Similar lantern parades were held in Armley and Bramley earlier this year.
The popular Armley Lantern Parade returned to light up Armley Park yesterday evening (Sunday, 5 March 2023).
The event is run by volunteers from the Friends of Armley and Gotts Park group and sees participants make their own beautiful lanterns in workshops before the event.
The lanterns are then paraded through Armley Park by young and old.
Here’s a selection of photos, taken by the Friends, at the event:
Leeds United midfielder Weston McKennie was joined by and Andy McVeigh, a West Leeds artist hailed as the “Burley Banksy” to surprise students at Co-op Academy Oakwood with a visit to discuss the importance of allyship.
The workshop with Andy McVeigh involved collaborative discussions and activities around Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ+, Racism and important anti-discriminatory messages.
Pupils were surprised when Leeds United player, Weston McKennie, got stuck in helping them create posters about the topic, before announcing his favourite piece of art.
Mckennie joined the whole-school assembly to talk about allyship and later gave a speech touching on his own experiences.
The USA international footballer spoke to representatives from the Premier League during the visit and said: “We’ve been painting some pretty cool designs today in support of the LGBTQ+ community and Black History Month, it was really nice to see the kids expressing themselves.
“If we as players can help to bring awareness to important campaigns through the game they love and act as a positive influence, I think that’s really important.”
Andy McVeigh, the ‘Burley Bansky’ has painted countless electricity boxes around the city in a bid to cover up unsightly graffiti, using his home football club Leeds United as his inspiration.
He said: “The children were brilliant, full of enthusiasm and ideas. Their energy energises you. They came up with some super ideas, slogans and colours and were great fun to be around.
“Being an ally is more important than ever in my opinion. Discrimination seems to be more prevalent in the last decade or so than it was before. In most school classes, there is a mixture of race, colour, ability and heritage.
“In my experience, children don’t even ‘see’ these differences between people, they don’t care where you are from, what you look like, or who you love. Giving them the chance to express this through art is so important and means they can set good examples and values for others too as they get older.”
Rimah Aasim, Headteacher at Co-op Academy Oakwood, said: “Young people need to know that it is important to stand up to prejudice and support people no matter who they are. Inclusion for all is really important. The pupils were enthused about creating their street art. It was a useful reminder of the meaning of allyship and the groups for which allyship is important.”
The workshops hosted by Andy are in collaboration with the Leeds United Foundation. The workshops, which form part of the Premier League Primary Stars initiative (PLPS), offer engaging sessions to primary schools that help children to learn, be active and develop important life skills.
On what was a beautiful Saturday in March, West Leeds took on high-flying Beverley who arrived at Blue Hill Lane sitting joint second in the table and on course to achieve their ambitions of promotion.
It looked as if it was going to be a tough afternoon for the home side, based on the league table and recent form that has only seen Beverley lose once in 10 games to top of the table Goole and the very vocal confidence shown by the traveling side.
However, that wasn’t to be the case and Beverley seemed rattled early on.
West Leeds started with a bang, receiving the kick off, moving the ball edge to edge up the field and all too easily Nick Jones powered over after only two minutes of play. Keir Breakwell stepped up and missed the conversion.
Even though West dominated possession they struggled to convert that into points and soon after the Beverley 10 put the 12 away to walk through the defence and score a converted try. Score 5-7.
The rest of the first half continued in the same vein with Breakwell slotting over a penalty and towards the end of the half Beverley’s scrum, who were on top and causing lots of problems for the home side, turned over a West Leeds scrum and moved the ball well for Beverley’s 13 to score under the posts for a half time score of 11-14 to the visitors.
Now what was to come in the second half is what can only be described as the blueprint to make a very good side look very average. Beverley will say that they played badly, however the reality was that for 40 minutes they were completely dominated by the home side in every aspect of the game.
They were bullied into submission by wave after wave of attack, aggressive defence and intelligent play saw the West score 29 unanswered points with four tries with Bryn Perrot taking up the kicking duties to add three conversions and a penalty.
The first of the four second half tries saw Dan Smith take a quick ball from Tomek Tsang and powered through the defence to score under the posts.
This was quickly followed by a great set peace play that saw Barney Carter who was destructive all afternoon pick up from the base of the scrum and fed Tsang, who straightened the defence and hit Sam Marshall on a hard line. He knocked tacklers out of his way to score in the corner.
The floodgates now opened and West were in complete control and were breaking tackles at ease. From a charge into the visitors’ 22 Tsang saw his opportunity at the base, threw a obvious dummy that Beverley bought not for the first time and he ran in under the posts with minutes to go.
A completely shell-shocked Beverley again allowed West Leeds to move them around with ease and create space for Sam Neave to turn the 13 inside and out and run through. With one defender to beat he used a strong fend to cruise in under the posts to score with a theatrical swan dive.
Final score was 40-14 to the home side.
Man of the match could have easily gone to several of the West Leeds players who all put in a great shift. However, an outstanding 80-minute performance from Tomek Tsang saw the number 9 awarded MOTM.
It was a great day for West Leeds all round, who have two away fixtures in the coming weeks to finish off a challenging league campaign. But with performances like that becoming a regular occurance since the new year there is a lot to be positive about.
Armley Common Right Trust volunteers in Charlie Cake Park. Photo: Armley Common Right Trust
Volunteers picked up their shovels, clippers and litter pickers yesterday to help maintain ‘common’ land in Armley.
Armley Common Right Trust is one of the oldest charities in Leeds. Established in 1799, the community-led charity protects six public green spaces on behalf of Armley people. These are at Hilltop, Charlie Cake Park, Moor Top, Armley Moor, Far Fold and Ley Lane.
Volunteers took to Charlie Cake Park to restore the Victorian fencing off Springfield Mount to its upright position and carried out general maintenance in Charlie Cake and elsewhere.
Here’s a slideshow of photos from the day:
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Whether you’re into wombling, clearing, gardening, maintenance or administration, there’s a role for you at Armley Common Right Trust. Contact armleycrt@gmail.com.
The Friends of Bramley Park line up for their first litter pick. The group was only formed last month. Photo: Philip McConnell
UNLIKE the many unspoken heroes/heroines within our community, who go out in all weathers, I will confess I am a newbie to community litter picking.
Even so, I just had to mention how amazed I was by the amount of broken glass I come across. Why? Who does this? Is the No 14 bus stop really a good place to leave empty glass bottles?
And the amount of broken glass left lying on streets/pavements in the Bramley area, is becoming a significant health risk.
Points to remember –
• Broken glass and other sharps are physical hazards
• Broken glass also has the potential to be a health hazard if it is contaminated eg chemicals, blood, or infectious substances which could enter the body via cuts or punctures
And who, given the current state of our NHS, really wants to spend hours in A&E awaiting treatment – if they’re lucky?
It doesn’t take too long before those discarded glass bottles on tops of walls, on the ground etc, end up smashed into pieces and who knows where else. Spare a thought for our local children playing or walking to school, our older or disabled residents (especially the partially sighted) who may have difficulty walking.
Not to mention dangers to traffic swerving to miss, or going over broken glass on the road. Then, of course, there’s our pets.
Guidelines advise take to nearest bottle bank, do not place in wheelie bins. Lids can be left on bottles and jars as they’ll be recycled too. Report an untidy or overflowing bottle bank by calling or texting 07891 277226 – include the street name the bank is closest to – see Nearest Bottle Bank Near Me (near-me.store).
So, to whom it may concern: Think on – take your bottles home with you, dispose of them safely! Where practical – dispose of broken glass safely – before it becomes a risk to others. Wear suitable gloves!
Where larger amounts of glass are involved or removal is impractical, contact Leeds City Council’s Department of Environmental Health, who will advise accordingly – see Report a road, path, or cycle lane that needs cleaning (leeds.gov.uk).
Residents: If you are aware of vandalism or if anti-social behaviour is a problem, call Leeds City Council on 0113 222 4402.
Landlords: Take responsibility – advise your tenants accordingly!
Community Litter Pickers: A big thank you for the hours you put in. Noted that Litter Free Pudsey were recently nominated for an environmental achievement award – maybe Bramley next?
The number 9 Horsforth to White Rose Centre bus service WILL be axed, bosses at FirstBus have confirmed.
WLDreported earlier this week that a number of services across West Yorkshire were facing being cut completely or operating on revised timetables.
There will also be new timetable on the X11 Leeds – Pudsey – Bradford route with some early and late journeys being cut completely, and an hourly service on the number 14 service between Pudsey and Leeds.
An e-mail from bosses at Firstbus in Leeds – shared on social media by Pudsey councillor Simon Seary (Cons) – confirmed some of the cuts leaked earlier this week and said a formal announcement was due shortly.
The email said: “I would also like to stress that we have worked closely with the Combined Authority to try to maintain connectivity where possible on the impacted services.
“The changes commencing 2 April (registration deadline today) do include the withdrawal of the Horsforth – White Rose Centre 9 service. We have registered a journey 9S to cover an early morning journey used by students.
“Please note the 9A evening contract operated on behalf of WY Combined Authority, which expires at the end of April, will be revised to operate between Seacroft & White Rose only.
“From the same date we will be introducing a new timetable on the X11 Leeds – Pudsey – Bradford including the withdrawal of some under-used early and late journeys.
“I do appreciate the challenges around such changes but these actions are necessary now to ensure we move towards a sustainable network going forward.
“Please note communication to customers with further detail is planned for early next week.
“Also for the Pudsey constituents this includes some changes to the 14 service which will be revised to operate between Pudsey and Leeds only with a new hourly timetable. Customers wishing to travel to Logic Business Park will be able to connect with the PR2 ‘Temple Green’ service which will now observe stops along Pontefract Lane.”
WLD reported leaked plans could see the numbers 87, 64, 47,48, 9 and 9A be permanently withdrawn by the company. A further seven West Yorkshire services are at risk of having their frequencies slashed.
The move would also be in spite of the Department of Transport (DfT) extending emergency funding for bus operators from the end of March until June.
One Leeds councillor, whose residents would be affected by the proposed changes, said on Turesday “whole communities are at risk of being cut off” from repeated cuts.
First did not comment when repeatedly approached for comment last week. last Monday, the company said on Twitter it was “continuing to work closely with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to finalise details”, ahead of a March 3 deadline for announcing the changes.
Possible changes in full, according to the leaked plans
Services which could be withdrawn:
9 – White Rose Centre-Pudsey-Farsley-Horsforth
9A – Seacroft-Colton-Swillington-Rothwell-Middleton-White Rose Centre-Pudsey-Farsley-Horsforth
47 – Leeds-Hunslet-Middleton-Morley-White Rose Centre
48 – Wigton Moor-Moortown-Chapeltown-Leeds-Hunslet-Middleton-Morley-White Rose Centre
64 – Leeds-Cross Gates-Barwick-in-Elmet-Aberford
87 – St James’ Hospital-East End Park-Hunslet-Holbeck-Armley-Bramley
Farsley Celtic's Frank Mulhern battles against Telford's defenders in a recent 0-0 draw. Photo: John McEvoy/Leeds Shots
“It probably wasn’t one for the purists,” Farsley Celtic boss Russ Wilcox said after the final whistle of his side’s 0-0 draw at home to bottom side AFC Telford United.
While the hard-earned point lifted his side to third from bottom in the National League North and two points from safety, Wilcox is experienced enough to know that these are the games you need to be winning if you’re going to avoid the relegation trap door.
And a tired first half performance in what could prove a pivotal game in the Celts’ season will surely have concerned him.
A point apiece was probably a fair reflection of the 90 minutes, but the biggest chance did fall to the visitors’ Kai Williams in the second half, and he will probably still be wondering how he didn’t hit the target.
Telford certainly looked the fresher of the two sides in the first half having had a free midweek, but chances were limited in the early stages, as they were throughout the game.
Luke Parkin on the attack against Telford. Photo: John McEvoy
Adam Livingstone caught a volley sweetly but struck it straight down the throat of Max Dearnley, before at the other end Joe Young was quickly off his line to thwart Luke Parkin.
The biggest opportunity of the first period fell to Telford’s Montel Gibson 20 minutes in as he powered into the box and drove a powerful strike across goal, denied by a stunning one-handed save from Max Dearnley.
After the break, it was Farsley who looked to force the game open with the introduction of Dave Syers, which brought with it the Celts’ best period.
Frank Mulhern fired a long-range strike just over the crossbar, Joe Young had to be quick off his line to smother Dave Syers’ effort on the stretch from point-blank range, and Mulhern saw his lobbed effort cleared off the line by Harry Flowers.
But it would be Williams who had the best opportunity of the 90 minutes, turning his man in the box to find a pocket of space before somehow dragging across the goal and wide from inside the six-yard box.
There would be one last moment of danger for the visitors when a long ball sent Frank Mulhern charging towards goal, but Young and Flowers did enough between them to deter the Farsley forward, before Theo Williams’ attempt to head the loose ball goal-ward was cleared to safety.
The Celts – who have had four draws in the last five games – will be hoping Tom Allan’s injury isn’t a bad one, with the defender heading straight off to the dressing room after being substituted 10 minutes into the second half.
Celts boss Wilcox will surely look to rotate his small squad as his side’s relentless schedule continues and over the next ten days. They face tough trips to table toppers Kings Lynn Town on Tuesday, before Saturday’s FA Trophy quarter final at Gateshead and then a home match the following Tuesday against fellow strugglers Leamington.
Match reaction
Ross Wilcox praised his side’s commitment and togetherness and felt his side edged the second half. He was also pleased by three straight clean sheets at home but said his side needed more quality up front to transform draws into wins.
Council chiefs have said that parts of Stanningley Road DO now meet the criteria for permanent speed cameras following years of campaigning by local residents.
Attendees of Armley Forum meetings have long been calling for speed cameras to tackle problems connected to the A647 Stanningley Road in Armley amid concerns about the number of accidents in the area.
Now, following a meeting with police and senior highways officers, local councillors have had confirmation that the road now meets more relaxed criteria for static speed cameras which was announced in January by the West Yorkshire Safety Camera Partnership.
Council officers hope the cameras will be installed later this year as part of a project which includes adding average speed cameras along the Outer Ring Road and Stanningley Bypass.
Speaking on social media yesterday, Cllr Lou Cunningham (Green, Armley) said: “I advised [the meeting] that we would be presenting the petition, which has now been signed by around 700 people. Let’s continue to work together.
“Thoughts and prayers to all affected by the tragic road traffic events this year and in previous ones.”
here is an update following the calls for a review of safety on Stanningley road following a meeting with senior highways officials and police.
The petition – signed by over 700 people in a little over a week – calls for an “urgent review of road safety measures Stanningley Road/Cockshott Lane.”
The junction of Stanningley Road with Cockshott Lane has come under the spotlight following the death of 28-year-old Athira Anilkumar Laly Kumari killed while standing at the bus stop near the former Church of the Venerable Bede. Another man, in his 40s, was seriously injured.
A statement from Cllrs Jim McKenna and Alice Smart (both Lab, Armley) – who had both backed calls for speed cameras – said: “We are pleased that the police and highways officers have heard and noted our concerns and are responding accordingly.
“Currently, due to the ongoing investigation we cannot comment further. We will give a fuller statement and updates when it is appropriate to do so.”
A 25-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving following Wednesday’s crash and has since been released on bail as police enquiries continue into the collision.
Frank Mulhern leaps high for Farsley Celtic at The Citadel. Photo: John McEvoy/Leeds Shots
By Thomas Ritchie
Farsley Celtic welcome AFC Telford United to the Citadel on Saturday, looking to return to winning ways in a significant game in the fight to avoid relegation.
The Bucks are currently bottom of the National League North, 14 points behind the Celts, and a win for Farsley, depending on other results, could see them move out of the relegation zone.
Tuesday evening saw Russ Wilcox’s side’s seven-game unbeaten run come to an end with a 3-1 defeat at AFC Fylde, but they will remain confident heading into this weekend having gone unbeaten at home since November 22.
Kevin Wilkin’s side are without a win in their last 10, but their most recent success did come on the road when they defeated Buxton 2-0 in January.
It is just under a month since we made the trip to the New Bucks Head Stadium, leaving with a point thanks to Andy Butler’s first-half leveller.
Ahead of Saturday’s fixture, Russ Wilcox said: “They’re all big games, and we know our home form is going to be key.
“Our away form’s been great, five unbeaten before tonight (at Fylde), they’re top of the league now so it was always going to be difficult.
“I thought we were excellent, it could have gone either way. I’ve seen teams go 3-1 and crumble, but no, we went the other way and put the foot on the gas and looked by far the better team in the second half.”
TEAM NEWS
Dave Syers is nearing a return for the Celts, which would leave Russ Wilcox with a fully-fit squad to select from. Defender Isaac Assensio left the Celts for Guiseley on a month-long loan earlier this week after starting only one game in 2023.
The global petition is encouraging people to adopt a vegan diet.
By David Spereall, local democracy reporter
Leeds is undecided over whether or not to join other councils in backing a global petition promoting vegan diets.
The local authority says its reluctant to “dictate” what people should and shouldn’t eat and “hasn’t reached a view” on whether or not to back it.
Edinburgh recently became the first capital city in the world to support the Plant Based Treaty, which is encouraging people to move away from meat-based products in an effort to fight climate change.
Backing the treaty in full would effectively ban new animal farms and slaughterhouses opening in Leeds, end meat consumptions in local schools and see plant-based diets actively promoted by the council.
Haywards Heath in Sussex and Los Angeles are also among the 20 local governments around the world who’ve signed up to the pledge.
But at a scrutiny meeting on Thursday, Leeds’ chief officer for sustainable energy, Polly Cook, said there were concerns the council would “lose dialogue” with some people over the climate emergency.
The council drafted a food strategy last year, which is aimed at shifting the city towards sustainable eating, but its proposed measures are not as radical as if it signed up to the Plant Based Treaty.
Asked by Green councillor Ed Carlisle if Leeds was considering following Edinburgh, Ms Cook said: “I have seen the treaty. I don’t think we’ve reached a view on it.
“When we did the food strategy we were cautious as a council in terms of dictating what people should eat and we focused more on providing the right information allowing people to make a conscious decision.
“If you were to follow health recommendations you would naturally reduce your carbon footprint from food significantly and that’s about eating less meat, but better quality meat as well.
“We’ve not gone as far as saying it’s ‘plant-based or nothing’ because we want to reach out to everyone.
“There’s a risk if you go down that path that you lose dialogue with a certain part of the audience. You want to be able to appeal to a wide spectrum.”
