The community garden would be based off Gelder Road, Armley. Photo: Connor Briggs
By Connor Briggs
Gardening beginners or experts are encouraged to take part in a blooming great community initiative in Armley.
The initiative plans to create a community garden near the Bundles charity shop on Gelder Road. The area will be used for socialising, gardening and potentially growing food.
The project, which will work alongside Climate Action Armley, is calling on people to join in the project, even in a light capacity.
Victoria Kortekaas, ABCD Community Leader, said: “It’s about creating a community and bringing communities together to work in a space. We’re not just wanting people who are involved in Armley Action Team, but people involved in other volunteer groups.
“It’s about bringing our community together and making a space that the community feels comfortable in. It’s going to be a community-led project.
“We’re looking for people with ideas, and people who want to get involved practically. It can be people who want to find out more about gardening, or experts. We’re looking for a wide range of people.”
Alan Bennett during a 2016 visit to Armley Library. Photo: Leeds Libraries
By Connor Briggs
Multi-award-winning actor and playwright Alan Bennett will make his return to Leeds to take part in the ‘1001 Stories’ event.
The actor, who was born in Armley, will take part in the 1001 Stories fortnight which aims to celebrate older artists and their stories at Leeds Playhouse.
Mr Bennett will be returning to his home city of Leeds two days before his 89th birthday on 7 May at 4pm. The event is advertised as “In Conversation with Alan Bennett” and will take place inside the Quarry Theatre.
Artistic director of The Performance Ensemble and director of Sinfonia, Alan Lyddiard, said: “Having Alan Bennett join our 1001 Stories programme is a wonderful affirmation that creativity doesn’t stop as you get older; he continues to be an astute, satirical and engaging force, still creating incredible work well into his 80s.
“1001 Stories isn’t just for older people, it’s for all ages to enjoy, to experience and understand the narratives and lives of the older members of our society, who are just as relevant and vocal today as they were in their younger days.”
The 1001 Stories event takes place between 24 April to 6 May.
Tickets for In Conversation with Alan Bennett are on sale now to Leeds Playhouse’s priority access Playhouse pass members, with tickets on general sale from Wednesday, 12 April.
The event is being run collaboration between The Performance Ensemble, Leeds Playhouse, Leeds Museums and Galleries, Leeds Older People’s Forum, and LEEDS 2023.
Hitting the right note: This ukulele group meets in Bramley
By Connor Briggs
For those eager to learn, a ten-week ukulele course will be strumming away in the Bramley Lawn Social Centre.
Starting on Monday, 17 April between 6.45pm to 8pm, Jessica Bowie will be leading the sessions which will run most Mondays. The course will end on the 10July.
Ms Bowie says ukulele playing has seen an upward trend in the last ten years.
“The benefits of playing music are well documented now, it’s really good for your mental health,” she said. “Co-ordination can be really good for people having to do hand-eye coordination, as well as helping people with arthritis. People report and I know when I learned myself, it just makes you really happy.
“I’ve been running this ukulele group in Bramley for a while now, and we’ve played at festivals in summer, whenever there are community events that we’re invited to along too we always try and join in.
“People don’t realise how much fun it’s going to be, as well as it being relatively easy. It’s a third easier than learning a guitar because it’s got less strings.”
The course will cost £100 and is: “An introduction to playing the ukulele. This is a fun light-hearted course designed to get complete beginners to music playing familiar songs, in a variety of styles. No previous experience needed, and you don’t need to read music.”
Included in the price are the ten sessions as well as a songbook, a ukulele is available to hire for the duration of the course by paying a refundable deposit.
The course will take place at Bramley Lawn Social Centre Rossefield Lawn, Bramley, Leeds, LS13 3TG (just off Stanningley Road).
An artist's impression showing how a proposed co-living space at Burley Library may appear.
By David Spereall, local democracy reporter
Co-living spaces, which may soon spring up across Leeds as a new form accommodation for young professionals, have been branded “dystopian” by one city councillor.
Labour’s Kayleigh Brooks said the concept was “not something we should be encouraging” and suggested such developments would be unaffordable for the graduates they’re aimed at.
Co-living quarters have emerged in London and other European cities in recent years, with dozens of twenty-somethings generally all under one roof.
Often spread across multi-storey developments, they typically include large shared amenities such as kitchens and utility rooms, but much smaller personal spaces.
While some have championed the idea as a solution to the housing crisis, others have claimed it’s being cynically driven by developers’ desire for profit.
Leeds City Council is now developing its own set of policies for co-living spaces, so town planners can decide whether or not to approve such applications from developers.
Concerns: Cllr Kayleigh Brooks.
Speaking during a debate about the concept at a council planning meeting on Tuesday, Councillor Brooks, who represents the Little London and Woodhouse area, said: “It’s entirely dystopian that this in front of us.”
Having earlier criticised the typical £800 to £1,200 a month rent for such schemes “obscene”, Cllr Brooks added: “I’m not sure the vast majority of graduates would be able to afford to live here.
“When I was a graduate I had no pennies to rub together at all. If you’re on a starting salary of not very much, you’re not going to be able to cover that.
“I really, really don’t think it is something we should be encouraging in the city. We’re not London, we’re Leeds, and we need to uphold our space standards.”
Other councillors shared similar concerns at Tuesday’s meeting, with some raising questions about how potential conflict between residents of the blocks would be managed.
Although no co-living spaces have been approved or built in Leeds yet, two such schemes have been publicly touted by developers.
The former Burley Branch Library. Copyright Adrian Smith and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Burley Library, on the city centre’s outskirts, and former office block Headrow House have both been earmarked as potential locations.
The Parklane Group, who put the proposed Burley Library conversion before councillors for discussion in November, said then that co-living is “seen as a natural progression from student accommodation and appealing to graduates and young professionals”.
Watkin Jones, meanwhile, are behind the plans to convert Headrow House.
Speaking in November, when they submitted a formal application to the council, the developer said they believed their proposals, “will meet the needs of an increasing number of people left behind by the traditional housing and rental markets.”
As we celebrate Easter and we turn our thoughts to spring and summer, for many of us the dread of hay fever also enters our minds.
As the pollen levels rise, then the need to reduce the symptoms of hay fever also rise.
There are plenty of unwanted side effects associated with over-the-counter hay fever medications, such as drowsiness, which can affect your focus and make you feel tired all the time.
Eye drops can cause eyes to sting, and nasal decongestants can lead to an itchy rash around the nose. There’s also a debate over hay fever medication during pregnancy and how safe antihistamines are for certain people – including babies, who can also get hay fever. So here in the first of a two part series are the best recommended natural hay fever remedies.
1. Honey
Honey is said to be a natural remedy for hay fever because the bee pollen in honey can desensitise your body to other pollens. Increasing honey in your daily dietary intake should reduce hay fever symptoms significantly. Make sure you use local honey to your area to see the best results.
When to take: Daily before hay fever season starts.
2. Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a known natural antihistamine and can be found in oranges, lemons and grapefruit. Also present are bioflavonoids, which have powerful anti-allergy effects. The combination of vitamin C and bioflavonoids together provide a natural decongestant and antihistamine for sufferers and help alleviate symptoms.
“Vitamin C acts as a natural antihistamine,” says Nutritional Therapist Alison Cullen. “Your body can’t make or store vitamin C, so it has to be available in low, consistent doses to support your nasal lining.”
Oranges are a good source of vitamin C or you can take a supplement.
What to take: 1,000mg of vitamin C a day.
3. Hot peppers
Red and chilli peppers contain an active component called capsaicin. When eaten, capsaicin opens the nasal passages, helping to reduce congestion.
What to take: Add red and chilli peppers to your daily diet, on salads or cooked with your evening meal.
4. Carotenoids
Naturally occurring pigments in plants, carotenoids act as powerful antioxidants to help reduce inflammation in your airways and improve your immune system. A good source of carotenoids can be found in foods such as carrots, apricots, pumpkin, sweet potato and spinach – natural remedies for hay fever can actually be pretty tasty!
When to take: One to two servings of carotenoid-rich food per day.
5. Chamomile tea
An antioxidant and antihistamine, chamomile tea contains flavonoids that act as an anti-inflammatory agent. While best taken as a cuppa during the day, chamomile tea can also be used as an eye compress to cool swollen, red eyes.
What to take: Daily as a cuppa or as an eye compress. Make sure to use a fresh compress for each eye to avoid infection.
Making and using a compress:
1. Submerge an instant chamomile teabag in water. Leave it there for at least 3 mins.
2. Dump out the water and gently squeeze the excess water from the teabag.
3. Refrigerate the chamomile tea bag for 15 to 30 mins and remove from the fridge once cool.
4. Hold the cool tea bag against the swollen eye for up to 5 mins at a time.
5. Allow your inflamed eye to breathe for an hour before attempting to re-apply a new compress.
There will be another six natural hay fever remedies in my next column.
Police have issued a renewed appeal for witnesses after a motorcyclist who was seriously injured in a collision in Bramley died in hospital.
Bailey Sorren, who was 21 and from Leeds, died yesterday (Wednesday, 3 April) following the incident, which happened in Bramley at about 6.10pm on Saturday, 25 March.
Bailey suffered serious injuries after the white KTM 125 Duke motorcycle he was riding was in collision with a blue Vauxhall Adam, close to the junction of Broad Lane with Bell Lane.
This incident is now being investigated by the Major Collision Enquiry Team, who would like to hear from witnesses, or who has footage that may help their enquiries.
Anyone who witnessed the collision or the movements of either vehicle prior to it is asked to contact the Roads Policing Unit on 101, or by using the LiveChat facility on the West Yorkshire Police website.
This existing crossing on Uppermoor in Pudsey could be raised in a bid to slow down traffic. Photo: Google
By John Baron
Plans for new or improved pedestrian crossings in Kirkstall and Pudsey have been revealed by Leeds City Council this week.
The council annual pedestrian crossing review has identified a £450,000 package of formal and informal crossings at nine sites across Leeds.
These include improvements at the mini-roundabout junction of Spen Lane with Vesper Road, in Kirkstall and the existing crossing on Uppermoor, Pudsey, near Victoria Road.
Crossing concerns: The junction of Spen Lane and Vesper Road, Kirkstall. Photo: Google
Spen Lane/Vesper Road, Kirkstall
Although there have been no register accidents in the past five years, concerns have been raised about number of pedestrians crossing the location, along with the difficulty of crossing due to presence of the junction.
The council proposes to introduce two carriageway refuges, one on Spen Lane south of the roundabout and one on Vesper Road, to allow pedestrians to cross in two halves and not face being stranded.
Uppermoor, Pudsey
The report says three pedestrians have been hurt during ‘slight collisions’ on the crossing since June 2021 and proposes a new humped crossing to slow traffic down.
The report adds: “It is proposed, therefore, to place the crossing atop a road hump, to enforce drivers to slow [down]. Additionally, the belisha beacons will be changed to direct lighting and LED beacons, to make the footways and crossing area lighter during hours of darkness.”
The council’s highways department will carry out a public consultation over the proposals once the detailed scheme has been drawn up. Pudsey’s councillors have been lobbying for improvements at the crossing.
Kirkstall Lane
There are also plans to improve the existing zebra crossing facility on Kirkstall Lane, Headingley, between Langdale Avenue and Langdale Gardens, which is part of a route linking west Leeds to north Leeds.
The report adds: “The new formal and informal pedestrian crossing sites will provide safe, defined crossing points for pedestrians in these areas. By improving highway safety and removing potential severance concerns, the programme supports active travel choices in local areas for those pedestrians wishing to walk to their destination.”
An Easter market is set to take over Armley Town Street. Photo: Connor Briggs
By Conner Briggs
The Armley Easter Market will take place on Town Street on Saturday, 8 April, from 12.30pm to 4.30pm. The event will host food stalls, workshops, craft ware and activities for all.
Town Street will be closed for cars and buses from the hours of 11am to 6pm to allow for the Easter celebrations.
There will be a range of stalls on the day with the premise of all products being homemade. Products like wallets, artwork, glassware, and craft products will be on show.
Food will be available throughout the market, ranging from sweet bakeries to ice cream, and hot dogs.
Leeds Youth Services are organising a scavenger hunt, where participants will use maps to find certain letters which spell a word and when completed a prize will be claimed. A story bus is also planned among other entertainment for children throughout the day.
One of the organisers, Fran Albrecht, said: “It’s a good mix of lots of different stores. Everything is homemade, all the venders make the products themselves and that’s really important.”
Last year’s event took over Armley Town Street. Photo: Armley Action Team
A hand-painted sign using an old vinyl banner can be found off Town Street advertising the Easter market. The poster was made in partnership with Armley-based Assembly House artists.
Ms Albrecht said: “I had two artists helping me from Assembly House, we had a vision for the poster, and all worked on that together. It was very time-consuming but it’s important to show you can make something great by recycling, and repurposing things. You don’t always need to buy new things.
“We had to do it in two sessions, if you have the time, it’s a great thing to do to bring people together, we had a lot of fun (making the banner).
“We have so many different things for families, from workshops to stalls to food, it’s a good mix of activities and I think it will be a great day.”
Other features of the market will include a steel band performed by Foxwood Steel Bandits, as well as an appearance from Ronnie the Rhino among others.
Paving stone thefts are causing problems in Burley. Photo (2023): Connor Briggs
By Connor Briggs
Burley residents awoke to find a 25ft stretch of Yorkshire Stone pavement had been stolen from outside their homes earlier this week.
The theft occurred overnight (Monday to Tuesday, 3-4 April) at the Lumley Road junction with Lumley Walk and is the latest in a spate of stone thefts in the Burley area.
Resident Chris Fletcher reported this to Leeds Council. He said: “I would like it repaired the best it can be, I’ve messaged the local councillor this morning. It’s just part of living here, it’s been happening for years.”
Another resident, Felix Caribe, said: “Who steals a pavement? We’ve got a pushchair and if this happened outside our house it would be a pain. It doesn’t make it feel a very nice place to live.”
Molly Bryant stated: “There’s so many going at the minute it’s ridiculous. The council have been replacing them pretty quickly, but I feel like the root problem isn’t the pavements been stolen, it’s that people are struggling and £90 for a paving slab is worth it for them I guess.”
Kirkstall ward councillors are aware of the problems and are encouraging people to report any thefts.
Cllr Fiona Venner (Lab, Kirkstall) said: “Theft of paving stones is an ongoing issue across parts of Leeds. It is a blight on local areas and causes distress to local residents.
“We have recently suffered a number of thefts in the Kirkstall ward, in Burley and central Kirkstall. When a theft occurs, the council will fill the gap in with tarmac to make the pavement safe. The council endeavours to replace the stone wherever possible, but this is dependent on being able to source and pay for replacement stone.
“Residents are strongly encouraged to report all removal of paving stone to the police. The Kirkstall councillors are in ongoing liaison with the police and there have been additional patrols in the Burley area.
“I would request that Kirkstall Ward thefts are also reported to me at fiona.venner@leeds.gov.uk. I report them directly to the Kirkstall Ward Sergeant to ensure they are recorded as a crime. This also enables us both to keep track of thefts.”
The names of all the local election candidates standing in Leeds this year have been published.
Voters across the city will head to the polls on Thursday, May 4, to elect a councillor to represent their local area.
A third of Leeds City Council’s 99 seats – one in each of the 33 wards across the city – are being contested. This includes West Leeds wards Armley, Bramley & Stanningley, Calverley & Farsley, Farnley & Wortley, Kirkstall and Pudsey.
The candidate who receives the most votes in each ward will be elected to serve an initial four-year term on the council.
The outcome of the elections will be crucial in defining the council’s political makeup for the next 12 months. Labour is the current ruling party, as it holds 56 of the 99 seats. The rest are held by the opposition parties, including the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Morley Borough Independents, Green Party, Garforth and Swillington Independents and the SDP.
Armley ward
Lou Cunningham – Green Party
Tamas Kovacs – Conservative Party
Edana Niamh McDonald – Yorkshire Party
Jim Muller – Independent
Andy Parnham – Labour Party
Dan Walker – Liberal Democrats
Bramley & Stanningley
Elizabeth Anne Bee – Liberal Democrats
Adam Daniel Cook – Conservative Party
Tom Hinchcliffe – Labour Party
Richard David Riley – Social Democratic Party
Keith Duncan Whitaker – Green Party
Calverley and Farsley
Peter John Carlill – Labour and Co-operative Party
Ellen Graham – Green Party
Rob Lees – Yorkshire Party
Stuart McLeod – Liberal Democrats
Jas Singh – Conservative Party
Farnley and Wortley
Natalia Justyna Armitage – Conservative Party
Jack Michael Bellfield – Social Democratic Party
Christine Mavis Golton – Liberal Democrats
Bev Lockwood – Independent
Adrian McCluskey – Labour Party
Mark Terence Rollinson – Green Party
Andrea Whitehead – Reform UK
Kirkstall
Adam James Belcher – Liberal Democrats
Reiss Lewis Capitano – Conservative Party
Stuart William Long – no party listed on Leeds City Council website
Andy Rontree – Labour Party
Victoria Helen Smith – Green Party
Pudsey
Riaz Ahmed – Labour Party
Christine Amy Glover – Liberal Democrats
Alaric Timothy Peter Hall – Green Party
Tom Kelly – Reform UK
Trish Smith – Conservative Party
WLD will be contacting all candidates for a profile and photograph ahead of the election.
Photo ID at polling stations
It will be a requirement at polling stations on election day to establish the identity of all voters using the accepted photo ID. It may be necessary for polling officials to ask voters to remove face coverings in order to verify their identity. Privacy booths will be available at all polling stations, with a choice of a male or female official to carry out the check.
The need to have Voter ID only applies to those who wish to vote in person at a polling station or through a proxy in person, it does not affect those who vote by post. Anyone wishing to vote by post can apply to do so via https://www.leeds.gov.uk/your-council/elections/postal-voting. The deadline for applications for postal voting is 5pm on Tuesday 18 April, and residents are being asked to apply as soon as possible to help manage demand.
If anyone wishes to register to vote, including those who have moved home and need to register to vote at their new address, this could be done via Register to vote – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) before the deadline of midnight on Monday 17 April.
Another option available is to vote by proxy, which can be applied for via www.leeds.gov.uk/elections. The deadline for applications to vote by proxy is 5pm on Tuesday 25 April.
Information about the new Voter ID requirement and all voting options can be found on the Electoral Commission’s website at Voter ID | Electoral Commission.
Farsley Celtic's Frank Mulhern celebrates the winning goal against Brackley Town. Photo: John McEvoy/Leeds Shots
By John Baron
Additional reporting: Thomas Ritchie
A superb 30-yard free-kick from Frank Mulhern gave relegation-haunted Farsley Celtic a vital three points against fourth-placed Brackley Town at The Citadel last night.
The win leaves the Celts four points clear of the National League North drop zone, with five games remaining.
It was no more than the Celts deserved as they bounced back after a disappointing defeat against Kidderminster on Saturday.
The home side started much the stronger, and had numerous early chances against a leggy Brackley side.
Kian Scales almost gets the Celts off to a flier in the first minute, but his stunning strike from range crashed against the crossbar and to safety. After eight minutes Dave Syers’ long throw came back out to him, and his driven effort was turned behind by busy Brackley keeper Danny Lewis.
A minute later Tom Allan was the latest to come close, thwarted by an excellent save low down from Lewis and Andy Butler headed inches over from the resulting corner.
Theo Williams scores his fourth goal in a Farsley shirt to break the deadlock against Brackley. Photo: John McEvoy
After 11 minutes Farsley finally broke the deadlock. Syers slid in Frank Mulhern, who played an excellent ball across goal for Theo Williams to roll home.
Despite Farsley’s dominance it was the visitors who created a big chance 21 minutes in. The Celts failed to deal with a corner and it eventually dropped to Callum Stead in space, but he got his finish all wrong as skewed his shot wide.
Farsley Celtic defends a Brackley throw-in. Photo: John McEvoy
Farsley were still creating chances. Theo Williams turned his man superbly in the box, but flashed his strike just wide of the upright.
On the strike of half time the visitors were back level. Shepherd Murombedzi firing in a low shot from the edge of the box which somehow found the bottom corner of Max Dearnley’s goal.
The second half was a much quieter affair, with Brackley having more of the ball but creating little.
Battling for the ball at the Citadel. Photo: John McEvoy
In the 58th minute the winning goal came thanks to a touch of class. Frank Mulhern’s free-kick from 30 yards out nestled in the bottom corner, with a hand from Lewis not enough to deny the frontman’s superb strike.
Brackley created a couple of chances shortly afterwards. Max Dearnley produced an excellent save to deny Matwasa’s half-volley that seemed destined for the top corner and two minutes later Martin Woods’ strike from distance took a deflection just wide.
But Farsley’s defence stood strong, throwing bodies in the way of a late chance for the visitors.
Brackley’s Murombedzi gets his marching orders late on.
Brackley’s Murombedzi received a second caution in stoppage time to seal an important Farsley triumph ahead of their Good Friday trip to fellow strugglers Boston United.
Match reaction
Farsley boss Russ Wilcox praised his side’s ‘outstanding’ performance and said the game should have been won inside the first 20 minutes.
Skipper Dave Syers said the win boosts the Celts’ confidence ahead of two massive games on Good Friday and Easter Monday:
Waking the Artist: Exhibition. Photo: Damon Cooper
By Damon Cooper, Leeds 2023 correspondent
Imagine Banksy Dismaland or a Winter Wonderland that costs a fortune to enter, but it’s at an abandoned office in Leeds where you can visit for free this week.
Only it’s called Waking The Artist: Exhibition better and well worth exploring during the school holidays.
A sense of fun begins when transported into a scene out of The Last Of Us or The Super Mario Movie with a showing of large homemade mushrooms welcoming visitors into a journey like no other.
Materials for this fungi-inspired display were sourced from Farsley’s own Scrap Creative Reuse Arts Project Ltd based at Sunny Bank Mills. That shop is an Aladdin’s cave of recycled materials for super fun and quirky projects like this.
Seeing all of this on the eleventh floor of the Merrion Centre amongst 360 panoramic views of a crane-littered Leeds skyline can give you a sense of hiding from zombies or waiting for Bowser to appear.
Frolicking through giant daisies like dancing fairies whilst being captured by an official looking photographer, I caught up with the excitable curators of this exhibition, Sammy Gooch and Camille Hewitt who were pleased to finally showcase their vision to the city.
“Its great overhearing people’s comments on what they see,” Sammy told me.
Other highlights from Part One on the top floor included a jungle featuring monsters and a glorious Woolly Mammoth.
Walking down the stairs to Part Two, you’re initially confronted by a stack of old television sets, not too dissimilar to scenes from Charlie Brookers ‘How TV Ruined Your Life’ series and the moving pictures on the screen were put together by Armley Studio holder Archie Brooks.
Brooks. Brooker. There’s definitely some synchronisation going on here, even if it’s years apart and totally unrelated.
There’s a giant love heart for loved-up couples to have a pose in and a lovely book of creativity to enjoy. On the same end of the room there’s a wall of photos and one of them features a friend of mine cosplaying as WWE wrestler John Cena with his two Guinness world records.
Crossing the paths of misguided art critic, Christopher P Jones was certainly an experience as he defended what was essentially a parade of junk and tried persuading me otherwise. I guess the old saying that one man’s junk is another man’s treasure was very present here.
I was offered a tissue to wipe my tears at what he saw as stunning art but Mr Jones should have used them to wipe the mischievous smirk off his face. For the record, my knees were hurting so that might explain the pain on my face and certainly not life-changing art!
Thankfully, spaces to sit down were in abundance and this is best enjoyed with a drink from the tenth-floor bottle shop.
