Alpaca Parade

(Click on picture to enlarge it)
Well, I wondered how long it would be before Saltaire adopted the idea of painted creatures. Skipton, as reported on my blog some while ago, had their sheep. Now Saltaire has alpacas - and not only painted ones; we had real ones too. I adore them - such lovely woolly things and they have gentle, pretty faces.  I think they can be a bit vicious and spit if not well-handled but these three seemed quite docile and contented. ( I'm afraid I didn't take proper notice of the farm they came from, sorry!)

They were all gathered for an 'Alpaca Parade' on Monday to celebrate World Heritage Day.  Without alpacas, Saltaire probably wouldn't exist. It's a well-known story that Titus Salt, on a business trip to Liverpool one day in 1836, was intrigued by a some bales of wool from Peru, gathering dust in a warehouse. He took a sample of the 'useless' material, that no-one else wanted, back to Bradford and set about working out how it could be washed, combed and spun.  He and his team discovered that, by combining alpaca weft with a cotton or silk warp, a durable, light, lustrous cloth could be produced at reasonable cost, eminently suitable for the fashions of the day.  From that innovation, it's fair to say, Titus Salt made his fortune.

Lions and photographers

This is the lion called Peace, one of four outside the Victoria Hall in Saltaire. (For more info about the lions and pictures of all four, click here.)  The photo would be improved by using a camera that would blur the background a bit, but mine (not a DSLR) doesn't, apart from in very specific lighting conditions.  However, I'm using it to illustrate an interesting little story....

I was coming home from work last Tuesday evening, and the daylight was beginning to fade.  As I walked up Victoria Road, I kept seeing flashes of light, and as I got nearer I realised it was a photographer taking pictures of one of the stone lions.  Not just any old photographer... you could tell this one was a Pro, kitted out with a stepladder and two assistants, one holding aloft an umbrella reflector.  I was mildly interested - but, living in a World Heritage Site, you do get used to seeing folks with big cameras.  Frankly, I was tired and in a grumpy mood as well (!) so, although I vaguely considered going and having a closer look and maybe even chatting to and photographing the photographer, I decided that - all things considered - I couldn't be bothered.

I was interested to see, the very next day, via Google Alerts for Saltaire, a whole new set of 31 photos of Saltaire on the Web (including, of course, the lion - War).  The photographer was Christopher Furlong, Senior Staff Photographer, Getty Images Europe.  It is always interesting to me to see other photographers' interpretations of Saltaire: what catches their eye, how they view the scene, how they tell the story of the village.  There are some evocative photos within this set.  Have a look and tell me what you think....

Lion window

Some of you want more of these 'Living Advent Calendar' windows!  Each year different people (to a large extent anyway) participate, which is why it's such fun hunting for the windows.  You never know where the next one will appear.

The window at 68 Victoria Road this year shows this striking portrait of one of the stone lions that sits just outside the Victoria Hall, guarding the centre of Saltaire.  There are four lions - and I think this is the one called 'Determination'.  I showed photos of all four of them in a post in the early days of my blog (see here).  I am amazed at the skill and imagination shown by those who decorate these windows.  I'd never have thought of doing that.

Unexpected visitor

Always carry your camera, they say - and I was glad I had mine with me yesterday, even though it was only my compact. Everyone in the office was hugely excited to notice this fox asleep in the shrubbery. It was right by the main entrance and the steps where everyone walks in from the car-park - but it seemed completely unfazed by people walking past. Even when I went quite close to take its picture, it just opened one eye, as if to say "leave me alone, can't you see I'm sleeping?" I think it was enjoying basking in the first warm sunshine we've had for months. It really does feel like Spring, all of a sudden. Hooray!