Flashback to Armley Common Right Trust's hanging basket event 2016
By community reporter
The hugely popular Hanging Basket Event, organised by Armley Common Right Trust, is back this weekend at Moor Top, on the junction of Armley Town Street and Armley Ridge Road.
After several years of absence, the Trust is opening up the event to anyone in Armley to collect up to two hanging baskets each to beautify Armley.
The event, which was paused during the COVID restrictions, is back with a bang. 250 hanging baskets will be available to any resident of Armley to collect, fill with compost and flowers, and hang outside their homes to give a bit of much-needed colour and joy to Armley.
Hanging basket planting in Armley, courtesy Armley Common Right Trust
Chair of trustees Philip Cave said: “It’s a real pleasure to have this community event back in the diary again. People have been asking about it and we’re looking forward to welcoming the community to Moor Top.”
Running from 10am on Saturday June 3, at Moor Top, the event is supported by Leeds City Council’s inner west community committee, so while donations are welcome and will go towards next year’s hanging baskets, they’re not compulsory.
Flashback to 2016’s community hanging basket planting in Armley.
“This is all about making Armley brighter, more colourful and more beautiful,” added Mr Cave. “We have a great response from across the community, and it’s always a delight to see so many new faces.”
Residents can also bring their empty baskets to Moor Top and fill them, and there’ll be volunteers in place on the day to help out.
Kirkstall Abbey Markets enjoy historic surroundings. Photo: Paul Abraham
Photos: Paul Abraham
Thousands of people took advantage of the bank holiday weekend and the lovely sunshine to pay the Kirkstall Abbey Markets a visit.
Set in the beautiful surroundings of Kirkstall Abbey ruins, the popular markets are held on the last weekend of every month between March and November.
Punters could take in the delicious smells and tastes of Yorkshire-made produce including cheeses and chutneys, and sweet and savoury bakes.
Check out Paul Abraham’s slideshow of photos below:
Slideshow by Paul Abraham
Kirkstall Abbey Markets enjoy historic surroundings. Photo: Paul Abraham
Stop for lunch at one of the street food stalls and enjoy a drink in the cloister ruins of the abbey.
There are also a range of art and craft stalls from local makers and creatives, showcasing handmade items including homewares, accessories and natural beauty products.
A Bramley schoolgirl has made history in becoming a three-time national boxing champion.
Neveah Brierley – who WLD profiled previously in November – won the under 44 kg female category of the England Boxing National Schools Championships on Sunday 14 May. This follows previous victories in 2021 and 2022.
Nevaeh, 13, beat Georgia Wood from Bilingham in the semi final and Grace Musgrave from Hull in the final, both by split decision.
Reacting to the win, Nevaeh’s mum, Shelly Brierley, said: “I couldn’t be anymore proud of her and she’s chuffed to bits. She went for the gold and came back with the golden gloves.”
Neveah Brierley in action. Photo: Clive Wood Photography/England Boxing
Nevaeh had to overcome a number of obstacles on her way to victory, including fighting through a power cut on the final day which meant that her friends and family couldn’t watch from home.
Shelly added: “You couldn’t write it. They live streamed [the event] and all her friends and family were all sat there Sunday and then there was a power cut and they couldn’t watch it so were waiting for me to tell them the result.”
Success: Young Bramley boxer Neveah Brierley.
Since victory at the England schools championships, Nevaeh has also gone on to win the Angel of the North Box Cup in Newcastle.
Her success has led to her being selected for the England Boxing performance pathway, which will see her fight internationally for her country, and her mum has revealed that her dream is to follow in the footsteps of trailblazers like Katie Taylor and Nicola Adams by competing at the Olympics and then professionally.
When Calverley C of E School received 23 trees from the Woodland Trust to plant for 2023, teacher Anthony Harkins knew who to ask for help with the planting – his dad Mark, writes Anne Akers.
Mark (right) with Head Teacher Robert CurranSuper-size compost binThe avenue of 23 treesCollecting the waterAllowing the grass to grow
Mark, a keen environmentalist and my fellow allotment holder in the village, immediately agreed to help and, with the full backing of head teacher Robert Curran, set to work as a volunteer with the school’s Green Team of teachers and staff committed to developing the outdoor space.
Now, nine months later, not only have the trees been planted to create what will be a shaded avenue in years to come, but the school has its own woodland garden chill area, a vegetable patch and fruit trees, compost bins and clubs for gardening, litter-picking and woodland walks.
I went down to the school to see how the work was progressing and arrived to find the Year 2 measuring the trees and learning which would be the quickest to give them shade on their regular one-mile walk doing laps around the grounds (answer, the birch, but many of the children will be at university by then!)
Calverley is a rural place, so there’s no shortage of greenery, one of the challenges for the Green Team was to create a safe space for the children and somewhere shady to sit when the weather is hot.
Now there’s a woodland garden where they can sit, study bugs (they are fascinated by creepy-crawlies!) and collect fallen leaves for compost. The edges of the grounds have been left to grow to encourage wildlife and the children have sown wildflower seeds.
And when it does rain, there’s now a butt to catch it ready to water the vegetables.
Mark volunteers a day a week and is full of praise for the children and their teachers who have helped make it a greener place.
“They have transformed the grounds and are learning all the time about the environment they live in, plus they are enjoying the outdoors, whatever the weather!” said Mark.
A shop on Armley Town Street could be partially converted into an apartment if plans are given the go ahead.
Applicant Mr Mohammed wants to subdivide the existing ground floor shop to create a flat on the ground floor.
On the first floor there are plans for an extension to create two two-bedroom flats from the current one-bed flat on the first floor.
A planning statement accompanying the application states: “The shop has been struggling over past years to maintain a steady profit and keep locals coming in. This would provide additional accommodation, reduce shop costs as currently most the shop is empty internally due to its large size.
“We believe this would prolong the commercial viability of this property and prevent this building from falling into dilapidation, as if this does not get approved my client is thinking of closing the shop.”
Bird fair stalls at Rodley Nature Reserve. Photo: Keef Williamson
By Keef Williamson
Rodley’s award-winning Nature Reserve is back in business after the completion of the Moss Lane Bridge.
On Saturday, 27 May it held its annual Birdfair and the numerous visitors enjoyed a day of glorious sunshine.
The event featured stalls from the RSPB, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, the British Dragonfly Society, Start Birding, the Spurn Bird Observatory, Leeds University Falcons and many others.
Events throughout the day included Guides in the Hides, dissecting owl pellets, dragonfly identification, pond dipping, butterfly hunting and learning about birdsong. For a small donation you could have a go at rope making.
Photo: Keef Williamson
It was a great day out and if you missed it there’ll be another one next year.
Anniversary celebration: Cake cutting at Neighbourhood Action.
An organisation offering lifeline services and activities for older people in Farnley, New Farnley and Moor Top has celebrated its 20th anniversary.
Members of Neighbourhood Action in Farnley, New Farnley and Moor Top enjoyed a party at New Farnley Community Centre with approximately 100 members, staff and volunteers attending.
The manager, Karen Buckland, gave a brief overview of the charity’s achievements over the years.
This was followed by a short speech by the Lord Lieutenant of Leeds, Stanley Hardy, who together cut the excellent cake, which had been made by the students of Thomas Danby College as part of Intergenerational Month.
In addition to the food, there was a luxury raffle with prizes kindly donated by local shops, and a few local organisations had stalls promoting their services and goods.
From social and exercise groups to trips and outings, the organisation offers a range of services and activities to older people over 60 years old who live in the areas of Farnley, New Farnley & Moor Top to combat social isolation and to promote an independent and active life.
Councillor Helen Hayden (left) and West Yorkshire mayor Tracy Brabin (right) pictured last September as the contract for Leeds\\\\\\\' e-bike system went out to tender. Photo: Leeds City Council
By David Spereall, local democracy reporter
Around 650 electric bikes will be made available for hire in Leeds later this year, after a new scheme was signed off on Friday.
It’s hoped the system, which is expected to launch in September, will provide a green alternative to the car and encourage more people to take up cycling.
Cyclists will be able to travel in and out of the city centre by picking up an e-bike from a docking station, which will be dotted around a number of Leeds’ inner suburbs, such as Armley, as well as in the heart of the city.
Users will have to register via a mobile phone app and will have to return the bike to a docking station, rather than just abandoning it.
The scheme, which was first publicised last year, will be operated by Beryl Burton Bikes, who already run e-bike systems in Norwich, Bournemouth and Greater Manchester.
Speaking at a West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) meeting where the plan was given approval, Leeds councillor Helen Hayden said she was “delighted” it was going ahead.
Councillor Hayden, who is the council’s executive member for infrastructure, said: “The operator is very experienced and very excited to come to Leeds. We’ve got a lot of confidence in the operator and I’m really pleased we’re having docking stations.
“It won’t be like when you go to London and bikes are strewn here, there and everywhere. They have to go back in a docking station.
“I’m really excited about this, especially for the students coming back (in September), it will be great.
“Growing up in Leeds in my twenties and thirties I never thought I’d ever see so many people going into Leeds city centre on a bike.”
Councillor Hayden said docking stations would be in place in a “circle” around Leeds’ inner suburbs, with Meanwood and Shaftesbury Junction among the first in line to benefit.
Outer areas of the city will be excluded initially, although it’s hoped that if the scheme is a success it can be rolled out further.
WYCA officer Vicky Dumbrell said: “Orders have now been placed for a proportion of the bikes.
“Leeds has a lot of cycling infrastructure already in place on its roads and there’s confidence this will be a success.”
Around two thirds of the £2.8m bill to set up the system will be footed by the taxpayer, with the rest being paid by Beryl Burton Bikes.
Ms Dumbrell also said that a quarter of the operator’s profits from the scheme will be reinvested into it, to “ensure it’s a success”.
Electric charging points to be installed
Between 500 and 1,000 electric vehicle charging points will be installed across West Yorkshire over the next couple of years.
The points will be financed by a £14.3m grant from a government fund aimed at making electric vehicles more appealing to drivers.
The West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) says much of the cash will be targeted on terraced streets, where residents typically have no driveway and no access to a charger.
Speaking at a regional transport committee on Friday, WYCA’s interim head of transport policy, Rachel Jones said: “It’s important to point out we’re looking at a focus on residential areas without off-street parking.
“Also, we’re looking at low-speed charging points, because the anticipation is a lot of the vehicles will be charging overnight.”
WYCA says it’s unable to be any more specific about the number of charging points the cash will fund, because setup costs will vary between urban and rural locations.
More details about where the sockets may be installed are likely to emerge at the back end of the summer.
The news will be welcome to motorists who’ve done battle with their local councils over running cables between their home and their vehicle.
One such driver is Claudio Franco, from Morley, who last year claimed Leeds City Council had rejected his request for a dedicated parking space on his terraced street, so he could charge his car up from a wall in his house.
The local authority said then that the cables were a trip hazard to pedestrians.
Speaking at Friday’s WYCA meeting, senior Leeds councillor Helen Hayden said the new points would help reduce this problem.
Councillor Hayden, who is executive member for infrastructure, said: “We’ve some very dangerous activity going on at the moment, either in terms of cables coming from windows above, or out of doors and across pavements.
“We need to get it (the infrastructure) as quickly as possible.”
City centre cycle lane funding
£23.12 million funding provided by Active Travel England will help build new cycle lanes in Leeds, as well as traffic-free paths in Wakefield and walking routes in Calderdale, in a bid to promote healthy travel, reduce emissions and grow the economy.
It comes as West Yorkshire has been recognised as one of the ‘Top Tier’ authorities in the country by Active Travel England, leading the way in providing cycling and walking opportunities for people across the region.
Schemes to be delivered through this funding include new cycle lanes in Leeds City Centre, as well as traffic-free paths in Wakefield, which will provide attractive alternative choices for local journeys.
Further improvements will be made to the canal towpath network in West Yorkshire, including the Huddersfield Narrow Canal towpath between Slaithwaite and Marsden in Kirklees, and the Huddersfield Broad Canal between Aspley Marina and Cooper Bridge.
There will also be a West Yorkshire wide ‘Schools Streets’ programme with upgrades on walking and cycling routes to schools and key facilities across the region, including St Luke’s Hospital in Bradford.
This latest investment of £23.12 million was secured by the Combined Authority and local authority partners from the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Active Travel Fund, following a submission to government, in February 2023.
Adele Rae, CEO at Kirkstall Valley Development Trust, explains why the WOW Barn – originally built by 300 women and non-binary people on Woodhouse Moor as part of Leeds 2023 – captured her imagination and why KVDT chose to take on the structure.
As one of LEEDS 2023’s Anchor Organisations,Kirkstall Valley Development Trusthas taken a keen interest in our city’s exciting year of culture. Leeds has such a rich cultural heritage which is often overlooked, and this is a wonderful way to celebrate all that is fabulous about the city, its culture and its heritage.
The WOW Barn particularly captured our imagination because, as an organisation, our mission is to make Kirkstall a better place to live.
Part of that involves combatting the effects of inequality and the poverty it often causes so, to discover that a barn was being built in 24 hours by 300 women and non-binary people, was inspirational.
It also goes to show what can be achieved when people are given the opportunity, not to mention an eye-catching way to demonstrate the power of women and non-binary people.
So, needless to say, we’re absolutely thrilled to give The WOW Barn a new home at Kirkstall Valley Farm.
It’s definitely going to be a huge undertaking, but LEEDS 2023 and manufacturers Castle Ring Oak Frame have been fabulous in helping us to facilitate the move to its new location. I should also mention that Leeds Wood Recycling have generously agreed to the Barn ending up at the farm rather than them inherit the wood for recycling.
What will it be used for? I hear you ask. Well, a little more about us…
Kirkstall Valley Development Trust (KVDT) is a community based organisation committed to improving the lives of people in Kirkstall. We do that in a range of ways – Food is a golden thread that runs through everything we do, whether that is through food parcels, our community cafe, Healthy Holidays playschemes for children from families on low incomes, or actually growing food on our community farm.
We believe in empowering people and giving them opportunities they might not be able to afford otherwise.
Kirkstall Valley Farm has been described as a ‘Big Back Garden for Kirkstall’ where there are so many people living in back to back houses who don’t have a garden.
The farm is an oasis of wellbeing, and the new addition of The WOW Barn will enable the community to access the site all year round. It will be used to facilitate educational opportunities, combat isolation and bring people together.
It’s such an incredible gift to the people of Kirkstall. We will ensure we continue the WOW ethos of challenging inequality and empowering those who are disadvantaged.
Furthermore, it’s fabulous to have been gifted one of the many legacies LEEDS 2023 will leave behind after this year of culture.
