A community led farm in West Leeds is about to celebrate its second birthday with a celebration.
Kirkstall Valley Farm is offering farm food, music and games on 23 September 2023, from 5pm until late.
The farm, which is run by community organisation Kirkstall Valley Development Trust (KVDT), will see its growers kick off the event to share what they have been doing for the past two years.
There will also be a chance to meet farm volunteers and harvest share members.
The farm is fundraising for our second poly tunnel and will have a bar – cash and card payments taken. There will also be plant and craft sales.
Tickets cost £5 per adult, £2 for children and fives and under are free. Admission includes a hot mea and a soft drink. Book here.
If you would find it difficult to attend this event due to lack of funds, please get in touch. No-one will be refused entry.
If you have any questions or need to enquire about a free ticket, e-mail: kirkstallvalleyfarm@gmail.com. You can visit the farm 3pm-6pm on a Thursday to buy a ticket.
Volunteers are being sought to help the popular annual Armley Festival run like clockwork.
Armnley Action Team is looking for volunteers to help out at the Armley Festival on 9 September 2023. A variety of roles are available, no experience necessary.
If you have a few hours to spare between 12pm and 6pm, get in touch via e-mail on fran.armleyactionteam@gmail.com.
Farsley Farmers’ Market has taken a break in August for a few years now, with the exception of the lockdown period. Experience taught us that our produce stalls had food festivals to attend and families had holidays to enjoy!
For the market team, the break offers a well-earned rest and a chance to hold our AGM to consider what the future holds for us. One important subject to discuss was how to recruite new Volunteers.
These days we see so many groups who are finding it hard to attract new members, and we are no different. But as winter approaches, and our members fall prey to those winter bugs, we really need a few local folk to step in when needed.
The e-mail to contact is farsleyfarmersmarket@hotmail.com and roles include erecting stalls, kitchen help or marshalling.
Over the coming months you may notice improvements to St John’s Hall and new Market banners or notices popping up in the area. It may be hard to believe, but there are still people living in the ward who don’t yet know a Farmers’ Market is held 11 months of the year at St John’s, Farsley!
If we can catch their eye, they will hopefully pay us a visit and discover what they have been missing. Meanwhile, a little word in their ear from you, would not go amiss.
We have just four more markets for your delight this year:-
23 September – 28 October – 25 November – 16 December.
In addition, and our final subject for discussion, the Farsley Christmas Lights Event has been confirmed for Wednesday, 29 November. On the night you can enjoy a piping band, Santa Claus and community groups parading down Farsley Town Street, as well as the Christmas Market just off the road below Sunny Bank Mills.
Carefully selected stallholders will include some farmers’ market favourites and special guest traders providing a good mix of seasonal gifts and flavours, including hot food and drink stalls. Celebrations kick off around 6pm and the market opens 6.30pm-8pm. Please note the main street will be closed to traffic from 5pm-8pm.
The latest phase of improvement works at Armley Gyratory are set to over-run by a week, Leeds City Council has confirmed.
The work was due to be finished today (Thursday, August 24) but unseasonably heavy rain during July and August has caused delays for workmen.
The gyratory has been subject to daily night-time partial closures and daytime 30mph speed limits.
Roads are now due to re-open on Friday, 1 September 2023.
A council spokesperson said: “Improvement works to the Armley Gyratory started on 24 July are progressing well on the complex process of new surfacing. Unfortunately, due to the wet weather, the most recent being the rain on Friday night (18 August) where no work could take place, the works are now expected to complete on 31 August, with the roads reopening on 1 September. But this is still very much weather dependent.
“By carrying out these works on weekday nights during the school holidays we aim to reduce the impact on motorists and the wider community. We are however avoiding works over the bank holiday weekend (Friday 25 August to Monday 28 August).”
The council says the Armley Gyratory works are complex and the work areas have been segmented into seven parts, as work progresses clockwise around the gyratory, with a total of 19 phases of activity.
This includes planing the existing carriageway, ironworks, laying binder, tarmac surfacing and associated white lining.
Work on improving the carriageway on the Stanningley Bypass has been completed.
Rock School UK Director Isaac Heywood presenting a cheque to Michael Tarbatt, Community Fundraiser at Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice.
Armley-based Rock School UK will continue to donate all proceeds from their concerts to Sue Ryder, which runs Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice in Leeds.
The hugely successful partnership, which has raised over £1,000 so far for Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice, was inspired by Rock School UK’s Director Isaac Heywood, whose friend Paddy was cared for at the hospice.
The care and support that Isaac saw his friend of 25 years receiving inspired him to fundraise for Sue Ryder: “He spent some time in Wheatfields, before he unfortunately passed away in February 2021. It felt like he was really well looked after there.”
Rock School UK, based on Canal Road, runs a huge variety of musical workshops and courses for all ages, both in Leeds and all around the country, with many of the Leeds-based concerts culminating in a concert.
Isaac said: “It’s an amazing team effort at Rock School UK. I’ve got really good team of tutors, I could not do it without them.”
Although he wasn’t musical himself, Isaac is sure that Paddy would be happy that the concerts are raising funds for Sue Ryder: “I think he’d be really pleased. He didn’t want anyone to be sad when he died, insisting he didn’t want a funeral ‘just a big party!’
“He’d think it was nice that we are remembering him. He used to look after his dad full time, he was a really caring person so I think he’d appreciate that were doing this, not just for him but generally to help people.”
Isaac is delighted that Rock School UK will be continuing to support Sue Ryder: “I wanted to do it for another year because I think about Paddy all the time and I wanted to raise money for something personal.”
Michael Tarbatt, Community Fundraiser at Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice said: “Rock School UK is a fantastic organisation and I am so pleased that they have chosen to support Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice for another year. The money that Isaac and his team are raising will ensure we can continue to provide compassionate palliative care to those who need it.”
Plans to install new ground source heat pumps in former stables which sate back to the 17th century have been submitted.
Leeds City Council has submitted the plans at the stables which now act as an existing plant room at the grade II Listed Farnley Hall, which houses the council’s parks department, among others.
The building was rebuilt in 1806 and sit within the curtilage of the Grade II Listed Farnley Hall.
A heritage statement supporting the application said: “The proposals as presented do not significantly harm the existing fabric of the listed building themselves, other than a minor service pipe intrusion to an existing plant room internally to the building. The works are in the setting of and not technically into the building.”
Clayton Donaldson’s Farsley Celtic revolution continued as a first half goal from Darren Stephenson earned a deserved 1-0 away win for the Celts at Bishop’s Stortford.
The Celts, sporting a new-look side and management team this season, headed into the game with an unbeaten record after the first three matches of the new season. And a solid performance against newly promoted Bishop’s Stortford saw the Celts finish the day in sixth place in the National League North.
While the Celts – with their small but vocal die-hard backing – had to withstand some pressure from the home side, goalkeeper Zan-Luk Leban barely had a shot to save and the visitors are now one of only of only ten sides in the entire National League to remain unbeaten.
As may have been expected due to the four-hour journey down to Hertforshire, Farsley started off the slower of the two teams and could have been behind after ten minutes when George Sykes turned a volley wide from the edge of the six-yard box.
After absorbing the early pressure, the Celts took the lead just after the half-hour mark when Darren Stephenson latched onto a long ball forward from Harry Sheridan before rounding Jack Giddens and finding the roof of the net at the third attempt to put Farsley in the driving seat.
The second half did not produce much in the way of chances either, with Stortford launching an aerial bombardment on the Farsley defence to no avail, with the excellent Rudy Misambo and Jack Leckie staying resolute and keeper Leban ably coping with a number of dangerous crosses.
Conor Branson will wonder how he didn’t double Farsley’s lead with 20 minutes to go when he met Chris Atkinson’s out-swinging corner, powering a header goalwards forcing a superb reflex save from Giddens to keep the home side in the game.
That would prove to be the final major chance of the match, as the home side continued to try to find an equaliser and fail, before the final whistle blew to seal another impressive three points for the Celt Army.
It’s been an impressive start to the season, with such a high player turnaround – only Chris Atkinson from last year’s team was in the squad – new management team and a new playing style.
The Celts will be pleased to have eight points in their first four games as sterner tests in a long season await. The only blemish on the day was goal-scorer Stephenson hobbling off which the Celts will hope isn’t a bad injury.
Line ups
Blues: Giddens, Haines, Morrell, Henshaw, Foxley, Olufemi, Sykes, Howard (Thomas 84), Walker (Godfrinne 67), Regis (Ogunwamide 46), Peters. Subs not used: Shogbeni, Alexander. Booked:Howard 40, Thomas 87
Farsley Celtic: Leban, Leckie, Smith, Branson, Misambo, Sheridan, Carroll, C. Atkinson, Stephenson (Robinson 76), B. Atkinson (Watson 84), Blair (Donaldson 55). Subs not used: Wilson, Silva. Booked:Leckie 20, Smith 73, Watson 90
Attendance: 533
Match reaction
Clayton Donaldson was pleased with his side’s fighting spirit against a newly promoted side which beat highly fancied Chester in its last home match.
Next fixtures
Up next, it’s a return to The Citadel for Farsley as they welcome another newly promoted side in Tamworth on Saturday 26 August with a kick-off time of 3pm. Tickets for the match are available here. Farsley then travel to Chester on the Bank Holiday Monday.
Thumbs up: Wortley History Group recently visited historic Stonebridge Beck in Farnley.
By Rita Norman
Wortley Local History Group celebrates 40 years this year – and is having a little corner to show some photographs of around 1983 to now highlight some of the changes in Wortley since the group started.
Come along and check out some photos of before and after 1983 and see how it has changed.
Attendees can sit and watch a Wortley slide show using a new projector thanks to Leeds Civic Trust & Leeds Year of Culture 2023. An assorted collection of photos and donated items of information on the history of Wortley will also be on hand.
Free entry and refreshments will be on hand at Whingate Methodist Church, Armley on Saturday, 9 September, 10.30am to 3pm as part of the National Heritage Open Days event
A 2024 Wortley Calendar will also be on sale.
A full list of Heritage Open Days events in West Leeds can be found here.
An Ofsted report into a Farsley nursery does not offer a true reflection of its work, its owners have said.
Ofsted inspector Yvette Brown said in her report that Little People Farfield in Cote Lane ‘required improvement’ in the quality of education it provides, pupils’ behaviour and attitudes, personal development and leadership and management.
Vicky Hallas-Fawcett, the owner of Little People, said staff had been left feeling upset about the findings of the inspection, which had been carried out in June. She said: “We were extremely disappointed that on the day of our inspection the inspector picked up on two small tweaks in our practise that she considered required improvement.
“She described these to us as quick fixes, and the report reflects this as she dated the actions to be completed within the following week, which has been done.
“We now patiently await re-inspection when we hope to return to our previous grading of ‘good’ which we have held for the last 20 years.
“We would like to thank our wonderful parent community who have helped raise our team’s spirits after the disappointing outcome which isn’t a true reflection of the nursery.”
The nursery, which had rated as ‘good’ at its previous inspection in 2017, has been told to ensure that staff have a good understanding of the curriculum and to deploy staff effectively to support the developmental and individual needs of all children, particularly the opportunities provided for younger children.
The report added: “Children do not consistently benefit from high-quality teaching and learning. Staff do not provide young children with opportunities that build on their interests and extend their learning, particularly in the outdoor learning environment.
“That said, older children are confident learners. They chat with the inspector about their recent interest in ‘Big Ben’. They enjoy describing the other landmarks that interest them, and are very proud of the drawings that they have completed. This is met with lots of praise and encouragement from staff, which supports children’s well- being.”
The report went on to praise safeguarding arrangements at the nursery, the opportunities to learn about the local community and the provision for babies. It also said that children thoroughly enjoy the activities on offer.
It added: “Children are happy and settled at this welcoming nursery. They happily wave goodbye to their family, with a smile. Children are happy to see their friends. They run to them, offering an affectionate greeting. Children have good relationships with staff. This is because there is an effective key-person system in place. Staff know children well and chat alongside them as they play.”
