A Return

Every time I come to West Yorkshire it feels like coming home in a sort of way, but today I really do feel I have come home - we are in Saltaire where we lived for a long time. Admittedly we lived in Nab Wood - ‘the posh bit up the hill’ - but whilst our children were growing up we spent a lot of time in Saltaire, shopping, playing by the canal and the park etc. Our girls went to Saltaire First School so there was a lot of coming and going over the years. 

And here we are today in the middle of Saltaire staying for a week in the tiniest, but most exquisitely furnished, cottage. This is the view from the bedroom window, down through a typical village street and out onto the moors beyond. You can even see the top of the famous Congregational Church, the subject of many a blip by local Blippers. 

Saltaire was of course built by Titus Salt who owned Salt’s Mill. The mill was completed in 1853 and then he started to build houses for his workers. Eventually there was accommodation for around 4.500 people, most of it modest two-ups, two-downs, but all were solidly built, often with attractive  features and all had a little outdoor space.  Looking round this tiny, but rather nice, house I wonder just how many people lived here at the time and I just imagine them all walking along to the Mill every morning.

We are here on a bit of a nostalgic trip - people to see, places to go. In fact in a short while some friends are picking us up and we are going with them for a meal at an Italian Restaurant we used to frequent all those years ago - different name, but same place apparently.