I must have taken this photograph of the Jessop Hospital in Sheffield sometime around the late eighties. We were living in Sheffield at the time. Perhaps it was November 1989: I can certainly recall pacing around the Jessop Hospital, waiting for my son to be born. The son was born, and he and his mother … Continue reading Such Is Life
Month: September 2025
Old Friends
I visit this lady as often as I can. She is from Brighouse, but now lives in the delightful Cliffe Castle Museum in Keighley. She was created by the great Victorian Pre-Raphaelite painter, Sir Edward Burne-Jones, for St James's Church in Brighouse, and she remained in the town until the church was demolished in 1972. … Continue reading Old Friends
If It Wasn’t For The Trees In-Between
Back in the 1950s, there was a school geography textbook which, in the section on urban geography, had a picture of Halifax, and pupils were encouraged to count the number of mill chimneys. My photo was taken a decade later, but you could still make a decent counting exercise out of it. These days you … Continue reading If It Wasn’t For The Trees In-Between
Pigeon Post
A pigeon on the top of a post. The Lake District, last week. It's pigeon post.
Back Stories, Front Stories
You don't need to know the time, the place or t he names of the subjects to enjoy a good photograph. A degree of anonymity can, in fact, help; you can throw yourself into the scene and construct backstories and front stories to your heart's content. The strange thing about these four is that they … Continue reading Back Stories, Front Stories
Cauldron Lip
If you follow Howes Lane from Northowram to the point when it overlooks the Shibden Valley, you can get wonderful views across that valley towards Halifax. The industry, the heat, the life, and the movement of the town seem to spill over into the quiet valley. I have photographed this cauldron lip many times over … Continue reading Cauldron Lip
Green And Pleasant
I took this photograph at the end of last week, before the rains came, but even after endless weeks of near drought, the essential greenness prevails. This is not the England of red crosses paint-smeared on public buildings, but a place of balanced mellowness - a green and pleasant land indeed.
Fill In The Faces
Market stalls in Brighouse in the 1960s. Other than the little girl (who is probably just about to become a pensioner!) you can't see any faces. You don't need to. Your mind automatically fills in the missing detail. The faces lined by years of work. The complexions scarred by too much worry.
Mystery Date
This photograph was part of a collection of family photos. The only clue as to the subject is a date stamped on the back, 6th January 1929, and the name of the studio where it was taken, Jerome. Could it be my mother? The dates fit, and there was a branch of Jerome's in Bradford. … Continue reading Mystery Date
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