Farsley Celtic's Marley Blair on the attack against Guiseley. Photo: John McEvoy
By Josh Makin
Farsley Celtic will be looking to continue their unbeaten start to the season on Saturday as they make the long trip to Hertfordshire to face newly promoted Bishop’s Stortford.
It’s the second time this season that the Celts will be on the road after previously defeating newly promoted Rushall Olympic 2-0 on the opening day of the season thanks to goals from Ben Atkinson and Darren Stephenson.
Since that win at Rushall the Celts have played back to back matches at The Citadel which both ended in 1-1 draws against Chorley and South Shields. Clayton Donaldson’s side has shown plenty of character against the latter after a stoppage time penalty from Atkinson earned them a well-deserved point against full-time opposition.
In all three matches, Farsley have been fielding a new-look squad with some of the fresh faces arriving in the days leading up to the matches. This includes defender Jack Leckie, who signed on the same day as the South Shields match.
Goalkeeper Zan-Luk Leban joined on loan from Everton the day before the season opener. Leban has been one of the standout players from the first three matches, with a man of the match performance against Chorley where he made nine saves throughout the 90 minutes to help earn Farsley a point.
Farsley’s hosts on Saturday have also been impressive early on in the season. Despite being pipped by many as ‘relegation favourites’, they sit one place behind Farsley in the league table on four points after an eye-catching 2-0 win against Chester in the first match, as well as a draw with Gloucester City.
Saturday’s game will mark the first time the two sides have played against each other, and it is set to be an intriguing one.
TEAM NEWS
Lewis Turner remains unavailable for the Celts with Isaac Assenso continuing to recover from injury as well.
The Celts welcomed back Clayton Donaldson on Tuesday night following an injury in pre-season, and the player/head coach coming through the 90 minutes despite picking up a knock when winning the penalty.
Influential defender Tom Allan will be unavailable for selection, as he serves the first of his three-match suspension after being sent off against Chorley for violent conduct.
TICKETS
Tickets can be purchased on the gate for this fixture. All of the important supporter information can be found here.
Stefanio Pinato as Lily and John Rwothomack as Taxi. Photo: Anthony Robling
By Amy Downes
Local people working in collaboration to create something special is a theme that runs through the whole performance of the latest production from Leeds-based Red Ladder Theatre Company, which is being held at The Old Woollen.
From the stunning venue and the team of directors, to the community chorus and intriguing story that they had all come together to tell.
Based at Sunny Bank Mills in Farsley, the ground floor of The Old Woollen has been transformed into a 500-capacity performance space where you are invited to sit right in the middle of the action as it unfolds in front of your eyes.
The theme of collaboration begins with the team of directors behind this intriguing performance and an idea that was spawned from the stories of Douglas Thorpe during his time as a taxi-driver in the city of Leeds.
John Kendall as Mal Swings into action in Taxi. Photo: Anthony Robling
He has teamed up with Red Ladder Artistic Director Rob Dixon, and writer Andrea Heaton to create a twisting tale of one driver’s journey through the streets and people of Leeds. Each familiar tale you will have either been through yourself or heard of from others.
It’s their treatment of him that gives us an insight into their characters and the brief touch of their lives leaves an impact for much longer, much like our own cab drivers must experience every night (I will never look at a trip home in an Amber car in the same way ever again!).
The story is cleverly brought to life by talented writer Andrea Heaton, whose past credits include podcast Smile Club and Football Freddie, a team of actors lead by Sheffield actor John Rwothomack and a community chorus created from local volunteers.
Amidst this there is a longer story unwinding, homeless Mal is becoming more and more endangered and after Jo picks him up he’s left wondering if he really can commit to the taxi driver rule of staying ‘out of it’.
Taxi is based on an original idea by former Leeds taxi driver, Douglas Thorpe, co-director of the new production
The stories are told by a talented team of lead actors who take on numerous roles themselves and supported by a community chorus who bring to life the atmosphere that makes you feel like you’re constantly in a dark bustling city (sound and lighting credits).
Meanwhile, I watch with interest to see where Andrea Heaton goes next having been mesmerised by the script and completely enthralled by her Smile Club podcast which takes on a very different theme but is also cleverly created from different stories of lives that intertwine and connect.
TAXI is being performed at The Old Woollen until Sunday 20 August and some tickets do remain for this weekend, making it the perfect trip out to support local and small businesses this weekend.
A historic Grade II Listed building in the heart of Pudsey town centre is still on the market to rent – more than year after the bank which used it shut down.
Banners advertising the availability of the former NatWest Bank are now on display outside the building after the branch closed its doors in March last year.
The building – at the junction of Lowtown and Lidget Hill – is based in a Grade II Listed building, which means it must be preserved.
Agents Michael Steel have been asking for £22,000 a year rent before VAT, although they say this is negotiable.
The building has a ground floor, lower ground floor and a basement vault and the agents say it could be used for retail, office, financial, leisure or a café/restaurant.
The former HSBC Bank, opposite NatWest, which closed in 2020, had last year been the subject of interest from coffee chain Starbucks. The building, which had a guide price of £475,000 and was ‘under offer’ in spring 2022, is no longer listed on property firm Mark Brearley & Company’s website.
Last month Halifax announced it would be closing its Pudsey Branch in November.
The White Horse Pub, Pudsey, Photo: West Leeds Dispatch
A traditional Pudsey pub is available on the market to rent.
The White Horse, off Hough Side Road, is listed on the FindMyPub.com website as being available for £15,000 rent a year with an ingoing cost of £3,000.
The website states: “Currently a locals and regulars pub, this is very much the way forward for the business. The pub would benefit from a food offer but as mentioned, there would need to be an investment to install and convert an area into a kitchen. There is scope for a greater range of keg, cider, and cask beers to attract new clientele.
“The White Horse would suit an experienced community pub operator but also an operator that is new to the trade would also be considered if they had the correct vision, drive and passion for this style of pub. If you were a local from the area that would be the icing on the cake!”
The pub has a long history of being at the heart of the community, and in 2017 a group of 21 regulars got the pub listed as an asset of community value by Leeds City Council, although the pub no longer appears to be listed.
The TV Harrison ground off Oldfield Lane in Wortley.
Dear neighbour;- I want to bring you up to date with the current position of the TV Harrison Sports Ground in Wortley.
First, all of us involved with the campaign very much appreciate the support of the local community. There is no doubt that your support has been significant in preventing the city council developing the ground.
The background to the campaign is pretty well known. If you are new to the area or wish to refresh your memory, then please go to the campaign’s website. The history of the ground and all the details of our victories in the High Court, plus the key listing of the ground as an Asset of Community Value, are there. If you want any further information do please contact us using the details below.
The four years of successful campaigning have been tough but we are reaching the final stage. The involvement of Leeds United has been important and we are looking forward to the ground being bought, initially by our association, and to the whole site then being made available bit by bit for both outdoor and indoor sports and as a community centre.
In the meantime we really need your practical assistance. Maintaining the pitch and the surrounding spectator areas is a big task.
We have a small team of dedicated volunteers and we have the expensive equipment required to maintain it, but we are in urgent need of more local volunteers to assist with clearing the overgrowth, keeping the football pitch fit for matches and, particularly, for the regular training sessions and facilities for local children.
Could you possibly spare an hour or two to join our practical team that maintains the ground? It can be during the week or at weekends to suit your availability.
The existing team members are all local volunteers and they would make you very welcome. No specific skills are required, just a willingness to help in this important work.
If you can join us, just send an e-mail or message to Steve Houseman at steve.houseman@icloud.com. Steve lives on Oldfield Lane and co-ordinates the work on the ground and can agree mutually convenient days and times with you.
If you are unable to help with the practical work then perhaps you could make a donation to help defray the high costs of campaigning and of maintaining the ground. Just complete and return the form below.
Thank you for all your help.
TV Harrison Community Action Group
Read more of WLD’s coverage on the ongoing TV Harrison ground storyhere.
The fast-growing chain of gymnastics clubs named after West Leeds Olympic medallist Nile Wilson is continuing to expand with the acquisition of a gymnastics centre based in Mansfield.
Established in 2019 with the vision of increasing participation in the sport at all levels, the first Nile Wilson Gymnastics Club opened in Dinnington, Rotherham, and was quickly followed by a second club in Bramley last year and a third club in Coventry in early 2023.
The acquisition of the Beth Tweddle Gymnastics Centre enables the business to expand into the East Midlands as it pursues its vision of creating a network of gymnastics clubs around the UK that ‘change the game’ by delivering unique and more engaging activities.
Luke Sutton, director of Nile Wilson Gymnastics said: “We are absolutely delighted that we have made this acquisition and opened Nile Wilson Gymnastics Mansfield. As a group of people, led by Nile, we are laser focused on creating the best possible gymnastics experience for both gymnasts and parents at all our clubs. Our aim is for everyone to leave our clubs with a smile on their face.
“We have some major development plans for our club in Mansfield and it will become a centre point for gymnasts and coaches in the Midlands. Our overall business continues to go from strength to strength and this acquisition is another step forward in an exciting journey that we have mapped out.”
Beth Tweddle Gymnastics will be re-branded as Nile Wilson Gymnastics Mansfield and is already open at Portland Retail Park.
The venue features an 8,000 square foot facility with state-of-the-art equipment for gymnasts. Nile Wilson Gymnastics has also taken a lease for the entire first floor of the premises which it plans to refurbish to provide a 21,000 square foot gym in total which will make it one of the most significant facilities in the Midlands, able to host regional and national gymnastics events.
Nile, 27, grew up in the Pudsey area with parents Sally and Neil and sister Joanna and attended Farsley Fairfield Primary and Pudsey Grangefield School (now Pudsey Grammar).
His passion for gymnastics began at Leeds Gymnastics Club when he was five years old.
In March 2014, he won the British Junior Champion title and, in the same year, he became the first British gymnast ever to win five gold medals at the European Junior Gymnastics Championships.
Nile went on to compete in the 2016 Rio Olympics where he won a bronze medal in the High Bar final, again a first for GB in gymnastics. In 2017, Nile was placed sixth in the All-Round World final and in 2018 he won five medals at the Commonwealth Games, three Gold and two Silver, to take his Commonwealth medal total to nine.
The current playground in Western Flatts Park in Wortley has been criticised. Archive photo from 2021.
By John Baron
Long-awaited plans to replace the run-down play area in Wortley’s Western Flatts Park have taken a significant step forward this week.
Local residents have been campaigning for a new play area for many years, with more than 1,000 people signing a petition demanding improvements in 2021.
And council documents published yesterday have formally approved spending £196,243 to replace the neglected play area through Section 106 money secured from the developers behind new housing at the former Wortley High School site.
A council report suggests work will begin soon, with a summer/autumn 2023 start and completion some time in the autumn.
The report says there will be a new play area, but does not specify its location in the park, with more information to follow.
“Consultation has been undertaken with ward councillors and the local community,” the council report states. “And in response the scheme’s design includes accessible equipment that will improve play value for children with access and sensory needs as well as enhancing play.”
The work will be undertaken by council’s contractual provider of fixed play equipment, Kompan, and overseen by the council’s parks department.
We’ve had a busy few months in West Leeds and Pudsey, from wonderful Coronation celebrations, to a summer filled with activities from Yorkshire Day festivities to all the local galas and festivals.
The local businesses that help drive these events give us so much to be proud of. Brilliant shops and innovative entrepreneurs across West Leeds and Pudsey are leading the way for our city.
From Truman Books in Farsley to Carol’s Confectioners in Bramley, our local businesses don’t just create jobs, they boost growth and make our economy stronger.
Business rates concerns: Amanda Truman (left) of Farsley’s Truman Books with Rachel Reeves MP and Councillor Peter Carlill (Calverley & Farsley) during a recent visit. Photo: John Baron
There are so many examples of enterprise and hard work like this across our city, but too often people are being held back. We need to unlock that potential locally – and nationally too. It’s the only way to get our economy on a better path.
That’s one of the reasons why I will be standing in the newly redrawn Leeds West and Pudsey constituency at the next General Election.
It is a part of the world I have been privileged to serve for over 13 years, but always from the opposition benches. I see the next General Election as a chance to speak up for residents in Leeds West and Pudsey from the heart of government.
I know that the new constituency has enormous potential and will benefit from the fresh start promised by Labour.
And through my role as Shadow Chancellor, I see how much it reflects a national picture where too many people are being held back instead of being able to grab hold of the opportunities they deserve.
Rachel Reeves meets small business owner Susie Bogle, of HR Breathing Space. Photo: John Baron/westleedsdispatch.com
There is so much that could be done now to tackle some of the immediate crises that families face in the area.
Take rising crime and anti-social behaviour. This is a trend that isn’t unique to Pudsey and West Leeds, but I see first-hand the detrimental impact it has on people across my current constituency.
After more than a decade of dereliction on law and order by the Tories, more than 90% of crimes now go unsolved. These numbers are reflected in the lived experiences of residents in our area every day.
With a Labour government and me as your Labour MP, we will cut down on crime on the streets of West Leeds and Pudsey.
Our fully costed plan will recruit more than 13,000 neighbourhood police officers. Through those additional neighbourhood police and PCSOs on our streets, Labour will deliver on our mission to halve knife crime and violence against women, and keep our communities safe.
Alongside crime, we’ll also face head on the housing crisis engulfing Britain.
The Tory mortgage bombshell is hitting families hard with mortgages and rents through the roof every month. England has missed out on 212,000 new homes since the last election because of the Conservatives’ failure to meet their manifesto housebuilding target. I know how much this is directly hitting families in Armley, Bramley, Calverley, Farsley and Pudsey, and I know too that we need to see improvements in our infrastructure to facilitate the new homes our country so desperately needs.
The next Labour government will take the tough decisions to build the homes we need. We will reform the planning system, restore local housebuilding targets and support first-time buyers with a mortgage insurance scheme. We’ll protect renters, introducing a powerful new Renters’ Charter to make renting fairer, more secure and more affordable. Labour will back the builders, not the blockers.
Crucially, a Labour government would tackle the cost-of-living crisis once and for all, making sure right now that banks provide support to mortgage holders who are struggling with repayments, and bringing in a proper windfall tax on the huge profits the oil and gas giants to help families in West Leeds and Pudsey with the cost of living.
And most importantly, we’ll put in place a long-term plan to secure and grow our economy. That includes investing in Britain’s clean and renewable industries to cut energy bills, create good jobs and strengthen our energy independence from the actions of dictators like Putin.
By addressing crime, the housing crisis and the cost of living in Pudsey and across West Leeds, a Labour government will put family and businesses finances on a more steady footing, so that we can move forward into a brighter future.
One where working people are better off, where our high streets can thrive, and where the industries of the future and the opportunities for future generations are built right here in Pudsey and West Leeds.
We have the skills, businesses and ideas to rebuild. With me as your Labour MP in Leeds West and Pudsey and with a Labour government across the country, I know we can deliver the change that people want to see.
Editor’s note: Leeds West and Pudsey
Leeds West and Pudsey is a proposed parliamentary constituency.
The constituency will comprise Armley, Bramley and Stanningley from the current Leeds West constituency, which will be abolished. It will also include Calverley, Farsley and Pudsey, representing about half of the electorate of the current constituency of Pudsey, which will also be abolished.
WLD reported last week that sitting Pudsey Conservative MP Stuart Andrew will not stand for election in the constituency. A Conservative candidate has yet to be appointed.
Application: TJ's Pizza, Kirkstall Road, Burley. Photo: Google
Councillors are set to decide a late-night premises licence from a restaurant and take away in Burley.
TJ’s Pizza is based on Kirkstall Road, and owners Javed Aqib and Adam Javid have applied for a premises licence to serve late-night refreshments daily from 11pm to 1pm.
The application has attracted an objection from a member of the public opposes the application on the grounds of public nuisance, noise and littering.
Police have said there should be a raft of conditions to the application, including the owners recording any incidents of anti-social behaviour or accidents at the premises.
Councillors on Leeds City Council’s licensing sub-committee will decide the application on Wednesday 23 August at Leeds Civic Hall. You can view the agenda and all the reports in full here.
Lilac is a co-housing community of 20 eco-build households in West Leeds and we currently have a two-bedroom second-floor flat with balcony available.
We are looking for a new members to join us. Prospective applicants are invited to attend an Open Day on 16 September 2023 and submit a formal application soon after.
We are a vibrant and friendly community of 32 adults and 12 children and young people. LILAC stands for ‘Low Impact Living Affordable Community’, and we live across 20 straw bale homes, a Common House and shared facilities and gardens.
Established in 2013 in Bramley/Kirkstall (three miles west of Leeds city centre), we are a cooperative and a ‘Mutual Home Ownership Society’, meaning members own LILAC together.
Fancy moving into Lilac? Now’s your chance!
We are hardworking, community-focused and committed to a greener future, and are eager to welcome new members who share our values and are enthusiastic about pitching in, contributing skills and developing new ones, and continuing to grow our community in line with cooperative principles.
As part of the Open Day there will be an induction on living and working in Lilac, including an overview of our financial model and processes. Those who decide to apply will be assigned buddies to support them developing their formal applications. We will accept these in a range of formats and mediums, including video and audio recordings.
View: Lilac wants to hear from you.
Find out more about us, the opening day and about how to apply from our website.
You can email Lilac at info@lilac.coop with any questions about the vacancy or your eligibility.
The New Wortley Community Festival will be taking place on Jailey Fields (Old Oak Rec, LS12 2UB) on Saturday, 19 August.
There will be an amazing range of stalls this year, with community artists, youth team, inflatables climbing walls, henna painting, a tombola and of course lots of amazing food. Join them for an amazing day of activities and fun.
The event runs 12.30pm to 3.30pm.
Don’t forget to bring your friends and family, the more the merrier!
Review & photos: Calming the Tempest in Kirkstall Abbey cloisters
By Peter McDonagh
The tradition of staging plays by Shakespeare in the Cloisters at Kirkstall Abbey continued this evening (Thursday).
Sisata Open Air Theatre from Portland in Dorset performed their excellent production of The Tempest as part of their tour of Yorkshire.
The acting was fantastic and the costumes puppets and music makes this a very memorable show.
There is still chance to catch this live show at other local places, including at Lotherton Hall on Sunday 20 August.
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