On the Easter weekend, it’s a good idea to get out of Hebden Bridge — even if it’s only to travel a few miles along the canal. The sun was shining, there were no people…. this is what we want.
Good Friday, hence a day off work, and plenty of football around so it seemed the logical thing to do, particularly as Clare was paying — the destination being Accrington Stanley v Morecambe in League Two. Which, insofar as anything does in Accrington, attracted quite a crowd.
In Manchester, but not my usual parts of the city, so a chance to bring some different views to the blog. The statue of the Dead White Male is of Richard Cobden, and until just now I had no idea who this person was so I have read up about him. It sounds as if he was something of a radical dude, campaigning for years for the repeal of the Corn Laws (which kept the price of bread artificially high and impoverished the masses for the benefit of a few rich landowners), free trade and pacifism. So, go Richard. St Ann’s Church, behind, is a rather noble building as well.
I was in Leeds this evening. I realised tonight that it is now more than 30 years since I first came to live in Leeds in September 1993. The first year wasn’t great, to be honest, although it did get better. For the first couple of weeks I crashed in Harehills, close to where this picture was taken, and 30 years ago there were at least three pubs in the vicinity: now there are none. Everything seems to be a take-away or fast food joint of some description, they number in the dozens round here. And I suppose it is companies like Just Eat that drive this growth. You no longer have to come to the food, the food comes to you. I do not censure, but guys, one piece of advice — please stop at red lights, particularly when there are pedestrians around.
Whether this lantern ever produces light, I know not, but it looks quite good with the houses of Birchcliffe behind, and this is one of those shots that almost sits in its own frame. This will be an uneventful couple of weeks, but interest will pick up again in April, rest assured.
It was a tense one, but I think Jack (on the left and playing white) just nicked it in the end.
I did want to get a photo of Joe posted from this weekend; after all we did go all the way to Scotland just to check up on him. Well, mostly. This is the first time he has appeared on here since July 23rd last year.
The orange-and-black colour scheme illustrates that we spent the afternoon at Tannadice Park, home of Dundee United FC — whose record against Barcelona is played four, won four, by the way. Labouring somewhat against Inverness Caledonian Thistle (it was 1-1) did not seem to please the locals particularly. At least the sun was shining. Meanwhile, I noticed the cranes of the shipyard behind and decided to see what I could do with the camera.
On the journey to Dundee, whether made by car or train, crossing the Firth of Forth is always a highlight. Today, a mostly sunny train journey was interrupted by occasional heavy showers and one of these kicked in just as we left Inverkeithing, but that didn’t matter, this shot will still do (particularly as to get any picture from the rail bridge itself involves timing it very well to avoid getting big, red chunks of steel in the way). Here, you in fact see both road bridges: the roadway in view is that of the first, 20th century version, since superseded by the 21st century bridge whose stanchion and (just) cables are the ones behind.
The building at which these guys are arriving — Nutclough Mill — now makes audio equipment instead of fustian cloth, but I guess this scene would have appeared much the same if seen from my house 130 years ago. The cobbles won’t have changed at all. You must promise not to notice the telephone wire though.
Being 42 