West Yorkshire

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Yesterday I went to Leeds to go on a guided walk of Victorian Leeds, run by the Civic Trust.
I set out with reasonably high hopes. It was warm if a bit windy and I had time to kill.

Off to the library to see if I can get online and work out where I was supposed to be meeting them.
In the end the answer was "No" and I left my library card there to boot! It's okay, it was handed in, and I'll pick it up when I have to be back in Leeds on Friday for an appointment.

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Well I trusted in my reasonable knowledge of Leeds streets and went looking.
But damned if I could find the place!
It was getting later, I was getting more confused, and I was just walking round in circles.

And then I just lost it. Actually stopped looking and just started crying.
No one I'd asked knew what the heck I was talking about, the streets were emptying of long-term Leeds residents and filling with students and although I knew where I was, I felt helpless, hopeless and lost.

I forget sometimes, because I'm always surrounded by the familiar, that I lost something over the last year. That centres mainly around my ability to cope with fairly normal occurrences.
When I travel down the country to see my parents I am still going from one protected world to another. It makes me feel like a fraud sometimes, as if I'm "swinging the lead" (Mum's terminology). Then something happens like yesterday evening and I think, "Oh yes. Not quite capable of dealing with life yet, are we?"

Working towards it though.
I did not get on the bus back home.
I calmed down, called Carruthers (who has a nice line in de-panicking me) and waited at the Corn Exchange, as I knew it was very close to the offices and would surely be the first port of call.

Sure enough, up comes a group and I joined them.
Never even asked to present my bona fides! But then for all I know, everyone else could have been a regular, so I was an expected addition.

And off we went for a whirlwind tour of some of Leeds' Victorian buildings.
I have to admit I was slightly disappointed. Okay, the start really didn't help, but I was prepared to get all caught up in the tour and leave my broken worrying behind.

It was quite fast, very little story-telling and not much I haven't already seen for myself.
One or two details, yes. But not worth the fare plus the fee, plus the fact I got myself all upset. We walked very quickly between locations, which was fine by me, but I was the youngest by at least 20 years, so it made for impatient hanging around on the part of our guide. And he gave us very dry dates and facts - I know they're volunteers, but I expected more passion. I think I've been spoiled by the professionals, and by "resting" thespians who conduct walks in London.

Some of said details.
You are expected to hear in a civil manner in Leeds!

The splendid Victoria pub - a hotel no longer as it's a listed building, so cannot make the reburbishments needed to bring it into line with safety regulations. Saved from demolition by the Civic Trust and a public campaign apparently. Now that I didn't know.

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I had my notebook and pen, but much of what was pointed out that I hadn't noticed before was done in a very offhand manner "... as you can see if you look up there..." so I'm afraid the details of where are a little lost on me now.

Once I find my camera charger I'll go back on a sunny day and do my own tour, taking notes as I go.

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I do remember that this building was also saved by the Civic Trust.
That's the trouble when you have too much beautiful architecture. You stop seeing it, and want to knock it down to build something clumsy and ugly instead.

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Thornton's Arcade; I'd never noticed the clock at the end, which is (or was) struck by mechanical figures. My photo of it was poor, but you can find it online.

At the other end is a cameo of a lady I think might be Lily Langtree.
Again, it was a bit of a whirlwind and the arcade was closing by then.

Through the County Arcade, where the mosiac work was too high for my mobile phone to pick up, but appreciated by me all the same.
I quite liked my photo of the more modern aspects, so kept it in.

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And back to the offices for a buffet.

It was reasonable, but you got ONE DRINK and then they charged you!!!
Which I think is a swizz, because they were serving un-chilled generic soft drinks or table wine, both in those little 125ml wineglasses you only ever see in old-fashioned pubs. And every drink was £1.50 ("suggested donation").
No mention of this whatsoever on any of the literature.
And given there must have been 30+ people out with their three tour guides that night, I think it was stingy.

I told the lady I had no money, because I wasn't aware I should have (the no money bit was 100% true) but that I would make a donation when I came on my next walk. That bit was a lie. £1.50 for room temp fizzy water? Hardly.

So I scoffed up as much food as I could without physically denying it to other people, and took away a few pieces of fruit and leaves in my goodie box. I'm sure that didn't escape the steely eye of the lady grudgingly dispensing the drinks either!

It was a diverting evening.
And if I did go on another walk, I'd know where to meet them. I'm less tempted than I was though.
Which is a shame for them, because I could have been very happy indeed with just a map available beforehand, a crib sheet to read afterwards, and free soft drinks.

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Many thanks to Carruthers for tracking this down.
It's from 2009, and if anything the County Arcade is even more posh now.
But Alan Bennett is a wry old bugger, and it's worth watching even eight years later for his wry commentary, as well as the details I was unable to capture.

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So today was Otley Show.
The weather was very different then last year, when I wore my little white dress. It was sunshine alternated by long periods of grey cloud, and a chilly wind blew regardless.

I'd been out to pay some bills and make some necessary purchases early on, so I knew it would be cool. Had I realised I was seeing the best of the weather I admit I would have dressed differently - as in taken a hat and especially gloves. But I wasn't ridiculously under-dressed, when the sun shone it was warm, when it didn't everyone shivered. It didn't spoil the day.

I started with a general look-see.
In the Shop Local, Shop Otley tent I saw some silver topped canes. Couldn't afford one, didn't need one, didn't buy one. But just the thing for a debonair man-about-town I thought. Just needs a cape and a topper and a pair of opera tickets.

And my local favourite patisserie which I have never purchased anything from.

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My milkshake brings all the cocks to my yard...
Yes okay, I do photograph them. But I promise I never actually seek them out.

They're endemic, I tell you!

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And kelpies of course.


And this chap was on the Greyhound Rescue charity stall.
As a guest star, obviously.

I bought some tickets for their tombola, but they saw through my pretence and fixed it so I wouldn't win.
Dog charities are lucky, in that they can always find affectionate and attractive animals to bring along and talk about. Spitting, hissing bundles of fur in cat carriers probably wouldn't have the same effect.

Some ex-racing greyhounds are horribly mistreated though.
(And I had my eye on a Despicable Me minion)

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West Yorkshire is apparently replete with old Citroen vans.
Not that I'm complaining - the ones I've seen have looked marvellous.
I wasn't buying.


I had a ticket that meant I was admitted to the Members' marquee, which saved me from frostbite more than once, and had far superior WCs aside from other benefits.

I'd packed my lunch, and the budget wouldn't have stretched to this meal anyway. But I think it was a pretty good deal all in all. They were charging £5.50 for a pork baguette with apple sauce outside - no trays, no cutlery, no seats and certainly no flowers on the tables out there.

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Marquee before the cold really settled in.


Dining.


These were taken early on, as stated.
The metal plate next to the checkered cloth had a pig with its face still on later.
I'd have gone for the salmon.

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The Merkins are coming!
The Merkins are coming!

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Back to food, I snapped off a few shots for my Mum.
She loves seafood as much as I do. I had a seafood baguette in my packed lunch.

I'm not sure how they would have fared in this weather - last year, in the sunshine, they sold out pretty quickly. People may have preferred hot pasties, pies and burger this year.

And she loves a bit of Turkish delight.

The man behind the counter laughed at me taking a photo and said it would be a pound.
I laughed too.
He obviously thought he was funny, so said it again.
So I replied, "I'll tell you what, you can take a photo of me and we'll call it quits."
I didn't mean to be suggestive, but he glanced at the lady serving alongside him and shut up. If she wasn't his wife then I suspect she knew her.
(or it may just have been a "Does she think she's Kate Moss?" look)

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I am older and wiser this year, and did not perve over the blacksmiths.
Also, they'd drawn more of a crowd and I couldn't get to the front
I'd have been there for the warmth at least.


But I did watch this chap for a while.
I had no use for what he was making, but if I had - and had the money - it would be magical to own something you've seen made in front of you. Not sure how these things work - it could be he was just demonstrating how he makes the things he sells of course.


Okay, he didn't fall out of the ugly tree either, but it was his professionalism I respected.