Author Archives: Hortoris
Dirty Birds of Yorkshire?
Wild life can imitate life and in some cases human body parts. In the same way dictionaries can imitate bird tweets or nomenclature. The real meaning of these birds names have been sequestered Tits Boobie Shag Cock Pecker Cockatoo, Cockaitel … Continue reading
Forster in Bradford
William Forster was Bradford’s MP during Queen Victoria’s reign. After making a name for himself in the woolen manufacturing industry his interest in national education encouraged him to establish the 1870 Elementary Education Act. the statue is newly relocated … Continue reading
Pylons
A landscape fit for Pylons moving electricity around the county. A portrait of a pylon standing erect around Bolton Woods quarry in West Yorkshire It isn’t the barbed wire that is dangerous but the wires above that can be shocking. … Continue reading
Alum Industry at Runswick
Become part of the Alum alumni. What use is alum you may wonder? Alum was added during the preparatory stages of papermaking and later it was used as a size. Alum combined with a dye or stain and thereby fixes … Continue reading
Signs of the Times
Is this an instruction to the dustbinmen (refuse operatives if you want to be PC) not to rush to work and finish! Our favourite sandwich shop sign now sadly closed for lunch and everythingelse! Oh I did like to be … Continue reading
Ironstone Quarrying near Whitby
Ironstone quarrying is hard work and these grafters gather for a breather and a photograph at Whinstone quarry in Rosedale. Stone merchant William Berriman and Ironstone miner John Berriman plus Robert and Joseph are all recorded in the census from … Continue reading
Witches Familiars in Yorkshire
Black cats or toads are well known as ‘familiars’ possessed by witches but there are also a range of other creatures and spirits with Yorkshire and witch connections. Rats, fowie ( a hideous looking person), dogs and imps are familiar … Continue reading
Yorkshire Tools of the Carriage Trade
Stables and Harness Rooms It is hard to imagine transport in the Victorian era and prior. Journeys had to be taken on foot, horseback or coach. There were numerous types of coach, carriage, cart and waggons for 1,2 or 4 … Continue reading
Bradford October 2017
Bradford has a museum to be proud with the National Science and Media Museum. The author and a friend are pictured taking advantage of one display that showed thermal images of visitors. The white eyes are the hottest and I … Continue reading
West Witton – Grave Situation
Below is the church of St Batholomew in West Witton where the churchyard (above) was consecrated in 1752. The majority of the grave stones follow a dales tradition of using uncarved local stone as markers or memorial. When shown together … Continue reading