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.