Hope

Yes, it's a bit dark, but the world is a bit dark at the moment. The question has to be: are the steps leading us into or out of the darkness? I took the photograph on Hope Hall Terrace in Halifax. Enough said.

Spring And All Souls

The panel which I featured a couple of days ago, showing Edward Akroyd laying the foundation stone for All Souls' Church, is nothing compared to the rather grand bronze statue of Colonel Akroyd of which it forms a part. Indeed, the statue itself is nothing compared to All Souls' Church, which it stands at the … Continue reading Spring And All Souls

The Girl With The Throwaway Glance

19th century photography is photography of the constrained: studio photography of fixed poses, fixed smiles and fixed emotions. The twentieth century brought cheaper cameras and that meant photography of the people by the people. Of the people leaning against a wall with arms folded, of the girl with the throwaway glance, of the dog snoozing … Continue reading The Girl With The Throwaway Glance

Tired Souls

Right next to the Grade 1 listed All Souls' Church in Halifax, there is a statue of the Halifax mill-owner, social reformer, Member of Parliament and church-builder, Edward Akroyd. On the plinth of the statue are a number of decorative panels showing key events in his lifetime, one of which is the laying of the … Continue reading Tired Souls

Courage Brewing

This was Courage's Anchor Brewhouse, which was next to Tower Bridge in London, back in the 1970s. When I took the photograph, breweries were still big and located in the heart of our towns and cities. These days, breweries are either of the micro variety, or they are formless features on out-of-town industrial estates. As … Continue reading Courage Brewing

Droning On

These days you would just launch a drone, but back in the 1980s we didn't have drones (probably a good things seeing what else drones can do). If you wanted an aerial photograph like this one of Upperthorpe in Sheffield, you had to construct a brutalist concrete labyrinth (aka Kelvin Flats), climb to the very … Continue reading Droning On

Forsooth

Shakespeare Street, Halifax : A lane obscure, yet bearing a name of renown, once did serve as a stately portal to a playhouse, a haunt for souls who sought diversion and wisdom. Long hath it languished in adversity, and now is it haunted by sots and knaves.

Britannia In The Trees

Britannia has sat on top of the rather ornate former bank at the end of Elland Bridge for 133 years. You might think she'd get bored, but I suspect she enjoys the ever-changing view. I've been regularly taking her photograph for the last 56 of those years. I, too, enjoy the view. Here she is … Continue reading Britannia In The Trees