Thought we’d share this video of the deer at Lotherton Hall, just because who wouldn’t want to see some cute deer and foals on a Sunday morning? 😊

Free, online throughout August

FREE digital festival showcasing the best storytellers from across Yorkshire and beyond. This diverse program celebrates the myths and folktales that have shaped our world and challenges the stories of today.

In celebration of their 10th anniversary, this digital festival boasts a groundbreaking programme with over 80 events and will be free and available online, throughout August 2020.  Storytelling, poetry, music, theatre, talks, workshops.  All the events are free but you may need to book.  You can find the programme and all the information about how to access each event here:  https://yorkshirefestivalofstory.com/programme/

Yorkshire Festival of Story will stream hope into your homes as we celebrate our region and our world. Join BBC R4’s Jenni Murray, Joanne Harris and the Bronte Society for Breakfast, Travel the world through Folktales with Ben Okri and Keving Crossley Holland and join Yorkshire Shepherdess on her farm in Yorkshire.

The Leeds West Indian Carnival was sadly cancelled a few months ago due to COVID, yet we are delighted to hear its now back for an online version.

ONLINE Leeds West Indian Carnival

✨✨Carnival online 💻
Grab yuh rags, whistles, horns, costume, headpiece ANYTING!

💫Get ready to jam 💃🏽for carnival 2020 online 🕺🏾

Save the dates:
💥Sunday 30th August and Monday 31st August 💥

Details to follow 🙌🏾

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Picture from Leeds West Indian Carnival twitter page

Leeds residents across the city are urged to play their part in the 75th anniversary of VJ Day from home:

This Saturday (15 August) marks 75 years since Victory in Japan (VJ) Day when the Second World War finally came to an end in Japan. Whilst VE Day (Victory in Europe) marked the end of the war in Europe in May 1945, Japan fought on with both sides suffering thousands of losses across Asia and the Pacific.

Unfortunately due to the current coronavirus pandemic, many VJ Day events across the UK will not be going ahead in line with government guidance. Residents across the city are therefore encouraged to mark the 75^th anniversary of VJ Day in the same way as VE Day, from the comfort of their own homes. Leeds Civic Hall, Leeds Town Hall and Leeds City Museum will be lighting up red, white and blue to pay tribute to those who served during WWII.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) have created a digital toolkit which includes lots of ways you can still get involved. The full toolkit is available here: https://ve-vjday75.gov.uk/get-involved/.

There are a number of programmes, debates and virtual tours to watch in the run up to VJ Day, find out more here https://ve-vjday75.gov.uk/vj-day-what-to-watch/. On 15 August, The Royal British Legion will be holding a commemoration at the National Memorial Arboretum to mark the 75th anniversary of VJ Day. It will be broadcast on BBC One at 11am and will include veteran testimonies and music from military musicians as well as wreath-laying at several memorials.

Sourced: Leeds Live

Picture from Leodis Leeds

16th August 1945. Jubilant Leeds people dancing in front of Leeds Town Hall. This was to celebrate VJ (Victory in Japan) Day, which signalled the end of war-time hostilities in the Far East. This came a few months after VE Day when the Second World War ended in Europe on 8th May 1945. In spite of heavy rain the crowd appear to be in high spirits, women are wearing head scarfs in turban fashion and tied round the head.

Picture and comments below sourced: www.leodis.net

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…..