Cartwright Hall and Mughal Gardens

Cartwright Hall and Mughal Gardens. The Hall was completed in 1904 for the Bradford Exhibition which took place here in Lister Park.  The Mughal Gardens were created in 1997 and were the first to be constructed in the North of England.

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.

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.

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)!

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.

Sophie Ryder Sculptures - Cartwright Hall

     This is one of a pair of large scale sculptures by artist Sophie Ryder currently on display at Cartwright Hall.  The sculptures are made from galvanized wire, lots and lots of it, formed into these huge mythical creatures.   Unusual, striking, and impressive.

Cartwright Hall

Cartwright Hall in Lister Park.  The flower bed in the foreground is actually a floral clock.

Lister Park Bandstand - Caribbean Samples

I had to do a bit of running backwards and forwards last Sunday, Caribbean Samples were playing a blend of soul and reggae in the bandstand at Lister Park, and the Games In The Park event was in full swing at the same time.  The band play at pubs and clubs in and around Bradford and also play at weddings.  I've also had a quick look at their website and they supply reggae samples and loops (don't quite know exactly what that means), I did have a tape recorder with seven inch reels at one time, but I think things have moved on a bit since then!

Games In The Park - BD4 Youth Dance Group

This was an impressive piece of choreography by the BD4 Youth Dance Group, performed to a Caribbean tinged version of Dave Brubeck's Take Five at the Games In The Park event on Sunday. The group of thirteen to eighteen year olds have performed before in Centenary Square and were due to appear at the Bradford Mela which was sadly cancelled due to bad weather earlier this year.

Games In The Park - Scouts With A Boxing Glove

This enthusiastic and energetic local scout group played some unusual games at the Games In The Park event in Lister Park on Sunday.  In this particular game each scout had to jump in turn over a boxing glove which was being swung in a circle at just above ground level, quite hard work, but fun, and fun to watch!

Games In The Park - Lister Park

This was seriously good fun, Games In The Park in Lister Park on Sunday, an event aimed mainly at children with traditional children's games and other entertainment, such as African dancing, and as you can see it wasn't just the kids having some fun!

Jasmine Kennedy - Lister Park

This is talented singer/songwriter Jasmine Kennedy playing at the Lister Park Bandstand on Sunday.  Jasmine has played at the Bingley Music Live festival, the Bradford Mela and the Saltaire Festival as well as numerous smaller gigs over the last couple of years.  There wasn't much of a crowd on Sunday due to the cold blustery wind whistling around the park.  If you want to know more about Jasmine you can catch up with her on Facebook.

Daffodils - Lister Park

Some of the daffodils are out in Lister Park, not all of them, just the ones that are in a more sheltered or sunnier position.

Looking Out From The Steps

Lister Park from the steps of Cartwright Hall on a Sunday afternoon.

Frosty Morning - Lister Park

This picture was taken a few days ago when it was cold and dry, now it's just wet and windy again. I believe the bandstand was built in 1908 and then restored around ten years ago when the rest of the park was refurbished.

Autumn Colour - Lister Park

It doesn't seem long since I was stood in this spot looking at spring flowers, and now it's autumn, I don't know where the summer went. Still, autumn is a nice time of year, and there should be a few more weeks before the trees lose all their leaves, so we may as well make the most of it.

Jogger - Lister Park

Lister Park is popular with joggers, some completing just one lap of the park, others managing three or four laps and looking like they have just had a good workout, and then there are the super fit, like the runner in the picture, lap after lap and not even out of breath.

Bradford City Run

The third annual Bradford City Run was held today. The half marathon started in the city centre and followed a route which took the runners through the streets of Bradford and out into the countryside before finishing at Cartwright Hall in the grounds of Lister Park. Here is one of the front runners crossing the finishing line.

Samuel Cunliffe Lister - Lister Park

This white marble statue of Samuel Cunliffe Lister stands in Lister Park. Lister was a wealthy mill owner who played a key role in the development of the textile industry in Bradford, he also donated land for the construction of Manningham Park, or Lister Park as it is also known as.

National Youth Circuit Race Championships - Sharp Bend

Another picture from the National Youth Circuit Race Championships on Sunday. This was a very tricky part of the course, a sharp bend after a fairly steep descent, this caught one or two of the riders out.