Enjoying retirement
In The Red Rose County
Having experienced a couple of 'training restaurants before we were keen to try Scolars. Excellent meal, excellent service, nice restaurant, four courses for £12. What's not to like? Unfortunately, Blackburn has deteriorated badly but there are some buildings in the centre which stand out, and the area of the college where Scholars is situated is perfectly fine. It features a big name from our youth - Barbara Castle - who was a famous campaigner for equal rights and MP for Blackburn. Our next call was to Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery, which like all regional museums and galleries contains much of great interest. There are quality paintings..... ...a notable collection of icons..... some impressive historic books.....here the Kelmscott Press.... ....here a Sixteenth Century Prayer Book.... in fact written materials going back to the time of clay tablets....... Japanese artwork..... a Victorian room......( alot of galleries now seem to do this as an easy way out of displaying this part of their collections..... a monochrome section ....and then the famous (in Blackburn) Mummy....which was displayed with much interesting Egyptian material...... This drawing of two prisoners tied up in a strange manner was on the foot of the Mummy.... and this encaustic portrait was placed on the head of the Mummy......extraordinary. But best for me was the textile industry section which contained examples (some replica) of machinery used in the industry from the times of handloom weavers up to present day. The so-called Lancashire Looms were prominent... There were also local and industrial paintings..... But wherever you went in Blackburn museum there was something of real interest......
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We took the opportunity of visiting Altrincham for some clothes alterations ( the tailor a very nice man from Afghanistan who moved here 20 years ago) to visit nearby Dunham. Having approached the house by the moat side, we first entered a rather domestic looking internal courtyard, and on a beautiful day the brickwork glowed. Inside was a lot of what you expect from such a house but made extremely enjoyable and more interesting by the super-friendly and knowlegeable guides. It's something we've noted about returning to the North-West - even in National Trust properties! When you can talk about a single painting in great detail, you can create enthusiasm and the guides created enthusiasm with us. We all take pics of our pets......just think, this had to be commissioned. We presumed this was an internal telephone......... This fireplace is one of the few surviving features of the original Tudor Hall which one of the Egertons pulled down to create today's house. What an unusual chair, one of a pair in this room. I like. Hadrian, I think...... This view greeted us on our exit from the house. How cheering. It was made even a little more special when a boat cruised past on the Bridgewater Canal right at the end of the walk. We weren't expecting too much of the gardens at this time of year, but we were wrong. There were beautiful magnolias......... .....paths going through fields of daffodils....... .....wood anenomies galore........ ....beautiful azaleas.....in fact a long azalea walk....... .......this striking silver birch grove..... ...and we had chance to see various aspects of the House - all magnificent...... Not much political correctness in the North-West thank God, but here a fountain has been removed which apparently depicted a 'subserviant blackamore', whilst the NT decides what to do with it. I can understand this (just) but you can't push our standards backwards into other times, and surely it is more important to see things in context and make up our own minds what to think........ On our way out we passed this 500 year old oak framing the stable block......
By and large we have been very pleased with the weather in the 15 months we have lived here in Clitheroe. There are very very few days indeed when we can't get out for a walk of some kind. But a recent few days of rain meant we could crack on with our 1000 piece bookshop jigsaw, which was not easy! One of our most common walks is through the Sculpture Park and back along the Ribble. This seat is one we use a lot, and I am annoyed if when we get there it is occupied! Lokking straight across is where we saw two kingfishers dive into their home in the bank. On this walk the sheep seem to be getting friendlier and friendlier........ Our other main walk, maybe twice a week, takes us to Waddington, and the community stream-side gardens are looking particularly lovely at the moment. All three pubs are great for a half-way drink. Today on this walk we saw a chiff chaff, a stoat sitting up like a merecat and then running the width of the field when it noted our interest, dippers, a thrush (fantastic), crows, a magpie and tits including a long-tailed tit. We also heard the curlews which have just returned from warmer climes and a bird of prey which was quite distinct. How lucky we are.
I had always wanted to explore Manchester's canals and warehouses so looked up a circular walk around the Ashton and Rochdale canals. Arriving at Piccadilly station for a change, we made our way behind the station to Ducie Street which led to our access point. But even before we got there, we were taken by the very idiosyncratic mix of old and new buildings (which is modern Manchester in a nutshell). The canal walk was an eye-opener, with lovely flats and some houses giving modern city-centre living. It appealed to us. This lock-keeper's cottage was particularly appealing...... and the old mills and warehouses themselves are magnificent buildings deserving of their (usually superb) restoration.... At the marina we headed straight for Pollen, a cafe cum bakery where according to the Manchester Evening News people can/will queue for an hour. We now know why it is worth it. It is out of this world. and what is great is that all the products are being made before your very eyes in the on-site and on-view bakery. Our sandwiches were terrific. Wow. On finishing the walk we found a huge designer furniture shop and saw the old Avro Engineering buildings where Lancasters and Vulcan bombers were made (currently being converted into flats). We took a quick diversion to look at another bit of the Rochdale canal....not quite as looked-after as the canal on our walk where we saw a workman busy pulling bits of litter from the canal and tidying the edges. But still, full of character. We had been lucky with the weather and it now started raining, so we dived into Piccadilly which these days is a remarkably fine station with loads of excellent shops and restaurants. The rain carrying on meant that we made a quick decision to take one of the free buses which tours around Manchester city centre......we did the whole route.....and then made our way past the restored Courts (where my Dad had sat on the Jury)..... to Canal Street which again I had always wanted to see. It's the main thoroughfare in the so-called Gay Village, and very atmospheric it is too, with bars and restaurants lining the canal-side position. We saw one gay model who was being filmed who looked a million dollars. I didn't like to take a pic. Next stop Manchester Art Gallery. I must admit I had been somewhat disappointed on our first visit, where my conclusion was that it was as nothing compared to the glories of Liverpool. However we soon found out our mistake - going to the first Floor and crossing a glass bridge we found a whole new world of exhibits which we had missed last time. Here there was a fascinating exhibition called 'Out of The Crate'. Here is the blurb from their site........ "Come and look behind the scenes of Manchester’s publicly owned sculpture collection. Part exhibition, part research space, Out of the Crate delves into the un-tapped history of the collection. This is an opportunity to investigate sculpture through access to stored collections and archival material. Find out what’s in store and how we look after it, help unlock hidden stories about works we know very little about and explore how artworks might encourage conversation. We have about 400 sculptures from antiquity to the present day and, until recently, less than 5% were on display. As well as modern and contemporary works, there are 19th-century sculptures and works from earlier periods that have rarely been seen this century and are under-researched. On display are a large range of materials including marble, bronze, wood, glass, ceramic and paper, a variety of sizes and shapes and different techniques of making. From bronze medals decorated with reliefs to large-scale free-standing 3D works, you can now see around 30% of the sculpture collection here. In terms of representation, we should also consider who has and hasn’t been included in the collection. Room 1: What’s in Store? Here around 60 sculptures are presented as if in a gallery store room, giving an insight into what it’s like behind the scenes. Objects are displayed on racks, in cupboards, on pallets and in open crates and grouped as they would be in a store, according to size and/or material and weight, rather than guided by themes or chronology as in a conventional gallery display. This room reveals the challenges of storing and looking after sculpture and gives an overview of the scope and condition of the collection. Room 2: Cold CasesThis room showcases a changing selection of sculptures under investigation. These are artworks about which we have little information, are in poor condition or have been off display for a long time and would benefit from new research. The aim is to open up this research process more publicly and consider how a public gallery and its users can care for and use collections together. " It did exactly what it said, and you could easily spend a half day or more here. Well I could anyhow. I loved 'The Manchester Alphabet' where not only were original artworks and drawings displayed but also the voluminous correspondence between the artist's son (who had found them in the attic), and various Directors of the Gallery. A Manchester Alphabet - M for Motor Car Roger Oldham 1871 - 1916 Summary Black and white illustration, hand tinted in colour. Exterior, street scene. In the foreground, an open-topped car, billowing clouds of smoke or dust, one wheel appearing to fly off, careens toward the viewer. The driver and two passengers wear goggles, and the idea of speed is conveyed by the scarves of the passengers flying in the breeze. In the background, to the right, the tiny figure of a policeman appears to be waving to the oblivious occupants in the car; to the left, in the back ground, a horse kicks the carriage he is pulling, while his partner rears up on his hind legs. In the background, are a row of buildings; the central one is timbered, suggesting a pub. The accompanying poem reads 'M for Motor Car. The face and pace of Manchester/Have many changes seen,/From the grass of Angel Meadow/And the blades of Ardwick Green;/From the Pack Horse and the Pillion/And the "ancient Seven Stars,"/To the modern mammoth Midland/And the monstrous Motor Cars.' Display Label This is a laminated sheet or similar in side pockets of benches in G15 A Manchester Alphabet Roger Oldham’s book A Manchester Alphabet was published in 1906 by John Heywood. Oldham (1871-1916) spent most of his life in Manchester, and his Alphabet is an affectionate and humorous record of his home city at the beginning of the twentieth century. The works displayed here are a complete set of hand-tinted printer’s proofs for the book, coloured by the artist himself. Oldham attended Manchester Grammar School, leaving in 1887, age 16, to work in the architectural firm of Charles Heathcote. (The school is commemorated in ‘O is for Owl’, with the owl being the symbol of the school.) illustration of owl here: photography taking place June 1 2016 A Manchester Alphabet contains locations still recognisable today – the Town Hall, King Street and Manchester Art Gallery (depicted in the illustration ‘P is for Picture Gallery’) ¬¬ – as well as many areas now lost to history (Bellevue Zoo and Greenheys) or transformed beyond recognition (Ancoats and Shudehill). Oldham’s book is a celebration of Manchester, focussing on the city’s vitality (‘E for Exchange’; ‘X for Exodus’), its position at the forefront of technology (‘M for Motorcar’; ‘T for Tram’) and its illustrious past (‘D’ and ‘J’ refer to pioneering scientists John Dalton and James Prescott Joule, while painter Ford Madox Brown appears in ‘F for Fresco’). Yet it does not shy away from the city’s social ills, referencing, for example, poverty (‘A for Ancoats’), pollution (‘I for Irwell’) and the reality of many children’s lives in an industrial environment (alluded to in ‘H is for Heaton Park’). However, it is done with such a light touch that the social commentary slips by almost unnoticed. The artist’s close observation of dress documents many different social ‘types’ in the city. The clogs and shawl of the young girl, and the small boy accompanying her, in too-large boots and hat, in ‘A is for Ancoats’, are in stark contrast to the well- and warmly dressed folk in ‘C for Chorlton’; the market women in ‘S for Shudehill’ a world away from the fashionable family in ‘K for King Street’. Oldham’s satirical gaze can be found in smaller details still: the figure with his back to us in the bottom left of ‘P for Picture Gallery’ would have been recognised in his day as an example of an ‘aesthetic’ type, whose wide hat and knee britches mimicked the dress of the leading aesthete of the previous generation, Oscar Wilde. illustrate here with detail of the two figure groups from A and K Some details from the alphabet may need further explanation: B for Bowdon: The names of the different railway companies are abbreviated. In full they are the Cheshire Lines Committee, the Manchester South Junction and the Altrincham Railway. G for Guardian: Standing in front of the latest edition of the Guardian newspaper are the political rivals of the day, David Lloyd George and Joseph Chamberlain. J for Joule: The ‘old man in his dressing gown’ is scientist James Prescott Joule. His many achievements include work on the relationship between heat and energy, which led to the first law of thermodynamics. He was taught by John Dalton, known for his pioneering work in atomic theory and research into colour blindness, and whose statue stands opposite Joule’s in Manchester Town Hall. N: The vehicle registration plate does not conform to size regulations and so the policeman is making a note of it. Q for De Quincey: In his autobiographical novel, Confessions of an English Opium-Eater, Thomas de Quincey describes his childhood in Greenheys, Manchester. Further reading: Manchester Memories, George Mould (Terence Dalton Limited, Lavenham, Suffolk, 1972). I particularly like C for Chorlton as I spent most of my childhood there. The verses are very McGonagall......... The 'Cold Cases' were absolutely fascinating. What do we know about a piece? Can anyone elucidate any more? Very 'Art Detectives', and to me exciting. What a marvellous and imaginative exhibition. We finished a very good day by seeing a new release at the Manchester Film Festival. £5 tickets, great and huge cinema...what's not to like? We were amazed by the poor attendance at this and our next day's performance. Maybe 20 or 30 people, some of whom were festival organisers. It reminded us of our difficulties in getting people along to great events at our bookshops. They deserve better!
A nice day, so we decided to see if the six million crocuses on Harrogate's famous Stray were any further out. They were. What a bright display at this time of year. For lunch French onion soup at Weeton's Food Hall. Well worth the trip. Next stop nearby Knaresborough which we had never really explored before. It was full of interest. Here a Methodist Chapel........ Some interesting houses falling down one of the main roads.... We had parked by the river - the Nidd - so walked into town via Waterside and noted the cafe and boathouse for future use. It was then up a lot of steps to the town centre, Knaresborough being built on a steep hill. More wonderful views with the famous railway viaduct and river at the centre of every scene..... .......until we reached the castle. The first written evidence of a castle in Knaresborough is in financial records called the Pipe Rolls dating from the reign of Henry I (1100-1135). These show that £11 was spent in 1129-1130 on strengthening the 'King' Works at Knaresborough’ by custodian Eustace Fitz-John. Between 1204 and 1216 King John spent £1,290 to turn Knaresborough Castle into a military fortress. The castle also developed as a munitions centre, its forges were one of the country's most important manufacturers of 'quarrels' or crossbow bolts. The main parts of the castle that we can see today date from the early 14th century. Knaresborough had become strategically important to Edward I (1272-1307) in his campaign against the Scots. His modernisation of the castle brought high levels of comfort and fashionable elegance, as well as an awesome display of prestige and power. Following the death of Edward I in 1307, the rebuilding work was completed under his son, King Edward II (1307-1327). He oversaw the construction of a magnificent new keep - known ever since as the King's Tower - as a luxury residence for his controversial favourite, the nobleman Piers Gaveston (c 1284-1312). Queen Philippa, wife of King Edward III (1327-1377) received the Honour and Castle of Knaresborough as part of her marriage settlement. She made Knaresborough Castle into a royal residence in the truest sense of the word. Whereas previous monarchs had used the castle to consolidate their power in the North, Queen Philippa spent most of her summers in Knaresborough with her young family, transforming the castle into a comfortable and lavish court residence.In 1372, Knaresborough Castle came into the possession of Queen Philippa's youngest son John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. From that time onwards, Knaresborough belonged to the Duchy of Lancaster. After the Civil War the castle was sleighted, and over the centuries became the romantic ruin we see today. Some of the adjoining houses are quite prestigious and include the courthouse which today houses a museum which we must visit on a future occasion... The town itself is a warren of interesting streets, medieval and later buildings, and a characterful market place. There are several good pubs but the one I fancied was shut so off we went to Harrogate again to Betty's for a Fat Rascal and a Bury simnel cake (entirely different from what most people call a simnel cake) which I was so glad to remember as the same as my Nana always bought for us all those years ago in the Chorlton of my youth.
The concert started with our female conductor dedicating the night to the victims of the war and the orchestra begin by playing, to a standing audience, the Ukrainian national anthem. It was very very stirring stuff. We then had an absolutely brilliant rendition of Dvořák’s Cello Concerto, with the conductor masterfully managing the interaction between the orchestra and the wonderful cellist Jakob Koranyi. There is a review at The Arts Desk. Who knew the cello could be so impressive? After the interval, and our Ben and Jerry's ice creams, we then heard the UK premiere This Too, by the Norwegian saxophonist, jazz band leader and composer known as Mette Henriette. A strangepiece in many ways. Just 5 minutes and lots of wind (not orchestral wind!) effects. Interesting. The finale was also very high standard, Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra written in wartime 1943 USA by a Hungarian who had fled his homeland. The conductor added so much to our understanding by giving a very brief outline of 'the plot' as it were. A thoroughly enjoyable evening. We just made the last train.
Well, who knew it? Kirkby Lonsdale is amazing. Just about an hour away from us, via Skipton and Settle, we drove on a glorious March day through glorious Yorkshire countryside and pretty villages to park at the free car park by Devil's Bridge on the River Lune. The Lune which is a famous English salmon river (brown and sea trout too). Devil's Bridge is impressive, it probably dates from the 13th century, and rather impressively is finished (as were the finest buildings) with ashlar. and what a lovely spot......... Town is signposted along the river path, and on a day like today the walk was a sheer delight. Here we passed the large island which astonishingly was formed by huge, and I do mean huge, blocks of ice in the Victorian period.....weather in the past was much more variable and extreme than now...... Then we came to the so-called Radical Steps, built by Dr Francis Pearson, who had a reputation as a political radical, to divert the existing public footpath that ran through his garden. There was a lot of opposition to the building of steps, which thereafter became locally known as the "Radical Steps". The steps rose to......... ....the edge of the churchyard... and to Ruskin's View. This scene was painted by the artist JMW Turner in 1822 and the picture so impressed the 19th century art critic, social theorist, painter and poet John Ruskin, that he wrote: ‘I do not know in all my country, still less in France or Italy, a place more naturally divine.’ Later in 1875, Ruskin went one step further and described the panorama as ‘one of the loveliest views in England, therefore in the world’. I who never thinks biggest is best could entirely agree. And here is the painting......J.M.W.Turner The Lune Valley from Kirkby Lonsdale Churchyard, c.1818 Next, to the loveley and historic St Mary's. The outside is everything you would want in an English churchyard...... at this time of year snwdrops... and crocuses..... and the Church Close...also beautiful. Here we saw the famous gravestone to the 176 year old Edward Conder...his age set in stone! Through the Norman doorway with its Latin welcome....... to the historic interior. I haven't seen anything comparably Norman since Durham Cathedral. Astonishing. And in terms of memorials you think you have seen it all, but here is someone who nobody has ever heard of, who should be famous for his discoveries. Amd so to the town.......a pint in the Sun Inn was most welcome, and we had a very friendly greeting. This is the old Market Place next to the church, replaced later by a bigger one...... Here the 'new' Market Place on a market day.... Everywhere we went the architecture was fabulous, with absolutely nothing spoiling the incomparable unity. Lots of interesting alleys or snickleways too....this one leading to what a friendly native described to us as a fantastic and authentic Italian restaurant. Here an Indian restaurant in a simply beautiful courtyard..... and everywhere the surrounding hills and countryside could be seen.... There were a huge number of good independent shops........ ...some of which we couldn't resist. and at least four or five great hotels........ What a fabulous, fabulous place. A real pity we can't afford to live here! Never mind we are only an hour away, and Clitheroe is great.
It's always nice to visit Lytham and Lytham Hall and today we came for the snowdrop display. We also discovered for the first time the picturesque lake near to the house. Picking up some bargain and very good plants from the on-site garden centre (including snowdrops) the trip was well worthwhile.
With a programme of female composers, a female conductor, and Isata Kanneh-Mason (above) performing the Clara Schumann as the virtuoso pianist we were in for a treat. All pieces unknown to us, it was a brilliant evening. Isata was amazing and the Cello accompanying her at times really masterful. We were perhaps thinking the worst when the last piece was due to be Schoenburg. However it was indeed what the programme notes had promised - 'barn-storming'. And the percussionists had a field day. Every piece individual and great.
Anna Clyne - This Midnight Hour Clara Schumann - Piano Concerto Brahms arr. Schoenberg - Piano Quartet No.25 in G minor There are between 6 and 7 million crocuses planted on Harrogate Stray, which is what we went to see. As it happens, they were by no means all out but nevertheless it was an enjoyable spectacle. And, afterwards a real find - fronting the Stray was Weetons Food Hall a real upmarket cafe and deli where we had a welcome cup of coffee but where we will certainly return for more. Walking back to the centre we passed rows and rows of magnificent terraces. A wonderful place to live with its parks, shops, restaurants and houses. That's for sure. As Betty's was reasonably busy we called int the Betty's in Ilkley for lunch......
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August 2023
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