The kind of place I do like to hang out on a Saturday afternoon. And on a glorious day like this, how can one be blamed? No money changed hands. There was merely the fun of the game (a decent one too — 5-4 to the hosts in orange, Oxenhope Recreation, versus Headingley) and the view.
“Scenic caravan site in Yorkshire. Elevated location. On outskirts of Oakworth village (location for The Railway Children movie) and approx. 1.5 miles from Haworth and its famous Brontë Parsonage Museum.”
Anyone remember that Father Ted episode where the priests go on holiday to the worst caravan site in the world?
Halifax’s Piece Hall was built in 1779 and was originally a textile market. It reopened last year after a very expensive restoration project, and certainly is a very smart place now: at the same time it has lost its old ramshackle appeal. Maybe there’s no way of keeping both. It’s not an easy place to photograph from ground level without getting the perpendiculars askew, but I did my best here.
Well, the clock’s a bit blurry but you can see I have the time right, at least. In Bradford today at the start of a much-needed, half-term, half-week break from work, to see War Horse at the theatre, which as a visual feast, at least, was stupendous: but no photos allowed of that I’m afraid, so the grand City Hall will have to do. It’s at least nice that they have finished off Bradford (in a good way) after about a decade of stalled building works left the place looking as much of a bomb site as it did in 1945.
Venue for our conference, which ended today, Cober Hill was built as a private house by some rich Victorian nob, but in 1920 was bought by the Rowntree Foundation and has been a venue for educational, residential courses and conferences ever since. And a fine venue it was, too. Why can’t more conferences be held in some nice house out in the country somewhere? Far more inspirational than some pokey rooms up on the third floor of some anonymous campus building somewhere. Good move on behalf of the organisers if you ask me.
“All wind is made by wind farms.” (From Andy Riley, Great Lies to Tell Small Kids)
Easter Sunday, and my entry in the Cheesy Chocolate Box cover shot, 2016. The horses know.
The first morning of 2016 was a rather chilly and grey one but it was still good to drag the family up a nearby hill and then buy them a pub lunch as compensation. Pic taken on the way round; the cow virtually demanding that I work on its close-ups.
It is nearly 24 years since I turned up one evening in Yorkshire (10th October 1991) on the assumption it would be another temporary stay. I’m still there. There are reasons for this.
Estate agents would describe this as ‘in a highly desirable location with a world-class view, but in need of renovation and lacking certain amenities’. In other words it isn’t on a road and doesn’t have mains anything, which is probably why it’s been abandoned for many years. This is Clough Head Farm, off the Widdop road above Hardcastle Crags near Hebden Bridge. I’m still in training for the walk I will begin a week from today.
