Dismantling Christmas…..A Little Bit Of Social History….There’s Always Somewhere New To Discover…
by Bernie Bell - 09:52 on 06 January 2024
Dismantling Christmas…..
Yesterday - we took the ‘deccies down – dismantled Christmas – the Living Room suddenly looked very bare.
I ate the last mince pie - put the ’Festive Season‘ telly guide in the re-cycling - and felt gloomy.
Last year….
Christmas Cards In The Ditches
We put the ‘paper’ bin out
With Christmas cards for re-cycling
The wind came up
The bin blew over
Cards & paper scattered across the fields
And in the ditches
We picked them up
As best we could
But folk might still find some
And read ‘To Bernie & Mike – From…’
But they won’t be reading Julie’s….
“Life is grim and very hard
But - hope you like
This little card
And when I’ve something
Good to say
I’ll send a letter
Right away”
BB January 2022
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A Little Bit Of Social History..
Someone I know recently posted on his Facebook page about a stay in an hotel in Leeds, and included a picture of some magnificent stained glass windows which line the stair-way - each representing one of the main cities of the area. Apparently, the hotel used to be a gentlemen's club for the Liberal party.
Bradford is my home-town, so I posted this in the comments….
https://theorkneynews.scot/2019/08/26/solastalgia/
This set me off thinking about how many fine Victorian buildings were knocked down in the late 1960’s/early 70’s in cities all over Britain and how city centres became identikit.
In Bradford – the Kirkgate Market gave way to an Arndale Centre….
https://theorkneynews.scot/2021/08/02/a-bit-of-an-odd-thing/
Fortunately, the old Mechanic’s Institute didn’t fall to the wrecking ball, and still serves its original purpose…
https://www.bradfordmechanicsinstitute.org/
…in the original building….
Mechanic’s Institutes played a large part in the education and therefore emancipation of the working people in that era.
I don’t know where the hotel in Leeds is situated, but if it’s in the city-centre it’s lucky to have survived. Today, if that building was demolished the windows would be re-claimed and sold for a lot of money. Back in the 60’s & ‘70’s they were unceremoniously …smashed.
And the fact that it was a Liberal club before becoming an hotel adds to the picture. In the Victorian era the Liberal Party was seen as the party of change. There was no Labour Party and the only ‘voteable’ alternative to the Tories was…the Liberals. It was Liberal politicians who brought in many progressive and benevolent changes in society. This building might have been a centre for the Liberal faction in the area.
The people of the North of England tended to support the Liberals as – what working person in their right mind supports the Tories? A good question to ask today!
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There’s Always Somewhere New To Discover…
A mention of Durkadale intrigued me as I hadn’t come across the name before. So I ‘Googled’ and saw this picture of the sprawling ruins of an old house……
https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/519739
A sizable place in its time – what’s the story?
I then tried Canmore - which provided further interest – not relating to that ruin, but to another mysterious structure….
https://canmore.org.uk/site/2212/durkadale
Look closely at any patch of land in Orkney and you’ll find history, archaeology, wildlife etc etc etc.
https://theorkneynews.scot/2020/04/25/walking-out-from-the-house-again/
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