Cafe Racer

There were quite a few unusual machines at the Baildon Harley Davidson weekend. This bike made me smile, it looked at first glance like a 1950's cafe racer, but it actually has a modern Japanese engine and disc brakes, the owner is telling me that the bike is not worth a picture as it is not a Harley!

Harley Davidson Weekend - Baildon

It was the annual Harley Davidson meeting at Baildon this weekend. Hundreds of Harley owners from as far away as Holland and Germany spent the weekend in the village of Baildon. On Sunday afternoon the main street of the village was closed to normal traffic and the bikers gathered together for a mass ride out to deliver gifts to the children's ward of a local hospital.

Some of the bikes were absolutely superb, including this one ridden by local Harley enthusiast Paul.

Leeds-Liverpool Canal - Apperley Bridge

This is the Leeds-Liverpool canal at Apperley Bridge on the outskirts of Bradford. Beyond the canal boat there is a modern marina surrounded by modern housing, probably not the most picturesque section of the canal, but it's only a five minute walk to open countryside in the Leeds direction and in the opposite direction the canal heads for the historic village of Saltaire.

Burley-In-Wharfedale Classic Car Show

I spent an enjoyable morning at the Burley-in-Wharfedale Classic Car Show on Sunday. I had intended to post a picture of a tractor which had been built at the International Harvesters factory in Bradford but thought that these Volkswagen camper vans were more interesting. I thought I had seen the green and white van at the Festival of Vintage in York a couple of months ago, the owner confirmed that it was the same van and that he also owned the red van. The red van is a 1970 model and is left hand drive as it was imported from America before being restored. The green van is older and was also imported from America before being restored and I believe is a type 1 as it has a split windscreen. Both vans are available for wedding hire if you fancy travelling to church in something a bit different!

Sunsplash - Bradford Urban Garden

I went along to the first Bradford Sunsplash event on Sunday afternoon which was held in the Bradford Urban Garden. Singers and bands kept the crowd entertained throughout the afternoon with a programme of mainly reggae based music. The aim of the event was to lift community spirit and to promote Bradford in a more positive light, which I would say is what it succeeded in doing admirably.

Bradford Classic Car Event

It was the annual Bradford Classic Car Event in Centenary Square on Saturday. There were quite a few exotic cars on display including a Jaguar XJ13, the only one ever built, but I think these mini cars are more my cup of tea.

Manx Folk Dance Festival

My recent visit to the Isle of Man coincided with the Manx Folk Dance Festival. Teams of folk dancers from Sweden, Germany, England and the Isle of Man took part in displays of traditional folk dancing at various locations on the island.
According to my guide book, the Isle of Man was at one time quite popular with holidaymakers from the mill towns of Lancashire and Yorkshire, so I suppose there is a somewhat tenuous link between the island and the industrial North of England. I don't know what mill workers would have made of Swedish folk dancers though!

Wind Farn - Liverpool Bay

I have just returned from a short break in the Isle of Man and took this picture from the ferry on the outward journey. Wind turbines always seem to polarise opinions, ugly monstrosities ruining the landscape, or sources of free energy which may help to save the planet. I still haven't yet decided which camp I am in, I think these particular turbines look aesthetically quite pleasing, some people may have a different opinion.

Trans-Pennine Historic Vehicle Run

It was the forty third Trans-Pennine Historic Vehicle Run last Sunday. Buses, coaches and lorries travelled from Heywood in Lancashire across the pennines to Harrogate in Yorkshire. The route passed through several towns and cities including Bradford, but I went along to the Stray in Harrogate for a closer look. There were a number of unusual vehicles including a 1920 Fowler steam traction engine, this recovery vehicle caught my eye though, it's in the original blue and cream livery of Bradford City Transport.

Sir Norman Rae

This brass plaque is mounted on the gateway of Northcliffe Park. The park entrance stands next to the busy Bradford to Keighley road at Shipley. I have lived in the Bradford and Shipley area for my entire life and have to confess that I didn't know anything about Sir Norman Rae. After a little bit of research I disvcovered that he was a mill owner, a former member of parliament for Shipley and a philanthropist. He purchased the land that the park now stands on and donated it to Shipley Council to be used 'as an open space for the recreation and benefit of the public forever,' I like the use of the word 'forever'.

Northcliffe Park Meadow - Wild Flowers

I must have driven past the gates of Northcliffe Park hundreds, if not thousands of times over the years, I decided to pull over and take a stroll the other day. The entrance to the park is on the very busy and very noisy Bradford to Keighley main road, but once I had passed through the gates and followed the uphill pathway the traffic noise soon disappeared and within ten minutes I came to a large area of undulating meadowland with extensive views over the Aire valley. It was a very hazy day so I don't have a picture of the view, but I managed to take a few pictures of the wild flowers.

Skyride 2011 - Buskers

There was musical entertainment at the Skyride event on Sunday. These buskers were at the roadside in the Little Germany area of Bradford.

Skyride 2011 - Recumbent Tricycle

There were some unusual machines at the Skyride event, I think the correct name for this one is a recumbent tricycle.

Skyride 2011 - Flatland BMX

This demonstration of Flatland BMX took place in the Bradford Urban Garden on Sunday as part of the Skyride event. Flatland differs from other forms of BMX as it is carried out on a flat surface and does not involve ramps or jumps. The performance is almost like a ballet on wheels, quite something to watch.