The mills, the houses, and even the blocks of flats seem to conform to the natural contours in this photograph of mine of Halifax forty-odd years ago. Power, religion and industry, however, strike a very different note. Each reaches for the sky in search of its own deity.
Tag: Halifax
Home Bargains
One is tempted to go on about the fall of Parliament, but this is merely the fall of Parliament Street, which was between Gibbet Street and Pellon Lane in Halifax. I must have taken this photograph in the late 1960s or early 70s after the houses had been cleared and before they vanished forever, to … Continue reading Home Bargains
Antiquity And Modernity
I seem to remember - although it was almost sixty years ago - I was trying to capture the contrast between the antiquity of the statues in People's Park, Halifax, and the modernity of what was then Percival Whitley College in the background. Now the bits of that building that remain within the shell of … Continue reading Antiquity And Modernity
Soul, Grace And Majesty
Stand on any hillside surrounding Halifax, and you should be able to make out the town's three great spires: Square Church, the Town Hall, and All Soul's Church. Perhaps the most majestic of the three is Sir George Gilbert Scott's graceful All Soul's which stands on Haley Hill just north of the town centre. Scott … Continue reading Soul, Grace And Majesty
The First Tram In Space
This is a view of a road I knew so well. I used to walk down from school and then take a short cut from Clover Hill Road to Well Head and then the Bus Station for the bus home. There won't have been tram lines there in my school days, but somehow the memories … Continue reading The First Tram In Space
Monochrome Home
There is something about old black and white photographs - the way they flatten and simplify scenes; the way they mask so much and reveal even more. I'm sure we saw scenes in black and white as soon as we looked through the viewfinder back in those days - we had monochrome eyes. Colour was … Continue reading Monochrome Home
Ring O’Bells
I took this photo of the Ring O'Bells pub in Halifax over 50 years ago. You can tell it's old, not because its a black and white photo (there are filters that can fake that), nor because the building is old (it's even older now). It's partly the signage - or lack of it - … Continue reading Ring O’Bells
The Leaving Of Halifax
This is a recent "messed-about" version of a photo I originally took back in 1968, which features the railway line out of Halifax. My father worked in the factory on the left and for a time, I worked in the mill on the right. Around the time I took this photo I left Halifax for … Continue reading The Leaving Of Halifax
Neon Memories
This is a photograph of George Square in Halifax, taken - as far as I can remember - in the mid 1960s. You don't get to see much, just a few neon signs and fuzzy shop windows, but you don't need to see much to spark a memory. This is Halifax's answer to Times Square … Continue reading Neon Memories
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