Dalek At National Media Museum Bradford

I would imagine anyone from the UK would know what a Dalek is. For those visitors who do not know, a Dalek was an extraterrestrial enemy of Dr Who in the long running British TV series perhaps best known for saying "Exterminate!" frequently. My sister and I would cower behind the sofa at their appearance. They were really scary to small children, as we were.

This Dalek is to be found at The National Media Museum, Bradford, West Yorkshire.

Update 3 Feb:
I thought when I posted this it would create comment, I was correct.  I have searched the web and now think a red Dalek is a commander dalek, there was one in the film  "Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150 AD" which was second-in-command to the gold Dalek

Police Officer Nadiah - Leeds City Centre

Now I have been doing this blog for more than 1 month I am becoming more forward at asking people if I can take their photograph.  I saw this police officer on patrol in Leeds city centre and she said yes.  So here we have PC Nadiah.

My uncle was a policeman when I was a boy and in those days the nearest thing they had to personal communication was a whistle and the police box beloved of Dr Who.

Greenpeace Girl Kez - Briggate, Leeds

I was walking down Briggate, Leeds looking for subjects to photograph for this blog when I saw this girl.  Kez works for Greenpeace fulltime raising money for their work. It was a no brainer Greenpeace is something I am happy to promote. Kez looks very cheerful considering she had most likely been outdoors in Leeds, Yorkshire on a cold winter day for several hours.

My New Lens - Macro Photo

OK, maybe not really the kind of photo you were expecting today. I just got a new macro lens, so this morning I just had to try it out. I realise date is wrong, I am now a day out on my watch it says 26 but it is really 27th.

I have now passed a whole month of Leeds Daily Photo and am now listed on Citydailyphoto too. I am really getting into this now and am beginning to be more experimental with my camera and am also taking it out with me more often. I saw the paramedics at work this afternoon, but felt perhaps the blood and stuff was not really what this was about. Pity really else I would have got their photo and put it up on here.

Black Prince Statue - City Square, Leeds

This statue of the Edward of Woodstock (15 June 1330 – 8 June 1376), better known today as the Black Prince fairly dominates City Square in Leeds, directly opposite the Queens Hotel.

Edward was the eldest son of Edward III king of England and Philippa of Hainault, he was invested as prince of Wales in 1343. He was a popular and gifted military leader but dying a year before his father he never became king. Edward married Joan (fair maid of Kent) their son became king Richard II of England.

As a military leader he won several notable victories against the french during the 100 years war, including the battle of Crecy at the age of 16. Later he led the English against the French at Poitiers 1356, when desipte inferior numbers they again won the battle.

Lion - Leeds Town Hall, The Headrow, Leeds

This stone lion is one of 2 pairs of lions outside the front of Leeds Town Hall. These were sculpted from portland stone by William Day Keyworth of London.

Today they are still quite magnificent, however as you can see the weather is having some effect on them.

The victorians really liked lions on or near their buildings.  I have photographed several over the last few weeks.

Tree Marked For Removal On Victoria Road, Saltaire

This tree is one of four trees at the junction of Victoria Road and Saltaire Road that Bradford Council plan to remove, to "reduce the number of traffic accidents at that junction".
Now I am all for road safety, who would not be.

These 4 trees are some yards from the road junction and are in my view not the reason for accidents that have happened at this junction. The reason is that drivers drive too fast for the road conditions that prevail in this popultated conservation area. Motorists also ignore the pedestrian crossing, I personally was almost hit by a young man on a motorbike at this crossing, the lights were on red and he drove straight over the crossing. Some drivers also ignore the STOP signage and line, when anyone does any one of these things an accident is far more likely.

This tree might not look like much, but in built up urban areas we and the wildlife need all the trees that we can get. A tree takes at least 100 years to grow to a decent size, you cannot just take an axe to one and perhaps plant another as a replacement nearby. Whenever a driver claims on his insurance that the tree he or she hit just appeared in front of the car, it did not move, it was not in the wrong. They most likely were not taking note and action depending on the conditions on the road at the time.

Tree removal,  Victoria Road, Saltaire more on this story.

House Sparrow

This little fellow is a house sparrow (Passer domesticus) a bird that occurs in most of Europe and much of Asia and has been introduced to many countries around the world.

Here in England when I was a boy we would have thought just a very common small bird.  Sadly today as I write this they are by no means as common as they once were, as a child I recall seeing hundreds of them perched on telephone wires.  These days the most I would see at any one time is perhaps a dozen (12).   In Britain it is believed that over the last 20-30 years numbers of house sparrows have fallen by around 60-65%.

We can all do a little bit to help birds like the above male house sparrow, by perhaps having a bird table with food, hanging a feeder in the garden (as above), maybe putting a bird box or even several in our gardens.  Think how dull our world would be without them.

How to build a simple birdbox.

Lucie The Airedale Terrier

Lucie is a very sweet Airedale terrier and I happen to know that she is very patient and really likes carrots.

St Pauls Church, Bradford - Late Afternoon

This is St Pauls church in Manningham, Bradford, photographed before darkness fell. I thought this image would make a nice picture for today, no photoshop just slightly cropped and resized.

City Square Building, Leeds

This Building is at the north end of City Square, Leeds, it has some nice seagull sculptures on the frontage.  I guess seagulls in the middle of Yorkshire are slightly less obvious than pigeons.

Seagull Sculptures 2, City Square Building, Leeds

This seagull sculpture is at the entrance to building at City Square, Leeds.  Another sculpture from building is posted here.

I am now a member of the City Daily Photo group, one picture a day is posted on the City Daily Photo homepage. It's addictive looking to see what is happening today in cities all over the world.

Park Bench Memorial - Robert Heaton-Robb 1961 - 2004

I took this photo because I liked the wording. It reminded me of the film Notting Hill and the bench in the garden.

In loving memory of Robert Heaton-Robb
Father musician and gardener 1961-2004

I guess we all reflect on life when you come across some who died younger than you now are. I am not sure why but I Googled the name and discovered that he was Drummer/songwriter with the band New Model Army for 16 years. I was never a fan but I did know some of their work. More info here.

Play Ship, Lister Park, Bradford

Very unusual photo today, no children playing in the park. Very cold, dismal day when I walked past the play area, which is normally crawling with small people. I really liked the play ship that is available for play, when I was a child there were swings maybe a slide for fun.

When the area is full of kids I would have to think long and hard and then not get my camera out, but not the day I took this photo.

Meteorological Station, Lister Park, Bradford

This is the meteorological station which opened here in Lister Park, Bradford in 1908. Readings are taken here daily and reported to the meteorological office.

I think that maybe someone thought the fence looked a little bare so they have put some decoration onto it.

Cartwright Hall and Lister Park, Bradford - Statue Of Diana the Huntress

This statue of Diana (called Artemis by the Greeks), goddess of the hunt from Roman mythology twin sister of Appolo, daughter of Zeus and Leto, stands in the grounds of the Cartwright Hall, Lister Park, Bradford.

Cartwright Hall, Bradford

Cartwright Hall, Bradford is a Grade II listed building and is the Bradford civic art gallery. The Bradford art collection consists mainly of 19th and 20th century British art and contemporary South Asian art and crafts.

Cartwright Hall is located in Lister Park, Bradford.

Cartwright Hall and Lister Park, Bradford - Banner

Cartwright Hall today is a splendid victorian building housing both a permanent and temporary art collection on display. The building alone is well worth a visit, however there is also the opportunity to view some fine artworks.   Cartwright Hall is set in the grounds of Lister Park, Bradford

Opening Times

Tuesday - Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 1 - 5pm
Closed: Mondays (except Bank Holidays), Good Friday, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day

Cartwright Hall and Lister Park, Bradford - Gateway

These next few days photos will all be from Cartwright Hall and the really nice park that it is set in Lister Park which is located in Bradford, West Yorkshire.  The photo shown is one of the gateways into Lister Park on North Park Road.

Lister Park (also known as Manningham Park) is around one and a half miles from Bradford on the A650 from the city centre and is I think a real gem. Lister Park opened to the public in 1870 the land having been sold to the city council for less than the market value, by Samuel Cunliffe Lister, 1st Baron Masham on condition it became a public park. A purpose built art gallery Cartwright Hall (listed grade II) was named after inventor of the power loom the Rev. Dr. Edmund Cartwright and it was opened in 1904 by the Prince and Princess of Wales.

Lister park is around 22 hectares (about 54 acres) in contains many fine trees, a serpentine lake where the more intrepid vistor can hire a boat, a bandstand, rockery areas and some geological specimens and a water feature built as a replica of Thornton Force. More recently the park has been renovated and there is now a Mughal Water Garden.

I used to walk through the park on my daily commute to work and early one morning I saw a deer perhaps 100m away, OK it was early maybe 0615, but the park is surrounded by tarmac and victorian housing. I stood and watched for 10 minutes or so, sadly I could not get close enough to get a decent photo on my phone. I have yet to see another deer in this park.

Clock - Dyson Building, Brigate, Leeds

Last photo from John Dysons Time Ball Building, Briggate, Leeds. This is the main clock on the front of the time ball building which was built around 1865. I love this building and look forward to eating in the restaurant that it now is home to.

Tempus Fugit - Dyson Building Leeds

Another photo from the Time Ball Building on Briggate, Leeds. I love this incredible clock on the building that John Dyson created around 1865. When I took the photo I did not notice the weathervane.

NSPCC Girl Ele Leeds City Centre

I was in Leeds city centre taking photos of some of the fine old buildings and I noticed the girl above who was a bit like Tigger, very bouncy and keen to approach people for the NSPCC, which is the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. I thought OK here is the first person to appear on this blog, so I went and asked if I could take some photos and just said "do your thing". She is called Ele and was very bright and cheerful considering it was very cold that day.

Traditional Fish and Chips

Todays photo is not one of my best, dull dismal day and my lunch waiting... That said it is a subject close to my heart traditional fish and chips and inexpensive too.
I had so often passed this shop, driving swifly past, these days I sometimes stop and pick up lunch of delicious fish and chips.

Unusually these days Whitakers just off Canal Road, Shipley use beef dripping in the fryer and start with whole potatoes rather than frozen bought in chips. They use haddock and for £2 you get the real deal fish and chips.

Goodbye Woolies - Shipley

Goodbye Woolies, the shop that has been with me all my life, not the above one you understand I have moved and lived all over the UK but the the retail chain. When the English branch of the Pennsylvania company was founded in Liverpool in 1909 Frank Woolworth wrote in his diary "I believe that a good penny and sixpence store, run by a live Yankee, would be a sensation here." He was right and by the start of WW1 there were 40 stores in England and Ireland.

As a child I often would go and spend time with money in my pocket looking at toys in Woolies. Thinking now perhaps the last thing I will ever buy from the store is the cafetiere in my kitchen now, which I bought around 5 years ago and that was the problem. In recent years the shop had lost its way to other more forward looking retail outlets.

So yesterday when I took the photo above after the "everything must go" sale Woolworths is no more with 807 stores closed and around 27,000 employees losing their jobs and I for one was a little sad at the end of a little part of my life.

John Dyson, Time Ball Buildings, Briggate, Leeds

When John Dyson created Time Ball Buildings in Briggate, Leeds in around 1865 I think I am safe in saying the cost was not high on his list of priorities.  Once seen this building is not easily forgotten, I recall seeing Lucinda Lambton enthusing on TV about Dysons some years back. Inside it is simply wonderful, it is now a restaurant Georgetown at the Dysons Clock Building The staff were kind and let me stroll around their nice interior.  I cannot comment on the food, but I think for a memorable meal this has got to be a must.

There is another photograph of the Dyson time ball builing.

Seagull Sculptures City Square Building Leeds

Seagull Sculptures on building City Square, Leeds.  I like this art, it is slightly larger than life.  Tomorrow I shall post another of these from the same building.

Clock Tower Shipley - Whats O'clock?

I was looking out for a subject to photograph, saw the clock around 1510 and thought OK.  Later whilst creating this post I looked clock tower up on web and found this, which I today find bizarre `Come and see our 1960's clock tower' an article in local newspaper.

Bradford Cathedral Tower

This is a view of Bradford Cathedral Tower, with walls 11ft thick the tower was completed in 1508.  Here was the first public clock in Bradford and it houses a peal of twelve bells.  It was bombarded by the army of Charles I in 1642/3.

Lions Victoria Square Saltaire

In Saltaire village there are 4 lions, each different and they guard Victoria Square, against what I am not quite sure.  One story is that they were made for Trafalgar Sq in London there was some falling out, Sir Titus saw they and brought them to Yorkshire.  Whatever the true story, they have been here a long time and small children can hardly believe their eyes when they first encounter them. This lion is called Vigilance.

Coffee at Massarella Saltaire

Ellen Massarella has a cafe/bar in Saltaire Village and I think she serves probably the best coffee in Yorkshire. As can be seen from the photo, it is for sure most likely the most colourful, who else uses hand painted china.

Answer £300m Retail and Leisure Development Bradford Broadway

OK I will be the first to admit that it does not look quite ready.  What can I say we were assured that it would be finished by the end of 2008.  Well it is only a bit over 15 acres of prime retail land
In the course of my photo blog over the next few weeks I will show some of what I think are highs and oh dear lows of urban planning and development.

Before I forget, I wish all my readers a Happy New Year for 2009.