I must have walked past Somerset House on Rawson Street, Halifax hundreds of times in my youth without ever knowing it was there. From the beginning of the twentieth century until the beginning of the twenty-first, this fine example of Georgian architecture (by John Carr of York) was hidden behind a row of shops. These … Continue reading Hidden Assets
Author: Alan Burnett
Front To Back Hope
The second in my Buildings of Halifax series features Hope Hall, which now occupies a plot between Clare Road and Clare Street. This is a view of what now is the rear of the hall, but back in the eighteenth century, when it was built, it was part of an imposing front elevation. It's well … Continue reading Front To Back Hope
The Buildings Of Halifax 1 : HBS Start
I managed a good walk around Halifax the other day, and I decided to focus on some of the lovely buildings we all walk by each day and never really notice. This week is therefore devoted to "The Buildings Of Halifax," and I start at the corner of Princess Street and Crossley Street, and the … Continue reading The Buildings Of Halifax 1 : HBS Start
A Moorland Path From The Dark Ages
A photograph from the 1980s which was a bit of a Dark Age in terms of my own photographic history. Colour film meant a loss of control, and that control didn't return until I switched to digital photography at the turn of the century. Now I can scan those colour negatives and mess with them … Continue reading A Moorland Path From The Dark Ages
Strictly Ballroom
This is the photograph that my Uncle Frank and Auntie Miriam sent around to all their friends at Christmas 1938. It's a studio shot and I've no evidence that they were committed ballroom dancers. I may be doing them an injustice and it may be that many of the sprung ballroom floors of pre-war Bradford … Continue reading Strictly Ballroom
A Harmless Hunter
Diana The Huntress is about to draw an arrow from her quiver and shoot a passing deer cantering along Park Road at the bottom of People's Park in Halifax. Those familiar with the statue today will note that she's lost a bit of her arm since I took this photograph 60 years ago. Please Note: … Continue reading A Harmless Hunter
Musk Park
Like many a northern industrial town, Keighley is dotted with public parks either presented to the towns by local businessmen during the age of Victorian philanthropy or purchased by public subscription by citizens anxious to enhance their surroundings. My picture comes from an early postcard and features Victoria Park and its mansion. Somehow I can't … Continue reading Musk Park
Peace And Quiet
Given the heat and the lack of rain, it's extraordinary that nature can still produce such greens as this. The scene looks idyllic, and in many ways is, especially if, like me, you are profoundly deaf. For the rest, the noise from the M62 - just behind the line of trees on the left - … Continue reading Peace And Quiet
Dick Hudson’s
I have one of my fathers' old diaries from the 1930s, and it records the weekend cycle journeys he and my mother used to go on from their home in Bradford. Many of these would involve a stop at the popular pub, Dick Hudson's, on the hills above Bingley. I drove past it the other … Continue reading Dick Hudson’s
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