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.

Mission Occupy

I missed all the exitement last week down in the centre of Bradford as I was away on holiday.  The famous (or is that infamous) hole, a huge depression in the city centre, intended to be a retail development but abandoded after the foudations were excavated some years ago, was occupied by a group of protesters attempting to bring attention to the situation.  The protesters were still there yesterday.  The saga goes on.

Solar Power

We seem to lag behind other countries when it comes to saving energy, so it was good to see solar panels being used to supplement the power to the stage at the Mayday festivities last Saturday.  The sun even made a brief appearance as I took the picture.

Odeon Anglia

This 1960's Ford Anglia van was in the Bradford Urban Garden on Saturday.  The owner is a bit of a Ford Anglia fan as he also owns two Anglia cars, he is also an Odeon Cinema fan and is keen to see the building saved from demolition.  The posters draw attention to the plight of the cinema and urge people to vote for Odeon supporting candidates in the local council elections.

The Drastics - Bradford Urban Garden

Bradford punk rockers the Drastics at the Bradford Urban Garden on Saturday.  I was around in the heyday of punk rock, but it kind of passed me by, I was into other things at the time, cars, motorbikes and drinking beer mainly, punk rock was there but it never really had any influence on me. I did enjoy this performance by the Drastics on Saturday though, it had a kind of raw energy that seems to be missing in a lot of music these days.

Bradford Grid - Bradford Urban Garden

An exhibition of photographs taken in the bradford area is currently on display in the Bradford Urban Garden. A group of amateur and professional photographers have created images using the family albums and personal recollections of Bradfordians as their inspiration. The project is ongoing and a map is being used to document the area grid square by grid square.

Refugee Week - Bradford Urban Garden

Celebrations were held today at the Bradford Urban Garden with food, music and dance from different parts of the world The event was part of National Refugee Week. Bradford is recognised as a 'City of Sanctuary,' a place where community groups, faith communities and local government are committed to welcoming people seeking sanctuary.

Bradford Pride 2011 - Bradford Urban Garden

     The Bradford Pride event was held today in the city centre Urban Garden.  The event was a celebration of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities.  There was quite a good atmosphere with live entertainment on a central stage, market stalls, face painting, wall climbing, food and a temporary bar.

Jamie Wardley At The Bradford Urban Garden

     At first glance this looks like Jamie Wardley could be getting a ticket for drawing on the pavement, but that's not what is actually going on here.  Jamie is being directed by his assistant in marking out the drawing. The large tripod (not a tripod as it has four legs) is being used to somehow correct the perspective during marking out, so that when viewed from the position of the tripod the drawing does not recede into the distance.  The passing PCSO is taking a quick snap on his mobile phone to see if the theory actually works in practice. 
     Jamie is actually a sand and ice sculptor and made a huge sand sculpture of Charles Darwin in front of Bradford Town Hall a couple of years ago, I will try and post a picture of it in a day or two (I need to find the transparency and scan it). 
    

Bradford Urban Garden - Mayday Celebrations

     I stopped by at the Bradford Urban Garden earlier today as there was an event taking place to celebrate Mayday.  I didn't stop long but it looked great fun with street entertainers, a maypole and two stages with various bands and musicians performing.  I have photographed these entertainers before, they are pretty good and sometimes do a routine which involves a member of the audience, juggling and fire.  Thankfully they have not, as yet, chosen me to take part!