This being a British summer, the balmy heat of Wednesday and Thursday has gone, and it’s raining again. It will do this until it feels like being different.
Old Town sits on the hills to the north of Hebden Bridge. In Christopher Saxton’s atlas of 1579, the first atlas of England and Wales ever published, it’s called The Old towne…. so it’s been around for a while.
Despite everything, it’s still Friday night, the end of a working week, time to relax. What tattered remnants there are of our social life at this time are up in Old Town, so that’s where we headed, despite it being the wettest day for a long while.
In many cities, the historic districts, with the older buildings, are the most desirable locations to live and stay. Jeddah is not one of those cities. The Old City still covers a decent expanse of land, but much of it is now ramshackle, and Saudis themselves do not live here. Instead the area is home to poorer migrants, such as from Yemen and Somalia, and there are signs of habitation in buildings that in many other places would be condemned. Then again, a reason they are still standing is because the city is now trying to preseve and restore the area, and there are visible signs of regeneration. I thought it was also a fairly friendly spot. Saudi Arabia definitely feels way more liberal than it did when I first came 11 years ago. (Not that I could have a beer with dinner, mind.)
OK, so, we have had a bit of snow. This is Old Town, above Hebden Bridge, but most of the place looks like this at the moment. Things were functional round here but I was glad I didn’t have to schlep into Manchester…. no, those pleasures await me tomorrow, unless I can find a reason to avoid it.
A stupendous morning. With our house guests (see yesterday) having brought Maggie the labrador I took the opportunity to make the most of it. I never quite got a version of this shot that was fully what I wanted but this is near enough.
I have on occasion been known to describe snow as the devil’s mange, but also must admit that the 90 minutes I spent out in it this morning, under clear blue skies, was probably the most beautiful experience of 2014 thus far. These are the moments worth waiting for in life.
Being 42 