Month: June 2017 (Page 1 of 2)

June 30

IMG_1594

Sarah’s magic trick

IMG_1596

Tribute to the 22 bombing victims last month, Manchester Victoria station

IMG_1598

My new living room has a verandah overlooking the  weir

IMG_1599

Pretty bedroom

IMG_1611

Just before dinner I walked from my mill to Mytholmroyd.

IMG_1614

Fishermen on the Rochdale canal in Mytholmroyd

IMG_1618

These geese have obviously been told to ‘keep their ducks in a row!’

Sarah flew back to the US this morning and I moved into my new home:

https://www.mangohomes.co.uk/mayroyd-mill.

I have a place on the top floor in the centre of the building, overlooking the weir.

June 29

IMG_1566

Sarah on Blackstone Edge, a last view of T’tops before she flies home

IMG_1567

A last glimpse fittingly rainy and misty

[wpvideo AWanMPM0]

Hollinworth Lake, one of my mom’s favourite day’s out.

IMG_1573

One of my ancestors lived in this White House in Manchester. He was a schoolmaster. In 1905 he walked out of his house and drowned in the Rochdale canal a few yards from his house.

IMG_1579

The Rochdale canal adjacent to Sydney Herbert Cooper’s house

IMG_1585

The note I put through the letterbox 

IMG_1587

‘Heather’ court in . . . 

IMG_1588

Denton ( my maiden name)

IMG_1590

Our hotel in Stockport so that we are close to Manchester airport.

IMG_1592

Chicken korma and chips in the hotel

June 28

A day of heavy, non-stop rain so we went for our first train ride on this trip.

IMG_1545

Children walking home from school in the rain. Very few umbrellas about.

IMG_1543

Yorkshire soap shop was good for a place to stay dry and for Sarah to do some souvenir shopping

IMG_1548

Beneath the railway viaduct in Todmorden, a small market town on the Lancashire/Yorkshire border

IMG_1551

A full English breakfast – for lunch

IMG_1546

I bought some artwork from this guy last year and I went to chat to him about the new mascot for Todmorden: Stanley Pike (see our Stoodley Pike hike)

June 27

 

IMG_1512

Great window display in the chiropractor’s office

IMG_1517

The stunningly beautiful St Peter’s Sowerby, a Grade 1 listed building, and the best example of a Georgian church outside London. The current congregation is between 15 and 30.

IMG_1518

The church warden agreed to open up the church for us. He came with his two dogs who were enchanted by the organ music!

IMG_1526

The view from Jean’s front window – spectacular, even on this wet afternoon

IMG_1527

With author Jean Illingworth and her husband.

IMG_1534

It turns out that my Barraclough ancestors dating from the mid 1600’s  are buried here. The church is very austere on the outside but beautiful inside.

[wpvideo zHTzlc0D]

Me playing the organ in this beautiful church.

IMG_1540

This evening’s entertainment: an interview with Dr Mike Green, home office pathologist who worked on the Yorkshire Ripper case and the Ian Brady and Myra Hindley moors murders.

IMG_1541

In conversation with Mike Green in Hebden Bridge library.

June 26

Happy 200th Birthday Branwell Bronte; June 16th, 1817.

IMG_1443

We were fortunate enough to be able to have a celebratory breakfast in the room where Charlotte, Emily, Anne and Branwell Bronte were actually born. Many years ago we visited the place and at that time it was the home of a novelist. She was happy to take us on a tour of the small house in Thornton where Rev Bronte was an assistant minister. This was before the family moved to Haworth.

IMG_1441

A pot of Darjeeling came with its own timer!

IMG_1453

Inside the Bronte Birthplace. It’s now a cafe. 

IMG_1458

We were served some delicious pastries

IMG_1459

The place was being painted.

IMG_1469

The railway viaduct near Thornton

IMG_1480

A late lunch in Wetherspoon’s pub in Brighouse. Originally this was a Methodist chapel, and the organ and pews in the balcony are preserved.

IMG_1481

I had to sample this beer – in honour of all the Bobs in my life!

IMG_1493

Driving back on’t tops

IMG_1496

Instead of ‘designer Zales’ we found ‘designer bales’ just outside Mytholmroyd.

June 25

The amazing Handmade Parade in Hebden Bridge

T

IMG_1425

More artwork from the festival

IMG_1419

An evening stroll along the canal

IMG_1427

Refreshments at Stubbings Wharf

IMG_1434

Beautiful evening light – 10:15 p.m.

June 23 Haworth

A Day in Haworth

First we had coffee at Sauce in Hebden Bridge’s Town Square. There were lots of people around since today is the beginning of the week-long Arts festival. This year the theme is Hebden Water.

IMG_1261

[wpvideo T6VuLVgR]

At the bus stop waiting to catch the bus to Haworth we got into conversation with this wonderful gentleman.

[wpvideo 7IOWq6QE]

 

I’m not sure what the Bronte family would have made of the  ’60’s weekend in their home village of Haworth  but Sarah and I had a good time. The Black Bull was Branwell’s favorite haunt when he was living at home in The Parsonage. The apothecary which supplied him with laudanum which brought about his early death at the age of 31 is still there. We had lunch in a cafe that had to close just after we were served because they were too busy to serve customers in a timely manner!

 

 

 

 

Then we headed for the church where the Brontes were buried, the parsonage where they lived and the school where they taught the local village children. A wedding was being held in all those venues. Here’s the beautiful bride leaving the photo shoot on the Parsonage steps and heading to the school (that Patrick built for Charlotte to teach in) for the wedding reception.

Back in Hebden I saw this great sign:

IMG_1267

June 23 Halifax

IMG_1196

These beautifully decorated organ pipes were removed from All Souls years ago because of vandalism. They have recently been returned and just lie on the floor in the sanctuary

IMG_1201

All Souls, Halifax

IMG_1206

My great aunt and uncle’s grave at All Souls, Halifax

IMG_1222

Industrial Halifax

IMG_1224

The market hall

IMG_1225

Window shopping

IMG_1228

Dean Clough mill

June 22 Hike to Stoodley Pike

 

[wpvideo iDbKObwH]

(Above) Our early morning visitor

IMG_1134

(Above) A Muscovy duck welcomes visitors to the Visitors’ Centre.

IMG_1160

(Above) Stoodley Pike is visible from all of Calderdale. Last year I bought a postcard of the monument and I’ve looked at it every day when I opened the fridge. Today, with Sarah’s encouragement we climbed to the Pike and ascended to the  viewing tower. 6 miles and 50 storeys.

IMG_1163

(Above) I sang ‘sheep may safely graze’ to these sheep but for some reason they didn’t seem too impressed.

IMG_1174

(Above) Ancient gateposts above Withins reservoir, and yes, the water really was that colour.

IMG_1180

Spooky-looking farmhouse

IMG_1182

(Above) Journal writing in The Lord Nelson at Luddendenfoot. This was the favourite tavern of Branwell Bronte. He wrote some of his poetry in this pub, and drank many a pint when he was working as a railway clerk at Luddenden station

IMG_1183

(Above). A much-deserved pot of tea in the Lord Nelson after our strenuous hike to Stoodley Pike

IMG_1186

Branwell’s hangout

IMG_1190

Through the bartender in the White Lion in Heptonstall we managed to connect with with these three current residents of Lilly Hall, Heptonstall. My great great great grandparents lived there in 1841 and though William died in 1837 Sally, his wife,  gave birth to a baby girl, Elizabeth Ann three years later! Over the course of this last year I have discovered that Elizabeth Ann’s father was, in fact, James Wrigley, the man who lived in the other half of Lilly Hall. The Hall, probably built around 1770 is currently divided into 4 dwellings. We arranged to meet the current owners at Quiz Night in the White Lion – which began at 9:30 p.m and finished at 11:15 – a long day out!

[wpvideo Ngnpwggc]

Picnic on’t’top, Soodley Pike. Ah, a British summer!

IMG_1171

Careful you don’t fall into the sheep fold

June 21 Ted Hughes, Warley and Dean Clough

IMG_1125

Attending a meeting of the Ted Hughes society. They are currently planning the  2018 festival to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the former poet laureate’s death. Two of the attendees are Literature professors at Huddersfield University, one of my alma maters.

IMG_1057

Family connections? I have both Barracloughs and Gledhills in my ancestry.

IMG_1078

Warley Town’s museum provided a lot of useful information- honestly

IMG_1097

Home of Joseph Crossley who developed the largest carpet factory in the world. Several of my ancestors worked there

IMG_1105

Heading for the Gibbet, last used in the 19th century

IMG_1118

Logo model of the Crossley carpet factory where some of my ancestors worked

« Older posts