Busbys Bradford Cultural Icon

Posted on January 8, 2025 by Hortoris

busby

Three brothers and Pater were the Busby family that built and ran a Bradford based departmental store chain. An other brother Clifford died in infancy and a younger sister Rita was born in 1907. But it was Dad, aka ‘Pater’ a senior director of Owen and Owen, together with Arthur, Eric and Ernest who established Busbys as a preeminent retailer in Bradford.

A satellite store was operated in Ikley and W J Buckley and Co of Harrogate was acquired from John Lewis Partnership in 1953 and renamed Busbys. It continued trading there until Debenhams took over until finally ceasing in 2021.

The Bradford store was renown for its Christmas grotto, iconic building on Manningham Lane, major Sales events and the company logo Busbys ‘epicted above’. Busbys in Bradford excelled from 1930’s to 1958 but was not to last under Debenhams ownership. First Ilkley store closed then the Busby name was dropped in favour of a Debenham rebrand 1973. By 1978 more financial pressure saw the axe fall on the Bradford store and it was closed!

Further disaster struck in 1979 when the by now empty Busbys building was raised by a large fire. I do not know if the real cause of the start was discovered but  it destroyed a super building which architecturally and aesthetically we could be proud of in this year of culture.

 

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Bradford – What a Way to Treat Architecture 12 years on

Posted on January 5, 2025 by Hortoris

Long ago the following article about Bradford Buildings was posted:-
Have things changed ? Not a lot!

Added to the list of issues you could include the Bus Station and Interchange, Darley Street, Rawson market even our national museum closed for over a year. The central library has moved locations more times than I change my borrowed books.

Bradford Godsowncounty 038

How many good buildings has Bradford got that it can allow this great 1930’s edifice to fall down around the politicians ears? For 12 years there has been deriliction in more ways than in architectural terms. The unique building has a place in old Bradfordians hearts under at least one of it’s various names the New Vic, Gaumont or the Odeon.

Following a great tradition of destruction there was Swan Arcade, Busby’s, two Victorian Railway Stations, Kirkgate and Rawson Markets, Theatre Royal on Manningham Lane but emphasis is on the ‘was’.
I guess the ‘Penny Bank’ at North Parade / Manor Row is threatened and even the modern Building Society premises up Westgate will follow Provincial House, the City Centre police station and BHS Forster square.

Mills are virtually wiped out with an occasional white elephant housing conversion scheme or arsonists testing ground.

Do not get me started on the ‘Conditioning House’ on Canal Road. I dare you to look at the condition that build is now in!

Meanwhile the great vision from our political elite is a moat around City Hall (sorry I mean a Park with a Mirror Pool). Not to mention the hole in the City Centre designed as Forster House by John Paulson. Come back Paulson even you can’t do as badly!

Gaumont dome

Returning to the Odeon there is a full and interesting history by Colin Sutton ‘Bradford – New Victoria/Gaumont/Odeon’
It is not too late ‘Save our Heritage Buildings’.
The Architects journal says ‘….utterly deplorable act of architectural vandalism.’
Writting in the Telegraph and Argus about asbestos at the Odeon, Uther Pendragon says ‘As usual just one more reason to sweep away Bradford’s heritage in the headlong pursuit of modernisation. As usual destroy and replace with concrete and glass soulless buildings with a limited lifespan that will be declared “not fit for purpose” within a generation’
It is 12 years since the Odeon closed The story of how she came to be hidden away like a bad ghost is riddled with almost unbelievable twists’ the Odeon rescue group

Bradford Little Germany

Little Germany Special

A lot of investment in Little Germany was to be praised. It is the commercial community who need to step up to the plate to reinvigorate this zone. We can’t go on blaming the politicians despite their weedy performance.

Bradford Little Germany

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Stubbs Means Horse Painting

Posted on November 27, 2024 by Hortoris

Study of a Grey Horse (ca. 1800) painting in high resolution by Jacques–Laurent Agasse. Original from The Yale University Art Gallery. Digitally enhanced by rawpixel.

This painting looks like   a bit of an old nag nearly ready for the glue factory. So where is this going on a Yorkshire blog? Well the nations best and most accurate equine painter of horse flesh learnt his trade in York, Hull and Leeds.

George Stubbs was born into a tanning and leather dressing business but for an early age he wanted to be an artist driven by his fascination of anatomy.  At the age of 21 he lived in York and acquired female bodies  (some times by grave robbing) to further his study. Thus he developed accurate drawings related to midwifery. They became the core of a book written b Dr John Burton but illustrated in detail by Stubbs.  A friend in Leeds helped George to learn engraving as the subject matter deterred other engravers.

After moving to Hull, Stubbs greatest efforts were devoted to the study of horse anatomy. This ultimately led to many famous painting.  ‘Whistlejacket ‘ (circa 1762, London, is now in the National Gallery) and ‘Gimcrack with  Trainer, a Stable-Lad, and a Jockey on Newmarket Heath’ was sold recently for $35.9 million.

 

 

 

leeds hospital training

york midwifery.  access to bodie

 

york art gallerie

Whistlejacket 2008

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AI Aye is Yorkshire

Posted on October 18, 2024 by Hortoris

Since Goole.com beat google to the search engine market so Yorkshire rightfully claims credit for AI. Some, mainly digital intelligence, may be fantastic but Yorkshire folk have long been champions at the Aye game.

There is nowt artificial about Yorkshire intelligence Aye or AYI. Since long before the Vikings invaded Yorkshire Aye was a both a positive, a greeting and an expletive. Yes full Yorkshire spelling is still used in parliament as in (the Ayes have it, the Ayes have it)

Its use is seen in many other locations not restricted to the great river AIre famed for its Aire guitar.   AIsalby so good they named it twice in Rydale and Scarborough and Ainderby Steeple twined with Ainderby Quernhow.

Beware new ‘Yorksbot’ is coming to a venue near you .  Please click on all the Lancastrians you can see on this picture.

 

 

 

 

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Are You In t’Club?

Posted on February 12, 2024 by Hortoris

The standard Yorkshire answer to the question ‘are you in t’club?’ is ‘Christmas, Pudding or Working Men’s.’ So I will explore this a bit further.

Well Christmas clubs took a hammering with the bankruptcy of the hamper saving club Farepak members remain totally out of pocket and extremely dissatisfied. Park Hampers also ran into difficulties and seem to have disappeared. Even for Christmas 2023 Money Saving expert  issued this warning.

More interesting is the Pudding Club

Book Cover

In ‘The Yorkshire Pudding Club’ by Barnsley lass Milly Johnson we are told on the inside cover….
‘Three South Yorkshire friends, all on the cusp of 40, fall pregnant at the same time following a visit to an ancient fertility symbol.
For Helen, it’s a dream come true, although her husband is not as thrilled about it as she had hoped. Not only wrestling with painful ghosts of the past, Helen has to deal with the fact that her outwardly perfect marriage is crumbling before her eyes.
For Janey, it is an unmitigated disaster as she has just been offered the career break of a life-time. And she has no idea either how it could possibly have happened, seeing as she and her ecstatic husband George were always so careful over contraception.
For Elizabeth, it is mind-numbing, because she knows people like her shouldn’t have children. Damaged by her dysfunctional childhood and emotionally lost, she not only has to contend with carrying a child she doubts she can ever love, but she also has to deal with the return to her life of a man whose love she must deny herself.
Heart-warming, up-lifting, tear-jerking and lovely, THE YORKSHIRE PUDDING CLUB is the story of how three women find themselves empowered by unexpected pregnancy. How it revitalises one woman’s tired marriage, strengthens another’s belief in herself and brings love and warmth to a cold and empty life.’
Unabridged audio book  can be bought by clicking the book cover on various sites.

So that leaves us with ”are you in the Working Men’s club. My favourite club is in the Bradford village near where I played cricket  The Idle Working Men’s Club

Politicians love to interfere along with Tony Blair, Peter Mandelson need I go on? David Cameron mand the SNP look determines to put another nail in the coffin of well priced drink from Working Mens clubs with the minimum price on alcohol initiative. A Whitehall source said: ‘The Prime Minister has decided that when it comes to alcohol, something pretty radical now has to be done and he is keen on the minimum price.
Why since Maggie Thatcher has it all been politics and government by initiative? We need clear, honest, well thought out policies introduced in a timely and sensible manner for the long term good of our communities and country. We do not need knee jerks by political jerks from the Liberal Clubs, Conservative Clubs or any other self serving club for that matter. (Rant over for 10 minutes ed)

You can’t have too many Yorkshire Puddings

Darlington Buds of May a favourite book in the Northeast

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Ecology Building Society 43 Year Old

Posted on February 11, 2024 by Hortoris

Up Date of post 15.11.2015 A Canny Yorkshire Building society formed in Silsden West Yorkshire with strong links to the Green Party.

Interest rates improved this week 10.2.2024

Scarborough Building Society was formed in May 1846 – making it the oldest building society in Yorkshire and the second oldest in the UK. The Ecology Building Society on the other hand is one of the youngest Building Societies starting trading in 1981. It was founded after a conference of the Ecology Party now called The Green Party. ( I don’t think they will be renaming the building society but you never know after the latest European Elections).

The Society is building a reputation in several niche areas adding to its original early strength with mortgages for ‘smallholdings’ and buildings in need of renovation. It works with Housing Associations and Co-operatives to encourage the refurbishment of terrace houses and the use of brown field sites rather than the indiscriminate new build we so often see.

They provide a series of interesting Ecology based pdf’s for those wanting more information The new head office in Silsden, pictured above, was designed to have an airtight structure, high levels of insulation and low energy requirements. Photovoltaic panels were installed to generate electricity from the sun plus a heat exchanger and a high-efficiency condensing boiler have been installed.
The sedum natural roof serves to replace bird and insect habitat and the surroundings were designed to protect bio diversity. Rain water harvesting provides the water for several purposes and the materials used were from renewable sources or recycled. If you are thinking of applying for a mortgage, addressing these issues in your application in relation to your property, may help you.

Savings accounts may also be available at the Ecology Building Society  which is authorised & regulated by the Financial Services Authority (registration number 162090). They subscribe to the Banking Code, copies of which are available from them on request and are covered by the Financial Ombudsman Service.

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Active Hobbies and Costs

Posted on February 11, 2024 by Hortoris

8 years ago Yorkshire Bank  were worried that we spend too much money  on our hobbies. That is a bit rich coming from a bank then owned by the Aussies National Bank. Within months Yorkshire bank with Clydedale were divested to CYBG plc only to then be taken over by Virgin money. They should have ‘stuck to their knitting’.

From 2015 figures and statistics they came up with the following list of hobbies, annual costs and number of active participants. Knitting was excluded.

HOBBY NUMBER OF ADULTS TAKING PART AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH ANNUAL COST
Golf 1,457,347 £755
Gym (incl. exercise bikes/rowing machines) 4,722,762 £480
Tennis 874,040 £385
Badminton 900,332 £365
Cycling (mod intensity 30 + mins) 3,175,650 £330
Swimming 5,625,539 £176
Fishing 281,083 £148
Football 2,910,684 £88.95
Running 1,872,819 £70
Walking (mod intensity 30+ mins) 8,142,693 £0
Average Cost £279.79

No mention of cricket, bowls, field sports, rugby, bouldering, table tennis, netball, fell running, sky diving or other Yorkshire based activities.
Fishing numbers seem too low and at the risk of offending many fishermen they are hardly very active. Yorkshire Bank must be thinking of the River bank.
Thank goodness shopping isn’t on the list of hobbies, I am sure it costs me most and I cut up her M&S credit card a long time ago.

‘Yorkshire Bank’s top tips for saving money from your hobby:

1. Calculate how much your hobby is costing you every month – make sure this figure covers all your costs and use it in your household budget (but it won’t save owt)
2. Budget, budget, budget – include your hobby costs in your household budget to ensure you don’t have any nasty surprises at the end of the month. By writing down exactly what you are spending your money on, you might be able to cut down on things that are less important to you than your hobby (but it will probably save you nowt)
3. Assess the equipment you currently own – do you really need it all? Selling any surplus on the internet or trading it in for money off new kit could significantly cut your costs (or sell someone else’s equipment instead)
4. Shop around – if you hobby requires a particular venue or specific kit, make sure you have researched all the options and are sure you have the best deal before parting with your cash (play golf at the crack of dawn before the green keepers are awake).
5. Make ‘hobby’ buddies – club together with friends who share your passion and spilt the cost of everything from venue hire and membership fees to petrol and equipment. ( or better still find a rich buddy)’.

Do not forget, in competitive hobbies, it is not the winning that counts but how much you drink afterwards. (Or what happens in corporate takeovers.)
What do fish and women have in common? They both stop shaking their tail after you catch them.
The biggest fish ever caught in Yorkshire was 16 inches – Hmm not very big – well that was between the eyes.

Posted in Our Yorkshire, Yorkshire Sport and Pastimes | 1 Comment

Money Saving Tips for Gardeners

Posted on February 10, 2024 by Hortoris

Yorkshire folk like value for money and why not? Southerners can buy there plants from Chelsea flower show or get the latest fashionable plants from foreign breeders. The doughty Yorkshire gardener will consider his options and grow accordingly.

spring 031

Best Money Saving Garden Ideas

  • ‘The best time to take cuttings is when no one is looking.’
  • Use what you have to increase you stock of plants.
    • Divide primulas and herbaceous plants.
    • Collect ripe seeds and sow them for next season.
    • Take softwood or hardwood cuttings to get more shrubs and save plants through winter.
  • Be careful buying and sowing seed. If you only get a few viable plants as a result you will be paying over the odds for you plant. Seed can be very expensive per plant grown.
  • Beg, borrow or steal (or not that one) from other gardeners. They often have more plants than they need and generally will help a new gardener with a cutting or excess plants.
  • Buy in bulk with a friend or neighbor. There are good deals at Horticultural clubs or for bulk purchases of spring bulbs from wholesalers.
  • Think longer term and buy good long living plants the give a good all round show of flower, fruit and colour.

Tulip

Retailers for Savings

  • I favour buying from proper and often specialist nurseries. You want good quality plants or your money can be wasted. Dead or dying plants will not save you any money.
  • Second choice for me is farmers markets and markets with a high turnover of fresh looking plants.
  • Garden centers keep moving towards multi-product retailers and often sacrifice gardeners needs. Big pantechnicons from Holland only lead to big margins.
  • Yorkshire traders, Wilco, B&M’s and supermarket multiples who pile it high and seem to sell cheap are seeking to catch the impulse buyer.

 

Spring Blossom

Plug Plants

Mail order plug plants can be good value if you need quantities 160’s of 105 plants for just over a tenner seems to be good value.
Choose from a good selection, for spring you could opt for Auriculas, numerous Pansies or Rosebud Primroses. Sowing your own is labour intensive and seed is getting more expensive.
Wallflowers are only supposed to last one year but if you can put up with them being a bit leggy they will flower again. If you want new plants get them planted in summer and pinch out the growing tip to get a bushy plant.

Spring Blossom

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Yorkshire’s Antarctic Ancestors

Posted on January 9, 2024 by Hortoris

If you are shivering and feeling the seasonal cold spare a thought for  our Yorkshire forefathers  who were early visitors to Antarctica. In 1525 a Spanish captain explored around the Horn. The passage of sea between antarctic and Argentina was named after Francis Drake after he demonstrated  that there was open water south of South America.

Sailors and Explorers

James Cook

Douglas Mawson born Yorkshire geologist explorer Macquarie island wild life sanctuary

William Scoresby scientist son of whaling captain William Scoresby, (born October 5, 1789, Cropton, near Whitby,  vicar in Bradford diocese

William Wales astronomer sailed on the Resolution with James Cook to observe the transit of Venus for the royal society

Frank Wild      Born near James Cook’s birthplace to whom he was distantly related. 1907 joined Ernest Shackleton for the second arctic expedition.

Whalers and Fishermen

Spare a thought for the various ship crews that set off from Yorkshire homes and ports to hunt whales, seals and Antarctic fish. They must have been brave to sail so far into such an inhospitable continental environment.

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Ee by Gum Bikes

Posted on January 9, 2024 by Hortoris

Are E-bikes the end of cycling as we know it. Ee by gum Leeds council don’t think so as they have spent ages and a large fortune on reshaping the city center.  This picture highlights it is not the ‘end of end of’ but the start of an extended traffic free zone to make more space for dangerous e-scooters. Ee by gum who elected these numpties

cycle-path-leeds

Beryl Burton will be turning on her spinner as a firm using her name is running the Leeds Ebike loan rental initiative. ‘An estimated 300 e-bikes will be available initially, from conveniently located docking stations around the city. The bike allocation will double in size over the first 6 months of the service.’ How many will be out of commission or stolen in the first 6months of operation.

Local press comment

Apropos nothing but I don’t know what is going on; it is the first day this year that it is not raining buckets. Time for Yorkshire Water to introduce another hosepipe ban. Ee by gum floods are us in 2024.

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