Tag: Halifax

Dark Satanic Exclamation Marks

On the second part of our walk around Halifax in the 1930s, note the snow around Halifax Parish Church (nothing changes, does it?), and the black spire of the town hall punctuating the smoke-stacked atmosphere. And note the mills, as dark and satanic as any Blake poem, punctuating the life of the town, their chimneys … Continue reading Dark Satanic Exclamation Marks

Half A Walk

I'm inviting you to come and take a walk around Halifax in the 1930 courtesy of an old picture postcard from my collection. Or rather, half a picture postcard - the image is so full of fascinating detail I have divided it into two and you can see the second half tomorrow. You can start … Continue reading Half A Walk

Back Street, Back Then

I think this is somewhere in Halifax, and I believe I took the photograph sometime in the 1960s. My apologies for not being more exact and for not keeping a proper note of when and where these photographs were taken. I keep records now with endless metadata and geotagged locations. I have nothing better to … Continue reading Back Street, Back Then

Happy New Year

It's the start of a new year, and I always seem to start with a photograph of Dean Clough, Halifax, or the surrounding streets and lanes. I took this particular picture back in 1970, a lifetime ago. Well, hopefully, a little less than a lifetime ago! Happy New Year.

Salute The Happy Morn

As we edge our way towards 2026, I can do no better than to repeat the sentiments expressed in an advert produced by the Halifax brewery, Richard Whitaker & Sons, 100 years ago: "Good health throughout the coming year, with work enough to keep you happy, leisure just enough to keep you fit, and money … Continue reading Salute The Happy Morn

Up The Clocktower

I took these two photographs high up in the clock tower of the Crossley & Porter School, Halifax in the Spring of 1967. The first shows the workings of the clock itself; the second shows the view from the clock tower overlooking Albert Promenade. What I can't remember is whether it was an officially sanctioned … Continue reading Up The Clocktower

Sounding Brass

It's 1967 - although it might have been 1966 - and it was the Halifax Charity Gala being held at Manor Heath. The precise location of the brass band, outside the tent of the Halifax Deaf Association, was, I am sure, not meant as any kind of criticism of their musical ability. Twenty years after … Continue reading Sounding Brass

Old Halifax, Old Photographer

I can be reasonably certain of when I took this photograph looking over Halifax from New Bank because one of the other frames on the negative strip features an advert that references 1966. It is also pre-Burdock Way, and the railway lines running below North Bridge are still in place. And that means it was … Continue reading Old Halifax, Old Photographer

Merry Gone Round

This is the children's merry-go-round outside Marks and Spencer's in Halifax. The rain was falling and the scene was sad, so I thought it could do with a little cheering up. Is it art, or is it AI kitsch? By the time I'd thought about it, the merry-go-round had gone round.