South leeds life 01 jun 14

Your FREE community newspaper

Issue 1 | June 2014

Life

South Leeds Hear the call for volunteers!

What’s happening in Beeston, Belle Isle, Cottingley, Holbeck, Hunslet, Middleton & Stourton

In this issue:

Foodbanks on the frontline

page 3

Trolleybus on the way

page 5

Summer of fun for South Leeds

pages 6&7

Regulars rally to save their club

page 5

Volunteers from across South Leeds are recognised by the White Rose Shopping Centre in November 2013

South Leeds Life is launching a campaign to encourage more people to volunteer within the community.

There are many groups throughout South Leeds offering all sorts of experiences and opportunities: sports groups, children’s playgroups, Scouts and Guides, local history and heritage groups, community galas, older people, gardening, music, environmental and so much more.

Throughout this edition of South Leeds Life, you’ll find stories about groups that rely on volunteers. Watch out for the logo and everytime you see it, have a think: could you volunteer and help this group?

Campaign inspired by our Steve Steve Williamson was an inspiration to many people in South Leeds.

Following retirement in 2012 he threw himself into a number of local groups including Beeston Festival, the Church in Cottingley, the Labour Party, West Yorkshire Chaplaincy Project and South Leeds Life. Steve was Secretary of the South Leeds Life Group, which runs the blog and the newspaper.

Tragically Steve died suddenly in March this year but we’re hoping this campaign will continue his legacy.

Get the latest news at www.southleedslife.com - new stories posted daily

Barn befriended

page 9

NEWS

p4-5

FOOD

p9

OPINION

p8

WHAT’S!ON

p10

SPORT!

p12

LOCAL!HISTORYp11

www.southleedslife.com

South Leeds Life | June 2014

2 News

Twitter: @SouthLeedsLife

About us South Leeds Life is written by and for local people. People who live and work in the LS10 and LS11 areas of South Leeds.

The blog and newspaper are produced by the South Leeds Life Group, a constituted community group with elected officers.

Our aims are: To inform people of events, activities, issues and opportunities taking place in the South Leeds community; To encourage the involvement of the wider community in communicating their experiences; To foster community spirit and involvement; and To provide a platform for local people to contribute and respond to community life more fully.

South Leeds Life started as a blog in November 2010 and still posts news every day at: www.southleedslife.com

Contact us Email: info@southleedslife.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/southleedslife Twitter: @SouthLeedsLife Phone: 07894 583966 We would love to hear from you!

Tell us your news Tell us what you’d like us to report on Tell us about your local events

Facebook: facebook.com/southleedslife

Welcome to your new Life!

We’ve been on the web since November 2010, we partnered with Health For All to produce a magazine and now South Leeds Life is in print in our own right!

South Leeds Life does what it says on the tin. We are local people reporting about what’s going on in South Leeds - in Beeston, Belle Isle, Cottingley, Holbeck, Hunslet, Middleton and Stourton.

And what a lot there is going on!

Whilst the mainstream press tends to focus on the negative, South Leeds Life reports on the many positive community activities, without ignoring the

problems this part of Leeds suffers from.

We have produced this newspaper to reach even more local people. We know not everyone has access to a computer and many people just prefer a printed version.

This is a pilot edition to see if this is what you want. If it is successful and we can secure the finance, we hope to start publishing a regular monthly newspaper in the autumn.

New housing in South Leeds New housing is springing up across South Leeds.

Sanctuary Housing Group are building 122 new homes off Thorpe Road in Middleton. The scheme is due to be completed in September, but tenants have already moved into some houses.

Leeds Federated Housing Association have started work on six 2 and 3-bedroomed houses, having demolished some poor quality ‘blank’ back to back housing on Arthington Place in Hunslet.

Unity Homes and Enterprise are building 42 homes on Brown Lane East in Holbeck. The scheme next to Holbeck Moor will include 3 and 4 bedroom houses and 2 bedroom flats.They are due to be completed

later this year.

The biggest scheme in the area is the Beeston Hill & Holbeck Housing Regeneration Project.The project which has taken ten years to get from plans to action will see 270 new homes built and 383 homes refurbished. The PFI-funded scheme is being delivered by the sc4L consortium and built by Keepmoat Homes.

All these housing schemes are being delivered in partnership with Leeds City Council and the Homes & Communities Agency.

Local employment and training opportunities including apprenticeships have been created on every site, meaning new homes and new jobs.

Local residents, school children, councillors, staff from Keepmoat and Unity and new apprentices mark the start of work. Photo: Jeremy Morton

Advertise here and reach 15,000 people!

South Leeds Life will be printed every month starting in autumn 2014.

With a print run of 5,000 and each copy read by an average of 3 people, advertising with us will be seen by 15,000 people in South Leeds.

This advert is Quarter Page and costs just £175, prices range up to £500 for a full page.

For more information ring 07894 583966 or email: info@southleedslife.com

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Website: www.southleedslife.com

South Leeds Life | June 2014

News 3

Email: info@southleedslife.com

Hilary Benn MP: ‘Something is badly wrong’ The growth of foodbanks has been really noticeable in the last few years. This year, nearly one million people will use them. In Leeds we now have five food banks, including two in South Leeds. So why is this happening?

Some ministers have dismissed this growing problem, saying it’s because people just want free food or they can’t manage their finances. But a recent report told the truth. Quite simply, it’s because there is a growing number of people who can’t feed themselves or their families because they’re too poor.

The reasons for this huge growth in demand are not hard

Hilary Benn MP writes for South Leeds Life to find: benefit changes like the council tax benefit cuts, and the bedroom tax which is affecting 2,800 families locally; the rising cost of food and fuel (two people came to see me at one of my advice surgeries and said they were afraid to put the heating on in the winter because of the bills); people who haven’t had a wage increase for some time, or whose hours or wages have been

cut; benefit sanctions; the disappearance of crisis loans; and, of course, sudden changes in people’s lives. Desertion by a partner, illness or redundancy can all result in people having no money because it takes time to get help sorted out; but in the meantime, there’s no food on the table.

Even in these desperate circumstances it takes a lot of courage for someone to put their pride on one side and ask a complete stranger for help; that so many people are doing so shows just how big a problem this is. Over 50% of referrals come from statutory agencies,

including doctors, social workers, schools liaison officers and CABs; in other words, from people who know when someone is in trouble.

And you only have to visit a food bank to see this first-hand.

Earlier this year, I went to the South Leeds food bank to hear about the vital work that Linda Jackson and her team of volunteers are doing. They have seen a huge increase in demand and over half those they are helping to feed are children.

So how can we all help? As individuals, we can get involved by: donating money or food; volunteering; fundraising; and

making sure that people know where they can get help.

Finally, as we thank all of the volunteers who are working so hard to help people going through a tough time in our community, we also have a wider responsibility to ask this question: how come in the sixth biggest global economy at the start of the 21st century we have so many people who are unable to feed themselves and their families ?

Something is badly wrong, and we need to sort it out.

Foodbanks - on the poverty frontline As living costs rise and welfare reforms continue to bite, South Leeds Life visited the Belle Isle HQ of South Leeds Foodbank to discover how the volunteers were coping to meet the demand for food handouts...

More than 1,400 people in south Leeds - including 700 children - have received emergency food help since last October.

Those are the shocking figures revealed by South Leeds Foodbank which show the extent of how cashstrapped local families are struggling to feed themselves.

Put simply, South Leeds Foodbank provides a minimum of three days’ emergency food and support local people in crisis.

Linda Jackson, of the foodbank, said: "It's quite a challenge feeding that number of people. It breaks my heart

when I think of children in particular going to bed hungry.

I always think that it's never a child's fault that they don't have enough food in their belly - they shouldn't have to suffer.

"A lady came in a few weeks ago. She had been raped and was basically escaping from domestic violence at home and didn't have any food. There are some horrifying stories."

Volunteer Helen Ingleby said a key moment came when a lady with special needs came to her for help after her disability benefit had been refused. Another saw a grandma who was taking custody of two children come for help as she couldn't afford

How to get help You can’t just walk into a foodbank. If you need help, you need to get a voucher for free food.You can get these vouchers from your GP, health visitors, social workers, or call in at CAB, St George’s Centre or BITMO. Voluntary groups can also refer you.

Bring your voucher to a foodbank centre where it can be exchanged for three days’ supply of emergency food.

Linda Jackson and Helen Ingleby at South Leeds Foodbank

to feed them ahead of benefits kicking in. Others were simply families struggling to cope with an unexpected expense.

Linda added: "All kinds of different people come for help.

People shouldn’t be too proud

to come forward. We always offer a warm and friendly welcome to anyone who comes through the door.”

The foodbank is a non-profit, charitable organisation that distributes food to those in

need. It is part of the Trussell Trust network of foodbanks and is intended as a stop gap for those temporarily in need because of changes to the benefit system, bureaucratic glitches and unexpected crises.

The volunteer’s story For Belle Isle resident Dale, 22, volunteering at the foodbank at Belle Isle Family Centre has turned his life around.

A former foodbank user, Dale says he’s proud to volunteer and ‘give something back’.

The 22 year-old said: “I take pride at the number of people we get to help

each time. It’s changed my life, everyone here is friendly, it’s helped me to get out of the house, cure my own illness and give me a fresh perspective on life again.

“I can’t imagine myself not doing it.

But the best outcome would be if we closed down because we wouldn’t be needed any more.”

Dale, who looks after food in the warehouse and is a young persons’ ambassador for South Leeds Foodbank, says he now has confidence to return to college and get his life back on track.

“I’d urge anyone to sign up to be a volunteer,” he added.

Foodbank centres are at ...

St Cross Church, Middleton: Tuesdays, 10am-12noon Hunslet Methodist Church: Wednesdays, 10am-12noon Belle Isle Family Centre: Fridays, 1.30-3.30pm

How you can help Volunteer: A variety of voluntary positions are available - no particular skills necessary, just enthusiasm!

Donate: Your gifts of time, funds or food can help stop local people going hungry.

From pasta to puddings, all in-date non-perishable food is welcome.

Contact: Phone: 07580 873 170 Email: info@leedssouth. foodbank.org.uk Web: www.leedssouth.foodbank. org.uk

www.southleedslife.com

South Leeds Life | June 2014

4 News

Twitter: @SouthLeedsLife

New play area’s just the swing for Holbeck Moor!

News in brief Improvement scheme for Belle Isle shops Middleton Park Councillors have provided £400 from their MICE fund to improve Belle Isle Shopping Parade.

In a joint project also funded by the Post Office, shop frontages will be improved in order to attract more customers to the parade which is popular with local residents. This will include painting and acquiring new signs.

Brothers win Battle of Bands Brothers Jake and Nick Keating – AKA “The Keatings” were the victors at this year’s Battle of the Bands competition held at the South Leeds Youth Hub. Six young bands showcased their talents and latest material at the competition in front of an audience of over 85 young people and their families.

They were awarded with 20 hours of studio recording time at the hub.

Traveller site announced Leeds City Council has moved to reduce the need for unlawful Traveller encampments by establishing a small site at Kidacre Street, near to Crown Point Shopping Centre in Hunslet.

It is understood that this is a temporary measure whilst the existing permanent site at Cottingley Springs on Gelderd Road is expanded.

Over recent months Travellers have set up camp on Brown Lane East and on the former South Leeds Sports Centre site.

Facebook: facebook.com/southleedslife

A £50k programme to improve Holbeck Moor playground has been completed and been opened by local Councillors.

Councillor David Congreve with children from Ingram Road Primary School

Councillors David Congreve and Adam Ogilvie (Beeston & Holbeck) were joined by pupils from the nearby Ingram Road Primary School to open the new facilities.

The improvements, completed by the Council’s Parks & Countryside Service, include new swings, climbing frames, a slide, merry-go-round and see saw.

Funding was secured from the Councillors’ Ward Based Initiative (WBI) fund and the Inner South Area Committee.

Holbeck Moor playground was in serious need of some new equipment and now that summer’s here, the new facilities are sure to be welcomed by local families.

Start of term for two new schools

by Jeremy Morton The Ruth Gorse Academy is the new high school to be built near the Royal Armouries on the former Yorkshire Chemicals site on Black Bull Street in Hunslet.

At £23m the new school will be the biggest investment in a Free School in the country.

The school will start life in temporary accommodation at the Morley and Farnley Academy sites during the two years the new school will take to build. The new school building is envisaged to have four floors, but the site will incorporate indoor and outdoor sports facilities as well as making use of nearby college campus facilities and the John Charles Centre for Sport.

The school uniform has been designed to be practical and durable and includes a red weather-proof jacket rather than a blazer. A uniform will be issued free to all pupils. Free

Lane End Primary and Ruth Gorse Academy to use temporary sites whilst new schools built Principal Rebekah Taylor with the new Ruth Gorse Academy uniform

transport will be laid on both during the first two years of the build and later to help children get safely to school

from various locations across the city.

Lane End Primary, the new school to be built on the site

of South Leeds Sports Centre, will also receive its first intake of Reception children in September this year with the new building being completed

by September 2015.

The two form entry school will grow gradually with new children joining Reception and older children moving up year by year. During the first year from September 2014, children will be bussed to temporary accommodation on the Cockburn High School site.

Lane End Primary will be run by the Learning Trust (South Leeds), formed by Cockburn High School and six primary schools in Beeston and Middleton. The school has been commissioned by Leeds City Council because the rising birth rate and a shortage of school places in South Leeds.

Construction work on the new state of the art school building is due to start soon.

Keep up to date with the latest news at: www.southleedslife.com New articles uploaded every day

Beeston planning row

Plans by Muslim-led group Aspiring Communities to build a multi-faith centre with educational and sports facilities on the site of the Ice Pak factory have been withdrawn following a campaign against the proposals.

The group hope to bring young people from different sections of the community together at the facility on Barkly Road in Beeston.

But campaigners argued the buildings were too big and would bring a lot of extra traffic into the residential area.

A spokesperson for Aspiring Communities said: “We have listened to the views and concerns of locals residents and Councillors. We have looked carefully through all the objections lodged with the planners. We will now reconsider our plans and modify them to allay people’s fears.”

Ash Mahmood from the group said that issues such as the minaret, the overall capacity of the buildings and car parking were all up for discussion.

South Leeds Life | June 2014

Website: www.southleedslife.com

www.southleedslife.com

News 5

Email: info@southleedslife.com

Trolleybus coming to Hunslet and Belle Isle

by Jeremy Morton Plans for a new Trolleybus scheme, named the New Generation Transport (NGT) were still being debated at a Public Inquiry as South Leeds Life went to press.

If approved, the service will run from a Park & Ride just off junction 7 of the M621 at Stourton, through the city centre to Headingley.

The NGT will run on the roads, often in its own lane, and take a power feed from overhead wires.

The Trolleybuses will be quieter and cleaner than conventional buses. West Yorkshire Metro, the organisation behind the scheme, claim they will cut journey times and reduce traffic congestion.

The route through South Leeds will take in Winrose Grove - Belle Isle Circus - Belle Isle Road - Balm Road -

Kaiser Chiefs drop in to open new Holbeck studio

The Kaiser Chiefs were amongst the audience as Leeds Music Trust opened its new extension to the Old Chapel rehearsal studios in Holbeck recently.

The Old Chapel, on Czar Street in Holbeck, has a long history of supporting young bands and the Kaiser Chiefs wrote their first two albums there.

Leeds Music Trust works in the local community to develop musical education and skills and support young musicians.

Get more information at: www.oldchapelleeds.com.

Church Street - Penny Hill Centre - Hunslet Road.

Concerns have been raised by some residents about the

route cuts across Belle Isle Circus, necessitating the removal of mature trees, and through the pedestrianised

Waterloo Road precinct next to the Penny Hill Centre where the line will pass in front of the Library.

Regulars rally to save local club People power has come to the rescue of Holbeck Working Mens Club

The club, which first opened in 1877, had been so badly hit by the economic downturn, the smoking ban and a lack of support that less than a year ago it faced a bleak future.

It was tens of thousands of pounds in debt and faced mounting bills - but now the outlook is much healthier thanks to a large band of volunteers who have put in time and effort for free to turn the club's fortunes around.

Locals have been pulling the pints behind the bar, running events and generally running the club - all for free.

One of the volunteers is local resident Ian Pickup. He reckons the 30 or so volunteers put in at least 100 hours a week. He said: "Without the volunteers the club would have closed - it shows there's community spirit and a willingness to keep going what I think is an important hub for the community.

"Ordinary members have come in and done jobs like running the bar and decorating - it has been hard work but we've turned it around and in less than a year since we took over we're £10,000 in the black.”

But why does Ian - and his partner Dennis Kitchen - put so much effort in on behalf of the club?

"We love Holbeck. Everything we do is for Holbeck - whether it's the gala, Holbeck in Bloom, the neighbourhood plan or here.

"This is part of Holbeck and we couldn't just let

News in brief Police move into St George’s

The Middleton Neighbourhood Policing Team is now working out of the St Geotge’s Centre.

Inspector Chris Bowen who has charge of our three wards in South Leeds introduced PC Matt Pashley and Sergeant Paul Denison who head up the Middleton team.

The Police are joining the Jobshop, Credit Union, Library, Housing and Council tax teams that also share St George’s with the Minor Injuries clinic.

Middleton Zumbathon A marathon Zumba session held in May at Middleton Parochial Hall raised £2010 for Help A Capital Child and the Stroke Association.

Organiser Hannah Simpson was delighted with the support on the day.

White Rose supports St Gemma’s it go. The club has turned the corner financially and now we want to make this a real community hub."

Another volunteer, Terry, 78, has been coming to Holbeck WMC for 60 years and his great grandson is the fifth generation of the same family to use the club. Terry runs a Play Your Cards Right session to help raise money.

Terry said: "I do it to raise some money and to have a laugh. It's just my little bit. I'd be devastated if this place didn't exist."

The club offers snooker, darts, games, events and some entertainment - and cheap beer and a friendly welcome! And there are future plans to relaunch the club as the more modern 'The Holbeck' in the future - a name volunteers came up with themselves.

The White Rose Shopping Centre has rounded off its charity partnership with St. Gemma’s Hospice in style bringing the amount raised for the charity to more than £108,800.

Since April 2012, staff at the Centre have supported a range of fundraising activities including tombolas, singing contests, Christmas jumper days, performances by carol singers,Valentine’s balloon sales and a Mother’s Day popup shop.

www.southleedslife.com

6 Summer preview

Apprenticeship fair

Would you like to learn a trade? Maybe as a software developer, nursery nurse, chef, or in retail sales?

Opportunities to take up an apprenticeship in these sectors are available now in Leeds.

Apprenticeships are open to anyone over 16 and you are paid a wage while learning on the job and at college.

You will be given support from your employer during your apprenticeship and they are a great way to start to a successful career.

You can find out more about apprenticeships at a forthcoming event at Leeds Town Hall on Thursday 26 June from 5-8pm. At the fair you will be able to meet people from 50 organisations offering apprenticeships.

Men in sheds

The shed is a special place for men. It’s where we keep our tools, it’s where we make things. It’s a refuge, a place of almost spiritual significance where we can do our thing.

Groundwork Leeds have created a communal shed to bring men together to share skills and experiences, make things and make friends. The ‘shed’ is actually a unit at Barkston House in Holbeck, but it is fully equipped with everything you might need for a bit of carpentry, wood turning or whittling.

Men In Sheds is the latest project from Groundwork Leeds and is being run in conjunction with Age UK. Aimed at over 55s, the project will bring men from different backgrounds together, build confidence and skills and counter social isolation.

The Shed is more than just a workshop; it’s a space to socialise, share skills and knowledge, or just have a cup of tea and a biscuit. And it’s free.

To find out more contact Will Gore on 0113 238 0601 or 07730 765561, email will.gore@groundwork.org.uk or visit the website www.meninsheds.org.uk.

Improvements at Hunslet Cemetery

A £50,000 scheme has enabled footpaths in the oldest part of Hunslet Cemetery to be resurfaced, providing much improved access for visitors. New paths will lead down to a new tree plantation with some 20 trees being planted, creating a new habitat area.

Work to the main entrance gates will improve them both visually and to help improve the security of the site. The gates will be refurbished and repainted. The entrance path from there to the cenotaph has also been improved through the removal of the shrubs and roses, in favour of seasonal planting displays, which will provide a much more colourful and inviting entrance along with new signage.

Large sections of fencing around the boundary of the cemetery have also been replaced, which will improve security and prevent anti-social behaviour taking place.

Community group ‘Friends of Hunslet Cemetery’ organises clean up days, bulb planting and other work to maintain the cemetery.

South Leeds Life | June 2014

Twitter: @SouthLeedsLife

Facebook: facebook.com/southleedslife

June 2014 | South Leeds Life

Website: www.southleedslife.com

www.southleedslife.com

Summer preview 7

Email: info@southleedslife.com

Get ready for a summer of fun!

South Leeds can look forward to a summer of fun as communities gear up to put on festivals and galas.

Here we mark you card with details of all the local galas, plus a selection of images from last year’s fun.

JUNE Saturday 14 June

Beeston Festival Cross Flatts Park, 12-5pm www.beestonfestival.org.uk

Behind the scenes at Beeston Festival

Beeston Festival takes place on the second Saturday in June each year in Cross Flatts Park – one of the hidden gems of South Leeds.

We have built it up over the years since 1995 and in 2014 – our 20th Festival – we will have two performance stages; about 100 stalls selling food, plants, clothing, tombolas and games or just giving out information; children’s activities; sports and a fun fair.

The Festival’s success lies in its volunteer base. Last year we calculated that 60 people put a total of over 300 hours work on the day! The committee work all year, but just as valuable are the volunteers to put a couple of hours on the day putting up signs, directing traffic or picking up litter.

The year starts a couple of weeks after the festival with a review meeting where we discuss what worked and what we could improve. September brings our Annual General Meeting where we publish our annual report and accounts, then through the autumn and spring we gradually start putting the details together, booking acts and equipment, raising funds, sorting out insurance and making sure we meet our license obligations.

The committee is split into teams to work on each area of the Festival – publicity, stalls, entertainment, children and young people, finance, volunteers, logistics and sports. Gradually everything comes together and everyone gets a little bit more frantic until the big day arrives.

Festival day starts for me at 5am in Cross Flatts Park meeting various contractors – we hire in stages, marquees, toilets, generators and PA systems. 9:00

am brings the first shift of volunteers to the park. After a safety briefing everyone is signed in and given a task to do. This is the busiest part of the day: letting stall holders in and marshalling their cars, setting up generators, putting up signs, setting up the barbecue, putting out chairs and tables, etc, etc.

By 12 noon the crowds are already pouring into the park 5,000 people attend each year.

Everywhere you look in the park during the afternoon there are crowds of people – perusing the stalls, playing sports, making art, listening to bands.They are all the people of Beeston: black, white, British, European, African, Asian, men, women and children and all ages from toddlers to pensioners … and they all seem to be enjoying themselves. This is the payback for all those hours in committee meetings, on the phone and filling in forms – it’s all worth it!

Five o’clock comes and the last band on the stage finish their encore. It’s time to go home – unless you’re part of the clear up team. It’s the morning in reverse: the contractors are back to pick up their kit, the chairs and tables have to be collected and put away, litter is picked up, stall holders’ rubbish taken to the park depot.

By 7pm the park is clear and pristine again, back to how it was twelve hours ago.

You can find out more at www.beestonfestival.org.uk, on Facebook and Twitter: @BeestonFestival.

Bushcraft at Skelton Grange

Saturday 21 June

Hunslet Gala St Mary’s, opp Penny Hill Centre, 11:30-4pm www.hunsletfestival.org.uk Saturday 28 June

Belle Isle Gala Windmill Primary School, 11am-2pm Saturday & Sunday 28-29 June

Leeds Waterfront Festival Various venues including Thwaite Gate, New Dock, Brewery Wharf

JULY Saturday 19 July

Holbeck Gala Holbeck Moor, 12-5pm www.holbeckgala.org.uk

AUGUST Sunday 24 August

Hunslet Club Summer Gala Hunslet Club, Hillidge Road, 12-4pm www.hunsletclub.org.uk

SEPTEMBER Sunday 15 September

Middleton Park Craft, Flower and Produce Show Photos of Beeston Festival 2013

by Paul Bullivant

Middleton Park, 12-4pm www.fomp.co.uk

Children are invited to set up camp in the woods, taking part in shelter building, fire lighting, woodland crafts and environmental games.

Skelton Grange Environment Centre at Stourton has one- two and five-day Bushcraft events for children aged 8-12 years this summer.

Activities will include: shelter building, fire lighting, campfire cooking, field games, hammock making, wild food walks, wood work crafts, string making, bows and arrows, stalking and tracking, pyro-carving, and charcoal making.

Skelton Grange also has volunteering opportunities every Friday.

For more information, or to book a place go to: www.tcv.org.uk/skeltongrange, or ring (0113) 243 0815.

Metafit comes to South Leeds

The fitness regime that is sweeping the country is now available at John Charles Centre for Sport in South Leeds.

‘Metafit’ is a short high intensity workout designed to quickly lift your metabolic rate. The workout itself lasts just 19 minutes, plus a warm up and cool down. The effects last up to two hours.

There’s no dancing so no co-ordination is required as there is for traditional aerobics or zumba, but there is a focus on technique. It’s not how many press ups or star jumps you do, it’s more important that each one is done correctly.

Metafit has been designed to fit into our busy lifestyles and is available now at John Charles on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays and at other Council sports centres. The classes are run by fully trained staff.

Friends groups host fun in the park

There’s something to do in Middleton Park every Sunday until the end of September.

The Friends of Middleton Park have put together a packed programme ranging from music and dancing to wildlife and history walks. Most activities start from the new Visitor Centre at 2pm each Sunday.

Meanwhile in Beeston, the Friends of Cross Flatts Park are hosting six summer concerts and a dog show. The concerts will be held at the newly refurbished Watsonian Pavilion, near the bowling greens, starting at 2:30pm.

You can find a full listings in our What’s On guide on page 10.

www.southleedslife.com

6 Summer preview

Apprenticeship fair

Would you like to learn a trade? Maybe as a software developer, nursery nurse, chef, or in retail sales?

Opportunities to take up an apprenticeship in these sectors are available now in Leeds.

Apprenticeships are open to anyone over 16 and you are paid a wage while learning on the job and at college.

You will be given support from your employer during your apprenticeship and they are a great way to start to a successful career.

You can find out more about apprenticeships at a forthcoming event at Leeds Town Hall on Thursday 26 June from 5-8pm. At the fair you will be able to meet people from 50 organisations offering apprenticeships.

Men in sheds

The shed is a special place for men. It’s where we keep our tools, it’s where we make things. It’s a refuge, a place of almost spiritual significance where we can do our thing.

Groundwork Leeds have created a communal shed to bring men together to share skills and experiences, make things and make friends. The ‘shed’ is actually a unit at Barkston House in Holbeck, but it is fully equipped with everything you might need for a bit of carpentry, wood turning or whittling.

Men In Sheds is the latest project from Groundwork Leeds and is being run in conjunction with Age UK. Aimed at over 55s, the project will bring men from different backgrounds together, build confidence and skills and counter social isolation.

The Shed is more than just a workshop; it’s a space to socialise, share skills and knowledge, or just have a cup of tea and a biscuit. And it’s free.

To find out more contact Will Gore on 0113 238 0601 or 07730 765561, email will.gore@groundwork.org.uk or visit the website www.meninsheds.org.uk.

Improvements at Hunslet Cemetery

A £50,000 scheme has enabled footpaths in the oldest part of Hunslet Cemetery to be resurfaced, providing much improved access for visitors. New paths will lead down to a new tree plantation with some 20 trees being planted, creating a new habitat area.

Work to the main entrance gates will improve them both visually and to help improve the security of the site. The gates will be refurbished and repainted. The entrance path from there to the cenotaph has also been improved through the removal of the shrubs and roses, in favour of seasonal planting displays, which will provide a much more colourful and inviting entrance along with new signage.

Large sections of fencing around the boundary of the cemetery have also been replaced, which will improve security and prevent anti-social behaviour taking place.

Community group ‘Friends of Hunslet Cemetery’ organises clean up days, bulb planting and other work to maintain the cemetery.

South Leeds Life | June 2014

Twitter: @SouthLeedsLife

Facebook: facebook.com/southleedslife

June 2014 | South Leeds Life

Website: www.southleedslife.com

www.southleedslife.com

Summer preview 7

Email: info@southleedslife.com

Get ready for a summer of fun!

South Leeds can look forward to a summer of fun as communities gear up to put on festivals and galas.

Here we mark you card with details of all the local galas, plus a selection of images from last year’s fun.

JUNE Saturday 14 June

Beeston Festival Cross Flatts Park, 12-5pm www.beestonfestival.org.uk

Behind the scenes at Beeston Festival

Beeston Festival takes place on the second Saturday in June each year in Cross Flatts Park – one of the hidden gems of South Leeds.

We have built it up over the years since 1995 and in 2014 – our 20th Festival – we will have two performance stages; about 100 stalls selling food, plants, clothing, tombolas and games or just giving out information; children’s activities; sports and a fun fair.

The Festival’s success lies in its volunteer base. Last year we calculated that 60 people put a total of over 300 hours work on the day! The committee work all year, but just as valuable are the volunteers to put a couple of hours on the day putting up signs, directing traffic or picking up litter.

The year starts a couple of weeks after the festival with a review meeting where we discuss what worked and what we could improve. September brings our Annual General Meeting where we publish our annual report and accounts, then through the autumn and spring we gradually start putting the details together, booking acts and equipment, raising funds, sorting out insurance and making sure we meet our license obligations.

The committee is split into teams to work on each area of the Festival – publicity, stalls, entertainment, children and young people, finance, volunteers, logistics and sports. Gradually everything comes together and everyone gets a little bit more frantic until the big day arrives.

Festival day starts for me at 5am in Cross Flatts Park meeting various contractors – we hire in stages, marquees, toilets, generators and PA systems. 9:00

am brings the first shift of volunteers to the park. After a safety briefing everyone is signed in and given a task to do. This is the busiest part of the day: letting stall holders in and marshalling their cars, setting up generators, putting up signs, setting up the barbecue, putting out chairs and tables, etc, etc.

By 12 noon the crowds are already pouring into the park 5,000 people attend each year.

Everywhere you look in the park during the afternoon there are crowds of people – perusing the stalls, playing sports, making art, listening to bands.They are all the people of Beeston: black, white, British, European, African, Asian, men, women and children and all ages from toddlers to pensioners … and they all seem to be enjoying themselves. This is the payback for all those hours in committee meetings, on the phone and filling in forms – it’s all worth it!

Five o’clock comes and the last band on the stage finish their encore. It’s time to go home – unless you’re part of the clear up team. It’s the morning in reverse: the contractors are back to pick up their kit, the chairs and tables have to be collected and put away, litter is picked up, stall holders’ rubbish taken to the park depot.

By 7pm the park is clear and pristine again, back to how it was twelve hours ago.

You can find out more at www.beestonfestival.org.uk, on Facebook and Twitter: @BeestonFestival.

Bushcraft at Skelton Grange

Saturday 21 June

Hunslet Gala St Mary’s, opp Penny Hill Centre, 11:30-4pm www.hunsletfestival.org.uk Saturday 28 June

Belle Isle Gala Windmill Primary School, 11am-2pm Saturday & Sunday 28-29 June

Leeds Waterfront Festival Various venues including Thwaite Gate, New Dock, Brewery Wharf

JULY Saturday 19 July

Holbeck Gala Holbeck Moor, 12-5pm www.holbeckgala.org.uk

AUGUST Sunday 24 August

Hunslet Club Summer Gala Hunslet Club, Hillidge Road, 12-4pm www.hunsletclub.org.uk

SEPTEMBER Sunday 15 September

Middleton Park Craft, Flower and Produce Show Photos of Beeston Festival 2013

by Paul Bullivant

Middleton Park, 12-4pm www.fomp.co.uk

Children are invited to set up camp in the woods, taking part in shelter building, fire lighting, woodland crafts and environmental games.

Skelton Grange Environment Centre at Stourton has one- two and five-day Bushcraft events for children aged 8-12 years this summer.

Activities will include: shelter building, fire lighting, campfire cooking, field games, hammock making, wild food walks, wood work crafts, string making, bows and arrows, stalking and tracking, pyro-carving, and charcoal making.

Skelton Grange also has volunteering opportunities every Friday.

For more information, or to book a place go to: www.tcv.org.uk/skeltongrange, or ring (0113) 243 0815.

Metafit comes to South Leeds

The fitness regime that is sweeping the country is now available at John Charles Centre for Sport in South Leeds.

‘Metafit’ is a short high intensity workout designed to quickly lift your metabolic rate. The workout itself lasts just 19 minutes, plus a warm up and cool down. The effects last up to two hours.

There’s no dancing so no co-ordination is required as there is for traditional aerobics or zumba, but there is a focus on technique. It’s not how many press ups or star jumps you do, it’s more important that each one is done correctly.

Metafit has been designed to fit into our busy lifestyles and is available now at John Charles on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays and at other Council sports centres. The classes are run by fully trained staff.

Friends groups host fun in the park

There’s something to do in Middleton Park every Sunday until the end of September.

The Friends of Middleton Park have put together a packed programme ranging from music and dancing to wildlife and history walks. Most activities start from the new Visitor Centre at 2pm each Sunday.

Meanwhile in Beeston, the Friends of Cross Flatts Park are hosting six summer concerts and a dog show. The concerts will be held at the newly refurbished Watsonian Pavilion, near the bowling greens, starting at 2:30pm.

You can find a full listings in our What’s On guide on page 10.

South Leeds Life | June 2014

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8 Opinion

In our view

Comments please

There are many voices in South Leeds and we want to hear as many as possible. We want to reflect the different shades of opinion and encourage dialogue and debate.

At South Leeds Life we believe this is YOUR newspaper. We want to hear from you, we want to know what you think. Every post on the blog gives you the opportunity to comment on what you’ve read. And every newspaper will have a letters section. So keep in touch!

Hilary Benn’s right

“Something is badly wrong” when we need Foodbanks in 21st century Britain says our MP (page 3). We agree. We need to help those who are going hungry, but as a society we need to change our priorities.

Britain is the sixth richest country in the world. Our millionaires are getting richer, whilst ordinary people are struggling, getting into debt and going hungry. Things need to change.

Twitter: @SouthLeedsLife

Your letters and comments Flytipping

Something needs to be done. I live on Noster Terrace and we can see a sea of rubbish from our house. Lots of cars come with their takeaways, parking at the end of the street and then throw their rubbish out.

We also seem to have someone regularly dumping large quantities of cans at the bottom of the street. We did try to clear it at first but there is just too much and it is not a nice job.

Eve, Beeston

Polling Stations

Not trying to sound very lazy here but our polling station at Dewsbury Road Social Club is quite a distance from my home at least a 20 minute walk for me and 20 minute walk back at a reasonable pace!

I’m used to walking but what chances are there that other people find such distances off putting – elderly, people with mobility issues, young children etc.

Suzanne, Beeston

with a professional air as if they were getting paid.There's a real value to it I have a group of friends over 60 as a result of my volunteering!

Christine, Cottingley

Flood defence scheme

Prostitutes drop-in

Volunteering

I think this project is just what Holbeck needs. I worked the streets of Holbeck for over 2yrs, never threw needles which understand infuriates the community, but without these accessible services no one has got a cat in hell’s chance. I used to make more money on the streets and never signed on or claimed while working the streets. I’ve been clean 6 months now and very close too coming off my medication, haven’t used once since I stopped. I’ve got a new way of life it’s all about change and until the women are ready you gotta be a hand in waiting.

Kirstie

I’m not very happy about losing 600m of Gibraltar Island as I have walked down there many times over the last 3 years and I would like to know exactly why it maybe lost. At the moment during flood conditions British Waterways close the Lock gates at Old Mill Lane so why not keep them open?

Steve Topp, Hunslet

I totally agree! People run services where there is no funding available and they do it

Volunteering for good

One simple way we can make a difference in our community is to volunteer our time and skills.

Of course it helps to provide services and activities for others to enjoy, but it’s a two way street.

Listen to Carl (p3) or Gemma (p12) and feel the buzz they get out of ‘giving something back’.

We have highlighted some of the many opportunities to get involved. So what are you waiting for?

Not enough is being done by the police to put a stop to prostitution in Holbeck, the pathway leading under the railway bridge is littered with used tissues, condoms and in some cases syringes, this antisocial issue needs tackling head on, once and for all, there really is no excuse for the police not getting tough Steve D

Every post on the website has a space for comments and we actively encourage readers to join the debate.

Alternatively, send your letters to: 224 Cross Flatts Grove, Leeds, LS11 7BW. Or Email: info@southleedslife.com.

Letters may be edited for publication.

Keep up to date with the latest comments and debate at: www.southleedslife.com

FREE PRIZE DRAW We would love to hear what you think of our pilot edition of South Leeds Life. Send us your comments and we’ll enter you into our prize draw with a change to win an iPod! ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________

Includes Beeston from Cross Flatts Park up to the Co-op, Cottingley, old Holbeck. The three councillors are:

David Congreve 0113 277 7389 david.congreve@leeds.gov.uk Angela Gabriel 07946 632 468 angela.gabriel@leeds.gov.uk Adam Ogilvie 0113 247 4578 adam.ogilvie@leeds.gov.uk

City & Hunslet ward Includes the city centre, Holbeck Urban Village, Beeston Hill and Hunslet. The three councillors are:

Patrick Davey 0113 261 0465 patrick.davey@leeds.gov.uk Mohammed Iqbal 0113 294 1049 mohammed.iqbal@leeds.gov.uk Elizabeth Nash 0113 275 8594 elizabeth.nash@leeds.gov.uk

Your name: _____________________________________________

Includes Belle Isle and Middleton. The three councillors are:

Email: _________________________________________________ Send to: South Leeds Life, c/o 224 Cross Flatts Grove, Leeds, LS11 7BW by 31st August 2014.

Keep up to date, up to the minute, by following South Leeds Life’s Twitter feed: @SouthLeedsLife.

Twitter is the 140 character ‘micro blogging’ site. It’s free and you can sign up at twitter.com. It’s a great place to find the very latest news.

Here are some of our favourite recent tweets. @WeRAutism Google search us and Amber is top on the search! There's loads of our stuff so thanks for the blogs! @SouthLeedsLife @HunsletHawksRL FULL TIME: Hunslet Hawks 32 - 12 Oxford! A brilliant second half comeback from the boys a convincing 40 minutes #IAMHUNSLET #hawks14 @NPAS_CarrGate 0535hrs 1/6. Beeston, Leeds.

Search for suspect after vehicle crashed. Suspect located by ground units. @C4CJ .@SouthLeedsLife are committed to covering elections long-term for their community. @BeestonJeremy explains why: bit.ly/1jpKWSx @EwanMitchell @SouthLeedsLife have you dusted off your swing-ometer? @wytradingstandards Your bank and the police will never collect your bank card #ScamAware

Beeston & Holbeck ward

Middleton Park ward

Postcode: ______________________________________________

Top Tweets

Your Councillors and MP

______________________________________________________

Address: ______________________________________________

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Judith Blake Kim Groves Paul Truswell

0113 395 1735 judith.blake@leeds.gov.uk 07891 741 832 kim.groves@leeds.gov.uk 0113 247 4472 paul.truswell@leeds.gov.uk

Leeds Central MP – Rt Hon Hilary Benn Hilary Benn is our MP. He represents the Leeds Central constituency which covers Hunslet, Belle Isle, Beeston, Holbeck, Cottingley in south Leeds as well as the city centre, Woodhouse, Little London, Lincoln Green, Richmond Hill, Osmondthorpe, Halton Moor and New Wortley.

Contact: hilary.benn.mp@parliament.uk, www.hilarybennmp.com Constituency office: 2 Blenheim Terrace, Leeds, LS2 9JG; phone: 0113 244 1097; fax: 0113 234 1176

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South Leeds Life | June 2014

Food 9

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Where is South Leeds’ ‘Champion Chippy’?

Where’s your favourite fish and chip shop?

We are asking South Leeds Life readers to nominate their favourite chippy. We really want to hear about the ones you go a little further to get to. Perhaps their batter is tastier, or their chips crisper.

Or perhaps they offer something different alongside the traditional cod and chips.

When we ran a poll on the blog last year, Park Fisheries in Beeston came top. Since then they’ve won a Yorkshire in Bloom award for their garden. But are their chips still as good?

Best chippy: ___________________

Shop local!

by Ewan Mitchell

Bake at 200c/400f/gas mark 6 for 10-12 minutes.

Serves 4

In the name of supporting ‘local shops’, Beeston food blogger, Ewan Mitchell, set out to do the weekly shop without visiting a supermarket.

Amongst the dense Victorian houses of LS11 there are still some small, local, independent food shops. The cornershops of the Open All Hours variety do still exist, there are butchers, bakers and greengrocers. We set off with our trusty list to see how we would get on.

The first stop was McDonnell's Butchers on Beeston Road. The only meat on the shopping list was sausages for Toad in the Hole on Sunday but I also picked up some pork pies for our lunch. We then meandered through Beeston heading towards Dewsbury Road, where we hoped we would be able to get the bulk of our purchases.

The first shop we got to was Kasa's, a local chain of convenience stores. Here we managed to get a few bits and bobs: pop, squash, milk, but nothing to write home about. The next stop was much more successful. J & D Marsay greengrocer and florists on Dewsbury Road is a blast from the past.

The bulk of our weekly shop is fresh fruit and vegetables so we filled our boots and had a chat.

Turns out there used to be three members of staff that worked on Saturdays but the shop hasn't been busy enough to justify that for years.

The blame, without any prompting from me, was laid at the doors of the supermarkets. That, coupled with the fact that most of their old regular customers are, well, old, means they aren't getting the footfall that they used to.

Recipe corner Mini Burgers Ingredients: • Little oil for greasing tray • 500g/1lb 2oz minced beef • 1 small onion finely chopped • 2 eggs, beaten • 50g/2oz fresh breadcrumbs • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce • 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup Buns and garnish • 12 burger buns • Tomato ketchup • Cheese slices • 3 tomatoes, sliced

A new Polish supermarket next door to Marsey's provided olive oil, ham and orange juice. The promise of fresh bread was dashed as the bakery we went to has closed down, as has the Dewsbury Road branch of Gregg's!

Our final stop was at Barkat Continental Foods on Roland Road. Barkat is our go to for herbs and spices as I can get there easily in my lunch break, but this time we bought toothpaste and shampoo along with a shopping basket full of chilled and dry goods.

because: ____________ ___________________ Your name & address: ___________________ ___________________ or email your nomination to: info@southleedslife.com

What to do: 1. Wash and dry our hands, ensure all surfaces are clear and that we have all the ingredients needed and equipment.

2. Working with a partner, weigh the breadcrumbs by cutting the crusts off 3 slices (maybe more depending on size of slices) of bread and keep adding to scales until weighing 50g.

3. Weigh the mince beef and put the mince into the large mixing bowl. Wash the scales thoroughly with hot soapy water.

4. If you have a blender or a food processor break the bread up and blend, when resembles breadcrumbs add them to the large mixing bowl or leave the weighed bread (without crust) out to dry for a bit then finely slice and chop the bread into breadcrumbs or freeze the bread and grate into breadcrumbs and add to mixing bowl.

5. Crack the 2 eggs in the

bowl and beat with the fork, add the beaten egg to the mixing bowl.

6. Finely chop the onion on the chopping board and add to the mixing bowl.

7. Add 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce and 1 tablespoon of tomato ketchup to the mixing bowl and mix all the ingredients together.(You may want to use your hands to mix them together) 8. Use the oil and grease the baking tray.

9. With wet hands, divide the mixture into 12 balls, and then flatten it into little patties and place on the oiled tray.

10. Place the tray of pattie burgers in the oven and cook for 10 to 12 minutes turning them over half way through.

To check they’re cooked check the middle of one of them to make sure it’s not pink, when cooked remove from oven, 11. Slice the burger buns and spread some ketchup on the bottom half of each bun, add a burger to each bottom and top with a slice of cheese.

Slice the tomatoes and then add a slice on top of the cheese. Cover with the tops of the burger buns.

Have you got a favourite recipe to share?

South Leeds at your fingertips The very latest news from Beeston, Belle Isle, Cottingley, Holbeck, Hunslet and Middleton Written for South Leeds residents by South Leeds residents - it’s YOUR blog Comment and debate on every post - PLUS take part in online polls

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South Leeds Life | June 2014

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10 What’s On

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What’s On

Your guide to events and activities across South Leeds JUNE Sunday 15 June Families & Fathers Weekend Middleton Railway, Moor Road, Hunslet Sunday 15 June Spa Quartet in concert 2pm Middleton Park Visitor Centre Saturday 21 June Middleton Park History Detectives (age 8-17) 10am Middleton Park Visitor Centre Saturday 21 June Hunslet Gala 11:30am-4pm Recreation ground Church Street

Sunday 22 June Celebration of Dance 2-4pm Middleton Park Visitor Centre Sunday 22 June Bassa Bassa in concert 2:30pm Cross Flatts Park Saturday 28 June Belle Isle Gala 11am-2pm Windmill Primary School Sunday 29 June Caspar & the Fleas in concert 2pm Middleton Park Visitor Centre Sunday 29 June Alistair Russell & Chris Parkinson in concert 2:30pm Cross Flatts Park

JULY

Friday 18 July First World War Commemmoration 1:30pm Cockburn School Saturday 19 July Middleton Park History Detectives (age 8-17) 10am Middleton Park Visitor Centre Saturday 19 July Heritage Diesel Service Middleton Railway, Moor Road, Hunslet Saturday 19 July Holbeck Gala 12-4pm Holbeck Moor Sunday 20 July Charity Day Middleton Railway, Moor Road, Hunslet

Sunday 20 July Laura Pim Quartet chamber music concert 2pm Middleton Park Visitor Centre Sunday 20 July Mestisa in concert 2:30pm Cross Flatts Park Sunday 27 July The Great Si Moano Magic Show 2pm Middleton Park Visitor Centre Sunday 27 July Dr Reelgood Ceilidh Band 2:30pm Cross Flatts Park

Sunday 17 August James Farrell Concert Band 2:30pm Middleton Park Visitor Centre Sunday 24 August Middleton Park (Fun) Dog Show 1pm Middleton Park Visitor Centre Thursday 28 August Go Batty slideshow and walk 7pm Middleton Park Visitor Centre

Oddsocks Theatre performing in Middleton Park last year Wednesday 2 July Hunslet Tenants & Residents Association 6:30pm Church of the Nazarene, opp Penny Hill Centre Thursday 3 July Beeston Community Forum 7:30pm Beeston Village Community Centre, St Anthony’s Drive Saturday 5 & Sunday 6 July Model Railway Exhibition Middleton Railway, Moor Road, Hunslet Sunday 6 July Tingley Brass Band 2:30pm Middleton Park Visitor Centre Sunday 6 July Beeston Dog Show & Swing of Things in concert 2:30pm Cross Flatts Park

Monday 7 July Beeston in Bloom 5pm Broadway pub, Dewsbury Road Tuesday 8 July Oddsocks Theatre present A Midsummer Night’s Dream 7pm Middleton Park Visitor Centre Saturday 12 July Middleton Park Music Festival 6pm Middleton Park Visitor Centre Sunday 13 July Festival of British Archaology Walk 2pm Middleton Park Visitor Centre Sunday 13 July Steel Band in concert 2:30pm Cross Flatts Park Monday 14 July Friends of Stank Hall Barn 7:30pm Tommy Wass pub, Dewsbury Road

MIDDLETON RAILWAY The oldest working railway in the world runs trains all summer from its base at Moor Road in Hunslet up to Park Halt at the edge of Middleton Woods.

Trains run every Saturday and Sunday through to October and every Wednesday in the summer school holiday.

The first train is at 11am and the last at 4:20pm. A return adult ticket is £5, children (3-15) £2.50, or £13 for a family ticket.

Check the calendar for special events and Kids For A Quid weekend offers. www.middletonrailway.org.uk

CAP JOB CLUB Help with jobsearch, CVs and interviews. Every Monday in term time, 1-3pm, at Two Willows Children’s Centre, Cardinal Square, Beeston.

SUMMER PLAY ACTIVITIES Friends of Middleton Park organise free children’s play activities in the park every Tuesday and Wednesday in the school holiday from 1-3pm.

SUMMER PLAYSCHEMES Playschemes are organised by a number of community groups including The Hunslet Club (0113 271 6489), Asha Neighbourhood Project (0113 270 4600) and Skelton Grange Environment Centre (0113 243 0815)..

Schemes take different aged children and charges vary so please contact the organisation for full details.

SEPTEMBER Wednesday 3 September Hunslet Tenants & Residents Association 6:30pm Church of the Nazarene, opp Penny Hill Centre Thursday 4 September Friends of New Forest Village 6:30pm St George’s Centre, Middleton Thursday 4 September Beeston Community Forum 7:30pm Beeston Village Community Centre, St Anthony’s Drive Sunday 7 September West Yorkshire Brass Band 2pm Middleton Park Visitor Centre

REGULAR EVENTS

Photo: Andrew Gill

AUGUST Sunday 3 August Circus Skills with Professor Fiddlesticks 2pm Middleton Park Visitor Centre Saturday 9 August Summer Fayre 10am South Leeds Live At Home, St Andrew’s Community Centre, Old Lane, Beeston Sunday 10 August Birds of Prey Experience 2pm Middleton Park Visitor Centre Saturday 16 August Heritage Diesel Service Middleton Railway, Moor Road, Hunslet

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Monday 8 September Friends of Stank Hall Barn 7:30pm Tommy Wass pub, Dewsbury Road Sunday 14 September Middleton Park Craft, Flower & Produce Show 1pm Middleton Park Visitor Centre Saturday 20 & Sunday 21 September Festival of Transport Middleton Railway, Moor Road, Hunslet Sunday 21 September Middleton Park Air Show 2pm The Clearings Sunday 28 September The Friendly Band 2pm Middleton Park Visitor Centre

Publicise your event with South Leeds Life Send full details of your event to: info@southleedslife.com, or post to: 224 Cross Flatts Grove, Leeds, LS11 7BW

For up to date event information make sure you go online to

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and check the Events Calendar

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South Leeds Life | June 2014

Local history 11

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Forgotten barn finds friends

by Jeremy Morton In November 2012 Stank Hall Barn was looking in a sorry condition.

Blue plastic sheeting was trying to keep the rain out as thieves returned again and again to remove the yorkshire stone roof tiles.

The barn dates from the 15th century and is located off Dewsbury Road across from the White Rose Centre.

South Leeds Life took up the questions raised by a reader and called a public meeting.

From there a ‘friends’ group was started to work to restore and preserve the Barn and its associated buildings.

Since the Friends of Stank Hall Barn started delving into the history of the site, they have discovered that Stank Hall predates the barn by at least 100 years making it the oldest

building in Leeds.

The site is believed to have been King John’s hunting lodge before the barn was built around the same time that Columbus was discovering America.

Now Friends of Stank Hall Barn are working with the Council, who own the buildings, to find a permanent use for the site. In the meantime they are starting a communal growing scheme on site.

Laid out as a medieval kitchen garden, in raised beds to protect the archaeology, the friends are inviting local residents to help grow heritage vegetables and show that the site is still ‘loved’ and cared for.

The friends are planning open days in July and September when visitors will be able to see the wooden beamed structure inside the barn.

Schools to remember the First World War

by Peter Nuttall

Cockburn School will remember former pupil Sergeant Laurence Calvert VC at a special commemoration in July – the 50th anniversary of his death.

An open air commemoration will take place at Cockburn School on Friday 18 July remembering Sgt Calvert and all who fought and died, as part of the centenary of the First World War. The eight schools in Middleton and Beeston that make up The Learning Trust (South Leeds) are spending a whole week studying various topics related to the war. The week culminates with two events: the open air commemoration and a concert in the school hall.

The commemoration will take place on the afternoon of Friday 18 July. It will be attended by the Lord Mayor of Leeds and led by the Archdeacon of

Members of the East Lancashire Concert Band in 1916

Leeds. Local school children, together with members of the Rifle Regiment, Leeds College of Music musicians, community leaders and local cadet groups will all be present.

This event is also to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death of Sergeant Laurence Calvert VC, the school's Victoria Cross holder, who was decorated in September 1918. Members of Sgt Calvert's family will be making the journey from the south of England to attend. Also attending will be the Colonel of the Rifle Regiment, the descendant regiment of the Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, of which Sgt Calvert was a member.

There will be a mock battle, and guided tours of a replica First World War trench, featuring performances by re-enactors, will also be taking place.

On the evening of July 18 there will be a final concert of First World War related music, played by The East Lancashire Concert Band. The band was closely involved with the Accrington Pals Regiment and has a history reaching back to the 1840s.

This concert will be open to the general public, and will take place in the Theatre at Cockburn School. The concert will be preceded by a buffet.

Tickets for this will be available online from the school box office priced at £7.50 (inc buffet).

Tours of the replica trench will also be available at this event.

Sheep on the roof at Temple Works

Temple Works is the strange Egyptian looking building on Marshall Street in Holbeck. It was built as a flax mill and was state-of-the-art in 1840. At the end of the twentieth century it was used as a warehouse by Kays Catalogue. It is in a precarious state, but a full restoration of the building now looks within touching distance.

Temple Works was built by mill owner and MP John Marshall. He had already built Marshall’s Mill next door (now converted into offices), but there were safety concerns about multi storey mills – it was not uncommon for mills to catch fire and the workers on upper floors to perish.

Temple Works would be different, it was built on one floor. The main spinning room was the largest room in the world when it was built.

In an age before electricity it featured large roof lights that let in natural light. The roof was covered in grass to maintain a level of humidity that would make the flax easier to work. In order to manage the grass, sheep were grazed on the roof.As the first winter approached they discovered that sheep can be encouraged to climb stairs, but not to go down stairs. So Temple Works also features the world’s first sheep lift!

The building also had a undercroft – school and nursery for the workers’ children, a doctor on site as well as the engines to keep the looms running were all housed underground.

The building is in a delicate position and suffered damage in December 2008. But planned restoration works will return the Grade I listed building to how it looked in its heyday.

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South Leeds Life | June 2014

12 Sport

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Community rugby with the Beeston Broncos

by Phil Goodfield

Get fit for free!

Let’s Get Active scheme gives free access to council pools and gyms

Leeds Let’s Get Active is a new project to help people in Leeds to be healthier by taking more exercise.

Leeds City Council have teamed up with Sport England to offer free sessions at council sports centres and swimming pools. These include the John Charles Centrte for Sport and the newly refurbished Middleton Leisure Centre.

Have you heard about Beeston Broncos Community Rugby League Club?

We’re a club with Junior and Open Age teams. Our Juniors have been around for a decade or more playing and training on the playing fields at the bottom of Beeston Road, where the South Leeds Sports Centre used to stand. Lane End Primary School is soon to be built on the site, but that’s another South Leeds story!

Our Open Age team is newer – now entering its second year in the Yorkshire Mens League having just completed a winter season in the Pennine League. After matches we all head to West Hunslet Sports and Social Club on Dewsbury Road, a short walk from our pitch.

We’re not the biggest club in South Leeds but we’re a friendly bunch with a community ethos that welcomes everyone. We pride ourselves on community involvement, for instance we have close links with local Primary Schools where we help out with after school coaching sessions and we’ve helped over the years to provide sport at the Beeston

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Festival. We’re Clubmark accredited which means we’re a caring club where the welfare of our kids is paramount.

We have excellent relationships with the pro clubs in the city - Leeds Rhinos and our close neighbours Hunslet Hawks. Our kids play curtain raisers at Hawks games; we took part in the club’s sponsored walk last season, our boys and girls were mascots at Hunslet’s big day at Wigan in the Challenge Cup earlier this year (see photo of the kids at South Leeds Stadium before setting off) and

the Hawks Community team help promote our club locally.

We are also members of the Rhinos Club Ambassador scheme which among many other benefits means that the kids get to play games against other junior teams in the halftime break at Superleague matches at the famous Headingley Carnegie Stadium.

We’ve a big presence at the Beeston Festival. For the second year running we’ll be playing a Junior game as part of the Festival Programme with our u11s kicking off against Emley Moor at 1pm. Why not

come along to see what we’re about and give our youngsters some support? We’ll also have a stall promoting the club.

We’re on the lookout for new players – we’re recruiting for our emerging under 9s and our under 11s. If your child is aged between 6 and 10 ( Years 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6) and wants to have fun, learn new skills and get fit in a team environment then they fit the bill! Why not bring them down to training – Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6.30pm to 8pm - and see how they get on?

We’re also keen for new

Running on the radio

by Gemma Rathbone

A beginners’ running group has started in Beeston.

A weekly radio show and running group at South Leeds Community Radio is hoping to encourage people in the area to take up running to boost their physical and mental wellbeing.

The two-part initiative, called running on air, is led by myself, a keen runner and a new volunteer presenter at SLCR. Since I took up running two years ago my life has changed for the better in so many ways and I want to help other people find out for themselves that being active is enjoyable and hugely beneficial in all sorts of ways.

Running has become a way for me to manage mental health issues, make friends and explore the world and I hope the people of south Leeds will join

me by tuning in and turning up each week.

The running group meets at the station at Ashbrooke Park at 12:30pm every Tuesday. It is open

to everyone and sessions will be tailored to suit ability, starting out with jog/walk and working up to running a 5k at Cross Flatts parkrun this summer.

It’s a straightforward plan that builds up very

people to come along to help organise things.

If you’re interested in volunteering why not give us a shout?

For more info please contact Phil on 07887 723328, Darrell on 07447 098068 or email beestonbroncos@googlemail.com or phil.goodfield@ntlworld.com.

gradually and is aimed at complete beginners.

We even have a load of kit for people to use – from water bottles and vests to the latest running shoes – thanks to our friends at Lift A Finger and Up & Running.

What’s really important is that people come along and give it a go, no matter what their current level of fitness or what they wear. It’s really simple to get started with running and I’m looking forward to sharing my passion.

Each week running on air will feature chat about running, other sports and different ways to be active, interviews with runners, recipes and top tips, and a variety of music.

I also expect to be talking a lot about mental health and wellbeing, as our activity levels can have a huge impact on how we view and interact with the world. running on air is on Facebook: www.facebook.com/runningonairSLCR and on Twitter: @runonairSLCR.

As well as swimming and gym sessions, there are free running, family sports activities and health walks in local parks.

Sessions generally run at lunchtimes during the afternoon, or at weekends.

You need to register before your first activity.You can register online at: www.leedsletsgetactive.co.uk.

Don’t be intimidated by the gym! Friendly staff will give you a free induction session to show you how the machines work and help find the right workout for you.You will even get a free towell and water bottle to make your visits more comfortable. Ring the John Charles Centre on 0113 395 0000 to book your

induction session.

Leeds Let’s Get Active sessions are also run at community venues including the Hunslet Club, BITMOs GATE (Belle Isle), Beeston Village Community Centre, Building Blocks (Beeston) and Tenants Hall (Middleton).

There’s something for everyone, so what are you waiting for?