Bradford City of Culture
Art and Urban Renewal Bradford has become the latest UK city of culture, we wrote about Coventry in the past, which had many Waterford links through sport and work. Hull was more recent and Derry got a boost to from this accolade. You will be impressed with great art and fine sights to see from Little Germany in Bradford to the model village of Saltaire. Bradford is in West Yorkshire between Manchester and Leeds, which also have Irish links. We were invited there by local contact in Bradford city council and via local journalist and given a number of interesting things to see like the Media Museum, the old town and the model town of Saltaire. We also visited galleries, linked to world renowned local artist David Hockney, who now lives in Los Angeles. The art galleries were free as was the media museum. Getting There & Accommodation The city has an airport nearby covering the Leeds Bradford area, with local bus links. The Midland hotel was recommended as being central to the old town that grew from the woollen mills in the 19th century, when it was known as Woolanopolis or Worstedopolis, as their textiles were sent to the empire world and Europe. They went so much to Europe that German buyers and traders came over to construct impressive sand stone buildings in the city and what is now still called ‘little Germany’. Many important institutions use the buildings today. We had been to this area in the 1990s. There have been noticeable building up grades and cleaning of exteriors in the city centre, on a negative side too many bookies and gaming places are in the centre. City Life, Food & Nightlife Night time area downtown is on Ivegate, where the Dubliner pub located, some pubs midweek charged 3 pound a pint. Nice eateries nearby, including as the city is famous for curries. The city centre reflects prosperity in the past and the city of culture was added to provide further rejuvenation. Media Museum & David Hockney Media museum has a brilliant David Hockney exhibition, where layered and photography using joinery methods where several cameras used on vehicle to film 4 seasons in local Woldgate woods in East Yorkshire, done in a split second and pieced together. Hockney is a brilliant modern artist with these multiple images. On the downstairs of the Media museum, there is a tribute to the early days of photography from its early discovery and science to the early pictures in France and UK in mid 1850s to the Kodak Brownies and seaside snapshots of visitors. Photos were the preserve of the well off originally but then holiday makers and families would go to photo studios. Polaroid cameras would have big impact, but the digital camera would see the almost the end of film photography and Kodak from the American city of Rochester, twinned with Waterford and the home of Bausch and Lomb also. Cartwright Hall & Further Art We took a bus ride to the Cartwright Hall for more art on Hockney and others like Lowry, again free and worth the visit, the local lad who made good, starting in the local art college and then the Royal College of Art. He had studios after in Notting Hill and very innovative using modern styles and photography. Light and change are used so well. Hockney still works into his 80s and loves swimming pool settings in LA and has his own one.!! loves also the American west, less so loud New York. Saltaire – Model Village Our final destination was the model village of Saltaire, built by mill owner Titus Salt, where better living conditions for workers were created with company housing, schools, community center and church plus a mill employing 3000 workers. Trading could change in the post war eras and eventually, the mill would close. A local entrepreneur would purchase it and turn it into a gallery, concert venue and local shops. Hockney would support him as a friend with an art donation and still does to new operators. Jonathan Silver would die of cancer when only partly achieving his objective. Today it is a must see and highly recommended by locals, we had been there in the 1990s prior to the full transformation but now is outstanding. Saltaire even has its own local craft brewery, brewing not allowed in the old days, even a Titus bar too, nearby fine bakery, where you can buy a fine local Yorkshire pasty and home made soup. Timothy Taylor is the local brew in Bradford, be sure to try this fine ale. Industry, Community & Heritage It would be great if something similar was possible for the Portlaw tannery plant, but it takes a lot of money. Nearby modern Leeds based workers have bought the nice sandstone houses and with convenient Saltaire rail links, the area is revived and Fashionable. Salt mills had thriving shops, galleries and eateries, just a few miles from hills of Yorkshire where sheep graze. The local wool was the raw material for this world renowned wool industry. Saltaire also used Alpaca from Peru to get premium market leadership. It is a great tale, watch the film on top floor about the story of Titus Salt family and its development, fascinating. Get there via local bus from Cartwright Hall, the number is 662 and will also bring you to Bradford city centre. There is a large Asian community in the city form the sixties to work in the textiles industry prior to its demise. See Manningham Lane on this route where there are many Asian clothing shops. Bargains to be had here. Food, Culture & Links In terms of Asian food and restaurants try the International Sweet Centre and My Lahore in the city centre, see visit bradford.com, where they have even a curry guide. Bradford also famous for the Bronte family. Derry, which we know and Coventry were previous culture cities we wrote about, areas that have potential for