Yorkshire Writers' Lunch

Sometimes, inspiration is a long time coming. We get bits of ideas, odd sentences that flit across the mind, that could be turned into … The Calderdale Grid Project provides just the spark we need. Photographers and writers from the area were assigned to a particular map location to photograph the landscape and find inspiration there to produce a written response to the places. Lasting until 26 February, the project was first launched before lockdown in 2019, but has only recently come to fruition. It was also only recently that I came across the idea and thought oh, that looks interesting, and went to see it at the Smith Art Gallery in Brighouse. The Art Gallery and Library are housed in a nineteenth century mansion, built originally as a home but gifted to the council, becoming a Free Library in 1898. In 1907, Alderman William Smith bequeathed his art collection. As well as the art, various exhibitions are held throughout the year. The Grid Project exhibitio...

I was speaking to my daughter of the properties of water – the flow, the singing brooks, reflections on a placid mere the inspiration of a tear, how it differs from the rocks. No Dad, she said, rocks too can flow, erupt and spew and turn to gas when subject to sufficient mass – just watch the molten lava flow from this Icelandic volcano. So, it’s not important what it is, what matters is how hot it is. A very happy New Year to all contributors to, and readers of, the Yorkshire Writers' Lunch.