In effect, this was the last leg of my journey home from Scotland — I had to take the hire car back then came home on the train. There’ll be plenty of shots of the local area in the next three weeks, I’m not going anywhere. You find all of this stuff fascinating, I know.
One could speculate as to just what it is that drives these two guys out on a Sunday morning to spend 90 minutes watching unimportant sporting events but, of course, these days I am just like them. In the background, Wainhouse Tower, apparently the world’s tallest folly, makes its fourth appearance on the blog, allowing this shot to be pinpointed to Halifax. No one was coping all that well with a strong wind, which is why this latest cross has gone over harmlessly and miles off target.
Having mentioned my cameras yesterday, be it noted that our washing machine expired instantaneously last week, virtually exploding in the middle of its final spin (I thought a pneuamatic drill had started up outside). We need a new one, and in such circumstances round here, Domestic Discounts in Halifax (advt.) is the place to go. They do have some newer models than these ones. I like their 1950s robot look: but, I suppose, robots is what they are, machines to do our labour for us — though the auto-mangle has not yet been invented.
The view of Halifax from its northern districts (Illingworth, Holmfield) is as good as one could probably expect of the place. The kids attending Trinity Academy school get this all the time, in fact. Wainhouse Tower, the world’s tallest folly (official), makes at least its fourth appearance on here.
A day riddled with negativity in at least two ways, each related to totally different aspects of my life. I was glad when 20/8/25 was over, but it lasted until later than most of my days do at this time. Negativity doesn’t do much for creativity, so here’s a picture of a car park. But I suppose I like the redness and seeming randomness of the pillars, and it’s the second-latest shot of 2025 so far (beaten only by the turtle on Ascension Island in April).
Back to work, so technically this was the first day of my 25-26 academic year. It will be a year of transition, if things pan out: but all that is to come. See this as a possibly symbolic shot, perhaps. Taken in Savile Park, Halifax, after I’d taken the car back to the hire depot. Not symmetrical, but that’s too much to ask.
With little else to do today (the football season hasn’t started yet), I visited the Calderdale Industrial Museum and learned some things about local industry around the Halifax area that I didn’t know before. Like, John Mackintosh became very rich and successful, founding the company that bore his name, and whose successors still manufacture Quality Street chocolates in Halifax, thanks only to the cooking of his wife Violet. She was the one who invented modern toffee — he was the one who called himself “The Toffee King”, though.
But for the photo, I’ll go with this mass of red and blue strands of wool, all converging into the Jacquard loom that is currently operating to the right, having been turned on for a few minutes during which time it produced plenty of noise and a few dozen lines of carpet.
The association between this pub and Halifax Minster is obvious, even before noticing the painting hanging inside, which depicts the choir ‘practising’ while swilling ale in the tavern; and it was painted in the 1790s, apparently. The beer inside is still decent but there wasn’t much singing going on tonight. This is one of the shots where you can check my timekeeping.
An excuse to see friend Doug, and have him make his sixth appearance on the blog, provided by the fact that Oldham Athletic (known as the Latics) were playing in Halifax, and D. can be minded to raise it for the Latics now and again. The Three Pigeons lies between railway station and ground and is rather obligatory on such occasions (see also here, for instance, which I’m pretty sure is exactly the same table). I like this one thanks to the brightness of the guy behind, who interrupts the dark line of people quite agreeably. It finished 1-1, by the way.
My 2023 Christmas present off Clare — the ticket for this gig — finally pays off. I guess you either know this band or you don’t: most likely it will be the track “Where Is My Mind” that rings bells, particularly if you’ve seen Fight Club. Having thought they were firmly on the “disbanded band” list, it turns out they reformed in 2004 and have been happily touring and releasing albums for the last 20 years without my noticing, but hey. Nice to finally make their live acquaintance. Here, the bassist seems to be consciously avoiding the limelight.
Being 42 