We are living through record heatwaves here in the UK at the moment, experiencing temperatures that make you want to find a cool stretch of water and take the plunge. I took today's photograph in Brighouse Canal Basin well over half a century ago, when it was surrounded by gasworks and endless, rundown factories. You … Continue reading A Heated Basin
Tag: Brighouse
Ode To A Gable End
This is a proper gable end, not some half-hearted apology for a wall stuck onto the side of an over-delicate bungalow. It's seen life, this gable end: horses and carts, trams and trolleys, bikes and boats. Some might not see its beauty, but I did when I took this photo fifty-odd years ago - and … Continue reading Ode To A Gable End
Brighouse Fantasy
Did you ever get the feeling that you want to escape from the real world, with all its frightening developments and bizarre characters? Do you want to flee into a world of fantasy - to a time when gondoliers guided their boats through the Grand Canal at Brighouse? Fear not: your wish can come true … Continue reading Brighouse Fantasy
When Markets Were Markets
This photograph comes from the same strip of negatives as the one I featured yesterday and, we now know - thanks to research by Paul Hartley and Michael Horsfield - was taken back in 1967/68. It shows the old Brighouse Market, not far from where the bus station is today. This was back in the … Continue reading When Markets Were Markets
Time Extinguisher
I've tried to make up for the lack of a precise date on this photograph of mine by going back to the archives of the Milk Marketing Board to discover when this "Thirst Extinguisher" advert was current. No success so far, but perhaps the Bedford van and the three wheeled car are better clues. My … Continue reading Time Extinguisher
The Fourth Piggy
This is one of the old mills that line the Calder and Hebble Navigation as it makes its way through Brighouse. It's like a practical demonstration of every kind of building method known to mankind. If there had been four little piggies in the tale, this is how the fourth piggy would have built his … Continue reading The Fourth Piggy
Happy Christmas
A Happy Christmas to all my friends out there on the various social media platforms.
Putting On The Ritz
The building that was known by everyone as Brighouse Ritz was destroyed by fire on Saturday. It was a building full of history and a building full of memories. It had seen films, dancing, organ recitals, cabaret, and visits from some of the greats of twentieth-century popular music. It's a sad loss to the town.
Thrift And Guns
Short of funds? Don't let that worry you. These days you'd reach for your credit card; 110 years ago you might reach out to the Brighouse Equitable Self-Help Thrift Society. And if that didn't work, you could always buy a battery, a record and an air gun from Richardson's on Bethel Street.
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