Oop North - Day 1 - Saltaire

Off up north to see our friends L&P in the wilds of Northumberland.  This was a bigger deal than it might sound, since when it comes to visiting other places my world view can best be summarised as:

To acclimatise to the differing geopolitical situation north of our natural habitat we broke the journey overnight to visit Salts Mill and, more specifically the 1853 Gallery therein, as we are both partial to the work of David Hockney.

The mill building itself sits very close to a main railway line, which means that the frontage is somewhat limited and unprepossessing:

though the stark lines of the chimneys do impress:

The first order of business was a drink in Salts Diner:

and then on to the bookshop, complete with original industrial fittings:

The views from the bookshop windows reveal how neighbouring allotments provide a peaceful escape for some local residents:

in spite of their proximity to the railway line:

Inside the mill building, a scale model shows the enormity and layout of the complex:

The mill had its own fire engine:

The paternalism of mill owners often included provision of an on-site dentist:

I can't remember anything about these prints, beyond the fact that I found them very attractive:

Similarly, I love the way that the original industrial plant has been attractively preserved:

And so into the 1853 Gallery, where the first exhibit to catch my eye was this model of a chair, made to demonstrate Hockney's alternative view of perspective:

about which, more here:

This gives some impression of the size of the single-room gallery:

Outside, this picture of a goods train was snapped for the possible eventual entertainment of little friend LBD:

and Amanda waited patiently at the main entrance to walk into town:

Walking into Saltaire:

where we were disappointed to find that our intended venue for lunch was not as attractive as it had appeared on Tripadvisor - to such an extent that we promptly returned to the mill and ordered a meal in Salts Diner.

It's not often that a pizza threatens to defeat me, but this one, with massive quantities of Yorkshire ham and mushrooms, with a side order of coleslaw and gherkins, at least posed a challenge worthy of my efforts:

and it would have been impolite not to try one of the sweets:

Time for one last quick look around.  Unsurprisingly, there are Hockney influences everywhere. These figures on a window blind echo his work in relation to stage design:

while even the napkins in the diner bear his mark:

As we left I reflected that I had probably never come closer to acquiring an original Hockney - or at least a limited edition copy; a number had been taken off a wall while two decorators repainted it. The security afforded these treasures in their temporary location consisted of a couple of warning cones and a strip of hazard tape:

To the car park (sans pictures, I should stress):

and then on to our stop for the night: The Premier Inn, Bradford North (Bingley).