Leeds Issues

Leeds Issues Simon on the Streets Sponsored Sleep-out

Could you spend a night sleeping on the streets of Leeds?

Ah, those plump pillows, the thick duvet, the crisp, clean sheets! We all love to sink into bed at the end of a long day and get a good’s night sleep: safe and warm.

How easy is it to take that for granted? It’s only after you’ve spent a damp weekend in a tent, or uncomfortably shuffled to get a restful night’s sleep on a friend’s floor, that makes you appreciate how very lucky you are to have a proper bed with all the trimmings.

Well, with that in mind, spare a thought for the group of men and women…

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Leeds Issues Lumiere

Annie Moss talks to Leeds residents to find out what they would like to see happen to the abandoned Lumiere site on Wellington Street

In 2007, cities all over the UK were battling to have the tallest tower pierce their skyline. Liverpool and Manchester got their Beetham towers, but the promise of Leeds gaining the tallest residential building in Europe only got as far as the foundations being laid. For the past two years, all that has remained is an ugly gaping hole in the cityscape. Creditors have recently approved the liquidation of the holding companies of the Lumiere Towers project, which is now in the hands of administrators Deloitte. This means the scheme has officially been abandoned. This recent development has caused Leeds…

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Leeds Issues Refugee Week 2010

Refugee Week 2010 puts a positive slant on a conflict-ridden issue

We’ve all seen sensational headlines about the “evils” of immigration and the “menace” of people who have come to the UK seeking refuge. But the truth is never quite as shocking or black and white as certain tabloids would like us to believe.

Most of these overly-negative stories are misleading and extremely damaging to those trying to build a new life in the UK. What’s worse is that some people form their opinions about immigration after reading these deliberately critical articles. The result is that people who were vulnerable in the first place are further exposed to humiliation, bullying and…

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Leeds Issues Discover More About Leeds

Rosie Bryan-Adams takes the first open bus tour of Leeds

Leeds’ very own sightseeing bus and boat tour launched last fortnight. Encompassing some of the best features of the city, the ‘hop on, hop off’ open top double-decker bus will take you on a five mile guided tour through Leeds. Sights include the Royal Armouries, Millennium Square, the Kirkgate Market and the Corn Exchange, as well as a fantastic view of the beautiful architecture as seen from a completely different perspective.

There are 12 stops along the route, giving visitors the opportunity to explore each area before hopping back on the next bus. Stop off at the Royal Armouries Museum…

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Leeds Issues The Votes Are In

Paul Whitehead considers the impact the General Election result will have on our city

In terms of the parliamentary elections, it was a mixed result for Labour. Although they still hold five out of Leeds’ eight constituencies, the reds dropped two seats to the Conservatives, and Greg Mulholland retained Leeds North West for the Liberal Democrats. Rachel Reeves, newly-elected MP for Leeds West, is confident that despite losing the Pudsey and Elmet & Rothwell seats to the Conservatives, the region is still very much a Labour stronghold.

“With these two seats the Conservatives have regained some ground,” she says, “but they’re still not back to their pre-1997 levels. It shows that they still have…

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Leeds Issues Yorkshire Film Archive

Kieron Casey has a look at a movement to preserve Yorkshire's film heritage

One of the rarely acknowledged facts about the history of cinema is its genesis in the city of Leeds. Whilst usually it is Thomas Edison or the Lumiere brothers who are credited with pioneering the moving image, it was in fact Louis Le Prince, a Frenchman in Yorkshire, who created the first ever film. Only three seconds long, Roundhay Garden Scene was shot on paper with a single lens camera in 1888 and acted as the first movie in Yorkshire’s rich film culture.

In celebration of more than 100 years of celluloid history, Yorkshire Film Archive Online and Bradford’s National…

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Leeds Issues Volunteering

Paul Whitehead looks into ways you can make a difference in your city

As we move into April, we’ll be five months into the Leeds Year of the Volunteer, a 12 month programme of themed charity events co-ordinated by Leeds City Council and Voluntary Action Leeds. It was officially launched on 13^th January with the opening of a new Volunteer Centre on St   Pauls Street, which provides support, advice and information to existing charity volunteers and people interested in becoming volunteers. Come December, it’ll be rounded off with an awards ceremony celebrating the hard work done by volunteers over the year. Its purpose is to ‘promote volunteering and encourage more people to…

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Leeds Issues Venues With A Difference

Yasmin Lajoie has a look at some of the city's quirkier music venues

We all know how fantastic Leeds is for live music, and everybody’s excited about Live at Leeds and the forthcoming arrival of Leeds Arena in 2012. But what about those of us who crave something a little bit different? Bands don’t just play in venues designed and built for the purpose. Every week musicians perform in art galleries, churches, shops and recording studios across the city, as well as underground bars that are often missed by punters dazzled by the bright lights of the bigger venues.

Let’s face it, the Brudenell Social Club is probably one of the best venues…

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