What's happening in Beeston, Belle Isle, Cottingley, Holbeck, Hunslet, Middleton and Stourton
This raucous collision of ideas inspired by theme parks, Brexit, Gulliver’s Travels and all overseen by Mayor Larry from Jaws, looks at cultural and racial stereotypes and how migration and racism have become key players in the ongoing culture wars.
It is hard to believe that the Beeston Festival has just celebrated its 25th year. Always a highlight of the summer, I swear it’s getting bigger every year. Once again, the weather was kind and the crowds flocked into Cross Flatts Park to enjoy the music, delicious food and the
A journalist asked me the other day how my constituents are feeling about Brexit. I replied that judging by my inbox they are pretty much split down the middle. On the one hand, people say ‘I just want out’ while on the other people plead ‘Can’t you stop Brexit?’ And
Between April and September this year, the Trussell Trust – the UK’s largest emergency food provider – gave 658,048 food parcels to people in crisis. If someone had suggested, say, 40 years ago that so many of our fellow citizens would need to go up to a complete stranger and
We are told that unemployment is at a 40 year low and yet demand for food banks in South Leeds has never been higher. How can this be? There are lots of reasons, so let’s look at each of them in turn. First, it’s the result of benefit cuts, sanctions
The Yorkshire Post reported this week that Burberry are “taking a moment to think through” their plans to build a new manufacturing base in Holbeck on the old Kays site. I say the Kays site, but it’s a whole bunch of sites, including perhaps most importantly Temple Works, the Grade
First of all, Happy New Year to one and all. I cannot pretend that 2016 was my favourite 12 months of all time so I am hoping that 2017 will represent a distinct improvement. Talking of which, best of luck to Leeds United and their manager Garry Monk for the
Here we are at the last column of 2016. Which at least 48% of us don’t feel it’s been a great year. I blame myself. This time last year I was warning people: “Do you realise that by the end of 2016 we could be out of the EU and
I’ve been walking about modern South Leeds thinking about Ancient Rome. Why? Because if we ignore the lessons of the past we are condemned to repeat them. Classics scholars, public schoolboys, and anyone who’s seen Gladiator, will have some knowledge of the concept of the Roman mob. These weren’t the
I mentioned two weeks ago the danger the Leave campaign risked in opening the Pandora’s Box of Nationalism. Unfortunately in the wake of their victory last Thursday I seem to be being proved right. There are hundreds of stories emerging up and down the country of hostility and threats which