Cold And Shabby

I must have taken this photograph of Halifax Piece Hall in the late 1970s: a period when the building was host to a rather shabby market and a flock of cold, empty, stone rooms.

Getting Lyrical About The Old Bridge

We had a meal out at the Old Bridge Inn, Ripponden last night. Lovely pub, glorious food and drink, and special friends. I could have got lyrical about it, but then I realised I did 9 years ago. Here's what I wrote then:- Imagine the scene. You are walking through a West Yorkshire village. The … Continue reading Getting Lyrical About The Old Bridge

Halifax Town Hall – Saved By The Banks!

This old picture postcard was never used and therefore we don't have a postmark to help us date it. It was published by a Halifax firm - Ryley's of 27, Southgate - but I have been unable to trace when they were active in business. The photograph appears to have been taken at eight in … Continue reading Halifax Town Hall – Saved By The Banks!

Where There’s Muck There’s Culture

Holdsworth's Wool Merchants, Mulcture Hall Road, Halifax (Alan Burnett, 1970) This is a scan of a negative of mine from 1970 featuring a Wool Merchant's warehouse in Halifax. The building is on the corner of the delightfully named Mulcture Hall Road. I always think that the word Mulcture sounds like a West Yorkshire mixture of … Continue reading Where There’s Muck There’s Culture

A Prospect Of Halifax

Halifax From Prospect Street (c1970) Alan Burnett You could base a whole town planning conference around this photograph, or keep a classroom of kids occupied for a month. What colour is the Town Hall? How many mill chimneys are there? Why the large-scale demolitions? I must have taken the photograph in about 1970, just as … Continue reading A Prospect Of Halifax

Random News : Hope For The Sick In Bradford

Bradford Daily Telegraph : 22 February 1906 Our random number generated time machine may be a little shaky this week because it is suffering from a dose of electro-vibration. We are back in 1906 and attending the Medical-Electro Vibration Institute in Manningham, Bradford, and they are about to cure us of all our aches, pains … Continue reading Random News : Hope For The Sick In Bradford

Postcards From Home : An Edwardian Tweet About Halifax Post Office

The building that was Halifax Post Office, but now appears to be in a state of suspended urban animation, is featured on this lovely old postcard that was sent in 1903. When the card was sent, the building was less than twenty years old, and it was something the town was obviously proud of. It … Continue reading Postcards From Home : An Edwardian Tweet About Halifax Post Office

Two Brothers, Two Townscapes

My brother is working on a new book of his sketches and pictures of Halifax from forty or fifty years ago. Looking through my old negatives it appears we have similar views...