Author: Alan Burnett

Strip Of Six

The memories of photographers of a certain age tend to be organised in strips of six. We'd develop our films and cut them into strips for storage. So we jump from 1966 to 1967, and drop into the Halifax Charity Gala on Manor Heath to watch a little weightlifting.

Hanging In The Balance

The 2023 Halifax Charity Gala will take place today. To celebrate the occasion, this is a photograph I took at the very same event 56 years ago. That's a long time ago and a long time to have been left hanging in the balance.

Sheffield Rooftops

I spent a fair amount of yesterday in Sheffield and Barnsley, so this seems to be a suitable calendar image for today. It's 40 years since I took it, but still the skyline will be familiar to those who know Sheffield.

Pengo, Pengo, Pengo …

Detail from a 10,000 Pengo banknote issued by the Hungarian government in July 1945. At the time, Hungary was suffering from hyper-inflation and the note became worthless within a few days of being issued.

Terrible Tragedy In Halifax

Don't you just get fed up with the state of the modern media, with all the sensational headlines, lurid stories and titillating images designed to get you to follow links to stories that never live up to what they promised? Take me back to the good old days when serious writers upheld the very highest … Continue reading Terrible Tragedy In Halifax

Let Me Know How Aunt Sally Goes On

A classic image from a classic vintage postcard, which was posted to a Miss B York of Doncaster on the 21st June 1904. The message was intriguingly simple: "Let me know how Aunt Sally goes on". I'm not sure about Aunt Sally, but Miss Louie Pounds, the actress depicted on the front of the card, … Continue reading Let Me Know How Aunt Sally Goes On

Twenty-Six Chimneys

This is the last of the strip of six negatives from 1966. I took it from almost the same place as yesterdays, but I have moved my camera around a little. Even though this was Halifax in transition, I can still count 26 mill chimneys in the photograph - and that is not including Wainhouse … Continue reading Twenty-Six Chimneys

Blurred Transitions

Memories are rarely in sharp focus, especially memories from half a century ago. Time, places and people all get blurred in the transition between a captured moment and a captured memory. I can't remember taking this photograph, but I know the three subjects, and, I suspect at least two of them will be reading this.

Last Exit To Peel Street

I suspect that I took this photograph in Queensgate Market, Huddersfield (it's the only market with an adjacent Peel Street I can think of). The date will have been somewhere in the range 1980-82.