This has always been one of my favourite photographs from the late 1960s. I strongly suspect that the back yard I took this from no longer exists: indeed, nor does the house, nor does the street. And the view no longer exists. Gone are the cooling towers, the gasometers, and the chimneys, and all you … Continue reading Grand Scenes
Year: 2020
Sun, Song And Stone
When the sun is shining, the birds are singing, the stone is glowing, and the power cables humming, can there be a finer place in the world than West Yorkshire? In this case, the fields and farms above Greetland, near Halifax.
Venetian Chimneys
Following on from yesterday's virtual day at the seaside, today we are back in Halifax, and where better than down behind Halifax Gas Works. I have always thought there was something vaguely Venetian about Halifax. Canaletto would have felt at home here.
Signs Of Division
These old parish division markers have been gathered together in a local park. They tell of days when localities were divided by poverty, and local Board of Guardians would endlessly seek to limit the boundaries of social responsibility.
Exotic Bridlington
It is easy to get the impression that, during the 1960s and 70s, I did little other than take photographs of rainy days in Halifax. Occasionally, however, I escaped to the sun, and, as I scan my way through my negatives, I will find shots from some exotic location or other. These example are from … Continue reading Exotic Bridlington
The When Question
As with so many of my old photographs, I have no idea who this person is, nor where the photograph was taken. The "when" question, however, is far more inviting, and the lady in question whispers "1920s' to me.
Stepping Back
OLD LANE, HALIFAX Stepping back slightly from yesterday's photograph, this gives a better idea of where the snicket was - and still is. Again, this was taken in the 1980s, a time of transition for this part of Halifax. Old Lane seems to justify its name, the various mills seem to be in search of … Continue reading Stepping Back
What’s In A Name?
A wild flower, picked at random from the roadside and then subjected to a very high resolution scan. The individual flowers are less than half a centimetre wide. I have no idea what it is called - it matters not, it is the shape and the shade that is attractive.
Snicket Revisited
I took this photo 40 years ago. I have taken the same scene many times over the years; and so have many other photographers far better than me. The most famous version is Bill Brandt's 1937 "Snicket In Halifax", which forms part of the collection of the New York Museum of Modern Art. A classic … Continue reading Snicket Revisited
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