Bulb planting in Burley Park. Photo: Friends of Burley Park
By John Preston
Over 40 people have helped look after our beautiful inner-city Burley Park through 2024, and volunteers from the Friends group will be busy in 2025 with a series of events to mark 125 years of the park.
The Friends currently have a Crowdfunder running to buy:
Five simple notice boards for event posters one for each entrance.
Updating the Park map and using this for…
An entrance sign at the Park View Road (Railway end) where there isn’t one.
Thanks to a pledge of £1,169 from Love Leeds Parks and donations from 16 people The Friends have now reached £1,769 towards the original target of £1,750.
A spokesperson said: “We would love to be able to have another entrance sign at the Cardigan Lane end of Park View Road by the Rose Garden, signs were never put in on Park View Road when the other four went up 15 years ago.”
They are asking people to help them reach £2,000 by 3 January 2025, when the Crowdfunder expires
WLD reader Judith Cain has sent these photos taken on a walk from St Ann’s Lane, Burley, up through Batcliffe Woods to the Victoria monument.
Batcliffe Woods extends south from Beckett Park as far as Kirkstall Lane and Queenswood Drive. One of the original carriage drives to Kirkstall Grange ran through the wood – you can still follow path of the sunken road.
Here’s a selection of Judith’s photos:
Send us your photos of West Leeds to news@westleedsdispatch.com and we will print a selection.
Stuart Machin CEO M&S, Mark McGrath, M&S Abbeycentre, Alison McGovern, Minister for Employment, Umay Nadeem and Jonathan Townsend, CEO The King's Trust.
Umay Nadeem was one of 15M&S colleagues to attend the M&S and The King’s Trust Parliamentary Reception in the House of Commons.
Umay, from the Pudsey Owlcotes store, has worked at M&S for over three years after enrolling in the Marks & Start scheme in April 2021 as part of the government’s Kickstart initiative.
Marks & Start is an employability scheme run in partnership with The King’s Trust designed to help create a clear, accessible route into work – in retail or elsewhere – for young people who are at a disadvantage in their job hunt.
Umay credits her role at M&S for bringing the best of everyday ‘little moments’. From rescuing a bride’s makeup disaster to cherishing heartfelt Christmas cards, Umay’s days are filled with rewarding customer interactions and always finds something that makes her smile each day.
One of the standout moments of Umay’s career was when she was invited to the 2023 International Women’s Day Ideathon and was asked to address the guests. Umay supressed her nerves and spoke about her personal experiences at M&S and how the Marks & Start programme has given her so much in terms of self-growth.
Launched in 2004, Marks & Start has supported over 12,000 young people facing barriers to work, through M&S’ partnership with The King’s Trust.
Umaysaid: “Battling poor mental health since childhood, and coming to terms with being neurodivergent, added barriers to everyday tasks such as job interviews that seemed impossible.
“But the Marks & Start scheme offered the support I didn’t even know I needed. The confidence-building, and care helped me understand my worth. Marks & Start isn’t just an employability programme — it’s a lifeline. It’s not giving young people a job, it’s giving young people the chance to change their lives, find their purpose, and contribute to society.”
Claire Smith, Store Manager at M&S Pudsey, said: “We’re so proud of how far Umay has come since she joined us at M&S Pudsey. She is such a great addition to our team and always comes to work with a smile on her face.
“It’s been fantastic to see her learn so much during her time here and grow in confidence so much. It’s been a delight to work alongside Umay and long may it continue!”
M&S has committed to train and support almost 2,000 more young people through its Marks & Start programme over the next three years as part of an ambitious muti-year strategy with The King’s Trust.
Meanwhile, readers have been contacting WLD with their views. Here’s a selection:
‘Deplorable’ loss of valued teaching resource
I heartily endorse all the comments expressing dismay at the proposed closure of Abbey House Museum.
As a 90-year-old born in Kirkstall and living in Bramley for 68 years – 27 of those teaching at what was Bramley Primary School – I deplore this snatching away of a valued teaching opportunity for our children, enjoyed by so many over the years.
Would the closure of this amenity also include access to the scented garden and the wonderful Geoff Hodgson garden? The latter a memorial to a remarkable man and a tireless worker for the Kirkstall community, who was ironically a valued employee of Leeds City Council for many years. I hope the petition will achieve its aim!
Margaret Waterhouse, by e-mail
Poor marketing
It’s interesting to see local residents petitioning for the museum, but where is the local councillors’ support? To close a historical asset would be an outcry.
The museum is not promoted and neither is the Abbey, where are the leaflets in the libraries, leisure centres promoting both. At Christmas the museum is also a fantastic place to take children to not only go on the cobbled streets but to visit Santa. The marketing of both is very poor.
Mrs K Wilson, by e-mail
Leeds should stop holding itself back
Leeds has potentially so much to offer as a centre for tourism and needs to make more of its amazing sites.
By encouraging more tourists it will put Leeds on the map, but in order to do this its industrial heritage needs to be valued.
Gotts Mansion could draw tourists from world wide if it became a major art collection for somebody like Alan Bennett. Likewise Thwaites Mill, the historic centre and shopping which is second to none.
Places like Kirkstall Abbey, the Industrial Museum and Abbey House could be thronged with visitors with good promotion and some wealthy local benefactors to fund the upgrades. Also of corse the amazing local countryside.
They all need high-quality cafes to support this sort of tourism. Leeds can do it. No matter how often local residents visit these places it’s not going to be enough to support the high cost of running those places!
Judith Cain, website comment
Inside Abbey House Museum. Photo: Sonia Koren
Our culture and heritage
Culture and heritage are twinned concepts. I’m disappointed after Leeds City of Culture 2023 which embraced all this, that it’s not sustainable.
Diane Law, via Facebook
‘Once it closes it will not reopen’
I agree, but also the fact that the annual Kirkstall Festival has for over 40 years worked with Museums & Galleries/ Parks & Countryside to bring the festival to the Abbey grounds up to 20,000 people through one day.
Add to that all the other events that take place within the Abbey grounds through the year does add up. In 2023 alone there was the Madness event, the three-day Comedy Club, along with a week-long beer festival, which no doubt generated significant money for the council.
Has the decision to close the museum already been made? Contact your Kirkstall ward councillors and ask what significant other individual significant closures have been made in other wards such as Bramley, Armley, Wortley etc.
And a second comment:
Along with filling out the so-called consultation, email our Kirkstall Ward Councillors to object. This is as such not a consultation, the decision to close the Museum has already been decided.
Once the museum closes it will not reopen. Our councillors change from year to year, make sure if it does close – the blame lies with them.
John Liversedge, via Facebook.
Abbey House Museum. An illustration by Mindy Goose
Great memories
Yet another museum closing! What is wrong with Leeds Ciy Council? After Thwaite Mill closing now the wonderful Abbey House Museum.
I can remember from my childhood visiting this wonderful place, it’s stuck in my memories and I’m sure many other people have similar experiences. I’ve visited many times and all my friends from abroad who stay with me have loved it too.
Stop spending on unnecessary things in the city and concentrate on the people who live here. Leeds is a place for a city break, but shopping and eating is going to be the only attraction in this city soon. You’ll find that tourism will take a hit if you do away with our more important attractions.
Janice Taylor, by e-mail
‘Decimating’ tourism
I read on WLD somewhere that the council only just opened expensive Changing Places toilets at Abbey House this year. Do they not think things through? What a waste of money! I noticed the Gatehouse cafe at Abbey House was closed last year and moved to the Abbey itself, also to save money. Seems to me the running down of tourism at the Abbey and its museum is a losing-term but ill thought-out plan to ditch and decimate tourism at an historical asset, alongside charging Leeds residents to enter the Abbey ruins.
This council faces unprecedented financial challenges due to increased costs and under-funding from central government over a long period, and I understand that. But it really doesn’t help itself, does it?
They need to be holding more events at these sites to generate money, not less. Such shortsightedness from our city fathers (and mothers) is breathtaking. The decisions taken now will be irreversible and affect generations of our young people to come…
Mickey Smith, by e-mail
Background
Leeds City Council is proposing to close Abbey House Museum in Kirkstall as it faces unprecedented strain on its finances.
Job losses, building closures and a council tax rise of almost five per cent are also being considered by the authority.
Latest figures show the council needs to save £106.4m during 2025/26 to avoid having it declare itself bankrupt. The council already had to save almost £64m in the current financial year. The Abbey House Museum closure could save £160,000.
The council faces rising costs, particularly in adult social care, while central Government has underfunded local councils across the country over the past 14 years.
Follow WLD‘s ongoing coverage of Abbey House Museum here.
The TV Harrison ground off Oldfield Lane in Wortley.
By Katherine Turner and John Baron
Leeds City Council’s decision to withdraw outline plans for up to 60 local authority homes at the TV Harrison ground in Wortley has been welcomed by politicians and local residents.
Initial plans on the Oldfield Lane ground were approved by council three years ago, despite a campaign to maintain the pitch for community use.
As revealed by WLD last week, negotiations over the future of the ground are continuing between co-owners Leeds School Sports Association and Leeds City Council, along with bosses at Leeds United Football Club who are keen to develop the area for junior and community sports.
Michael Meadowcroft, chair of the TV Harrison Sports Ground Association, said last week: “We are delighted that at last we have the council’s withdrawal of its planning application as its formal recognition of the progress of these negotiations.
“We look forward to their successful conclusion and the full utilisation of all the site. It has taken our association five years to reach this point!”
The withdrawal has been welcomed in the community and by politicians.
Councillor Adrian McCluskey (Lab, Farnley & Wortley) this week labelled the latest developments as ‘amazing’.
“The TVH Action Group have done great work and have been relentless,” he added. “When Mark Sewards and I got elected we got a very clear, strong message about how important this valuable community asset is.
“We saw and joined in getting it back to a functioning facility. The community has rallied and have done amazing work.
“We have, behind the scenes, supported every effort the amazing work our community has made to keep TV Harrison an invaluable asset in Farnley & Wortley. We continue to listen and will work to make this an incredible and important community facility, available to all. Watch this space.”
Councillor David Blackburn (Green, Farnley & Wortley) added: “I am delighted that the council has made the decision to withdraw their plans.
“It is something they should never have done in the first place. When the site came up in the original Site Allocation Plan we gave evidence at the public inquiry against making the site housing. It should be retained as a place to play sports in West Leeds and I hope the negotiations go well.
“I hope that the TV Harrison group are successful in these talks.”
Mark Sewards
Mark Sewards, MP for Leeds South West and Morley, said: “For two years I’ve worked with all parties to find a long-term solution for the ground. That solution is very close now. I can’t say any more until the time is right.”
Local resident, David Littlefair, who lives opposite the ground told WLD: “When I first heard about the plans to build housing on the area I had no idea of the history of the ground but didn’t want houses built on this green space.
“There are so few recreational areas in Wortley. I think it’s wonderful that the planning application has been withdrawn so that local people can use this space for football and recreation.
“With this government wanting 1.5 million new houses built in the next five years it wouldn’t surprise me if they came back with another application.”
Another West Leeds resident, Helen Kaye, added: “Fantastic news and long overdue. That pitch should be used for sports for young people – such a shame it’s taken the council five years to realise this.”
The TV Harrison ground has a long footballing history. It was where Leeds United greats like Raul Reaney, Brian Deane and David Batty used to play as youngsters and had been empty for 13 years until plans for council housing were revealed for the site in late 2018.
Local campaigners argued Wortley World War One hero TV Harrison had gifted the space to the children of Leeds before his death in 1931 and that the sports pitches and facilities should be restored.
The campaign group restored the football pitch and regular local junior matches are played on it, alongside training and community events.
Two years ago we reported on the price of ingredients for an, admittedly basic, Christmas dinner.
The total cost of the ingredients in 2022 was £14.38. Just to clarify, we were making our festive feast for four people, so we only used 1 kg of the 2.5 kg bag of tatties, only a couple of tablespoons of the jar of gravy granules and so on. But to make things easier to compare, we will just look at the overall cost of the items from two years ago and now.
This year’s price review is purely from Aldi in Bramley.
Item
2022 (£)
2024(£)
Bacon-wrapped stuffed turkey roll
5.29
5.49
Streaky bacon
1.25
2.29
Pork chipolatas
1.49
2.49
Parsnips
0.49
0.75
Carrots
0.24
0.38
Brussels Sprouts
0.89
0.85
Red Cabbage
0.61
0.75
Potatoes (2.5kg bag)
1.49
2.25
Sage & onion stuffing
0.43
0.45
Premium gravy granules
1.65
1.49
Cranberry sauce
0.55
0.49
TOTAL
14.38
17.68
As you would expect, most of the items have increased in price, some of them – bacon, chipolatas, vegetables – quite dramatically. Brussels sprouts have had an excellent year, though, so they’re a little bit cheaper than previously. The ‘industrial’ products – gravy granules and cranberry sauce have both come down in price, I know not why.
The conclusion, then, is that we’ve seen an overall increase of £3.30 over the two years. That’s 22.85%.
Given that UK inflation was 9.1% in 2022, 7.3% in 2023 and has now calmed down to 2.5% in 2024, it looks like the price of your Christmas feast is running ahead of inflation.
Chicken nuggets, anyone? Or an actual turkey will cost you upwards of £15. If you really want to push the boat out, Aldi have geese at £27 a pop.
Whatever you manage to do for your Festive feast, we wish you a Merry Christmas.
Keef Williamson is a Bramley-based community reporter with West Leeds Dispatch and runs a YouTube cooking channel called KeefCooks. He has made a video of how to make this budget Christmas dinner – it features a lot more detail and quite a few laughs.
On Monday, Meeting Point, a charity that works with refugees and asylum seekers, held their Christmas party.
Festivities included food, music, and lots of presents were given away.
With over 30 volunteers helping, 175 adults and children from all around Leeds (and around the world) were part of the celebration at Christ Church, Armley.
New director Asiyeh Soork, at her first Meeting Point Christmas party, was delighted. She said: “‘It’s been a team effort. So many people have made today special for beneficiaries and volunteers alike and have experienced some joy today.”
Sinclair Martin with the Green Christmas Freebie Table outside teh City Mission Compasssion Centre.
By Andy Dalton
Armley residents and shoppers are being encouraged to switch from dreams of a ‘white christmas’ to a ‘green christmas’.
Leeds City Mission, in Mistress Lane, are offering green ferns and sprigs of holly free of charge to anyone who wants to deck their home along with their normal Christmas decorations.
The natural green fir and holly sprigs have been pruned from bushes and trees. They provide an attractive, traditional, environmentally friendly decoration for the season. And they come for free.
Volunteers from the City Mission have been hard at work over the last few days selecting and cutting the sprigs for this seasonal initiative. Secateurs have been put to good use as they have harvested offcuts of fir and holly.
The volunteers hope that this seasonal decoration will bring a measure of joy at the end of what has been an anxious year for so many people as they reflect on the conflicts around the world.
The City Mission is also running a pop up Christmas charity shop. This is open until Christmas Eve.
Volunteers have amassed a wide range of gifts and items for sale suitable for gifts and presents. These are being offered at bargain prices with something for everyone catering for a wide range of tastes and preferences.
Free Christmas gift tags lovingly created from old Christmas cards are also on offer. They hope that people on restricted budgets will find this helpful as they seek to celebrate the season.
On Thursday, 19 December at 12 noon the City Mission are organising a short Carol Sing for shoppers and local residents in their Compassion Centre. A 30-minute programme of traditional carols and readings concluding with seasonal refreshments will help people connect with the reason for the season.
A spokesman for the Leeds City Mission said: “The City Mission is becoming known for its ‘give-aways’. In addition to the City Mission foodbank which supplies items for people really struggling in life we are also offering these free christmas green decorations.
“There are also free gift tags on offer as well”
Visitors can also enjoy the opportunity to pick up some last minute presents for Christmas. The carol singing session will be the opportunity to enjoy the christmas spirit.
Anyone can call in at the Compassion Centre of Leeds City Mission in the remaining days before the Christmas holidays start. Hours of opening are Monday to Friday 10.30am–3pm and Saturday morning from 10am–1pm.
Leeds City Mission is a multi-church Christian agency which has worked with marginalised people since 1837 and seeks to meet the physical, social and spiritual needs of Leeds residents. More details on 0113 345 3118.
Its premises are located at the junction of Town Street and Mistress Lane (next door to Westerly Croft flats) in Armley.
Three boxers from Bramley Villagers club travelled to Fleetwood for bouts with fighters from the Lancashire town’s JFT Boxing and Fitness Gym.
Two won their contests and one drew in what was described as “the most closely fought match imaginable”.
For Zack Wood, 23, this was his first fight away from home.
He said: “It was good experience for me. I’m delighted to have won against a local lad who was determined to beat me. He failed. I was getting a bit nervous on the long drive there, but it turned out to be a positive learning experience.
“Like any sport boxing is about looking for constant improvement. I’ve been training at Villagers for the last three years and I now box better as I’m taking it seriously. Fleetwood was my third win in five contests.”
Jack Toye drew his match against one of JFT’s best boxers, Joe Walker, who recently won a title belt on Hunslet’s Mark Holmes Promotions.
Toye, 20, is one of Villagers’ more experienced boxers having won 18 of 27 matches.
“We had a good scrap and then a good chat,” said Toye. “This is what it’s all about really. Boxers generally get on well and it was good to see how Joe welcomed us just as he’d been welcomed to a recent Leeds show. Like me he was also busy helping his teammates, so all’s well. Travelling and boxing new fighters is always worthwhile.”
Plasterer Jamie Brook was also delighted to win his Fleetwood bout.
“This was my second away bout,” said Brook, 23. “It was against an experienced boxer five years older than me. He was durable. I knocked him down several times, but he kept getting up.
“Boxing with Villagers has protected me as I was getting into trouble on the streets, but I now fit in perfectly as us boxers all constantly encourage each other to improve and develop our boxing work ethic.
“I was pleased that going to Fleetwood on a December evening turned out to be so positive for Zack, Jack and Jamie,” said coach Richard Manning, also known as ‘DeeJay Titch.’
He added: “After the holidays they’ll be preparing intensively for our first 2025 home show likely in March.”
More than 200 people have signed a petition against Leeds City Council’s proposals to close Abbey House Museum due to budget cuts.
The Change.org petition has garnered the signatures since it was launched yesterday, showing the strength of local opposition to council’s proposal to close the museum in Kirkstall as part of its 2025/26 budget.
Stuart Long, who started the petition, writes: “As a resident affected deeply by the potential closure of the Abbey Museum, I cannot stand by while the Leeds City Council plans to close a piece of our city’s rich history.
“As we know, the Abbey Museum is not just a building; it is a historical landmark and a valuable resource to the people of Leeds. It serves as an educational hub, a place where history is not only preserved but also brought to life.”
Martyn Bull, a supporter of Stuart’s petition, added: “I live in Kirkstall and I am strongly opposed to the Council selling off historic assets to help plug their shortfall in funding. Both Conservative and Labour governments are responsible for this.”
Andy Sykes added: “I signed this petition because the Abbey House Museum holds deep personal significance for my family.
“My mum began her career in museums there, and its unique exhibits and educational value have inspired generations. Closing it would mean losing a vital cultural and historical resource for Leeds and beyond.”
Peter Allison added: “The culling of public and historical buildings needs to stop. Stop the vanity projects and focus on what is already here and needs to be preserved.”
Leeds City Council’s consultation into the proposed closure runs until 23 January 2025 and can be completed here.
Background
Leeds City Council is proposing to close Abbey House Museum in Kirkstall as it faces an unprecedented strain on its finances.
Job losses, building closures and a council tax rise of almost five per cent are also being considered by the authority.
Latest figures show the council needs to save £106.4m during 2025/26 to avoid having it declare itself bankrupt. The council already had to save almost £64m in the current financial year. The Abbey House Museum closure could save £160,000.
The council faces rising costs in services including adult social care, while central Government support of local authorities has decreased over the past 14 years.
Follow WLD‘s ongoing coverage of Abbey House Museum here.
Under threat: Abbey House Museum. Photo: Mindy Goose
By Mindy Goose, Secretary of Kirkstall Art Trail
It saddens us to hear about the proposal to close Abbey House Museum to the public.
It has been part of the Kirkstall community, as a museum, for almost 100 years (1927). The marvellous and educational Victorian Street has been with us since the 1950’s. “Museums have always been a space of civic pride, for learning and enjoyment, for inspiration and creativity.” (Catchpole, LGIU Local Government Information Unit).
“Around 525 museums in the UK have closed since 2000.” (Mapping Museums). This a vast number, for all of those communities who now lack a museum in their area. It will also become a huge loss to Kirkstall, if the museum was to close its doors.
We appreciate that Leeds City Council is in a difficult position over its budget. However, the closure of Abbey House Museum may have a longer financial impact, beyond the expressed initial saving.
Inside Abbey House Museum. Photo: Sonia Koren
Areas with such assets are more likely to build stronger communities. “Museums can play a major role in their communities, both responsively and helping to shape place. Polly Hamilton … defines it as what ‘draws on the combined assets of heritage, people, buildings and landscape to create places for people to fall in love with… giving people the opportunity to connect their individual stories with collective narratives, helping to make their place feel like home’”. (Neil Mendoza, The Mendoza Review, Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport)
Indeed, as recently as 2024, Abbey House hosted Kirkstall Art Trail in the Gatehouse. As local residents, we have felt empowered knowing that the local museums have supported us. It is right that engaging with their neighbours is one of the ways in which the museum can co-exist.
“Museums use their collections and knowledge to support society in direct ways. They bring people together and promote community cohesion; they support learning, tailoring their programmes to the local curriculum and local education priorities; they assist scholarly research through partnerships with universities; they can promote better health – for example, using collections to work with patients with mental health issues; and they employ and nurture a wide range of skilled people.
“They also offer spaces where we can experience the beauty and understand our place in the world.” (Neil Mendoza, The Mendoza Review).
Inside Abbey house Museum. Photo: Sonia Koren
In 2024, Abbey House Museum saw the opening of a Changing Places toilet, giving more access to people with complex disabilities. Losing this asset so soon after its opening would be more than disappointing. “Although the numbers are increasing, there are still not enough Changing Places toilets across the country. Providing these toilets in public places would make a dramatic difference to the lives of thousands of people who desperately need these facilities.” (Changing Places).
We should be engaging more with disabled people, and accessibility is an important factor in how we achieve this.
“The argument therefore seems compelling that museums, along with other cultural services, are part of the glorious fabric of our communities”. (Catchpole, LGIU Local Government Information Unit).
Please take a moment to respond to consultation for the Leeds Museums & Galleries proposal to close the Abbey House Museum.
On Sunday night, like many churches around the city, Christ Church Upper Armley band and choir led Christmas Carols at their local pub, the Traveller’s Rest.
It was standing room only at the inn, and if there was a stable, it would probably have been full too.
Long a favourite resting place in Upper Armley, the Traveller’s Rest showed a little more hospitality than the Inn keeper in the nativity, making space for a full house enjoying Christmas festivities.
The Reverend Phil Arnold said: “This is the second time it has taken place and this year it followed the Manchester derby on the TV at 6.30pm: a great example of how Christmas opens a door for the Christian faith to engage with mainstream culture.”
Over burgers and beer, people sang carols of worship.
