Little Owls in Leeds

Picture of owls on railings Calverley St Leeds.

These little owls are to be found perched on some railings on Calverley St in Leeds city centre.

I first posted a picture of these owls on Calverley St, Leeds outside part of the central library building in May 2009. Sadly one has flown off since that time, no idea where to, cannot be warmer climes Leeds is pretty warm at the moment.

O'Hooley & Tidow at Love Arts Leeds

Picture of O'Hooley and Tidow at the Love Art festival Leeds.

This photo was taken at the Love Arts Leeds event on Tuesday and shows Yorkshire singer songwriters O'Hooley & Tidow. Leeds born Belinda O'Hooley sings and plays piano and Heidi Tidow sings.

I am not really a music reviewer but I enjoyed their performance, it has been described as experimental folk, I would struggle to describe it but it is a thought provoking and poignant rendition.

Love Arts Festival - Leeds

Picture of Dr Phil Hammond at the Love Arts Festival, Leeds.

Last night I was invited to attend the launch of the Love Arts festival in Leeds. The Love Arts Festival is a culmination of eight fruitful years developing links between arts, mental health and wellbeing.

The festival runs throughout Leeds from Tuesday 27 September to Wednesday 16 November 2011. The festival is a seven week programme of events, exhibitions and workshops that will include all sorts of art forms from theatre and visual arts through to music and dance. The festival will be a focal point for conversations about arts and wellbeing.

But back to last night which was billed as ‘An Evening with Phil Hammond’. Dr Phil Hammond – a GP, writer, broadcaster and possibly the only comedian to have appeared at a public enquiry. Dr Phil is the Private Eye’s medical correspondent and has appeared on numerous shows such as Have I Got News for You and The News Quiz.

I knew of Dr Phil from various radio 4 programmes and also his writing in Private Eye. On a platform in front of an audience he came across at least to me as clever, funny, thoughtful and not a little bit subversive. He still practices as a GP and I for one would be very happy to have this obviously thoughtful and caring person as my doctor.

I loved the tale of his childhood in Australia and his uncle Ron whose answer to life was to say ‘F**k it, f**k it’ and Dr Phil is happy to say that some of his take on life is pretty much the same.

I have an ex brother in law who is a GP and I know that life as a doctor is not necessarily one of carefree amusement, so hats off to Dr Phil and his approach.

The event was held in The Howard Assembly Room adjacent to the Grand Theatre in Leeds, I had not been there before and I think they did a nice job of the recent restoration.
The above photo of Dr Phil was taken by me last night from near the back of the audience. Memo to me, get canon extender lens and take more shots also perhaps get BGE4 so I can get more fps.

Also on stage there was music from O’Hooley and Tidow but more on that tomorrow.

Route 66 Leeds

Picture of Route 66 sign in Leeds, Yorkshire.

I smiled when I saw this sign down on Granary Wharf on the Leeds waterfront. This is National Route 66 of the National Cycle Network which when it is finished will run from Kingston Upon Hull and Manchester with a branch to Ashton-under-Lyne. The route will run via York, Leeds, Bradford, and Rochdale.

In the back of the photo is a glimpse of the Mint Hotel, this was from launch until around a year back called the City Inn.

For more information on Route 66 here in the North of England have a look at the Sustrans Route 66 Web page.

I was going to post about the launch of Love Arts Leeds, but it was gone 1130 pm when I got in and I am tired and struggling to think straight, so will post about that tomorrow.

Unsafe Driving

It is not often I post a photo of a complete stranger, someone I have not spoken with prior to getting their picture. This is one I have thought about for a while, the lady in the picture is driving whilst using mobile phone.

This was taken this afternoon in a town not far from Leeds, it was about the time the schools empty and there were quite a few young people about. How do I know she was not paying attention, she did not spot me 15 feet away on the opposite edge of the pavement standing pointing my 70 -200 lens with hood directly at her.

Interesting technique the way she is controlling the steering wheel and the direction the car is moving in. This driver is not maneuvering to park but driving on a main road in a busy town centre.

CENSORED * CENSORED * CENSORED *


I should add that I never answer my mobile or use it whilst car is on the road and not pulled over/parked. If they want me they will leave a message or send me a text and I will get back to them when I have parked up.

Since 1 December 2003 it has been illegal to drive in the UK whilst using a hand held mobile.

Amended 00.07 28/09/2011 following a couple of the reactions to the original post I have now rubbed out the face of the lady in the photo. Please note I did not say she was a dangerous driver, I merely pointed out that in my opinion she was driving her car in an unsafe manner.

Royal Armouries Museum - Leeds

Yesterday I posted about the horned helmet that is the symbol of the Royal Armouries museum here in Leeds. Today the above picture shows a view looking towards the Royal Amouries from the Leeds city centre direction.

I would think the museum is perhaps the most popular tourist attraction in Leeds.

Royal Armouries Horned Helmet

Picture of the horned helmet that is the symbol of the Royal Armouries museum, Leeds.

Anyone who has visited the Royal Armouries museum here in Leeds will most likely recognize the helmet in the above picture. The horned helmet is the symbol of the museum and is a modern interpretation of Henry VIII's Horned Helmet. You can see the actual helmet which is part of the collection here in Leeds.

Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I gave King Henry VIII of England armour that included the horned helmet in 1514. Today here at the Leeds museum this helmet is the only piece of that gift to survive.

Not Quite Aslan

Picture of lion outside Leeds Town Hall.

The above photo show some detail on one of the four sculpted stone lions that guard Victoria Square outside Leeds Town hall.

These Portland stone lions were made by William Day Keyworth (1817-1897) who was born in Hull. The lions were installed as 2 pairs in 1867 nine years after the Town Hall was built. Sadly all four of these once magnificent beasts are showing quite a bit of weathering and now look far from their best.

The Grass Always Greener

Picture of young goat in a Yorkshire churchyard, Leeds.

Theres an old saying about the grass always being greener on the other side of the fence... This young goat took the message to heart.

This young goat, kid by any other name is keeping the bushes and grass under control along with the rest of the small herd in the churchyard of St Wilfrid at Calverley, Leeds.

Cool VW Camper Van

Picture of cool VW camper van.

Walking back up to the Leeds city centre a few days back having been to the Parish Church. I passed a cool pink VW camper van. I mooched about for a while in the hope that the owner would turn up, but no.

I have a new project I am working on, my Yorkshire picture library.

Wildflowers in Holbeck

Picture of Wildflowers in Holbeck Leeds.

In the Victorian era Leeds was known as the city of "a thousand trades", in the days when people made things.

Holbeck just South of the city centre was a place of engineering and manufacturing, this is no longer the case and there are several pieces of land where the buildings and works are long gone. I passed through Holbeck the other day and stopped to admire the wildflowers that have been sown on some of this land.

In the above photo I can easily identify the cornflowers but am at a loss with the other varieties of wild flower. Any Ideas?

LGI Blue Plaque

Picture of the blue plaque at the LGI, Leeds.

I should have posted this along with the previous posts about the Leeds General Infirmary (LGI) but I have been rather distracted adding keywords to my previously taken photographs.

I have been slowly adding to the posts about the blue plaques around the city of Leeds. I had forgotten this one on a large stone post outside the hospital.

This blue plaque at the LGI reads..

Leeds Infirmary

The general infirmary moved here from Infirmary Street in 1869.
The building, designed by George Gilbert Scott, incorporated ideas
from Florence Nightingale.
The plan placed it in the foremost rank of European hospitals.

I may well be wrong but I find it a little odd this last line. We may be Europeans now but I doubt the Victorian city fathers were much interested in what was happening in Warsaw, Leipzig or Gothenburg.

Back to the keywords... When I started my photography and also this blog I had no idea that anyone might one day want to use one of my pictures. So now I am going backwards adding keywords etc into the image files.

Another consequence of my ongoing Leeds and Yorkshire photography is my new project website the Yorkshire Picture Library.

Granary Wharf Leeds - Now

Picture of Granary Wharf Leeds.

Yesterday I posted a drawing that was in an old Leeds trade directory showing the canal basin Leeds circa 1912.

My photo above looks across the canal basin and where there are now 4 modern red brick office blocks it was 100 years ago the premises of a stone merchants Boyes and Leach. The old crane in the middle of this picture is I think quite possibly the same one shown in the drawing.

To take this photograph I was stood on the edge of the canal basin outside Waterman's Place the recently completed apartment building.

Leeds Canal Basin

Picture of drawing of Leeds canal basin around 1912.

Looking back through some old trade directories for Leeds dated prior to WW1 I saw the above drawing.

This advertisement is from around 1912 and shows the premises of a former Leeds stone merchants Boyes and Leach at the Leeds canal basin. In the foreground a barge is being unloaded of large stone slabs using a crane. On the far right of the drawing can be seen the former canal office building, just the other side of the bridge. Boyes and Leach offered to deliver by rail or water, not something you would see advertised by many Leeds companies today.

The telephone number in the advert was Leeds 2132, today Leeds uses 7 digit numbers.

The crane in the drawing is I think possibly the one in this photo of a crane. Though this photo I previously posted from Granary Wharf as it now is was taken from the opposite bank of the Leeds - Liverpool title="Picture of " canal.

Ticketless Parking Leeds Bradford Airport

Picture of barrier to drop off point at Leeds Bradford airport.

I dropped a friend off at Leeds Bradford airport a couple of days back and since last I was there they have installed ticket less parking.

Last time I was at LBA they had introduced a minimum parking fee for the drop off point. Lots of people still do not know about this, I noticed a couple who had hesitated before going through the barrier. Once into the airport past the barrier there is a minimum charge that rises quite steeply if you are still there after 1/2 hour.

I quite like the ticket less barriers, it is a much simpler system. I guess they could afford installing the cameras and changing the machines with the increase in money generated from the new charge.

A Friendly Face

Picture of Leeds University international meet and greet and Leeds station.

At the start of the new academic year Leeds University has some volunteers meet and greet arriving international students at the station in Leeds.

Over the years I have seen this happen quite often. Passing through the station yesterday I chatted with some of the welcome team manning the meet and greet point. They take it in shifts and spend about a week handing out welcome packs and escorting the new arrivals to a taxi service for the journey to the halls of residence.

The two students in the above picture are Oana who is studying International Communications and Andrew who is reading Meteorology. I think it is more than a coincidence that all of the four volunteers that I chatted with had been an international student themselves. By chance both Oana and Andrew are members of the Leeds University Union Photography Society.

I know what is like to arrive after a long journey in a strange city in a foreign country with no one to meet you, ensure you are OK and know where to go. I really would have appreciated this help in my student days, but no I was left to fend for myself.

In Search of the Brontes

Picture of sign at Thornton village, Yorkshire.

My good friend John examines a map of the village of Thornton here in Yorkshire and the history and famous people connected to this village.

We had traveled to the village on the last bank holiday for a stroll and some exploration. Thornton is today quite famous around the world as the birthplace of the Bronte sisters and their brother. Charlotte - 1816, Patrick Branwell - 1817, Emily Jane - 1818 and lastly Anne - 1820.

Between the sisters they wrote a handful of novels and I think Agnes Grey is the only book not to have been turned into a film. Both Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre have film version on release at the moment.

Leeds Co-operative Society

Picture of Leeds Industrial Co-operative building on Lower Wortley Road, Leeds.

I passed this interesting building a little while back and although it was quite overcast that day I stopped and took the above photo. This building is the former Leeds Industrial Co-operative Society on Lower Wortley road in Wortley Leeds. The motto above the wheel (though I think it may be a millstone) is "For the good of all".

The Leeds Industrial Co-operative Society (Leeds Co-op) was a British independent co-operative society based in Leeds, West Yorkshire.

Leeds Co-op was founded in 1847 as a Co-operative Flour Mill Society, workers at Benyon & Co's flax spinning mill raising funds through instalments to acquire some land. By the end of the year it was selling flour cheaply to its members and the price of flour in the Borough of Leeds was lowered considerably. A mill, The People's Mill, was built in Leeds, just opposite Marshall's Mill, but has since been demolished.

When I was a boy my mother was proud to be a member of the Co-op, not the Leeds one, we lived in the South of England.

LGI Victorian Past

Picture of a view of the Victorian front of the Leeds General Infirmary.

In 1868 the brand new Leeds General Infirmary (LGI) was completed having been designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott with advice about the layout from Miss Florence Nightingale.

This new Leeds General Infirmary was actually the third hospital of that name the first one having opened in 1767 elsewhere in the city.

Built on land at Great George Street you can still see the original buildings with their use of red brick. The Architect Sir George Gilbert Scott was perhaps the most prolific this country has known, he is today well known for his work on churches, cathedrals and workhouses with the odd railway station thrown in as good measure. Sir George Gilbert Scott died whilst working on the church of All Souls on Blackman Lane, Leeds.

Unfortunately the architecture of the LGI here in Leeds is somewhat spoiled by the needs of the staff, patients and visitors or rather their cars. I think I read somewhere that there are more parking tickets issued on Great George Street than any other street in Leeds.

This was for many years the main entrance to the LGI but with the many more recent and I think ongoing additions the main entrance is now quite some distance away from here.

LGI Stone Urns

Picture of stone urns outside entrance to LGI Leeds.

This pair of stone urns are by the original entrance to the Victorian part of the Leeds Genereral Infirmary on Great George Street. Also in the background of the picture is the church of St George with its steeple.

I have called these stone urns for want of a better description, I am open to more classically minded suggestions.

Notice the nod to elf n safety on this shallow step.

More Crab Apples

Picture of crab apples in Yorkshire churchyard Leeds.

Another photo from the churchyard of St Wilfrid in the village of Calverley, Leeds. More crab apples, of a different variety from the ones in yesterdays post.

Crab Apples in Churchyard

Picture of crab apples in a Yorkshire churchyard.

Yesterdays photo was of some apples in a tree at the churchyard of St Wilfrid in the village of Calverley, Leeds. Todays picture is of some crab apples in a longer established tree in the churchyard.

I doubt anyone uses the fruit for jelly or pickle so I guess that in a few months these will provide a good food source for the local birds.

Churchyard Apples

Picture of apples in a tree at the churchyard of St Wilfrid, Calverley, Leeds.

As I wander through and around the churchyards of my little bit of Yorkshire I have noticed that several have set aside small areas for wildlife or conservation. The churchyard at St Wilfrid in Calverley, Leeds is one that has a decent sized piece of the newer extension to the original area set aside as a nature area in conjunction with 2nd Calverley Scouts.

These apples in the above photo are on a small apple tree most likely planted by the scouts in the last few years. There are as yet not many branches and so few apples but with any kind of tree it all takes time.

I am not sure what variety of apple these are but they do look quite delicious and I recall thinking just this a week or so back when I was there and got the picture.

Fruit Shakespeare Knew

Picture of fruit on a medlar tree in a garden in Yorkshire.

The fruit in the above picture was once commonly eaten and widely known and it features in 4 plays by William Shakespeare. The plays are Measure for Measure, As You Like It, Romeo and Juliet and the perhaps less well known Timon of Athens.

The fruit is the medlar and I took the photo a few days back in a small garden at a church not far from my place. When I first saw them I was in doubt and asked for confirmation because I had not seen any in quite a few years.

The Romans and the ancient Greeks liked to eat them and Chaucer mentions them, they were a popular Victorian fruit but today they have almost vanished from the modern table. Apparently they can be made into jelly and also chutney but I cannot ever recall seeing either. Wine can also be made from the fruit of the medlar tree.

Hamlet The Ballet

Picture of ballet dancers Briggate Leeds.

This picture shows an excerpt of a forthcoming production of Hamlet by Northern Ballet being performed here on Briggate in Leeds city centre by Hironao Takahashi and Pippa Moore.

This dance was one of several being performed during an event "Ballet on Briggate" put on by Northern Ballet with Phoenix Dance Theatre.

Ballet on Briggate

Picture of dancers from Norther Ballet performing on Briggate Leeds.

On Friday Northern Ballet came to the people of Leeds by performing on a stage in Briggate in Leeds city centre.

In the above photo are dancers Ben Chapman and Isabella Gasparini performing from a piece called We Can Play. The young girl at the edge of the photo was lost in the world of ballet and that is what this event is all about. Hopefully some of the people in the audience will perhaps go and see these dancers perform at the wonderful new home here in Leeds that Northern Ballet share with Phoenix Dance Theatre.

Along with Northern Ballet there were also dancers from Phoenix Dance Theatre and the Northern Ballet Academy.

Rodley Nature Reserve Refreshment

Whilst walking around the Rodley nature reserve the other day I paid a visit to the visitors centre and had a coffee.

Packhorse Bridge Calverley

Picture of packhorse bridge over river Aire at Calverley, Leeds.

Walking down to the Leeds - Liverpool canal across a field I came to an old pub in the village of Calverley that I never knew was there, The Railway Inn.

A short distance from the pub was an old packhorse bridge over the river Aire. The bridge is quite a bit longer than most I have seen before, built in 1775 it is now listed as a Grade II structure.

Mammal Hotel

Picture of mammal hotel at Rodley nature reserve, Leeds.

Not exactly the Hotel California but this wood pile of cut logs at the Rodley nature reserve just outside Leeds is described as a mammal hotel.

Not quite sure what a mammal hotel is except perhaps somewhere for mammals to live. This stack is about as tall as me, so that opens up quite a few possible inhabitants. It seems far to big for hedgehogs, perhaps I will ask next time I am over there.