Spellbound - City Park

The performance by street theatre company 'Spark' was definitely a crowd pleaser at last nights Spellbound event in the city centre, a visually and aurally dynamic spectacle!

Sky Ride Bradford 2014

Sky Ride ambassador Sir Chris Hoy leads a procession of cyclists as they leave City Park and head for Lister Park along a traffic free route.  A record 6500 cyclists took part in Sunday's Sky Ride event.

Chill Out Zone

We've had some quite nice weather here recently.  It's been warm enough to just sit around and watch the world go by, or have a paddle in the mirror pool, or just lie back and have forty winks....

Beer, Wine & Bubbles!

The World Curry Festival has taken place in Bradford this weekend with chefs from around the world demostrating their curry making skills.  The restored London bus makes an unusual mobile bar.

Hula Hoop Girl - Bradford Festival

I don't think this was part of the Bradford Festival, but entertaining nonetheless.

Bradford Festival - Angelo Palladino

An absolutely storming session from solo bluesman Angelo Palladino helped kick off the Bradford Festival last Friday.  Angelo, originally a Londoner, now lives (and gigs) in West Yorkshire.  If you are into blues music just go and see the man live!

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)!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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!

Juggler

This juggler was part of the entertainment at the City Park on Saturday.

Brass Band - City Park

This brass band made some very pleasant sounds at the ice sculpture event on Saturday.

Whale Of A Time

One of a number of ice sculptures around the mirror pool in the centre of Bradford yesterday.  The temperature was around 8C, so the sculptures were melting fast.

Ice Sculptures - City Park

Jamie Wardley hard at work creating an ice sculpture at the Bradford City Park earlier today, can you guess what it is yet?

Coraline - Outdoor Screening

A free screening of the animation film 'Coraline' took place in City Park last night, projected onto the UK's largest inflatable cinema screen.  The event was part of the build up to the 19th Bradford Animation Festival which is held in November at the National Media Museum here in Bradford.  The spectators were quite a hardy bunch as the temperature was around 5C.  I managed to stay for an hour, but decided to head for home and a warm bath when my fingers went dead and I couldn't work the camera any more!