“Hebden Bridge: The Fourth Funkiest Town in the World”,
was the description of this West Yorkshire market town in an edition of a British Airways in-flight magazine.
Houseboat ©HelenBushe
If there are three places funkier than Hebden Bridge, then I’d love to see them. (Apparently they are: Daylesford in Australia, Tiradentes in Brazil and Burlington in Vermont).
On one of our visits there last year, we’d hoped to take really striking photographs; we’d imagined reflections on the canal of brightly coloured narrowboats, framed by blue sky and and all that. A veritable photographer’s paradise.
However, it was raining, the water in the Rochdale Canal was greenish grey and the sky even greyer. None of this was at all unexpected or out of the ordinary as we are talking about a west-facing town high in the Pennine Hills in the North of England.
After a wander around the trendy shops and a lunch stop, the rain had lessened enough for a walk along the towpath.
I became fascinated with all the different things that people put on top of their narrowboats, never thinking that these photographs would ever appear in a post.
Everything from Bambi to a Bicycle:
Bambi on Board ©HelenBushe
Bike on board ©HelenBushe
From a Gro-Bag and a Duck to a Couple of Deckchairs and a Buddha:
Roof Garden ©HelenBushe
Roof Terrace ©HelenBushe
As well as Pot-Plants and Firewood:
The Front Garden ©HelenBushe
The Log Store ©HelenBushe
It’s snowing in the Pennine Hills today so Hebden Bridge will no doubt be shrouded in such low cloud that it disappears. Hopefully the ducks will have found a sheltered spot for themselves.
As soon as the weather perks up and realises that IT IS SPRINGTIME, we’ll have another day in Hebden Bridge. It’s less than an hour’s drive away.
Perhaps I’ll get the pictures I was hoping for last year…..
…….or perhaps I’ll just enjoy looking for quirky things and leave the classic calendar-type scenes to the professionals.
33 Comments
Marsha · 26 March 2017 at 06:03
What a great post, Helen. The boats ooze uniqueness. Tiny houses are the rage right now, A boat would certainly qualify. My favorite was the Bambi Boat. 🙂
HMB · 26 March 2017 at 07:22
Leah · 25 March 2017 at 22:25
Love the quirky and unexpected! “Off the beaten track” has always appealed more than the standard things everyone else sees.
People who live in these boats must be masters of using every space. The roof-top gardens are certainly impressive.
The boat with the two chairs on top had me dreaming of slowly cruising down a canal, taking in the views (clearly, in my imagination, someone else does all of the navigating and so on).
elleturner4 · 24 March 2017 at 20:00
I so nearly ‘gave it all up and lived on a canal boat!’
HMB · 25 March 2017 at 09:17
It’s a tempting thought.
jacquelineobyikocha · 23 March 2017 at 15:45
What a character full and quaint place. It invites the eyes to wander and the mind to think of those who inhabit that space.
HMB · 23 March 2017 at 15:59
It’s a really quirky town. Lots of writers, artists, craftspeople. I’m sure you’d love it.
Amy · 23 March 2017 at 14:02
Nice captures of these boat houses, Helen! Some have their own little garden. 🙂 I guess they travel from place to place.
HMB · 23 March 2017 at 14:04
They an travel certainly, but many are static as people who work in the town live on them. thanks for your appreciation.
Amy · 23 March 2017 at 14:08
They probably have to pay parking fee. 🙂
HMB · 23 March 2017 at 15:22
Yes and mooring fees can be quite expensive, but still cheaper than paying a mortgage on a house!
Amy · 23 March 2017 at 15:35
We also pay high property taxes.
HMB · 23 March 2017 at 15:36
Livin’ ain’t cheap , land or water!
Joanne Sisco · 22 March 2017 at 13:39
This is my kind of place to visit … discovering the interesting amid all the ‘ordinary’ 🙂
HMB · 22 March 2017 at 18:53
You’d love it!
Laurie Graves · 22 March 2017 at 13:32
Looks like my kind of place! How I’d love to visit it.
HMB · 22 March 2017 at 18:54
I’m sure you’d love it. In the meantime, I’ll visit it for you.
Laurie Graves · 22 March 2017 at 18:57
Many thanks! Take plenty of pictures and post them. Please!
HMB · 22 March 2017 at 18:59
yip! Will do. Isn’t blogging wonderful for letting us all see parts of the world we’d never see otherwise. Much better than reading a magazine as I feel I “know” the person through whose eyes I’m seeing it.
Laurie Graves · 23 March 2017 at 13:37
It really is. I love being a part of the blogging world. So many interesting people writing about where they live.
HMB · 23 March 2017 at 13:48
Khürt Williams · 21 March 2017 at 22:25
I enjoyed the photos.
Next time, get to the location later in the day. Bring a tripod and a small flash light. Wait until the blue hour and shoot a long exposure with the boats on the water. Use the flash light to paint the boats.
e.g.
HMB · 21 March 2017 at 23:02
Thank you for this advice. I love learning about photography. I will try this .
Khürt Williams · 21 March 2017 at 23:16
Here’s an example: https://www.flickr.com/photos/79448884@N08/31215858854
HMB · 22 March 2017 at 08:36
Now , this is quite some shot!
Khürt Williams · 22 March 2017 at 11:01
Yeah. Wish I had taken it. But hopefully it gives you some ideas to try.
HMB · 22 March 2017 at 18:55
It does indeed.
Stefano Scheda · 21 March 2017 at 20:32
Nice gallery, Helen.
HMB · 21 March 2017 at 21:04
Thank you Stefano
whippetwisdom · 21 March 2017 at 20:27
I love the play between dark and light in these photographs that you would not see on a bright sunny day :o)
HMB · 21 March 2017 at 21:04
Thanks Xenia. Yes, the golden hour would be best
HMB · 22 March 2017 at 07:27
Thanks for ping back
Atop: Selfie in Water | What's (in) the picture? · 22 March 2017 at 07:21
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