Butterflies

Picture of peacock butterflies on a buddleia flower in Yorkshire.

This summer has been pretty miserable, with damp and overcast skies on many days and today it started out bright and sunny at least until it rained.

There was at least in my day one rather nice high point, I was visiting a catholic church a little way outside Leeds and as I was leaving I noticed in the garden there was a buddleia with several peacock butterflies flying around it.

I mentioned this later to someone I was chatting with and he said that so far this year he had yet to notice any butterflies on the buddleia in his garden. I missed the Big Butterfly Count this year having only rarely seen the odd one here and there.

I took the above photograph of these peacock butterflies this afternoon.

Leeds International Piano Competition 2012

Currently the Leeds International Pianoforte Competition 2012 is underway running from 29 August to 16th September.

Held once every 3 years this year is now the 17th competition, founded back in 1961 by Dame Fanny Waterman DBE DMus FRCM and Marion Thorpe CBE.

The performances will take place in The Great Hall at Leeds University with the Finals held at Leeds Town Hall. This year there are 80 pianists from 20 different countries, this being from above 270 initial entries.

This year in its 50th anniversary Aung San Suu Kyi has been named as ambassador of the Leeds Piano competition. The winner will receive the gold medal named in honour of the ‘inspiration, courage, and appreciation of piano music’ of the Burmese pro-democracy leader.

The above picture shows pianist Emmanuel Despax from France playing in The Great Hall at the University of Leeds during the 2009 Leeds Piano. This photograph is courtesy of my friend, national press photographer Lorne Campbell.

Company Giving

The Original Factory Shop is a common fixture in smaller towns in the UK, where other high street names may not maintain a presence. This is a photo of the Ripon branch.
Each branch of the Original Factory Shop choose a ‘charity of the year’ to fundraise for. Some of the charities Yorkshire branches of the Original Factory Shop fundraise for are Whitehall Dog Rescue, West Yorkshire Animals in Need, and the Wakefield Hospice.
Next time you pass a store, why not go in, pick up a bargain, and make a small donation to the store’s chosen charity?

Church of St Thomas

This is the church of St Thomas in Stanningley on the edge of Leeds, which I visited earlier today.

I am not sure why I seem to have missed visiting this rather nice old church before, but I had passed it a couple of times over the last few weeks and so stopped off today for a quick look around. The church itself was locked and there was no one around.

St Thomas the church was built in 1841, or more likely completed in 1841 and consecrated that year in the presence of Dr Hook who was then Vicar of Leeds and the Vicar of Bramley in whose parish this then was.

The church itself was built in a Norman style with a tower and is today a listed building being Grade II.

The churchyard is rather overgrown but it does have some rather nice wildflowers, which in my view is no bad thing. It could perhaps do with some churchyard sheep or perhaps goats.

Sometime soon I will try to have a look inside this church.

Charity Jigsaw Festival

Picture of the jigsaw festival at St Martins church, Brighouse.

These last few days it has been the first Brighouse Arts Festival and on Saturday I traveled over to have a look.

The Brighouse Arts Festival lasts until Friday the 31st August and there are still several events open to attend. I was sorry to miss the IAN McMILLAN ORCHESTRA which was on this last Friday, having met him and been in the audience of one of his shows I can say he is well worth seeing.

The one thing I really wanted to get to see was the Charity Jigsaw Puzzle Festival at the church of St Martin in the town, mostly because I wanted to look at the stained glass windows in the church. The trick with looking at churches is to get there when they are open to visitors. It has been said to me why not just turn up on Sunday morning but thats not always the answer because to get some pictures its not always convenient either just before or just after the service.

The Jigsaw Festival at St Martins was they think the first of its kind to be held here in West Yorkshire, there having previously jigsaw festivals elsewhere in England. There were over 600 assembled jigsaws. with around 200 at any one time on display in the body of the church.

The jigsaw event was partly about fun but it has a serious aim, helping the church to raise funds for several local charities including the Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice.

Like many churches around the country St Martins has a kitchen and whilst I was there I had coffee and a cherry cake which was very nice.

Fortitude in Otley Church

Picture of stained glass window at Otley parish church, Yorkshire.

I loved the stained glass windows in churches, mostly for the art and the colours but also in part because of the variety of subjects.

Whilst it is true that many of the windows show scenes from the bible, quite a few do not they show scenes from life, with animals like lions, tigers and even as one I saw recently a frog.

The picture above shows a detail in a window at Otley parish church, All Saints which I visited yesterday. The whole small window shows four of the virtues charity, humility, fortitude and faith. This detail from the window shows fortitude as a woman with a shield and a club which is about the ability to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity with courage.

When I first saw this image I could not help but be reminded of the old cartoon of the wife waiting for her man to return drunk from the pub with her rolling pin in her hand.

Ducks in Rain

Picture of ducks in the rain on the canal, Leeds

On Tuesday towards the end of the afternoon it rained heavily, I was down by the Leeds - Liverpool canal not far from Granary Wharf, in Leeds and even the ducks on the canal did not look too happy.

I was sheltering under a brolly, trying to get a photo whilst not soaking my camera. A little while after I took this picture they all flew off, perhaps to find shelter.

Drusilla the Ferret

Having caught up with the canal barge with the little face peeking out from the ajar door on the hutch I got to ask what it was and yes it was a pet ferret.

Having been introduced to Drusilla, who was very sweet, but she was excited and kept weaving about, I think my camera should have ferret mode...

For anyone who might not have seen it here is a short clip from a live broadcast of Calendar the Yorkshire TV show where presenter Richard Whiteley met a ferret.

Unusual Barge Passenger

Watching a barge motor past me on the Leeds to Liverpool canal this afternoon I saw something on the after deck, or at least I thought I did. I quickly raised my camera and got a few quick shots before it passed me by.

Not being 100% sure I quickly followed the barge and caught up with it and spoke with the chap at the tiller. Yes I had seen what I had thought and he introduced me. I will post that latter picture tomorrow.

Can you see it too?

Jemima Duck

Picture of mallard duck in Yorkshire.

Walking along the canal towpath yesterday I saw a few mallard ducks, one of these was stood on the edge of the towpath.

This duck is a female mallard, the mallard is our most common duck here in the UK and can be found on rivers, canals and ponds just about anywhere there is a body of water. I have encountered mallard ducks in Leeds city centre on patches of grass where there is no water but they are much more likely to be seen on or near water.

Apologies to Beatrix Potter and yes I know that she is the wrong kind of duck at least as seen in the book.

Flower after the Rain

Yesterday it rained quite a bit here in Leeds and I caught this little fellow on a bright yellow flower making the most of the break when it stopped.

I do not know the name of the flower or the bug either, feel its not a fly but perhaps a type of bee?

Flowers

I have no idea of the name of the plant but I do rather like these small flowers.

Dog Collar

Walking along the canal towpath a few days back I passed this little fellow and thought I must get a photo.

This little terrier was a rescue dog and had a problem chewing patches of his fur so the vet gave him this rather un-clerical dog collar. The large collar did not seem to inhibit his friendly outlook on the world.

Nicola Adams Gold Post Boxes

Picture of golden postbox in honour of Olympic champion Nicola Adams in Leeds.

The city of Leeds had two Olympic champions at the London games of 2012 triathlete Alistair Brownlee and boxer Nicola Adams. The Royal Mail decided to celebrate team GB wins by painting some of our iconic post poxes gold in their home towns.

Alistair Brownlee has a golden postbox in Leeds and Nicola Adams the winner of the first Olympic gold medal for a woman at boxing now has her very own gold post box in Leeds city centre.

The Royal Mail chose a post box for Nicola on Cookridge Street but if someone was looking for it I would say it was on The Headrow right next to the Henry Moore Institute and opposite the Radisson hotel, these being better known places.

I am not sure why the Royal picked this post box, it is a double post box and they also painted gold the less common franked mail post box that stands adjacent too. Each Olympic champion had a post box painted gold by the Royal Mail and also a postage stamp featuring them too.

The Hull boxer Luke Campbell got a hat trick with stamp, post box and also a telephone box too, this being due to the city having for historical reasons a different phone company run locally and decided to celebrate too.

Another athlete Laura Trott has 2 golden post boxes in separate towns, this being due to a mix up. When Laura made known her disappointment that the town she was born in (Harlow) got the post box rather than the town that she considers home Cheshunt Royal Mail painted one there too.

Old Post Box Rodley

This old post box is in the wall of a house in the village of Rodley. Its beyond the garden wall and not reachable from the nearby pavement so I think thats why its not sealed. I think it looks rather nice in black and gold.

Cat in Calverley

This cat that I spotted in a ginnel in the village of Calverley recently was not too keen on having his photo taken and did not hang around to say hi either disappearing under a gate just after I snapped this.

Artist on Briggate

I saw this artist at work on Briggate and looking at his art I said how muck I liked it. He is Leslie Child, Leeds born and is self taught having had no formal training.

Leslie is currently putting the finishing touches to a 2013 calendar showing scenes of Leeds, this will be available in about a months time.

Overgrown

Walking down a road in Horsforth looking for the Olympic golden postbox I walked past this house and thought wow that garden is overgrown.

Gold Postbox Alistair Brownlee

Picture golden postbox at Horsforth, Leeds.

Royal Mail decided to honour each Olympic gold medal winner by painting gold a post box near their home. Each British Olympic winner will have their very own gold post box and also will feature on a postage stamp too.

This post box is at New Road Side in Horsforth, Leeds and it was painted gold yesterday to celebrate the Olympic Gold medal won by Alistair Brownlee.

Shortly after I took the above photo several people were having their photo taken next to the golden post box. Royal mail post boxes have been their distinctive pillar box red since 1874 when the first new post boxes were painted that colour, but it took around 10 years to repaint the earlier ones.

Update:
Since I wrote this Nicola Adams from Leeds has won Gold! Nicola boxed and beat Chinese boxer and world number one Ren Cancan at the Olympics and has sealed her place in history winning the first womens Olympic gold medal for boxing. The gold win by Nicola takes the Yorkshire tally at this Olympics to 5 gold medal champions.

The Brothers Brownlee

Yorkshire has had an incredible Olympics so far, if it was a country it would be high in the table of competing countries. Our athletes have so far won 5 gold medals, thats more than Australia, Japan and South Africa.

Heptathlete Jessica Ennis from Sheffield, triathlete Alistair Brownlee from Dewsbury, rowers Andrew Triggs-Hodge, from Grassington and Kat Copeland from Stokesley and last but not least Ed Clancy from Huddersfield (who also won bronze).

Brothers Alistair and Jonny Brownlee who live in Bramhope, Leeds did incredibly well with a gold and bronze medal between them. In the above photo Jonny on the left and brother Alistair are out on the moor at Otley Chevin.



This picture above shows Jonathan and Alistair Brownlee with their coach Malcolm Brown. Both these photographs are courtesy of my friend National press photographer Lorne Campbell.

I have never met the brothers but I recognised them because four years back they were on the front cover of the Leeds phone directory. Leeds the city now has gold, silver and bronze medals from these games with Alistair Brownlee Gold for triathlon, cyclist Lizzie Armitstead from Otley Silver and Jonathan Brownlee Bronze also for triathlon.

Jessica Ennis gets a special mention because although she is a Sheffield lass she trains for the javelin here in Leeds.

Steampunk Leeds

Picture of Claire and Tim in Leeds.

This is Claire and Tim who as can be seen in the picture are into Steampunk.

Yesterday there was a steampunk event at Leeds central library which I happened upon having gone to the library to use its services. I caught up with the couple adjacent to Millennium Square and I asked if they would mind me using my camera on them. I thought they would say yes because dressing like this is not really for the shy and retiring.

In the background can be seen the twin towers of Leeds civic hall.

Park Square Plaque

Park Square is a Georgian Square that was built originally as a residences for professional people such as lawyers, physicians, clergymen but today these fine old buildings are used as offices.

There is a Leeds Civic Society blue plaque on one of the building in the square it reads..

Park Square
The elegant square formed part of the Wilson family's plan to create a high class residential estate on the site of the medieval park of the Manor of Leeds
Its residents were merchants, clergy, lawyers and surgeons.
Built 1788 - 1810

In the photograph can be seen some of the buildings in the Square and also in the background the clock tower of Leeds town hall.

Park Square Lunchtime

Picture of Park Square Leeds at Lunchtime.

This was the scene at around lunchtime yesterday in Park Square, Leeds.

Park Square and the streets nearby are mostly home to the offices of law firms, both solicitors and also barristers chambers. This Georgian square has at its heart a small park and at lunchtime there are quite a few people relaxing in the sun reading, eating lunch or just chatting with friends and or colleagues.

Last year I did some photography for one of the law firms here in the square

Lands Lane

Picture showing Lands lane in Leeds city centre.

I took this photo yesterday showing a view in Lands Lane in Leeds city centre looking down towards the new Trinity Development on Boar Lane. About half way down this photo runs Commercial Street across the lane.

The brick built building in the foreground on the left is the former Church Institute building on Albion Place.

The school holidays are here so there are lots of mums with younger children here in the city at the moment.

Leeds Sky

Picture of sky over Rodley, Leeds.

This picture is in contrast to the dull grey sky here in Leeds today. I took this photo just up towards Calverley from the roundabout at Rodley on Rodley Lane at the weekend.

On the far right of the photo can just been seen the church of St Margaret at Horsforth in the distance.