Doves at Dovecote - Temple Newsam, Home Farm

This photo shows a view of a dovecote with doves at the Home Farm on the Temple Newsam estate near Leeds in Yorkshire.

I am not really a fan of pigeons, although my grandfather had homing pigeons during my childhood but I do really like doves like these white ones.

It is thought that the Romans introduced the dovecote into Britain and in medievil times only nobles had the right to build dovecotes. These days I doubt that many people have a dovecote in their garden as a source of food in the form of eggs and meat. I cannot ever recall my father returning from the garden with a brace of doves for my mother to cook. That may be partly because we only had a small dovecote with a few birds living in it and also more because we kept chickens. I have on occasion eaten pigeon but they were wood pigeons not the ones seen on streets in many cities.

Marks in Time Exhibition - Leeds, Yorkshire

The above photo shows a view inside the Marks in Time exhibition in the Parkinson Building, Leeds.

This picture shows a segment of a display showing clothes as worn by customers of Marks and Spencer since the store began divided into time periods.



In the above picture you can see an early Marks and Spencer cash till, it is very simple, being made of wood and has a selection of old pennies and half-pennies that you can use to try it out. I did try this till and liked playing with the old pennies it took my back to when we as children played shop with such simple things.

I have not seen or handled pennies or half-pennies in manny years. These old coins become obsolete after the UK changed to a new decimal system on February 15th 1971. With these old coims there were 240 pennies to the £ Pound and you could buy real things with them not like now when you can have a pocketful of loose change and be unable to buy much at all. I always laugh when I hear politicians going on about the £ in your pocket, as if it really was worth anything at all.

This year 2009 Marks and Spencer celebrated the 125th year of trading since it all started here in Leeds market.

Marks in Time Exhibition - Parkinson Building, Leeds

I had seen leaflets about an exhibition in Leeds on the subject of Marks and Spencer and never really thought of going and having a look.

The above photo shows the entrance to the Marks in Time Exhibition in the Parkinson Building at the University of Leeds. I had forgotten about the M&S exhibition but was in the Parkinson Building for something else, the University of Leeds Art Collection and Gallery. I had never been to the Leeds Uni gallery before despite being in and around Leeds for many years and was pleased to call in and have a look for myself.

Whilst in The Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery in the Parkison Building I was given a leaflet by a member of staff for the Marks in Time Exhibition only a few yards away

I have always been interested in social history and M&S as a company has been in our lives for so long that it is easy to take it for granted. As an employer and a retailer Marks and Spencer has been at the forefront of progressive employment practises and good customer relations.

As a boy I was often taken to M&S for new clothes by my mother and I as I write this today my shirt came from M&S and also my trousers too, by chance as I also shop elsewhere now that I have the choice.

It is easy to take the stores that we use for granted, I cannot think of anyone I spoke to about the demise of Woolworths here in the UK who was not sadened by the passing of Woolies. Marks and Spencer may lose its way from time to time like when I called in to buy some trousers and I could have any colour as long as that was black or grey.



In the above photograph can be seen Sophie who is a student at Leeds Uni with her friend Arthur also a student but at Liverpool. As you can see Sophie is raher taken with one of the exhibits, a steel helmet issued to M&S staff in WW2. In the picture between Sophie and Arthur is an outfit worn by staff in the 1920's.

Marks and Spencer started here in Leeds, Yorkshire but I guess not many people know that it nearly was Marks and Dewhirst rather than Spencer.

Old Broadcasting House - Leeds

Picture of Old Broadcasting House former home of the BBC in Leeds.

The building in the above photograph is the former home of the BBC in Leeds, Old Broadcasting House as it is now known.

The BBC had it home in Leeds here on Woodhouse Lane, Leeds until
2004 when they moved to a new broadcasting centre in St Peter's Square.

Today the old Broadcasting House is part of the Leeds Met (Leeds Metropolitan University), Broadcasting Place, home to the Faculty of Arts & Society which opened in the summer 2009.

Anyone who lives or works in Leeds will most likely know this already but Leeds Met has more students than any other University in Britain except the OU, with 41,215 students. Leeds Met has grown in size a lot since I was a student in the days when it was Leeds Polytechnic.

BBC Yorkshire, home to the studios of television and radio for the English region of Yorkshire on the BBC is now in St Peters Square, Leeds.

The View From Here

I was walking down to the rail station in Saltaire one morning last week to get the train into Leeds city centre and this is the view.

Now it is easy for me to take this view for granted, I can see this from my sitting room, indeed virtually this view.

When I first started this blog the first few pictures were of Saltaire. But now Saltaire has its own daily photo and I rarely post any pics of the village, but I could not resist this one.

Leeds Bin Strike Over 11 Weeks On

I took this photo weeks back in Armley, Leeds at the rear of an apartment block.

The bin worker strike in Leeds is over at long last after 11 weeks and although in Leeds city centre you could be excused for not noticing the effects you can see in the picture above that this was not the case in other parts of the city.

I was interested in the apartment building, previously it had been a local school and was adjacent to Charlie Cake park in Armley. So having my camera after the Make, Bake and Grow fete in the park I wandered over to the former school to get a closer look. Until I saw this scene of rubbish I did not think that the strike was too bad, I soon revised that wrong opinion.

Mouser - Farm Temple Newsam

On my visit to the Home Farm on the Temple Newsam estate near leeds last week I was in the barn looking for piglets when this farm cat wandered over.

This mouser was just curious and only stayed for a few seconds before strolling away and was not interested in my attempt to stroke him. I quickly took the above photograph before he left.

Piglets on the Move - Temple Newsam, Leeds

I was at the Temple Newsam estate Home Farm looking around since last I was here to see if there were any new animals.

The Home Farm on the Temple Newsam estate just outside Leeds is the largest working rare breeds farm in Europe. Because of this the livestock on the farm is mostly old fashoned breeds that are not in favour by the large commercial farms around the UK.

I saw this scene above where 3 piglets were being moved to a different area on the farmyard and in the container you can see two Middle White piglets and one Saddleback piglet. These two breeds of pig were once common here in the UK but are now quite rare on farms.

Farming is a lot less labour intensive these days thanks in part to the machinery available like the JCB tractor in the above picture being driven by a lady worker on the Home Farm.



You can get a better view of the piglets in the above photo showing them having safely arrived in their new home. You cannot see it in this picture but I noticed a football for them to play with, pigs being quite sociable animals. In this picture are 3 middle white and 2 saddleback piglets.

Chicken Running Free - Temple Newsam, Leeds

Whilst walking around the Home Farm on the Temple Newsam estate near Leeds in Yorkshire I spotted this chicken running around the yard.

This chicken in the photo will be a rare UK breed of chicken, because the animals kept on Home Farm are all rare breed livestock. However I have no idea what kind of chicken this is, I do know a few breeds but not this one. One thing I do know, this is how chickens should be kept, not in battery sheds.

Autumn Walk at Temple Newsam, Yorkshire

I took a couple of hours out and visited the Temple Newsam estate near Leeds.

If you live anywhere near Leeds the estate at Temple Newsam is well worth a visit for those who like walking in the fresh air with no traffic.

This is my first picture of autumn here in Yorkshire, taken whilst I was walking around the estate grounds after visiting the Home Farm on the Temple Newsam estate to see what news of the rare breed farm animals kept there.

I was pleased to see that there have been more piglets since last I visited, I have always liked pigs since I was a small boy living in the countryside. I will be posting photographs of various farm animals over the next few days on my Leeds daily photo blog.

The more observant of my regular visitors will note I have change the watermark on the above photograph. This new watermark is due to my having noticed 2 more websites using my images. Arrgghh!! The first time I noticed that someone had stolen my photographs I listed the various options about copyright and images on the web.

I can now tell you that Google have promptly deleted two pages on someones blog and I have no sympathy with them, every image, photograph on the blog belonged to someone else including South Shields daily photo and also my Leeds daily photo. I filled out the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) form and Google as owner of blogger did the rest. Thank you Blogger and Google.

I do not mind people using my images and indeed a Yorkshire charity asked this week if they could use one in return for a credit and I was pleased to say yes. But if people just take without asking this is copyright theft, then as far as I am concerned the DMCA request it is. Funny, Google warned me there might severe action against me if my claim was false but I knew I was on safe ground, the picture had my watermark on it!

Leeds Christmas Tree - City Square, Take 2

I was walking through City Square in Leeds city centre when I noticed men installing safety barriers and putting lights on the Christmas tree installed there and I thought thats odd they did this a while back.

The tree was erected in City Square, Leeds on 18th October and then chopped down on the 29th because of safety fears during a rally to be held in the city centre. So the 30ft £2,000 tree had to go.

I only discovered this when I asked a passer by whole explained the story, we both thought it was crazy. I must point out the the council say the tree in a smaller form will be redeployed elsewhere in the city.

The building that the Christmas tree stands in front of is the nice Victorian former post office that today houses a restaurant and also serviced apartments.

When I first started my Leeds in Yorkshire daily photo I really thought that I would struggle to get enough photographs and the stories behind the pictures to post one each day. This story shows me that I can have more than one bite of the cherry, I will catch the tree lit up with lights here in City Square, Leeds nearer to Christmas.

Victoria Bridge, Leeds in Yorkshire

Picture of Victoria Bridge, Leeds.

This photograph shows a view of the Victoria Bridge a handsome yellow stone bridge completed in 1839.

Named after the young Queen of England who had been monarch for 2 years when this fine bridge was opened. The name Victoria is inside a floral wreath on the keystone in the middle of the arch.

Victoria Bridge carries a road and footpaths over the river Aire adjacent to Granary Wharf and is close to Bridgewater Place, Leeds, the tallest building in Yorkshire.

Friendly Street, Thornton, Yorkshire

I was walking through the village of Thornton here in Yorkshire towards the ruined Bell Chapel that was once the church of Patrick Bronte when I saw the name of this small street.

I have no idea why it was called Friendly Street or even it it really is, there was no one around to ask. But I could not resist a quick photo of Friendly Street in Thornton.

Bronte Sisters Birthplace - Thornton, Yorkshire

The photo above is of a plaque on the wall of a very ordinary looking house in the village of Thornton here in Yorkshire. The house 74 Market Street, Thornton draws visitors from all around the world who come to this small Yorkshire village to look at the front of the house and read the plaque on the wall.

The plaque reads:

In this house were born the following members of the Bronte Family
Charlotte - 1816
Patrick Branwell - 1817
Emily Jane - 1818
Anne - 1820

When I say look at the house I mean just that, today 74 Market Street may have once been the home and birthplace of the three Bronte sisters Charlotte, Emily and Anne whose fame as writers is truly worldwide. This house is not a museum it is a private residence and was sold as such as recently as 2007, the sale was reported here on the BBC.

For a museum dedicated to the Bronte family visitors should travel to the famous Bronte Parsonage museum in the village of Haworth also here in Yorkshire.



Above is a view of the front of the house where the Bronte sisters were born in Thornton, Yorkshire. You can see the plaque dedicated to the three literary Bronte sisters and their brother Branwell.

Bell Chapel - Date Stones at Thornton in Yorkshire

These old cut stones marked and inscribed by stone masons are now built into a former window on a wall of the now ruined Bell Chapel, Thornton, Yorkshire

One stone says
This chappell was builded by (cut off) freemason in the yeare of our lorde 1612. I wonder why the name was defaced and cut off the stone?

The Bell Chapel at Thornton, Yorkshire is now famous, although in ruins and replaced by a new Victorian church because a former priest here was Patrick Bronte, father of the famous literary sisters Charlotte, Emily and Anne also their brother Branwell.



You can see the date sones in the wall on the photo above.

Emily Bronte (30 July 1818 – 19 December 1848) was born in the village of Thornton, Yorkshire and wrote one novel Wuthering Heights published in 1847 under the pseudonym Ellis Bell, and a posthumous second edition was edited by her sister Charlotte.

I am lucky, I can walk from where I live across the countryside and up onto the moors above the village of Haworth to where a ruined farmhouse whose location is believed to be the inspiration for the Wuthering Heights farmhouse lies.

Wuthering is a Yorshire word for turbulent weather, Wuthering Heights was written when the Bronte family lived at the now famous Bronte Parsonage at Haworth, Yorkshire

Bronte Bell Chapel Cupola - Thornton, Yorkshire

This photo shows a view of the Cupola from the Bell Chapel in the village of Thornton here in Yorkshire.

The Thornton Bell Chapel is famous because it was here that Patrick Bronte preached and his daughters the writers Charlotte, Emily and Anne Bronte and their brother Branwell Bronte were born at the family home 74 Market Street, Thornton.

On the right of this picture you can see the new church, built after Patrick Bronte left Thornton to take up his post as Perpetual Curate in the village of Haworth also here in Yorkshire in April 1820.

Black Prince Statue - City Square, Leeds, Yorkshire

Picture of Black Prince Statue Leeds.

This photo shows a view of perhaps the most well known public statue in the city of Leeds, Yorkshire that of the Black Prince that stands on a tall pedestal in City Square.

I posted a different view of this statue around a month after I started my Leeds in Yorkshire daily photo blog.

I have taken a different photograph of the statue from a higher perspective and also closer too and then removed the clutter of bits of srrounding buildings in photoshop. I am no wiz at photoshop and this is perhaps the most complicated picture I have done so far using the software but I do think that this excellent statue deserves to be seen for what it is.

He often has pigeons sat on him, an imposition that the real Black Prince never had to bear. The large pedestal that the Prince mounted on a horse a wearing armour stands is of interest in itself having on either side a bronze frieze depicting a battle and on each corner is the head of a ferocious beast.

You can find out more about this historic figure from British history and this statue of the Black Prince in City Square, Leeds.

Children In Need Fundraising - Leeds, Yorkshire

I was in the city centre walking away from the reception at the Civic Hall, Leeds following the Remembrance Sunday ceremony when I chanced upon these girls.

The two young women in the above photo are Stacey and Zoe and yes they have their PJ's on. Stacey, Zoe and a group of family and friends, all girls were walking from their home at Armley to Leeds city centre to raise money for this years Children In Need appeal.

The pajama gils were sitting at a bar on Millenium Square, Leeds adjacent to the Civic Hall having walked into town from Armley and were later going to walk back to Armley when I noticed them. Too good to miss I asked if they would pose for my Leeds in Yorkshire daily photo and this picture is the result.

Children in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million.

Each year the BBC sets aside one evening on the BBC One channel devoting the entire evening to a telefon devoted to raising money for this very worthwhile cause. The BBC regions provide quite a lot of the footage shown each year including the BBC here in Leeds.

This year the Children in Need evening is Friday 20th November and I try to tune in to watch the show it is usually great fun.

The mascot for Children in Need is Pudsey Bear, named after the home town here near Leeds of the woman who designed him. I will try to get Pudsey to pose for my blog over the next week or so.

Coldstream Guards - Leeds, Yorkshire

Walking down Briggate in the heart of the city of Leeds I spotted these two chaps, despite the camoflage of the uniform and thought I would see what they were about.

These two soldiers are from the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards. The regiment formally known as Her Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards and it is the oldest regiment in the British regular army in continous active service. Being founded in Coldstream, Scotland in 1650. The Coldstream Guards have as their motto Nulli Secundus (Second to None).

I looked through the battle honours and there is a long list (117) of many famous battles that the Coldstream Guards were active in including Salamanca, Waterloo, Ypres, Passchendaele, Tobruk, Salerno and more recently The Gulf. My grandfather was at Passchendaele in World War 1 and I encountered members of the Coldstream Guards during my military service.

After WW1 the King George V granted that ordinary soldiers of the regiment be designated as Guardsman in recognition of the service given in the war.

These two soldiers in the picture are Guardsman Michael Rendell and LCpl James Miller and they were in Leeds looking for donations as part of the regiments wristband awareness campaign. SUPPORT the Coldstream Guards in Afghanistan!

There is an excellent unofficial Coldstream Guards website where you can find out lots of information about the regiment past and present and the wristband campaign.

Yes I was pleased to make a donation and wear the wristband our armed services need all the help and support they can get.

On a totally different note my pictures tomorrow will feature a famous Yorkshire resident... Pudsey Bear.

The Last Post - Leeds City War Memorial

Today the 11th November is Remembrance Day, also known as Poppy Day, Armistice Day and in the US Veterans Day. At 11 am a 2 minute silence is observed by many people here in the UK. Hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice.

This soldier in the picture is Rifleman Daniel Render of 5th Battalion The Rifles and I photographed him a little while after he played the Last Post on his bugle at the Leeds city Remembrance Sunday ceremony here at the War Memorial in Victoria Gardens in Leeds city centre.

The Last Post is here in the UK played at military funerals and also at the start of the two minute silence. In the US a similar tune played on a lone bugle is Taps.

I have been rather disappointed to note that few young people here in Leeds and nearby wear a poppy in the week or so in the run up to today. Perhaps they think all this is of no relevance to them or their peers. I beg to differ, my grandfather was at the Battle of Passchendaele also known as the Third Battle of Ypres in 1917. My uncle was at Arnhem as part of operation Market Garden in 1944. The men, mostly involved in these and many other battles who did not come back are still well within living memory.

Also and more importantly, men and women who are our sons, brothers, fathers, cousins and friends are putting their lives at risk in our name daily in foreign lands. The medal that RFN Daniel Render wears on his chest is the Iraq Medal issued to personnel who served during that campaign.

I live in a village not far from Leeds and this summer there was a military funeral for a young man, a soldier who gave his life in Afghanistan at the age of 22, here in my home village. I did not know him but a young man I know knew him well and I was very surprised to see this young man wearing a suit and tie. I did not realise he had a suit or a tie, but his friend died in a far off land.

Remembrance - Leeds City War Memorial

I took the photo above in Victoria Gardens at the War Memorial in Leeds city centre on Remembrance Sunday a while after the crowds had left. This young woman was reading the words on the wreaths laid at the foot of the memorial only a couple of hours earlier.

A short while after I took this picture she met up with a couple of friends and I heard her say that it brought tears to her eyes. So many young men, left their friends and loved ones and journeyed to places they had perhaps not heard of.... Only to perhaps find their own personal war memorial like this Yorkshire soldier.

In the above I say young men, because thats what they were and that mostly holds true today. Yes there are women in the armed services and I was proud to serve with them but the vast majority of the names on these memorials are young men.

Remembrance Sunday - Leeds, Yorkshire

This picture of a young soldier standing guard at the War Memorial in Victoria Gardens here in the city of Leeds, Yorkshire. He was on duty as part of the ceremony to commemorate Remembrance Sunday and in the background of the photo you can see some of the wreaths left at the foot of the memorial.




In the above picture you can see part of the parade by members of the armed forces in Victoria Gardens in front of the Leeds War Memorial.

The day here in Leeds was dull and overcast but I did get to have a look inside the Civic Hall, Leeds and there will be pictures from there over the next few days.

In all the years I have lived and worked here in the city of Leeds I never knew that this area had a name even though I walk across it many times each month and several of the photos on my Leeds in Yorkshire daily photo have been taken from here. So now I know, the area between The Headrow and the Leeds city art gallery is Victoria Gardens.

War Memorial, Canalside Near Bradley, Yorkshire

Today here in the UK it is Remembrance Sunday, the closest Sunday to the 11th November (Remembrance Day) and all over the nation people will gather for ceremonies at local war memorials in most cities, towns and villages. Poppies in the shape of wreaths will be laid and 2 minutes silence will be held at 11 am. I will attend the Leeds city Remembrance Sunday ceremony tomorrow Sunday 8th Nov.

My photographs today are an act of remembrance to the 7 Polish airmen who are commemorated on this memorial on the canalside near Bradley on the Leeds - Liverpool canal here in Yorkshire. These young men were the crew of a Royal Air Force Vickers Wellington Mk XI bomber, HZ251 on a routine training mission who took off on September 23, 1943 the plane crashing adjacent to the canal some time later that day. The were no survivors of the crash, all 7 members of the crew died.



This memorial in the above picture made of stone was built by craftsmen from British Waterways and was unveiled at a ceremony on 22 April 2007 attended by Senior RAF people and relatives of the crew. The altimeter of the stricken plane was built into the memorial.

The crew who died in the crash were Flight Lt Josef Wolnik, 31; the pilot, Flight Sgt Franciszek Ciaston, 27; Flight Sgt Wladyslaw Ostrowski, 27; Sgt Boleslaw Jozef Swieca, 28; Sgt Boleslaw Rychel, 21; Sgt Jan Czyzewski, 23; and Sgt Abram Kawenocki, 22.

Flight Lt Jozef Wolnik at 31 was the veteran member of the crew and also the oldest onboard. He had completed 47 combat operations and received the Virtuti Militari, which is the highest Polish military decoration. Jozef went to an RAF training base and met a young nurse Josephine and later married her, less than a month later Josephine was a widow.

Josephine was 84 years of age at the unveiling of the memorial to her first husband and his comrades.

Joseph and his crew may have died in World War 2 but I know that they live on in the hearts and minds of the many walkers that pass by this beautiful place here in Yorkshire.

There is a small marker some distance away adjacent to the canal towpath marking the spot where the plane crashed.

Bell Chapel, Thornton - Patrick Bronte Preached Here

On my way back from Halifax I stopped off at the village of Thornton here in Yorkshire. Thornton today is best known because of the building, now a ruin shown in the above photograph, which shows a wall of St James' Church, Thornton. This old derelict church being known locally as the Bell Chapel.

It was to St James' Church, Thornton that Patrick Bronte came as a curate in 1815 bringing with him a wife Maria and 1 daughter Maria. Here in Thornton were born the literary sisters Charlotte Bronte (1816–1855), Emily Bronte(1818–1848) and Anne Bronte (1820–1849), and their brother Patrick Branwell Bronte(1817–1848). These four children were born at the Bronte family home of 74, Market Street, Thornton and all were baptised in the Bell Chapel, Thornton.

In the picture in the distance you can see the new church, although in this case new means it was built in the 1870's so the Rev Patrick Bronte would never have seen this church. Patrick Bronte was offered the Perpetual Curacy of Haworth in June 1819, and moved his family to the now famous Haworth parsonage in April 1820.

I photographed the house that is the birthplace of the Bronte sisters in Thornton village, Yorkshire and will post that picture shortly on my Leeds in Yorkshire daily photo blog.

Captain Lawrence Titus Oates - Memorial in Meanwood,Leeds

I was surprised to discover a memorial plaque on the wall of the Leeds parish church to Captain Lawrence Oates. Having taken a photo of the memorial and done a story about Captain Oates on my Leeds daily photo I then discovered that there was also a memorial at a church in Meanwood, Leeds.

This photo shows a memorial to Captain Oates of the Scott Terra Nova expedition it is on a post on Memorial Drive adjacent to the War Memorial to the men of Meanwood, Leeds who died serving in World War 1.

The memorial reads...

 "Lawrence Edward Grace Oates
of Meanwoodside in this parish
1880 - 1912
Captain 6th Inniskilling Dragoons
served with distinction in the South
African War. In 1912 he reached
the South Pole with Captain Scott
and on the return journey hoping
to save his companions went out
from them to die. His body lies lost
in the Antarctic snows.
His name is
here by his fellow villages recorded.

                                                             A very gallant gentleman."

This memorial to a remarkable soldier, explorer and man tells in a few words all that really needs to be remembered about Lawrence "Titus" Oates also known as Soldier.

You can see a picture of the memorial plaque at Leeds Parish Church and read more about Captain Oates once of Leeds on my Leeds daily photo blog.

This photo is my first experiment with a photo that is not colour on the Leeds in Yorkshire daily photo, I thought it might look good in sepia. What do you think?

Far From Home - Gianpaolo and Jeffrey, Bradford, Yorkshire

I got talking with the two young men in this picture whilst I was walking towards Waterstones bookshop in Bradford city centre.

I am always pleased to chat with the young men and women from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on a mission here in Yorkshire. Whilst I doubt that I will ever be convinced to join them, I do have a little faith and I cannot but admire these young people, who are far from home and doing something that they believe in.

Here we have Elder Hanson, Jeffrey from Salt Lake City, Utah and Elder Vitulano, Gianpaolo from Castellammare di Stabia near Sorrento in the bay of Naples, Italy. I spoke with Gianpaolo about his work on the mission and a little about his home life in Italy.

On this day it was cold and damp but Gianpaolo was cheerful considering his home is in sunny Italy. The building that is behind them in this photo is the victorian town hall of the city of Bradford here in Yorkshire.

Leeds International Film Festival - Hyde Park Picture House

Today the 23rd Leeds International Film Festival opens here in the city of Leeds, Yorkshire. My picture today is a view of the Hyde Park Picture House, Leeds this cinema is one of the venues of the festival which runs from 4 Nov - 22 Nov.

The Hyde Park Picture House is one of the few remaining picture palaces and was built originally as a hotel and converted to a cinema in 1914 opening for business shortly after the outbreak of WW1. The cinema has many of the original features and is today the only gas lit cinema here in the UK and is listed as a Grade II listed building.

The area of Leeds that the cinema is in has a large student population and indeed I used to go to see films here at the Hyde Park Picture House whilst I was a student here in Leeds. I rarely go to this historic cinema these days but when I dropped by to take the photograph above I was pleased that Leeds city council stepped in to save this cinema from closure in 1989.

Andrew Balmforth - Jousting, Royal Armouries Museum at Leeds

Picture of Andrew Balmforth as a Knight Leeds Royal Armouries.

This photograph shows Knight Andrew Balmforth waving to the crowd during the Queen's Golden Jubilee International Joust held at the Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds a few weeks back.

I have featured Andrew on my blog before mostly because he is the only knight I know to talk to and he is happy to be photographed at work....  Andrew is also a nice guy.

I was lucky to be able to attend the Queen's Golden Jubilee International Joust as a guest of the Royal Armouries here in Leeds and I will be posting more pictures of the jousting over the next few days here on my Leeds in Yorkshire daily photo.

If you live anywhere within travelling distance of the tiltyard at the Royal Armouries Museum here in Leeds I would recommend attending a joust.

Bridgewater Place, Leeds - Night View

The other evening I walked around Leeds city centre after dark with my tripod to get some night time pictures of buildings and places. I was asked to photograph a couple of different people whilst I was walking across the city.

Here you can see one of the photos I took of Amy and David in Leeds

The photo above shows a night time view of the tallest building not just in Leeds but in Yorkshire also, Bridgewater Place. I photographed a similar view of this area around Bridgewater Place, Leeds but in daylight recently for my Leeds in Yorkshire daily photo.

A Toast to Amy and David - Leeds

I was walking around the city centre of Leeds here in Yorkshire one evening a few days back with my camera and asked twice by different people to take their photograph.

I was really out in Leeds with my tripod to get some night time pictures of some of the buildings and areas of the city. I have and can take photos of people but was neither equiped nor expecting to do so this night.

I was asked by the young man in the photo above if I would mind taking a picture of him and his future wife as they were celebrating just getting engaged to be married. I really could not say no, so here are Amy and David and I wish them both every happiness.

David and Amy are pictured at the City Inn Hotel on Granary Wharf, Leeds.

I will be posting more pictures of Leeds city centre at night over the next few days here on my Leeds daily photo blog.