Bradford City Park

Bradford - oh Bradford.  In recent years, a place synonymous with the Manningham Riots, George Galloway MP (him of Big Brother cat impersonation fame) and the Curry Mile.  If we're doing A level (do we still have A levels?) history, then Bradford was a cultural textile phenomenon where it became the wool capital of the world.  But really when people think of Bradford, they don't tend to associate it with much that is good.


I lived in Bradford in my twenties before I moved across to North Yorkshire.  I still have family in Bradford and when I went to vist my sister and her husband last week, we took Ben & George down to Bradford City Centre which in itself is not that pretty if you're wandering around  the Kirkgate centre but venture a little further down to the Town Hall and that's a different prospect these days.  It's been many years since I've been down this way - infact I used to go this way everyday for quite a number of years when I had my first proper job at the National & Provincial Building Society.  It has certainly had a regeneration but I didn't know to what extent until I saw it first hand.  Bradford's Centenary Square to the side of the Town Hall has been developed in to the City Park.

No this is not flooding .....

This is flooding !!!!!!

On a grand scale!

The boys eyes just lit up as they saw the masses of children splashing amongst the water fountains.  One nod from me and both stripped off and ran squealing in to the thick of it leaving me standing in a pair of wet pumps holding two tees, a pair of shorts and a pair of jeans.

Happy bunnies!

George's nappy getting heavier and heavier ......

If I'd known, I'd have worn flip flops!

I knew the inevitable would happen - Georges nappy weighted down with water slowly descended to his ankles and we had to put him back in his shorts (we're having an ongoing saga with George and his toilet training but that is a story I will spare you).

Happy as a pig in muck

err ... I mean small child in a pool of water.

I hadn't anticipated a day in an open swimming pool so I obviously didn't have any towels, no swimming trunks and no camera so I relied on my camera phone this time with surprisingly good results.  No towel meant a little improvisation with my sister's scarf as an alternative to a towel and no spare shorts for George meant a little improvisation yet again with my sister's scarf.  David Beckham never looked this good in a sarong!

He's rocking this look isn't he?

Angelina Leg Pose here

So a surprising but good day.  Just like the changes in Bradford.  Surprising but good.