Ten From The Pub 1 : A Beer-Stained Citadel

A new mini-series of photographs old and new with that most glorious institution, the public house, as its theme. THE BEEHIVE AND CROSS KEYS, KING CROSS STREET, HALIFAX What better way to start this visual pub crawl than with the first pub I ever bought a pint of beer in. I was moderately under-age and … Continue reading Ten From The Pub 1 : A Beer-Stained Citadel

Ten From Halifax 10 : Counting Chimneys

VIEW OVER HALIFAX FROM GODLEY BRIDGE (1966) Old geography school textbooks would often feature a picture of Halifax from the early twentieth century and the challenge was to count the mill chimneys. By the middle of the century - I took this photograph in 1966 - there were less chimneys to count but you had a … Continue reading Ten From Halifax 10 : Counting Chimneys

Faces In The Snake Pit

Looking at this old photograph - which is one of my lost and found collection of unknown and unwanted old photographs - I was initially fascinated by the obvious narrative. It is clearly a demonstration of the venom being removed from poisonous snakes in either Africa or India, and it would appear too date from … Continue reading Faces In The Snake Pit

Licence To Scan

This was another discovery whilst "tidying-up". I have no idea where this came from. If Mr Kinnear would like it back, he's welcome to it, but I fear it is a little out of date.

Contours In The Snow

Outside, the snow is thick on the ground and the wind has the bite of a Rottweiler with a hang-over. Even Lucy the Dog refuses to set paw outside the door. The enforced incarceration means that I have to turn to that list of jobs I have been putting off - and in particular the … Continue reading Contours In The Snow

Young Albert

ALBERT BURNETT (1916/17) This is a scan of a tiny old photograph (only 3cm wide) of my father, Albert Burnett. At a guess I would say that he was about five or six years old when this photograph was taken which would make it either 1916 or 1917. The clothes are more than a century … Continue reading Young Albert

Ten From Halifax 9 : Fire In Halifax

FIRE IN HALIFAX (c1968) I am not entirely sure where I took this photograph, but it must have been in the Lister Lane area as the other frames on the negative strip were taken in People's Park. There was a mill fire which seemed to attract a larger audience than the brass band in the … Continue reading Ten From Halifax 9 : Fire In Halifax

With Best Love

WITH BEST LOVE FROM THE FADING PAST There is something wonderful when old photographs fade, so that the person almost merges into the background like a memory merging into time. I have no idea who this lady was, but she has written on the back of the photograph, "With best love".