Magnificent magnolia

Magnolia trees are in full bloom in gardens and parks here.  I found this one in the centre of Shipley, just opposite St Paul's Church.  They always amaze me - they look far too exotic for this cold little country and far too exuberant to bloom in early spring.  In fact, many years they get blasted by frost and soon go brown.  The pink camellia also in the photo is a little bit scorched in parts.

Here's a little known fact (well, according to Wikipedia anyway!) - the Magnolia genus is so ancient that it predates the appearance of bees, and evolved to be pollinated by beetles.

Candyfloss

My colleague - a keen gardener - came back to work after lunch the other day, enthusing about this tree in Shipley's market square.  He was so lavish in his praise that I just had to make a detour on my way home to have a look - and photograph it of course.  He was right in saying that it is absolutely laden with blossom - so much so that it reminds me of one of those sticks of pink candyfloss you can buy at funfairs.  Isn't it glorious to have this exuberance of natural beauty right in the middle of the shopping centre (an urban desert if ever I saw one)?

With the storm clouds overhead, it might be only a matter of days before the blossom is dashed to the ground with wind and rain, but here it is captured, a lovely reminder of how spring-life suddenly bursts forth from winter.  Maybe gardeners would correct me, but it seems a bit counter-intuitive to me that after a long and harsh winter we should have blossom earlier than usual and in such abundance.  Still, I'm enjoying it.

BIG yellow crane

Just had to show you this enormous crane (no, not another bird photo!)  We were watching it from our office window and later, as I walked home, I saw it was still at work.  You may recall a week or so ago I posted a picture of a dredger dragging up mud and rubbish from the bottom of the canal and depositing it in a floating skip.  Well, the crane had come to lift the skips and the machinery out of the canal, setting them onto a series of low-loaders to be driven away.  It's interesting, I think, that hiring this huge crane must be more economical (in money and/or time) than sailing the machinery along the canal to wherever it is needed next.

The crane was sited beside Salts Wharf.  The town of Shipley is on the right. The old mill on the left is now apartments called Victoria Mills and the office block in the centre used to be part of HMRC (Tax Office) until it (the building, not HMRC!) was axed in the recent government cut-backs.  It's now more or less an empty block, waiting to be re-let.  The surfeit of empty office space round here has not stopped developers preparing a site across the road to build another new block!

Angel face

 Make yourself familiar with the angels and behold them frequently in spirit; 

for without being seen, they are present with you.
-- St. Francis De Sales

I passed this angel headstone on one of my walks, and thought she had such a lovely face.

It's not that I spend my whole life wandering around cemeteries...  (even though it's not long since I shared photos of Undercliffe Cemetery in Bradford.)  But I do find them fascinating places, as well as havens where I can find a sense of peace and calm; a few minutes of quiet in the midst of busyness and pressure.  I don't find them at all morbid.  One of the Bradford area's main cemeteries and crematorium is just along the road out of Saltaire, in Nab Wood.  It's a pleasant walk through the cemetery and then, via a gap in the wall, up through Hirst Woods and back to Saltaire along the canal.

Carve quiet spaces in your life and in the silence you will hear the angels.

Mixed message

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when I saw this.... (graffiti on a hut in Northcliffe Park, Shipley).

Peace on earth

Peace on earth..... seems to be a good thing to wish for at the start of another New Year.  Though in my photo, the dove seems to have got into a tangle with the floral decoration, which is perhaps not the best omen! Certainly peace on earth seems as far away as ever.  But I like to think we bloggers are doing our bit to foster friendly relations across the globe.  I dip into a lot of blogs, from all over the world, and I really enjoy getting an insight into people, places, families, festivals, customs and life in general in the many places pictured and represented.  I'm looking forward to another year of sharing my little patch of England with you.

I took this photo on Christmas Day in my church, St Peter's Shipley, which as usual was beautifully decorated for the festive season.  As someone with not a green finger on my body (!) I can only admire those with the skill to create such lovely and imaginative displays.

May I take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy, prosperous, healthy, fulfilling - and yes, peaceful - 2011.

Utility

Last Sunday I featured a beautiful old packhorse bridge in Bingley, handbuilt by two local masons in 1723 and still standing proudly over Harden Beck.  Fast forward 280+ years and we find this bridge in Shipley, carrying a service road over the Leeds-Liverpool Canal to the office block on the left and the rear entrance of the Salts Mill complex.  It fulfils much the same purpose as a packhorse route, I suppose, but oh, how it lacks the grace and workmanship of the older bridge.... Ah well, the reflections are pretty.

The other side of this bridge (interestingly the other side is clad in stone, out of respect for the view) can just be seen on the left of my competition entry photo....  

Um... have I told you about that?  ;-)   You'll be relieved to know that this is going to be my LAST plea for votes!  The voting closes tomorrow so if you haven't voted yet, please do it quickly!!  See my post for Saturday 30 October or click here to vote.  Thank you!  xx

Russet & stone

I liked the combination of colours here.  I pass this almost every day as it's not far from where I live.  The little tree really earns its keep.  I think it is some sort of flowering cherry, so it has pretty spring blossom as well as this lovely autumn colour.  It sits at the entrance to one of the local primary schools, Wycliffe Church of England Primary School.

(TWO days left for voting in the 'Yorkshire Landscapes' Competition!  I would love to make the final shortlist, which is decided by public vote.  So - if you haven't voted already, please do!  For more details, see my post last Saturday or click here to vote.  And huge thanks to those of you who have already voted.)

Onwards & upwards

For many years, passengers negotiated the complicated triangular layout of Shipley railway station by a series of underpasses - indeed, you still can.  But quite recently, I suspect for health & safety reasons, they have built a new footbridge over one of the lines and installed passenger lifts too.  I'm pleased, because it's quite an isolated place, especially in the evenings when it's dark, and I never really liked the tunnels.

Perhaps I was bored waiting for a train or perhaps something about the lines and shadows here appealed to my subconscious.  At any rate, I took a couple of photos before my train arrived.

(Only THREE days left for voting in the 'Yorkshire Landscapes' Competition.  I've got photos into the last 100 and would love to make the final shortlist.  The competition is strong.  If you haven't already voted, please do! For more details, see my post last Saturday or click here to vote.)

Travellers

This is Shipley railway station, about half a mile down the line from Saltaire station and famous for being one of only two triangular stations in the UK. (There are railway lines on three sides: Leeds - Skipton, Leeds - Bradford and Bradford - Skipton - with the carpark and buildings in the middle.)  The first station on this site was built in 1846.

At the moment it is more famous for being a squatter camp!  Travellers' caravans moved onto the carpark on October 6th and, despite reportedly being served with an eviction notice, four or five caravans still remain (just visible among the trees).  According to the press, the same group of travellers have been moving around the district much of the summer.  At one time they set up a camp on grassland at the far side of Roberts Park near the Glen Tramway.

Bradford Council provides two permanent sites but they are both apparently full and anyway, many travellers seem to prefer to move around and do not wish to live on a permanent site.  It causes much controversy.  They seem to be their own worst enemies, parking up wherever they want and often leaving a mess behind them when they leave, causing landowners (in this case Northern Rail) to have to spend thousands of pounds in legal fees and clean-up costs to deal with the problem.  Many people deeply resent their refusal to contribute (financially) to society.  Bradford Council have for many years tried to take a constructive approach to support and educate what some see as a persecuted ethnic minority.  But there isn't just one coherent community of travellers - there are true Roma families, Irish tinkers, young itinerants and, increasingly, gypsies fleeing persecution in other countries.  It's an issue that tends to polarise views.  In Shipley right now, many (rail) travellers are resenting the inconvenience this group of travellers is causing!

(I'm still canvassing votes for my photo(s) in the 'Yorkshire Landscapes' Competition.  I've got into the last 100 and need your vote to make the final shortlist.  The competition is stiff - so please vote! For more details, see my post last Saturday or click here to vote.)

Interlude Tea Room & Emporium

Here's a favourite place to go for coffee or lunch - Interlude Tea Room & Emporium in Shipley town centre.  The tea room downstairs sets out to recreate the style and service of the 1920s.  They serve traditional afternoon teas with sandwiches and plenty of cake, and hot food including good old English favourites that you rarely get in a café, such as boiled eggs with toast 'soldiers'.  It's all rather quaint, with the food served on pretty mismatched vintage china plates, and a supply of old magazines and books to browse while you wait (see some photos in this review.)  Upstairs there is a vintage boutique and cake shop.

I sometimes go with friends from work when we feel like we need a (reasonably priced) treat - and whenever I go in there's always someone else I know.  It seems to be a favoured haunt of certain ladies in my church congregation.  It has a quirky, slightly eccentric feel to it but it's the kind of local enterprise that I always feel should be supported, as they in turn support local charities and are very keen on recycling and using Fairtrade ingredients.

Brick mill

This is an unusual building for this area, as it's made from red brick - and has a round chimney.  There is very little built of brick locally - the vast majority of the houses and mills are made from stone, much of it local and a warm honeyed tone.  And most of the mill chimneys have angles - I suppose it's easier to make small bricks into a smooth round chimney.  I don't know much about the history of this mill.  It is only a stone's throw from Saltaire, just along the canal.  I think it is probably newer than the adjacent Salts and Victoria Mills.  No longer a mill, it has been converted into offices.

Another photo that would be good for Weekend Reflections!

Shipley sundown

Another lovely photo taken by my daughter on her recent canal boat trip through Shipley and Saltaire.  I think she has a good eye for composition - perhaps not surprisingly, since she took a degree in the History of Art at university.  I'm sure that studying great paintings helps to develop one's appreciation of form, colour and composition.  I'd recommend any photographer to spend time browsing art galleries.  I can't think of much I'd rather do, given a few hours to spare - especially in company with J, who can teach me a thing or two about art.

Incidentally you can see a church tower in the picture and that is St Paul's Church, Shipley.

Scott has a beautiful picture too, on Sunset Sunday this week.

Shipley Wharf

Another view of Shipley Wharf, which is along the Leeds-Liverpool Canal about half a mile east of Saltaire. You can see Salts Mill chimney in the distance - the one at the far right side.

Shipley Wharf is home to Apollo Canal Cruises and Dream Achievers, who run pleasure cruises along the canal, so there are always several boats moored here. "The Cut Waterside Restaurant" is tucked in behind the boats - you can dine at tables on a covered terrace, with a pretty view of the canal. I've never tried it but it has some recent very good reviews. (Its own website currently seems to be undergoing a remake and is unavailable.)

Shipley - not Venice!

I've been meaning for a while to post a 'Weekend Reflections' photo on my blog. [Click here for more, hosted by James at Newtown Area Photo.]

And now I have the perfect opportunity, as there were some great reflections on the Leeds-Liverpool Canal a couple of mornings ago. This is part of Shipley Wharf, about half a mile outside Saltaire. The old stone warehouses have been renovated into offices, a gym and a restaurant. The white wooden structures overhang the canal and, I guess, goods would have been dropped into the holds of barges from there. But the little boat is more reminiscent of a gondola than a traditional canal narrowboat....

Oh yes, the answer to yesterday's puzzle... on Wednesday afternoon 23 June, England were playing Slovenia in the football World Cup and HAD to win to stay in the tournament. (And we did, just! - phew!) So everyone went home, or to the pub to watch the match. It was only dedicated souls like me who stayed at work... and the streets were deserted when I walked home! Thursday saw things revert back to normal and the usual rush-hour traffic jam on Saltaire Road. You had some creative guesses. Malyss, I'm sure the kids would love to stay home on Wednesdays but sadly go to school like everyday. And yes, Vicki, we do some strange things here, like drive on the wrong side of the road!

Spring garden

Long after the village of Saltaire was established in Victorian times, housing development continued to grow up the valley side, into the areas now known as Moorhead and Nab Wood. But instead of the compact terraced houses found in Saltaire, much larger mansions were built for business and professional people, followed later by estates of modern detached houses, semis and bungalows. It has always been a desirable area to live, and at one time Nab Wood was considered vastly superior to Saltaire as an address. I am amused these days to see the tables turned and estate agents selling houses in Nab Wood by quoting their proximity to Saltaire!

Many of the properties in this locality have beautiful spacious gardens (whereas our homes in Saltaire just have pocket-sized plots). I am fascinated to see other people's gardens, from all over the world, pictured on the many blogs I follow - so I thought I would share this wonderful back garden, pictured above, which belongs to some friends of mine. Rising steeply to woodland, it has a little (man-made) stream and pool, and terraces that are filled with colour and interest all year round. It's a delight and testimony to their many hours of hard work, as well as their vision. Having not a green finger on me, I can only marvel - and enjoy visiting the beauty they've created. I think the blue painted wall is a lovely touch and somehow gives it a Mediterranean feel.

Flowers at the foot of the cross

A couple of hours of wonderful Easter hymns (and the Hallelujah Chorus as promised) at St Peter's Church last night was balm to my soul. And then I feasted my eyes on the beautiful arrangements of spring flowers on all the window ledges. As someone who can't even arrange daffs artfully in a straight vase (!) I am quite envious of people who can make cut flowers look so amazing (though, to be honest, I'd still rather see 'a host of golden daffodils' dancing in the breeze outside). In a few days the whole place will smell of lilies too, as there were many of them, donated in memory of loved ones. I adore the heady scent of lilies. I have said before that it's one of the things I love about Salts Mill, as they always have huge bowlfuls of lilies in the 1853 Gallery.

Christ the King

This seemed like a good image to use on Easter Sunday. I wish you all a very happy Easter, full of joy and blessings. Christ is risen!

It's a detail of the large East Window of St. Peter's Church, Shipley, showing the risen Christ in his splendour. I do like it ...even though it depicts a very white Anglo-Saxon Christ and even though I'm always inappropriately amused by thinking that his halo looks like a lifebelt. Though, come to think of it, perhaps that's relevant symbolism.

I shall be attending church this evening to participate in a good Easter tradition - I'm not really sure how it started, but we always sing the Hallelujah Chorus (from Handel's Messiah) at the Easter Sunday evening service. We do have a choir, which is boosted for the occasion by some other skilled singers from among the congregation. But everyone joins in - even those of us that can't read music and haven't much of a voice. And, perhaps surprisingly, it always sounds amazing and makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.. (Only rivalled as a musical experience by the trumpeter who plays The Last Post on Remembrance Sunday.)

For more information about the church and its windows, please see my posts of 22, 23 & 24 February.

Monochrome Weekend: Old bridge

(Best viewed large)
This is bridge number 208 on the Leeds-Liverpool canal, known as Junction Bridge, Shipley. Just beside it (to the left of my photo) the canal was linked to the Bradford Canal, a 3.5 mile spur that ran directly into the centre of Bradford. That was closed in 1922 and though there has been talk of reopening it, the plans have not progressed, as far as I know.

I rather like this old bridge, though it no longer seems to go anywhere and it's all a bit decrepit. Have a look at Martin's website for some really interesting info and photos about the Bradford Canal (see comments - thanks Martin!). It says that the bridge enabled boat horses to cross from the towpath of one canal to the other. If you click this link, there's also a photo and some comment by a gentleman named Mike Short, who seems to know some of the history of the Bradford Canal.

The eagle-eyed among you may be able to pick out the clock tower in Shipley town centre (on the right of the photo) - see my earlier photo of that.

To see more participants in The Monochrome Weekend, click this link.

Towards Buck Hill

The stretch of the Leeds-Liverpool canal along which I walked last Sunday - from Saltaire through Shipley as far as Buck Hill Swing Bridge - is not, it has to be said, the most scenic part. Although, because the river valley drops away and the canal continues halfway up the hillside, you do get some lovely views across the valley towards Baildon. However, the light was good and brought the colours out well. I always like images with water and reflections.

One of the negatives about the area is the long line of electricity pylons that snake their way across the hillside. Not very beautiful, but I suppose the cost of burying the wires underground would be prohibitive. Another negative is the amount of litter in the canal at the moment; perhaps it's there because of the winter? I don't know if British Waterways employ litter-pickers to tidy it up, but there are all sorts of plastic bottles, lumps of wood, plastic bags and other debris floating in the canal all along its length. I should have taken this lump of polystyrene out, I suppose.

Anyway, don't look at that - just enjoy the colours!