Sowerby Bridge Rushbearing

Some years ago I lived in the sprawling metropolis of Sowerby Bridge, which is high in the Pennines just the other side of Halifax. Yes Leodians, there is something on the other side of Halifax. Being in the Pennines the terrain is not exactly flat, in fact my house had three floors at the front…

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Leeds West Indian Carnival

The weather could not have been more Caribbean, with the thermometer hovering around 30c and the sunshine unbroken.  I have to admit that this is my first visit to what has become a National Institution.  In fact, I was speaking to a lovely family who had come from Nottingham especially. The start of the parade,…

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1,000 Handshakes

It’s a funny thing, a handshake, yet it’s used to signify so many different things. We shake hands to seal a deal, to congratulate an opponent who has just humiliated us at one game or another (smashed the living daylights out of us at rugby) when presenting or receiving a prize or when bumping into…

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Kirkgate Market Tour

Kirkgate Market holds a special place in the hearts of most Leeds residents, especially those of a certain age who were dragged there by their parents to do the weekend shopping. I was a weird kid in that I liked going with my dad to buy the stuff we needed for Saturday night dinner and…

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