The owls are not what they seem...
is one of my favourite quotes from Twin Peaks. But Leeds, it transpires, is full of owls. The arms date from the Corporate Seal of 1626, when the Borough of Leeds was first incorporated by Royal Charter of Charles I, when the wealthy Sir John Savile, of Howley Hall near Batley, was elected the first alderman of the Borough. He was also M.P. for Yorkshire. The owls come from Savile family's coat of arms.
Up gingerly this morning, and Lorraine and I met Sam downstairs for breakfast. I had not slept particularly well: too much to drink the night before, and the wind had been wuthering in the windows. We consumed a huge breakfast and then Sam and Lorraine went to buy a coat and I went to the Art Gallery.
This proved to be closed, so I spent a happy hour before it opened rubbernecking in Leeds, which is much more attractive when not viewed in the rain. In fact it has magnificent buildings, and is a magnificent city. Nice streetnames too, including Swinegate. A wealthy place, with huge industrial buildings now converted to swish appartments down by the River Aire and expensive shops according to Lorraine and Sam.
Leeds Art Gallery was just across from our hotel (The Radison Blu). A fine collection with some important late 19th and early 20th Century British Art. William Roberts (a teenage hero of mine, now much out of fashion), Sickly Sickert, Paul Nash, Stanley Spencer. Also some moderatly interesting prizewinning local contemporary artists. I had an hour and did not see everything.
Then met up with Sam, now the proud owner of a long black coat, fleece, gloves and a tub of vitamin pills (the result of Lorraine being in full 'Mum' mode). Coffee and for me a Greek Salad, Sam and Lorraine opting for sweet things. Then we wandered up to the charming and cheery German Market, complete with bumper cars and merry go round, and loads of tents crammed with Christmas goods and drifting with the scents of crepes and candyfloss, mulled wine and German sausages in buns. Then around the corner to a pub for a last drink with Sam before we bade him a fond farewells.
The journey home was dire. Someone in the midlands threw a bicyle from a bridge which went under a train severing a cables, adding another two hours to our trip. This resulted in dozens of trains into London being disrupted. We arrived in Brighton after 11pm. I moaning that we could have flown to Canada or New York in the time it took to get back from Leeds. Luckily however, I had a good thick book, and my reading of Owen Meany is almost complete. A wonderful book.
Lorraine had her laptop with her, and did lots of work so making next week much easier for her.
Below some Leeds owls in the crest on a bridge down by the Waterside; great golden owls; a Leeds streetscene; a small protester camp in the City Square; random snap of light that took my fancy; in the German Market; a seller of Dwarfs.
is one of my favourite quotes from Twin Peaks. But Leeds, it transpires, is full of owls. The arms date from the Corporate Seal of 1626, when the Borough of Leeds was first incorporated by Royal Charter of Charles I, when the wealthy Sir John Savile, of Howley Hall near Batley, was elected the first alderman of the Borough. He was also M.P. for Yorkshire. The owls come from Savile family's coat of arms.
Up gingerly this morning, and Lorraine and I met Sam downstairs for breakfast. I had not slept particularly well: too much to drink the night before, and the wind had been wuthering in the windows. We consumed a huge breakfast and then Sam and Lorraine went to buy a coat and I went to the Art Gallery.
This proved to be closed, so I spent a happy hour before it opened rubbernecking in Leeds, which is much more attractive when not viewed in the rain. In fact it has magnificent buildings, and is a magnificent city. Nice streetnames too, including Swinegate. A wealthy place, with huge industrial buildings now converted to swish appartments down by the River Aire and expensive shops according to Lorraine and Sam.
Leeds Art Gallery was just across from our hotel (The Radison Blu). A fine collection with some important late 19th and early 20th Century British Art. William Roberts (a teenage hero of mine, now much out of fashion), Sickly Sickert, Paul Nash, Stanley Spencer. Also some moderatly interesting prizewinning local contemporary artists. I had an hour and did not see everything.
Then met up with Sam, now the proud owner of a long black coat, fleece, gloves and a tub of vitamin pills (the result of Lorraine being in full 'Mum' mode). Coffee and for me a Greek Salad, Sam and Lorraine opting for sweet things. Then we wandered up to the charming and cheery German Market, complete with bumper cars and merry go round, and loads of tents crammed with Christmas goods and drifting with the scents of crepes and candyfloss, mulled wine and German sausages in buns. Then around the corner to a pub for a last drink with Sam before we bade him a fond farewells.
The journey home was dire. Someone in the midlands threw a bicyle from a bridge which went under a train severing a cables, adding another two hours to our trip. This resulted in dozens of trains into London being disrupted. We arrived in Brighton after 11pm. I moaning that we could have flown to Canada or New York in the time it took to get back from Leeds. Luckily however, I had a good thick book, and my reading of Owen Meany is almost complete. A wonderful book.
Lorraine had her laptop with her, and did lots of work so making next week much easier for her.
Below some Leeds owls in the crest on a bridge down by the Waterside; great golden owls; a Leeds streetscene; a small protester camp in the City Square; random snap of light that took my fancy; in the German Market; a seller of Dwarfs.
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