Whitkirk Manor Almost

Picture of sign at the Manor House Whitkirk, Leeds.

Here is a sign on the gate post at the Manor House Whitkirk.

The light was rather harsh and only covered half the picture of the house, so I passed on this one. I did take some other shots, any picture is better than none at all.

I feel sure I took some photos some time back on a Spring or Summer day. I will look when I get some time, my earlier photos were catalogued with a less than systematic effort. To be fair, when I started this blog it really did not occur to me that there might any kind of demand for my back catalogue.

Perhaps like me you recall the church cat that I met on a previous trip to Whitkirk..

200th Anniversary of Bronte Wedding

Picture of Bronte Marriage Church.

Today is the 200th anniversary of the marriage of the Reverend Patrick Bronte and Maria Branwell who was to become his wife.

The wedding took place here in Guiseley Parish Church on 29th December 1812. In the above photo taken by me this morning is the rail at which they took the wedding vows and above the rail a wooden plaque celebrating the marriage here. Also between the rain and the wooden plaque there is a copy of the marriage certificate of Patrick Brontë and Maria Branwell.

On marriage to Patrick, Maria was aged 29 and the couple would go on to have 6 children before she died of cancer aged 38 on the 15 September 1821. Their marriage lasted fewer than ten years but within that time the legacy of the four younger children (the eldest two Maria and Elizabeth died before the age of 12) was set in place. Today those four, the three sisters Charlotte, Emily and Anne and their brother Branwell live on in the classic works of literature set right here in Yorkshire.

To celebrate this anniversary the bells of the church here at Guiseley were rung this morning with a 2 and 3/4 hour full peal.

Garforth Church Banner

Picture of Mothers Union banner at Garforth church.

Last year I visited many churches around the city of Leeds and indeed further afield. Some of these churches I visited because it was the week of Treasures Revealed in Leeds.

Many other churches I visited because I have an interest in old church buildings generally but especially those dating from the Edwardian period and earlier.

I hope to visit many more churches over the coming year 2013. Here is a picture from last year of the Mothers Union banner inside the church at Garforth near Leeds. The church is St Mary the Virgin an Anglican church in the town of Garforth.

I have posted pictures of other Mothers Union banners of a Leeds church, that being in Headingley.

Moles in Yorkshire Countryside

Picture of moles on a fence in Yorkshire.

Here we have a photograph taken by me some years ago. Before I would have considered myself a photographer.

A couple of good friends and I had walked up above Malham and walking down a lane some miles away I saw these moles hung on the farmers fence. I had not seen moles hung like this since the days of my far away youth. Since that day the nearest here is the nearest I have got to seeing or taking a photograph of a mole.

Personally I would much refer these furry little animals to go about there daily life undisturbed.

Leeds in Summer

Picture of Leeds in Summer.

Ok enough of the rain, at least on this blog for the next 24 hours it will by dry and sunny.

Here is a picture of Leeds city centre basking on a beautiful early summers day. This is a small public park in the business district of the city. All around this square are located the offices of solicitors and chambers of barristers.

Censorship and the Web

Whilst I am not generally one to leap on a bandwagon, I must declare that I agree with Wikipedia on censorship and the web.

There are currently two bill going through the US Congress Pipa and Sopa.

Now you may think that what the US government does is of no concern to us here outside the States. I disagree, imagine that your 18 year old son puts some clips taken from his favourite films and uploads them to the web. No real harm in that and I would agree, however supposing the US movie company decides to make an example of the uploader and gets an American court to agree that there is a case to answer....

The first that you might know about what your son has been up to in his bedroom is when the FBI and the local police turn up to search your house and arrest your boy. Under the current UK / USA extradition treaty the "crime" does not have to be an offence here. If the US court want you son to stand trial I would not hold out much hope of the British (for example) government backing down over the treaty.

Think the above is rather unlikely then check out the story of Richard O'Dwyer a Sheffield student.

For more about Pipa and Sopa this story from CBC in Canada gives their view.

Frosty Flower

Picture of frosty primula flower in Yorkshire.

Walking through a local park yesterday morning I passed some rather frosty flowers.

The last few mornings here in Leeds it has been pretty cold, much nicer when the sun has warmed things up a bit.

I spoke with someone I know yesterday and he said he fell off his canal boat into the canal a few days ago! He said he was fine but that the water was very cold, having lost his footing on the ice on the boat and fallen over the side.