LS26 Local - March 2019 Issue 9

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BYGONE BOOZERS & CRAFTY ALE HOUSES

PLUS... HEALTH & WELLBEING SPOTLIGHT, WHAT’S ON, PRIZE CROSSWORD... AND MUCH MORE!

LS26 LOCAL YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSZINE

CALL US: 0113 328 0210 EMAIL US: ls26local@gmail.com VISIT OUR WEBSITE: www.ls26.org.uk

LS26 LOCAL STOCKISTS: CARLTON: Carlton Post Office, Rhubarb Triangle Farm Shop, The Unicorn Inn LOFTHOUSE: Lofthouse Nisa Convenience Store METHLEY: Methley Methodist Church, Methley Mini Market, Mickletown Store & Post Office, Pinfold Surgery, Rivers Meet Cafe OULTON: Holiday Inn Hotel Leeds Physiotherapy & Pilates Centre, Oulton Surgery, Rothwell Sports Centre, Three Horseshoes, Vintage In Oulton ROBIN HOOD: The Coach & Horses, One Stop Mini Market, Robin Hood Post Office ROTHWELL: The Black Bull, The Chair Barbers Shop, Gills Hair Salon, Jail Yard Diner, John O’Gaunts Convenience Store, LHA Car & Commercial, Manse Surgey, Marsh Street Surgery, Martins Newsagents, Morrisons Supermarket, No37 Tea Rooms, Parans Mini Market, Pavilion Cafe, Purple Vet, Rothwell Community Hub, Rothwell Dental Care, Rothwell Methodist Church, Swithens Farm Shop, The Rosebud Inn STANLEY: Moorhouse Premier Store SWILLINGTON: St Mary’s Church, Swillington ‘Go Local’ Store & Post Office, Swillington Fisheries, Tesco Express WOODLESFORD: Brown or White Sandwich Bar, Beechwood Nisa Convenience Store, CO-OP Woodlesford.

Front cover image courtesy of Leeds Library and Information Service, www.leodis.net.

Photograph retouched by Graphic Retouch: 07734 254420 All information in this magazine is published in good faith and cannot be reproduced without prior permission.

We try our upmost to ensure all information in the magazine is accurate, but assume no responsibility for errors or omissionsandthusnoliabilitywillbeacceptedunderanycircumstancesshouldanyof thecontentsinthismagazine be incorrect. LS26 Local do not guarantee the services and products from any businesses featured or advertised.

The views expressed within the articles are not necessarily those of the publisher. We reserve the right to refuse any content which we deem to be offensive or inappropriate. All rights reserved.

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elcome to the March issue of LS26 Local, your free monthly community newszine.

We have a cracking issue for you this month, firstly we have gone up to 32 pages and we are cram packed with some great articles!

This month we have a theme which is all about getting up and about and active! As we go into March we start to see lighter evenings and hopefully warmer weather. It’s a great opportunity to get active and we have some really inspiring articles for you to read. Firstly we have an interview with Victor Choules, it’s an inspirational story about how he lost weight and completely transformed his life. To compliment this we have an article from the Methley Striders, so if Victor’s story inspires you, we have the Methley Striders ready to welcome you! We also have a few more great articles about health and wellbeing, but as usual, I won’t spoil it now, they are just a page turn away!

This month’s cover picture ties in with our article about how pubs have changed over the years, unfortunately this has resulted in our area losing quite a few public houses over the years. But as you know by now, we don’t focus on the negatives here at LS26 Local so as part of the same article we have a great interview with Laura Simister of the Black Bull who tells us how they have adapted over the years and become a great asset for the community.

Going back to the front cover image, we hope you all like it, its a great shot of both modern and bygone times. We would like to give a huge thank you to the Leeds Library and Information Service, (www.leodis.net) who gave us kind permission to use their image.

As usual we would like to thank all our advertisers, stockists and of course you the reader for the amazing feedback we regularly receive. It’s so good to hear from you all, so if you have any ideas or comments about the magazine please do get in touch. You can email us at ls26local@gmail. com or you can give us a call on 0113 3280210.

As a football fan I was so pleased to hear that last month the Leeds Civic Trust unveiled a plaque to honour former Leeds United player Albert Johanneson. To acknowledge this we are giving away ‘The Black Flash - The Albert Johanneson Story’ hardback book as our March crossword prize. Good luck to all that enter!

We do try and give away different prizes each month and we are currently looking for local businesses who could sponsor our crossword to offer a prize for the winner - for details please get in touch.

I hope you all enjoy this months issue...

LS26 Local Editor - Graham Ambler

RHUBARB TARTS WI

FIRST EVER MEETING!

Last month the Rothwell Rhubarb Tarts WI held their first ever meeting and an enjoyable evening was had by all!

The Rothwell WI welcomed Karen Wright, a contestant from series 9 of the Great British Bake Off as a guest for their first meeting.

Karen gave an entertaining talk regarding her time in the tent, the lead up to it, and the effect this has had on her life.

The WI ladies then held their own valentines cake competition judged by Wendy Neary. The winner was no other than committee member,

Donna Easter with her delicious bakewell cake.

The evening concluded with a raffle with the prize of a fantastic valentine cake made by Wendy Neary. Ivy was the lucky winner who is pictured below with her prize.

If any ladies would like to join the WI at their next meeting to be held on the 14th March 2019 they are more than welcome to join in. The venue is the Haigh Road Community Centre and starts at 7.30pm.

At the meeting will be Oral Blackford a motivational speaker and personal trainer who will talk about his life, how he came to live in England, his struggles and successes.

The WI can be contacted by emailing rothwellrhubarbtarts@gmail.com guests are welcome for a trial evening. Please contact them for more details.

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A recent sign of the times is the changing face of high streets and town centres up and down the country. The nostalgic image of a busy street with a grocers, butchers, fish & chip shop, tailors with other independent shops and outlets is becoming a distant memory. One of the hardest hit industries in recent times is the good old fashioned pub.

With an average of 18 pubs a week closing according to the Campaign for Real Ale, its becoming a real concern. Public Houses 4

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historically have been a good community asset, a great place for people to meet, relax and try and forget about the stresses of the working week.

Over the last 15 years we have lost so many local pubs, the John O’Gaunts, Stepping Stones, Coach & Horses (Commercial Street) and Woodland Hotel have been lost from Rothwell. Woodlesford has lost the White Hart, Methley has lost the Royal Oak, with Carlton losing the old Queens and Swillington has lost ‘The Swillington’. These are just from the top of my head, I have a feeling I could have missed one or two from this list!

So why are we losing our boozers? There are numerous reasons, all of which show us how society is changing as the years roll by. Firstly, people now drink differently. With beers and wines more affordable in shops and supermarkets, more and more people will buy alcohol as part of their weekly shop and enjoy a drink in the comfort of their home. The smoking ban in pubs hit public houses hard too. With people being

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forced out into the cold to have a cigarette it made the decision to stay home with a few cans of shop bought beer much easier and also, cheaper.

Additionally the younger generation has a different attitude to drink. Young people aged 1624 drink less than any other generation according to the Office for National Statistics. Gone are the days of looking forward to your first pint, either as a coming of age on your 18th birthday or a rebellious adolescent trip to the pub before being the legal age!

Economics is another factor towards the demise of your local watering hole, rising business rates, especially for those on high streets are tough for public house owners to constantly meet.

Then we have the fact that people have bigger priorities, with the cost of living rising and wages plateauing or falling, a trip to the pub is much less of a priority than paying the weekly bills and putting food on the table.

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groups such as Dementia friendly Rothwell and hosting childrens Easter, Halloween and Christmas parties has brought another dimension to the day to day running of the business and we are seeing alot more families socialising in a safe environment.”

“Ossett brewerys chosen charity is Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice which helps hundreds of wonderful children, and their equally wonderful families right across West Yorkshire & North Manchester, as part of Ossett we and all the other Ossett venues support with hamper raffles and sponsored events such as our Pig Racing night last Easter .

Listening to customer feedback and aiming to improve each event or service is ongoing to keep busy we must constantly adapt and move forward changing with the needs of our customers within the community around us..”

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Reversing the trend So how can this trend be reversed? Pubs are now having to adapt to trends, the current fashion of cask ales, craft beers and trendy gins are a good example of how pubs have changed. But modern pubs now have to be assets to the community.

We chatted with local landlady Laura Simister of The Black Bull in Rothwell who gave us an insight of how they have adapted to keep their pub as busy and popular to as many people in their community as possible.

“The Great British Pub has undergone a transformation in recent years” says Laura.

“Staying focused on spotting the next opportunity and staying ahead of the market and current trends is tricky, but if done well it is a productive and satisfying way to get customers through the door and work in a vibrant inspiring atmosphere”.

“At The Black Bull we try to offer a unique experience doing what we do best, our superb staff provide quality customer care, always going that step further to create a friendly welcoming environment open to the whole community.

Our natural rhythm of the week including poker, quiz nights and Sports has been enriched with bringing city centre style themed quizzes, guru led spirit tasting nights, beer festivals, live music and meet the brewer tap takeovers to customers doorsteps with a plan for a great value quality night. But also supporting the local community

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KAREN BRUCE’S

COUNCILLORS NEWS

The thing I love most about representing local people in Rothwell, Woodlesford, Oulton and Carlton is standing up and fighting for the community. There are a lot of local issues on the boil at the moment where I need to stand up for local people.

Ever since the HS2 route was originally announced residents in Woodlesford and Oulton have been mistreated by the government and HS2 and frustration continues to run high. The last consultation event produced more unanswered 6

questions. Local people need answers on HS2.

As one of your local councillors I’m frustrated that we aren’t being listened to by those in power in London.

That’s why I support Ed Miliband’s demand for a parliamentary select committee to do a proper inquiry into HS2. I want to see the inquiry look into every single aspect of HS2 – the route, the compensation, the consultation, the cost and above all if it is the right solution to the needs of the country and people living in the north of England. Ed’s constituents share the concerns that you – my constituents – have as the route also runs through his constituency.

I’ve written to Alec Shelbrooke MP asking him to support Ed’s demand for an inquiry. Given all the concerns and criticisms that you and I have raised I can’t see how he can refuse to support an inquiry.

I’m not asking him to rebel against Conservative Party policy, just to pause and take stock. If he refuses to support an inquiry we have to question what the government, and he, is trying to hide.

HS2 doesn’t appear to care about the impact on residents like health, air pollution, noise and vibration, proximity, homeowners, flooding and subsidence, traffic, local rail disruption, local businesses or our green spaces.

I can’t support HS2 and I again put in my own strong objection in the latest round of consultation after discussing the issues with

residents at the consultation event at the Oulton Institute. But HS2 is a government project and it decides what happens. That’s why a parliamentary select committee is the best way to get answers and hopefully action.

It’s a mystery what’s happening down Fleet Lane with HGVs roaring down there in the early hours causing loss of sleep and noise nuisance.

I’ve been contacted by angry residents and am determined to get to the bottom of it.

There is no planning permission on the site other than for the original use as a fuel storage depot.

Hull-based Ashcourt Group did submit a planning application for the ‘creation of a development platform using imported construction and demolition waste, storage of imported inert waste plus engineering operations associated with remediation of the site’. But it has been previously instructed by Leeds City Council to cease operations on the engineering works that were being carried out until the planning application was determined one way or the other.

Planning have in the meantime asked for further information before a decision can be made on it. However, it looks like the company must have started up illicit operations again.

Ashcourt’s plans seem to be shrouded in mystery and no-one knows what they’re actually up to, but something is going on there. This isn’t good enough for residents who are having to put up

with such nuisance. I’ve instructed officers to thoroughly investigate and to take the necessary planning enforcement action.

The education of our children is a top priority for me. That’s why I’m supporting Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council’s executive member for learning, who has written twice to the secretary of state for education, Damian Hinds.

Jonathan is demanding he takes urgent action on Royds school, which was damaged by flooding in 2017 and needs extensive repairs including reroofing and replacement boilers.

I’ve previously worked with the school and council to ensure repair works were carried out to the east block roof and other works following flooding at the school. We can’t keep patching up Royds with sticking plasters though when what is really needed is a new school building. I’m pleased to get this support from a senior councillor and it

shows the value of a local Labour councillor who has direct access to the council leadership As councillor for Rothwell, I want to see local children attending Royds get the state of the art school building they deserve. Some local schools like Rodillian Academy and Rothwell primary schools were fortunate enough to get new buildings from the Labour government’s building schools for the future programme. Tragically other local schools missed out when the Conservative and Liberal Democrats took over in 2010 and stopped investing to help our children learn.

Councillor Pryor also warned that if the points in his letter continue to be ignored by the government, then schools in Leeds could face closure, or a move to temporary modular accommodation, on health and safety grounds.

As Cllr Pryor received no response to his first letter, circulated to MPs including Rothwell MP Alec Shelbrooke, the second letter has again been circulated to all of the city’s MPs, and the shadow secretary of state for education, Angela Rayner.

This comes against a background of a recent Ofsted rating of outstanding awarded to Leeds City Council’s children’s services, the only city nationwide to receive this. It is frustrating as we know we can deliver in Leeds for our children but we’re being held back by government. But we won’t give up until the new school is built!

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HEALTH & WELLBEING

TRACK OR NOT TO TRACK?

Activity trackers have become very popular in recent years. Fitbits are the device that everyone has heard of but there are many others. So if you’re thinking of buying one, ask yourself these questions: Do you exercise regularly?

Lots of people buy a Fitbit or its equivalent because they think it will help them to exercise consistently. But these devices are not magic bullets. If you make any and every excuse NOT 8

to exercise then a Fitbit won’t change that, you will simply make excuses to avoid exercise while wearing a gadget!

Would you wear it, and use it?

For a fitness tracker to give you actionable data you need to wear it almost all of the time, even while asleep. Some people can’t wear watches or jewellery while they are at work, others hate the feeling of anything on their wrist, and others have sensitive skin which is irritated by straps.

If you don’t wear it then it can’t do its job, so it’s not worth buying one.

Will you use the app?

You’ll need to download the app to your phone and use it if you want to make use of the data your activity tracker collects. Interacting with your device and the app is key to success, so if you can’t commit, don’t buy.

Are you a data nerd?

Some of us love to monitor our sleep, our heart rates, the number of steps we do each day. We find ourselves endlessly fascinating. The basics of losing weight and becoming healthier are simple, but the specifics for our own body can vary wildly.

If you don’t care about specifics and are happy with just eating a bit less and exercising a bit more, an activity tracker might be a waste of money for you. If you have a medical

condition or are in training for an event, or just enjoy looking at data, then having organized and detailed information at your fingertips is a great resource.

Would my phone do the job instead?

There are hundreds of fitness, pedometer and cycling apps on both Android and iOS. If you’re unsure about whether an activity tracker is the right purchase for you try using one or two of these apps for a month. You might find they give you all the data you need. Also, if you find you can’t be bothered to use the apps, then you are unlikely to benefit from buying an activity tracker.

Are you competitive?

Some activity trackers (particularly Fitbits) are social. You can add friends, compare step counts and earn milestone badges. You can also create groups and engage in competitions and challenges.

While these are good features, they aren’t for everyone. You might not need such a high-spec activity tracker if you don’t want to engage in the social side of things.

Activity trackers are useful devices and many people enjoy them and benefit from using them, but they won’t turn a reluctant exerciser into a highly motivated one, and if you aren’t actually interested in all the data, they might not justify their price tag.

MARJORIE QUINN’S

MONTHLY RECIPE

This month’s recipe is a real tasty, creamy and popular dish. It’s also ideal for vegetarians as Ricotta is a vegetarian cheese so perfect for anyone planning a dinner party to welcome in the spring months.

SPINACH AND RICOTTA LASAGNE Preparation time 45minutes Cooking time 30 minutes Ingredients (serves 6-8): ~ Pack of lasagne sheets ~ 125g Mozzarella, sliced ~ 30g Parmesan For the tomato sauce: ~ Olive oil ~ 1 Onion, finely chopped ~ 2 Garlic cloves, crushed ~ 150ml Red wine ~ 2 x 400g Tins chopped tomatoes ~ 1 tsp Sugar ~ 2 tbsp Worcester sauce ~ 2 tbsp Tomato purée ~ Bunch fresh basil, chopped

For the creamy spinach and ricotta sauce ~ 375g Spinach ~ Knob of butter ~ 500g Ricotta ~ 250g Mascarpone ~ 4 medium free-range egg yolks ~ Grated zest 1 lemon ~ Pinch freshly grated nutmeg ~ 40g Parmesan, grated Method Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.

Heat the oil in a medium pan, then fry the onion for 6-8 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and fry for a further minute. Pour in the red wine; turn up the heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes to reduce the liquid by half. Add the tomatoes, sugar, Worcester sauce and tomato purée. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until thickened. Add the basil, and season well.

Place the spinach in a large pan with a knob of butter. Cover and cook over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes until the spinach has wilted. It will seem to almost disappear! Drain the cooked spinach in a colander and press to squeeze out any excess water. Roughly chop, then mix with the rest of the creamy sauce ingredients. Taste and season well.

Spread a little of the spinach and ricotta sauce over the base of the baking dish, then cover with slightly overlapping lasagne sheets. Pour over a third of the remaining white sauce, sprinkle over

a little of the grated cheese and top with half the tomato sauce. Cover with another layer of lasagne sheets, top with half the remaining white sauce, then all the remaining tomato sauce. Add the final layer of lasagne sheets, then spread with the rest of the white sauce. Scatter with the remaining grated cheese.

Top with mozzarella slices and the grated Parmesan and bake for 30 minutes until golden and bubbling.

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HI-VIZ HEROES WHO KEEP

ROTHWELL IN BLOOM!

As a Rothwell resident I would always be one of the first to say that our town is a great place to live with good amenities, plenty of community spirit and of course some really breathtaking areas of natural beauty.

It’s always hard though to keep the town looking tidy and colourful with the hussle and bussle of everyday life such as buses, trucks, cars and of course roadworks that go on every day.

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There is one group that keeps Rothwell looking good, and to their credit, despite being a small group, the results often look like the efforts of a much larger group!

We invited Mary Fleet, an active member of Rothwell in Bloom to tell us a little bit more about them and what you can do if you fancy joining them in their efforts to keep our town looking great!

“Rothwell in Bloom was reformed in 2001 under the excellent chairmanship of Stuart Beaumont, initially with guidance from Richard Gill, Leeds City Council Floral Officer . Richard has given tremendous enthusiastic support to Rothwell, Woodlesford, Oulton and groups throughout Leeds as they formed and prepared to join the Leeds in Bloom competition. This involves producing a judges’ guide for the two annual judging days when marks are given for lack of weeds, general condition of plants, colour schemes and for the involvement of businesses, schools, and groups involved in environmental work throughout each area and working out a judging route to show off the best parts of the villages.

Initially Rothwell in Bloom concentrated on small neglected areas – the ginnel from Wood Lane to Cornwall Crescent, Bennett’s Yard, the area near the Chair on Wood Lane and attempting to reduce the Himalayan Balsam from the banks of the River

Dolphin and joining Holy Trinity Church and St. Mary’s for occasional working parties. Later, once the group chose to be judged, it concentrated more on the town centre, raising money from plant sales at the Carnival and May Day and applying for grants to buy planters located in Commercial Street and Marsh Street. One local benefactor left the group a considerable sum which went towards the improvements between Blackburn Hall and Megabites, Joseph Priestley College (now Leeds College Rothwell) Gillett Bridge and the Library/Hub. The group meets each Thursday morning at 9.30 stopping at 10.30 for a coffee break taken either in the Library or Leeds College if the weather is a bit off colour. New volunteers are welcome to join, bringing their own tools. Lack of experience is no barrier as we all learn on the job. Please ask about joining when you see members in their hiviz waistcoats working around the town. Spring would be a good time to start.”

MRS FLOWERPOT’S

ROOTS & SHOOTS

March is now upon us, and how quickly the months seem to fly by! Carpets of Snowdrops lead us into Spring and there is now lots to be done in our gardens and allotments in comparison to those slow winter months.

This is a good time to dig the garden over, once the soil is workable, dig a layer of compost or well rotted manure into your beds to prepare for the busy season ahead.

If any of your plants need supporting you can put the supports in now so the plants can grow up through them. It is also the time to move any shrubs, providing the soil is not frozen or waterlogged.

For those with roses, you can now prune and feed them with a balanced fertiliser or a special rose feed if you prefer.

Finish cutting back dead foliage from perennials and grasses, prune overwintering Fuchsias and also trim winter flowering heathers as soon as the flowers finish.

Deadhead your Hydrangeas before new growth appears and cut them to about one third of last seasons growth.

Make sure you keep an eye out for slugs as the weather warms, as the little blighters will be out in force!! Copper wire and hair clippings are a couple of humane ways to deter Slugs.

Did you know…..

Mothering Sunday originally began during the 16th century, when people returned to the Mother Church where they were baptised or to the local Parish Church. Mothering Sunday now as we know it, is the 4th Sunday in Lent, this became traditionally a day when children, mainly daughters, who had gone to work as domestic servants, were given a day off to visit their mother and family, it was the only time that families could

gather together. The times were hard then, a long way from what we know now.

Other notable dates in March: March 1st - St Davids Day. March 5th - Shrove Tuesday - aka Pancake Day March 6th - Ash Wednesday March 17th - St. Patricks Day March 31st - British Summertime begins - (don’t forget to put you clocks forward by one hour)

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HAVE A HAPPY AND

HEALTHIER LIFE THE VICTOR WAY!

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As we head into spring, Christmas and the New Year is all but a distant memory. It’s by this time of the year that those New Year Resolutions start to be broken. In fact, studies suggest that the average new years resolution lasts 66 days which takes us just to the start of March.

We thought it might be just the time to speak to someone with an inspirational story, who can show us all that when you stick to your goals, you can achieve anything. Luckily for us, we have one such person, local man Victor Choules who’s weight loss journey is one of the many success stories boasted by the Slimming World group. Victor lost over 7 stones in just 9 months and transformed his life. His story is inspirational and a lesson that we can overcome anything with the right attitude and support system.

We asked Victor a few questions about his amazing journey...

What prompted you to lose weight and get fitter? Was there a defining moment which started a new chapter in your life?

I was 32 stone 7lbs and could hardly walk or breathe, I was on lots of tablets and had sleep apnea and severe depression. This led to comfort eating and self harming. I was in a really bad place and I had to do something about it, if I hadn’t I wouldn’t be here now.

The big question that everyone wants to know, is how did you do it? Was it purely through exercise and diet or did you have a secret ingredient?

May 7th, 2015 was the turning point for me.

I had to give it one last go at losing weight, it was now or never so I started eating healthy food and combined that with little bits of exercise, so to me I was taking baby steps I found it really hard going but it wasn’t going to defeat me, no way! As the months went on every step was a little easier and I said to myself you can do this. By Christmas 2015 I had lost 7 stone, but somehow I got into a bit of a rut and didn’t know what to do next. I thought of Slimming World, so I googled the groups and Caroline at Rothwell came up so I messaged her and started there.

Who helped inspire you during your weight loss and helped you to stay on track during the up’s and down’s?

Slimming World was a massive life changer for me and Caroline is a total inspiration and role model to me. She is always there for you through the good and the bad times. I’ve always said it’s a team effort, by being part of a group, we are all in it together and inspire and support each other. I’m just one of the hundreds of people that Caroline has helped.

So what is your daily regime now in comparison to how your life used to be? and how has your life changed?

Before I could hardly walk or breathe was on lots of medication and had a CPAP machine.

Now I run 3 times a week, we have a Slimming World running group and I also set up a Slimming World walking group which meets on a Wednesday and Friday (pictured below). I now no longer require medication and I don’t have sleep apnea. I am 17st lighter and fighting fit!

The physical effects of losing weight are there for all to see, but mentally, how does it affect you?

I’m full of confidence, motivation and I love helping everyone with their Slimming World journey.

What advice would you give to someone who is reading this and thinks, I can’t do it, I don’t have time etc…

As I started Slimming World in January it could have been easy to do a couple of weeks and

throw the towel in, all I can say is that if you make a resolution stick with it, it’s a total life changer and you won’t look back Finally, you are an active member of the Rothwell Park Run which is great for the local area, could you tell us a bit more about it?

I’ve now run 38 park runs, 37 of them being at Rothwell. I never thought I would be running every week! My first run was about 37 minutes to do the 5k, now I’m down to 29 minutes. I set up the park each week and have volunteered on 18 occasions. I’m now in training to become a run director. I would urge anyone to come along to Springhead Park on a Saturday morning, everyone is welcome and you can walk, jog, run or even take a buggy or 4 legged friend with you! For anyone reading this I hope to see you there one Saturday!

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WALK, STRIDE, RUN

THE METHLEY WAY...

As the Spring and lighter evenings approach many people find it easier to start a healthier regime. Warmer weather and more daylight free time gives us the opportunity to go for an evening walk, do some gardening or even take up something more adventurous like a new sport.

If the latter is something you are considering, its always better to try and find a friendly group who can support you and make it as fun as possible.

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We recently spoke to Jo Hagan of the Methley Striders running club who told us about their organisation and exactly why they love their chosen sport!

“Methley Striders are a local running group that started in April 2017. It all started with an idea from a group of friends from the area who were keen runners who wanted to offer a local, friendly and inclusive running group to people of all abilities.

Fast forward to 2019 and our membership has grown and grown and we can truly say that we are achieving what we set out to do. We now have over 100 England Athletics affiliated members as well as lots of regular guest runners, and the numbers are continuing to grow.

The members are an extremely friendly bunch of people from all walks of life, aged between 19 and 70. Anyone aged 17 or over is welcome and there is no upper age limit! We range from brand new runners to ultra-marathon runners. So many friendships have been formed within the group and many members arrange their own runs outside of the group sessions.

We have recently started a ‘Couch to 5K’ group which is for those who are brand new to running and maybe haven’t run since they were at school.

The group also supports those who are returning to running but want to start from scratch. It’s a 9 week run/walk programme which begins

with running 1 minute intervals and ends with a continuous 30 minute run. This may seem daunting to anyone who hasn’t run before but it is achievable and this is how many of our runners started. It’s amazing to see people who started with us complete their first 5K, 10K or even half marathon. We look forward to congratulating them over their first marathon finish line in the near future.

We have 10 England Athletics qualified run leaders and lots of friendly volunteers to support our runners, our catchphrase is ‘No runner left behind.’ One of our run leaders, Coach Al, is also an England Athletics qualified coach and is on hand to offer training plans and advice.

We have recently appointed two parkrun ambassadors, Steph and Mark, who arrange regular meet-ups at parkrun events around the region. If you haven’t heard of parkrun, it’s a free weekly timed 5K run or walk which takes place at 587 locations across the UK on Saturday mornings.

Many of our members love to race and we are well represented at all the local races. We are part of the West Yorkshire Winter League which is a team event with 15 other local running clubs. We have been represented at many iconic aces including London Marathon, the Great North Run and Paris Marathon to name but a few.

On Thursday nights, we meet at Methley Working

Men’s club for a social run. Runners usually have 6 groups to choose from with a range of distances and paces. In addition to this, we often offer a trail run around the wonderful trails we have around us, including St. Aidan’s nature reserve and Leeds Country Way. This also continues during the winter months with the addition of head torches.

On Tuesday nights, our members can also attend hill and speed sessions offered by one of our members, Coach Kevin. Again, these sessions are friendly, informal sessions open to all abilities and are a brilliant way to improve your speed or to learn to love hills.

Look out for us around the village and at local events spreading the Strider Pride. If you are interested in joining us, find us on Facebook or email methleystriders@gmail.com”.

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THE LS26 GUIDE TO

WHAT’S ON

If not stated, please refer to our community groups pages for the contact details of event/ group organisers.

EVERY MONDAY ART GROUP from Mindfulness activities & The Fair Exchange. 1pm-2pm at Oulton Institute. £2 per session (+£10 deposit).

CARE N HOUNDS CAFE with Rothwell Dementia friendly. 2pm–4pm at the Black Bull, Rothwell ROTHWELL BOOK CLUB at Rothwell Community Hub, 5.45pm-6.45pm. Free, no booking req’d.

MELODIA Rehearsals at Methley WMC, 7.30pm.

(Excludes Bank Holidays).

LINE DANCING with Rothwell Live At Home Scheme. 1.30pm-3pm, at Oulton Institute £3.

CRAFT GROUP At Methley Methodist Church for all those who love crafts! 2pm-4pm THE CLUELESS CHORUS At Methley Methodist Church, 7pm-8.15pm SENIOR YOUTH CLUB 13+ At Rothwell Windmill Community Centre, 7pm-9pm, 50p entry.

EVERY TUESDAY AFTERNOON BINGO with raffle, tea, coffee & biscuits. 1pm-3pm at Royds Court, Rothwell.

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COFFEE MORNING 10am-11.30am at Oulton Institute. Organised by The Fair Exchange.

KNIT & NATTER 2pm – share patterns and ideas with refreshments at Rothwell Methodist Church.

SALSA CLASSES 8pm at Oulton Institute by The Fair Exchange. £5, beginners welcome. Booking Req’ MOVEMENT TO MUSIC with Rothwell Live At Home Scheme.11am-12pm, at Woodlesford Parish Centre, £3.50.

BUDDIES AT THE BULL with Rothwell Dementia friendly 2pm–4pm at the Black Bull, Rothwell FIRST STEPS PLAY GROUP for parents / carers of children 0–4 years. 10am-11.30am (in term time) at Rothwell Baptist Church. Suggested donation £1.

WOODLESFORD SOUP & SANDWICHES with Rothwell Live At Home Scheme.11.30am-1pm, at Woodlesford Parish Centre, £3.50.

EVERY WEDNESDAY MUSIC FROM THE ATTIC - METHLEY 7pm-9pm at Methley Methodist Chapel.

ST RAPHAEL SINGERS Rehearsals are 7.30pm9.30pm at Trinity Methodist Church, WF1 4LH. LEEDS CO-OPERATIVE PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY 8pm in the Lynne Barthorpe Room, 1st floor, St. George’s Centre, Middleton, LS10 4UZ. Contact Jane Ellis 0113 265 9970 MOVEMENT TO MUSIC with Rothwell Live At Home Scheme.10.30am-12.30pm, at Northfields Community Centre, £3.50.

ROTHWELL PARISH CENTRE LADIES CLUB 2pm-4pm at Holy Trinity Parish Centre. Talks, film shows, crafts, quizzes & outings. 0113 282 1919.

TIME TO SHINE meetings 10.30am-12pm at Woodlesford Parish Hall. See community groups.

WOODLESFORD IN BLOOM working day 10am -12pm. Meet at The Two Pointers on Church Street, Woodlesford.

EVERY THURSDAY METHLEY YOUTH CLUB 6.30pm-8.30pm at Methley Village Centre. Entry is 50p for age 11+.

METHLEY LUNCH CLUB with Rothwell Live At Home Scheme. 12pm-1.30pm, at Mickletown Community Centre. £5.

MOVEMENT TO MUSIC with Rothwell Live At Home Scheme.10.30am-12pm, at Rothwell Baptist Church, £3.50.

EVERY FRIDAY HEALING MINDS SUPPORT GROUP part of The Fair Exchange and meet 1.30pm-3.30pm.

A new venue will soon be confirmed so please contact Pauline on 07780 601917 for more info.

MULTI SPORT ACTIVE CLUB for kids aged 4-11.

5pm-6pm (term time) at Rothwell Scout Hut. £2 per session. To book call Richard 07958 100383 COFFEE MORNING at Temple Lawn Community Centre 9am-12noon. Everyone welcome.

STORYTIME FOR UNDER 5’S 10.30am-11am at Rothwell Community Hub.

FUN & FITNESS with Rothwell Live At Home Scheme. At Midland House, 2pm-3.30pm, £3.50 INTERMEDIATE YOUTH CLUB 11-13 At Rothwell Windmill Community Centre, 5.30pm-7.15pm, 50p entry.

SENIOR YOUTH CLUB 13+ At Rothwell Windmill Community Centre, 7.30pm-9pm, 50p entry.

EVERY SATURDAY COFFEE STOP 10am-12noon, with biscuits & cakes. At Rothwell Methodist Church.

ROTHWELL PARK RUN Free weekly 5k run in Springhead Park. www.parkrun.org.uk/rothwell EVERY SUNDAY PETE’S SUNDAY NIGHT QUIZ At the Gardeners Arms. 9pm start with lots of cash prizes.

THROUGHOUT THE WEEK COFFEE MORNINGS At Methley Methodist Church 10am-12noon (closed 9th Feb) THROUGHOUT THE MONTH SWILLINGTON BOOK CLUB - Second Monday 1.15pm at Swillington Village Hall.

HAIGH ROAD SOUP & SANDWICHES with Rothwell Live At Home Scheme. Every Second & Fourth Monday, 11am-1pm Haigh Road Centre £3.50.

MENZ OWN HOBBIES & INTEREST GROUP with The Fair Exchange Last Monday of the month, for venue and info contact Pauline on 07780 601917.

SOUP LUNCH CLUB - First Tuesday 12.30pm2pm, at Rothwell Baptist Church, Wood Lane. Call Sheila 07794 844564

GOLDEN DAYS - First Tuesday 11am-12pm - Talks, sing songs & crafts at Rothwell Community Hub. KNIT TOGETHER - Second Tuesday 10.30am12pm knitting & craft event With Rothwell Live At Home Scheme at Rothwell Community Hub. KEEP ACTIVE - Third Tuesday 11am-12pm - gentle exercise and chat at Rothwell Community Hub. SHOPPING TRIP TO COLTON & CROSSGATES With Rothwell Live At Home Scheme. Every Third Tuesday. Booking required, £4.50.

GAMES GALORE - Fourth Tuesday 11am-12pm Fun session at Rothwell Community Hub. OPEN GROUP at Methley Methodist Church, Fourth Tuesday, 8pm. A chance to meet and pray.

COLOURING CAFE - Fifth Tuesday 11am-12pm bonus session at Rothwell Community Hub. ACTIVE MINDS - With Rothwell Live At Home Scheme. Every Second and Fourth Wednesday, 10.30am-11.45am, at Royds Court, £2.50.

FAMILY TREE RESEARCH with The Fair Exchange Third Wednesday, at Rothwell Community Hub. ROTHWELL DEMENTIA CARERS SUPPORT GROUP Last Wednesday, 10.30am-12pm at the Black Bull.

WELLBEING WALKS with Rothwell Live At Home Scheme.Last Wednesday, 11am, at RSPB St Aidan’s.

COSY CORNER MEMORY CAFE - Third Thursday, Rothwell Dementia friendly group meeting.

2pm–3.30pm at The Methodist Church Hall, Woodlesford, LS26 8RD.

ACORNS & OAKS - With Rothwell Live At Home Scheme. Every Third Thursday. Outdoor activities at Swillington Farm, 10am-12pm, £5.

TEA TIME THURSDAYS at Methley Methodist Church, Food and discussion for all ages together.

5pm-6.30pm, February 7th & 21st.

CHARITY COFFEE MORNING - Third Friday 10am12noon, at Rothwell Methodist Church.

LUNCH CLUB - First Friday at 12.30pm. At Rothwell Methodist Church.

TEA COSY MEMORY CAFE - First Saturday, 9.30am-12.30pm. Rothwell Dementia friendly group meeting at the Rothwell Parish Centre.

COUNCILLOR ADVICE SESSIONS - First Monday, 1.30pm-2.30pm at Midland House. Second Friday 10.30am-11.30am at Rothwell Community Hub. Third Saturday, 11.30am at Rothwell Morrisons SWILLINGTON ELDERBERRIES DROP-IN at Swillington Village Hall. 12pm-2.30pm, Mondays and Fridays.

NET LUNCH CLUB Astley Court, Swillington lunch club running Tuesdays 5th,12th and 26th February. Primrose House, Swillington lunch club running Thursdays 7th,14th and 28th February.

Transport can be provided if needed, please Contact Lyndsey 0113 287 4784.

NEW LISTINGS ARE HIGHLIGHTED IN A YELLOW BOX LIKE THIS. 17

SATURDAY 2ND MARCH WOODLAND BULB PLANTING, Springhead Park, Rothwell 10am-2pm. Could you spare some time to help the Springhead Park Volunteers with their native woodland bulb planting? If so, please meet at the top entrance on Park Lane, all equipment will be provided by council staff. Please wear sturdy footwear and suitable clothing, under 16’s must be accompanied by an adult. For more info contact springheadparkvolunteers@gmail.com HAPPY BIRTHDAY DR. SUESS! Come and join in the fun at Swithens Farm and help celebrate Dr Seuss’s 115th birthday. There will be lots of fun games & activities going on in the play barn with cat in the hat & all your Dr Seuss favourites.

Plus some delicious party food and everyone gets a party bag to take away. Places are limited to 25 so book in quick, tickets are £11.95 per child.

You can book via a visit to the farm or visit the Eventbrite website METHLEY MOVIES screens a double bill of both Mamma Mia movies from 1pm at the Methley Methodist Church.

MONDAY 4TH MARCH LEEDS APPRENTICESHIP RECRUITMENT FAIR, First Direct Arena 4pm-8pm. Largest apprenticeship exhibition in the North, with over 100 companies recruiting. No appointment needed, just turn up.

For more info visit www.leeds.gov.uk/larf2019 STUNNING SPRING FLOWER ARRANGING, Leeds 18

City College Rothwell 12.30pm-2.30pm. You will be guided step by step to produce impressive arrangements in time for the springtime! Short 5 week course starting on the 4th and follows every Monday afternoon.

TUESDAY 5TH MARCH BOOK FAIR at Haigh Road Infant School. To help celebrate World Book Day on 7th March, there will be a range of books to buy 2.30pm-4.30pm WEDNESDAY 6TH MARCH SPANISH FOR BEGINNERS, Leeds City College Rothwell, 6pm-8pm. The course covers a range of topics, focusing on the basic phrases you need to communicate in authentic situations. No prior knowledge is needed, just a willingness to learn!

This course lasts for ten weeks.

INTRODUCTION TO ASTRONOMY, Join the RSPB team at St Aidan’s for an introduction to astronomy, lead by the Wakefield and District Astronomical Society. This beginner’s guide has experts on hand to point out amazing astronomical features such as planets, constellations and galaxies. Adults £10 (£8 for Members) Children £6 (£5 for Members).

Ticket price also includes entry into a prize draw to win an astronomical telescope!

FRIDAY 8TH MARCH QUEEN TRIBUTE NIGHT, Blackburn Hall, Rothwell 7pm-11.30pm. For tickets visit www.tributetickets. co.uk or call into Mrs Bobbins, 48 Commercial Street, Rothwell. Tickets £15.

SATURDAY 9TH MARCH CREAM TEA AND CONCERT, Lofthouse Methodist Church 2.30pm Music by ‘It’s No Fluke!’ followed by a Cream Tea. Admission £6.

MODNESS - An evening of Mod and Ska held at the Swillington MWC. Tickets in advance £3 or £5 on the door. Available from the club. Wrist bands given out from 7.15pm, doors open 8pm, performance starts 9pm.

TINA’S TOTS DAY NURSERY OPEN DAY - Join Christina for her open day at her new premises on Butcher Lane, Rothwell from 10am-2pm. For more details please call 0113 288 0617 or visit her website: www.tinastots.co.uk SUNDAY 10TH MARCH COMMUNITY MUCK IN DAY at RSPB St Aidans, 1pm. Take part in the muck in day and get handson with maintenance of the site which can involve tasks such as scrub clearance, fence repairs, tree planting, path maintenance, fish refuge creation and invasive species clearance to name a few.

Booking your space is essential due to high demand on these events, please call the visitor centre on 0113 232 0529, e-mail gavin.orr@rspb. org.uk or pay a visit to the visitors centre.

TUESDAY 12TH MARCH LENT STUDY COURSE at Methley Methodist Church from 7pm. “Starving for Connection” – a course based on the film “The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie

WEDNESDAY 13TH MARCH OPEN MIC NIGHT at Methley Methodist Church from 7.30pm. For further details contact Kevin Dobson 07563 567901 or email kevdob@me.com THURSDAY 14TH MARCH DOUG NISSLEY American singer and songwriter performs at Tobias Bar. Starts 8pm, Free Entry (Donations Appreciated). Support from Rory Holl SATURDAY 16TH MARCH CAR BOOT SALE, Rodillian Academy Lofthouse WF3 3PU 9am-12noon. Cars £7, Vans £10 please call 07391 152538 for more information.

ROTHWELL LEGO CLUB, Rothwell Community Hub 10.30am-11.30am. See what exciting creations you can come up with! Free event, no booking required. For more info call 0113 378 5005.

MIXED MEDIA WORKSHOP, at Rivers Meet Cafe.

A 3 hour workshop to design and take home your own piece of mixed media art. 9.30am-12.30pm.

Price £30 (£10 deposit required).

SUNDAY 17TH MARCH PAWS 4 A WALK, at Thornes Park, Wakefield. For just £5 per dog, each dog will receive a goody bag and will take part in a 4km walk with lots of other doggy friends! To sign up now, please visit www.rspcaleedsandwakefield.org.uk WEDNESDAY 20TH MARCH ROTHWELL MUSIC FESTIVAL, Strings section - for more information please visit their website: www. rothwellmusicfestival.shutterfly.com

THURSDAY 21ST MARCH THE BIG BANG THEORY QUIZ NIGHT, The Black Bull, Rothwell 8pm-11pm. Think you are a true The Big Bang Theory expert? If you know the difference between a bat’leth and a broadsword, you may share Sheldon Cooper’s love of “Star Trek” on the popular series “The Big Bang Theory.” What else do you know about Sheldon’s universe and the people he shares it with? Complimentary themed nibbles. £2 per team. No mobile phones.

FRIDAY 22ND MARCH TANK TOPS, Glam, Rock & Pop fun band performing live at the Two Pointers, Woodlesford.

For more details please contact pub management.

ROTHWELL MUSIC FESTIVAL, Junior singers and choirs together with brass soloists and bands - for more information please visit their website: www. rothwellmusicfestival.shutterfly.com SATURDAY 23RD MARCH SPRINGTIMESLIMERS, Oulton Institute, Quarry Hill, LS26 8SX. Slimersinthespring is a slime event with many different slimers selling lots of unique and different slimes! Food and drink, slime supplies and slime merchandise will be available.

Entry 50p, 4’s and under FREE. For more info visit @ Springtimeslimers on instagram.

ROTHWELL MUSIC FESTIVAL, Piano and adult singers, plus the grand finals for the Rodillian and Kirkwood trophies. For further info please visit their website: www.rothwellmusicfestival.shutterfly.com

WEDNESDAY 27TH MARCH WELLBEING WALKS at RSPB St Aidans, 11am.

Join the RSPB team at St Aidan’s Nature park for a friendly and sociable walk around the Bowers Bimble. The walk is open to everyone, especially older people and is dementia friendly.

It’s a sociable stroll, taking in the scenery and wildlife aimed at improving physical and mental wellbeing.

SATURDAY 30TH MARCH SAPLING REMOVAL, Rothwell Country Park 10am3pm. Volunteers required for sapling removal.

Tools, training, refreshments provided. Everyone welcome, under 16’s must be accompanied by an adult. Meet at Bullough Lane barrier LS26 0JY. For more info contact Heather on 07562 439631 or email heather.wagstaff@leeds.gov.uk

WE GOT SOUL, Outwood WMC, Ledger Lane, WF1 2NS 7.30pm-11.30pm. DJ’s Dennis and Paul will be playing vinyl Motown & Northern Soul hits and The Sounds of Detroit for the great night of music and dance. £3 on the door.

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LS26 COMMUNITY

GROUPS IN OUR AREA Our comprehensive list of local charities and community groups in the area.

If you would like us to list a community group or charity on these pages for FREE all you have to do is drop us a line at ls26local@gmail.com or visit our website www.ls26.org.uk and follow the LS26 Community Groups link.

DEMENTIA FRIENDLY ROTHWELL

A continuing project making Rothwell a dementia friendly community. The group holds various groups and cafés throughout each month.

FDM - FOR DISABILITY MOBILITY

Social Club for those unable to get out or who would like to meet new people. Group bookings available. For more info contact 0113 288 9000 or visit www.fdmbus.org.uk

FORCE

Friends of Rothwell Civic Enterprise. A group working towards saving the Rothwell Civic Building. Visit their facebook page ‘FORCE Friends of Rothwell Civic Enterprise’ for more information.

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FRIENDS OF ROTHWELL COUNTRY PARK

A group of volunteers who help manage, protect and promote the wildlife and heritage of the country park. For more info call Countryside Ranger Heather Wagstaff on 07562 439631.

LILYBUDS BABY & TODDLER GROUPS Community groups for parent/carers of babies and toddlers, at Rothwell Parish Church Hall.

Groups cost £2 including refreshments. Please see their facebook page for more details.

MARIE CURIE FUNDRAISING

Marie Curie East Leeds Fundraising Group - Based in Rothwell and surrounding areas. For more info please contact Faye on 01904 755260.

MELODIA

Ladies choir based in Methley. Rehearsals on Monday evenings 7.30pm at Methley Working Mens club. For more info contact Shirley Wright on 01977 554142 / 07900 953720 or Val on 01977 514535 / 07779 373068.

METHLEY METHODIST CHURCH

”Living the Gospel and serving the community with a BIG HEART” Main Street, Methley, Leeds, LS26 9JE www.thecentremethley.co.uk

METHLEY WOMBLES

Volunteer group from Methley and Mickletown who get together to keep their village clean and litter free. Contact via Facebook @methleywombles

METHLEY YOUTH CLUB

Based at Methley Village Centre. For further info please contact Chloe Canning 07712 216071

MUSIC FROM THE ATTIC - METHLEY

A new music club in Methley. Dust off your old instruments and join the group at Methley Methodist Chapel. Contact: Ben 07748 673116 - bendenison@mac.com

NET NEIGHBOURHOOD ELDERS TEAM

Caring for older people and their carers. Serving Swillington and Great Preston. NET runs a range of activities and runs two lunch clubs in Swillington and friendship groups in Swillington and Great Preston. www.netgarforth.org. 0113 2874784.

ROTHWELL BAPTIST CHURCH

Welcoming our community with over 20 activities each week. (see What’s On Section for individual events) Wood Lane, LS26 0PG. www.rothwellbaptist.org.uk

ROTHWELL COMPETITIVE MUSIC FESTIVAL

Group running a competitive music festival in March each year in Rothwell town centre.

The Syllabus is produced in September and available from the Rothwell Library or on their website rothwellmusicfestival.shutterfly.com

ROTHWELL CLUSTER

Provides access to local facilities, out of school hours and holiday activities and specialist support. www.facebook.com/rothwellcluster

ROTHWELL & DISTRICT LIVE AT HOME

Charitable cause to reduce social isolation and loneliness for older people. For more information please contact 0113 288 0887 or visit their website www.rothwellliveathome.btck.co.uk

ROTHWELL FOOD BANK

Rothwell area food bank. For more info visit: www.leedssouthandeast.foodbank.org.uk or telephone 0113 345 0850

ROTHWELL IN BLOOM

Meet every Thursday morning in Rothwell from 9.30am with a coffee break at 10.30am.

If you would like to join them please speak to a member of the team in their hi-viz tops.

ROTHWELL LADIES CIRCLE

Rothwell Ladies Circle is a group of girls who like to have fun whilst fundraising and supporting the community www.facebook.com/rothwell.circle

ROTHWELL LIONS

Group that takes an active interest in the community with fundraising and charity events. Tel 0845 833 2765 or visit www.rothwell-lions.org.uk

ROTHWELL METHODIST CHURCH

Running various meetings and charity events.

Please see our ‘What’s On’ pages for details. aireandcaldercircuit.org.uk/churches/rothwell

ROTHWELL RHUBARB TARTS WI

Meetings on the 2nd Thursday of each month at

Haigh Court, at 7.30pm-9.30pm. Please contact June Holstead via facebook.(new WI group)..

ROTHWELL SCOUT GROUP

7th Rothwell Scout Group based on Haigh Road, Rothwell. www.rothwellscouts.com

ROTHWELL YOUTH CLUB

Based at the Rothwell Windmill Community Centre, Marsh Street, Rothwell. Please contact Mel Taylor 07891 279116. (See ‘Whats On’ for days/times)

SOWHAT

Campaign group opposing HS2 plans in the LS26 area. Please visit their website www.sowhat.org. uk or their facebook page for more information, updates and news.

SPRINGHEAD PARK VOLUNTEERS

Volunteer group of local residents committed to maintaining Springhead Park. For more info email springheadparkvolunteers@gmail.com

ST RAPHAEL SINGERS

Local choir whose main aim is to help churches and charitable organisations raise funds. Based at Trinity Methodist Church, Norton Road, WF1 4LH. email: straphaelsingers@gmail.com.

#SAVEOURHOMESLS26

Residents action group fighting the demolition of homes on Sugar Hill Close and Wordsworth Drive.

Please visit saveourhomesls26.org or to sign the petition: www.change.org/pemberstone

ROTHWELL T.A.R.A

Rothwell tenants and residents association,a group to discuss concerns within the local community.

Visit facebook ‘rothwelltenantsandresidents’

THE FAIR EXCHANGE

Champions inclusiveness through the exchange of skills, knowledge and experience. Contact Pauline on 07780 601917, email info@thefairexchange. org.uk, or visit www.thefairexchange.org.uk.

You can also view our What’s On pages for details.

TIME TO SHINE PROJECT

Fun and excercise for the over 50’s. Run by D. Dance Theatre, 0113 282 6211 or email jenny. oulton@yahoo.co.uk

WOODLESFORD IN BLOOM

Making Woodlesford a great place to live by enhancing the environment with floral displays.

More volunteers needed! Contact via Facebook or email www.woodyinbloom@btinternet.com

GRAPHIC RETOUCH your local design & print service Bespoke design & print at affordable prices: Leaflets & Flyers • Brochures Posters • Order of Service Business Cards & Stationery Wedding Stationery & Invitations For more info call Graham on 07734 254420 or email: graham@graphicretouch.com visit our website www.graphicretouch.com

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LS26 COMMUNITY

MORRISONS STAFF RAISE OVER £1000

Colleagues at Morrisons Rothwell banded together last month to support young lives affected by cancer, to mark World Cancer Day, which was on Monday 4th February. Morrisons are heading into their 3rd year of partnership with Clic Sargent and as a store have raised £15,000 up to date. As a company, they have raised over £6 million!

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Morrisons Rothwell Community Champion, Lyndsay Connor, organizes lots of fundraising events over the year for both staff and customers.

To mark World Cancer Day weekend, the store held a charity waxing/shaving, where some of the brave male colleagues had their legs, chests, heads and beards waxed/shaved by Clare, who gave up her time to help with the event.

As well as the waxing event, the store organized a massive tombola and trolley raffle over the following days, which were helped along by volunteers Danny Bradley and Sharon Hand.

Lyndsay and all the staff at Rothwell, would like to thank both Danny and Sharon for their support and also all the loyal customers for their continued support.

Over the 6 days of events, the store raised a massive £1,155.26 for Clic Sargent. I think you will agree, that’s a great achievement. Well done to all at Morrisons Rothwell, especially the brave volunteers - Jonathan Hudson, Jake Gillet, Michael Walker, Richard Fearnley, Kristian Coates and Damien Varley.

Leg wax? No problem! Says Kristian

Ouch! Turns out a leg wax isn’t much fun!

Richard feels the pain!

Just a trim please said Damien...

Triumphant but red raw!

I said just a trim!

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LS26 COMMUNITY

RUGBY WALK TO SUPPORT GREAT CAUSE

Local lasses Pauline Cosgrove and Bethany Abernethy-Williams have signed up to the Rugby League Walk for the ‘Determined Dan Trust’.

The walk, comprises of walking between ten of the Rugby League’s top clubs, starting at Wigan on the 29th March and finishes at Hull Kingston Rovers on the 4th of April, with stops at Warrington, St Helens, Salford, Huddersfield Giants, Wakefield Trinity, Leeds Rhinos, Castleford Tigers and Hull FC along the way covering a total of 164 miles.

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Pauline and Bethany of LHA Car & Commercial on Wood Lane will complete the Leeds to Castleford route on Tuesday 2nd April, and have been in training since early January.

The Determined Dan Trust is a charity set up to raise vital funds to support children and their families who are suffering with brain related injuries at Leeds General Infirmary.

The story behind the charity surrounds Leeds lad, Daniel Morton who, in April 2014, aged ten years old, was diagnosed with a brain tumour.

After successfully removing the tumour the family received the devastating news that the tumour was a high grade cancer and Daniel was given a terminal diagnosis.

However, after applying for a clinical trial which involved both a research organisation and the Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital a difference of opinions of diagnosis meant that Daniel’s care plan was to watch and wait and see what happened with future scans. Despite having a second tumour removed in November 2014, the care plan remained the same.

After having two years of clear scans, in September 2016, Daniel was told there was another tumour and was to undergo further surgery. This surgery has left him with severe side effects, causing some damage to his nerves and issues with mobility on his right hand side.

Daniel has now taught himself to write and draw, a passion of his, with his left hand. A testament to his resilience, determination and character.

Daniel had another two years of clear scans and again, in August 2018, he was told that he had another tumour and had surgery for the fourth time in November 2018.

The Determined Dan Trust wants to help make life easier for those going through similar treatments and also help improve the facilities on the brain injuries ward at the LGI for children who are undergoing treatments. Funds raised will help towards new equipment, improving facilities and the environment of the unit to aid recovery.

The trust wants to help support families whose children are being treated at the LGI by providing financial support to assist with costs incurred by lengthy hospital stays.

Daniel is still fighting his own battle, but he is determined to beat cancer, determined to raise awareness and determined to help others.

If you would like to sponsor Pauline and Bethany please visit www.justgiving.com/ crowdfunding/determineddan Any contributions will be greatly appreciated and will benefit this amazing, local, cause.

You can follow the progress of the Rugby League walk, and Dan on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter #determineddan

METHLEY CHURCHES

RAISE THE ROOF TO RAISE FUNDS!

In November the Methodist Chapel in Methley suffered three break-ins which resulted in sound equipment and cash being stolen. With such a loss of vital resources, local musicians Andy Smith of the Intentions and Ben Denison of Music from the Attic decided to do something to raise funds for the Chapel in its hour of need.

In January both bands and close harmony trio The Thorny Roses promoted a gig to be held in the Methley Cricket Club, but just six hours after tickets went on sale, all the 140 seats available were taken and it was clear that the potential was much greater, and a larger venue was obviously required!.

There is only one building in Methley large enough to seat over 200 – the historic St Oswald’s Church. Andy and Ben approached Rev Sarah Hancox and the church wardens to ask if the church would host the gig. They are generally keen to see the church building used by the community and welcomed the opportunity. As advertised, food and drink were laid on. Some furniture shifting and atmospheric lighting transformed the medieval nave of the church. With the transformation complete, the place was packed to the rafters and it rocked!

Best of all, the event raised over £1,500. By now, excellent work by the police had recovered much of the equipment, so the Chapel has created its own Community Goodwill Fund to share out the surplus with local good causes.

Kevin Dobson of the Chapel commented “The whole event showed the goodwill of the people of Methley and between our churches. After the dark days of November, the response has been completely overwhelming.”

The Chair MALE GROOMING 0113 282 9761 98 Haigh Road Rothwell Leeds LS26 0LP OPENING HOURS: Wednesday 8.30-6.30pm | Thursday & Friday 8.30-9.00pm Saturday 8.00-2.00pm | Closed Sunday, Monday & Tuesday

25

LS26 SPORT

STANLEY RODILLIANS R.U. UPDATE

There was no let up for the junior section through the cold start to February. Rods firstly hosted a joint fixture with Wheatly Hills and West Leeds, both sides being welcomed to Manley Park.

Before the match the Junior Section visited Amirah Spice Takeaway on Aberford Road Stanley presenting them with a club shirt as thanks for their support.

As the frost cleared the next fixtures found the Younger Tags teams away at Huddersfield. An excellent performance and lots of tries scored, the 26

expansive and entertaining Rugby on show was a joy to watch.

The Home fixture for the Under 10’s found them pitted against much bigger sides in Yarnbury and Cleckheaton, but the side performed above all expectations. It was the game against Cleckheaton that will be most memorable because of the great team performance, as the smaller team the defence was spectacular and no tries were conceded.

A fantastic February for the Junior Section, who are excited and cannot wait for the March fixtures which include their first Rugby festival at Sandal on Sunday 10th March and a Home fixture against Huddersfield RUFC on Sunday 17th March kick off at 10.30am.

To get involved, or to keep up to date with Stanley Rodillians Juniors, please visit their Facebook page @StanleyRodsJuniorsRUFC or alternatively you can visit the Stanley Rodillians Website and look on the dedicated page for the junior section: stanleyrodilliansrufc.rfu.club/ news/junior-section-news-and-fixtures The juniors train at 6.30pm on a Tuesday evening and 10am on Saturdays. If you are interested in playing you can turn up on either day and join in or just watch.

Stanley Rodillians RUFC Senior team reached the half way point of the season and the re structure

placed Rods into the Yorkshire 4 Shield League.

Rods had a free weekend for the first round of matches and so arranged a friendly fixture away against Morley Saxons 3XV. The match kicked off in strong winds, which was always going to have a big effect on the game.

Rods with the wind at their backs in the first half scored 5 tries with the pick being Adam Scrafton’s following Nathan Booth’s No8 pick up and good handling. Tom Tooley scored one of his trademark interception tries giving Rods a health lead before Morley scored a try making the half time score Morley 7 – 35 Rods.

Now playing against the wind, Rods were soon under pressure in the second half. Jonny Carr was having a fine display, until an injury saw him leave the field and with this, Rods lost their momentum.

Morley dominated the rest of the half and as the final whistle blew Morley had the victory, 42 – 35.

The wind had proved the deciding factor, but great commitment was shown by both teams.

1st XV March Home fixtures. (Kick off 2.15pm) Saturday 9th March v Burley Saturday 23rd March v Halifax Rods are always on the lookout for new players, training nights for Senior Rugby are Tuesday evenings from 7pm, for more information visit stanleyrodilliansrufc.rfu.club or check out their facebook page @StanleyRodilliansRUFC.

STEP INTO SPRING...

IN LEEDS FOR MARIE CURIE As willpower fades and New Year’s resolutions are beginning to lapse, Marie Curie is offering a fun, easy and convenient way to get more active this Spring.

The charity’s Step into Spring campaign is challenging people to walk 10,000 steps or more every day in March as part of their annual fundraiser; the Great Daffodil Appeal.

Walk 10,000 steps every day in March and by 1 April, you’ll have covered 150 miles. That’s the same as walking from: • The Brighton Pavilion to Birmingham’s Bull Ring • The Giant’s Causeway to the Spire of Dublin •M ount Snowdon to the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

• York Minster to Cambridge University Marie Curie hopes that Step into Spring will encourage people in Rothwell, Garforth, Methley and surrounding areas to put their best foot forward throughout the month, sponsored and supported by their friends and family, with the added feel-good-factor of raising vital funds.

Every five minutes, someone in the UK dies without getting the care and support they need at the end of their life. The money raised from the Great Daffodil Appeal will help the charity provide much-needed expert care to people with terminal illnesses, as well as supporting their families.

Faye Cryer, Community Fundraiser for Marie Curie in Leeds said: “Increasing the distance you walk each day is a great way to feel good and get outdoors so we hope that the campaign will appeal to lots of people who want to be more active but without the pressure and expense of joining a gym. And of course, there’s the added incentive that by taking part, you’ll be doing something amazing and helping Marie Curie to be there when we’re needed most.

“Chances are, we all know someone who’s been affected by a terminal illness. And it’s heartbreaking that not everyone gets the care and support they need to live their final days with dignity, in the place they want to be. Our nurses care for people in their own homes and in our nine hospices across the UK. We’re here for people every step of the way, but that’s only possible with your support.”

To find out more or to sign up to Step into Spring please visit www.mariecurie.org.uk/getinvolved/fundraise/stepintospring or call us on 0800 716146.

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LS26 SPORT

ROBIN HOOD ARE ONE OF THE BEST!

Continuing our break from our usual round up of Robin Hood’s monthly form and fixtures we conclude our interview with Hood’s first team manager and head coach Matt Wright and find out some more about the season so far, and his take on matters outside his own club...

Marcelo Bielsa has revolutionised Leeds United, do you look at what he has done and take influence from his style and philosophy?

He really makes you think about football in a different way. It highlights how good a team can 28

be when they are physically at their peak. When a team is incredibly fit they are in general, mentally fit and can use their footballing ability without fatigue playing a factor. Unfortunately for me it’s all about contact time with players and when you try and revolutionise anything it takes contact time to do that. At this level you don’t get that contact time as not every player can train, which limits the drills you want to put on. A great example is, how can you look at phases of play from back to front without defenders training, as you lose your foundation of what you are trying to do. On a match day all the repetition is a product of hours going over the same thing and without everyone there the understanding is not. Marcelo Bielsa is for me what the future of football should be like, fast, free flowing possession based football. Marcelo Bielsa, Pep Guardiola, Eddie Howe and Jurgan Klopp, whilst all slightly different have a style I would love to implement as I share that vision myself.

Which clubs have impressed you this season and maybe surprised you? Whitkirk Wanderers have done well since being promoted last season...

Whitkirk and Les are doing a great job and are set up for long term success, as they have a great depth that will benefit their first team for years to come. Whitkirk haven’t surprised me as such, as I thought they would do well this year, Ilkley continue to be strong but again they

have depth that goes far beyond the senior set up and I know Simon up there has a target of promotion to the NCEL. These teams alongside Beeston and Leeds City are set up for long term success in this league. I must mention Hunslet too, who at this stage are looking like pushing into that top 4 come May, which is credit to their managers links in the Leeds area and their recruitment of this season.

At this stage in the season the title for the West Yorkshire League seems to be between 3 clubs, Leeds City, Carlton and Beeston St Anthonys - who do you think will triumph out of these three?

I would always go for Carlton, whilst their team is another year older they still are at the peak of their powers. They’ve added a couple of top young players too who long term will play in the NCEL, but before that they add depth of quality to Carlton. Beeston are Beeston and are a machine that keeps going but I think losing Joe Wood was a big thing for them short term. Beeston are a good club with good values so whilst I do fancy Carlton to pip it, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they did go very close. Leeds City will probably again miss out in my opinion, they play the best football in the league and use of the ball is second to non, you just always see a shock result there such as a few weeks ago in the County cup. They lost to Stanley United and I can see probably how knowing how,

both clubs approach football. They are a top team though and if they avoid them little slip ups they will be the closest Carlton get in terms of a challenge. Carlton just never have a week off and when below their best always get the points.

1. Carlton Athletic 2. Leeds City 3. Beeston At what stage do you realistically start looking towards the next season and the areas you can improve the squad.

Once we are safe in this league again it’s about improving our structure further, I came in and my first year we improved the club from where it was, we were competitive in all of the cup competitions going to the quarters and semifinals of each competition. Last year we again went deep into cup competitions and improved significantly in the league. I have my opinions of where we can improve but ultimately we are attracting players to the club with a greater depth of talent which long term are the foundations of any successful club. As a manager of a football club you are always looking 6 month further down the line, anything you can do to put yourself in a good position you will do at the earliest opportunity.

Is it hard to attract new players to the club with some clubs paying wages at this level.

Yes its very hard, frustrating and annoying when you think you’ve signed a quality player only to be beaten by a few quid.

I ask for £5 a week off the lads as a contribution to keeping this club ticking over. I ask the question to players and they respond by asking what the wages are at Robin Hood, when I say you pay me subs that’s normally the end of that.

It’s a shame but if people want to put personal finance into their running of the club then that’s an individualistic approach I guess. Unless you are looking for promotion then I don’t see the point, it’s an amateur league with no prize money. In our league a lot of the teams pay or offer performance related bonus’s to the players.

I know of one club who applied for a facility and equipment grant to pay players, that’s where it gets silly.

It will continue to get harder but it’s just part of the game, so whilst there is frustration you have to work with the talent you can attract and for me Robin Hood is one of the best clubs about.

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LS26 SPORTS...

CLUBS IN YOUR AREA If you run, or are involved with a local sports club, who you would like listing on this page, just email us at ls26local@gmail.com with a contact detail that we can list and we will include your club.

BOWLS ROTHWELL BOWLING CLUB upthetrap@hotmail.co.uk CRICKET CARLTON CRICKET CLUB www.carltoncricketclub.co.uk ROTHWELL CRICKET CLUB www.rothwell.play-cricket.com FOOTBALL CARLTON ATHLETIC FC Contact via facebook - @carltonathleticfc METHLEY UNITED AFC www.methleyunitedafc.org ROBIN HOOD ATHLETIC AFC 07970 345945 ROTHWELL JUNIORS www.pitchero.com/clubs/rothwelljuniorsfc 30

ROTHWELL JUNIORS GIRLS dazmillard2011@hotmail.co.uk ROTHWELL OLD BOARS WALKING FOOTBALL Chris Bird 07860 890383 SWILLINGTON SAINTS WELFARE JFC Contact via facebook - Swilly Saints Junior Football MULTI-SPORT OULTON SPORTS & COMMUNITY CLUB 0113 2822356 MARTIAL ARTS CHULDOW ROTHWELL MARTIAL ARTS 0113 2824935 / info@chuldowrothwell.com.

COOL KICKS 07450 673553 / kickboxing@coolkicks.uk.

ROTHWELL KARATE CLUB 07754 195625 / admin@rothwellkarateclub.co.uk ROUNDERS ROTHWELL ROUNDERS Contact via facebook - Rothwell Rounders.

RUGBY LEAGUE OULTON RAIDERS ARLFC www.pitchero.com/clubs/oultonraidersarlfc.

OULTON RAIDETTES UNDER 8s 07540 063778 OULTON RAIDETTES GIRLS U12s Kelly Shaw 07576 924350, U14s Kathrine Casey 07780 498409 and U16s Vicky Goddard 07972 200280.

OULTON VIKINGS UNDER 7s James Crow 07898 861247 STANLEY RANGERS ARLFC www.stanleyrangers.org.uk / 01924 870508 SWILLINGTON ARLFC U10’s & TOTS Kyle 07397 859344 RUGBY UNION LEEDS CORINTHIANS RUFC www.pitchero.com/clubs/leedscorinthiansrufc STANLEY RODILLIANS RUFC Jordan Platt 07804 470382 for juniors or Gary Demaine 07776 353892 for seniors. www.stanleyrodilliansrufc.rfu.club RUNNING METHLEY STRIDERS methleystriders@gmail.com ROTHWELL HARRIERS www.rothwellharriers.org.uk RODILLIAN RUNNERS www.rodillianrunners.co.uk SQUASH ROTHWELL SQUASH & RACKETBALL CLUB 0113 2822276 / www.rothwellsquashclub.co.uk

LS26 LOCAL

PRIZE CROSSWORD Complete the clues and then find the hidden word(s) by re-arranging the letters from the squares with the yellow dots to win the monthly prize!

This months clue: Take big strides to find this lost Rothwell boozer! (8,6)

To enter the prize draw simply email your answer to ls26local@gmail.com no later than 18/3/19.

ACROSS 1 Judged the value of (8) 6 Exclusive, only (4) 8 Possible danger (6) 9 Clarify, explain (6) 10 Shock ________, car part (8) 13 Delight, joy (4) 14 Paddle-wheel driven river vessel (9) 17 100th of a Euro (4) 18 Awful, terrible (8) 19 Recreational gambling (6) 21 Deep purple-blue (6) 23 Dowels, pins (4) 24 Hotchpotch (8) DOWN 2 Threadbare (6) 3 Period of time (3) 4 Decorative cupboard or bureau (9) 5 Faulty (3) 6 Protect, shelter (9) 7 Joined, connected (6) 11 Surpasses, exceeds (9) 12 Burglaries (9) 15 Anaesthetise (6) 16 Yeast, mushroom, mildew (6) 20 Sticky substance, rosin (3) 22 Dike, barrier (3)

THIS MONTHS PRIZE! THE BLACK FLASH BOOK! - ALBERT JOHANNESON STORY

JUST FOR FUN...

SUDOKU!

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