Bradford Stories Bus

The Bradford Stories Bus was in Lister Park at the weekend.  It's a former American school bus turned into a space for story telling, reading and writing, with the aim of encouraging children in the Bradford area to read and write for pleasure.

Darley Street Market

Looking out of the newly opened Darley Street Market overlooking the courtyard area.  The big screen was advertising an upcoming event at the St Georges Hall, The Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali Group.

Pushbike - Little Germany

The Little Germany area of Bradford.  It's often used as a period backdrop by film and TV production companies.  Most of the buildings were constructed in the late Victorian period as warehouses and offices for use in the wool textile industry, many of the wool traders were from Germany.  As for the man with the bike, I don't know why he's pushing it instead of riding it!

Early Autumn

Autumn colours seem to be starting early this year, maybe it's because of the long dry Summer we've had.  Picture taken in Buck Woods.

The Beacon

The Beacon, a venue that can be built and rebuilt anywhere.  It's currently in Lister Park and hosts music, comedy and a variety of other events as part of the Bradford 2025 City of Culture celebrations

Canal Closed

These moored boats on the Leeds-Liverpool canal at Apperley Bridge are not going anywhere at the moment.  The locks just beyond this mooring point are not in use as there is a shortage of water in the canal system, it's due to the long hot dry summer we've had this year.

Bradford Live

 Bradford Live, finally up and running.  A former cinema fully restored and turned into a live music venue.

Norfolk Gardens In Bloom

The new gardens and cycleway in the centre of Bradford today.  It has been unusually hot earlier in the week here in Bradford with temperatures up to around 30C, today has been much more pleasant with temperatures in the low 20s, more normal for the time of year.

Field Locks - Leeds-Liverpool Canal

It was nice to see a bit of boating activity today on the Leeds-Liverpool canal.  The barge in the picture is just entering Field Locks between Esholt and Thackley.  The old iron bridge in the background once carried a small steam tank engine across the canal, it was part of the nearby Esholt sewage works and last ran, I think, in the early 1970's.

Organ Recital - Bradford Cathedral

An organ recital today at Bradford Cathedral by the organist of Beverley Minster Robert Poyser.  The recital finished with a magnificent Symphonic Improvisation by Mr Poyser.  The Cathedral hosts a regular Wednesday at One organ recital with an optional buffet lunch preceding the performance, details are on the Bradford Cathedral website.

New Gardens and Cycle Path

New gardens and cycle path in Bradford city centre.  This area previously had four lanes of traffic running through it, it's much quieter now.

Tower of Now

Tower of Now, a new structure recently erected in Hall Ings in the centre of Bradford.  It was created by Pakistani born artist Saad Qureshi who moved to Bradford at the age of eight and later studied Art.  The tower is fifteen metres tall and incorporates architectural features from around the world.

Revolution Now

 Albion Street, Bradford.

Roberts Park Parkrun

Saturday Parkrun at Roberts Park in Saltaire.  A weekly event organised by volunteers, with a nine o'clock start time and online regsistration it's a very popular event.

Unsafe Trees?

I went for a bike ride along the Leeds-Liverpool Canal this morning and came across these workmen felling trees on the opposite bank.  We have had quite strong winds this summer which have brought down large branches in the woods and along the canal so it's probably a worthwhile safety measure.

Cartwright Hall and Mughal Gardens

Cartwright Hall and Mughal Gardens. The Hall was completed in 1904 for the Bradford Exhibition which took place here in Lister Park.  The Mughal Gardens were created in 1997 and were the first to be constructed in the North of England.

Fifty Years of the Bradford Industrial Museum

It's fifty years since the Bradford Industrial Museum opened, formerly Moorside Mills, a worsted spinning mill acquired by Bradford council, apparently the first local authority run industrial museum in the country.  The museum contains displays of textile machinery, steam power and motor vehicles connected with the local area.

This weekend is the 50 year celebration of the museums opening and pictured is my friend Rais with a staff member at the museum.  Rais was an engineering apprentice in 1973 and was one of a group of volunteers that assisted in the installation of some of the machines in the steam gallery, the engine on the left is one of the machines that he worked on.

Linear Garden

A view of Norfolk Gardens and Hall Ings. When it's completed it's going to be a linear garden according to city centre planners, I believe it's meant to be completed before the City of Culture year in 2025 but it seems unlikely. 

Marina at Apperley Bridge

I went for a bike ride this morning along the Leeds-Liverpool Canal before the rain arrived.  This is the marina at Apperley Bridge, it's on the border between Bradford and Leeds.  I had a small lightweight camera with me, it didn't have a lens wide enough to capture the scene so this is five images merged together.

Jamie Chadwick

Jamie Chadwick, British racing driver.  I can't find a connection between Jamie and Bradford, but she's pictured here on the wall at the lower end of Great Horton Road.  The fly posters have been added by supporters of Palestine.