Stan Graham's Leisure Guide for North and West Yorkshire
Just because Glastonbury is lying fallow this year, it doesn’t mean that there are no get togethers available. In fact, odd as it sounds, this year’s Leeds International African Arts Festival could be just the right alternative. There is music, dance, food and, should the weather turn wet, there are even muddy fields to wallow…
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It’s not often that I spend a Tuesday tea time dancing to the beat of two African drummers, in fact I can’t remember it ever happening before, but this event was to change that. I was at the amazing Hyde Park Picture House for the launch of the 2025 Leeds International African Arts Festival, but…
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The problem with jokes, unlike music, is that they are great to hear once, but the more they are repeated the more irritating they become. Having this concert on May the Fourth did nothing to change my mind on that, but it did allow me to indulge in a totally unscientific and subjective experiment. I…
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Back in July I was invited to the World Premiere of the new blockbuster movie, The Story of Waddingtons. OK so it wasn’t at the Odeon Leicester Square and I wasn’t hounded by the paparazzi all evening, which was a pleasant change as I’m sick of having photographers pestering me to get out of the…
Read MoreAfter a break in proceedings during the summer, the amazing Howard Assembly Room, or, as I like to call it, home, is back with its usual mix of all kinds of music and special events. The season kicks off on Friday, 8th September with Resonance Showcase which will give an opportunity for performers supported through…
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I have just had a look on the web and found that there are only about half a dozen cinemas left in Leeds. When I was a kid in the fifties and sixties there were more than that within walking distance of our slum in Cross Green. Every Wednesday my mum would take me to…
Read MoreThis year there is lots going on under the Opera North banner. The big operas staged in the Grand Theatre have mostly moved on to other venues but there is still one to come. Howard Assembly Room, however, is packed with great stuff. The final opera of the current season will be staged at Leeds…
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Tyke It To The Limit 