Yesterday, I went for a socially distanced walk with my son in the grounds of Wortley Hall, Sheffield. This magnificent eighteenth century stately home has, for the past half century, been owned by the British labour and trade union movement, and used for meetings and residential courses, as well as being made available to the … Continue reading Grandeur Without Guilt
Author: Alan Burnett
One Of The Grandest Views
The final shot in this particular strip of six negatives, and all the climbing and scaling of hillside and stone steps is worthwhile. The view from the top of Godley Bank, when you suddenly catch sight of that carpet of industry and activity that is Halifax, must be one of the grandest views of the … Continue reading One Of The Grandest Views
Godley Bridge
Anyone who has been following the progress of my scans for the last few days will know where I had arrived at by the end of this strip of negatives from the late 1960s. It is Halifax's answer to a triumphal arch: built by the Borough Engineer in 1900 out of stone and cast iron; … Continue reading Godley Bridge
Welsh Poppy
When you've rearranged all the books on your bookshelves, watched all your box sets, re-indexed your memories, and there seems nothing left to do .... you can always scan a Welsh Poppy.
Blue Anchor Bikers
An old family photograph which must date back to the mid 1930s. The man in the photograph is Charlie Pitts, I am not sure about the woman next to him. It was taken in Blue Anchor, a village in Somerset, when my parents were on a motorbike holiday with Charlie and his lady friend.
God And Industry
A hundred yards or so after taking yesterday's photograph, I must have turned again towards Halifax and taken this next one in the series. It captures the old railway sidings at North Bridge particularly well, along with Smith's Wire Works. Monuments to both God and industry vie for control of the skyline.
Castle Hill
Castle Hill in Huddersfield: There have been settlements here for more than 4,000 years and numerous hill forts and castle have stood on top of the hill. The current tower dates only from 1899, when it was erected to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria.
Grand Scenes
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
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.
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