Author: hmcreativelady (Page 40 of 48)

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.

A pot of Darjeeling came with its own timer!

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

We were served some delicious pastries

The place was being painted.

The railway viaduct near Thornton

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.

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

Driving back on’t tops

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

More artwork from the festival

An evening stroll along the canal

Refreshments at Stubbings Wharf

Beautiful evening light – 10:15 p.m.

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

All Souls, Halifax

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

Industrial Halifax

The market hall

Window shopping

Dean Clough mill

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

(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.

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

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

Spooky-looking farmhouse

(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

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

Branwell’s hangout

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!

Careful you don’t fall into the sheep fold

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.

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

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

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

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

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

Doing laundry in the crypt!

Matchy matchy! I took a photo of Rachel in the same place – St Thomas’s, Heptonstall

At Bridestones – an outcrop of millstone grit where pagan weddings were once performed.

Looking up the Todmorden Valley towards Burnley

Trying out a harpsichord in the Early Music Store, Salt’s Mill

(Above) Salt’s mill was once the largest factory in the world. It made wool cloth from alpaca. My great great great grandfather died from the effects of inhaling alpaca fibre.

Sunset over the canal outside our cottage

(Above) In the evening we had a great at The Friendly, a pub in Stanbury above Haworth where the Bronte sisters like to hike. Here’s Sarah in the beer garden.

The mill now holds a large collection of David Hockney art. I had to put on gloves to look at this gigantic book of his paintings.

It’s a scorcher in Hebden Bridge today. You can see the mill where I stayed last year

In 1871 Harriet Vear lived here asa a domestic servant to retired paper manufacturer, Lawremce Harwood. At age 26 she married James Hill of the Hills of Turton ancestry lineage

In 1841 my great great great grandfather and his family lived in this house right above the river in Turton Bottoms.  He was a block printer in the calico works. It’s strange to realise that every Sunday when I walked to church (about 4 miles) I was actually passing the gable end of his house and didn’t know it.

My high school! A little different from the 2 roomed elementary school I attended in Affetside

Bolton School’s main gate

Very imposing

The Great Hall Barn at Rivington. According to Wikipedia it may date from the 9 – 13th century. It was used as a storeage barn and restored in 1905 by Lord Lever (who was the benefactor of Bolton School, and who bought Lewis Island in the Outer Hebrides and lived in Stornoway Castle which I visited last year). There were lots of table available inside but outside it was overflowing with people enjoying the unusually hot weather. It got  to 79 degrees – sweltering!