A Yorkshire Miscellany: October 2017: Part 1

To Yorkshire or a few days with friends at their home just outside of Halifax. We got out and about a lot whilst there, so here are a few photographs taken as we wandered over hill and dale. No theme, just a collection of images to give a flavour of a very enjoyable time with long-time friends.


The study at the Parsonage in Haworth where the Bronte family lived and in which the three sisters wrote their iconic novels. Pretty much everything in this room was original, even down to the carved initials on the table (Emily wuz yer), except for the dress which came from the recent BBC series, To Walk Invisible. A very atmospheric place to visit and, at this time of year, not jam-packed with tourists.

Bramwell Bronte's bedroom, arranged to reflect his chaotic lifestyle. For ever in the shadow of his sisters, he will go down in history as a tragic 'what if he had lived longer, what might he have achieved?' figure.

The graveyard which is between the Parsonage and the church. The Brontes are buried in the church which, of course, was not open when we were there. I always think that grey images work well in photographs of headstones..

This reflection caught my eye. Man with camera playing about - much to the amusement and bemusement of the other people in the room.

The Grade I listed Piece Hall in Halifax is a rare place and is the sole survivor of the great eighteenth century northern cloth halls, a class of buildings which embodied the vital and dominant importance of the trade in hand woven textiles to the pre-industrial economy of the West Riding of Yorkshire, from the Middle Ages through to the early nineteenth century.
Dating from 1779, when it was built as a Cloth Hall for the trading of ‘pieces’ of cloth (a 30 yard length of woven woollen fabric produced on a handloom). Nothing like that goes on today, of course, but it is an impressive place to visit. The recently re-laid plaza seems tailor made for outdoor events, Yorkshire weather permitting.

One rather naff feature of the Piece Hall plaza was a cascade of water and lights. Rather too modern and garish for its location but more subdued when processed in black and white.

A visit to Holy Cross Church in Gilling East in search of our friend's ancestors lead us to this plaque to the Fairfax family. Well done to Aunty Gwen for her work in making this connection. We lunched in the Fairfax Arms but, sadly, there was no discount offered to members of the Fairfax family.

It would be easy to overlook these marks in the doorway to the church and this would be a shame as they are unusual. Not random scratchings but the result of many mediaeval parishioners using the stone to sharpen their arrows.

Owl #1

Owl #2

Owl #3 You've probably guessed by now that there was an owl display on at Beningborough Hall. Beautiful through they are, I really don't like to see such birds in captivity.

What has socialism ever done for us.

The season of Party Conferences is coming to an end and, as usual, they generated more noise than light. I'll admit to being partisan but I must say that the Tories won the 'play the man, rather than the ball' competition by a mile. Their attacks on Jezza took the place of any clear exposition of their policies. When they blindly attack socialism or ‘Comrade Corbyn’ and parrot the claim that Britain under him would be akin to living in Venezuela, perhaps it's time to remind ourselves that Britain has embraced socialism over the last century. What people don’t consider, or care to admit, is that many of the Great British Institutions that we take for granted are actually socialist principles - and I do mean socialist principles and not Tory political expediency. For example, consider the following:

Being able to send your child to a state school and access to education for everyone is socialist.

Paying for the NHS via National Insurance, and having free healthcare at the point of use is socialist.

Having equal or free access to the legal system is socialist.

Helping the disabled, weak or vulnerable in society is socialist.

Gender and sexual equality are socialist.

Good public transport and utilities are socialist.

Intervening in monopolies to stop the consumer being held to ransom or exploited is socialist.

A fair deal for workers is socialist.

And there are more of these, based on principle and not vote-seeking expediency. But be wary; the socialist elements of our life are being slowly eroded away from under our noses. Think about it a little. Think about how much you value them. Think about how much you'd miss them. You never know, you may realise that a little part of you is…. a socialist (eeek!).

Who looks after those who support lost causes?

Through years of swimming against the prevailing tide, I've often been in the position of supporting what many would regard as a lost cause. In preparation for writing something about this, I thought I'd find out a little more about St Jude, traditionally, in the UK at least, the patron saint of lost causes. I was surprised (actually, not surprised, interested is more accurate) to find that he is just one of four that the Catholic church recognises as patron saints of lost or impossible causes. And no, St Jezza isn't on the list, neither, for that matter, is St Theresa. The quartet are St. Rita of Cascia, St. Jude Thaddeus (the man himself), St. Philomena and St. Gregory of Neocaesarea. Admit it, you want to know more as you are thinking "What did they do to earn the patronage of lost causes? I bet there's a story behind each one? Where did it all go wrong for them?". Read on and be educated.


St Rita was born in 1381 in Roccaporena, Italy. Although she had a deep wish to enter a religious life, her parents arranged her marriage at a young age to a cruel and unfaithful husband. However, because of his wife's prayers, he experienced a conversion after almost 20 years of unhappy marriage. It's a shame that he was murdered soon after. But that wasn't the end to Rita's troubles as her two sons became ill and died following their father’s death, leaving Rita without any family. She tried again to enter the religious life, but was denied entrance to the Augustinian convent many times before finally being accepted. Once there, Rita, poor thing, was asked to tend to a dead piece of vine as an act of obedience. She watered the stick diligently and, quelle surorise, it inexplicably yielded grapes. Apparently, the plant still grows at the convent and its leaves are distributed to those seeking miraculous healing. For the rest of her life until her death in 1457, Rita experienced illness and an ugly, open wound on her forehead that repulsed those around her. Like all the other calamities in her life, she accepted this situation with grace. Although her life was filled with seemingly impossible circumstances and many reasons for despair, St. Rita never lost her faith and for this she has been adopted as a champion of lost causes.

Although he is the most popular patron of lost causes, not much is known of St. Jude‘s life. He was one of the Twelve Apostles and preached the Gospel with great passion, often in the most difficult circumstances. He is believed to have been martyred for his faith while preaching to pagans in Persia.

Saint Philomena must have been very busy as, as well as being connected with lost causes, she is also the patron of youth (especially babies and children), students and test-takers, afflicted mothers, young married couples and the sick and suffering. Although she was martyred under the reign of Diocletian in the third century, she was entirely unknown until her tomb was uncovered in 1802. She is the only person to be recognized as a saint solely on the basis of miraculous intercession. Of noble birth with Christian convert parents, Philomena dedicated her virginity to Christ.  When she refused to marry the Emperor Diocletian, she was cruelly tortured in many ways for over a month. She was scourged, thrown into a river with an anchor around her neck, and shot through with arrows. A short but harrowing life, she died when she was around 13 or 14.

St. Gregory Neocaesarea, also known as St. Gregory Thaumaturgus (the Wonderworker) was born in Asia Minor around the year 213. Although raised as a pagan, at age 14 he was converted to Christianity with his brother. At the age of 40 he became a bishop in Caesarea, and served the Church in this role until his death 30 years later. According to ancient records, there were only 17 Christians in Caesarea when he first became a bishop. Many people were converted by his words and by his miracles and when he died, there were only 17 pagans left  in all of Caesarea.