West Yorkshire

[Sundae]

A huge bookshop. Please trust your humble correspondent when I say I jammed my hands in my pockets. Literally.
This was after I picked up a poetry anthology on dogs for someone who would be mildly bemused/ peeved that I'd spent the money in the first place. I put it down again.

And a home store. OMG. Mum would love a small juice glass with a fox on. But see above.

As Griff said, industrial buildings have great bones. And the high ceilings and the room flooded with light and the space... unfeasible in a modern place. And yet also so removed from the hard work and sweat which must have been the currency of the original incarnation. Titus Salt may have been a progressive employer, but life would have been hard.

[Sundae]

There is also a Salt Diner and a coffee shop.
Photos of those did not come out well.
But don't worry, there are pictures of me instead.

Including one in the rather beautiful toilets. Because with a cheap phone it's the easiest place for a selfie. So it's one of my whole series of photos in WCs. I was trying to set up one of those infinite photos, but people kept coming in. Like it was a public place or something!

[Sundae]

David Hockney is very closely connected with Saltaire.
There is a gallery in Salt Mill, but it is No Photos.

But it was okay, because outside there were photos of him. And me.

[limey]

What a great set of posts, Sundae! xxx

[Carruthers]

Thanks for posting, Cherry.

Great photos and observations. I don't know how you manage to get so much from just one day out.

[Clodfobble]

You are an excellent tour guide.

[glatt]

Thank you for taking us along on your canal boat ride. I have a real soft spot in my heart for the canals there. I'd love to take a canal boat holiday.


And I really enjoy your writing style.

Originally Posted by Sundae

Please trust your humble correspondent when I say

A great bunch of posts!

[Sundae]

Oh bless you all.
I've only paused, there is more to endure.

[Sundae]

Originally Posted by Carruthers

I don't know how you manage to get so much from just one day out.

You mean "Shut up, already! Again with the Saltaire!" But I forgive you.
My life is a house, you crawl through the windows....

So. Still going.

[Sundae]

And finally, for Saltaire.
Advert in a local shop. Can't say even I was tempted.

And the traditional response to any enquiry about how this thread is going.

[Sundae]

I bought a Rover ticket, which meant I could travel anywhere in West Yorkshire. Or maybe even the whole of Yorkshire, but I wasn't on some manic mission to do so.

I decided to get the bus from Saltaire to Keighley (pronounced KEITH-lee) so I could enjoy some more of the sunshine and see some more of the country. With my limited understanding of local geography, I thought I was heading back into Bradford too, where I knew I could get a bus or train to Leeds. I'd been on the bus for about 20 minutes before I realised I was heading away from Bradford.

I also made the mistake of sitting in front of Coughing Bob Fleming.
Bless him, in the end I realised he did have mental health issues, but it took a while for me to stop thinking of him as simply an annoying coughing old bugger.

I think I thought I read somewhere that Keighley had a thriving community of small independent shops. It may have, but I didn't see them, at least not any I was interested in buying from. I may have been confusing it with Bingley, which we went through and looked gorgeous.

I would have liked to have taken a trip on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, which is a steam track, but I hadn't done my homework properly and wasn't sure of the times and the prices. I would not miss my turn on the City Wheel in Bradford! Also, although I'm sure steam trains are lovely, they're not of my era and therefore only special if I am with someone else who really enjoys them. To pay to ride on one alone is... sad. In those circumstances.

So, you remember the giant Rombald, him that stomped about the Ilkley moors and split the Cow and Calf (boulders)?
Ever wonder what he's doing these days?
Just hanging out in a coffee shop.

[Sundae]

Keighley, to me, just seemed run down and neglected.
It's the Easter break, so I'm sure the 11-14 year olds hanging about swigging Red Bull knock-offs are probably usually in school, but it just had a weird vibe. Perhaps living in Otley and just coming from Saltaire I'm not used to the average populace. I mean there were no drunks or beggars or mums who should have been in school themselves. It was just...

Here is a takeaway which made me smile.
Are they actually mocking the size of their customers, or do they really import their produce from Japanese scientists?

[Sundae]

The market looks nice. NOT.

Inside it was just a generic covered market, some good, some bad, some tat. But the fresh produce looked good.

And I really, nearly bought an item of clothing to wear at Dad's birthday meal in May. And then remembered that they only see me every few months, so they don't know what's new and what's not. Saved my money for me me me instead. Me and my expensive watch battery I mean.

[Sundae]

It's not a grim place. Given time enough I'd have a proper look around.
It seems to have retained a Yorkshire Victorian feel. But as I didn't get a feel I'll just show you some photos.
Sorry, I think I have been listening to Round the Horne too much on Radio 4 Extra.
The photo where it looks like I'm stood in the middle of the road - I am. Pelican crossing, I had the phone ready to go.

[Sundae]

So off to the station and onto the train to Bradford.
The Keighley trains terminate at Bradford Forster Square, but that was okay because it's right across from where I stayed last year, so I knew I could get into the city centre with no problem. And the distance is nothing, I estimated it as a mile before, but it can't be more than half.

Turns out the fair I saw last year is an annual event.
People there think it is a real funfair, it's advertised and everything.
I thought it was just a random meet-up of fair folk on a little piece of wasteland. Crikey, comparing this to something like Nottingham Goose Fair... it's like comparing a kid's tea party with Tara Ecclestone's daughter's birthday. With less zebras.

So. On to City Square.
Look at it.
Just look at it.
Oh My Gosh, what a perfect location.