History

A Snowy Haworth Moor

13th July 2021 By Mike Barrett

I’ve only just got around to writing about this day back in January. It wasn’t snowing when we headed out to Haworth Moor. It was somewhat grey and and there was a stiff breeze, but altogether it had been a fairly pleasant day. My wife, daughter and I had headed out for a walk to blow away the cobwebs of the last year of lockdowns. To be honest, after the previous 9 months it was just good to get out. Period!

We headed to the Brontë waterfalls. Our daughter was really excited to be out and about in the world again and to be on a bit of an adventure. We got a little way into the walk, about 20 minutes or so when quite out of the blue it started piling it down with snow. It didn’t start slowly and get gradually worse (better). Nope, it just came down in bucket loads from the get go. Massive flakes of snow. My daughter was delighted. She hadn’t seen snow like this before. In fact we were all utterly thrilled that it had started snowing.

It wasn’t too long before it had got deep under foot and of course soon enough we began making huge snowballs and throwing them everywhere and at each other. Luckily we had dressed in warm clothes and good, sturdy walking boots, so we were well equipped to deal with the change in weather. We carried on with our walk for as long as possible, sticking to the paths and taking in the beautiful landscape. A landscape that had very quickly become white over. Sheep had begun to huddle in flocks around trees and some hid behind farm buildings to get some respite from the prevailing storm.

After a while we made the decision to turn around and head back to the car. We hadn’t got to our planned destination but it had been getting colder by the minute and the path had become quite treacherous. All of us nearly landed on our bums on more than one occasion.

I had taken my camera kit with me. I wanted to get some shots of this beautiful Brontë Moor on a crisp winters day. What I did get are this handful of delightful shots. A snowy winter wonderland in the heart of Brontë country. While I was there I imagined the Brontë sisters stomping across these same grounds in weather much like this back in their time, and how they might have stoked a large, warm fire once tucked away from the wilds of this rugged land.

Arts Council Collection and Gomersal Primary School’s own Arts Council

8th September 2017 By Mike Barrett Leave a Comment

Gomersal Primary School’s own Arts Council recently visited the Arts Council Collection at the Longside Gallery at the fabulous Yorkshire Sculpture Park. The visit was devised in order for the young artists of Gomersal Primary School to get an insight into how major artworks are looked after and cared for when in transit, in storage and indeed when on loan in selected galleries or buildings when out on display to the public.

The school council members also got a taste of what it is like to devise sets of questions, lead interviews and to also film the process in order for use in certain media environments.

The day was full of questions from inquisitive minds and everybody got a fascinating insight into what goes on behind the scenes concerning the work of many of our famous artists, both the past and present.

The day was a lot of fun and it was great to spend time with and photograph Arts Council England and Gomersal Primary School’s very own Arts Council.

Retro Ford Meet at Tennants Auctioneers, Leyburn, 2016

28th April 2016 By Mike Barrett Leave a Comment

During the Easter holidays my family and I headed up to Wensleydale for a short caravan holiday. It was the second trip out this year for our beloved old van Doris. We thought that the weather had been sufficiently nice enough to kick start this seasons camping escapades. Wensleydale is such a stunning part of the world. The abundant natural beauty in this part of North Yorkshire is literally breathtaking.

We got settled in a cracking little camp site called Craken House Farm.
Website here: www.crakenhousecaravansite.co.uk

We were greeted by the proprietor Richard who was super helpful. So much so in fact that as soon as we had arrived he gave us a personal guided tour of the site and the facilities. He even unhitched our caravan at the site entrance, attached it to his tractor and towed it up to our pitch and set it up for us. Legs down, levelled up, the lot. A terrific guy with a tale or two to tell.

After having got settled we started to look at the local attractions and plan where we were going to visit while we were there. On the camp site notice board there was a flyer for a retro Ford car meeting in Leyburn that was taking plave the following day. Both my wife and I are Ford fans. Between us we’ve owned quite a few Fords over the years, old and new. We had come up to this part of the world to kick back, relax and enjoy some of the beautiful countryside in the surrounding area, but this event was far too good to pass up. Especially when we found out that the meeting was literally a hop, skip and a jump away from where we were staying.

It’s always good to see old cars kept so well and in such great condition. There were some truly stunning Fords on display. Although cars are not my usual subject matter where photography is concerned, I couldn’t help myself and fired away at these fabulous specimens. The beauty of these old cars speaks for itself. Here are some my photos from the event.

Click on thumbnails below to view full image or open image slideshow:

“Don’t tell him pike”!

13th March 2015 By Mike Barrett Leave a Comment

My wife and I have attended the Haworth 1940’s event for the last three years running.

It is a fantastic event set in the heart of Bronte Country in West Yorkshire where local people along with many visitors kit themselves out in 1940’s get up in celebration of an era past.

The entire village gets into the spirit of things and the place is transformed, to such an extent in fact, that you may well be forgiven for thinking that you had walked through some kind of wormhole and actually been transported back in time.

There are many attractions to see including Swing, Jive and Lindy Hop performances, a Military and Vintage vehicle parade, a ‘We’ll Meet Again’ concert, a Market Marquee in the park and an array of food stalls and places for refreshment, such as the NAAFI Café or perhaps even the Keep Calm & Carry On Café and much, much more. You would be hard pushed to find a more enthusiastic and much loved event on the calendar.

If that’s not enough for you, there are always the steam trains making their usual regular trips up and down the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway and let’s not forget the obligatory Spitfire flypast, which is always a crowd pleaser.

Great for small kids and really big kids. You know, like big kids in their 40’s!

Haworth itself is beautiful and well worth a visit regardless. It has some great pubs, some really fantastic and quirky shops and the surrounding scenery is just stunning.

Here are a selection of photographs of the event from the past three years. 2012, 2013 and 2014.

All Images are copyright:

Hartshead Church – Yew Tree

14th October 2014 By Mike Barrett Leave a Comment

Just up the road from where I live there is a tiny yet stunning old church in a little place called Hartshead.

St Peter, Hartshead is beautifully placed atop a hill with incredible views of the local Yorkshire countryside. Not only is it old and pretty, it is also steeped heavily in local history. Not least, it boasts connections to Robin Hood and the Bronte family. Patrick Bronte was the vicar here from 1810 to 1815 and Charlotte Bronte (his daughter) wrote her novel “Shirley” which was largely based on the local area.

The church also has connections to the Luddite uprising. It is situated not too far from the ‘Dumb Steeple’ in Cooper Bridge. This is where the Luddites gathered before marching across Hartshead Moor towards William Cartwright’s Mill near Cleckheaton. Their express intention was to smash the looms and break all newly developed labour-replacing machinery.

In the churchyard on this windy hill top there stands an old dead yew tree. Robin hood is said to have cut his last arrow from this tree and local legend has it that this was the very arrow that he fired that came to mark the place where he is now buried.

I was walking with my daughter recently and decided to stop for a rest in the churchyard to eat our picnic and take in the stunning views. I have marvelled at the tree on numerous occasions before and on this particular occasion decided to take a few shots of its wonderfully contorted and gnarly form.

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