Given enough time, even the most inconsequential images acquire value from a social and historical perspective. Walking under Halifax's North Bridge over half a century ago, I was taken by the hanging measuring bar on the old railway sheds. Within a couple of years, the building, the lines, and the hanging bar were but memories, … Continue reading Inconsequential Shed
Tag: Scanned Negatives
Trident And TV
The industrial north has always excelled when it comes to contrasts: dark and light, green and grey, smoky chimneys and graceful statues. This photograph of mine is from the 1970s and shows the back of the Britannia Building, which stands at one end of Elland Bridge. Britannia sits aloft, holding a trident and a TV … Continue reading Trident And TV
Some Thoughts On Pubs
Looking back at my life, I must say that there have not been all that many times when I have been happier than when I was sitting in a pub. It isn't easy to analyse the attraction: it's not necessarily the drink - I'm quite happy to let a single pint share my evening with … Continue reading Some Thoughts On Pubs
Regenerative Pastures
Enough of all this modern stuff, with seagulls screaming and tall ships leaving. It's back home and back in time, back forty or more years, back to a Halifax in transition. Carpets had gone but commerce hadn't arrived, the chimneys were smokeless, but the trees hadn't grown. Ponies grazed on regenerative pastures.
Street In Brighouse
I've always called this photograph "Street In Brighouse" because I have never been quite sure which street it was. I'm pretty certain it was Brighouse - the rest of the photographs on the same strip of negatives were certainly in and around Brighouse. As I travel through the town, even to this day, I try … Continue reading Street In Brighouse
Pawn Brokers, Heel Breakers And Empty Prams
This was taken in London more than half a century ago. My future wife was living in North London at the time, and I would make my way there from the station, as always, taking pictures as I walked. These "nothing in particular" photographs turn out to be rich sources of social history: pawn brokers, … Continue reading Pawn Brokers, Heel Breakers And Empty Prams
Copy Right
This is a photograph from at least sixty years ago, taken outside the Withens Hotel in Wainstalls, Halifax. The building is no longer a pub; it was converted into a private residence shortly after being gutted by fire in 2001. I have a feeling that I am one of the hooded figures in the picture … Continue reading Copy Right
Desktop Publishing
I seem to have quite a collection of photographs of my desktop. Back in ancient times, these would be means of using up the last frame or two of a film before developing it. These days, it is the result of pressing combinations of keys on a computer keyboard by mistake. This, however, is a … Continue reading Desktop Publishing
All Change At Brighouse
As I drive into Brighouse later today and glance down at the River Calder from Bradford Road Bridge, I will be checking the river levels rather than the aesthetics of the view. Perhaps, however, I should take a moment to compare the current scene with this photo I took almost 60 years ago. The river … Continue reading All Change At Brighouse
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