Plaque to Edward Elgar English Composer - Settle, North Yorkshire

This photograph shows a plaque commemorating the visits made by Sir Edward Elgar to stay with his friend Dr Charles Buck here in Settle, North Yorkshire.

Whilst staying in Cravendale at the home of his friend of 50 years Dr Buck Elgar wrote a piece of music for his soon to be wife Caroline Alice Roberts. Elgar called it "Liebesgruss" ('Love’s Greeting') because of Miss Roberts’ fluency in German. Elgars publisher Schott’s changed the title to "Salut d’Amour" with Liebesgruss as a sub-title, and the composer’s name as 'Ed. Elgar'. This was to become the first published work of the man who later was to become perhaps Englands favourite composer.

Elgar's music is associated with two well-known occasions in Britain's annual calendar: the Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 is played at the Last Night of the Proms, while at the Remembrance Day ceremony at the Cenotaph in London, 'Nimrod' from his Enigma Variations is performed by massed bands.

The trio of Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 is ubiquitously used in the United States for high school and university graduations, and is known as "The Graduation Song" there.

Apart from Nimrod the other work by Elgar that I really enjoy is the Elgar Concerto recorded by Jacqueline du Pré for EMI with the London Symphony Orchestra and Sir John Barbirolli, which brought her acclaim.



Today this house and surgery is now the settle branch of Natwest bank.

The Folly - Settle, North Yorkshire

This photograph is another in a short series of photographs taken by me when out and about showing my good friend Bridget from Saint Paul MN the sights, people and places of my adopted home county. By that I mean the historic county of Yorkshire not the modern subdivisions despite which Yorkshire is today still recognised as both a geographical territory and a cultural region.

I may live in West Yorkshire, but I guess like many people born in Yorkshire I regard North Yorkshire and South Yorkshire as being home too. Growing up in Oxfordshire as a boy I would have been amazed that I would wind up living in God's Own Country (as many Yorkshire people regard it), as quite a few people call this county.

I had when I was young the common view held by people in the south of England the rather victorian view that Yorkshire was a bleak, desolate place inhabited by bleak, desolate people wearing clogs, keeping whippets and wearing flat caps. Having lived here for many years I now know that I was very wrong. Some people may keep whippets, quite a few wear cloth caps including me (I have a nice Harris tweed one). The countryside can be bleak and desolate, but it has a beauty that only a fool would deny.

Initially I came to Leeds to look around as I had an interview at the then Leeds Poly and despite offers from several similar institutions much further south, I thought then that Leeds was an interesting place with much to offer. Ok there were only around 4 places in the Leeds city centre where you could get a cup of coffee. Today I think there are perhaps 6 Starbucks in the city centre alone, along with more than 1 branch each of Cafe Nero and Costa Coffee plus many other chain and independent cafes like the Arts Cafe.

This picture shows The Folly an impressive 17th century house close to the centre of Settle in North Yorkshire.

Built in 1679 by Richard Preston a wealthy merchant. Listed Grade 1 in recognition of its outstanding architectural importance and recently restored by North Craven Building Preservation Trust.

The Folly is today home to the Museum of North Craven Life.

The North Range is privately owned and the ground floor is available as a luxury holiday apartment.

Naked Man Cafe - Settle, North Yorkshire

On my week as a tourist showing my good friend Bridget from Saint Paul, Mn around Yorkshire we stopped off in Settle a small market town in North Yorkshire. As we drove through the town she exclaimed "theres a cafe called the naked man!" yes I said and it has been here as long as I can remember.



There is a date stone in the wall of Ye Olde Naked Man Cafe building with the date 1663 as can be seen in the picture above.

Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire Inspects Soldiers from 1 Yorks

Ingrid Roscoe, BA, PhD, FSA Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire can be seen inspecting members of the 1st Bn The Yorkshire Regiment in these 2 photographs. 1 Yorks were on parade in Millenium Square, Leeds.

Dr Roscoe was appointed as the first lady Lord Lieutenant in the north of England in 2004. The title is given to the British monarch's personal representatives in the United Kingdom, usually in a county. Lieutenants were first appointed to a number of English historic counties by Henry VIII in the 1540s.



The uniform of a male Lord Lieutenant is based on the Number 1 dress uniform worn by general officers of the Army - a symbol of the office's military origin.

There is no uniform for a female Lord Lieutenant, but there is a badge which can be worn on ceremonial occasions. In the photograph above you can see that Dr Roscoe is wearing the badge with its Crown above a Tudor Rose and ribbon.

Corps of Drums 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment

This portrait is the Drum Major of the 1st Bn The Yorkshire Regiment. The Drum Major and his men were in Leeds as part of the 1 Yorks homecoming parade.



Featured in the photograph above are the Corps of Drums 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment. These musicians were playing for the public in Leeds city centre prior to the homecoming parade.

1 Yorks Homecoming Parade through the City of Leeds

1st Battalion's Homecoming Parade through the City of Leeds on Friday 24 Jul 2009 exercising their right as Freemen of the City as they march with bayonets fixed, following the band of the King's Division.

In the photograph above are soldiers from B company of 1st Battalion of The Yorkshire Regiment dressed in temperate uniform from their recent tour of duty in Kosovo. In the background of the picture is the Leeds town hall.



The soldiers in the picture above are marching past the Civic Hall leeds in Millenium Square. This company of soldiers from 1 Yorks is wearing desert uniform used in their recent tour of duty in Iraq.

My good friend Bridget came over to Yorkshire from Saint Paul, MN this last week. I spent a week showing my home county of Yorkshire to Bridget, so I got to play at being a tourist here. I will post pictures of our week and the towns, villages and people we saw over the coming days here on my Yorkshire photography blog

Photographer is The Story

I could not resist this photograph of British Army photographer at work in Leeds city centre.

A homecoming parade took place through the City of Leeds on Friday 24th July 2009 for 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment. I was both pleased to be able to attend and get some photographs and also proud too, I served in the military for 8 years in the 70's.



I caught up with the army photographer later and he is James Williams a corporal in the Royal Logistic Corps. I did not realise how few photographers the army has, James is one of only 4 photographers in the British army.

In the photograph above Olivia and Alan her grandfather wanted to be pictured with James and also I think his boss.

I will post more photographs of the The Yorkshire Regiment in Leeds over the next few days here on the Leeds in Yorkshire photography blog.

Bee Bole at Home Farm Temple Newsam Estate

This picture shows a bee bole with skep in the alcove, this being on the home farm at the temple Newsam Estate, Leeds.

Prior to the development of the modern beehive in around 1850, bee boles were the only practical way to keep bees here in the British Isles. The weather was just too bad so people used these bee houses to house their bees for the honey and beeswax.

In the days before sugar bee keeping was very common, also the wax was used for making candles, tithes/rents sometimes being paid in honey and or beeswax.

Bee boles are found across the whole of the British Isles. Other names were bee holes, bee shells (Cumbria), bee keps (Cumbria), bee niches (Derbyshire), bee walls (Gloucestershire), bee houses (Yorkshire), bee boxes (Kent).

This bee bole is not an original but was built by the Leeds Beekeepers Association on the Temple Newsam estate.

Golden Guernsey Goats at Home Farm Temple Newsam

One of the real joys of living in or near the city of Leeds in West Yorkshire is that within a few miles of the city is the Home Farm at Temple Newsam, Leeds.

Home Farm is a Rare Breeds centre where visitors to the farm can get up close and personal with traditional farm animals.

The photograph today shows 3 goats of a rare breed of goat from the Bailiwick of Guernsey on the Channel Islands, The Golden Guernsey. The Golden Guernsey is a very pretty goat and if these examples are anything to go by, very friendly.

Civic Hall - Leeds, Yorkshire

This photograph is of the Civic Hall, Leeds in Yorkshire. The civic hall was opened by King George V on 23 August 1933.

The area in front of the building is Millennium Square, Leeds a flagship project to mark the millennium.

Waterloo House - Leeds City Centre

The building in this photograph is Waterloo House, just behind the Corn Exchange in Leeds city centre.

When I first came to Leeds this building was rather run down and was used as an antique centre. Since that time it has been renovated and now houses a restaurant. I always liked the look of this building and have fond memories of looking around inside for a bargain.

Men at Arms Royal Armouries Museum Leeds

This picture was taken in the Royal Armouries Museum Leeds and shows part of the men at arms display.

If you want to see displays featuring medievil warfare and suits of armour showing the development of arms and armour over the years the Royal Armouries Museum is one of the oldest museums in the world. The collection is split over 3 sites here in the UK.

HM Royal Palace and Fortress (London)
Fort Nelson (Portsmouth)
Royal Armouries Museum (Leeds)

Since I started my Leeds in Yorkshire photography blog I get to visit the museums and art galleries here in Leeds quite a lot more often than I did before. I try also to see these places with a fresh view.

Former Martins Bank - Eastgate, Leeds

This photograph show the building that was formerly a branch of Martins Bank at the corner of Eastgate and Vicar Lane in Leeds city centre.

I photographed just the martins bank logo above the entrance and posted a picture of this a while back on my Leeds in Yorkshire photography blog.

Goldfish Has Upmarket Residence

The post on my blog yesterday was a picture of a goldfish in a bowl in the centre of Leeds. This post is the entrance to the building that is home to the goldfish.

How Leeds city centre has changed over the last few years.... The Old Post Office on City Square Leeds is home to a fish restaurant and also serviced apartments the reception of which is where the goldfish lives.

The photograph above shows the entrance to Residence 6, just around the corner of City Square in Leeds city city centre.

Goldfish Living in Leeds City Centre

There is a fine entrance to a building adjacent to City Square in Leeds city centre and I often walked by and wondered what was inside.

On this day I went in through the doorway and asked the nice woman on the desk. I noticed this goldfish bowl on the side and so here is the first fish picture on my Leeds in Yorkshire photography blog. I was surprised to discover that this little fellow was living within feet of this very busy public space.

Wedding Carriage Spotted in Leeds City Centre

I was walking along Boar Lane in Leeds city centre when I spotted this couple, just married in a horse drawn carriage. Leeds may well be a modern, cosmopolitan city but this is not something I have ever seen in the city centre before.

Luckily I had my camera in my hand and got off a few shots before they were too far away and lost in the traffic. I thought this would be a good picture for my Leeds in Yorkshire photography blog.

Detail on Black Prince Statue - City Square Leeds

This ferocious beast is featured on the plinth of the marvelous statue of Edward the Black Prince that stands in City Square opposite the Queens hotel in Leeds city centre.

Self Portrait - Clarence Dock, Leeds City Centre

OK, I would be the first to admit this picture is perhaps not really most peoples idea of a self portrait.

The photograph above is of a piece of public art at Clarence Dock in central Leeds. I quite like this silver ball, but have no idea who designed it or indeed anything about it.

This area on the edge of Leeds city centre is perhaps best known for the canal and as the home of the Royal Armouries Museum Leeds, Yorkshire.

Once a thriving area where barges would bring coal and goods into the centre of Leeds it fell into decline and by the 1990's the Victorian buildings were not used and many were derelict.

Clarence dock on the Leeds waterfront is also the centre of a whole host of new apartment blocks that stretch as far as the eye can see!

Leeds Town Hall Clock Tower

This photograph is of the clock tower on Leeds Town Hall, featured on this blog yesterday.

I did not know till I was writing this post but the clock was designed by London clockmaker Frederick Dent, who along with his father Edward Dent created the clock, commonly known as Big Ben, at the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London.

Leeds Town Hall

Picture of Leeds town hall.

This photograph is the front view of Leeds Town Hall, possibly the most recognised image of Leeds. Built 1853 and 1858 in Park Lane (now The Headrow) in Leeds city centre to a design by architect Cuthbert Brodrick. Built as a measure of Leeds growing confidence as an indusrial centre during the industrial revolution it also was a symbol of civic pride, being opened by Queen Victoria. At the opening ceremony Queen Victoria knighted the mayor of Leeds Peter Fairbairn.

It is now listed as grade I (building or other structure officially designated as being of special architectural, historical or cultural significance).

Leeds Town Hall at 225 feet (68.6 m) was the tallest building in Leeds from 1858 until 1966 when the building that is now the Park Plaza Hotel, which stands 8 metres (26 ft) taller at 77 metres (250 ft).

It was built to serve many functions including -
To house various council offices.
To act as the new courtroom facility for the city.
To serve as a police station or 'Central Charge Office'.
To provide a hall for concerts and civic events.

Today the building's principal performance space, the richly decorated Victoria Hall, is the main venue for orchestral concerts in central Leeds. Its Concert Organ, one of the largest in Europe, is used for lunchtime organ recitals, many given by City Organist Dr Simon Lindley.

Along with the Great Hall of the University of Leeds, the Town Hall is the setting of the Leeds International Pianoforte Competition.

A civic function operating today in this magnificent building is for wedding ceremonies in Leeds, like the one of Ana and Artemij featured here on my Leeds in Yorkshire photography blog.

Ana and Artemij Wedding - Leeds Town Hall

This photo is another one of my not really wedding photography, in Leeds wedding pictures.

This picture shows Ana and her 2 bridesmaids shortly after her marriage here in Leeds at the Town Hall. They were posing for their wedding photographer when I took this one. Artemij (Tom) is just in view in his white linen suit on the right of the image.

Wedding at Leeds Town Hall

This photograph, is another of my non wedding photography, wedding photographs. I was outside Leeds Town Hall, for the wedding of my former work colleague Artemij (Tom) who I accidently discovered was marrying Ana ( I got chatting to Ana about her upcoming wedding in Leeds) on this Saturday morning.

I was really only there to congratulate the happy couple and to get a few pictures for my leeds DP. The real wedding photographer is the woman with bags organising the wedding party.

The chap with the bike was here to take some pictures at an earlier wedding of some friends of his. I had a few words with him before I took this photograph and of course he was happy to appear on my Leeds Yorkshire photography blog. I think perhaps he offers the eco wedding photography service here in Leeds.

Fancy Footwear C. 1450

Knowing how many ladies love fancy footwear, even when worn by a man. I could not resist showing you these worn by Andrew as part of his suit of armour. Very natty!

This armour shown is based on something used in around 1450, when a full suit of armour, weapons and a couple of well trained war horses could only be afforded by the very wealthy man about town.

In the Royal Armouries Museum here in Leeds the are several suits of armour on display. However I really much prefer to catch someone like Andrew who can acually tell you what it is like to wear it in action.

Andrew and Copper Take Time Out

This picture shows Andrew and Copper after their victory in the joust at the Royal Armouries Museum at Leeds in Yorkshire.

Andrew is wearing a made to measure suit of armour, it weighs around 5 1/2 stone taking about one year to make. Also Andrew wears underneath the armour an inch thick padded outfit for added protection and comfort.

Andrew has worked as an interpreter here at the Royal Armouries Museum for 10 years, his job, I think is to bring history to life for the museum visitors. I watched him chatting to some small children after the jousting and they really loved to talk to a real knight about his armour, sword and horse.

Jousting at the Royal Armouries Museum Leeds

Picture of knights on horseback Jousting at the Royal Armouries Museum Leeds

This photograph shows Andrew Balmforth riding his charger Copper in the medievil sport of jousting in the tiltyard at the Royal Armouries museum here in Leeds, Yorkshire.

Jousting is a martial sport played by 2 armoured knights on horses and in this particular one they are tilting with the lance. The 2 knights on horseback charge at each other from either end of the tiltyard and attempt to strike the other knight with the point of the lance.

In the middle ages the joust was taken very seriously, it was good training for the field of battle. It was also much more dangerous then too... Many knights made their fortune in these events, whilst many lost their fortune or even life. Henry II of France was badly wounded when an opponent's lance went through his visor and shattered into fragments, penetrating his right eye and temple On 30 June 1559, he died 10 days later.

Later this summer I am looking forward to the Queen's Golden Jubilee International Joust which starts on 29.08.2009 at Leeds in the Tiltyard gallery, at which time I hope to cheer Andrew on to victory.

This post today is the 200th since I started my Leeds in Yorkshire photography blog and I think my photographs have improved since I started back at Xmas 2008. Also my knowledge of Leeds city centre is much better. Lastly I am much more at ease asking someone if they would mind if I used my camera on them! I soon discovered that I had to move on from pictures of buildings and birds.

Andrew Balmforth - Civil Servant and Knight

Picture of Andrew Balmforth Knight at the Leeds Royal Armouries.

This picture shows Andrew Balmforth dressed as a mediaeval knight from the middle ages riding Copper a beautiful chestnut charger.

The Royal armouries museum here in Leeds, Yorkshire has a purpose built tiltyard (or tilt yard or tilt-yard) being an enclosed yard for jousting (also known as tilting). Tiltyards were a common feature of late medievil palaces and castles, today they are very unusual.

Jousting takes place here in Leeds at the Royal Armouries Museum on weekends, high days and holidays.

There will be more photographs from the tiltyard at the Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds over the next few days.

The Royal Armouries Museum - Leeds, Yorkshire

This picture shows the first view of the The Royal Armouries Museum here in Leeds that most visitors see.

I am not sure why but the visitors entrance is at the far side of the building from this view. The Royal Armouries Museum building is quite large and was opened to the public in 1996. The museum displays items that are part of the Royal Armouries collection that was wholly based before at the Tower of London.

Today happily if you want to see suits of armour, canon, weapons of war and the like you no longer have to travel south to London, now that this major national museum is based here in Yorkshire.

Entrance to the The Royal Armouries Museum Leeds is free, but some exhibitions may be charged for. Currently the cost of entry to the tiltyard to watch jousting is £2 and the show last around 1/2 an hour.

The water seen on the far right of this photograph is the Clarence dock, part of the Leeds to Liverpool canal, where dragon boat racing took place this summer.

Dragon Boats Racing Clarence Dock Leeds

Todays picture is the last of my small series of photographs taken at this summers dragon boat racing in Leeds, Yorkshire.

Tomorrow on my Leeds in Yorkshire photographs I will be starting with a series images of the Royal Armouries Museum here in Leeds. Its funny the museum has been here for some years now and I only recently visited for more than a cursory look. I knew that there was jousting with knights but until I chatted to a couple of these chaps I had no idea how interesting this might be.

Dragon Boat in front of Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds

This picture shows a dragon boat on the canal, Clarence Dock with the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds is in the background.

There is another photograph of the dragon boat racing in the heart of Leeds on the Leeds Daily Photo posted yesterday.

Drummer Dragon Boat - Clarence Dock Leeds

This picture is another from the Dragon Boat races in Leeds, Yorkshire this last weekend.

I think the trick with dragon boat racing is to have 16 beefy chaps on the oars and a girl like the one in the photograph beating the stroke. Also I think I make be correct in saying it looks like she is shouting words to encourage the rowers. I may be wrong, perhaps she is shouting could they go back because she left her mobile on the bar!

You can see another image from the 2009 Leeds Dragon Boat races on my pictures of Leeds in Yorkshure blog.

You cannot see it in this picture but this area of Leeds down by the canal basin has changed incredibly over the last few years. Someone commented about yesterdays photo on this blog about the change and it is true it is like a whole different city down by the canal. I will post about this area over the next couple of weeks.

Dragon Boat Races - Clarence Dock, Leeds

This is one of a small series of pictures from this years dragon boat races at Clarence Dock in Leeds city centre.

I was visiting the Leeds Royal Armouries Museum adjacent to the canal when I saw the dragon boat racing in progress so I spent some time watching and took some photographs for the Leeds Daily Photo

The 40-foot boats can hold up to 16 paddlers (plus one drummer at the helm).