Salts Works is the co-working space on Saltaire Road that also houses The People Powered Press, the largest letterpress printing press of its kind in the world. As well as providing a shared workspace with fast wi-fi, room for meetings and endless coffee, they host workshops covering various types of printing, calligraphy and photography. They've made the area outside into a little garden and often have posters with poems or slogans on display. I think it has grown into a nice little creative community since it started up a couple of years ago. See also HERE and HERE.

The poem in green type says: 'With our deeds undone by green powers - their seeds grown to great towers - who will not plead one last day of hours - among the weeds and wild flowers?'

Shipley Open Gardens #2

Here are a few more photos from Shipley Open Gardens weekend. People seem to be moving towards planting schemes that can survive warm, dry weather, with good reason given the heatwaves and drought we've had in recent summers.  

Nigella is commonly called 'love in a mist' and it does have a misty effect with the curious fronds around the sculptural flowers.  Talking of sculpture, I spotted more hostas with attractive blue-green leaves splashed with bright yellow. 

June seems to be the flowering season for another sculptural plant, the ornamental allium. Their showy, round flowerheads come in a variety of sizes and colours and they add height and colour to borders, and go on to develop attractive seedheads that last well into autumn. I noticed that bees and bugs love them.

Bugs also love these 'bug hotels':

Someone's cat was flaked out in the shade of a chair. Unfortunately the chair then got moved by an unsuspecting lady, which pinioned the cat to the ground! Fortunately it seemed it only caught its fur, as the cat didn't squeal and seemed unscathed. Another of its nine lives gone...!

Many of the gardens had small ponds, a good addition if you have the space, I'm sure, as they are both attractive and beneficial to wildlife. Most of the Open Gardens are relatively compact 'domestic' spaces - a small front garden and a slightly larger area to the rear of the house - and it always amazes me what a huge variety of plants, sheds, patios and seating areas people can pack into them. 

Shipley Open Gardens #1

You can never predict what the weather is going to be like for Shipley Open Gardens weekend but this year it was the hottest weekend of the year so far. It's gratifying to know that the event raises money for charity. It was pleasant to be wandering the sunny streets and gardens of Nab Wood and viewing the results of lots of hard work by our local gardeners; even more pleasant to sit under a shady tree with a glass of squash, trying to cool down a little! It was so hot that I wasn't very motivated for photography but I took a few shots.

My photos need little explanation. It's often individual plants that catch my eye, like the beautiful pink rose above.  There are small vignettes to enjoy - and this year some of the gardens were showing sculptures and ceramics by local artists and art collectives. 

I enjoy the mock orange blossom (philadelphus), which smells divine on a warm day. Flag iris were blooming in abundance in the gardens with ponds (and some that have a tiny stream flowing through).  They like the damp soil. 

Many of the gardens have prolific vegetable patches and herb beds, as well as flowers. Chives have cheerful purple blooms.  

It can be hard to grow hostas successfully - slugs love them! I do like to see their sculptural leaves. 

No sitting to rest on this chair... but there were plenty of seats in the back garden and lots of chatting going on over cups of tea, as neighbours bumped into one another. The admission leaflets are all bright yellow  and everyone is carrying one, so you feel very much part of a fraternity on Open Gardens Weekend. 

Mill textures

The walls of the stairwells at Salts Mill have beautiful rough stone that shows the patina of age. So far, they've stood for 170 years, watching people hurrying up and down the steps on their way to work in the spinning sheds - or, now, anticipating a meal or a coffee, or a browse in the bookshops or an illuminating tour of the art galleries. There's something timeless and comforting about it all, as though they've soaked life in and held it safe. 

'There are four kinds of people in the world, Ms. Harper. Those who build walls. Those who protect walls. Those who breach walls. And those who tear down walls. Much of life is discovering who you are.'

P.S. Baber

Adel church

York Gate Garden (featured in my posts at the end of May) is adjacent to the Church of St John the Baptist, in Adel. I took a wander in the churchyard as I remembered it being quite special. The churchyard has for several years been allowed to grow 'wild' with a few paths mown through, so in the spring it is full of bluebells and buttercups, and absolutely delightful. 

The church itself is largely Norman, built between 1150 and 1170 and only slightly altered in subsequent centuries.  It has a magnificent Norman doorway, with a series of elaborately carved arches. 

It would be a pretty setting in which to get married - and apparently, in 1946, the paternal grandparents of Catherine, the Princess of Wales did just that! 

I can't help but think that it would also be a pretty setting to rest eternally among the bluebells - though I'm not planning on being buried so that rules me out. 

Tree fantasia

I've taken so many photos of Saltaire itself over the years - and so have many other people! It's not that I get bored with it; the light changes, the seasons change, there's always something new. But it is difficult to come up with an original interpretation of such a well-known place. In nature however, the changes are more obvious and more rapid, from the march of the seasons to the ephemeral shifting of patterns and colours in water. It's those that I've lately found myself drawn to observe and photograph. While the trees were still bare, I was trying multi-exposures of their reflections in the river, like those above. I'm safe in the knowledge that each of those is unique - so unique that even I'd struggle to repeat them exactly. Whether they have any merit is a different matter, but they are pleasing me for now.

Penny Arcade

The other attraction at the garden centre was an old-fashioned Penny Arcade, full of vintage fruit machines, games and the kind of peep-show attractions that used to be a feature on the piers and seafronts of our seaside resorts. You could exchange modern coins for a handful of old copper pennies and then play the machines. The girls loved it! 

We had our fortunes told by the 'fortune-teller' (above). She told me that I had to do that job I've been putting off! (There are plenty of those, starting with the hedge that needs trimming!) 

There were all manner of early 20th century machines that showed gruesome, animated scenes or that old favourite 'The Laughing Policeman' (which used to make me cry when I was little!) 

You could waste your pennies on whizzing little metal balls around flick-lever machines to try and win a packet of sweets,

and, of course, there were the 'one-armed bandits'. Get three fruits in a row and you win the jackpot, but it rarely happens. We had more success with the machines with an arm like a crane that picked up sweets.

To end the fun, you could watch a puppet show. It reminded me that as a child I had quite a few string puppets. Spent most of my young life disentangling them but they were fun. 

Elsewhere in its vast sheds the garden centre has a few bits of old garden machinery and vehicles like this little truck. It's a great place to while away an hour or two. You can even buy plants there ! 😂