Muttonchops on Granary Wharf

I caught up with the monthly Leeds Pannier Market held at Granary Wharf today. This was the first one I had managed to get to and bumped into Katie from Leeds Grub.

The above picture is Richard Muttonchops performing by the side of the canal at Granary Wharf entertaining visitors to the Leeds Pannier Market.

I will post more from the market tomorrow.

Where am I?

I and I guess many people who live or work in the city of Leeds here in Yorkshire pass this stone statue of a man quite often, but hardly ever notice him.

This statue was created around 1911 and is I think carved from Portland stone, the institution that he was the founder of would be known by most people I think.

So, who is he and where does this statue stand in Leeds?

I will post the answer to this question tomorrow

Owls in Leeds city centre - Old YBC Building

Picture of city of Leeds Coat of Arms on former bank building in Leeds city centre.

I pass this building so many times in an average month, but I never really noticed the city of Leeds coat of arms in stone on the front before.

I photographed a nice old statue on the top of this old stone Victorian building on Boar Lane in Leeds city centre a while back.

There are quite a few examples of the city of Leeds coat of arms around the city, some obvious and well known others less so. I will try to post about them all over the next few weeks on my Leeds Daily Photo

Swan, Me a Swan?

Picture of cygnet on Leeds-Liverpool canal not far from Leeds city centre.

I was walking the canal this afternoon when saw a couple of swans, one adult and one quite small cygnet. Amazing that one day soon this will be a beautiful swan. But it is of course quite beautiful in its own way already.

Ratty, Toad and Company

On visiting this years Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate I noticed the girls in the above photo, they are from the York Theatre Royal and were promoting their production of The Wind in the Willows.

I knew as soon as I spotted a couple of the girls what they were dressed as. The four girls in the boat are dressed as Mole, Ratty, Badger and the last one escapes me, oops. I thought they were very good and discovered that they are not thespians but do other work at the Theatre Royal in the city of York.

I have not visited York in quite a while and doubt that I will manage to catch this production of The Wind in the Willows at this fine old theatre. I was very fond of The Wind in the Willows as a boy, who could forget Mole, Ratty and Mr Toad.

Mr Toad looked just the part with his waiscoat and leather driving gauntlets and he is actually playing Toad on stage in the theatre.

York Theatre Royal, July 22-August 21 The Wind in the Willows

Young Crow

I saw this little chap stood on the pavement early one morning about a month back. I was walking down to the railway station and heard a rather uncertain crowing noise, looked down and there he stood.

The fledgling crow was in the middle of the pavement less than 3 feet away from a very busy and dangerous stretch of road. I say dangerous because I have once had to dial 999 for an ambulance for a boy who was hit by a car on this same stretch.

He, the crow just stood there while I got my camera out and took his picture, whilst I was thinking of the options. I really could not leave him there, 2 hops and he could be under a car. So I picked him up and put him over the fence into an adjacent garden, in all I moved him perhaps 5 feet.

I like birds, our world would be a much darker place without them and I hope this little fellow got the hang of proper flying.

Meet Roger - Lanner Falcon

Picture of a Lanner falcon on Briggate in Leeds city centre, Yorkshire.

I was walking along Boar Lane towards the end of the afternoon when something caught my eye. It did not make sense, why would a falconer be using a lure in central Leeds. Then I saw the falcon, wow, it still did not make sense but whatever, I had a camera with me!



In the above picture the falconer was explaining about the bird to a rather bemused bystander, who was I must point out rather the worse for drink despite it being around 5pm. The bird is a Lanner Falcon (Falco biarmicus) slightly smaller than a peregrine and lived at the Royal Armouries museum here in Leeds. Roger, the falcon had flown off around 3 hours previously and his falconer had been looking for him since them. I think that they were both pleased to be reunited.



The falconer was keen to get Roger back to the Royal Armouries, but before he left he posed with Roger for my camera. In the background of the photo above can be seen the corn exchange at the end of Boar Lane. In the picture you will see the small aerial that the falconer was using to track the falcon with, the bird had a small electronic tag that gives out a signal.

Its funny, I have heard of raptor living in and above some cities here in Yorkshire, but I never thought I would either see one, less still get a decent photograph. I know this is not quite the same but even so I was very pleased to have chanced upon this falcon and his falconer. I will try and catch up with Roger again at the menagerie in the Royal Armouries here in Leeds sometime soon and find out more about him.

Church of St Mark, Woodhouse, Leeds

This is a picture of the church of Saint Mark, Woodhouse, here in Leeds.

I have visited this old Waterloo church several times in the last year, I have photographed the churchyard of the church of Saint Mark in snow and with wildflowers in late spring.

Time has not dealt this tall Victorian church a good hand in the game of life, despite the fact that the builders used fine materials and good workmanship. Today it is besieged by vandals and since I last visited something has happened to a large chunk of the front wall. I am not sure of the cause, people stealing the stone or perhaps a vehicle crashing into this section, either way it is not looking good.

On a brighter note, the Yorkshire Evening Post recently ran a story "The fight to save a landmark Leeds church which has links to the Battle of Waterloo has ended in victory after a grant of £171,000 was offered by English Heritage to repair it." So perhaps there is light at the end of the tunnel for this Grade II listed church.

Graduation Leeds University

I took a shortcut through the Leeds University campus today and noticed that there were quite a few people wearing academic gowns, smiling a lot, waving documents and being photographed with friends and family.

I did not have my normal Canon camera gear with me and unusually felt shy about asking people to pose. So I compromised and caught these two young people on the steps of the Parkinson building, but around the corner by the phone box. I may be wrong but I think the colours mean Master of Laws.

I did speak with one chap perhaps around my age and he had as well as a gown a very natty hat with a lovely golden tassel. He was celebrating his PhD and being shy with my camera I just added my congratulations on the achievement.

G-YPOL - Leeds

This picture of G-YPOL a McDonnell Douglas MD-900 is the West Yorkshire police air support unit, helicopter.

Visibility was 10/10 cloud cover at the time, hence the not great image, this helo came over Clarence Dock on the Leeds waterfront on the Sunday of the Leeds Waterfront Festival, buzzed around a few passes and then flew off.

I wonder if the have to pay for a private registration?

I posted about the police helicopter before but was asked to take it down by the police because my blog was discussed in Leeds crown court. There was a trial on and I had posted about the police convey taking prisoners to court through the city centre. Blogs are a gray area when it comes to reporting restrictions, but I in no way wanted to impede justice, or wanted to be summoned before the judge to explain. So I deleted the post within minutes of the discussion.

National Cycle Network Marker

Picture of mile marker on the National Cycle Network route 67, the trans pennine trail at Clarence Dock on the Leeds waterfront.

Behind this tall metal marker can be seen the buddleia shrub from yesterdays post.

Buddleja at Clarence Dock Leeds

Picture of a buddleja growing wild adjacent to Clarence Dock on the the Leeds waterfront.

I walk past the location of this bush quite often, but this is the first time I have seen it in flower. I was on Clarence Dock attending the Leeds Waterfront Festival. It is behind a mile marker for the national cycle network.

I was surprised on looking up to refresh my memory of the buddleja, I always thought that it was called buddleia, but it is just another variation of the name. One thing I do know is that the buddleia, is perhaps best known as the butterfly bush. The butterfly bush is as good as its name, it is very popular with butterflies, bees and moths.

The buddleia bush is not native to the UK and has been introduced and gone native, it can now be seen in many places that are not gardens. It is frequently seen beside railway lines, on derelict factory sites.

The buddleia in the photo is Buddleia davidii and is a lilac colour.

Leeds Waterfront Festival - Liquorice Allsorts

This picture shows Zoey and Deborah from Leeds based Urban Angels, having just performed with Claire at Clarence Dock during the Leeds Waterfront Festival 2010.



In the above picture Claire is performing part of a routine called Liquorice Allsorts, hence the colours in their outfits and I guess Mr Liquorice also.

I cannot recall seeing a similar act, here in the UK. If I catch them in action in or near Leeds I will attempt to better capture their act. Put simply I did not use enough frames to capture the movement and grace of the performance.

Deborah, should you read this.... Your website is I think not working, else I would be happy to link to you.

Leeds Waterfront Festival

This weekend here in Leeds it was the 2010 Leeds Waterfront Festival.

There were events at Thwaite Mills Museum, Clarence Dock, Brewery Wharf and Granary Wharf, last year I caught it by chance but this year I went looking for it.

The White Rose Canoe club were offering trial sessions in a canoe on the water of Clarence Dock and quite a few young people took this offer up. I think the weather and especially the wind was giving some of the younger canoeists a challenge. The wind could blow them almost as fast as they could paddle, but they took it in their stride.



I think the most fun to be had at the festival was perhaps being able to walk on water, as with these plastic inflated balls in the above photo. This was at Clarence Dock adjacent to the Royal Armouries, Leeds.

But for my camera, I would have been tempted to have ago at this. I watched several kids try this out and I have not smiled so much in ages, I think there is a technique to this and very few worked it out. There were some game attempts but mostly they just fell over and wore themselves out.

Flower in Ironwork - County Arcade

Picture of a flower in the design of ironwork at the County Arcade, Victoria Quarter, Leeds city centre.

I am not sure whether this flower is a Yorkshire rose or perhaps a daisy.

The Loneliness of the Long Distance Fruit

I could not resist the title of this photo and post. This pear sitting on my laptop was lonely and I thought the title apt. Tony Richardson the director of the well known film "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner" was born up the road from here and indeed there is a plaque to him on the wall of my local florist because he lived there.

This pear, a Taylors Gold variety, is very much the long distance fruit, traveling from far away New Zealand to my table. The simple things in life often surprise me and I find it incredible that this pear was most likely flown 12,000 odd miles here.

Before you ask, yes it was delicious, I am eating it as I type these few words.

View of St Peter's Steet Leeds

This view towards St Peter's Street Leeds, is only possible some way above street level.

The Leeds bus station is in the way and can be seen in this photo in the foreground, with the long blueish skylights on the roof of the building.

In the background of this picture are from left, the West Yorkshire Playhouse, the recent Skyline apartment development, the BBC Yorkshire building and on the far right The Wardrobe which is a live music venue. Behind The Wardrobe building the Northern Ballet Theatre’s new building, due to open in January 2011 and currently under construction can just be seen.

Midland Hotel - Bradford

I took this photograph of the Midland hotel in Bradford city centre one afternoon last week when I was walking back to Forster Square rail station.

I like the Midland hotel, it is a fine restored Victorian railway hotel, built by the Midland Railway Company and constructed over 5 years from 1885.

I have never stayed in this hotel but I was given a short guided tour by a member of the management team a couple of moths back. I like any establishment that is happy for a photographer unannounced to turn up and want a quick look around.

The Wikipedia entry for the Midland is a touch out of date it states the new Westfield Shopping Centre being built adjacent to the hotel. Technically it is true, work was started on this project due for completion late 2008. Then it ground to a halt.... until the council got fed up with people mentioning it... Now they have started work on creating an "urban garden" on a part of the site as a temporary measure. This is just my interpretation of how this temporary measure came about.

Owls in Leeds city centre - Malmaison hotel

This is a picture of the Leeds city coat of arms in stone on the front of the building that is now the Malmaison hotel on Swinegate, Leeds.

Built in 1915, there is a useful date on the building, this was built as the offices of Leeds city transport. I cannot imagine any city transport dept having built today such a fine building in stone.

These owls are just 3 of the many to be found around the city of Leeds. There are little owls and much larger owls built into or fixed onto quite a few public buildings in the city.

2 Plaques on One Building - Leeds

Picture of 19 Bridge End, adjacent to Leeds Bridge at the lower end of Briggate, Leeds.

This building in Leeds is unusual in that it has affixed to it two plaques. One is a Blue Plaque from the Leeds Civic Trust about Louis Le Prince and his early moving picture filmed from this building, when it was Hick Bros. wholesale and retail ironmongers.

There is another plaque on this building, a rectangular bronze one commemorating the founding of the Band of Hope here in Leeds in 1847 in this self same building 19 Bridge End at the bottom of Briggate, Leeds.

There is in the bottom left of this picture a fancy cast iron lampholder that stands on the stonework at either end of the cast iron Leeds Bridge. In this link you can see both the cast iron bridge and in the background there is also No 19 Bridge End.

Tall Herb Growing Wild - Leeds Waterfront

I took this photo back at the end of the winter, the sky was blue and this plant looked attractive in this view.

I was out in Leeds walking alongside the Whitehall office development to take a few photographs. Adjacent to the pedestrian footbridge between Whitehall and Holbeck I got down in the waterlogged scrub-land between the river Aire and the Leeds-Liverpool canal. There were the tall dried out remains of a plant that I recall from my childhood but the name eludes me. They are at least 4 feet tall and the heads are a good size, I think it is a herb.

I may well be wrong in my plant identification. Any ideas?

Leeds Loves Food - Deliciously Yorkshire

Picture of Katie from Deliciously Yorkshire at Leeds Loves Food in the County Arcade, Leeds.

Not being a foodie blogger I had not not heard of Deliciously Yorkshire until I encountered Katie at the Victoria Quarter, Leeds. Katie soon put me in the picture about Deliciously Yorkshire and I discovered I already knew a member, Chris Wildman from Paganum produce. Chris has the Yorkshire Dales Food blog, which is how I knew him.

Although I am not a foodie blogger, I do know and love Yorkshire, being someone from the south of England I chose to live here. Deliciously Yorkshire promotes all things food and drink in the Yorkshire region. Cheers to that I say!

Helicopter at Oulton Hall Hotel

Picture of helicopter on the lawn of the Oulton Park hotel near Leeds, Yorkshire.

I had heard of the Oulton Park hotel and one day finding myself driving nearby thought I would have a look at it. The first thing I noticed was this nice blue helicopter on one of the lawns.

Oulton Park hotel is around 3 miles from the historic Temple Newsam Estate, Leeds.

Blackberry Flowers - Leeds Hedgerow

Photo of blackberry flowers, growing wild in a Leeds in Yorkshire hedgerow.

I much prefer wildflowers over the garden or bought variety and the white and pale pink flowers on this are so delicate and lovely.

The blackberry is also known as bramble, as in jelly. I love the fruit and am looking forward to picking some in the lanes and hedgerows near to where I live.

Emma - Hot n Saucy - Leeds

This picture shows Emma from Leeds, promoting a range of soups from Glorious in Dortmund Square Leeds.

This was at the weekend during Leeds Loves Food and what got my attention apart from the lovely Emma was the VW camper van.

This VW is by no means standard, it is a custom job, with a really nice paint job and the rear is converted as a soup kitchen. The custom job was done in Sweden, this did not surprise me because I see quite a lot of custom vehicles over at Photos From Haninge in Sweden.

Thanks Emma, the soup was great.

City Cafe - Food Demonstration on Briggate Leeds

This picture shows a chef from the City Inn at the Leeds Loves Food show on Briggate in Leeds city centre.

I was having a flash battery problem, I forgot to recharge them (oops), so had only a few shots to choose from on this one.

I am a fan of the City Inn hotel at Granary Wharf and have visited their Sky Lounge a few times since the hotel opened. I must try out the food at the City Cafe in the City Inn hotel sometime soon.

This dish was a trout on risotto, with the trout coming from Kilnsey in Whardale not too far distant from Leeds.

County Arcade Leeds - Pomegranate Frieze

Picture of detail on faience pottery pomegranate frieze in the County Arcade at the Victoria Quarter in Leeds city centre.

Whilst in town to have a look at the Leeds Loves Food festival I was wandering around the County Arcade, Leeds, a visual delight for anyone who loves the decorative arts.

I am always looking for subjects for this blog and took several photographs of some of the first floor decorations of this fine Victorian arcade. I love Burmantofts pottery and had never before seen up close the detail in the faience pottery (glazed terracotta) on this higher level.

I am not overly keen on the fruit pomegrante, but these glorious orange ones built into the design on the County Arcade are wonderful, along with the lush green leaves on the tiles.

Leeds Loves Food - Lesley Waters

Leeds Loves Food takes place 1st - 4th July this year at various venues across the city.

The above photo shows Ready Steady Cook and This Morning, TV Chef - Lesley Waters doing a food demo in the Victoria Quarter in Leeds city centre.

I am much more of a movie buff than a foodie, but I really liked the look of the food that Lesley was preparing during her demonstration.



I would have been more than happy to be invited to try it, but it was already allocated. This strawberry pastry with goats cheese thing, OK I already said I was not a foodie, looked very nice.

Brewery Wharf in the Sunshine

Saturday in Leeds was a gloriously sunny day, seen here a view of Brewery Wharf on the Leeds waterfront.

These people ranged around the tall brronze sculpture were watching a local band Last Of The Sirens, play on a small stage. The girl in the foreground is sat on one of the scattered barley pearls that form part of the sculpture and also seating.

The tall, 6m bronze sculpture in the heart of Brewey Wharf was installed in 2006 and is by local man Ian Randall from Selby. Ian Randall also created the tall "Fibres" sculptures at Foster Square station in Bradford.