Now here’s a back alley, discovered as I try ever more to hone the directness of my walking route through Manchester city centre on a given working day. I like the detail on this shot — lots of things to see, from bottom to top, but all epitomising the idea of an alley, a trench in the urban landscape.
An unnecessarily tautological name for a drinking establishment, perhaps. Who cares on such an utterly beautiful day as today.
Since being collectively taken out by the floods on 26th December, about two-thirds of Hebden Bridge town centre has reopened. There have been some subtle moves around, as well — like here, with the toy shop, Silly Billy’s, translocating to a new location on Old Gate and reopening in the last week or so. Playmobil Man serves as an advert to draw the punters in — let’s hope it does so.
OK, it’s a pretty obvious optical illusion, but what the hell, after a long day at work spent almost completely walking around from one place to another (not to mention my standard 5-mile round-trip hike there via two railway stations), it summed up my day.
Spring is hardly barrelling in with both guns blazing but there are hints of it here and there in Hebden Bridge…. Last day of my Easter break today, one of the most uneventful in history, but in terms of relaxation it cannot be faulted. Back to work tomorrow though (but then don’t expect a great deal more eventfulness then, either).
I am off work, but this is in no way the most eventful Easter break of my life. Nor the least chilly. Both facts lead to today’s photo being evidence of the fire being lit in the house across the road today — at lunchtime.
The Shoulder of Mutton in remains closed, as do about half the pubs in Hebden Bridge town centre. This guy looks mildly distressed by this fact, or possibly he’s decided that it’s really time he found a hobby other than skateboarding (I assume the board on the table next to him is significant).
I swear Hebden Bridge was hit by a mini-tornado at about 4.45pm. If it was just a ‘squall’ I’ve never seen one like that before, not in this country anyway. Wicked winds for a sudden two minutes, enough to shuffle parked cars visibly along the street and it looks like it might have caused a car crash just out of town, near the station. Clare and I were out in it; a slightly scary but also exhilarating experience in a way….
The Pace Egg play is performed at various locations around Hebden Bridge each Good Friday. St. George defeats all challengers, there is death, rebirth, all that jazz. It dates back hundreds of years — ‘Pace’ comes from the Old English word for Easter. A troupe of actors perform it at Hepstonstall each year, and then this group from Calder High (Joe’s school) tour it round the villages with the help of a non-medieval blue van. I caught this performance in Luddenden in this Good Friday’s pleasant weather.
Being 42 