By Jo Fiddes
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I took part in a “living history” walk in Armley earlier this week.
It sounded interesting. Amy Sutcliffe, of Leeds Civic Trust, said: “We have over 200 blue plaques in Leeds and are proud of our city’s unique heritage. We are always interested in new ways of interpreting our city’s history. Through these theatrical walks we can explore ordinary, everyday histories in a unique, tangible, exciting way!”
Would it live up to its billing or would it be a textbook heavy tour that would have been better read than experienced? I was about to find out…
The walk through 1918 Armley was organised by Leeds Civic Trust in collaboration with Jude Kershaw of Run of the Mill History, as part of the Leeds400 celebrations (a range of events have been organised to commemorate the fact that it’s 400 years since Charles I signed the charter that gave Leeds self-governing powers).
On arrival we were greeted by the extremely talented Jude, fully in character as a boiler-suited Kitty, a 1918 factory worker. Jude is a freelance heritage engagement artist, who specialises in telling untold stories through visual art.
Starting from the Albion Pub, winding through the streets of Armley and New Wortley, past the prison and ending in New Wortley Cemetery, the walk highlighted what life in 1918 Leeds would have been like.
Working and living conditions, the expectations of women’s roles, suffrage, the impact of the war and the outbreak of Spanish flu were all brought to life in a very meaningful way.
As well as a chance to look at some contemporaneous newspapers and articles, we were allocated small groups and given envelopes containing character names and short potted histories.
As the walk progressed, the attendees were drawn into the narrative and became the characters outlined in the envelopes.
It genuinely felt as if 13-year-old Kathleen Cautheray, soldier Alfred King, publican William Tyler and eight-year-old errand boy George Newbury were with us as we walked through the streets. This might not have worked with a lesser actor in control, but Jude’s commitment to the persona was outstanding and as a result this highly immersive experience felt less like a history lesson and more like having an actual conversation with someone from 1918.
We were all very invested in our characters, and somewhat stunned when the walk ended at New Wortley Cemetery and we came to the realisation that the “characters” were in fact real, local people who had been laid to rest there.
The event was evocative, deeply engaging and left a lasting impression on me and fellow attendees. Lynne Strutt had travelled from Headingley to take part, and declared that the walk had been “absolutely amazing. The fact she stayed in character throughout helped us understand what life in 1918 Armley was really like.”
I started the walk asking myself what it would be like. I ended the walk asking why don’t they do this more often?!
Top marks to Leeds Civic Trust and Jude Kershaw – you really brought history to life.
You can find out more about Leeds Civic Trust on Instagram, TikTok, Bluesky and X using the handle @leedscivictrust. They are also on Facebook and Linked in as Leeds Civic Trust.
You can find out more about Jude Kershaw and Run of the Mill History @itsjudeokay, judekershawfreelance@gmail.com and @runofthemillhistory.
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