This is another of my “little flakes of history”: a negative from the 1920s depicting an unknown trio who have clearly found something of great significance in the bushes. “Look at this,” they seem to be saying from a century ago. “Look at what?” we reply. So far, no answer has emerged.
Rooftops
At the start of a new month, I once again dive into my file of photographs taken over the last sixty or more years. Photographs make time stand still, and I see these pictures as little flakes of history. This particular flake dates back to around 1980 and was taken somewhere in Sheffield - please … Continue reading Rooftops
When I’m Cleaning Windows
Now I go cleaning windows to earn an honest bob For a nosy parker it's an interestin' job Now it's a job that just suits me A window cleaner you would be If you can see what I can see When I'm cleanin' windows. (George Formby)
Albert Docks
I took this photograph of the Royal Albert Docks in Liverpool yesterday while my wife was browsing a local gift shop. I sent it to my friend Jane, who suggested I use it for today’s calendar. The sky really was this blue, and the reflections really were this vibrant. It’s a grand place, Liverpool.
Ferry Cross The Mersey 2
I have somewhere in my possession a photograph of my brother and myself on holiday - always either Bridlington or New Brighton - and I, despite being only about six years old, have a Kodak Brownie camera strung around my neck. I would love to think that I was responsible for this picture of the … Continue reading Ferry Cross The Mersey 2
Safely To The Other Side
Another way to cross the River Mersey is the method I’ll be using later today: travelling through the Mersey Tunnel. The Queensway Tunnel - the one I’ll be using - was constructed in 1934, the year before this fine old picture postcard was sent. Built at a cost of £8 million, it was the world’s … Continue reading Safely To The Other Side
Ferry Across The Mersey
Later this weekend, I will be crossing the River Mersey. To celebrate, here is a photograph taken during a trip across the river more than seventy years ago. Later this year, I hope to make a slightly longer water crossing to be reunited with my brother. For now, we will have to be satisfied with … Continue reading Ferry Across The Mersey
The Uses Of Zion
Coming across this old photograph - which I must have taken forty or more years ago - I was initially unsure of the exact location, as most northern towns and cities had a Mount Zion Chapel. I eventually narrowed it down to a building on Westfield Terrace in Sheffield, which has had a colourful history: … Continue reading The Uses Of Zion
Municipal Pride
The third element of my Dewsbury triptych is the rather beautiful Dewsbury Town Hall, built in 1886 by local architects Henry Hottom and George A. Fox. It dates from a time when municipal pride was competitive, and local towns tried to outdo one another in the scale and beauty of their public buildings. For a … Continue reading Municipal Pride
