Dicka Smith

There's a name scribbled on the reverse of this early 20th century portrait from the Clark Studio of Blyth: "Dicka Smith." Given the time and place, there is a fair chance that Dicka was a miner. The strange object that seems to be supporting him was just one of the studio props that were popular … Continue reading Dicka Smith

That’s Progress For You

I have a vague memory of taking this photo somewhere around Luddenden some 45 years ago. Back then, it would have been unthinkable that I could make up for my lack of record keeping by tracking down similar buildings using on-line street-view maps. But that's progress for you - and, if I'm right, the mill … Continue reading That’s Progress For You

Kinlochleven

My photograph dates from the early 1960s when we spent a holiday at Kinlochleven in Scotland. Clearly visible is the aluminium smelter, which was still operational at the time - it was eventually closed in June 2000. The dam and hydro-electric power plant, which were built to power the smelter, still exist and provide power … Continue reading Kinlochleven

Girl In A Wicker Bed

This rather poignant photograph is from a collection of family photos, but I can't recognise any of the three subjects. Needing a caption for it, I came up with "Girl In A Wicker Invalid Bed," which sound rather like the title of a Scandi-noir crime novel. I can't decide whether I should try and research … Continue reading Girl In A Wicker Bed

Through The Mill To Shroggs Park

This picture of Shroggs Park in Halifax comes from an early 20th century picture postcard. The park was one of the legacies of local mill owner, Colonel Edward Ackroyd, who funded its building on a piece of waste ground overlooking the Wheatley Valley in 1872. The writer of the card, Jeanie, talks about having "been through … Continue reading Through The Mill To Shroggs Park

Up And Down Blake Street

This is one of my photographs from the time we were living in Sheffield in the early 1980s. Blake Street is reputedly the third steepest street in England, and the handrail was an essential part of navigating up and down the street on wintry days. The handrail was still in place the last time I … Continue reading Up And Down Blake Street

The Walkley Hoard

Some years ago I bought a batch of of negatives for a few pounds. The photographs must have been taken during the 1940s and 50s, and many featured views of the Walkley area of Sheffield, so collectively I call them the Walkley Hoard. This is a print from one of the medium format negatives - … Continue reading The Walkley Hoard

A Passage To Halifax

It's goodbye to the fens and the farms, the sea and the sand, and a return to more familiar landscape of mills and moors, chimneys and chapels. Here's one I took earlier - about sixty years earlier, in fact. It was taken looking towards Halifax from Haley Hill, from a spot that I suspect no … Continue reading A Passage To Halifax