Last day of August.

The 31st of August was the date of my parents wedding day. They were married at St James’s Church, Lees in 1940 when my dad was home on leave from the army. It was the night they bombed Bradford and they always said they spent the night under the table at my grandparents farm at Flappit Springs, Cullingworth!

We spent the morning in Saltaire walking from Hirst Lock to Roberts
 Park for a coffee at the Half Moon Cafe, before heading up to the 4th floor of Salts Mill. Several blippers have already been to Bradford photographer Ian Beesley’s Retrospective exhibition. His work spans 45 years, largely black and white and several are linked to poetry by South Yorkshire’s Ian Macmillan.

The photographs commissioned, mainly in the 1980’s, to record the demise of traditional industry in the locality were fantastic. Many taken in the mills and foundries of the time show what hard and dirty work it was for the people. There were glimpses of social life too including children playing in the streets and the closure of local pubs in the working hubs. Very poignant was the series taken of people who had lived in a mental institution in Lancaster telling their stories as the place was commissioned to closed. One was a lady sent there at the age of 14 as she was an unmarried mother. She stayed an inmate until she died at the age of 96.

We saw some of Beesely’s photos before in the same amazing roof space in an exhibition specifically of work in Salts Mill . We spotted someone who has one of our village shops when he was a long haired youth working there. One of those pictures was on display again so Chris took a picture of him to show and embarrass him!
Throughly enjoyed the exhibition. 
The blip is a modern stainless steel depiction of the names of jobs that would have been very common to workers of previous generations but have probably nearly all disappeared now. All these jobs were photographed by Beesley.
This was linked to the Outokampou steel works in Sheffield which closed in the early 2000’s. You can see me reflected and Chris in the back ground studying the first display of photographs.

The mill is always worth a visit if you are in this area but this exhibition along with all the Hockney art work on display makes it even more worthwhile.

Back along the canal which was notably quiet. There is little of any movement along the canal at the moment because of the water shortage.

Flickr link from the Ian Beesley Exhibition - they are only a sample as many framed pictures had too much reflection on them