Time Travel in Bradford: A Look Back at the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Exhibition

 There is nothing quite like stepping into a room and being instantly transported across time and space. Back in December 2013, that’s exactly what happened when I visited the National Media Museum in Bradford.

To celebrate five decades of everyone’s favourite Time Lord, the museum hosted an incredible Doctor Who exhibition. Looking back at these photos brings all that classic sci-fi nostalgia rushing right back. If you missed it—or just want to take a trip down memory lane—here is a showcase of the incredible props, costumes, and memorabilia that were on display.

The Icons of Time Travel: TARDISes and Tech

You can't have Doctor Who without the blue box. The exhibition featured a stunning, full-scale TARDIS prop standing proudly against a vibrant backdrop, showing off decades of faithful service, complete with its iconic textured wood finish and glowing "Police Public Call Box" sign.

Beside the screen-used props, the museum showcased how the show captured the imaginations of collectors. One display featured a brilliant array of vintage merchandise:

• Detailed model TARDISes from different eras.

• An intricate Doctor Who Chess Set, featuring classic heroes and villains as the pieces.

• Dozens of miniature action figures, from Daleks to Cybermen, charting the history of the show's toy lines.

Custom collectibles were also on display, including a brilliant "Who's Alphabet" semaphore poster showing Tom Baker’s Fourth Doctor using his iconic, impossibly long striped scarf to signal letters from A to Z.

Face to Face with the Monsters

The real thrill of any Doctor Who exhibition is getting up close to the creatures that sent generations of kids hiding behind the sofa. The National Media Museum did not disappoint.

The Cybermen

We got to see the fascinating evolution of the silver nemesis. On display were multiple generations of Cybermen costumes, including:

• An early classic era Cyberman, complete with its retro chest unit, metallic fabric suit, and ribbed joints.

• A later, heavier 80s-era design showcasing the bulkier, bronze-tinted chest plates and updated helmet design.

A Platoon of Daleks

No exhibition would be complete without the Doctor’s ultimate enemies. A fantastic line up showed off the design tweaks of the Daleks across the decades. From the traditional grey and black models to the iconic bronze variants, and even a sleek silver-and-blue design, seeing them lined up side-by-side really highlighted the subtle artistic shifts the show underwent over fifty years.

The Faces of the Doctor

One of the absolute highlights of the gallery was a stunning wall of portrait artwork dedicated to the Doctors themselves.

The beautifully vibrant, cosmic portraits captured the distinct personalities of the Time Lords up to that point. It was the perfect visual timeline, running from William Hartnell’s commanding First Doctor, through Tom Baker’s wide-eyed grin, all the way to Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, and Matt Smith. Standing in front of that wall in December 2013—right around the time of the 50th Anniversary special—felt incredibly poignant.

Everyone's Favorite K-9

Finally, tucked neatly into the display was a pristine prop of K-9, the Doctor’s faithful robotic canine companion. Seeing the grid of colourful buttons on his back and his sleek silver chassis in person was an absolute joy. He looked ready to roll out of the display casing and start analysing alien data at any second.

Final Thoughts

The 50th-anniversary era was a magical time to be a Doctor Who fan, and the National Media Museum in Bradford put together a spectacular tribute to British television history. Looking back at these photos more than a decade later, it's clear that the magic of the show—and the creativity of the teams who brought it to life—is truly timeless.

"We're all stories, in the end. Just make it a good one, eh?" — The Eleventh Doctor

Liquid Fire and Black Earth: The Surreal Volcanic Vineyards of Lanzarote

Imagine standing on a landscape so stark, so utterly alien, that you might mistake it for the surface of Mars or a distant moon. To your left and right, massive, sun-scorched volcanic cones rise out of the earth, their slopes painted in deep ochres, rusts, and charcoal blacks. Yet, look closer at the valley floors, and you will see something truly miraculous: thousands of vibrant, emerald-green vines bursting forth from deep, asymmetric craters in the dark ash.

This is La Geria, Lanzarote’s legendary wine region. It is a place where viticulture isn't just an agricultural practice—it is an act of sheer human stubbornness against nature.

Recently, a stunning set of photographs I captured in July 2013 was brought into the modern era. Utilizing cutting-edge, contemporary digital darkroom techniques, these images have been painstakingly re-edited to restore the true brilliance of Lanzarote's light. The modern re-edit breathes new life into the scene, balancing high-dynamic-range contrasts, revealing hidden textures in the dark volcanic rock, and enriching the golden hour hues. They offer a breathtaking window into what the wine industry calls "heroic viticulture."

The Day the Earth Burned: A History of Survival

To understand the visual marvel of Lanzarote’s vineyards, one must look back to September 1, 1730. On that day, the earth split open in the Timanfaya region. For six continuous years, cataclysmic volcanic eruptions tore across the island, burying nearly a third of Lanzarote’s most fertile, grain-producing farmland under a thick, apocalyptic blanket of lava and black volcanic ash, locally known as picón or lapilli.

Many islanders fled to the Americas. Those who stayed faced what looked like starvation. Yet, out of disaster came an astonishing discovery. The farmers—known as Conejeros—realized that while traditional crops like wheat could no longer survive, the newly deposited layer of volcanic ash possessed miraculous properties.

Instead of suffocating life, the porous picón acted as a natural thermo-regulator. It absorbed the scarce humidity from the Atlantic trade winds overnight, funnelled it down into the nutrient-rich topsoil below, locked it in, and prevented evaporation during the scorching daylight hours.

The stage was set for a viticultural revolution.

The Anatomy of a Lanzarote Vineyard: Hoyos and Zocos

The newly re-edited photographs beautifully capture the ingenious, labour-intensive architectural systems invented by Lanzarote's vintners to protect their crops.

1. The Hoyos (Volcanic Craters)

Because the layer of volcanic ash can be several feet deep, farmers cannot simply plant a vine on the surface. They must dig deep, inverted cones—called hoyos—directly through the black gravel to reach the prehistoric, fertile soil underneath. As seen in the panoramic vistas, these craters can span up to three meters wide and two meters deep. From a high vantage point, the terrain looks as if it has been pelted by a dense meteor shower, with a single green vine cradled at the centre of each impact zone.

2. The Zocos (Basalt Stone Walls)

Lanzarote is fiercely windy, subjected to relentless, punishing Atlantic trade winds. To prevent the delicate vines from being shredded by the wind or suffocated by drifting ash, the farmers built zocos.

As highlighted in the crisp, modern details of the second image, zocos are semicircular or horseshoe-shaped dry-stone walls made from heavy, local blocks of black basalt rock. Every single stone is placed precisely by hand without a drop of mortar. These walls act as miniature shields, buffering the plants from the wind and trapping pockets of warm air.

A Visual Journey Through the Re-Edited Images

The power of modern photo editing lies in its ability to match what the camera captured with what the human soul actually felt in the moment. Let’s dive into the three newly enhanced scenes from July 2013:

Frame A: Golden Solitude at the Gates of La Geria

The first image captures the cinematic magic of a Lanzarote sunset. Positioned behind a clean, white-lined asphalt road that cuts through the wilderness, the camera looks past a traditional volcanic stone entrance gate.

The sun sinks directly behind a large, rustic wine barrel standing sentinel at the entrance, generating a magnificent, piercing sunstar. Thanks to modern editing techniques, the deep shadows of the foreground road and the dark volcanic stone walls are no longer muddy or lost. Instead, we can distinctly see the texture of the asphalt and the individual stones of the wall, contrasting beautifully against the vibrant, gradient sky turning from deep violet to a brilliant amber gold. In the background, the smooth, imposing silhouette of a volcanic mountain anchors the horizon.

Frame B: Walking Among the Emerald Craters

The second photograph drops the viewer right into the heart of the vineyard rows during the golden hour. The re-edited colour palette perfectly balances the warm, sepia-toned light of late afternoon with the brilliant, almost-glowing green of the grape leaves.

Here, the sheer scale of the human effort becomes clear. The perspective leads your eyes down a cleared path of dark volcanic soil, flanked on both sides by beautifully structured, curving zocos. The leaves of the vines cascade over the dark rocks, thirsty for light. In the distance, white-washed Canarian farmhouses, structural cacti, and isolated palm trees break up the horizon, framed by the distant, soft-focus peaks of ancient volcanoes. The enhanced dynamic range allows us to feel the rough, sharp edges of the volcanic stone in the foreground, creating an incredibly immersive experience.

Frame C: The Majesty of the Volcano

The final image shifts focus to the grand architect of this landscape: a massive, dormant volcanic dome bathed in the warm, reddish-orange glow of the setting sun. The erosion lines raking down the side of the crater are tack-sharp, brought to life by modern clarity and sharpening algorithms that avoid looking artificial.

Below the volcano, a vast tapestry of hoyos stretches across the valley floor like a giant, geometric grid. In the foreground, hardy native flora—including a massive prickly pear cactus (Opuntia)—stands resiliently in the rocky, uncultivated terrain. This frame perfectly juxtaposes the wild, untamed power of the volcano with the meticulous, orderly geometry of human agriculture.

The Taste of Fire: What Makes Volcanic Wine Unique

You cannot talk about the visual beauty of La Geria without mentioning the liquid poetry produced within it. Because of the extreme environment, these vineyards cannot be mechanized. Tractors are useless here; everything from digging the craters, pruning the branches, and harvesting the grapes must be done entirely by hand.

Because the volcanic sand naturally keeps away phylloxera (a destructive insect pest that devastated European vineyards in the 19th century), Lanzarote's vines are completely ungrafted, with some vines being over a century old.

The star variety of the island is Malvasía Volcánica.

Wine Type	Flavor Profile	Distinctive Characteristic
Dry Malvasía	Crisp, bright, high acidity, notes of citrus and white flowers.	A distinct, unmistakable saline minerality driven by volcanic soils and ocean winds.
Sweet Malvasía	Rich, honeyed, notes of dried fruits, amber hue.	A historic favourite across royal European courts, reminiscent of a fine Madeira.

When you sip a glass of cold Malvasía Seco while overlooking the very craters shown in these photographs, you aren't just tasting wine. You are tasting the ocean breeze, the intense Atlantic sun, the mineral wealth of the earth's core, and three centuries of human resilience.

Preserving the Impossible Landscape

The restoration of these 2013 photographs reminds us of the delicate balance required to keep La Geria alive. Today, the region is protected as a Protected Landscape and is a key pillar of Lanzarote’s UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status.

However, heroic viticulture faces modern challenges. Maintaining thousands of stone walls by hand under a blazing sun is exhausting work, and many of the island’s traditional vintners are reaching retirement age. By celebrating the breathtaking, surreal beauty of these landscapes through modern photography and sustainable wine tourism, we help ensure that future generations will continue to tend to these emerald nests in the black earth.

If you ever find yourself wandering the Canary Islands, leave the beach behind for a day. Rent a car, take the LZ-30 highway, and drive slowly through the heart of La Geria. Pull over at a local bodega, look out over the endless sea of stone crescents, and toast to the farmers who looked at an apocalyptic wasteland and decided to plant a garden.

Where Industry Meets the Wild: A Journey to Blackstone Edge Reservoir

 The Pennines have long been the rugged backbone of England, a place where the elements command respect and the landscape tells a story of both natural endurance and human ambition. On a moody, overcast day on June 16th, 2015, I found myself standing on the banks of Blackstone Edge Reservoir, a high-altitude water body that perfectly captures the desolate beauty of the West Yorkshire moors.

The Haunting Beauty of the High Moors

Located near Littleborough and straddling the boundary between Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire, Blackstone Edge is perhaps most famous for its dramatic gritstone escarpment and the ancient "Roman Road" that carves through the peat. However, the reservoir itself offers a different kind of aesthetic—one that balances the organic textures of the moorland with the stark, skeletal lines of industrial infrastructure.

On this particular June day, the sky was a heavy tapestry of grey and white clouds, casting a soft, diffused light over the water. There is a specific kind of silence you find at this elevation. It is rarely a true silence; instead, it is a symphony of wind whistling through the grass, the distant cry of a curlew, and the faint hum of the power lines that march across the horizon.

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The Intersection of Nature and Infrastructure

One cannot ignore the striking presence of the electricity pylons that dominate the skyline around Blackstone Edge. To some, these are scars on the landscape, but through a lens, they provide a fascinating geometric contrast to the rolling hills.

The Industrial Sentinels

The pylons stand like giant iron sentinels, their cables cutting sharp, horizontal lines across the soft curves of the moorland. In the photographs from this trip, you can see how the vast scale of the Pennines dwarfs even these massive structures. There is a certain "industrial sublime" at work here—a reminder of how we have harnessed these wild spaces to power the world below.

Water and Stone

The reservoir's edge is a rugged mix of mossy banks and weathered stone. In the shallower reaches, scattered rocks break the surface of the dark, peat-stained water. These stones, worn by decades of waves and wind, provide a resting place for the local waterfowl. On this visit, a small flock of Canada geese could be seen drifting across the ripples, seemingly indifferent to the looming steel towers behind them.

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Architectural Details: The Spillway and Masonry

Moving away from the open water, the engineering of the reservoir becomes more apparent. The Pennine reservoirs are masterpieces of Victorian and early 20th-century water management, and Blackstone Edge is no exception.

The Stone Spillways

One of the most captivating features to photograph was the stone-lined spillway and the drainage channels. Built from local gritstone, these structures have weathered into a dark, atmospheric hue. I chose to process some of these images in high-contrast monochrome to emphasize the textures:

• The Masonry: The precision of the hand-cut stones in the arched outlets.

• The Flow: The way the water channels create leading lines that draw the eye toward the dam wall.

• The Valve Gear: Rusting iron wheels and mechanical components that look like relics of a steam-punk era, still standing guard over the water levels.

The black-and-white treatment brings out the "grit" of the North. It highlights the moss growing in the cracks of the stone and the silver sheen of the water as it trickles down the paved channels.

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Flora and Fauna of the 16th June

Mid-June in the Pennines is a brief window of vibrancy before the harshness of late summer or the deep damp of autumn sets in.

• Cotton Grass: The bogs surrounding the reservoir were dotted with the white, fluffy heads of cotton grass, swaying violently in the upland breeze.

• The Moorland Grasses: The slopes are covered in a mix of purple moor grass and heather, which, while not yet in full purple bloom in mid-June, provides a rich palette of ochre, olive, and deep green.

• Birdlife: Aside from the geese, the area is a haven for ground-nesting birds. The "bubble" call of the curlew is the definitive soundtrack to a walk at Blackstone Edge.

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Why Visit Blackstone Edge Reservoir?

If you are a photographer, a hiker, or someone who simply finds peace in "the middle of nowhere," this spot is a hidden gem. While many hikers head straight for the trig point at the top of the "Edge," the reservoir circuit offers a more level, reflective experience.

Photography Tips for Moody Days

Don't be discouraged by a flat, grey sky. As seen in the 2015 gallery, an overcast day is perfect for:

1. Capturing Texture: Without harsh shadows, the details in the moss, rocks, and grass pop.

2. Long Exposures: The wind at this height creates beautiful movement in the water, which can be smoothed out with an ND filter for a minimalist look.

3. Industrial Portraits: The pylons look more imposing and "monumental" against a backdrop of brooding clouds than they do against a bright blue sky.

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The Long Road Home

Walking back toward the road, with the wind at your back and the sight of the A6033 winding through the valley, you feel a sense of perspective. Blackstone Edge Reservoir is a place where the modern world and the ancient earth sit uncomfortably close to one another. It is a landscape of utility, but also one of profound, lonely beauty.

As I looked back at the water one last time on that June afternoon, the pylons seemed less like intrusions and more like a part of the local ecology—the modern trees of the Yorkshire moors.

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Trip Details

• Location: Blackstone Edge Reservoir, Near Littleborough/Ripponden.

• Date: 16th June 2015.

• Weather: Overcast, 14°C, moderate winds.

• Terrain: Peat moorland, rocky paths, and gravel tracks.

I took these pictures on the16th June 2015 with a Polaroid is2132. Please take a moment to share this post, follow me on social media and explore my work on Clickasnap and Photo4Me using the links below. Your support means a lot!

All the pictures remain the copyright of Colin Green.

Walking the Calder & Hebble Navigation from Elland to Cromwell Bottom

 There is a specific kind of magic found in the post-industrial landscapes of West Yorkshire. It’s a place where the echoes of the "Workshop of the World" meet the relentless, quiet reclamation of nature. On a late spring day—specifically the 11th of June, 2016—the stretch of the Calder & Hebble Navigation between the town of Elland and the nature reserve at Cromwell Bottom offered a masterclass in this atmospheric duality.

Whether you are a seasoned "gongoozler" (a lover of canals), a weekend rambler, or a history buff, this particular stretch of water provides a level of peace that feels far removed from the nearby bustle of Halifax and Huddersfield.

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The Industrial Gateway: Departing Elland

The journey begins under the monumental concrete spans of the Elland Road Viaduct. It is a striking starting point; the modern engineering of the road bridge creates a vast, shadowed cathedral over the water. Looking at the reflections of the massive support pillars in the still canal surface, you’re reminded that this is a working landscape. The graffiti on the weathered stone walls adds a layer of urban grit, a signature of the canal's proximity to the heart of Elland.

As you move away from the viaduct, the scenery shifts rapidly. The towpath leads you past the remnants of the area’s textile heritage. Sturdy, golden-hued York stone warehouses line the banks, their architectural dignity intact even as their purposes have shifted from wool storage to modern apartments or offices.

The Architecture of the Waterway

One of the most charming aspects of the Calder & Hebble is its unique "handspike" locks. Unlike the standard rack-and-pinion gearing found on most English canals, many locks here require a wooden handspike to operate the paddle gear—a nod to the 18th-century origins of this navigation.

Passing through Elland, the canal is flanked by high stone walls that feel like the corridor of history. Small, arched windows in the masonry once allowed workers to peer out at the passing barges; today, they are framed by moss and ferns, slowly being absorbed back into the earth.

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Nature Reclaims the Banks: Heading Toward Lowfields

As the buildings of Elland begin to thin, the "Navigation" truly begins to earn its name. Unlike a pure canal, a navigation often uses sections of the original river—in this case, the River Calder.

By the time you reach the Lowfields area, the "Green Corridor" effect takes full hold. On this June day in 2016, the hedgerows were in full riot. The towpath is a ribbon of dark asphalt and gravel, bordered by:

• Queen Anne’s Lace (Cow Parsley): Its white, frothy flowers create a lace-like border against the water.

• Buttercups: Splashes of bright yellow that seem to catch the filtered sunlight.

• Wild Ferns: Clinging to the damp stone edges of the canal.

The water here changes character. It becomes darker, reflecting the overhanging canopy of Sycamore, Alder, and Willow trees. The sound of distant traffic fades, replaced by the rhythmic "plop" of a water vole or the sudden, electric-blue flash of a Kingfisher darting between the reeds.

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Cromwell Bottom: From Ash to Emerald

The destination of this walk is Cromwell Bottom Nature Reserve, and the approach via the canal is the most scenic way to arrive. It is hard to believe, looking at the lush greenery today, that this site was once used for gravel extraction and later as a disposal site for pulverized fuel ash from the nearby power stations.

Nature's resilience is the theme here. As you approach Cromwell Bottom, the canal widens, and the views open up to reveal the hills of the Calder Valley. On the opposite bank, modern timber-clad homes sit nestled into the hillside, showing how the valley continues to evolve as a place where people want to live and breathe.

Wildlife Highlights at Cromwell Bottom

In June, the reserve is a cacophony of birdsong. The mix of wetlands, woodlands, and grasslands makes it one of the richest sites for biodiversity in the region.

• Dragonflies and Damselflies: Look for the Banded Demoiselle fluttering near the water’s edge.

• Waterfowl: Mallards and Moorhens are staples, but keep an eye out for the more elusive Grebe.

• Orchids: If you step off the towpath into the reserve meadows, June is the peak time to spot Northern Marsh Orchids.

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Why This Walk Matters

Walking the Calder & Hebble isn't just about exercise; it's about perspective.

In the span of just a few miles, you travel from the heavy, brutalist concrete of the bypass to the delicate, ancient-feeling woods of the nature reserve. You see the transition from the 1770s (when the canal was built) to the Victorian industrial peak, and finally to the 21st-century's focus on ecology and leisure.

The 11th of June 2016 was a day of soft light and heavy greens—a reminder that even in our most developed valleys, there is a vein of wildness that continues to flow, if only we take the time to walk beside it.

Please take a moment to share this post, follow me on social media, and explore my work on Clickasnap and Photo4Me using the link below. Your support means a lot!

All the pictures remain the copyright of Colin Green.