Day 116 – I heard on the Radio today that ‘Age UK’ will not be re-opening their Charity Shops which has made me wonder about the future of many other such shops. As I passed the ‘Cancer Research’ shop in town on Friday a large notice in the window appealed for Volunteers for every day of the week. Charity Shops have in the main been run by older and retired staff who could, of course, have been shielding during the Covid Lockdown. In any case they may well have concerns regarding return to the close confines of a shop for several hours. It certainly makes one consider the value of volunteering at the present time. Just prior to Lockdown being in the ‘over 70s’ age group I was prevented from carrying out my front of house role at the City Varieties Music Hall, which upset me greatly. Within days – in fact before the next Show took place – Lockdown happened – so all our Volunteers, irrespective of age, were not required.

My other Volunteering apart from the City Varieties and occasionally at the Leeds Playhouse, is tenant involvement with my Housing Association. That too came to an abrupt halt however we have managed to hold a couple of important meetings via ‘Zoom’ with more planned and this could well be the way in future. It could be a long time before we are able to hold our quarterly meetings for tenants which include a Speaker, Q & A sessions with members of staff, quizzes etc and not forgetting the buffet! These were important social gatherings for, in particular, our older tenants who can feel socially isolated.

All over, there are thousands of volunteers doing excellent work in all manner of organisations, many of whom have been deprived of their time for giving during Lockdown. I do hope that those who keep the Charity Shops ticking over will be able to return? Or will the Charities themselves have faced such economic problems that they may be unable to re-open their shops? Time will tell. I’ve had many an excellent bargain from the shops over the years and I still have a list of things to look out for!

Sadly, frustratingly and worringly so – Theatres are to be amongst the last to re-open their doors. Outdoor performances being allowed now, these are only possible for a minority.  However far away it may be, to throw open the doors once again – and for those venues fortunate to be able to do so,  we volunteers are waiting in the Wings – and await our cue.

And we hope so too Maureen, until next time….

Part of the Love Leeds Parks festival the day includes online events as well as a ‘roadshow’ at Middleton Park – details and links below:

Thursday 13^th August – Heritage Day

10AM Watch David Preston, one of Leeds’ Park Rangers, livestream a walk and talk about the history of Sugarwell Hill and its wildlife on Facebook

FROM 11PM: Explore your local green space by participating in our Heritage “I Spy” activity. Share photos of what you find on social media,

12 NOON : Watch David Churchill from the University Leeds talk about the history of Leeds parks on our YouTube Channel

ALL DAY: The University of Leeds also have a photo archive and poster exhibition about the heritage of green space in Leeds. Check it out!

Roadshow location: Middleton Park, near the visitor centre, 11am – 3pm

Dear all,

I’VE long been mildly haunted by a story told to me by my friend Keith, who I enjoy talking to because he knows lots of things I don’t know and, in this case, could not possibly have guessed.

Keith’s story was about Eddie Cochran, the very cool rock star whose oeuvre includes ‘C’mon Everybody’ and ‘Summertime Blues’,  which, like the works of, for example, Buddy Holly, Freddie Mercury, Marc Bolan, Amy Winehouse or Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, far outlasted their sadly shortened lives.

Cochran, born in Minnesota, was killed in a car crash near Chippenham, Wiltshire, in 1960, aged 21. He was touring Britain with Gene Vincent (‘Be Bop A Lula’), who was badly injured in the accident, which was the sort of thing to be expected when in-demand performers travelled huge distances in cars without seatbelts or tiny planes, like the one in which the singer Jim Reeves crashed to earth in 1964, instantly upgrading himself from a very fine performer to an irreplaceable country legend.

Eddie Cochran’s death was more of a tragedy than most deaths; he was a precocious talent and we’ll never know what would have happened to him next – a ground-breaking album perhaps, or a paunchy residency in Las Vegas or drugs and decline, although I can’t think that, like his near-contemporary, the original Beatles drummer Pete Best, he would have ever have joined the civil service.

However, and to my shame, I’m more struck by a small incident in the Eddie Cochran story than by wider issues of fame and mortality.  My friend Keith, who reads an awful lot, even for a librarian, told me that one of the first people on the scene of the fatal Cochran crash was a cadet policeman called David Harman.

Harman later changed his name to Dave Dee and, with his friends Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich launched a band that might have changed the face of modern pop if they had been a bit more talented.  You might remember some of their hits, like ‘Hold Tight’ and ‘The Legend of Xanadu’, if you also remember the Cuba missile crisis and Z-Cars.

I don’t know why I take such an interest in coincidence; the fact that a random car accident in Wiltshire could involve both a major American rock star and, er, Dave Dee has no deeper meaning than that it’s an interesting coincidence. Chasing its significance any further would lead you into the weird and dangerous land of conspiracy theories, which I’m not prepared to enter because it would mean keeping company with David Icke and the President of the United States.

Thank you once again Oliver, until next time…..

1.Who is Krishna Pandit Bhanji better known as?

Residents are being asked for their views regarding a proposed update of current legislation designed to tackle alcohol-related anti-social behaviour in public space areas and communities across Leeds.

Leeds City Council is reviewing 13 Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) which were introduced in October 2017. A PSPO can last for up to three years however under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime & Policing Act 2014 they can be extended upon review.

All 13 PSPOs have prohibitions which do not allow people to consume alcohol in public places. Two of those PSPOs (Armley and Harehills) also have prohibitions to help tackle issues of household waste containers being left in the street for prolonged periods of time. The council is proposing to keep these PSPOs and prohibitions.

Following a review by the council and partners, it is also proposed that prohibitions be added around ‘temporary structures’ (tents, portable shelters and unauthorised and unlicensed structures) to the city centre PSPO and to support the tackling of anti-social behaviour issues seen at Leeds General Infirmary. Similar prohibitions have also been proposed for St James’s University Hospital as part of the Burmantofts PSPO.

Leeds City Council is proposing to extend all 13 PSPOs (some with new prohibitions).These proposals have received support from local councillors in their respective PSPO areas.

If you would like to comment on these proposals, you can do so from Monday 10 August 2020 until Sunday 06 September 2020, by filling in an online questionnaire at: https://surveys.leeds.gov.uk/s/PSPO-Consultation/

The council will make a final decision on the proposed implementation of PSPOs following the conclusion and evaluation of the public consultation. To view the terms of the PSPOs currently in place, please see: www.leeds.gov.uk/pspo

Councillor Debra Coupar, Leeds City Council’s executive board member for communities, said:

“Since introducing 13 PSPOs in October 2017, we’ve seen some really positive results in terms of tackling a range of issues that were found to be having a negative impact on the lives of residents and their communities.

“As part of the terms of the legislation we are reviewing each of the PSPOs as they approach their third year in operation to assess how they have done and the potential to extend. In some instances we are also proposing some additional prohibitions to be added to some individual PSPOs. With that in mind, we would welcome the thoughts of residents regarding the PSPOs established in their communities, and also regarding any further potential alterations that are being proposed.”

1.Who is Krishna Pandit Bhanji better known as?

Leeds-based photographer Lee Brown has spent the last two years taking pictures in the Hyde Park Picture House’s public and behind-the-scenes spaces. His own link to the Picture House stretches back several generations to his great, great grandparents, who took his Nana there as a child. Years later, it was to become the setting for one of Lee’s first dates with his wife and has a remained a favourite place for the two of them ever since.

Lee’s striking portraits reveal the characters woven into the history of the Picture House and those helping to preserve it for the future. Each portrait is accompanied by a short text that provides insight into the subject’s connection to the place.

Titled People of the Picture House, the exhibition features portraits of staff, volunteers and visitors who help to make the cinema into the cosy community hub that it is.  The pictures can be seen online here: https://leftbankleeds.org.uk/celebrating-our-friends-hyde-park-picture-house/  (if you click on a picture it will bring up the story behind it).

It can also be seen in the entrance at Left Bank on Cardigan Road