Woodhouse Moor Online

THE RADICAL HISTORY OF WOODHOUSE MOOR

Filed under: History — Bill @ 9:21 pm

DEPUTATION TO COUNCIL

Filed under: NGT — Bill @ 9:39 pm

sw but or swiss built h Photo courtesy of Yorkshire Post Newspapers

This afternoon, a deputation from the Friends of Woodhouse Moor addressed Leeds City Council and said that whilst they would prefer that the trolleybus scheme were scrapped, if councillors are determined to go ahead with it, despite the expressed wishes of so many local people, then would they please choose the second option being offered by the NGT team, the one that leaves Monument Moor intact, and which does not encroach on the broad grass verges and York stone pavements which border the A660 where it crosses the Moor. Here is the text of the speech that was given to the councillors:

Whether they live in the countryside or the city centre, the outer suburbs or the inner city, human beings have the same fundamental need for green space. This is one of the reasons why recently, councillors worked so hard to provide the city centre with its own park-like area on Sovereign Street. It’s also one of the reasons people are so concerned about changes taking place which could result in loss of the green belt.

Your concerns about the need for a city centre park, and people’s worries about loss of the green belt, are understandable, and shared by everyone who cares for the environment and the green space needs of their fellow human beings.

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THE CENTRAL EVENTS TEAM HAVE TURNED THE MOOR INTO A BOG

Filed under: Drainage — Bill @ 7:44 pm

Until a few years ago, it used to be possible to play football all year round on the broad stretch of grass that lies between the Victoria Memorial and the bowling greens. But in recent years, the land has become very marshy, especially in the Winter making it difficult for people to walk on without their shoes becoming covered in thick mud.

The problem has suddenly become very much worse since work carried out two weeks ago to prepare the area for the annual bonfire staged by the council’s Central Events Team.

The area is now covered with pools of water – something never been seen before in living memory.

The problem has been caused by the Central Events Team bringing heavy vehicles onto the Moor so that they can put down the heavy metal barriers needed to hold back the crowds from the bonfire.

These vehicles have damaged the drainage pipes that were laid down at considerable expense after the Moor was purchased in 1857.

Prior to the laying of those pipes, the Moor was a a real moor, with large unusable marshy areas. The reason it was so boggy is because there are several springs beneath the ground.

On a quiet day after rain, if you stand on the grass that slopes down towards Hyde Park Road, you can hear the water running through the drainage pipes that lie beneath the ground.

Given the council’s current lack of funds, it seems unlikely that the damage to the drainage system will be repaired in the foreseeable future.

WOODHOUSE MOOR RETROSPECTIVE AT UNITY DAY

Filed under: Events — Bill @ 8:09 pm

Visitors to the Swarthmore tent at today’s Unity Day event, were treated to a display by Bryony Lawless of interesting information from the Moor’s past. There were images showing what the Moor looked like in Edwardian times, some showing features which have since been removed, such as the bandstand, water fountain with clock, and stone lion. Bryony’s display also included a large map which made it easy to see where each of these now missing features had been located.

Congratulations and thanks to Bryony for creating what for me was the highlight of this year’s Unity Day.

LAUNCH OF WOODHOUSE MOOR TARDIS ON TWITTER

Filed under: History — Bill @ 8:13 pm

Bryony Lawless has launched Woodhouse Moor Tardis on Twitter so people can quickly and easily exchange information about the Moor and its history.

If you know anything interesting, why not let us all know by tweeting the information on Bryony’s site.

GARDENERS FROM PARKS AND COUNTRYSIDE CREATE ANOTHER DAZZLING FLORAL DISPLAY BESIDE THE VICTORIA MEMORIAL

Filed under: General — Bill @ 8:17 pm

Gardeners from Parks and Countryside were hard at work today creating yet another dazzling floral display in the flower beds around the Victoria Memorial. This morning, the beds were empty, but by lunchtime, they looked like this:

The gardeners are seen here carrying out the back-breaking work of putting in the summer bedding plants:

An ornamental flower garden has existed in this location since the early 1880s. Prior to the relocation of the Victoria Memorial from the city centre in 1937, the garden was known as the Adam and Eve Garden, after two statues nicknamed “Adam” and “Eve.” The picture below shows the garden in Edwardian times.

THIN YELLOW LINE

Filed under: ParksWatch — Bill @ 5:14 pm

Pictured below are two officers from ParksWatch. It’s thanks to their hard work, and the work of their fellow officers, that Woodhouse Moor is now once again a place that can be enjoyed by ordinary law-abiding citizens.

The officers of ParksWatch are the thin yellow line that prevents Woodhouse Moor from returning to the state of anarchy that existed prior to 2010.

COUNCILLOR MARK DOBSON CALLS FOR THE LITTER LOUTS TO BE FINED

Filed under: ASB — Bill @ 3:48 pm

The current spell of hot weather has attracted the litter louts back onto the Moor. These are the people who in the main, don’t pay council tax, and who by their anti-social activities and abundant leisure time, turn the Moor into a no-go area for the people who do pay council tax, and who have to pay for all the litter to be cleared up.

Yesterday, local councillor Gerry Harper called for the litter louts to be fined. Today Councillor Mark Dobson added his voice to Councillor Harper’s. In an article in today’s Yorkshire Evening Post, it was announced that Councillor Dobson is to have talks with the police about the introduction of fines.

Given the recent upsurge in anti-social behaviour on the Moor, and the defiant stance taken by some of the perpetrators towards the officers of ParksWatch, Councillor Dobson’s intervention is greatly to be welcomed.

CINDER MOOR PLAYS HOST TO CIRCUS VEGAS

Filed under: Events — Bill @ 4:32 pm

Circus Vegas is the latest in a long line of circuses to pitch their tent on Cinder Moor, the part of Woodhouse Moor which traditionally hosts such events. The circus will be on Cinder Moor from Friday the 25th May until Sunday the 10th June.

106TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE OPENING OF THE BOWLING GREENS

Filed under: Bowling Greens — Bill @ 10:30 pm

The first of the bowling greens was opened a hundred and six years ago today. Below is a Yorkshire Evening Post drawing showing the entrance to the new bowling green as it appeared at the time of the opening in 1906:

And here is a photograph showing the same entrance as it appears today. Not very much has changed.

Accounts of the opening appeared in all the local papers. Here is the account that appeared in the Yorkshire Daily Observer on the 15th May 1906.

A LEEDS NEW MUNICIPAL BOWLING GREEN

The new municipal bowling green on Woodhouse Moor, Leeds, was opened last night by the Lord Mayor (Mr. E. Woodhouse), who was accompanied by Miss Woodhouse. The green, which is situated between the fountain and Moorland Road, is about 40 yds. square, and is surrounded by rustic railings and by shrubs. A rustic pavilion has been erected, and the whole has a very pleasing effect. The work of laying the green out was commenced in 1904, and provided occupation for fifty or sixty men for a considerable time. The charge to each player for using the green will be a penny an hour.

Mr H. B. James, (chairman of the Property Committee), presided at the opening ceremony, and said that they had there a bowling green which they believed to be the best in Leeds. The chairman caused some amusement by mentioning that it was the body known as the “Woodhouse Parliament” that had pressed the Corporation to lay out the green, which had been the means of providing work for a number of the unemployed at a time of great need.

The Lord Mayor, in performing the opening ceremony, mentioned that he was an old bowler himself. He referred to the fame of Yorkshire as a bowling county, and said he hoped the residents of the district would appreciate the green and use it. A vote of thanks was passed to the Lord Mayor, on the proposition of Alderman Hepton, seconded by Mr. W. Marston, and the chairman was also accorded a vote of thanks. Subsequently an exhibition game was played on the green by teams composed of well-known local bowlers.

After the opening, the band of the Leeds Engineers played selections of music.