Thursday 28 June 2012

Now in Leeds



 We took in Saltaire on our way to Leeds yesterday. A fine example of social housing. Titus Salt built a new vast mill and built a little town beside it for the workers. Given the awful conditions of housing in the city, this must have been a welcome change. Thre is a mix of house sizes but all had facilities for getting rid of sewage.








Before we left Manchester, we visited the John Rylands Library, a truly mediaeval-style palace - built around 1890! Here is a lovely press, one of several on show, and all clearly still in use. The big bonus for me was that the Designer Bookbinder Show was set up. It does not start until next Friday and I assumed that I would miss it but there it was, a real bonus. When I inquired I was even able to buy an illustratedcatalogue which I have not had time to read yet.










And here is a rather proud piece of plumbing out in the open.

Today we start on walking round Leeds  and this afternoon we 'do' Bradford. Quite rude to Bradford, i think, only allowing 3 hours.

1 comment:

  1. I find it vaguely bemusing that people go and look at what I grew up with!

    ReplyDelete

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About Me

I am weaver and - -. I dye my yarns with acid dyes, I paint my warps, put fabric collages and stencils on my weaving. I have three looms, a 12 inch wide, 12 shaft Meyer for demos and courses, a 30 inch Louet Kombo which is nominally portable but has a stand, two extra beams and a home-made device containing a fan reed. And last a 32 shaft Louet Megado which is computer controlled, has a sectional warp and a second warp beam and I am the proud owner of an AVL warping wheel which I love to bits and started by drilling holes in. I inserted a device for putting a cross in. I have just acquired an inkle loom and had a lesson from an expert so I can watch TV and weave at the same time. I am interested in weaving with silk mostly 60/2 although I do quite a bit with 90/2 silk. I also count myself as a bookbinder with a special interest in Coptic binding.