19th Century Leeds Lad John Atkinson Grimshaw

Posted on November 3, 2020 by Hortoris

John Atkinson Grimshaw (JAG)

John Atkinson Grimshaw - Whitby [1883]Whitby Looking South 1883

FlicrAttribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

What would an artist want to be remembered for? An appreciation of his or her works irrespective of genre, perceived or intrinsic value? A combination of factors doubtless but that is probably not why they started painting.

JAG is remembered for his northern scenes with wet streets, winter afternoons, moon-lit nights and gaslit docksides. Perhaps we now think of his paintings as representing ‘it’s grim up north’. (but no it’s Grimshaw up North)

JAG died from TB at a relatively early age of 53. As a younger painter he was sponsored by the Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society which still operates as a local charity and helps fund the Leeds City Galleries

Painting fresh air or wet smokey atmospheres  for that matter is reminiscent of JWM Turner who was renown for his landscapes and seascapes. Like JAG many of  his exceptional paintings were executed in Yorkshire.

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Painter Christopher Bramham

Posted on November 3, 2020 by Hortoris

Yorkshire born former Bradford Art College student Christopher shares his surname with a Leeds village Bramham cum Oglethorpe.

‘Christopher Bramham new work‘  from jonathan clark fine art available from amazon and others 

From an introduction by Sebastian Smee, the Australian-born  art critic for the Washington Post, we learn about CB’s fascination with Henri Matisse and his work from his Nice period around 1919.

CB’s next friend to be referenced in the introduction is Lucien Freud along side his strong 1989 portrait at the start of the book. He also offers up a useful quote from LF ‘nothing is so insignificant that you can’t  trouble over it’, a mantra I should take to heart in my artistic endeavours.

Lessons from CB’s drawing shown in the 50 or so photographs includes the use of a variety of hatching, coloured light and withholding to emphasise shine, opacity and texture in addition to modelling. I particularly like the extended pages that show detail that highlights to me the variety of texture CB generates.

I am new to CB’s work but found the style and attention to detail very much to my taste. I will be looking out for examples of his work in the Yorkshire galleries.

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Yorkshire Grace and Favour

Posted on November 3, 2020 by Hortoris

Yorkshires new archbishop Stephen Cottrell and  his grace’s

God bless us all, an’ mak us able
Ta eyt all t’ stuff ‘at’s on this table…

We thank the Lord for what we’ve getten:
But if mooare ‘ad been cutten
Ther’d mooare ‘a’ been etten…

American solders billeted at Catterick during WWII reputedly used the following bible belter:

Lord, we know without a doubt
you’ll bless this food
as we pig out.

Here’s to thee proud Yorkshire wish a hapeth of potato and a penerth of fish available from Fry Tucks and other spoofy chippies.

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Happy Yorkshire Day 2020

Posted on August 1, 2020 by Hortoris

1st August 2020 could be renamed locked down ‘West Riding Day’ where you can’t even meet in your own garden.

During the first lockdown we missed 2 funerals, our golden wedding cruise and our grandsons 4th birthday. Just when we ‘thought it was safe to go out’ our three planned socially distanced events were zapped by the new regulations.

Still  Happy Yorkshire Day

 

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PPE Pathetic Plastic Environment

Posted on July 15, 2020 by Hortoris

The Pathetic Plastic Environment


This is a small sample of the medical and safety waste that has been dumped on our local streets; it just doesn’t cover your nose it can get right up it!

Whilst walking our streets for lockdown exercise, seldom a mile has gone by without several instances of careless disposal or deliberate littering. Yorkshire you are better than this.

Refuse collectors in our met district have done a sterling job all through this difficult year but why should they be confronted by potentially dangerous, dumped dross like this?

Here is another example of people performing envorocide by placing plastic pollution alongside these wheely bins. At least it is better to dispose of PPE here than dropping it in public places.

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Treacle Mines of Pudsey Yorkshire

Posted on June 17, 2020 by Hortoris

Have I stumbled on the last Yorkshire born Treacle Miner? Is he an off cumden and a treacle johnny come lately? You will have to judge for yourself by reading more on All Things Treacle. At least he has contributed the Pudsey treacle mine history that starts;
‘Pudsey Treacle goes back into time immemorial; back into the distant ages when the earth had just evolved from the swirling mists of archaic originations, aye before Genesis…..’
‘Cistercian monks at the nearby Kirkstall Abbey believed that there was a tributary of treacle from the main source at Pudsey running through the abbey’ and those monks stuck to their guns as was their habit.

More Treacle Mine History

Most treacle mines date back to the 17th century according to an entry in an old leather account book

In the summer of 1939 clouds were gathering over Europe but the people of Wymsey were preoccupied with a more parochial looming disaster – the closure of the Wymsey Treacle Mine. Treacle had been mined in Wymsey long before the Romans occupied Watchester (Cystcentum) in AD66.

In 2010 times are hard for the Treacle People. The once great treacle mines of Pudsey Yorkshire are running dry and the treacle industry is in trouble. TV documentary on Channel 4

Fiction is Stranger Than Truth

Due to dangerous working conditions Treacle Miners formed the National Union of Treaclers or Nuts for health and safety reasons. The first successful result was to insist on the wearing of wigs to protect heads. These were obviously called Syrups.

Moles in America eat lots of laxative sugar cane. After feasting they leave behind a terrible stench and that is what is called Moleasses.

Treacle Spongebob Squarepants is a real TV personality from Pudsey whilst his erstwhile cousin Spongebob Squarepants is a fictional character. (Sorry to disappoint you fans of the latter)

 

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Ghost Hunting in Yorkshire

Posted on June 16, 2020 by Hortoris

As you would expect Yorkshire has more than it’s fair share of ghouls, ghosts and things that go bump in the night. Numerous event organisations will help the hunting of the paranormal but there is more fun by ghost hunting on your own or with close family. Here are a few tips to get you and your imagination stimulated.

York Minster

 Top Ghosts  Locations

  1.  The supernatural are or have been ‘natural’ in a former life and visitations will come from those who have already lived and died.
  2. Castles and old abbeys are a good place to potential come across ghosts. Bloody battles have often been fought in or around castles and Richmond, Ripley and Scarborough castles are worth exploring. I have even hear of sightings at smaller castles and old buildings.
  3. The phantom drummer of Easby abbey is a young drummer boy who was sent by soldiers, to explore a tunnel connecting the castle and abbey, whilst they listened to his drumming  from above. When he was halfway the drumming stopped and he was never seen again but his drumming can still be heard during evenings and nights.
  4. Battle ground, graveyards and battlefields are locations where ghosts may deliberately appear so they are seen by the living.
  5. Locations that experienced crimes or unfortunate accidents are becoming popular sites for ghosts. Near Boulby Cliff near Staithes the ghost of a young girl has been seen walking along the edge of the cliff where many years ago a landslip took a girl to a premature death.
  6. Whitby and York are famous or should it be infamous for the number and variety of ghosts and apparitions. Enjoy a walking trip around either place but a warning, take special care you don’t know what you may come across.

 

 

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Logarithmic Log On for Digital School

Posted on June 15, 2020 by Hortoris

As the time comes to return to school many people will be tackling the vexed problem of logarithms. For me it is  60 years too late but I recently logged on to computer based maths lessons to try get back on top of what vexed me whilst at school.

This led me to discover Halifax man, Henry Briggs (1561-1630) a Yorkshireman and mathematician instrumental in the functionality of logarithms originally invented by John Napier. Common logarithms are sometimes known as Briggsian logarithms so if you struggle with them you know to blame that Yorkshire bloke. If in later life you benefit from logarithms then you now know who to thank.

Uses for Logarithms.

  • Engineers use them to measure radioactive decay the brightness of stars and the decibels made by  noisy like Lancastrians
  • Logarithms can be used to measure earthquakes but we do not get many earthquakes in Yorkshire (fracking not with standing)
  • Bankers and actuaries use them to calculate annuities and compound interest over long periods.
  • Scientists use them modeling and medical analysis
  • Mundanely your log will help to calculate the pH of a fluid so I may use that in my log on password.

 

 

 

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Speleologists Visit Yorkshire

Posted on May 23, 2020 by Hortoris

We are not talking about people spell incorrectly as speleology is the scientific study of caves and pot holes. Yorkshire has its fair share of such karst features, underground drainage systems, sinkholes and caves enough to interest most ardent speleologists.

Hardraw Force

Notable Yorkshire Sites to Study Speleomorphology

  1. What causes erosion around   England’s highest single drop waterfall at Hardraw Force hidden behind the Green Dragon Inn Hawes. It was water not beer or brass band music.
  2. Gaping Ghyll pot hole on the southern flank of Ingleborough was first decended on Yorkshire day 1895.
  3. At Giggleswick there is a well that displays sudden rushes of water. This is caused by two chambers eroded in to the limestone near Settle creating a syphon effect. It was first reported in 1612.
  4. White Scar Cavern has lakes and rock formations (stalagtites going down).
  5. I leave budding Speleologists to discover the location of other treasures like Rumbling Hole, The Fairies Workshop and Boggart Holes

 

 

 

 

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Stonewalled Dry Stone Walls

Posted on May 17, 2020 by Hortoris

Cycling to the Wall

The best way to seek out and see Yorkshires best stonewalls is to get on your bike! Walking is the traditional way of getting around the dales and still to be admired. Cycling on the other hand lets you experience far more ‘wall vistas’ in less time so use two wheels rather than two legs (and no motor vehicles).

In Praise of Old Walls

  1. A well built wall will endure for centuries.  It is an investment of time and cash and have proved to be generationally long term investments.
  2. A hedge row is expensive to maintain and will eventually need replacing.
  3. Hedges need initial protection from grazing animals before it becomes secure and stable.
  4. Stonewalls are a picturesque part of the dales landscape that helped develop the tourist industry.

dry-stone-wallDales Dry Limestone Stonewall

 Reasons Farmers Need or Needed Walls

Continue reading →

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