Taken with the Sony A6700 and Sigma 56mm f/1.4 lens

Taken on a Fujifilm XT-5, using a Fujifilm XF70-300mm f4-5.6 R LM OIS WR lens and 2 ND 1,000 filters.

Photos were taken Raw and edited post before being spliced together, unfortunately due to low haze/strat clouds it was dificult to capture the 'glow' of the sun and will require a bit more editing.

I got a letter about this ridiculous scheme recently.

I'm annoyed because -

Bills are rising

They pour sewerage into the rivers

And then put the responsibility for saving water on the general public.

What a bloody cheek.

And I bet they're paying a shedload to this Aqualogic company to tell the average person not to leave the water running whilst brushing your teeth. Etc.

God but they take the piss out of consumers.

Hi everyone!

I've recently started a free WhatsApp Community called North West Astrophotography, and I'd love to get some astrophotographers and stargazers from Yorkshire involved too.

Although the Community started with a North West focus, there's obviously plenty of crossover with Yorkshire — especially for those of us travelling in either direction looking for darker skies and good places to set up.

The aim is to build a friendly regional network where people can share images, help each other with equipment and processing, discuss conditions and targets, and arrange occasional imaging/observing sessions.

We've got separate groups for:

🌌 Tonight's Sky – targets, conditions, aurora alerts and spontaneous imaging plans
📍 Meet-ups & Dark Sites – share observing locations and arrange sessions
📸 Images & Processing – captures, works in progress, feedback and processing advice
🔭 Equipment & Help – telescopes, cameras, smart scopes, mounts and troubleshooting
💬 General Astro Chat

It's completely free and all experience levels are welcome — whether you're starting with a phone or DSLR, using a Seestar/smart telescope, observing visually, or running a full dedicated astrophotography rig.

With places like the Yorkshire Dales providing some fantastic opportunities for darker skies, it'd be great to have more people from Yorkshire involved — particularly anyone interested in meeting other astrophotographers and occasionally heading out for a proper session.

Ultimately, I'd love the Community to make posts like:

“Clear tonight — anyone heading out towards the Dales?”

…and actually find a few people to join you. 😄

So if you're based in Yorkshire or regularly travel between Yorkshire and the North West for astronomy/astrophotography, you're very welcome:

👉 https://chat.whatsapp.com/IapSVlSenf03vFyBgTyhBc

The Community is still new and growing, so it's a great time to introduce yourself and help shape what it becomes.

Clear skies! 🌌🔭

For any theatre and/or horror fans who are in or near Sheffield, this world premiere of an original adaptation taking place this month might pique your interest:

The Company presents The Turning at Bly Manor
University Drama Studio, S10 2TD
Wednesday, 30th Sept 2026 - Saturday, 3rd Oct 2026
Doors open at 7pm, show starts at 7:30pm

Based on the ghost stories of Henry James, including his novella The Turn of the Screw
Inspired by the Netflix miniseries, The Haunting of Bly Manor, created by Mike Flanagan

Welcome to Bly Manor: the beautiful estate of a dead billionaire and the mysterious home of a timeless secret. In 1899, a young governess is plunged into a world where apparitions abound. In the present day, five people accept an invitation and vanish without a trace. As the past and present intertwine, the carpet of reality unbinds with paranormal consequences.

For tickets: https://www.ticketsource.com/thecompanysheffield/the-turning-at-bly-manor/e-rpzlgd

VENUE ACCESSIBILITY
The Drama Studio's main entrance has step-only access. There is an accessible auditorium entrance located at the side of the building on Sherwood Road. There is ramped access (width: 120cm) to this entrance equipped with handrails where audience members will find a bell/buzzer (height: 120cm) and an intercom (height: 88cm). There is not a canopy or recess which provides weather protection at this entrance. Once inside the theatre, there are designated spaces for wheelchair users in the front row of the auditorium. The nearest accessible toilet is located 12m from the designated seating area. This venue does not provide audio described performances, but there is an infrared hearing assistance system which Drama Studio staff are trained to use. Assistance dogs are allowed in the auditorium.

Hello people up north, Southerners here, married couple in their 30s looking at moving north to be closer to mountains for hiking/mountain biking. I’ve found too many options and my head now hurts so hence reaching out to you for some advice please!

Would like to know how bad the air traffic noise is along the Leeds airport flight path. Otley looked like a great contender for what we want but sounds like it will be loud?!

Ideally want MTB / hiking from the door but also within driving distance to good trails.

Good links for work (construction/healthcare)

Places with 2-3 bed no more than £400,000

Good links to towns/cities for things going on. Coming from an area that is predominantly a retirement population so ideally a more younger crowd but not necessary. Childless not by choice so don’t need the place to be set up for families. If anything, support groups / meet ups for the childless would be great.

Also ideally within 1-2hrs of Harrogate because of family but can scrap that if needed.

So, does such a place exist!!! I’ve read about:

Saltaire - not sure about much MTB around there? Baildon - how much noise do you hear from airport/aircraft?
Skipton - possibly too far for good job opportunities?
Ilkley - read it’s expensive! Haven’t read much on Summerbridge , Ripley, Pateley bridge, Northwest Harrogate

Marks & Spencer – a British high-street institution – is returning to the Polish market with a new online-only operation. It’s also a return to co-founder Michael Marks’s roots.

Few retailers are as closely associated with the British high street as Marks & Spencer.

For generations, the company has sold everything from clothes and homeware to sandwiches and Percy Pig sweets, becoming one of Britain’s most recognizable retailers.

But the “Marks” behind the retail institution was a Polish-Jewish immigrant who left the country in the 19th century to make his fortune abroad.

Michael (Michał) Marks was born into a Polish Ashkenazi family in Słonim, a former town of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth that was then under Russian rule and is today in Belarus.

His precise year of birth is uncertain. His British naturalization papers gave 1859, his marriage certificate suggests 1864, while his son Simon later gave 1863.

Marks grew up in a Jewish family that had lived in Słonim – now Slonim – for generations. His father, Mordechai, was a tailor and part-owner of a grain mill.

Life for Jews in the Russian Empire was heavily restricted, and amid growing antisemitism, the young Marks left for Britain in 1882.

After traveling through Germany, he arrived in London expecting to find his brother – only to discover that he had already emigrated to the United States.

Marks eventually headed north to Leeds, a rapidly growing industrial city with a substantial Jewish immigrant community.

It was there that his fortunes began to change.

Don’t ask the price, it’s a penny

Marks met Isaac Dewhirst, the owner of a Leeds wholesale business.

Dewhirst lent the young immigrant £5 and allowed him to buy goods from his warehouse. Marks began traveling around northern England, selling his wares door to door and on street corners.

After roughly two years, he had saved enough money to rent a stall at Leeds’s Kirkgate Market.

Marks sold everyday items such as pins, nails, soap, wooden spoons, wool and small toys. But he had found a remarkably simple way of attracting customers.

“Don’t ask the price, it’s a penny,” read the sign above his stall.

The idea evolved into what became known as the Penny Bazaar, where goods were sold at the same low price. Customers were also able to handle the goods before deciding whether to buy – unusual in retail at the time.

The formula worked. Marks began opening more stalls across northern England, but as his business grew, he realized he needed a partner.

Enter Mr Spencer

Marks initially approached Dewhirst, the man who had given him his start. Dewhirst declined, instead recommending one of his employees, cashier Thomas Spencer.

Spencer invested £300 of his savings in the venture and, in September 1894, the partnership that would become Marks & Spencer was born.

The business expanded rapidly.

By 1900, Marks and Spencer operated 36 Penny Bazaars across northern England, the Midlands, south Wales and London.

Marks, however, would not live to see the company become the British institution it is today.

He died in 1907, aged only in his 40s. His son Simon subsequently played a major role in transforming the family business into a national retailer. Michael Marks nevertheless remained embedded in the company's identity in more ways than one.

The famous St Michael brand, which appeared on M&S products for decades, was named after him when it was registered in 1928. The brand was phased out in 2000.

From penny stall to British institution

Over the following decades, Marks & Spencer became woven into British everyday life.

Its shops became fixtures of high streets across the country, while the business expanded internationally — including into Poland.

M&S eventually operated 11 stores in Poland, but closed them in 2017 as part of a wider retreat from several international markets.

Marks & Spencer has expanded its partnership with European e-commerce platform Zalando, which will handle fulfillment for direct online M&S orders across Europe.

The new model was first tested in Poland, which is one of the 22 markets served by the partnership.

So more than 140 years after Michael Marks left Słonim for Britain, the company bearing his name is once again reaching Polish customers.

My friend and I want to stay somewhere along the coast in September. We'd love some recommendations of what to see and what to avoid please! I want a spa day, we like historical stuff and nice walks, and want to eat a few good meals. We are driving. Hotel suggestions also very welcome!

Many thanks!!

Edit: thank you for all the awesome suggestions everyone, really looking forward to my trip!!

The subculture in question has been around for over twenty years and its basically protected me since I was little. the uniform was track suits, gold rings, chains or diamond ear studs, baseball caps, and chunky trainers. all of them were white and they liked r and b, garage and dnb. their slang included phrases like swear down, peng, bare, etc. they protected me from bullies throughout my teen years. wasnt just a single group of them but multiple groups of them. and as the subculture grew and aged it protected me after i became an adult. i remember i was feeling proper depressed and felt like i had no one to turn to and then two men belonging to the subculture stopped and talked me out of it. this is just a few examples but literally every encounter ive had with them has been uniquely positive. theres still loads in my area the og ones are in their thirties and every time i see one or a group of them i feel relaxed

Country star came to South Yorkshire town in 2007 for UK launch of the Imagination Library, her book donation scheme

‘Shane Jarman was up a ladder decorating a Christmas tree at the school where he was deputy headteacher when he got a call asking him to come to Rotherham hospital ASAP. It was December 2007 and Jarman’s wife, Claire, had given birth the previous day to their first child, a girl called Emma, so of course he rushed to the phone. All was well, he was told, but that “everything would become clear” when he got to the hospital.

Once there, his wife told him – somewhat unexpectedly – that they were going to meet Dolly Parton. “And literally within what felt like five minutes,” he recalled, “there were great camera flashes, lots of noise, lots of clicking and in walked this real big bundle of energy.”

Jarman said that as his wife handed over their tiny 4lb 6oz baby to the country star, “all I remember is seeing Dolly Parton with my little girl’s head in her hand and these great big red nails”.

Was he a little nervous about the nails? “I was very nervous about the nails to be quite honest.”

Parton was in the South Yorkshire former mining and steelworking town – not principally known for its razzle-dazzle – for the British launch of the Imagination Library, the book donation programme the musician had started in her Tennessee home of Sevier County a little over a decade earlier, and which she had been invited to extend to children in Yorkshire.

If Rotherham – or at least a gathering of local dignitaries that assembled later in a disused steelworks – was a little bemused by the singer, Parton knew places like this, and of course knew how to charm.

“I gotta make sure I say your town name right – it’s Rother’m?” she said, flattening the famous southern twang to something approximating flat Yorkshire vowels. “Did I get it right? I’ve been practising because it don’t look like that on paper. In the States, anything that’s *h-a-m* we have to say Rother-*ham*.”

Among the torrent of tributes to the entertainer, businesswoman and philanthropist since her death on Monday, Rotherham too has been remembering the impact of a woman who, for all her own glamour, cared deeply about places that had a little less of it.

Parton may have jested when she said she had considered buying a South Yorkshire pied-à-terre (“so you may be walking down the streets of Rotherham and see me coming out of a little cubbyhole somewhere”), but her description of the post-industrialist town as “a heart spot for me” was sincere, thanks to the similarities she saw to her own outsider upbringing.

“I totally related to Rotherham,” she said some years later. “I know that it’s out in an industrial area … When they were making fun of me for going out there, I thought, you know what? Don’t make fun of me.”

The scheme ensured that every child in Rotherham was posted a free book, in their own name, for each month of their life until they were five, funded partly by Parton’s foundation and partly by the local authority and other local funders. Deborah Bullivant, who took over leading the Rotherham Imagination Library shortly after Parton’s visit as part of a wider literacy drive, said that despite some initial scepticism from locals, it “changed the culture” for many.

“Some people were very suspicious: Why Dolly Parton? What is this thing?” she said. “\[But\] can you imagine receiving a book, from registering your child’s birth, your baby in their own name receives the book every month through the letterbox?

For many families who didn’t really have a background in reading, it changed the culture within their homes to being more of a reading culture and embracing books and using books and sharing books.”

The fact that the literacy drive was so personal to the singer was “the best way to counter any of the suspicion or worries that people had about it”, Bullivant said. “Why is Dolly Parton doing this? Who is she? She doesn’t know about this? Well, she does. She understood she needed to drive her own work herself from scratch. She got the importance of the imagination, of reading, of telling stories.”

Though the Rotherham scheme was wound up in 2015 after the council withdrew support, it would be rolled out to other places in Britain, including Doncaster, North Lincolnshire, the London borough of Southwork (“Hello Suth’rk! This is Dolly!”) and Nottingham (which even coaxed an “Ay up me duck!” from the singer).

In total, 6.3m books have been given to children across the four UK nations since one-day-old Emma Jarman received the first one in 2007, a copy of The Tale of Peter Rabbit, which Parton autographed for her. (Globally, the figure is 300m).

Emma, now 18, will shortly be going to university to study biomedical science, “and, if I know Emma, \[the book\] will go to university with her so that she can show her friends there,” said her father.’

Hey is there a route from Ribbelhead to Ingleborough then to Clapham? I’m going via public transport and I’d like to download a map on OS to follow. Also is this an extremely hard or long route?

I have just moved to York, would love to meet some gals in their mid 20's' early 30's who live in the area!

I love going to the gym, hiking, dance, sports, trying new food places, shopping and attending events.

If anyone is in the same boat, lets start a conversation! 😁

Note the steam powered lorry!

ISO3200

exposure length 32 seconds

EDIT TO ADD: Thank you for all your help, it’s definitely Clarke Hall from the images I’ve found from history pages on Facebook. Any information/experiences/stories that people have to share on this place are greatly appreciated since it’s now privately owned and no longer running tours ☺️

Hi all, hoping for some help! I am struggling to remember a place I visited on a school trip and was hoping someone could help me.

What I can remember:
- It will have been around 2002/2003 when I went with my primary school
- I am 99% sure the name ended with Hall
- We went on Tudors trip
- There were people there who were actors that guided us through - some students were in the kitchen cooking food, some played games in the parlour, some made beds upstairs
- We ended the trip with a story about a preist hiding in a preist hole in the main bedroom which was through a concealed panel in the wall, which was all wood panelling
- It will have been within an hour of Leeds