Venue: St Stephen's Church Hall. By Betty Longbottom, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=13208702
Volunteers in Burley and Kirkstall will again be delivering Christmas lunches to elderly and isolated people in the community.
Members of the Kirkstall Valley Development Trust (KVDT) will be delivering the lunches on Monday 12, Tuesday 13 and Wednesday 14 December 2022.
If you would like to receive, or know an elderly or isolated person who would appreciate a Christmas lunch, submit a nomination as soon as possible.
Nominations should be sent to to adele.rae@kvdt.org.uk stating the name, address and any dietary requirements by Friday 8 December 2022. Please note deliveries can only be made to people living within the Kirkstall ward.
On Wednesday, 30 November Farsley will once again be switching on their Christmas Lights.
Farsley was one of the first areas in Leeds to have a Christmas Light Celebration and 36 years on three of the original team are still organising the event.
The volunteer organisers say that each year it is getting harder to fund the event but the Community of Farsley have rallied round raising money through crowdfunding, which is still open for donations.
From 5pm until 8pm Town Street will be shut to through traffic and diversions will be in place with no access to the side roads.
The parade this year will be led by “Mary and Joseph” from Churches Together in Farsley to remind everyone the true meaning of Christmas, starting at 6.30pm.
Countdown: Farsley’s big switch-on 2021. Photo: Si Cliff
They will be followed down the road by The Leeds Pipe Band, school children, playgroups and the local Scouts and Cubs with a couple of mascots.
In Charles Street car park will be a funfair and in Sunny Bank Mills car park there will be a mini Christmas Market.
In front of Marsden Court flats in Andrew Square there will be entertainment provided by Breeze.
At 7pm there will an official countdown and an appearance by Santa and Ronnie Rhino followed to a firework display over Farsley. Once the fireworks have finished Farsley Village Singers will be offering a selection of Christmas songs in Andrew Square.
Lots of the shops and cafes will be open on the evening.
Police have arrested a man on suspicion of attempted murder after a man was stabbed and critically injured on Armley Town Street.
The 23-year-old man was arrested yesterday afternoon in relation to the incident that occurred in Town Street at about 10.40pm on Monday (21 November) night.
The victim, a 29-year-old man, received multiple stab wounds and remains in a critical but stable condition in hospital.
A 22-year-old woman has also been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder. Both remain in custody.
Detectives are continuing to appeal for anyone who witnessed the incident, which occurred near to the junctions with Branch Road and Wesley Road, to contact Leeds District CID via 101 quoting crime reference 13220643377 or online here.
Information can be given anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
A £20 million Armley-based mental health unit has been recognised nationally for its services.
The Children and Young Peoples’ Mental Health Service (CYPMHS) inpatient unit for West Yorkshire based at Red Kite View was highly commended in the Mental Health Innovation of the Year category at the Health Service Journal Awards on 17 November.
Red Kite View, which opened in the ground of St Mary’s Hospital in January 2022, is a 22-bed hospital for children and young people across West Yorkshire.
The centre hosts two wards with one being a general admissions ward and the other a psychiatric intensive care ward. The psychiatric intensive care ward is the first of its kind in West Yorkshire.
It also holds educational facilities with qualified teachers for the patients, as well as full catering which provides those in the hospital with fresh, hot food.
Nick Lee, the operational manager at Red Kite View, said: “I’m so proud of what we’ve achieved together. This award is for everyone involved – from concept to creation. From the staff who deliver amazing care day in day out to the project team who built it – we’ve created something fantastic and I’m delighted we’ve been nationally recognised.
“Before Red Kite View opened we knew the needs of young people with significant mental health problems across West Yorkshire were not fully being met, and many were receiving inpatient care too far from home.”
Dean Westmoreland of Yorkshire Sole and William Gaunt of Sunny Bank Mills. Photo: Giles Rocholl.
Two new tenants have signed up at the historic Twisting building at Sunny Bank Mills in Farsley.
The Twisting, which has just undergone a £350,000 refurbishment, is now fully open and fully let.
During the past ten years Sunny Bank Mills has been transformed into a modern office and mixed-use complex for the 21st century, creating 400 sustainable new jobs with almost 100 companies.
The two new tenants at the Twisting are shoemaker Yorkshire Sole and woodwork school Wharfedale Workshop. They join the cocktail bar Botanic Request and the Emma White Jewellery Studio, run by BBC TV’s All That Glitters star Emma White, in the Twisting. As reported by WLD yesterday, Emma will be opening her new showroom this weekend.
Yorkshire Sole’s founder Dean Westmoreland, who is one of the stars of the popular BBC programme The Repair Shop, said: “Sunny Bank Mills has been on my radar for a long time and I am absolutely delighted to have moved here. The whole atmosphere around the place is one of creativity and innovation, while also being steeped in heritage. As a shoemaker I have a love of heritage.
“When I first visited the Twisting, I was immediately taken with the fantastic light from the large windows – something essential for my craft. This, along with the space being more than four times the size of my previous shop, really got me excited.
“This was perfect for the development of my business, which specialises in bespoke shoemaking and retailing fine shoes, as well as the repair side, which has gained a reputation for high-quality work thanks in part to the Repair Shop.
“The Repair Shop originally got in touch three years ago asking if I could repair an old pair of Olympic running shoes – on TV to six million-plus viewers! What an opportunity. I said yes, thinking it was a one off, but they keep asking me back and I’m now riding this surreal world of TV work while running and growing Yorkshire Sole.
“The new space at the Twisting will allow us to grow further, release our own line of handmade boots and serve the people of Farsley and beyond with this ancient craft of repair and shoemaking that will, hopefully, always be in demand.”
Meanwhile Dean has been joined in the Twisting by Nick Thompson, who runs Wharfedale Workshop, which specialises in woodwork courses for beginners and intermediates.
Nick, who has relocated from Ilkley, explained: “I had been looking for a new home for my woodwork school for some time. Once I heard there was a vacancy at Sunny Banks Mills, I jumped at it.
“The whole site has a fantastic feel which matches my hand tool woodwork ethos and the Twisting has been wonderfully renovated, with large windows, lots of light and lovely views. It has a real sense of history and character. Everyone I know told me I should move there.
“I teach hand tool woodworking to beginners and intermediates, specialising in traditional and modern woodworking skills. Courses are in the evening and weekends and we have a wonderfully diverse range of students. I know everyone will love our new premises”.
Co-owner William Gaunt commented: “The regeneration of the Twisting is another piece in the jigsaw in the regeneration of Sunny Bank Mills. Now the renovation has been completed, it is ready to be a tremendously stimulating space in the heart of our mill complex.
“We are absolutely delighted that Dean and Nick have moved into the Twisting. They both practice traditional crafts which are making a welcome comeback in the 21st century. Their businesses and their ethos fit in perfectly with the character and heritage of our mill.”
The Twisting was first renovated in 1935 following a fire.
Farsley Celtic finished the night with eight men as they lost out 2-0 to play-off chasing Chester FC in a feisty encounter at the Citadel.
Kian Scales was sent off for a late studs up tackle on Joe Lynch before Tom Allan and Isaac Assenso were given second yellows for dissent – the latter’s coming after the final whistle. Goals from Kole Hall and Kurt Willoughby were enough to seal the victory for the visitors.
Farsley started the brighter of the two teams in a goalless first half. Frank Mulhern had been denied by the Chester keeper when through on goal, and Luke Parkin then skimmed the bar.
The home side even had a goal from Frank Mulhern ruled out. The ball was initially crossed in by Chris Atkinson and after a goalmouth scramble Mulhern turned the ball in but the referee ruled that there had been an offside in the melee.
Celtic’s best chance came minutes beforehand when a pinpoint corner from Bobby Johnson landed on the foot of Carlton Ubeazuono who somehow managed to side foot volley the ball over the bar and out of the stadium from inside the six-yard box.
The missed chances were to prove costly.
As the game hit the second quarter Chester started to overrun the Farsley midfield and it was only the saves of Max Dearnley that prevented the away side breaking the deadlock.
Firstly, he was forced to dive high to his right as a low cross from Kole Hall was volleyed into the top corner by Adam Thomas. Thomas was involved again as his cross was taken down by Kurt Willoughby, who shot low into the left corner but was thwarted by a smart save by the Farsley stopper.
Farsley again started the half brightly and carved out a number of good opportunities. The long throw of Tom Allan was particularly dangerous and provided two great chances for Ubeazuonu. But all the makeshift forward could do was glance a header wide with his first and then shortly after hit an acrobatic overhead volley straight at the Chester goalkeeper Harry Tyrer.
Chester finally made pressure pay in the 68th minute when Kole Hall broke the deadlock. An overhit cross fell to Declan Weeks, who did well to find space and get a second cross into the box which was just out of reach of the flailing Max Dearnley at the front post. The ball fell to Hall who made no mistake as he rifled it home, much to the delight of the travelling contingent of Chester fans behind the goal
The major boiling point of the match came ten minutes later when Kian Scales was shown a straight red for a late, two-footed challenge on Joe Lynch. The tackle sparked a confrontation between the two teams with plenty of players pushing and shoving each other.
Down to ten men, Farsley were forced to change from five to four at the back which opened up space for Chester and led to their second goal with nine minutes to go. Kurt Willoughby nipped in behind the Farsley defence to latch on to a lofted pass before driving into the box and blasting the ball past Dearnley, sealing the three points for Chester.
Controversy came in the final minutes of the match as an already depleted Farsley Celtic squad lost two more players to red cards. Firstly, Tom Allan was shown a second yellow for what appeared to be dissent against the linesman on the far touchline, angering the already frustrated home fans.
Isaac Assenso, who came on as a second half substitute, was also bizarrely shown his second yellow card for a similar offence as the players walked off the field after the final whistle had blown.
Defeat sends The Celts down to second-bottom in the National League North, three points from safety.
The Celts now have a 10-day break, and a chance to regroup, ahead of a return to action in the league against Peterborough Sports on Saturday, 3 December (12.30pm kick off).
Celts boss Russ Wilcox refused to criticise referee James Bancroft. He was left to rue early missed opportunities and his team’s ill discipline, but praised his players’ commitment and application.
Chester FC’s Twitter admin may have had better days:
Farsley Celtic have been drawn at home to Chester in the Isuzu FA Trophy third round. Third round ties are scheduled for Saturday, 17 December.
The Celts reached this stage of the competition with a 2-1 victory over local rivals Bradford (Park Avenue) on Saturday, whilst the Cestrians defeated Lancaster City 2-1.
Ticketing details will be announced in due course.
The full third round proper draw can be viewed by clicking here.
Finalists: The Bearded Sailor in Pudsey has reached the last 10 in a national competition.
A Pudsey-based fish and chip shop has today been named as one of top ten takeaways in the UK, as part of the prestigious National Fish and Chip Awards 2023.
The Bearded Sailor, in Robin Lane, is joined by Yorkshire chippies Whiteheads Fish and Chips in Hornsea, The Fish Bank in Sherburn in Elmet and Auckley Friery in Doncaster, in being shortlisted in the top ten, following a rigorous judging process.
The top ten takeaways from across the UK will now be judged further by an anonymous panel of industry experts to finalise the top five, then top three.
Hosted by The National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF), the The National Fish and Chip Awards 2023 ceremony will take place on the 28 February 2023 at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge.
Top 10: The Bearded Sailor on Robin Lane, Pudsey.
Posting on social media, Bearded Sailor owner Alex Papaioannaou said: “Absolutely amazing news. We have been judged to be in the top 10 UK fish and chip shops. This is the main National Fish and Chip award, back for the first time since the pandemic. I feel truly humbled by this. We are in company with some incredible Fish and Chip shops around the UK.
“Congratulations to all the other shops, I look forward to meeting you all at some point and talking fish and chips.”
Andrew Crook, President at the NFFF, said: “It was a tricky job whittling down the top twenty to the top ten, but the chosen takeaways have demonstrated a clear reason as to why they are deserving of this accolade. All finalists should be extremely proud and our judges are looking forward to getting stuck into the next set of judging!”
The Takeaway of the Year category is sponsored by Pukka Pies, McWhinneys, Smales, VA Whitley, Friars Pride, Henry Colbecks and B D Signs.
It was set up by the family of Bramley seven-year-old Zoe Lightfoot, who has had the condition since she was a toddler.
In the year since its launch, the charity has had major success in its fundraising campaigns, and was recently able to give a grant of over £7,000 to University College London (UCL)/Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Bramley resident Christine Hamshere, a trustee and co-founder of Cure INAD UK, said: “[The past year has been] challenging but fun. Our fundraising has been done by incredible people.”
A charity to help find funding towards a cure was launched on the steps of Leeds Civic Hall last year. Photo: John Baron
She highlighted three notable fundraising challenges.
Ben Manuja is currently cycling alone through Africa for Cure INAD UK, and has raised over £800 for the charity. During this challenge he aims to cycle 9,000 miles. He can be sponsored here.
Katie Lee competed in the ‘Race to the Tower’ challenge, running 80km and climbing over 7000ft in one weekend to raise nearly £2,000 for the charity, and
Chris Taylor (who has a heart condition) and Ben Scott walked the Manchester Marathon, raising over £1,000 in the process with the money being split and Chris donating his share to Cure INAD.
Miss Hamshere, of Moorland View, also spoke about the charity’s achievements this past year. She said that “just being able to contribute to the research… push the research forward to get a cure” was the best achievement the charity had achieved this year, which they were able to do following the grant of over £7,000 to UCL/Great Ormond Street.
According to the charity’s website, the grant given to UCL/Great Ormond Street will be used to fund biomarkers.
The benefits of these biomarkers are that they “help doctors make the diagnosis earlier in patients, improve the understanding of disease, provide a more accurate picture to families of what the future holds for their child, assess how severe the disease is and how quickly it is progressing and help assess the effectiveness of upcoming novel treatment in future clinical trials”.
Miss Hamshere added that “samples have been taken from children all over the world, and they’re using some of [the grant from Cure INAD UK] to get those samples submitted”.
The charity had also gained a donation from Direct Line of £500.
“I’m hoping we get more established”, Miss Hamshere said when discussing the plans for the future of Cure INAD UK. “We’re hoping to have greater success in securing funds and getting established”, she said.
The journey of her family, and in particular her seven-year-old daughter Zoe Lightfoot, who was diagnosed with INAD when she was two-and-a-half, has been well documented here at WLD. We spoke to Christine about her daughter.
“She’s ok,” said Miss Hamshere. “We know what to expect day to day”, but also added that Zoe was “slowly deteriorating”.
“Zoe has been an incredibly brave little girl. She is my inspiration, she is my driving force.”
More information on Cure INAD UK can be found here. If you wish to donate to any of the fundraising events please visit the charities website.
Three West Leeds venues have been named as drop off locations for artwork to enter the tickets ballot for the opening event of Leeds 2023 year of culture.
The only way to enter the ballot for tickets to ‘The Awakening’ event at Headingley Stadium is via donation of a piece of art.
Leeds 2023 say that “anything goes in terms of the art that can be sent in to enter the ballot. Organisers are looking for a wide variety of submissions – it can be a doodle or dance, a cake or comic, a painting or poem – however anyone gets their creative kicks can be uploaded as photos, audio or videos to www.leeds2023.co.uk”.
The deadline for submissions is Friday, 25 November 2022.
Several locations across the city, three of which are in West Leeds, have been turned into designated drop off points for submissions.
West Leeds drop off locations
Armley Library
Bramley Baths
New Wortley Community Centre
City-wide drop off locations
Burmantofts Community Hub and Library
Hamara, Beeston
Kirkgate Market
LEEDS 2023 HQ, Brewery Place
Leeds Beckett University, City Centre Campus
Leeds Beckett University, Headingley Campus
LS14 Trust
Health for All, Middleton
Reginald Centre, Chapeltown
The Old Fire Station, Gipton
Voluntary Action Leeds, Hunslet.
There are also new ‘creation stations’ set up too, which offer people a chance to create their entry as well as providing materials on specific dates.
West Leeds ‘creation stations’
Left Bank Leeds, 23 November.
‘The Awakening’ is the opening event of the Leeds 2023 celebration of culture on 7 January 2023. It will feature appearances from several famous faces, including hosts Gabby Logan MBE and former Leeds United footballer and broadcaster Sanchez Payne, as well as George Webster and Leeds Rhinos’ Bramley legend Jamie Jones-Buchanan. The event will also include performances from Corinne Bailey Rae, Simon Armitage and LYR.
Becketts Park Community Centre (left) and the old Queenswood Drive Day Centre (right). Picture from Google Maps (June 2022).
Council planners have given the green light to demolishing an old community centre, which served as a base for local gatherings in part of west Leeds for decades.
Leeds City Council has approved plans to knock down Becketts Park Community Centre on Queenswood Drive, Kirkstall, alongside an old day centre next door, to make way for new homes.
The community centre has been empty for the past seven years, with the building now in a serious state of disrepair.
The local authority said it was cheaper to demolish the venue, first built in the early 1960s, than to bring it up to scratch.
The day centre, once used by vulnerable adults, was shut by the council in 2013 to save money.
Separate planning applications have been put forward by the council for each demolition.
Demolition work will begin at the turn of the year.
In its planning application for the mothballing of the day centre, the council wrote: “The proposals will not reduce or remove the care of our most vulnerable people now or in the future.
“As the building is surplus to requirements, the proposal contributes to the city’s and council’s ambitions through reducing the risk of crime and anti-social behaviour and reducing the costs of securing and maintaining a building while being kept in void which is no longer required.
“The site would then be used for redevelopment of housing growth.”
Emma White is expanding her business at Sunny Bank Mills in Farsley.
Emma White, a finalist in the BBC’s ‘Bake off for Jewellers’ competition All That Glitters, is opening her first showroom in Sunny Bank Mills in Farsley.
The showroom opens this weekend – 25/26 November 2022 – and will showcase the jewellery Emma has created, inspired by her favourite makes in the All That Glitters workshop.
As a long-standing tenant of Sunny Bank Mills, Emma, who is originally from Scotland, has lived in Farsley for more than 20 years.
Since All That Glitters aired Emma, 45, has extended her jewellery workshop, where she teaches jewellery making skills and has expanded her collection of personalised and emotive jewellery, which has previously only been available online.
Emma White is based at Sunny Bank Mills in Farsley and appeared on BBC’s All That Glitters
Emma is opening a showroom where the public can visit and try on her contemporary jewellery, order their personalised pieces and discuss bespoke commissions.
“My work centres around stories,” said Emma. “The stories of the wearer who can literally have their story stamped into ribbons and silver and wound into unusual artisan jewellery pieces, while imagery inspired by the stories that we weave around us appears in feathers, hands and other symbolic pieces that all have a tale to tell.”
Busy Emma – who has three children and three stepchildren – says appearing on the show has challenged her in many positive ways.
“It was a six-month experience and to have that time dedicated to just coming up with new designs, thinking about what I wanted to make, the whole pressure of lots of people are going to see this, it made me give it a lot of thought,” Emma told WLD.
“It was good to be taken out of my comfort zone. Sometimes when you’re making your own jewellery you can end up making the same things all the time. I came away after the programme thinking I had found myself creatively and that I had been stimulating creatively – it allowed me to get off my ‘hamster wheel’.”
Emma is the brains behind the online jewellery collective and destination shopping experience thejewellerymakers.co.uk, which sells distinctive design-led jewellery handmade from precious metals.
Designed and made by a collective of artisan jewellers, The Jewellery Makers is a gallery/selling online site for handmade jewellery.
Emma is based in Sunny Bank Mills, which is also hosting a Christmas Art and Makers Market this weekend (25/26/27 November). More details about the event can be found here.
All That Glitters is a six-part television series, where eight jewellers compete to become Britain’s next jewellery star. Series two aired on BBC2 this autumn, it was hosted by comedian, Katherine Ryan.
Find Emma’s showroom here: The Emma White Jewellery Studio, 10 The Twisting, Sunny Bank Mills. E-mail her at info@thejewellerymakers.co.uk.
Work to improve a busy Horsforth junction used by West Leeds commuters is set to cause delays for the next year.
Preliminary works will be starting this week at the Fink Hill junction, between the A65 New Road Side (Horsforth roundabout) and Low Lane roundabout, which is a key route for traffic travelling between the Ring Road and Horsforth.
The works are expected to last for 12 months, with the main construction starting in January 2023 after the busy Christmas period to allow for minimum disruption to road users.
A Leeds City Council spokesperson said: “The scheme will improve connectivity between communities north and south of the ring road, provide new pedestrian crossing facilities and cycle lanes, offer a better junction layout to improve safety as well as reduce congestion for residents and commuters.
“Traffic management will be in operation whilst the works are carried out, and from January 2023 the A6120 carriageway will be temporarily reduced to one lane in each direction.
“Disruption will be kept to a minimum, but there will inevitably be delays, and when temporary closures are in operation, diversion routes will be well signed.”
Councillor Helen Hayden, Leeds City Council’s executive member for infrastructure and climate, added: “We want to improve everyday life across the city, tackling climate change and improving people’s health and wellbeing. To help us achieve this ambition, we are investing in transport infrastructure improvements, like these at Fink Hill, helping to improve safety for all road users including people walking and cycling.
“Unfortunately, as with any road improvement works there will be some disruption for residents and people travelling along this busy route, so please plan ahead for any journeys in the area and I would encourage you to download the app for real-time updates.”
