My morning post about Bradford City Hall has had me thinking through the day about other aspects of Bradford I like... architecturally that is.

Unfortunately I can't just pop out with my camera and capture the images I'd like, so I'm going to have to rely on some of the images I've taken on various occasions.

Old Bradford, like lots of Yorkshire in my experience, was built using the wonderful local Yorkshire stone. Sadly this discolours easily, especially in an industrial atmosphere. When you look at these buildings, try and imagine them as they would have been when the stone was new (or freshly cleaned).

I love the way some of these buildings have been re-utilised, yet retained their original character. The art of the stone masons who worked in Yorkshire constantly pleases me.

Please click any of the above to see a larger version of the image.

We all find things in life we're attracted to don't we? Fast cars, fast women, handsome men...

Oh dear I think this is going to sound boring now, but I wanted to tell you about one of those things that really attracts me. A passion, if you will. Something I'd rather not live without...

Bradford City Hall

Built in the early 1870s by John Ives & Son of Shipley the Bradford Town Hall was constructed according to a design by Lockwood and Mawson, a Bradford firm of architects, at a cost of £100,000.

The Town Hall took three years to build and was opened on 9 September 1873 by Mayor, Alderman Matthew Thompson. The original building was 70 feet high and 275 feet long, with a 217 foot tower.

By the close of the 1800s, the Town Hall no longer had adequate space and a decision was taken to extend it in two schemes. The first scheme, opened in September 1909, provided a new council chamber, committee rooms and a banqueting hall. The second was completed in 1914 and included a redesigned entrance and grand staircase.

The Town Hall became City Hall in November 1965.

City Hall's most notable feature is probably the magnificent clock tower climbing to 220 feet and inspired by the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. It has thirteen bells which were installed at a cost of £5,000. The total weight of the bells is 17 tons.

My first sight of this magnificent structure was during a visit to Bradford in 1994 when it captured my heart... love at first sight you might say.

So there we are, the secret's out... Usky's potty about a load of old stones!