Let's face it, not many of us have bags of money lying around to spend on expensive day trips and even more expensive holidays. That's why so many of us end up staying indoors, on the sofa watching TV or on the computer. There are lots of programmes worth watching and games worth playing so I don't blame you but I want to show you that you don't have to break the bank to have a great day out and find beauty because if you live in West Yorkshire it's all here for the taking!
When starting my journey I had only two criteria:
1. I had to stay in West Yorkshire.
2. I had to do things that were free.
So with only a few quid in my purse, my trusty Metro card, my dog eared notepad and my boyfriend as companion and cameraman I was on my way. Day One My first stop was Bradford Tourist Information Centre. Tourist information centres across the country are a great place to find out what's going on in your local area or, as the name indicates, they are a great place to go if you're a tourist! Their friendly staff are on a par with taxi drivers when it comes to knowing what's going on so if you ever need to find out anything about a place I suggest you start there.
 | | New to Bradford! Students in search of information |
Bradford Tourist Information, like any other, has rows and rows of informative leaflets, booklets and souvenirs but unlike many others it also has a great exhibition! I had intended to nip in, grab a load of leaflets and waste no time in starting my trip but I ended up following a 20 foot timeline which told me everything about Bradford's wealthy past, viewing 19th century photographs of the city and watching some really entertaining short films in the Centre's mini-cinema. I also met some students who have just arrived in Bradford. Claudia from Columbia, Camilla and Tobias from Germany and John from Ghana, all studying Conflict Resolution, seemed to be making the most of the information available so it just goes to show how important our information centres are! After leaving, weighed down by leaflets, I needed to digest all of the information so we had a quick coffee break. It was already 11.00am so, after deciding on what we'd be doing for the rest of the weekend and gulping down our coffees, we headed swiftly towards Lister Park.
 | | Lister Park, voted Best in the UK... |
Lister Park is Bradford's premier park and is only about a mile from the city centre. I had never been before so didn't really know what to expect but when we got there I was amazed by its beauty. This year it was voted the Best Park in Britain and will be competing against parks in Germany, Sweden and Italy in the European Best Parks competition. We walked around the park for ages taking in its splendour. We strolled around the boating lake, botanical gardens and geological trail, and then we decided to check out Cartwright Hall which is also set in the park.
This brilliant art gallery is home to a collection of 19th and 20th century British and French paintings including Lowry's industrial landscapes and works by Bradford's very own David Hockney. While we were there the gallery was hosting the exhibition Speaking Art: An Exhibition of Calligraphy. Calligraphy is the seminal art of Islam and we found it fascinating! (The exhibition continues until 21st January 2007).
 | | Tolson Museum - Huddersfield's 'Aladdin's cave'! |
Before we knew it, it was nearly tea time, we were hungry and my boyfriend was nagging at me to get home in time for X-Factor. (OK, I'm lying, it was me that wanted to watch X-Factor). So we made our way back and thought about our day. Even though we didn't manage to do as much as we hoped we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and best of all we hardly spent a penny. I give Lister Park and Cartwright Hall huge thumbs up for a great free day out. If you haven't been before get down there as soon as you can! Day Two We decided to take more of a regimented approach on Sunday so we could cram in more things. We started in Huddersfield at the Tolson Memorial Museum. This museum is in an attractive mid-19th century mansion house. When we got there we were surprised by how packed it was. There were loads of people, especially families looking around, and we were greeted by really friendly staff. The museum is an eclectic mix of transport, textiles, birds, insects, and other natural history and science collections, as well as musical instruments, toys, dolls and Roman archaeological artefacts. It's like an Aladdin's cave and I was never sure what to expect as every room is a surprise. Definitely one of the most unusual museums I've been to but this is not a criticism. If you haven't been before - and particularly if you live in Huddersfield - then get down there.
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After this we decided to take in some of the Huddersfield scenery and have a nice pub lunch. (OK, I know this isn't exactly cheap, and definitely not free, but you can take sandwiches if you want.) After refuelling on good old pub grub and a cheeky drink it was 1.30pm so we made our way to Wakefield where our weekend in West Yorkshire would sadly end. We went to The National Coal Mining Museum near Wakefield. This wasn't something I really looked forward to but it met my criteria and was something I'd never done before. I was pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable and educational it was! Coal mining is a huge part of our industrial heritage so I guess it's really something we should all take the time to find out about. We had a look around the museum galleries and at the mining equipment and then donned a rather fetching hard hat each and descended 140m underground to find out more about how coal was hewn and moved to the surface. It really was a fantastic and fascinating experience and I was even given a certificate to prove I'd actually done it! (Unfortunately I don't think I can add this one to my C.V) Descending down a mine shaft may not sound like your cup of tea but I urge you to check it out. I really can't believe it's free. If you want to go, I would suggest getting there early or booking in advance as it's really busy all the time.
 | | Sarah looks out over West Yorkshire! |
As we were in Wakefield we chose to finish our journey by visiting Sandal Castle. Sandal Castle, best known for the Battle of Wakefield which was fought in 1460 during the Wars of the Roses. Richard, Duke of York was killed in the battle. Remains of this 13th Century castle can be seen on the site and there's also a visitor centre. We climbed to the top of the castle. The view over Pugney's Country Park and over the Calder Valley is breathtaking. We simply sat for a while to take it in. If you're interested in history and the outdoors Sandal Castle is a must! So during our weekend in West Yorkshire we explored the history and heritage of Bradford, indulged in some culture at Cartwright Hall, wandered around the stunning grounds of Lister Park. We also uncovered all sorts of odd and interesting things at the Tolson Memorial Museum in Huddersfield, travelled 140m down a mine shaft and finished off by resting our weary legs and admiring the magnificent view of the Calder Valley from the top of a 13th Century Castle. All this, and my total spend, was less than £20 including £13 for my Metro card which I can still use for my travel for the next five days! I had a fantastic weekend and I only managed to do just a few of the things on offer for free in West Yorkshire. We had a good laugh the whole time and enjoyed even the things we didn't expect to. My highlights were Lister Park and The National Coal Mining Museum. So why not get off that sofa or away from your computer screen for just ONE weekend and see what you can do where you live? If you don't know what's on offer just get down to your local Tourist Information Centre and you'll be surprised by how much there is right on your doorstep. | 
