Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Beside Peakshole Water

Peakshole Water is named after Peak Cavern, which is its source (although other nearby emergence’s of underground streams also contribute greatly to the flow). It flows through Castleton, and then down to Hope where it becomes a tributary of the River Noe flowing from Edale.

Peakshole Water has only one named tributary, the impressively titled Odin Stitch – a stream that emerges from Odin Mine at Mam Tor.

The pictures below show Peakshole Water not far from its source.

In Castleton
Upstream
Duck food

Yashica Mat 124G & Kodak Tri-X. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 8mins @ 20°

Taken on 18 May 2024

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Hung out to dry

Today has been a tiring day. Not because I’ve been busy, but because I decided to pull an all-nighter and watch yesterday’s General Election results as they came in through the night. Apart from a short nap at about 1am in the morning for an hour or so, I have been awake since 7am yesterday morning.

I feel like the towel in this picture, and I’ve caught myself nodding off while sat upright a number of times now!

Luckily the election result was favourable!

Hung out to dry

Yashica Mat 124G & Kodak Tri-X. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 8mins @ 20°

Taken on 18 May 2024

35mm · Film photography · Photography

The Penny Black

From one pub to another…

After yesterday’s post about the sad story of The Marples, here’s another Sheffield pub with a point of interest.

The name probably gives away the fact that there is a connection with the mail service, but the interesting fact is (and I’ve not verified this) is that it is the only pub in the country that is built into a Royal Mail building, in this case the Sheffield City Delivery Office. I once went into the delivery office as a child (my nan was a postwoman) and was fascinated by the sight of hundreds of bags of mail moving around the plave on a suspended rail system. How much fun it would have been to ride around the place in a mail bag, I thought.

Penny Black

Olympus XA3 & Ilford HP5+ (@800asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°

Taken on 22 April 2024

35mm · Film photography · Photography

The Marples

The building in today’s photograph houses a pawn broker and a self-storage facility, but it was once a pub called The London Mart, although known as Marples by regulars (after it’s owner, John Marples). It is possibly the most famous bar in the city due to the tragedy which befell it during the Second World War.

On the night of Thursday December 12, 1940, the pub received a direct hit from a high-explosive bomb dropped by the German Luftwaffe. The building was destroyed, collapsing into a pile of rubble, killing 70 people from the estimated 77 who were inside at the time. It was initially thought that no-one could have survived the attack, but when rescue activities began the next day seven people were pulled from the wreckage of the building, including two who walked away unaided, never to be heard from again!

Following the destruction, the site lay derelict for 19 years until, in 1959, a new pub was built on the site, this time officially named The Marples. The pub remained open for the next 44 years until it closed for good in 2003, the building taking on a number of different uses in the following two decades. While the space previously occupied by the pub is now the Cash Shop pawn brokers, the upper floors have revived The Marple’s naming and are to become a housing co-operative.

Marples

Olympus XA3 & Ilford HP5+ (@800asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°

Taken on 22 April 2024

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Heron Foods and The House of Curls

This is a somewhat unassuming picture of the building that currently houses Heron Foods, a frozen foods store, on Haymarket in Sheffield. The structure managed to survive the ravages of The Blitz that destroyed much of Sheffield’s old city centre architecture during World War Two.

What I find more interesting is the faded sign that can be seen in the middle first floor window. This advertises The House of Curls, a hairdressing salon that was in business during the 1970s and 1980s, but which has been closed now for the best part of forty years I believe. Apparently, the salon housed a number of booths on the upper floors which were rented out by the operator to individual hairdressers.

It pleases me that the signage remains after this time. There’s something strangely comforting about ghost signs such as this. Things change, but the memories remain.

Heron Foods

Olympus XA3 & Ilford HP5+ (@800asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°

Taken on 22 April 2024

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Street light

Do you know that old Randy Crawford song, Street Life? Yes? Well, no matter how many times I hear it, I always sing it as “Street Light“. A bit like Neil Diamond singing about “The Reverend Bluejeans“.

Street light, you can run away from time
Street light, for a nickel, for a dime
Street light, but you better not get old
Street light, Or you’re gonna feel the cold

Streetlit

Olympus XA3 & Ilford HP5+ (@800asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°

Taken on 22 April 2024