Ramblings in the Yorkshire Dales

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Background:

From 2004 to 2006 I had the opportunity to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in England. The primary area that I served with in was Yorkshire, both West and East.

The time spent there was sharing my faith with those who wanted to hear and giving Christian service to all who needed it. It was a bitter sweet time because I would love to go back. Living with the people is so different from being a tourist. While I encountered lots of stereotypes because I was a "Mormon" or people assumed I was Jehovah's Witness, I also encountered a lot of wonderful people as well. I don't begrudge those who were mean or petty. They didn't understand and my faith and love tell me that they are still my family.

The wonder of spending time in a land full of history and culture was amazing and a chance of a life time. I hope you enjoy these few pictures I captured of the area.

One of the areas I served in was Keighley. This town is just outside Bradford, which is in turn next to Leeds. Keighley was a textiles town during the Industrial Revolution. What is more, the Bronte Sisters grew up just outside of town. This picaresque land inspired the backdrops of the books Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights.

The UK is filled with old ruins and other beautiful old buildings. Buildings that are considered relatively "new" have a history of at least 80 years. Often much much longer. My entire time living in the UK I didn't stay in any place younger than that. Some places have been around for at least 200 years. These buildings are often retrofitted with pluming going along the outside and are very drafty.

In the council estates the buildings are much newer. Sadly, the suburban sprawls are not very well taken care of. The people living in are heavily subsidized in their rents. Often I heard of girls who would get pregnant so they could get their own home at 16 (and sometimes younger). That makes me really sad because often those girls never finish their educations. I think systems that reward such behavior are counter productive and should be stopped. It's a life style. I wonder if the entitlement system of the UK were removed if the economy of the nation would return to being the dominate one that existed before the Second World War.

The fact of the matter is that this was a wonderful time. I miss the people and keep in contact with them through social networks and email. I really look forward to going back someday soon, or perhaps later. If you are considering going to the UK and you love nature and history, I suggest taking a brief detour to the Yorkshire Dales. You won't regret it!