South Leeds Roundup: Poppies, Pigs and Empty Properties

Here’s your regular roundup of what’s making South Leeds tick on other websites, blogs and across Facebook.

Last weekend was Remembrance Sunday and many Scouts and Guides from South Leeds went to the parade in Morley. Lucy Potter described it on her blog Lucylines:

A bright Sunday morning, marching in Morley

Flags from the Scouts, Guides, Cubs, Brownies, Beavers and Rainbows waving in the air

Shadows of crowds walking towards the Memorial ground in Scratched Park

Walking in time with the Salvation Army Band

Speeches to remember end seconds before the Town Hall bell sounds …

Sticking with remembrance, the Friends of Holbeck Cemetery have organised a tour of the cemetery including the 87 Commonwealth War Graves. “We Will Remember Them” is on Sunday 17 November at 2pm.

Hilary Benn MP reflects on Remembrance Day too on his blog, before moving on to his Big Conversation in Holbeck and a look ahead to the Bedroom Tax debate in Parliament.

The Leeds Let’s Get Active scheme has started a Facebook page. On it you can find information about free gym sessions and activity classes and how to register on the scheme.

Sad news has reached us that Beyond Guardian Leeds is to close at Christmas. The blog aimed to fill a hole left when Guardian Leeds closed by rounding up and publishing news stories around Leeds that the mainstream media were ignoring. South Leeds Life if very grateful for BGL broadcasting our stories to the rest of the city.

Another Leeds-wide blog that often has stories from our neck of the woods is The Culture Vulture. This week they carried a review of the 15 Minutes Live radio plays at Holbeck Working Men’s Club as well as continuing the debate about whether there is a north-south divide in Leeds.

You might remember that Beeston food blogger Ewan Mitchell has “sponsored” a pig to be reared on his behalf? Well this week, Breakfast, as Ewan called him, went to the abattoir. If your not squeamish and are interested in where your food comes from, you can read the full story on Everything But The Oink.

Ever wondered what could be done about unkempt empty properties? The South & Outer East Locality Team (they need a new name don’t they?) stepped in to sort out two houses in the Allenbys in Beeston. The costs are charged back to the owners and the neighbours are happy.

Are you a Leeds Fed tenant? Leeds Federated Housing Association are looking for some tenants to help them choose a contractor to provide their repairs service.

Yvonne Crowther is the driving force behind Café Me’n’u, a social enterprise on the Cardinal estate. Yvonne’s been very ill, but has documented the help she has received from other residents to keep the café going. They are now advertising a Christmas Day meal for elderly, lonely residents on the estate. There no stopping her, get well soon Yvonne!

History lovers, there was an intriguing post on Friends of Stank Hall Barn’s page about an unexploded bomb landing by the Woodman pub in March 1941. West Yorkshire Archive Service have created a map showing all the bombs that landed on the night of 14-15 March 1941, one of the worst nights Leeds experienced in the war.