Max and Sammy

     I discovered this wooden cross a week of two ago in woodland not far from where I live.  It's in an area of the woods that I don't visit often, a quiet secluded place.  I don't know who put the cross there, how long it's been there, or who Max and Sammy are, cherished family pets perhaps?

Timeline Mural Launch

     An event was held today in the Bradford Urban Garden to launch the new Timeline Mural. The mural was designed by local school pupils with the assistance of graffiti artist Nick Halahan and Bradford rap artist Philip Charles who is pictured here performing at the event.

Drystone Wall - Haworth

     These drystone walls are everywhere in Yorkshire, they form the field boundaries in valley bottoms, run up steep valley sides, and sometimes run for miles across open moorland.  This wall is on the moors above Haworth.

Incense Sticks

     These incense sticks were on a market stall in Darley Street in the town centre.  The Saturday market was organised to support women entrepreneurs in the Bradford area and to help promote their businesses.  The day was very cold and dull and I was struggling to find something colourful to photograph until I spotted these incense sticks.  I didn't take much notice of the labels on the jars at the time, but when I got back home and put the pictures onto the computer I noticed a jar on the bottom row which said Opium.  It might just be me, but Jasmine, Lavender and Magic Garden conjure up a picture of a garden on a Summer day, but Opium just makes me think of an Opium den.

Bradford International Film Festival

     Well, it's the last day of the Bradford Film Festival and not one picture of the event.  To be honest, I've never really been that interested in film, unlike my father who saw 'The Great Caruso' forty seven times when it first came out.  Probably the only two actors I could easily recognise would be Sean Connery or Michael Caine.  The picture above is of the bonnet of the BMW car used to ferry VIPs to and from the Film Festival.  It was parked outside of the Media Museum, so there must have been some film celebrity in there, but I don't know who, and I probably wouldn't recognise them anyway, unless it was Michael Caine or Sean Connery.

Pirates of Shipley Market Square

     Shoppers in Shipley were entertained by a band of marauding pirates today as their ship sailed around the market square.  After kidnapping a few passers-by the pirates were joined by Peter Pan for some open air entertainment.  Children and performers later took part in a parade around the town centre.  I think I enjoyed it all just as much as the kids!

Toucan Crossings

     There are a number of these crossings appearing in the town centre, they allow cyclists to ride across the road alongside pedestrians, I believe they are called Toucan crossings.  I'm all for cycling, I'm a cyclist myself, but I'm not sure mixing cyclists with pedestrians is such a good idea, I always get off and push my bike in pedestrian areas, it may add a few minutes to my journey but at least I'm not going to injure anyone.

Mirror - Shaeron Caton-Rose

     I recently called in at the Pop Up arts space in Centenary Square to see an exhibition by local  documentary photographer Tim Smith and historian Irna Qureshi. The exhibition explores the links between Indian and Pakistani people living in Bradford and other areas of the UK and The Grand Trunk Road which runs across India and Pakistan.  Also on display was this unusual installation of fragments of mirror by Shaeron Caton-Rose.

Timeline Mural - Bradford Urban Garden

     Schoolchildren were today working on a new mural in the Bradford Urban Garden.  The year nine pupils from Challenge College were assisted by graffiti artists in creating a timeline mural named 'Past, Present and Future.'  Different parts of the community have been brought together on this project as some of the ideas for the artwork have been provided by senior citizens from the Thorpe Edge area of Bradford.

Langstrothdale

     Having spent an enjoyable few days walking in the Lake District, and with the weather being so pleasant for the time of year, I decided to return home through the Yorkshire Dales, stopping off at various places to take photographs.  This picture shows the infant River Wharfe at Langstrothdale.  The Dales Way footpath passes through this valley on its way from Ilkley to Bowness in the Lake District.  There are link paths from both Leeds and Bradford to the start of this walk at Ilkley.

Bandstand - Roberts Park, Saltaire

     This is an early morning picture of the bandstand in Roberts Park, Saltaire.  Restoration work on the park was completed last summer and included the construction of this bandstand.  The statue on the right is Sir Titus Salt, the building beyond is the United Reformed Church in Saltaire.

The Hole

     This is what lies beyond the green painted hoardings of the Bradford Urban Garden.  These excavations and foundations were started several years ago, then the recession hit and everything was put on hold.  The site is referred to by most Bradfordians as 'The Hole'.

Belvedere

     I posted a picture of this wooden structure back in January and said at the time that I didn't know what it was.  Well, it was initially used as a tiny cinema, built by artist Noah Rose and showing short films by film-maker Lucy Bergman.  The side panels were then removed and the structure remains as an art work in the Urban Garden.

Urban Garden Paintings

     A number of paintings have recently been fixed to the wall of the Bradford Urban Garden.  The brightly coloured paintings have been produced by local schoolchildren, the one above, as you can see, is by Lower Fields Primary School.

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.

Sea of Crocuses

     These Crocuses are in full bloom at the moment in Lister Park.  Park staff have worked with local school children over the last five years to plant thousands of these bulbs.  The bulbs make a colourful sight for passing motorists as they are planted on a grass bank alongside one of the main routes into the city.

Weather Station - Lister Park

     This fenced off enclosure in Lister Park contains a weather station.  Every day since January 1st 1908, air temperature, rainfall, humidity, wind speed and other information has been collected and sent to the Met Office to be compiled with other weather information from across the UK.  The weather for January 1st 1908 was  no sunshine, no rain, min 32F, max34F, av33F.

The Bradford Mughal Garden

     I like to stand on the terrace that overlooks the water garden in Lister Park.  The garden is based on a South Asian Mughal design with symmetrical paths, canals and fountains.  On a warm day visitors sit and look at the fountains, read a book, sunbathe, or just slowly walk up and down, the flowing water seems to have a calming effect.

Starlings

     Starlings have been gathering on this electricity pylon near my house recently.  They gather early, around  six in the morning, stay five or ten minutes, and then they are gone.  I've tried several times to capture them perched on the cables, but when they see me approaching they do a quick swirl or two around the pylon and disappear into the distance, so this is todays picture, Starlings swirling.

Heaton Woods - Tree Planting

     I had seen a small piece in my local paper about tree planting in Heaton Woods and decided to go along with my camera.  I have to confess, having lived my entire life in the Bradford area, that I have never visited these woods before.  The tree planting was in an area of land recently acquired by the Heaton Woods Trust, a group of volunteers who manage and maintain the ancient and more recently planted woodland, paths and ponds in the area.  Pictured here is the Mayor of Bradford Cllr. Peter Hill.
     The woodland in this area is really beautiful and I will definitely be returning to take some photographs in a week or two when the trees come into leaf.