Bishop of Bradford - Enthronement

     I knew we were having a new bishop in Bradford, and I knew the ceremony was yesterday, but I didn't know that it was such a big occasion.  I was taking a few pictures at the Pride event when I saw this procession heading for the Cathedral.  I had to run a bit to get in front and grab a few photos.
     Nick Baines, the new bishop is quite familiar with Bradford as he spent his student days at Bradford University.  He is also apparently quite famous for using modern forms of communication such as Twitter, he also has a blog (he is sometimes referred to as the 'blogging bishop' and has appeared on the Chris Evans Radio 2 breakfast programme.  So quite an interesting character really.
     It's funny how writing this blog sometimes brings back memories.  My wife and I were married in 1983 at Holy Trinity Church in Idle.  A few weeks before the wedding we made a visit to the church to see the vicar, the vicar asked if we minded if someone sat in with us, we said we didn't mind.  Before we left, the visitor came and had a chat with me for about five or ten minutes, he talked about life in general, marriage, not a religious conversation really, then as we left he said "look after her, she's someone special".  A week or two later I opened the local newspaper and saw a picture of the visitor, it was the bishop of Bradford, Geoffrey Paul who had been suffering from a terminal illness and had sadly died.  In case you are wondering, yes, I am still married, and to the same person.

Bradford Cathedral - Wool Sacks

     On this brass plaque in Bradford Cathedral you can see wool sacks hanging from the side of the bell tower.  The sacks were strung up on the outside of the tower to protect it from  Royalist Artillery during the English Civil War.  The Cathedral (or Parish Church as it was then) stood on raised ground which made the area easier to defend against  attacking forces.

Spring Silhouette - Peel Park

     This statue, on the grand promenade in Peel Park is named Spring.  It was donated to the park in Victorian times by the Bradford Band of Hope and Union, a Baptist Society that promoted abstinence from drink.  Bradford has several large parks which were built in the Victorian era.  The textile industry was at its peak at this time and living conditions for the workers were probably at their worst.

My first picture, the tower of Bradford Cathedral, taken earlier this month.