Light on Leeds

Rob Galloway has been the lead singer of punk rock and roll band The Yalla Yallas for 16 years. He tells me all about the Leeds music scene and how it has changed over the years, how the band got together, their upcoming new album (their seventh!) and much more.Rob played Sid the Snake in the Shane Meadow's production The Gallow's Pole which you can see on iPlayer. It's a great series with some amazing actors and I would thoroughly recommend.Rob chose to feaure the cracking tune that is "Into The Future" by The Yalla Yallas - I'm pretty sure you're going to love it.  https://www.theyallayallas.com/https://open.spotify.com/artist/2NWdnJrZskPzrkzq4vzlSdhttps://www.instagram.com/theyallayallas/https://www.facebook.com/theyallayallasleedshttps://www.imdb.com/title/tt14676562/https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m001mg3k/the-gallows-poleI make no money from this podcast and all I ask is that you enjoy it, tell your friends and if you could leave me a review I would be most grateful.If you know of someone you think would make a great guest, do get in touch - hazelmillichamp@gmail.com.Do send an mp3 or a wav if you would like your track featuring on an episode.

Tian Liu has been selected as a member of the Youth Parliament Leeds. She advocates for youth voice, climate action and making mental health support accessible. She taslks with representatives from the UK governemnt, youth groups and has met with King Charles. Tian has a passion for social mobility, justice and activism. She aims to understand difficulties within her own community and to provide solutions. 11th October, 2023 was International Day of the Girl and to coincide with that, WOW (Women of the World) launched a brand new festival especially for girls, based on recent research into girls' wellbeing.The WOW Foundation released its 2023 WOW Young Leaders Directory profiling girls and non-binary young people from across the globe, who are demonstrating extraordinary leadership in activism and leading campaigns for change. Tian Liu is one of the young leaders that has been chosen.The featured track on this episode is "Northern Flame" by the fantastic Emma Johnson's Gravy Boat, from her debut album also entitled "Northern Flame" which you can buy on Bandcamp (links below).  The band will next be playing at the Howard Assembly Rooms on Sunday, 26th November. https://thewowfoundation.com/https://twitter.com/WOWisGlobalhttps://www.instagram.com/wowglobal/https://www.instagram.com/wowglobal/https://www.facebook.com/emmajohnsonmusichttps://twitter.com/emmajohnsonsaxhttps://www.instagram.com/emmajohnsonmusic/http://www.emmajohnsonsgravyboat.bandcamp.com/https://www.songkick.com/concerts/41289830-jasmine-myra-at-howard-assembly-room?utm_source=11593&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=ticket-link&utm_content=10159986I make no money from this podcast and all I ask is that you enjoy it, tell your friends and if you could leave me a review I would be most grateful.If you know of someone you think would make a great guest, do get in touch - hazelmillichamp@gmail.com.Do send an mp3 or a wav if you would like your track featuring on an episode.

I had a wonderful time chatting to Spike and Fran who are both members of Leeds Arts Cenrtre. Spike and Fran tell me about their upcoming play ROPE, a play by Patrick Hamilton that was further immortalised by the Alfred Hitchock film. ROPE is Spike's directorial debut and he tells me all about what the experience has been like. Fran only moved to Leeds in April and she tells me more about the community aspect of being a LAC member and the character she is peforming as, Leila Arden.Fran chose to feature the really beautiful song "Princess Nokofia" by her good friend Alex Rushfirth.ROPE is on at The Carriageworks Theatre in Leeds from 8th to the 11th November. Tickets for Friday and Saturday night have now sold out.The amazing ROPE poster was designed and created by Mitchell Perry (link to his IG below).  https://www.leedsartscentre.org.uk/https://www.youtube.com/@LeedsArtsCentre-fn9fkhttps://www.facebook.com/LeedsArtsCentreLAChttps://soundcloud.com/alexrushfirthhttps://www.instagram.com/alexrushfirth/?hl=enhttps://alexrushfirth.bandcamp.com/https://www.youtube.com/user/alexrushfirthhttps://open.spotify.com/artist/2mQvMxB2F3nLezmhFwCxNuhttps://www.instagram.com/perrysketches/?hl=en-gbI make no money from this podcast and all I ask is that you enjoy it, tell your friends and if you could leave me a review I would be most grateful.If you know of someone you think would make a great guest, do get in touch - hazelmillichamp@gmail.com.Do send an mp3 or a wav if you would like your track featuring on an episode.

Martin Gaughan is a contemporary classical music composer, currently living in North Devon.He tells me what led him to becoming a composer, the inspirational people who helped him on his way and about some of his creative processes. Martin chose to feature his beautiful track "Echoes" which is part of a larger piece called "Pale Goddess".Do check out his work on Soundcloud (links below).https://www.martingaughan.co.uk/https://www.instagram.com/martin_gaughan/?hl=en-gbhttps://soundcloud.com/martingaughanI make no money from this podcast and all I ask is that you enjoy it, tell your friends and if you could leave me a review I would be most grateful.If you know of someone you think would make a great guest, do get in touch - hazelmillichamp@gmail.com.Do send an mp3 or a wav if you would like your track featuring on an episode.

Hannah Broadbent told me all about Feel Good Film Experience, which as she explains, the title of the project sums up it's aims.Hannah explains to me how she got started, her love of film and what you can expect from one of her events. Hannah is collaborating with Come On In and is showing a film called "Ginger Snaps" and also screening 'A Film About Studio Electrophonique' at Jumbo Records, as part of the Scalarama Leeds DIY Festival taking place at various locations across the city throughout the month of September.  Please do check out the links below.Hannah chose to feature Happy Back by DUCK - links to them also below.https://www.eventbrite.com/e/scalarama-leeds-2023-ginger-snaps-freedom4girls-workshop-tickets-702206567747https://www.jumborecords.co.uk/tickets-single.asp?event_id=30821https://issuu.com/scalarama_leeds/docs/scalarama_leeds_diy_film_festival_2023_programmehttps://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lily-topples-the-world-domino-toppling-workshop-tickets-681028012117https://www.facebook.com/FeelGoodFilmClubExperience/https://www.facebook.com/scalaramaleedshttps://twitter.com/comeonineventshttps://www.instagram.com/scalaramaleeds/?hl=enhttps://duck5.bandcamp.com/track/happy-backI make no money from this podcast and all I ask is that you enjoy it, tell your friends and if you could leave me a review I would be most grateful.If you know of someone you think would make a great guest, do get in touch - hazelmillichamp@gmail.com.Do send an mp3 or a wav if you would like your track featuring on an episode.

Lisa Thiel has been an Egghead since 2014. She was a fantastic guest and told me all about how she got started in TV quizzing, what it's like behind the scenes, the move from BBC to Channel 5, Jeremy Vine on a unicyle and much, much more.The featured track is "Blowing Kisses" by the up and coming and very talented Leeds band, Lucky Iris. I predict big things for them.https://twitter.com/LisaThiel1980https://twitter.com/eggheadsTVhttps://www.channel5.com/show/eggheadshttps://luckyirisband.bandcamp.com/track/blowing-kisseshttps://www.instagram.com/luckyirisband/https://www.facebook.com/luckyirisband/I make no money from this podcast and all I ask is that you enjoy it, tell your friends and if you could leave me a review I would be most grateful.If you know of someone you think would make a great guest, do get in touch - hazelmillichamp@gmail.com.Do send an mp3 or a wav if you would like your track featuring on an episode.

I had a grand old time chatting to Vic Bingham about standup comedy, coming from a funny family, how she got involved and where you can see her perform.The featured track is the stuninng "I don't Want To Live Without You" by Lorenzo Gabanizza & Jeff Christie.https://www.https://www.laughatleeds.com/instagram.com/vixbingham/?hl=en-gbhttps://www.laughatleeds.com/https://www.jeffchristie.com/https://open.spotify.com/track/0hS0ozULcnlyn0huGdYF1Bhttps://www.facebook.com/JeffChristieMusic/?locale=en_GBhttps://www.lorenzogabanizza.it/https://www.instagram.com/lorenzo.gabanizza/?hl=en-gbI make no money from this podcast and all I ask is that you enjoy it, tell your friends and if you could leave me a review I would be most grateful.If you know of someone you think would make a great guest, do get in touch - hazelmillichamp@gmail.com.Do send an mp3 or a wav if you would like your track featuring on an episode.

Lauren & Mathew joined me to tell me all about FoodCycle, to tell me how they got involved, how you can get involved and about all of the good work thet are doing across Leeds and the 66 projects they have running across the UK."We are FoodCycle, and our vision is to make food poverty, loneliness and food waste a thing of the past for every community.We connect communities, reducing loneliness and food poverty – working with thousands of volunteers and surplus food to help everyone who needs us. By creating welcoming spaces for people from all walks of life to meet, eat and have conversations, and by offering a weekly telephone Check-in and Chat, we are supporting people's health and mental wellbeing.By cooking with surplus ingredients, we promote healthy, sustainable attitudes towards food and its impact on the environment, and help people to learn more about healthy food.We aim to inspire greater change by sharing the impact of our community dining spaces and the voices of our guests to encourage more people to join and support FoodCycle, so we can help more people and more communities."https://www.instagram.com/foodcyclehq/https://twitter.com/foodcyclehttps://www.facebook.com/foodcyclehttps://www.linkedin.com/company/foodcycle/Harehills:St Aidan's Church, Roundhay Road, Leeds, LS8 5QDWhenThursdayTime6:30 pmContactleeds@foodcycle.org.ukHamara HLC, Tempest Street, Leeds, LS11 6RD:WhenWednesdayTime6:30 pmContactbeeston@foodcycle.org.ukChapel FM Arts Centre, York Road, Leeds, LS14 6JB:WhenTuesdayTime6:30pmContactseacroft@foodcycle.org.ukDo also check out local band Champ Kind:https://champkindband.bandcamp.com/album/mojo"Champ Kind's fresh exciting sound is composed by a band of well known faces on the Leeds music scene. Champ Kind combine inspirations from Indie, Soul, Funk and Rock to create a familiar , yet uniquely refreshing and addictive modern pop sound."I make no money from this podcast and all I ask is that you enjoy it, tell your friends and if you could leave me a review I would be most grateful.If you know of someone you think would make a great guest, do get in touch - hazelmillichamp@gmail.com.Do send an mp3 or a wav if you would like your track featuring on an episode.

I had a great time chatting to Kully Thiarai, Creative Director and CEO of Leeds 2023 - the city's international year of culture."For one whole year, we're Letting Culture Loose. In partnership with world-class creatives, homegrown talent, local communities and international arts organisations, together we're creating a celebration that's about Leeds, for Leeds, by Leeds.LEEDS 2023 is an explosive, bold and imaginative Year of Culture packed with creativity. We're showing off Leeds to the world, putting the city front and centre in the nation's mind as an exciting and vibrant cultural hotspot. From dance to design, poetry to pop and sculpture to sport, Leeds has something for everyone."Kully chose to feature the track "Tomorrow" by Ntantu which opened The Awakening in January.https://leeds2023.co.uk/https://www.facebook.com/2023Leeds/?locale=en_GBhttps://www.instagram.com/leeds2023/?hl=enhttps://twitter.com/LEEDS_2023https://open.spotify.com/artist/3ijqECUdixtCFSyNw4FQJqhttps://www.instagram.com/ntantunow/https://www.tiktok.com/@ntantunowhttps://soundcloud.com/Ntantuhttps://www.facebook.com/ntantunowhttps://www.ntantu.com/https://twitter.com/NtantuNowI make no money from this podcast and all I ask is that you enjoy it, tell your friends and if you could leave me a review I would be most grateful.If you know of someone you think would make a great guest, do get in touch - hazelmillichamp@gmail.com.Do send an mp3 or a wav if you would like your track featuring on an episode.

Ann Lightman told me about some of the fascinating history of Leeds and it's colourful characters - she relates this history as part of her Lawnswood Cemetery Walks.Spring 2023 walks at Lawnswood Cemetery, Leeds LS16 6AH: Ann Lightman is offering the following walks, all at 2.00 p.m. on Sundays and no charge made! Expect each to last about two hours –tailored to suit group or individual needs. The meeting point varies according to the walk. To book any (or all) of these free tours, please contact Ann on c.lightman@sky.com or 0113 216 0630.  Ann also does walks “Arts in Leeds” & “Links to Leeds University” in addition to those above and talks “Behind the Chapels” and “Women of Lawnswood” for private groups – please contact her to discuss your requirements. April 16: NEW this year: “Early years of the Leeds Museum”. Meeting point – in front of the chapels. The walk covers the memorials, in the Victorian and the 1910 extension, of eminent people who were either curators or Presidents of the Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society, owners of the museum in early years. Some interesting and different monuments visited. Reserve date: 7 May May 21: (Introduced last year) “Innovation and Trailblazers” Meeting Point: Friends Noticeboard just inside the main entrance. The walk takes us up to the Columbarium, the Victorian cemetery and the 1910 extension. A varied walk! Reserve date: 28 May Ann chose to feature the beautiful song "Carrickfergus" by the Leeds Male Voice Choir - thanks so much to Rob Butler for sending the track.https://friendsoflawnswoodcemetery.org.uk/event/introduction-to-lawnswood-cemetery/https://leedsmalevoicechoir.co.uk/https://soundcloud.com/leeds-male-voice-choir/carrickfergus?in=leeds-male-voice-choir/sets/front-pagehttps://www.instagram.com/leedsmalevoicechoir/https://www.facebook.com/leedsmalevoicechoir/https://twitter.com/LeedsMaleVoicesI make no money from this podcast and all I ask is that you enjoy it, tell your friends and if you could leave me a review I would be most grateful.If you know of someone you think would make a great guest, do get in touch - hazelmillichamp@gmail.com.Do send an mp3 or a wav if you would like your track featuring on an episode.

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed chatting with Elizabeth! I learned so much!Elizabeth is the Lead Coordinator of Leeds Festival of Gothica. She tells me all about 1980s Leeds being at the forefront of the alternative and goth scene. I also learn about the Sophie Lancaster Foundation and the great work they do; about the Batwings mural in Kirkgate Market and about the Leeds Alternative Market.There's an archive on the Leodis website where anyone can upload photos of flyers or nights out in Leeds that represent the city's alternative scene. Link below.Elizabeth chose to feature the track "Snake Dance" by The March Violets.The next Alternative Market takes place at Kirkgate Market on Saturday, 1st July, 2023. https://www.facebook.com/LeedsFestivalofGothica/https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/people/leeds-alternative-market-12-of-the-best-pictures-from-kirkgate-market-as-gothic-traders-return-4070583https://www.instagram.com/leedsfestivalofgothica/?hl=enhttps://www.sophielancasterfoundation.com/https://www.facebook.com/LeedsMarkets/?locale=en_GBhttps://www.advintageous.co.uk/https://www.leodis.net/SearchResults/YWx0ZXJuYXRpdmU/?page=1https://www.facebook.com/TheMarchViolets/?locale=en_GBhttps://marchviolets.bandcamp.com/album/made-glorious-2https://www.instagram.com/leedsmarket/?hl=enI make no money from this podcast and all I ask is that you enjoy it, tell your friends and if you could leave me a review I would be most grateful.If you know of someone you think would make a great guest, do get in touch - hazelmillichamp@gmail.com.Do send an mp3 or a wav if you would like your track featuring on an episode.

It was so interesting chatting to Hannah Gehrke, a talented tattoo artist at Red Tattoo & Piercing in the Corn Exchange.She tells me what led her to being a tattoo artist, her apprenticeship, developing her own style, how she ended up in Leeds and much, much more!The featured song on this episode  is "Birds Are Falling Out Of The Sky" by West Yorkshire band, Bloodhound. It's a really beautiful song and there are links below if you'd like to hear more of their music. https://www.instagram.com/gerktattoos/?hl=enhttps://www.instagram.com/redtattooleeds/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/redtattooleeds/ http://www.facebook.com/bloodhoundhullhttp://www.instagram.com/bloodhoundhull http://www.musicglue.com/bloodhoundhttps://linktr.ee/bloodhoundhullI make no money from this podcast and all I ask is that you enjoy it, tell your friends and if you could leave me a review I would be most grateful.If you know of someone you think would make a great guest, do get in touch - hazelmillichamp@gmail.com.Do send an mp3 or a wav if you would like your track featuring on an episode.

Enya Lucas is the director of the Leeds Arts Centre production of the play "Scarborough" which is on at The Carriageworks Theatre from Wednesday 8th March until Saturday 11th March, 2023.We had a great chat and Enya tells me about being involved with Leeds Arts Centre, all about the play written by Fiona Evans, the role and challenges of being a director and what she loves about being living in Leeds.Enya chose to feature the beautiful track "Girl On A Hill" by Duncan Evans.The design of the "Scarborough" poster is by Mitch Perry (link to his IG account below)."ScarboroughWed 8 - Sat 11 Mar, Various TimesRunning Times: Approx 2 hrs (inc interval)Age Guidance: 16+Scarborough is the emotional and uncompromising exposure of abusive relationships. Illustrated through two stories between students and their teachers. It is a stark portrayal of coercion, corruption and control forcing audiences to examine their own attitudes and subconscious bias towards gender, power and the very nature of our relationships.Due to the sensitive topic of child sexual abuse, Leeds Arts Centre recommends Scarborough for audiences of 16+ years only.Leeds Arts Centre will be asking for donations to the charity SARSVLThis production is produced by Leeds Arts Centre, a Community Arts Group."https://www.carriageworkstheatre.co.uk/whatson-event/scarborough/https://www.leedsartscentre.org.uk/https://www.instagram.com/leedsartscentre/https://www.facebook.com/LeedsArtsCentreLAChttps://twitter.com/leedsartscentrehttps://duncan-evans.bandcamp.com/https://www.duncanevans-music.co.uk/https://www.facebook.com/duncanevansmusichttps://www.facebook.com/duncanevansmusichttps://twitter.com/devansmusichttp://www.sevenleeds.co.uk/event/miranda-arieh-duncan-evans-and-the-weeping-starlight/https://www.instagram.com/perrysketches/?hl=en-gbI make no money from this podcast and all I ask is that you enjoy it, tell your friends and if you could leave me a review I would be most grateful.If you know of someone you think would make a great guest, do get in touch - hazelmillichamp@gmail.com.Do send an mp3 or a wav if you would like your track featuring on an episode.

"Leeds Community Foundation distributes vital grants and gives trusted advice to Community Organisations across Leeds and Bradford to influence positive change. We are driven by creating meaningful social impact for thousands of local people every year.As the region's largest independent funder, Leeds Community Foundation is the only organisation of its kind in Leeds and Bradford, working with hundreds of Community Organisations each year. The Foundation generates philanthropic giving and leverages statutory funding to deliver grants that address specific challenges. This opens up vulnerable and often marginalised communities to a wealth of opportunities including skills, education, health, culture and employment.Our work goes beyond funding alone as it also provides resources that Community Organisations would otherwise struggle to access. As an organisation focused on creating a fair and inclusive society, Leeds Community Foundation works alongside the Community Organisations we fund to address inequalities and create opportunities.Leeds Community Foundation prides itself on building strong, trusted relationships across Leeds and Bradford with local Community Organisations, incredible supporters and regional leaders. This collaboration means the right investment is made available now, while building a brighter future for all."I had a fantastic chat with Maria Spadafora, Senior Programmes Officer from Leeds Community Foundation. We talked about some of the great projects they have helped, the difficulties community organisations who the foundation helps are facing and ghost buses!Maria was a brilliant guest and she chose to feature the track "Stargazers Know This Stuff" by Galitza and dedicated to Stevie Adams.https://www.leedscf.org.uk/https://www.facebook.com/Leedscf/https://twitter.com/LeedsCommFoundhttps://www.instagram.com/leedscommfound/https://www.linkedin.com/company/leeds-community-foundation/https://www.last.fm/music/Galitzahttp://wrathrecords.co.uk/agalitza.htmI make no money from this podcast and all I ask is that you enjoy it, tell your friends and if you could leave me a review I would be most grateful.If you know of someone you think would make a great guest, do get in touch - hazelmillichamp@gmail.com.Do send an mp3 or a wav if you would like your track featuring on an episode.

I had such a great chat with Kenneth Barker of WOTR Movies, a film company that has been going since 1998.Kenneth is a producer, writer, director and film maker and he tells me all about how he got started, how he works, where his inspiration for his films come from and much more.Kenneth chose to feature the track "Count Creepy Head" by the fabulous band Johnny Cosmic and the Night Terrors - You may remember Johnny from the Leeds Tarot episode - if not go and have a listen he's a fascinating guest.*Probably don't listen to the featured track if accompanied by young children* Go and check out WOTR films - links below. https://www.wotr.co.uk/https://www.instagram.com/manoffilm/?hl=enhttps://mobile.twitter.com/kennethbarker1https://open.spotify.com/artist/1gaVx5IoF0aGM4bfhz2pUIhttps://www.instagram.com/the.nightterrors/https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086103302008

I had a grand old chat with Dave, Daniel and Tony of SAS - Specialist Autism Services."Specialist Autism Services has worked exclusively for and with adults (18+) on the autism spectrum and their families since 1999. We are a non-profit organisation that works with the charity Sacar to provide autism specific services across the Yorkshire region.We provide a range of services including group social skills workshops (through an autism-specific learning programme), information and guidance, autism-specific counselling, employment support, autism awareness training and community outreach support. Under the name Autism First we also provide bespoke support for adults with autism and additional needs."Tel: 0113 2 775 656info.leeds@specialistautismservices.orgGreat Northern House, Junction 7 Business Park, Stourton, Leeds, LS10 3DQThe featured track is "Chainsaws" by brilliant Leeds band Perspex who describe themselves as "lurking somewhere between Nancy Sinatra & Dr Feelgood".  I love the song and can't stop playing it - enjoy!https://www.specialistautismservices.org/https://www.facebook.com/SASautism/https://twitter.com/SASautismhttps://perspex3000.bandcamp.com/track/chainsawshttps://www.instagram.com/perspex3000/

Sorry for the delay in getting podcasts out to you all! Normal service has now resumed...In many ways this episode is a reboot as I last spoke to Yusef back in May 2020 about Art by Arjo. He joins me on this episode to give me an update since our Lives inLockdown and slo to tell me about Sketch Club Leeds. These are monthly events of skecthing amazing architecture across Leeds. You get access to locations you normally wouldn't too!I was sent the featured track by Tony Peek - it's called "Broken Dreams" - it's a great track, the lyrics are incredibly prescient and just a heads up - there's a small amount of swearing at the end of the track.https://www.sketchclubleeds.com/https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/sketchclubleeds/https://www.instagram.com/sketchclubleeds/https://www.facebook.com/ArtByArjohttps://www.instagram.com/artbyarjo/?hl=enhttps://www.facebook.com/tonybpeekmusic/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jm8vw3LwrWwhttps://www.youtube.com/c/antonypeekhttps://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/tonybpeek/broken-nation-acoustic

"Leeds Coppice Workers is a workers co-operative commited to restoring and managing neglected and underused woodlands in the Leeds area.We aim to create jobs in Leeds woodlands for our members and to promote the use of locally sourced woodland products within the Leeds area. We also aim to reintegrate local people to their woodlands, show how woodland can be managed in sustainable and ecologically sound ways and to train and share skills in woodland related activities."I had a great chat with Joshua about Leeds Coppice Workers, the history of coppicing, how he got involved and how you can.The featured track is the enchanting "Schiehallion" by Iona Lane. https://leedscoppiceworkers.co.uk/https://www.instagram.com/leedscoppiceworkers/https://twitter.com/LeedsCoppicehttps://ionalane.bandcamp.com/album/hallivalhttps://twitter.com/IonaLaneMusichttps://www.instagram.com/ionalanemusic/?hl=enhttps://www.facebook.com/ionalanemusic

Catherine Warr was a brilliant guest who is extremely knowledgeable about history - especially Yorkshire History!She has a very popular YouTube channel "Yorkshire's Hidden History" and she has written a book "A Yorkshire Year" which will be published soon. Catherine tells me about what inspires her, her up and coming episode on Louis LePrince and what her TV programme would be about it.The featured track on this episode is the absolutely beautiful "Lammas Fair" by Henry Parkerhttps://www.youtube.com/c/YorkshiresHiddenHistoryhttps://twitter.com/HiddenYorkshire/status/1384155701014978561https://henryparker.bandcamp.com/https://henryparkermusic.co.uk/https://www.facebook.com/henryparkermusic/https://twitter.com/HenryParkerBfdhttps://www.instagram.com/henryparkerbfd/https://www.patreon.com/henryparker

Leeds Hunters RUFC is an inclusive rugby club formed in 2016. It has a rapidly growing membersip that is broad and diverse. They have recently developed their O2 Touch Team that aims to provide rugby access to all, including women of all sexualities and the trans community.Chris Woods and Daniel Nerini are both Membership Officers of the club and were great guests who told me about the formulation of the club, the numerous awards they have won, appearing on Steph's Packed Lunch on Channel 4, being part of Leeds Pride 2022 and much, much more.The featured track on this episode is sooo funky - "Send the Rain" by United Disco Organisation. Check out their social media outlined below.https://www.leedshuntersrugby.com/https://www.facebook.com/TheLeedsHunters/https://www.instagram.com/leedshuntersrugby/https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-leeds-hunters/https://uniteddiscoorganisation.bandcamp.com/album/send-the-rain-funky-thinghttps://www.facebook.com/commerce/products/united-disco-organisation---send-the-rain-[12%22-vinyl]/4610469745675308https://www.discogs.com/artist/10497553-United-Disco-Organisation

"Leeds Dads is a voluntary organisation that brings together a diverse community of fathers for social interaction and support."I had such fun chatting to Errol Murray, the founder of Leeds Dads. He explains how and why he got started, the challenges he has faced and the successes. We talk about Forest School, Saturday Styling Sessions, Sunday Walks and Dad Talks.If you'd like to get involved do email info@leedsdads.orgErrol chose to feature the very apt and beautiful track "Fatherhood" by Tommy Evans. https://leedsdads.org/https://www.facebook.com/leedsdadshttps://twitter.com/leedsdadshttps://www.instagram.com/leedsdads/https://www.youtube.com/c/leedsdadshttps://www.linkedin.com/company/leedsdads/https://www.instagram.com/tommyevansofficial/https://www.tiktok.com/@tommyevansofficialhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD3XbBEwPufhVaKaQJ2_pfghttps://open.spotify.com/artist/4CcYOJCtBvHYTZH3MxnKVI

What a great conversation I had with Johnny Cosmic! We talked art, offence, inspiration, frustrations with the city loop system - it was wild!Leeds Tarot is "a commmunity focused art project aiming to unify both established and aspiring artists together therough the intriguing imagery of tarot. 78 crads by 78 different artists." The Leeds Tarot Deck is the first of its kind and was inspired by a deck Johnny's Dad owned (Dad worked at Waddington's that produced tarot decks). It's a fascinating conversation - do check out the lonks below to get your hands on your own deck.Johnny chose to feature "The Triangle" by Leeds band Blue Jinns and it is a raucous tune indeed!https://www.instagram.com/leeds_tarot/https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1215572845/the-leeds-tarot-card-deckhttps://www.facebook.com/bluejinns/https://bluejinns.bandcamp.com/musichttps://coloursmayvary.com/https://www.thepinkroomleeds.co.uk/https://www.globalcrystals.com/https://northernguitars.co.uk/

I had a fantastic rambling chat with Mat Cooper who is a BAFTA nominated script writer for hire, a script consultant and script doctor. He has written for Eastenders, Emmerdale, Hollyoaks and Family Affairs. Mat was the first ever winner of the Lloyds Bank Film Challenge and the the winner of the Oscar Moore Screenwriting award. Mat works with producers, directors, production companies, brands, broadcasters and content creators across the globe.He has directed and produced two films "Markham" (2010) and "At The Mountains" (2021) and the third film in the trilogy is due out this year.Mat chose to feature the track "Pick Yourself Up" by Audio Republic which is a bit of a banger!http://www.matcoop.co.uk/matthew-cooper-director/https://www.youtube.com/c/MatthewCooperukscriptwriterforhirehttps://warehousetransmedia.co.uk/https://www.instagram.com/matcoop23/https://twitter.com/Matcooperhttps://soundcloud.com/audio-republic

Sue Jennings is the Director of Left Bank Leeds. We first had a brilliant chat back in April but unfortunately, technology failed us. Sue very kindly agreed to rerecord our conversation and I am very glad that she did. "Left Bank Leeds is a progessive space for creativity, culture and community, set inside a beautiful Grade 2 listed former church building."Sue chose to feature the track "Coffee Shop" by Lucky Iris - it's a fantastic song.https://www.leftbankleeds.org.uk/https://www.facebook.com/leftbankleeds/https://www.instagram.com/leftbankleeds/https://twitter.com/leftbankleeds?lang=enhttps://www.musicleeds.com/supported-artists-2020/2020/12/15/lucky-irishttps://www.instagram.com/luckyirisband/https://touch.facebook.com/luckyirisband/https://luckyirisband.bandcamp.com/track/coffee-shophttps://twitter.com/luckyirisband

I had such an interesting conversation with Rob Wilson, founder of Angels of Freedom."Bringing a caring LGBT+ scene to a compassionate cityThe Angels of Freedom is a community based initiative organised by volunteers and supported by Leeds City Council, British Transport Police and West Yorkshire Police.Our aim is to provide visible support for the LGBT+ community based in the Freedom Quarter area of the city every Friday evening. Our volunteers provide conversations on support & social groups, activities and events in Leeds, along with just being a friendly approachable face on the bar scene for anyone wanting a chat."The featured track on this episode is aptly named and is about the city, "Leeds" by Moses Rubin. Moses has produced an EP entirely devoted to Leeds.https://www.angelsoffreedom.org.uk/https://www.instagram.com/leedscc_lgbt/https://www.facebook.com/LeedsLGBTAngelshttps://twitter.com/LeedsLGBTAngelshttp://www.mosesrubinmusic.com/http://www.mosesrubin.bandcamp.com/https://mosesrubin.bandcamp.com/track/leedshttps://www.facebook.com/mosesrubinmusichttps://www.instagram.com/moses_rubin/https://twitter.com/moses_rubin

This was such an interesting interview with Bryn Mostyn (Team Leader at Leeds Community Gambling Servcie). We discuss the impact of gambling not only on your finances but also on your time; what he and his team are doing to reduce the stigma of seeking help with gambling and how all of this affects family and friends. The featured track on this episode is "Glimmer" by Leeds band Precept - it's a really soothing and beautiful track. Should you wish to own a copy there is a link to their Band Camp page below.https://www.gamcare.org.uk/get-support/find-local-treatment/leeds/https://www.gamcare.org.uk/outreach-and-training/leeds/https://twitter.com/LeedsCGS/https://www.facebook.com/LeedsCGShttps://preceptmusic.bandcamp.com/https://www.facebook.com/preceptukhttps://twitter.com/PreceptMusichttps://soundcloud.com/preceptukhttps://www.instagram.com/preceptmusic/

Steven Burt has written a fantastic book "The Remarkable History of Hunslet" which covers the history of this area from 11th century to the present day.More people were living within the bounds of Hunslet by 1850  than in Wakefield or Dewsbury.  Many visitors, from the Seneca Indians of North America to the future Tsar of Russia, came to see the marvellous machines of Hunslet in action.The book  provides an insight into this exciting period of radical change and highlights the role played by those who risked all to make it a better place to live.The book, priced £20, can be purchased from:Leeds Civic Trust, 17-19 Wharf Street, The CallsThe Leeds Library, 18 Commercial StreetStephenson's Wallpapers, 333 Hunslet RoadOnline purchase available via www.leedscivictrust.org.ukThe featured song is the wonderful track "Stars" very kindly sent to me by Mik Artistik's Ego Trip and his team.https://www.youtube.com/user/MikArtistiksEgoTriphttps://www.facebook.com/mikartistiksegotrip/https://twitter.com/mikartistik/https://www.instagram.com/mikartistik/?hl=enhttps://mikartistiksegotrip1.bandcamp.com/musichttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ_loupqeCshttps://www.youtube.com/c/LeedsCivicTrusthttps://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/heritage-and-retro/retro/hunslet-the-story-of-leedss-most-famous-industrial-suburb-3683036https://m.facebook.com/leedscivictrust/

Lucy Ndlovu is the Communications Director at Leeds African Communities Trust. We had a great chat about how and why the trust was formed, how they are looking for more communities to join them, their food hub at Little London Community Centre and much more:"The Leeds African Communities Trust promotes the wellbeing of people of African descent throughout Leeds, by advancing education, relieving poverty and improving their welfare, through community based activities in partnership with its associated African community groups, Leeds City Council and other public and private sector bodies."(Their website is in development and I will add a link here when it's live)https://twitter.com/leedsafricanhttp://caringtogether.org.uk/leeds-african-communities-trust-hub/https://hydeparkpicturehouse.co.uk/season/cinema-africahttps://www.facebook.com/leedssfricanshttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWQy6ot8LP6io-qTtkNxMbALucy wished to feature an Afrobeats track and I follow the wonderful TC & The Family Groove on Bandcamp who kindly agreed to let me feature their fantastic track, "Let's Start""Inspired by the afrobeat pioneered by Tony Allen and Fela Kuti, Let's Start is about moving forward as a stronger, unified society for all those who seek justice and peace; standing in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement."You can see the band live for their album launch at Brudenell Social Club on 1st June, 2022:http://www.brudenellsocialclub.co.uk/whats-on/tc-groove-family-album-launch/https://tcandthegroovefamily.bandcamp.com/https://open.spotify.com/artist/47DpSgD00hWJA970gp7nlZhttps://twitter.com/groovetc?lang=enhttps://www.facebook.com/TCandtheGrooveFamily/https://www.instagram.com/tcandthegroovefamily/?hl=enhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0lp4zhdabAyrduIwiebdBghttps://tcandthegroovefamily.bandcamp.com/album/lets-start

It was really lovely to chat to artist Pamela Crowe about 23 Press, art, community walks and poetry."23 Press is a Small Press, a new inclusive publishing platform co-created within the community of Headingley & Hyde Park, LS6. #23PRESS is part of My World My City My Neighbourhood and Leeds 2023 Year of Culture.23 Press would like to explore how we use words and our voices to define and occupy a personal and shared space in the world. To challenge perceptions of culture and who defines it.At the heart of the project will be a series of call outs inviting community members and collaborating organisations to participate. We'll work together to co-create a vision for the #23PRESS and explore how to produce and publish new work. This is a co-creation project, rising and taking shape from the people who participate. The #23PRESS is working with three co-creating partners, the Cardigan Centre, the School of Languages, Cultures & Societies at the University of Leeds and All Hallows' Church / Rainbow Junktion PAYF Cafe in LS6. The project is facilitated by artist Pamela Crowe."Pamela chose to feature the track "Never Good with Horses" by LYR. LYR are comprised of author and current British poet laureate Simon Armitage, musician Richard Walters and multi-instrumentalist Patrick Pearson.https://23press.org/https://www.instagram.com/crowe_pamela/?hl=enhttps://mobile.twitter.com/pamela__crowehttp://www.leeds23.co.uk/https://www.instagram.com/23_press/https://www.lyrband.com/

It was really great to chat to author Miranda Keeling about her new book "The Year I Stopped to Notice".We talk about her inspiration for the book, her Twitter friends and the art her book inspired in them, her work in theatre and on radio and much more.The featured track on this episode is "The Snow" by a brilliant band originating south of Leeds, Astoria. Astoria describe themselves as "bringing together the music of their individual record collections to create a sound with its roots set in Ambience, Soul and Rock."https://www.mirandakeeling.com/https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-year-i-stopped-to-notice/miranda-keeling/9781785787966https://twitter.com/MirandaKeeling?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthorhttps://open.spotify.com/artist/39aIlhN6QwqFiPjc4QkmfBhttps://twitter.com/astorialeedshttps://www.instagram.com/astoria.uk/https://www.facebook.com/astorialeedshttps://linktr.ee/astoriaband

I had a grand old chat with Chris Bailie, Director of Swarthmore Education Centre.We talked about how Chris got into working in adult education, Sawrthmore being founded by members of the Quaker movement in 1909, the Grade II listed building it's housed in and much more.Chris chose to feature the brilliant track "Rail Road Blues" by Brendan Croker and the 5 O'Clock Shadows. Brendan has a quote from Mark Knopfler his website: "… his marvellous voice; sometimes a howling Blues shout and other times a husky, gentle roll your own …Don't be deceived by the determinedly uncomplicated Croker … he's got deep roots…"- Mark Knopflerhttps://www.swarthmore.org.uk/https://www.pinterest.co.uk/swarthmoreleeds/_created/https://twitter.com/SwarthmoreLeedshttps://twitter.com/SwarthmoreLeedshttps://www.facebook.com/swarthmoreleedshttp://www.brendancroker.com/

I enjoyed chatting to Annabel Harrison (writer and director) and Hester Cox (assistant director) about their upcoming play "Zip It"." How many voices must be taken before we are heard? Join the studio audience of this dystopian and comedic gameshow and follow the friendship of two young women and their experience of womanhood, sexual harassment and domestic violence. Created with an all-female cast and creative team, comprised of members of the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain. Follow the journey of a woman, brave, broken and not alone. A moving insight into the reality for many women."  "We are working in collaboration with Women's Solace Aid, who are offering a ‘Safety in Society' workshop for anyone that is affected by the messages of the play."Running time: 1 hour approx. | Age restriction: 16+Annabel and Hester told me about how they started in drama and about taking the play to the Edinburgh Fringe. Zip It at stage@leeds event tickets from TicketSource https://twitter.com/ZipItPlay https://www.instagram.com/zipittheplay/Contact: Zipittheplay@gmail.com The featured track on this episode is the beautiful "Worry Not" by Emma Johnson's Gravy Boat - recorded by Good Boy Live Sessions at Northern Monk Refectory, Leeds Emma says: ‘A lot of the most brilliant people (and especially women) that I know spend inordinate amounts of time worrying. The most literate, incredible, wise people I know regularly voice worries about having said something silly after a couple of drinks, about having not replied entirely politely to a rude comment, about things that are beyond their control, about all sorts that they are far too fantastic to spend their moments worrying about. This album is about those little niggling worries, and is for these brilliant people. Written after a house flood and on the brink of the pandemic, the album (and the year awaiting it's creation) encapsulate a process of having worries, acknowledging and dealing with them, and allowing them to wash away. " https://twitter.com/emmajohnsonsax?lang=enhttps://www.facebook.com/emmajohnsonmusichttps://www.instagram.com/emmajohnsonmusic/?hl=enhttps://emmajohnsonsgravyboat.bandcamp.com/CD and Digital Download Available on BandcampDigital on Spotify, Apple Music, ITunes, Deezer, Amazon

I have been looking forward to speaking with Caleb for such a long time! Caleb Ranson is a writer and creator from Dorset. If you enjoyed the BBC production of 80 Days Around the World at Christmas you have Caleb (And Ashley Pharoah) to thank for that.Caleb has written and created some of the biggest successes on UK television in recent years.We talk about the nature of TV today, his production company, about what inspires him to write and so much more. Caleb chose to feaure "Shooting Star" by Dorset band The Gravity Drive". It's a fantastic song and there are links below to their work should you wish to buy this track or explore more of their work.https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0710432/https://www.facebook.com/playnicestuffhttps://thegravitydrive.bandcamp.com/album/shooting-star-e-phttps://twitter.com/TheGravityDrivehttps://www.facebook.com/thegravitydrivehttp://www.thegravitydrive.com/wildlighthttps://www.dorshi.co.uk/

I have been looking forward to speaking with Emma Bearman for such a long time and I was not disappointed!We had such fun chatting about Playful Anywhere "Catalyzing creativity and conviviality with people, in places".Emma tells me about her gigantic playboxes, the Playlab, Culture Vulture, Digital Access West Yorkshire and we discuss the nature of fun and play and so much more. There is a small amount of swearing in this episode. Emma chose to feature the joyous track "Eurospin" by the ever wonderful Hope & Social.https://www.playfulanywhere.fun/https://www.facebook.com/playfulleeds/https://www.instagram.com/playfulanywhereanytime/?hl=enhttps://vimeo.com/579759637https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/playlab-with-the-orchestra-of-objects-tickets-309820129347?aff=ebdssbdestsearchhttps://www.hopeandsocial.co.uk/https://www.instagram.com/hopeandsocial/?hl=enhttps://twitter.com/hopeandsocialhttps://www.facebook.com/hopeandsocial/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_f8yLJys2g

I had a lovely chat with Elvi Piper from Wrongsemble.Wrongsemble are a theatre company based in Leeds who specialise in creating work for schools, families and young people. Elvi and I talk about how she got interested in theatre, the company and their upcoming production The Not So Ugly Sisters which runs from Saturday 2nd April until Sunday 24th April and is a Leeds Playhouse, Red Ladder and Wrongsemble co-production.Elvi chose to feature a brilliant song from the show U.G.L.Y. performed by Daisy Ann Fletcher and Lucy Rafton.Composed by: Bay Bryan, Claire Marie SeddonLyrics: Elvi Piper Mixing: Dan McGlade https://www.wrongsemble.com/the-not-so-ugly-sistershttps://www.wrongsemble.com/abouthttps://www.facebook.com/wrongsemble/?ref=hlhttps://twitter.com/wrongsemblehttps://www.instagram.com/wrongsemble/?hl=en

I chatted to Carl Hutton, Chief Executive at The Leeds Library - the city's oldest cultural institution.We spoke about the Grade 2 listed building the library is housed in, the resident ghost, Sternberg, about all of the amazing events they hold in the building and much, much more.The featured track is "(Shitting Bricks) Lucky 13" by Undisclosed Addictions.https://www.facebook.com/leedslibraryhttps://twitter.com/theleedslibraryhttps://www.theleedslibrary.org.uk/https://www.instagram.com/theleedslibrary/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUkABk1pBZd7NceTwl9M_bwhttps://www.leedslitfest.co.uk/https://www.facebook.com/UndisclosedAddictions/http://www.undisclosedaddictions.com/

Laura Beare was a great person to chat with about the Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery and the Treasures of the Brotherton Library.Laura tells me about her love of museums and galleries beginning in childhood, how she and her team have been expanding their digital content, some of their fabulous collections and works of art and the Leeds University Library Tik Tok account (it's great fun and very interesting - check it out).Listen out for the story of the Cottingley Fairies too - fascinating!The featured track this episode is "Kaalay Rang" by friends of the show Leeds band, Kinaara. The song is a "Punjabi folk song - A woman has received a gift from her beloved, a black paranda (a hair extending ornament which is plaited into the hair), she dances and celebrates but their love is hidden from society" and it is cracking! There are links below to their Band Camp page if you feel like buying a copy for yourself.https://library.leeds.ac.uk/info/1900/gallerieshttps://www.tiktok.com/@lulgalleries?lang=enhttps://twitter.com/lulgalleries?lang=enhttps://www.facebook.com/LULGalleries/https://www.instagram.com/lulgalleries/?hl=enhttps://kinaaraofficial.bandcamp.com/http://www.kinaara.co.uk/https://www.facebook.com/kinaaraofficialhttps://www.instagram.com/kinaaraofficial/https://twitter.com/kinaaraofficial

What a great conversation I had with Amy Letman, the Creative Director of Transform! "Transform is an engine room for powerful performance. We create exhilarating international festivals and work year-round to catalyse future-gazing artists and creatives to reimagine what theatre can be. We bring Bold, Brave, Vivid & Socially-Conscious international performance to the Leeds City Region and beyond."The Transform Festival runs biennially and has been running for 10 years."Transform 21-22 is an experiment to reimagine what an international festival can look like and represent in the future. It is an invitation to artists and communities to join us in manifesting an extended festival for our times, one that is slower, more sustainable and more embedded. From this October 2021 until April 2022, our extended festival will invite audiences from across Leeds and beyond to rediscover and explore the city and to connect with bold, brave, vivid and socially-conscious performance by powerful artists from across the globe."All performances are Pay What You Can.The featured track on this episode is "Mr Magnificent" by Ringo and the Wolf.  The song is about a villainous ex-boss but the song is really upbeat and joyful.https://transformfestival.org/https://www.facebook.com/transformleeds/https://twitter.com/Transform_Leedshttps://www.instagram.com/transform_leeds/?hl=enhttps://ringoandthewolf.bandcamp.com/https://www.facebook.com/ringoandthewolf/https://open.spotify.com/artist/2kmudrf3SkaS8olmKtAR4chttps://twitter.com/ringoandthewolf

What a great conversation I had with Joe Kent, Business Development Manager at Barca-Leeds.Joe told me about some of the great things they do "Barca-Leeds delivers transformational services to adults, children, young people and families in Leeds" and it was especially great to hear about the work they do around homelessness.We talk about how the team deal with vicarious trauma by taking part in random acts of kindness and how disappointed Barca fans occasionally get them mixed up for a Leeds based Barcelona fan group.Joe chose to feature the beautiful track "Take the A Train" by the band he plays with, Sharp Intake (currently known as King & I"https://www.barca-leeds.org/https://www.facebook.com/barcaleedsfb/https://twitter.com/BARCALeeds/https://www.instagram.com/barcaleeds/?hl=enhttps://www.facebook.com/KingI-156705504387781/

I learned a lot about the history, culture, fashion, music and dance of flamenco with this week's guest, Vanessa Matthews. She was a fascinating guest and I was glad to learn more about something I knew very little. "Flamenco de Leeds was started in 2015 after looking for local Flamenco workshops and events and found they were few and far between. Since then, they are providing regular workshops, events and performers across Leeds and further afield.The ethos of Flamenco de Leeds is very much focused on enthusiasm and ensuring everybody feels welcome to participate in any way they can. If you can clap your hands, stamp a foot, bang a stick or shout Ole you can get involved!"Vanessa chose to feature the track "Solea" by Samuel Moore - it's really beautiful!See the links below to get involved and check out  their Live Flamenco Event at Seven Arts on 12 & 13th March:http://www.sevenleeds.co.uk/event/flamenco-de-leeds-live-flamenco-at-seven-arts/https://flamencoleedsweb.me/https://www.facebook.com/flamencodeleeds/https://www.instagram.com/flamencodeleeds/

I had a grand old chat with Deby Jackson who is the creator, editor, all-round-everything of That Leeds Mag, an independent printed Leeds magazine that goes out to 19,000 homes across North Leeds.It provides advertising for local businesses, has great editorial features and the cover art work is really beautiful too.Deby tells  me about how and why she got started and what she thinks of Leeds as a relative newcomer to the city. I had been interviewed by her for That Leeds Mag the previous week so it was good to be able to turn the tables too! Do check out That Leeds Mag social media (links below) and get in touch with her if you'd like to advertise: https://thatleedsmag.co.uk/ads@thatleedsmag.co.ukhttps://www.facebook.com/thatleedsmaghttps://twitter.com/thatleedsmaghttps://www.instagram.com/thatleedsmag/https://www.linkedin.com/in/thatleedsmag/Deby chose to feature "Ocean Floor" by a Leeds pop-collective called Sea's Cape and any proceeds of the song raises money for the Marine Conservation Society. "The Leeds band members and comprise Spencer Bayles - music producer, and musician,  Nicky Bray - musician, and curator of longstanding Leeds open mic night 'Tower of Song', and Emma Gatherer, singer and former member of Leeds Sea Shanty group 'Ocean Loiners' - a Loiner being an old term for a resident of Leeds. 'Ocean Floor' has been recorded over several weeks with elements of social distancing at times, while fitting the project in around day jobs. Sea's Cape hope their resulting catchy pop song with upbeat folk undertones will inspire enough interest to raise funds for and awareness of the Marine Conservation Society.  The Society campaigns and takes action for a cleaner, better protected ocean, to care for coastal habitats and raise awareness of the challenges of Climate Change on our oceans."https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/seas-cape-fundraiserhttps://seas-cape.bandcamp.com/track/ocean-floor-fundraiser-for-marine-conservation-society

Where to begin?! Testament is a rapper, a spoken word poet, a world record holding beatboxer, a writer, a theatre maker, a workshop facilitator, a husband and a father...We spoke about his perfomance for Desmond Tutu, how he came to write Orpheus in the Record Shop and performed it with seven members of the Opera North orchestra, how his First Word record label was voted Label of the Year and how he had to keep Idris Elba off the stage at an event.It's a brilliant conversation that traverses many things!The featured track is the DJ Vadim remix of “I Don't Even Know” by Homecut ft Corinne Bailey Rae & Soweto Kinch (Homecut being another alter-ego of Testament's) - it's a fantastic track and I am sure you will love it...https://www.testamenthomecut.com/https://twitter.com/testamentonlinehttps://www.facebook.com/testamenthomecut/https://www.instagram.com/testamenthomecut/?hl=enhttps://www.operanorth.co.uk/whats-on/orpheus-in-the-record-shop/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000vbtxhttp://www.firstwordrecords.com/

I had such a fabulous time chatting to Amy Sanderson, Head of Communication at Leeds Heritage Theatres.Leeds Heritage Theatres encompasses Leeds Grand Theatre, City Varieties Music Hall and Hyde Park Picture House.Amy tells lots of great facts and stories about the three, how hard the last 18 months have been and about their Learning and Engagement Programme and Leeds Actors in Training.Amy chose to feature the beautiful track "Northern Time" by the force of nature that is the band Hope & Social - the link to the video is included below. https://leedsheritagetheatres.com/https://twitter.com/leedstheatreshttps://www.facebook.com/leedsheritagetheatreshttps://www.instagram.com/leedstheatres/https://www.linkedin.com/company/leeds-heritage-theatres/https://www.hopeandsocial.co.uk/https://www.facebook.com/hopeandsocialhttps://twitter.com/hopeandsocialhttps://www.youtube.com/user/HopeAndSocialhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9S5tBlYW8XY

I had a good time chatting to Denham Hill, the Community Manager and Skateboard Coach at LS-Ten Skatepark.LS-ten is situated in South Leeds and provides alternative provision for pupils who are close to, or have been excluded from school.The skate park covers 25,000 feet and has a wide selection of professional and bespoke ramps and a huge street section open to all kinds of rider.Do check out Denham's YouTube videos in the link below.The featured track this week is "Friends" by the excellent Leeds band "Silverlode"https://www.youtube.com/c/DenhamHillhttps://ls-ten.org/https://www.facebook.com/LSTENCharity/https://www.instagram.com/ls.ten/https://www.facebook.com/silverlodeband/https://silverlode.bandcamp.com/https://twitter.com/silverlodebandhttps://www.instagram.com/silverlodeband/?hl=en

"The Leeds Salon is a discussion group founded in early 2009 by Michele Ledda and Paul Thomas, inspired by similar initiatives they had attended and, in particular, their participation in the Academy of Ideas sixth-form Debating Matters competition.The Salon organises public discussion around political, cultural and scientific issues, with the aim of challenging any orthodoxies along the way, defending and developing the legacy of the Enlightenment and, above all, providing a space where free speech can take place.Writers, academics and experts in their field are invited to present their ideas and to have them debated and held up to scrutiny by the audience. The Salons are lively, informal and open to all — but please let us know you intend to come along by e-mailing us at contact@leedssalon.org.uk.Leeds Salon also runs and helps organise debating competitions and debate training in schools and colleges in Leeds and beyond."The featured song on this episode is "The Boor" by the briliant (and excellently named) Priest of Beards.https://www.leedssalon.org.uk/https://twitter.com/theleedssalonhttps://priestofbeards.bandcamp.com/https://open.spotify.com/artist/3MhdwPGSnldHyA4aesNkRX?si=qh2VvQ2wTj-kTs__Zvx3dQ&utm_source=copy-linkhttps://twitter.com/priestofbeards?s=09https://www.facebook.com/priestofbeards/https://www.instagram.com/priestofbeards/

I had a great time chatting to Rebecca about Young Musicians for Social Justice, how they began, their ethos and what their plans are for the future:"Founded by a group of students at the University of Leeds, our mission is to mobilise young musicians for sustainable social justice solutions. We aim to establish a community of musicians who care about social justice, find creative ways to advocate for the relationship between music and social justice, and empower young musicians aged 18-25 to establish their own bespoke, grass-roots projects through events, networks and training. What do we mean by social justice? We have put together a comprehensive document which you can find here, however we want to allow space for our projects to be shaped by the people we work with. We are open for all musicians of different backgrounds, abilities and professions to join our community."Do listen along to their podcasts or access their Word Press link (below) to read more. The featured track on this episode is the brilliant "Half as Good" by Jumbo Chords.https://anchor.fm/ymsjhttps://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/young-musicians-for-social-justice/id1549687055https://www.facebook.com/Young-Musicians-for-Social-Justice-106275814663707/https://open.spotify.com/show/2qRVr9jEs7DgFRIFRQwc64https://twitter.com/ymsjukhttps://youngmusiciansforsocialjustice.wordpress.com/https://www.facebook.com/Jumbochords/https://soundcloud.com/user-659636309https://www.wharfchambers.org/

I had an illuminating chat with John Crouch all about Leeds Fencing Club.The club is about to celebrate it's 50th aniversary and is recruiting new members. The Club can cater for fencers of all abilities from the age of 12 years.It meets every Monday (except for the month of August and Public Holidays):Beginners                                  - 8:00 pm - 9:00 pmIntermediate & Advanced        - 8:00 pm - 10:00 pmThe club runs regular beginners courses for those new to the sport. There is group coaching available for intermediate fencers as well as individual coaching for intermediate and advanced fencers.The featured track on this episode is the wonderful "Free Now" by Thomas John.http://www.leedsfencing.co.uk/https://active.leeds.gov.uk/findacentre/kirkstallleisurecentrehttps://www.facebook.com/thomas.johnmusic.1

It was great fun chatting to Adam about Quantum Sauce and how it aims to break down barriers between university researchers and the public.Quantum Sauce is a blend of fascinating science facts that keep you curious - it's science meets stand up!The featured track is gorgeous -  "You Gotta Move" by Nick Cody and The HeartacheThe next event Is Dr Who and The Tardis:SCIENCE + ART + BEER = MIND EXPANSION!Thursday 18 NovemberDoors 7pm - Commences 8pmThree experts talk for 30mins each on:The Next Doctor: Regeneration, Reincarnation and Personal Identity Problems - Dr Mikel BurleyThe Impossible Planet: Planets, Stars, and What Happens when Gravity goes Wrong - Dr Adrian BarkerDaleks in Manhattan: Lost (and Found) in Translation - Dr Sara Ramos PintoTickets here:https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/quantum-sauce-doctor-in-the-tardis-tickets-162160218579 You can check out the Quantum Sauce social media and view past talks on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkNQIvvGlvXXYvPQDTlGQDAhttps://www.facebook.com/theconstitutionalhttps://twitter.com/quantum_sauce?lang=enhttps://twitter.com/FConstitutionalhttps://www.facebook.com/nickcodymusicprojects/https://www.nickcody.co.uk/

I spoke to Kim and Adam Strickson about the charity 6 Million Plus and the Friendship Through Puppets project they run.It was an illuminating and fascinating conversation.If you are available, do go along this weekend to their Weeping Sisters Parade (featuring 12 foot puppets!) this Saturday 6th November beginning at the Market Place in Dewsbury from 11am and the Batley Market Place at 2pm.Adam and Kim chose to feature the beautiful song "Sbrenica" by Bosnian musician Sanya Chin.https://www.6millionplus.org/https://www.facebook.com/6MillionPlushttps://twitter.com/6millionplushttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3P5--UHuY1QNI3IQuMKhKQ

Masato Jones was born in Saitama, near Tokyo, Japan and graduated from Central St Martins in Womenswear in 2009.  He is a designer, pattern cutter, tailor, tutor and artist.He tells me about his own label Masato, how he designed the costumes for Beverly Knight's 2011 tour and his wonderful shop in Thornton's Arcade.The featured track is the fantastic "Richard's Office" by the spectacular Leeds band Silverlode.Check out all their links below:https://www.masato.co.uk/https://twitter.com/masato_joneshttps://www.instagram.com/masatojones/?hl=enhttps://www.facebook.com/masatoboutique/Masato Limited 5 Thorntons Arcade, LEEDS, LS1 6LQTel 07799053329 http://www.silverlodeonline.co.uk/https://www.facebook.com/silverlodebandhttps://twitter.com/SilverlodeBandhttps://www.instagram.com/silverlodebandhttps://soundcloud.com/silverlodeband

Buy Nowt Ls6 believe that everyone can make an environmental difference by borrowing and not buying. This reduces the creation of waste and allows people to come together and share resources.The scheme was set up by Jed, Sarah, Lee, Mark and John.I had a great time chatting to Jed about the ethos of the scheme and how they got started.The group decided to feature the stunning track "Holly's Got a Ticket" by Peter Darling - a beautiful track with quite heart-breaking lyrics.https://buynowtls6.com/about/https://www.facebook.com/BuynowtLS6/https://twitter.com/buynowtls6https://www.peterdarlingmusic.com/https://www.facebook.com/PeterDarlingMusic/https://www.instagram.com/peterdarlingmusic/https://twitter.com/pdarlingmusichttps://soundcloud.com/peter-darlinghttps://open.spotify.com/artist/03D1pfPUZBDoL3OSg0JgG2?si=8fIV2rutT62sXP73wDtvHg