Interview

Interview Martin Tinsdall

The man behind the 1977-8 new wave fanzine, New Pose, tells us about the music scene in Leeds when punk was taking off

"There was no one writing about punk rock in Leeds at the time, none of the big newspapers seemed bothered so me and the girl I was going out with at the time thought that if you could just get a camera, any camera, and just go to a gig and write about it, take a few photographs that it would be like the NME, but it couldn’t have been further from the truth, you really do have to take a lot of photographs and write a lot.

"We’d seen the Anarchy in the UK tour [with The Clash, the…

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Interview Boff Whalley

The Chumbawamba man and writer of new City Varieties show Big Society! A Music Hall Comedy gives his view of the city

How long have you been living in Leeds?

I came to university in about 1980, so more than 30 years.

Do you class Leeds as your home?

Absolutely, yeah. I still support Burnley Football Club, and I like the fact I’ve got those roots, but I wouldn’t move back there in a million years.

What makes Leeds special?

I spent a year living in America about a year ago and it quickly became really obvious I’d built up a fantastic network of people who all live around this area, many of whom have done the classic thing that…

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Interview John Formaniuk and Steven Farrar, Relics Records

We speak to Steven (shop manager) and John (senior salesman) at the popular Leeds second-hand record store

How long have you been working here?

John: The shop’s been open for 21 years, since 1990, and I’ve been on and off here since around about 2000.

Steven: I’ve been here for just over 20 years.

Tell us a bit about the shop.

John: The major, most important part of the business, what we thrive on, is the vintage vinyl – good collectable vinyl and a cross-section of nice condition second-hand records.

Steven: We sell to a huge range of ages, it’s great to sell records to 16, 17, 18 year-old boys and girls who want to buy…

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Interview Rich Williams

We speak to the Leeds-born presenter of Radio Aire's Breakfast Show

"One of my favourite things about Leeds is the people. There’s definitely something about Leeds people. I’m sure the city has a certain atmosphere to it that feels different to other cities. I don’t know if that’s because I’m from here or if other people feel that too but there’s just something very ‘Leeds’ about Leeds.

"Place—wise, I think Roundhay Park is one of the nicest places anywhere, I love going for a stroll there. I like going for a coffee in the Victoria Quarter with my wife as well as heading to the Academy for a…

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Interview Lisa Brook and Martin Grund, Leeds International Film Festival

We speak to the Fanomenon programming team at Leeds International Film Festival

What does the Fanomenon part of the film festival cover?

Martin: It covers many genres like sci-fi, fantasy, horror, action and includes a lot of Far Eastern films including manga and anime.

Are there any films you’re particularly excited about?

Lisa: There’s the UK premiere of Juan of the Dead, Cuba’s first horror movie that will be closing Day of the Dead 5. It’s quite an important film in terms of Cuba reaching out to the film world a bit more as the country has been somewhat isolated film-wise, so we’re really happy to be supporting it. It actually…

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Interview The Leeds Savage Club - Amy Taylor and Greg Webster

We find out about a little Leeds hub of creativity

Amy: The name of our club, the ‘savages’, comes from a Victorian, literary concept of the ‘noble savage’. It claimed that the only way to be free, was to be a savage who had no connection to structured society. Only then could one achieve true inspiration.

Greg: At the Leeds Savage Club, our mission is to help those who are interested in writing and drawing to overcome their attitude of ‘I can’t do it’, and to actually enjoy exhibiting their creativity.

Amy: Our meetings force members to spend their time drawing and writing. We set them a task for the…

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Interview PC Michelle Bagguley

What's it like to be a police officer in Leeds?

What’s a typical week in the life of a police officer?

There is no typical week in the life of the Police Officer, everyday is different. We work shifts as the Neighbourhood Policing Team covering most of the day but everyday we attend a briefing which allows us to share information with one another. In the daytime amongst other things we tackle anti-social behaviour and priority crimes such as Theft from Motor Vehicles, Theft from Person and Robbery. Our priorities are set by those that live or work in the city at the Community Meetings held at 7.30pm on the…

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Interview Vivienne Edge

The model and businesswoman tells us about the Leeds-based calendar girls

“Although we work all over the UK, Shameless Promotions girls are all based in Yorkshire so we can often get together. At one meeting we came up with the idea of shooting a calendar. It was the time of year that calendars were coming out, so we started organising things very quickly and booked a shoot for October. We thought it would be a really good way to give something back. Our chosen charity, Candlelighters, which helps children and teenagers suffering with cancer, is a great cause.

“The calendar is definitely aimed at young male customers. It looks fantastic, and…

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Interview Ian Brown, artistic director at West Yorkshire Playhouse

The theatre supremo speaks of his love for the job

“I’ve been working at the Playhouse for 10 years. That’s quite a long time, isn’t it? I have seen some things in my time.

“I was here as a jobbing director. Then I got taken on as an associate director before I became artistic director. I’ve had quite a long association with this theatre now. I wouldn’t be here if I hated it. I love it; it’s always been a very special place to work.

“A typical day for me varies. Theatre folk tend not to start first thing in the morning. We work funny hours – you can be…

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Interview Anthony Clavane, author of Promised Land

The acclaimed writer tells us about his bittersweet love for the city

“I was born in Leeds. I’m now an exile and live, of all places, in Colchester. Colchester United inflicted the most humiliating defeat on Leeds United in the team’s history, in 1971, so my family haven’t really forgiven me! I do miss Leeds. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and I’ve been away for about 20 years. But it has helped in writing the book: I’ve approached it as someone who loves Leeds but also can see the, let’s call it, the foibles. For me this book’s about the good, the bad and the ugly. When I grew up in…

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