Reflections At City Park - Haworth Brass Band

From the Reflections At City Park event and the Haworth Brass Band who gave two really nice performances at the Mirror Pool.

Bradford City Run

There were four hundred or more runners taking part in yesterdays Bradford Run with distances of five and ten kilometers and a half marathon.  The weather was quite windy with a few heavy showers thrown in for good measure.  The picture was taken at the start line, most of the winners are in the first and second rows!

Bradford Sea Cadets - Trafalgar Day

This post is a little late as this event happened last Sunday. Around 150 cadets from all eight of West Yorkshire's Sea Cadet units assembled in the town centre.to mark Lord Nelson's victory at the battle of Trafalgar in 1805, and also to mark the 75th anniversary of Sea Cadets in Bradford.  Cadets assembled in Centenary Square before proceeding through the streets to Bradford Cathedral where a service was held, the procession then returned to Centenary Square. Pictured is the High Sheriff of West Yorkshire Virginia Lloyd chatting to young cadets.

Reflections At City Park - Punjabi Roots Academy

A Bradford based organization teaching Bhangra and Bollywood dance, dhol drumming and DJ skills.  Punjabi Roots Academy have recently appeared on a number of UK television programmes including The One Show and Blue Peter.

Reflections At City Park - 'Irresistible' By Mind The Gap

A burning car, a motorcycle and singing Sirens suspended over the mirror pool were just part of the story in a performance by Bradford based theatre company 'Mind The Gap'.  The theatre company works with learning disabled and non-disabled artists as equals.  Incidentally, the performance took place in the mirror pool and the water coming down is nothing to do with the mirror pool fountains it's genuine rain.

Reflections At City Park - Brazilian Samba Parade

I spent an enjoyable day yesterday at the Reflections event, a bringing together of local  dance artists, musicians and street theatre performers at City Park in the centre of Bradford.  I am really starting the wrong way around here as this is a picture of the final outdoor event of the day, a Samba Parade from City Park to St. George's Hall (where the entertainment continued indoors with a world dance and music extravaganza to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Kala Sangam, the Bradford based South Asian arts group).
As you can probably see from the picture it was raining quite heavily at the time, the heavens opened during the final ten minutes of the day's performances.  I managed to see things through to the end though and went off to catch my bus thoroughly wet through (that's when I found out how abysmal my bus service is after 6PM, but that's another story really)!

The Hunchback Of Notre Dame - Bradford Cathedral

This picture was taken last Friday when I made a short visit to Bradford Cathedral.  The large screen had been erected for a showing of the 1923 version of the Hunchback of Notre Dame accompanied by the cathedral organ, which I imagine would have been quite impressive in the darkened cathedral.  The flowers were left over from an autumn flower festival which had been held the previous week.

Bamboo Sandals - Saltaire Festival

I never got around to posting anything from the Saltaire Festival last month, so here is a picture of the lead singer of Bamboo Sandals, a talented four piece band that perform regularly in the Leeds and Bradford areas.  The band went down well with all age groups at the festival, particularly well with some of the younger members of the audience, and quite well with myself.  I'm sure the band will be going places in the future!

Positive Bradford Day

It's a bit of  a late post as the event took place a couple of weeks ago in the town centre. The weather on the day was considerably better than that of the previous year when wind and rain caused a few problems.  The event is organised jointly by education, arts and business organisations to highlight the positive things going on in the city.  The picture shows drama students from Bradford College entertaining the crowds in Centenary Square.

Bradford - United Against The EDL

A peaceful counter-protest was held at the Bradford Urban Garden on Saturday afternoon.  Faith leaders, student union representatives and Bradford West MP George Galloway were present at the gathering.

EDL Demonstration

This was the scene yesterday afternoon in Bridge Street with the EDL contained in an area adjacent to the Queen pub on the right of the picture.  For safety reasons this was the closest that photographers were allowed.  The demonstration caused some disruption to travellers as the main entrance to the bus and rail terminal remained closed for most of the day.

Bradford Prepares For EDL Demonstration

There were more police officers than shoppers in the town centre this morning as road closures were put in place and barriers were erected to segretate the visiting English Defence League from the main part of the city.  Bradford residents had been urged to carry on as normal, but most stayed away.

Bradford Together

A number of groups came together in Centenary Square yesterday afternoon in a celebration of peace and unity in the lead up to the English Defence League demonstration which is to be held in Bradford today. 

Bradford Chesstival in the Park

International chess master Andy Ledger takes on chess players from the Bradford area at a the Bradford Chesstival, a chess festival held in the centre of Bradford a couple of weeks ago.  I was quite surprised at how big an event it was, with marquees arranged around the mirror pool, musical entertainment, and a number of international chess masters ready to take on local players ten or more at a time!

Baildon Harley Davidson Weekend - 2013

Hundreds of Harley Davidson bikers took part in a mass ride out from the village of Baildon on Sunday, part of a weekend gathering organised by Shipley Harley Davidson Club. The event, which raises money for the Bradford Hospitals Childrens Charity and other charities was started 34 years ago and draws riders from all over the UK and parts of Europe.  It's a great event with crowds of onlookers lining the streets. 
(I did notice that some of the Harley riders are starting to look quite mature and distinguished, so I've chosen a picture with a mature and distinguished machine in it - just a note from your mature and distinguished photographer)!

Aire Do - Georgette Hilton

My apologies as I am about three weeks late with this post.  The Aire Do, an annual music festival held in the grounds of the recently refurbished Cliffe Castle museum at Keighley was held over the weekend of 3rd-4th August.  I was only able to attend on the Sunday but thoroughly enjoyed the performance by talented singer/songwriter Georgette Hilton.

Shipley Pirate Day

There was terrific fun for the kids (and some of the grown-ups) in Shipley market square earlier today as a ship load of pirates, Peter Pan and a dinosaur sailed into town.  The entertainment was part of the annual Shipley Pirate Day with plenty of pirate based activities, face painting, a parade and several very enjoyable pantomime performances.

Celebrity In Settle

Not Bradford but Settle market place and a visit from a TV personality.  I had to ask who this person was as I live in my own insular little world (I do get out though) and have been informed that it is TV chef Paul Hollywood.  He was in Settle yesterday giving a cooking demonstration and interacting with the locals, I believe the programme is to be shown later in the year on one of the BBC channels.

Family With Plant

A family (and their plant) pause on their way through Centenary Square as a group of rappers take to the stage at the Big Gig on Sunday.

Odeon Cinema

I nipped across to take a quick picture of the Odeon cinema yesterday, it's still quite an impressive building, even when it's shrouded in scaffolding.

Big Gig 2013 - Analog Bombs

Plans are afoot to turn the empty Odeon Cinema in the centre of Bradford into a world class multi-purpose cultural venue.  A concert was held in Centenary Square this afternoon to celebrate the good news and to showcase some of the bands and artists, established and up and coming from our region. Pictured is the lead singer of  the band Analog Bombs.

Theatre Of The Dales - Lister Park

I never really got on with Shakespeare at school and have avoided it ever since.  Maybe it was because I wasn't listening, or would rather be reading Motorcycling News or the New Musical Express, or maybe it was because I had never seen an actual performance of one of the plays.  A live performance by the Theatre of the Dales company in Lister Park this afternoon has changed my longstanding opinion, a very entertaining first half consisted of a number of scenes from Shakespeare's comedies followed by Taming of the Shrew, a terrific performance.

Tip-Top Condition

Most owners break into a trot alongside their horses in the arena at the Great Yorkshire Show, it's not just the horses that need to be in tip-top condition.

Great Yorkshire Show

My first visit to the Great Yorkshire Show today and I don't think I have seen everything in the showground despite being there all day, this really is a large show.  The two fine beasts in the picture are spotlessly clean as each owner spends hours washing, combing and drying their magnificent animal before entering the enclosure for evaluation by the judge..

Paul Chand And Anjaana - Bradford Mela

Paul Chand appeared at the first Bradford Mela back in 1985 and has quite a following in the Bradford area and beyond.  The music of the band is basically Punjabi Folk with traditional Indian instruments with the addition of acoustic guitar and flute, an unusual but good sounding combination.  Paul also brought along his parents to the gig, mum is 100 years old and dad is 107 years old and I think they have been married for 80 years and are possibly the oldest married couple in the world.

Oxenhope Straw Race - The Chippendales?

The fun continued well after the finish of the Oxenhope Straw Race, as you can see in this cheeky shot. One of the teams entertains the crowd outside of the Dog and Gun at Oxenhope.

Oxenhope Straw Race 2013

I spent an enjoyable afternoon at the Oxenhope Straw Race today.  Contestants have to carry a bale of straw from pub to pub around the village of Oxenhope, stopping off at each holstelry to down a pint of ale.  Most of the participants are in fancy dress, so there is a carnival atmosphere, and the event raises money for charity.  I was impressed with this band who managed to push their stage around with them, with all their gear inside (generator, amps, full drum kit, the lot), and up some seriously steep hills!

Oakworth Village Morris Men - Weekend Of Dance

Morris Dancing at Oakworth Station on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, part of a weekend of dance organised by Oakworth Village Morris Men.  Around a dozen morris sides from different parts of the country spent their Saturday at various villages in the Yorkshire Dales and their Sunday morning at the famous heritage railway line which runs between Keighley and Haworth.
The team pictured are Kinnerton Morris Men, a Cotswold style side from the Chester area of the UK.

Paprika - Bradford Festival

 

This is another picture from the Bradford Festival and a band by the name of Paprika. The band play an enjoyable mixture of Eastern European, Balkan, Gypsey and Classical Music and have apparently toured all over the world.

Bradford Pals Memorial Service

Members of the Royal British Legion at the Bradford Pals Memorial Service yesterday morning.  The service is held every year in memory of the Bradford Pals, soldiers who were recruited from the Bradford area during the First World War, who then trained together and ultimately died together. Over 1700 were either killed or injured on the first day of the Battle of the Somme.

Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers - Bradford Mela

Appearing at the Bradford Mela a couple of weeks ago were Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers.  If I remember correctly they are based in Scotland but have trained in Japan under a master Taiko drummer.  The performance was absolutely stunning, with an incredibly deep, thunderous sound emanating from those enormous drums.

The Demon Barbers - Bradford Festival

I never got around to posting pictures from the Bradford Festival a fortnight ago.  I think this was my favourite band, but how to describe the performance.  Well, folk rock, but with clog dancers, hip-hop dancers and a bit of sword dancing thrown in for good measure, absolutely stunning!

Armed Forces Day - West Yorkshire Fire And Rescue Service Band

The West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service Band were a visual as well as aural spectacle following at the Armed Forces Day Drumhead Service this morning in Centenary Square. 

Bradford Festival - Pearl and Deanie

I didn't get around to posting pictures of the Bradford Festival the other week, so here are street entertainers Pearl and Deanie.  To qualify for a free lolly you need to be able to tell a good (clean) joke, if you don't know any jokes, a song will do!  The singing stars are volunteer stewards for the Bradford Festival.

Stop The Cuts

Further cuts in public spending will probably mean more cuts to council services and jobs. Protesters putting across their point to passers by in the city centre yesterday.

Big Sing For Peace

Around four hundred children from local schools gathered in Centenary Square today for a 'big sing' to celebrate Bradford's peace heritage.  Yorkshire folk singer and song writer Roger Davies made an appearance with a song specially written (with the help of some of the kids) for the event.
I believe Roger is performing at the Cleckheaton Folk Festival in early July.

Save Our Media Museum

This picture was taken on June 8th, at the beginning of a campaign by local politicians, councillors and our local newspaper to save the National Media Museum from closure.  Funding for a group of museums  including the Media Museum is to be reduced and one of the establishments in the group may therefore  have to close, possibly the Media Museum here in Bradford.  Back in early June actor John Hurt and Monty Python star Terry Jones were speaking out in support of the museum.  Since then a growing number of celebrities and politicians have added their names to the campaign, the latest being American film director Martin Scorsese.

Flag Raising Ceremony - Royal British Legion

Members of the Royal British Legion gathered in Centenary Square this morning for a flag raising ceremony to mark the start of a week leading up to Armed Forces Day on Saturday 29th June.  The flag was raised by the new Lord Mayor of Bradford cllr. Khadim Hussain.

Biking Is A Breeze

The Big Breeze Bike Ride took place in Lister Park earlier today.  The event, aimed mainly at women and young families took place on the traffic free roads around the park.  The participants were accompanied by experienced cyclists who were able to give a bit of help and guidance to those new to cycling, or those returning to cycling after a long break.  I think the overall aim of the scheme is to get more people onto bikes, which has got to be  a good thing. (Although I have to admit to leaving my own bike in the shed this morning and arriving by car as it was raining heavily)!

World Curry Festival 2013

A three day event of curry from Britain, India, Pakistan, Kashmir, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Jamaica and Lebanon hosted at the City Park, here in Bradford.  Hot stuff!

The 70's Show

I was looking back  through some of the pictures that I took at the Bradford Festival recently and thought that this one could have been taken forty years ago, it must be that 1970's moustache and long hair.  What are they doing?  Just killing a bit of time before the next act comes on stage.

Bradford Festival 2013

It was an impressive start to the Bradford Festival weekend on Friday evening with an open air evening of choral and song courtesy of the Bradford Festival Choral Society, Bradford Catholic Youth Choir and Skipton Building Society Camerata.  Pictured is the musical director of the Bradford Choral Society, Thomas Leech.

Bradford City Fire Disaster - 28th Anniversary

A memorial service was held in Centenary Square this morning marking the 28th anniversary of the Bradford City fire disaster.  Fifty six people lost their lives and many more were injured in a fire that engulfed the grandstand at Bradford City Football Club during a match against Lincoln City in 1985.  Wreaths were laid at the Bradford Fire Memorial by the Lord Mayors of Bradford and Lincoln, the Fire Service, relatives of the bereaved and representatives of Bradford City AFC.

Speak Out - No To Harassment

This giant megaphone in Centenary Square was part of an event aimed at highlighting problems of verbal abuse and sexual intimidation in the city.  As well as this huge megaphone there was a demonstration of self defense techniques aimed at escaping an attack or abduction, and a large map where passers by could attach a marker at locations where they felt unsafe.  Volunteers were also on hand to show residents how to report incidents of harassment.  I'd just like to add that I don't think Bradford is any worse than other large UK cities for this kind of behaviour, but it's good to see people out on the street raising awareness of the situation.

Bradford Epilepsy Action 10k

The Epilepsy Action 10k was held in Bradford yesterday, starting and finishing in Centenary Square.  The event should have been held last month but was postponed due to bad weather conditions.  The event was won by Bradford Airedale Athletic Club runner Tesfaye Debele with a time of 31 minutes and 2 seconds.

St George's Day Parade 2013

Scouts marching from Centenary Square along Market Street on their way to Bradford Cathedral for a special service to mark St Georges Day, possibly for the last time.  The event has been marshalled by the police for many years but due to financial constraints the scouts will have to pay for marshalling from their own funds from now on, which may mean there will be no parade at all next year.

Flying Scotsman Endurance Rally 2013

This event sounded incredible, a three day endurance rally starting in Hertfordshire and finishing in Scotland at the Gleneagles Hotel, traveling in pre-war cars along some of the remotest country lanes with timed sections thrown in for good measure. The participants were stopping for lunch on day two at Skipton, twenty miles west of Bradford, I couldn't resist going along. 
Over 100 vehicles were taking part in the rally with driver and navigator in period dress and some absolutely fabulous cars, like the one in the picture, a 1912 Chalmers 10 with a 7.5 litre engine.  These cars must be quite difficult to drive, very heavy steering, drum brakes, skinny tyres, driver and passenger open to the elements, nice on a sunny day, but not so nice in wind and rain. A fantastic event for participants and spectators alike.

Vaisakhi Celebrations

The annual Vaisakhi celebrations took place this weekend in Bradford.  Thousands of followers of the Sikh faith took part in a procession which called at each of the Sikh temples in the city.  The picture was taken at the Guru Gobind Singh Gurdwara.

Bolling Hall Reopening

Hmm, a bit of a surreal picture, the Lord Mayor of Bradford with two visitors from the middle ages and a large blue and white bear.  It was the official reopening of Bolling Hall museum at the weekend after recent refurbishment work on the building, parts of which date back to the 1370s, and also the official opening of a small public library in one of the rooms there, which will be open during museum opening hours.  There was also a family fun day being held as part of the celebrations which explains the bear, still think the picture looks a little bizarre though.

Fair Fun At The Funfair

The weather has finally warmed after weeks of bitterly cold winds, and people have started to venture out of their houses.  Out into the garden to tidy up, to put a few plants in and maybe to cut the grass, or out for a walk in the countryside or the local park.  Lister Park was very busy today, probably because of the weather, and probably because of this visiting funfair.