Edward VII Post Box - Woodhouse, Leeds

Picture of Edward VII Post Box - Woodhouse, Leeds.

Just along the road from the Harrisons Almshouses at the junction of Raglan Road with Woodhouse Lane there is an old post box.

This rather battered post box is an Edward VII pillar box, King Edward only reigned from the death of Queen Victoria in 1901 till his own death in 1910, so this postbox dates from that period. Because of the 9 years that Edward 7th was king, this old post box is I would think quite rare these days. You can see the stylized royal cipher of the intertwined EVIIR on the door beneath the Tudor crown.

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Times have changed since this post box was first put here, when Edward became King the smallest denomination postage stamp was 1/2 an old penny and there was no second class mail and there were also I think several deliveries per day!

Harrison's Almshouses - Woodhouse, Leeds

Picture of Harrisons Almshouses Woodhouse, Leeds.

John Harrison (1579–1656) was a prominent Leeds woolen cloth merchant and although there is a statue of John Harrison in City Square, Leeds and also these almshouses in the above photo his real memorial is the church of St John, Leeds.

Today these almshouses are called the Harrison and Potter Trust homes, but when the were built around 1840 in a u shape they were named after their benefactor and were Harrison's Almshouses. Today these historic red brick constructed buildings are listed as Grade II.

I love the tower that comes complete with crenelation, a decoration that served no purpose other than looking good.

There were also some other almshouses in Leeds connected with John Harrison on Wade Lane in the city centre near the church of St John, but these were demolished in the 1960's that period of architectural progress when they rediscovered concrete.

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Woodhouse Moor Leeds - Ironwork

This cast iron cabinet, with broken door stands on Woodhouse Moor, Leeds just about opposite Harrison & Potter Trust Almshouses on Raglan Road.

I have no idea what this old disused iron box was used for but it is is Leeds, old and of some interest so here it is. Behind the box can be seen a little of the Harrison and Potter Trust Almshouses on Raglan Road, but more of that tomorrow.

The sky was quite blue a couple of days back when I took this photo, but I quite like the look of this rather tweaked in Adobe Lightroom photograph.

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Leeds Springtime Flowers

Picture of Flowers Woodhouse Moor, Leeds.

OK I know spring does not start for about 3 weeks but yesterday here in Leeds, it was bright, sunny, felt warm and the birds were singing.

These crocus have come into flower on the grass verge adjacent to Woodhouse Lane on Woodhouse Moor on the road from the city centre up to the University of Leeds. These flowers were bright yellow, there were some purple ones too but they were further over.

Just across the road is the Leeds Victoria Monument and The Library which was a public library but is now a bar or pub.

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South Riding - Street Scene

Picture of South Riding Street Scene from BBC TV drama.

This is the last of the little series devoted to the making of the BBC TV costume drama, South Riding.

The above photo shows a scene from from the first few minutes of the opening of episode 1 of South Riding, Sarah Burton played by Anna Maxwell Martin is riding a bus through the streets of the fictional town of Kiplington in the South Riding of Yorkshire.

In the far right of the photo can be seen a member of the film crew stopping the normal traffic along this usually busy road.

For readers in N America this BBC TV drama South Riding will be shown on PBS, to be broadcast on May 1, 8 & 15, 2011 in (Three 60-minute episodes)
Anna Maxwell Martin (Bleak House) and David Morrissey (Sense & Sensibility) lead the cast in Andrew Davies's (Bleak House, Little Dorrit) three-part adaptation of Winifred Holtby's moving love story.

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Kiplington in the South Riding

Picture of Kiplington in the South Riding of Yorkshire.

For those who may not know, the county of Yorkshire had three ridings, North, West and East. The South riding only exists in fiction and to confuse matters more it is actually based on East Yorkshire rather than the South.

That fiction is the novel South Riding by Winifred Holtby, South Riding is subtitled An English Landscape, and it is just that, a landscape made up of people. The Northern town of Kiplington does not exist except in that novel and the TV drama of the same name by the BBC.

Here in my home village was created a little piece of the fictional Kiplington, brought to life with street scenes like the one above, with extras stood outside the Kiplington Working Mens Club.

Can you spot the odd one out?

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Anna Maxwell Martin in South Riding

Picture of Anna Maxwell Martin in South Riding.

I caught up with the lead actress in the current BBC costume drama South Riding set here in Yorkshire, Anna Maxwell Martin and she was kind enough to pose for my camera during a very short break from filming. I am pleased to say the the BBC in their wisdom gave the part of Sarah Burton, an idealistic young headmistress to Yorkshire born Anna Maxwell Martin.

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BBC South Riding - Made in Yorkshire

Picture of BBC South Riding Making of, filming in Saltaire, Yorkshire.

The BBC have made a new production of South Riding, the first episode was shown last night on BBC and is available to view on BBC iPlayer.

South Riding is a book by Yorkshire writer Winifred Holtby (23 June 1898 - 29 September 1935). Diagnosed with Bright's disease, the doctor gave her 2 years to live, Holtby put the rest of her energy into writing South Riding. Winifred Holtby died on 29 September 1935, aged 37, South Riding was published in March the following year and received high praise from the critics.

Over last summer the BBC were here in Yorkshire filming the new TV production of South Riding, starring Anna Maxwell Martin, David Morrissey, Peter Firth, Douglas Henshall, Penelope Wilton and John Henshaw.

In the above photo you can see Anna Maxwell Martin preparing to run for the bus whilst pursued by a cameraman. This sequence like several others was filmed here in Saltaire, the village where I live.

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Canadian War Grave Leeds

Picture of Canadian War Grave at Leeds.

I went back to Holbeck cemetery here in Leeds a couple of days back, I never finished looking around last time and although the weather was not really good, very cloudy, cold and totally overcast I had a reason for stopping by there.

I recently got an email from someone in Canada, who having seen my earlier post about the cemetary at Holbeck emailed to ask if I had a photo of the grave of their great uncle who left Canada for the Great War and died in Leeds in 1916. I thought not because I would have recalled a Canadian Commonwealth War Graves Commission - CWGC headstone with the maple leaf at the top and this was the case but I promised that I would go back and have a look.

The last CWGC headstone that I found in the cemetery was the one I was looking for, Lewis Haddlesey, born Feb 15, 1896. Lewis joined up in August 1916 and served with the 14th Canadian Forestry Corp and died Dec 31 1916, after 4 months in the service at the age of 22.

I was saying to someone a little while back I get more questions about graveyards than any other subject I have written about. I do try to be helpful because my grandfather was at Passchendaele. I too served in the military, so I had the honour if that's the word, to attend a couple of military funerals. Also of course there is the social history in churchyards behind these rather bleak CWGC headstones and also the normal civilian gravestones. I came across some last week in a new to me cemetery and later discovered one was a Battle of Britain Spitfire pilot.

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Statue Leeds City Square - Detail

Picture of Statue Leeds City Square.

Picture of detail of statue of Morn by sculptor Alfred Drury in City Square, Leeds city centre.

This large bronze statue is like most statues exposed to pigeons and the British weather.

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Calverley Farsley Boundary Marker

Picture of Calverley Farlsey Boundary Marker.

Passing through the village of Calverley a little while back I noticed something by the side of the road on a country lane just off the Leeds ring road. Today I passed along the lane and stopped and had a look and it was a boundary marker between the villages of Calverley and Farsley and is dated 1866.

The boundary marker is fixed into a dry stone wall and adjacent to the wall is a public footpath the Calverley Millennium Way. The Calverley Millennium Way is a 7 mile path around the boundary of the village. In the above photograph can be see the marker post for part of the Calverley Millennium Way.

It was quite a misty day here in this part of Leeds and so there is distinct lack of definition across the field over the wall.

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High Rise Window Cleaner

Picture of high rise window cleaner on office frontage Leeds.

Walking along Park Row through the office district of Leeds I was passing an office building when something caught my eye, there was a man in climbing gear part way up the the inside of the glass wall that is the frontage.

This building is at 15-16 Park Row on the East side opposite the lovely old white building that is now the RBS bank. This building where the rope access guy was working has the whole of the frontage with a thick plate glass wall. This wall is similar to the one at the National Media museum in Bradford and keeping it clean brings its own difficulty, you need more than a wet cloth and a bucket. A good head for heights and some good climbing gear would be the first essential on this job.

Whenever I see a window cleaner I always think of the George Formby song When I am cleaning windows.



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Challenge66 - CDP Help Needed

Picture of Andy in training for Challenge66 in Leeds.

66 Ultra Marathons ● 66 Days ● 66 Cities

Perhaps I am getting older but these days it is rare that I discover something and am seriously impressed.

This last weekend I met a man by chance here in the Corn Exchange in Leeds city centre and I was seriously impressed. In my twenties I was even then not often impressed, I had a been there, done it attitude and serving overseas in the British military I had been there and done it. But this Saturday in Leeds I met Andy McMenemy running on a treadmill in preparation for a challenge that is almost beyond imagination.

Andy McMenemy is one serious runner and he will next month in March 2011 begin what I would think is the ultimate challenge for any endurance runner, to run 66 ultra marathons in 66 consecutive days from each of the 66 official UK cities.

Now this is where the CDP community could come into its own, Andy will run 6 in Scotland, 5 in Ireland, 5 in Wales and 50 in England. Many of the cities that Andy will run in are home to a City Daily Photo blogger, by chance my city Leeds is the first in the schedule on Wednesday 16 March. The next day Andy runs in Bradford home to Martin and his Bradford, My Town blog and the next day he goes off to run in Hull which is covered by Hull and Hereabouts by Billy B.

Now to the most important point about this endeavour, Andy will be running ultra marathons in the 66 official cities across the United Kingdom over 66 days raising money for ABF The Soldiers Charity. My younger sister lives in Wootton Bassett an unremarkable little market town in Wiltshire. I doubt that there will be many readers of this article that do not know why I mention that my sister lives in Wootton Bassett but for those who do not know I suggest a search through Google videos with Wootton Bassett as the search term.

When I journey around Yorkshire it is difficult to believe that we are engaged in a war in a far off country. Now whether or not you believe in the cause or indeed the war is beside the point, our young men and women are out there right now! This is just as our young men and women have always been out there, wherever there was at that time. I served, I wore the uniform with pride and was not often in harms way, today right now it is very different, the enemy do not take prisoners, there are no taleban human rights activists or lawyers.

Andy has chosen to support ABF The Soldiers’charity who are there for Soldiers with lifetime support whether they be serving soldiers or veterans. Andy (the son of a former soldier) and his small team have a great website all about his task called Challenge66

I think that this is a good cause and one that needs all the help it can get, thats why I have written this today and I will write more as and when I get more info.

So what can the CDP community do, firstly perhaps like Martin and Billy B this challenge will be coming soon to your city or maybe not too far away, perhaps you could catch Andy on one of his runs. It would be nice if you could look up your city on the Challenge66 schedule and give it some promotion by mentioning it on your blog, this would help to get people there to cheer Andy on and hopefully donate something too. Even if you do not have Andy coming to your city please could you mention the nearest one to you with a link to the Challenge66 site and date of the run.

Thanks for reading this and I look forward to reading and seeing pics of Andy in the various cities of the UK. Paul

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Hello Sailor

Picture of girl sailor Leeds.

Looking through the many frames that I took of the crew of the Ark Royal here in Leeds last Saturday this photograph got my attention. I served in the British military quite a while ago and the times they are a changing. I must add here that I am thoroughly for equality, why not!

During my time in the military over the years I met many women in all 3 services and I cannot recall ever seeing one with a fixed bayonet. That said I did once meet the matron of military hospital who I really think did not need one.

Although oddly on the day that I took this photo I spoke with a man who has set himself an incredible task, but more of that another day. However because of this man and the charity he is raising both funds and the profile of it I discovered the story of a remarkable woman who has served and indeed is still serving in the British army.

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Band of HM Royal Marines Scotland in Leeds

Picture of members of Royal Marines Band in Leeds.

Captain Ian Davis RM presents a member of The Band of HM Royal Marines Scotland, who I think is Drum Major ‘Buster’ Brown to Dr Ingrid Roscoe, the Lord-Lieutenant of West Yorkshire at this weekends Ark Royal parade here in Leeds.

One of 5 bands in the Royal Marines, The Band of HM Royal Marines Scotland traveled down from their base HMS Caledonia, a shore base in Rosyth, Scotland. The band accompanied the crew of HMS Ark Royal who marched through Leeds city centre with bayonets fixed and colours flying.

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Leeds Ark Royal Speeches

The above photograph shows the dignitaries on the steps of the Leeds city museum to both take the salute and make speeches at the final parade here in leeds of the crew of the warship HMS Ark Royal.

This photo is perhaps not the best that I took of this group of people but I chose it because of the man on the right of the photo. The people in the photo are from left Dr Ingrid Roscoe, the Lord-Lieutenant of West Yorkshire, Lord Mayor of Leeds Jim McKenna, Commander Robert Bellfield RN The Commander HMS Ark Royal and lastly High Sheriff of West Yorkshire Richard R Clough Esq.

I spoke with Richard about his uniform as High Sheriff and also about the role. The role of the High Sheriff is a centuries old title, steeped in tradition and the formal role is the keeper of the Queen's Peace in the county and the responsibility of Her Majesty's Judges and other public duties. Today the post is unpaid and the holder even pays for their ceremonial outfit and I must say I thought it a very natty outfit. He wears a really nice buckled shoes and carries a ceremonial dress sword.

I still do not always find it comes easy asking people I do not know to pose for my camera, else I would have asked the high sheriff to pose for me so you could better see his outfit.

Ark Royal has had a long connection with the people and city of Leeds. This connection goes back to the days of WW2 when prior to Warship Week the city decided to adopt the then HMS Ark Royal, days later the ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean. This spurred the people of Leeds to raise enough money to pay for a replacement ship, they raised £9 million and since that time there have been strong ties with both the ship and the crew.

HMS Ark Royal was granted the freedom of the city of Leeds in 1973 and the strong association with the city continues. The current HMS Ark Royal was commissioned in 1985 and will be decommissioned and scrapped next month.

I will post more about the Ark Royal parade tomorrow.

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Ark Royal Sailors in Leeds

Picture of Ark Royal Sailors in Leeds city centre.

The crew of HMS Ark Royal today bid farewell to the city of Leeds, the city with which the ship has had a long connection.

I will post more from the parade tomorrow, but today here are two sailors I caught up with after the parade about to enjoy some time in the city.

Here are LA Formon and LA Wilson they are both Leading Airman and from the insignia on the arm are aircraft handlers, they are stood at the entrance to The Light in Leeds city centre.

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Leeds Statue of Black Prince

Picture of Leeds statue of Black Prince.

Like many photographers in Leeds I have photographed this statue of the Black Prince in Leeds City Square several times.

I think this is the first photograph of the Black Prince I have used on here where he suffers the indignity of pigeons perching on him. I have posted this detail photo because I think this larger than life bronze statue of this medieval knight on his fine charger deserves it.

There are quite a few statues in Leeds city centre but I think this one of the Black Prince is by far the best and it is I think most likely the largest statue in Leeds also.

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Leeds Mounted Police

Picture of Leeds Mounted Police.

I have posted the original picture of these two members the West Yorkshire Police mounted section before.

I took this photo on Remembrance Sunday here in the city of Leeds outside the front of Leeds town hall. I have tweaked this photo and made it look like it is an old photograph, or at least I think it does. What do you think?

Tomorrow, Saturday 12th Feb there will be a parade and march through the Leeds city centre by members of the ships crew of HMS Ark Royal as they exercise the Freedom of the city to march with fixed bayonets and colours flying. This will be a proud day but also a sad one because this great Royal Navy warship is decommissioned in March.

The parade will start at 11 am outside Leeds City Museum in Millennium Square, marching along the Headrow, around the Victoria Quarter and returning, for the Lord Mayor to take the salute outside the Town Hall. The ships company will be led by led by over 35 musicians from the Royal Marine Band of Scotland.

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Leeds Sunset

Picture of Leeds town hall clock tower at sunset.

About a week ago I was in Leeds city centre a short while before sunset when I took this photo of the Leeds town hall clock tower behind the statue in bronze of the Angel of Peace that stands atop the Leeds city war memorial.

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The Birds - Bramley Reservoir

Picture of Birds Bramley Reservoir, Leeds.

Standing on a viewing area above Bramley reservoir, Leeds there was a lady next to me throwing bits of cooked potato towards these gulls. This was very handy because the birds would fly in right next to me, if anything slightly too close for my lens.

No Fishing at Bramley

No Fishing at Bramley Reservoir.

Yesterday I posted about a Canada Goose by a lake at Bramley in Leeds.

Today I have since discovered that the lake is in fact Bramley Reservoir, run by Yorkshire water. Apparently there is no fishing at Bramley Reservoir, at least that is what the sign says.

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Canada Goose Bramley

Picture of Canada Goose Bramley Leeds.

I had stopped just off the Leeds ring road on my way to Farnley when I remembered that there was a large stretch of water adjacent to Henconner Lane. I have no idea what this lake is called but there were quite a few different birds there.

I had been there a short while when it started to rain and as I was leaving I saw these Canada Geese on the grass verge so I got a few photos. You may notice the McDonalds in the background of the picture.

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Rodley Canal

Picture of the Leeds - Liverpool canal at Rodley.

I took this photo of the Leeds - Liverpool canal at Rodley a few days ago. In the picture are the 2 swans at Rodley that featured in yesterday post with their cygnet. Also in the photo on the left on the far side of the canal is the Rodley Barge pub.

Leeds city centre is about 6 miles from here walking along the canal towpath.

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Swans at Rodley

Picture of swans on Leeds - Liverpool canal at Rodley.


Driving through the village of Rodley, which lies at the edge of the city of Leeds this week, I stopped off and walked along the Leeds - Liverpool canal that runs through the village.

There are several swans on the canal at Rodley, including this almost fully mature cygnet and the pair on the water in the background. This photo was taken just up from the Rodley Barge pub but on the other side of the canal opposite some cottages.

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Fancy and Imagination: Last Chance

On until the 12 February 2011, meaning that there are now only 9 days left to catch Fancy and Imagination: Beardsley and the Book Illustrators an exhibition at the Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery in the Parkinson Building at the University of Leeds.

Aubrey Beardsley, one of the most celebrated and controversial book illustrators of the Art Nouveau era, is featured in an exhibition at the Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery.

The exhibition presents Beardsley's black and white fantasy world at once wondrous, monstrous, and exotic in context, celebrating the richness and variety of the medium of book illustration in Britain, during the vibrant period between 1890 and the 1920s.

The exhibition also showcases works by other major illustrators of the era, including Arthur Rackham, Harry Clarke, Edmund Dulac, Walter Crane, Kate Greenaway, Kay Nielsen and Jessie M. King.

The works of his contemporaries exhibited alongside Beardsley's illustrations and sketches, provide an illuminating backdrop to the unique collection on display at the Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery, within the fine art deco setting of the landmark Parkinson Building of the
University of Leeds. The artworks and books displayed come from the University of Leeds collections as well as from private collections.

The tragically short-lived Beardsley was born in Brighton in 1872; he died of tuberculosis at the age of 25 in 1898. He was a musical prodigy among other artistic talents, and at the age of nineteen he was warmly encouraged by the Pre-Raphaelite painter Edward Burne-Jones. His career as a book illustrator was first supported by publisher J.M. Dent. Dent commissioned the young artist to illustrate an edition of Malory's Morte D’Arthur in neo-Kelmscott medieval style; a massive and
sometimes tedious task. While Beardsley found the work increasingly boring, his technique matured in the process, and the results brought him fame.

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Eastgate Millennium Fountain

Picture of Eastgate Fountain Leeds city centre.

At the bottom of Eastgate in Leeds there is a large roundabout in in the centre of it was a petrol station. The petrol station is long gone but the Grade II listed building remains and is now the Millennium fountain.

Also on the roundabout stands a statue to one of the city of Leeds most famous sons Arthur Aaron VC DFM.

The tall building in the background of this photograph of the Millenium fountain is the Skyline Apartments building.

The Worldwide City Daily Photo theme for today is "Fountains": Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.