Wakes Week

I seem to have ended up with another mini-series this week, and it is all about the seaside. Most northern industrial towns would have a traditional "Wakes Week" about this time of the year, when the mills and factories would close down and the workers would head for the seaside. My Wakes Week starts with … Continue reading Wakes Week

A Harmless Hunter

Diana The Huntress is about to draw an arrow from her quiver and shoot a passing deer cantering along Park Road at the bottom of People's Park in Halifax. Those familiar with the statue today will note that she's lost a bit of her arm since I took this photograph 60 years ago. Please Note: … Continue reading A Harmless Hunter

Seaside Drive

It's holiday time. It's time for the seaside. I'll try to remember to send you a postcard.

Movement On Parade

These days, any semi-smart phone would take a perfectly sharp, full-coloured photograph, but fifty-odd years ago in the parade ring at Sandown Park racecourse, the shutter speed was too slow and the colours were too grey. There is movement there, however, and a rainbow's worth of atmosphere.

Timeless Halifax

For most of my life, I have not been capable of walking down Shaw Lane or Boys Lane in Halifax without taking a photograph (or calling in The Shears for a pint, but that's another story). This particular photo dates from 1978, but it's almost the same as photos taken 10 years before or 40 … Continue reading Timeless Halifax

Gog Hill

A photograph of the delightfully named Gog Hill in Elland from 45 years ago. Even then, it was a shadow of its former self, cleared of the layer after layer of houses that used to cling to this hillside. Generations of my wife's family had lived on or around Gog Hill, their stories woven into … Continue reading Gog Hill

Snicket In Halifax

No photographer worth his (or her) silver salts can pass this pathway off Old Lane in Halifax without taking a photograph like this as a tribute to the great photographer, Bill Brandt. Brandt's 1937 version of the scene ended up in New York's Museum of Modern Art. My 1980 version ended up as my calendar … Continue reading Snicket In Halifax

That’s Progress For You

I have a vague memory of taking this photo somewhere around Luddenden some 45 years ago. Back then, it would have been unthinkable that I could make up for my lack of record keeping by tracking down similar buildings using on-line street-view maps. But that's progress for you - and, if I'm right, the mill … Continue reading That’s Progress For You

Kinlochleven

My photograph dates from the early 1960s when we spent a holiday at Kinlochleven in Scotland. Clearly visible is the aluminium smelter, which was still operational at the time - it was eventually closed in June 2000. The dam and hydro-electric power plant, which were built to power the smelter, still exist and provide power … Continue reading Kinlochleven