Tourists all over the world look for different places of interest. Some people like historical places, some search for sports resorts especially golf, some look for pure entertainment and some move on business pursuits. There are, however, certain spots on the globe that provide a combination of all these. One of the eight core cities in England, Leeds promises to provide a combination of all the requirements of a tourist. Leeds has an area of 570 square kilometres and a temperate climate, although tourists from certain parts of the world may find it a little chilly!

In terms of tourism, Leeds is considered to be one of the most favoured cities in England. There are numerous spots to be visited. A number of exciting events are there for all sorts of people to enjoy. Shopping is a visitor’s delight here. On the other hand there are a number of historical places of interest that would attract any category of visitors who, once experiencing the delight, will certainly come back. There are museums, gardens, country houses and historic buildings. Tours can be made on one’s own or may be guided. The city tourism and the county tourism departments take care of all the requirements you might have

Tastes of tourists differ on the type of location they stay in and type of journey they undertake. Some like faster traveling by car, some like guided travel by bus, some prefer trains while others enjoy to cruise. There are a number of tourists who also enjoy trekking and enjoyment of nature using the older travelling modes like the horse, and all of these facilities are available in Leeds. That is the reason why Leeds entertains thousands of visitors every year. Leeds is quite efficient in entertaining them, providing every type of facility and entertainment. The Leeds Bradford International Airport provides links throughout the world and Leeds has got an extensive and well linked road and rail transport system. One most fascinating experience would be travelling on the Bolton Abbey Steam Railway that provides a scenic journey to the Yorkshire Dales.

Throughout the city there are several information outlets, providing information to tourists. The information includes everything that a tourist would look for such as tourist attractions, landmarks, restaurants, travel, sightseeing, transportations and maps for moving from place to place. A lot of information regarding accommodation is also provided in these information outlets, some of which are official information centres.

There are a number of very good, affordable and customer friendly hotels in Central Leeds as well as in the outlying districts. You can see why Leeds has become an absolutely enchanting destination for visitors! You can book a luxury hotel, a middle of the road hotel as well as cheap hotel and lodgings here. There are several inns and travel lodges on the outskirts of the city. You will also find a number of self-catering apartments and a few campsites are there for those who like adventurous travels. You will definitely find accommodation that will fit your budget and requirements.

A vast number of historical places and monuments are available all around Leeds for tourists who are interested in history and archeology. The Leeds City Square is the symbol of all the ancient glories the city once had. It is surrounded by a host of ancient buildings that take you down memory lane. The Leeds waterfront is, on the other hand, a place that has been converted with apt remodelling into a place of repose for tourists and diners who love to spend the evening hours there. In the city centre stands the Leeds Millennium Square. It is so vast that it can accommodate around twenty thousand people. The beautiful Nelson Mandela Gardens is situated inside the Millennium Square. Those who love fashion and design may visit the Victoria Quarter. There are quite a large number of fashion design shops there.

The places which we’ve mentioned above are some of the main attractions of Leeds. But there are more. For avid tourists there are a number of secondary attractions like the Leeds Tropical World. A main attraction for plant lovers, it contains one of the largest collections of tropical plants in the UK. Close by there’s the Lightwater Valley Country Theme Park. People love rollercoasters here! Spectacular gardens and seasonal events mark the existence of Harewood House; an 18th century manor house marvelled at by tourists for its grandeur. The Royal Armories is one of the most important modern landmarks in Leeds history. It has a vast collection of divergent military weapons and instruments. Temple Newsam is a historic mansion house with beautiful paintings, picturesque gardens, parks and natural surroundings.

The summer concerts at Temple Newsam are something to enjoy while the festival of Leeds is a musical bonanza among the world’s top events, witnessed by thousands of people in the last week of August every year. Leeds Sunday Funday is a popular event for the children. It has entertainment, puppet shows, face painting, musical and stage shows.

No reference to Leeds tourism is complete without a reference to its awesome and excellent museums. Leading museums in Leeds include the Thackray Medical Museum depicting the history of evolution of surgery throughout the ages, the 18th Century Bronte Parsonage Museum, the National museum of Photography, Film, and Television, the Ilkley Manor House and Museum, and the Eureka Museum for children.

Leeds has something to offer for every type of tourist from every country. It also offers a number of sporting events especially cricket, football and rugby. The Leeds cricket field was one of the most favored of Sir Don Bradman, the legendary Australian Batsman. A tourist interested in sports and sporting events will not be disappointed and any tourist, whether a sports lover or not, will take back home some fond memories after visiting this premier tourist city of England.

Article by Susan Ashby of Leeds Singles. To read more articles like this or for dating in Leeds visit http://www.leeds-singles.co.uk

Snowy shots of Ilkley filmed in January 2010 the worst snow for 30 years – made with camera footage from WMG NEWS Wharfedale Media Group www.wharfedalemediagroup.co.uk
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Bradford is a large northern city, with a long and documented history, and a population of almost 300,000 people.

Numerous important historical buildings and monuments, including mills and factories and one of only two World Heritage Sites in Yorkshire, make the city a first choice of many history-seekers and the city never fails to reward the effort! Bradford is also home to the most visited museum outside of London.

The vibrant cultural life in Bradford, and award-winning restaurants, make the city an ideal destination for a relaxing evening out or weekend away; but the city also boasts a lively nightlife and music scene for those seeking entertainment a little more adventurous!

Like many other areas in the region, millions of pounds are pouring in for regeneration and the city offers an exciting up-and-coming feel.

History

Bradford was granted city status at the end of the nineteenth century, but its history is documented back to the thirteenth century. Bradford formed an important manufacturing area during the Industrial Revolution, but suffered the collapse of the manufacturing industry during the twentieth century. There have been signs of improvement over the last twenty years, but the rate of unemployment remains below the national average.

The National Media Museum is the most visited museum outside of London, exploring developments in photography, film and television, and housing the largest cinema screen in the world.

The Industrial Museum is based in an eighteenth century mill, and houses artefacts exploring the area’s manufacturing past.

The nineteenth century village of Saltaire was built to house the local mill workforce, and is one of only two World Heritage Sites in Yorkshire.

Art Galleries

Bradford has numerous galleries including Cartwright Hall with comprises four separate galleries, displaying British works of art from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and a selection of South Asian arts and crafts.

Salts Mill is a shopping and arts complex, located in a converted Victorian mill in the village of Saltaire. There are four galleries in the complex, including David Hockney Gallery, a gallery exploring the area’s heritage and a third displaying operatic costumes and masks.

The Manor House, in Ilkley, and the Arts Centre, in Bingley, host a range of temporary exhibitions.

Theatres

The Alhambra Theatre is Bradford’s sole large-scale theatre, and housed in an impressive Victorian building. The theatre regularly hosts large-scale touring productions, including West End plays and performances by the Royal Shakespeare Company.

The Alhambra Studio is located next door, and stages small-scale performances.

The Bradford Theatre-in-the-Mill is adjacent to the university campus, and offers small-scale productions, and drama and technical workshops.

Theatres specialising in musicals and concerts include St George’s Hall, The Tamsin Little Music Centre and The Little Priestley.

Restaurants

Amongst Bradford’s award-winning restaurants is Weaver’s. The restaurant comes highly recommended by Good Food Guide, AA, Michelin and Hardens, and serves traditional and contemporary British cuisine.

Bradford’s ‘Curry Mile’ is home to more than twenty Indian and Asian-influenced restaurants, of which, The Kashmir is widely regarded as the best by customers, and Mumtaz Paan House is recommended by Good Food Guide. Kipling’s Indian restaurant was awarded the ‘Best in Britain Award’ by a customer vote.

Chino Thai serves Chinese and Thai dishes in an up-market environment, and offers seating for 100 people.

Pubs/Bars

CAMRA recommends numerous Bradford pubs in the city, and named The Junction ‘Pub of the Year’ in 2006. Other contenders were Haigy’s and Fighting Cock.

Brewery Tap is a rock pub that presents live acts two or three times each week, offers a free jukebox and various drinks offers. Bradford’s longest serving music venue also comprises a poolroom and beer garden.

Fubar is a cocktail bar and tapas restaurant, boasting a vast selection of cocktails, wines, liqueurs and beers, with a chic and stylish interior that belie its low prices.

The Sun Hotel is one of Bradford’s most popular gay bars, and features regular DJs, drag acts and pub quizzes. There is a lounge area, pool and games room, secluded beer garden and rooms to rent upstairs.

Nightclubs

Rio is a rock club and live music venue, one of many Bradford nightclubs, open three nights a week and presenting a selection from 80s and punk to indie and goth. Admission is free before 9:30pm and drinks are cheap.

Run by the owners of The Sun Hotel, Club Life is a very popular gay club, offering the best of sing-along classics and ‘cheesy pop’. Admission is free on Thursdays, and a variety of DJs perform on Fridays.

Lingards is a house, speed garage and techno complex, comprising a pre-club bar, Ascension nightclub and Subterranea nightclub. There are club nights at the complex twice a week.

The Love Apple is another complex; this one comprising a cafe, bar, nightclub and art exhibition space. The club specialises in non-mainstream music, and hosts live music performances.

Shopping

The Kirkgate Shopping Centre is home to 65 shops and a large market on its top floor. There are 550 parking spaces, and the centre is easily accessible in the city centre. It is open every day.

The Oastler Shopping Centre is a market in the city centre, comprising 80 stalls and shops and trading in fresh fish, meat, fruit and vegetables. There are also cafes and markets. St James Wholesale Market is located out of the city centre, and is the place to find exotic food produce.

Salts Mill is a converted Victorian mill, now a shopping and arts development. The development is home to numerous shops trading in unusual goods, a cafe, a diner and four art galleries.

Sports

The Richard Dunn Sports Centre is the largest of forty leisure centres in the city, and comprises a 25-metre pool and leisure pool activities for children, a gym, and a sauna, a solarium and squash courts. The centre is open every day.

The city university offers an impressive range of sporting facilities over three venues. The Sports Centre houses most of the facilities, the Laisteridge Lane site is home to squash, football and hockey courts/pitches, and the Woodhall Sports Ground provides sites for football, rugby and cricket.

There are forty golf courses in Bradford; including Queensbury Golf Club, an 18-hole course with a lounge and bar on-site.

There is also a branch of Hollywood Bowl in the city, comprising 24 ten-pin bowling lanes.

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For all those employees who are scared of claiming compensation from their employers in cases of employer negligence, this will come as a highly inspirational story. An employee of Northern Rail has successfully claimed 6,000 pounds in compensation from his employers. The employee is a train driver who goes by the name of Peter Kelly. And for all those employees who think, “I’m not running around lawyers and courthouses in my age!” – Peter Kelly is a good 50 years of age.

It would also surprise some to learn that the accident for which compensation claims was no bone crusher or limb mutilator. In fact it was a simple fall, which had some very complicated consequences for Mr. Kelly, and not to mention for Northern Rail as well. Mr. Kelly was about to board the driver’s cabin, and start his journey back to Leeds on the Ilkley route. No sooner than he had stepped onto the train that he slipped, thanks to some debris which had not been cleared from the cabin’s entrance. He fell onto the platform, on his back, injuring himself quite badly. At Kelly’s age, injuries on the back can be pretty hard to take.

As expected, he remained in considerable pain throughout the journey. However, like most of us, he figured a good night’s rest would take care of it. He had a vacation to the US planned with his family soon after, which he did go on – but which was cut short because his back wouldn’t let him forget that he’s been injured. Anyone who’s been injured on a vacation knows what a bummer that can be. Upon returning he sought a doctor’s advice who put on a treatment of rest and painkillers. It eventually became so that Kelly needed the painkillers to perform routine activities.

The lawyers from Thompsons Solicitors who helped Kelly out on his case claimed that Northern Rail was responsible for ensuring that all premises and workplaces remain safe and healthy for workers to be in. Northern Rail was well aware of this responsibility and also aware that any lapse could mean disaster for its employees and customers — considering it is a railway network. Also, the consequences of the fall had long standing repercussion to Mr. Kelly’s health. At his age, such injury can be debilitating and has also cost him a lot of money – not only in terms of the doctor’s fees but also in terms of all the loss on his vacation. Therefore, it is only right an fair that Northern Rail compensate Kelly for suffering that could and should have been avoided.

The Northern Rail paid up, knowing that the standards of safety were very clear and had been flouted in this case.

many to choose from how do you decide where to go?

Having lived in Skipton all my life (31 years) and with a tummy that never stops rumbling I thought I’d share my top 5 Skipton Restaurants’ with you………

Number Five – Sam Houston’s, Water Street, Skipton

Sam’s back was the message earlier this year and yes he’s back with a bang! Sam Houston’s opened its doors over 20 years ago bringing Tex Mex to the Gateway to the Yorkshire Dales. Sam’s re-opened under new management earlier this year and pride themselves on serving fresh, affordable Mexican food in traditional surroundings.

20 years on it’s fiesta time again in Sunny Skipton!

Number Four – Emporio Italia, Mill Bridge, Skipton

A new addition to the Skipton scene this summer, Emporio Italia is a great place for evening meals as well as a tasty lunch. It aims to build on the solid reputation already established by their sister restaurant in nearby town Ilkley. The place is authentic Italian throughout, from the background music to the red neckerchiefs worn by the chefs and the dried provisions for sale on shelves. The food is delicious, but it tastes twice as good because of the staff’s abundant enthusiasm!

Lunch of Pizza or Pasta is around £6. Dinner offers early bird menu, Pizza / Pasta or more individual options from £7 upwards.

At Emporio Italia you really could be on a gondola in Venice!

Number Three – Nosh, Newmarket Street, Skipton

Following the move from Devonshire Place to its current location within the Boutique 25 restaurant (in my former dentists) it brings back (not so happy) memories of my childhood! One glimpse of the stylish decor and a couple of pre-meal cocktails in 25 below, the in-house cocktail and champagne bar, remove all fears! Serving excellent, well presented fresh food and deliciously sweet desserts (not sure my dentist would approve)

Number Two – Aeolos, Cavendish Street, Skipton

I visited this place for the first time only three weeks ago! Situated away from the High Street (formally No1) this place is sometimes overlooked by hungry diners but it’s certainly a place I wouldn’t forget in a hurry!

The old Victorian building has been decorated sympathetically with pergolas, vines and grapes but still keeps all its beautiful grand house features. As Skipton’s only greek restaurant, complete with dancing and traditional plate smashing, this place really comes alive.

The Meze is certainly not for the faint hearted but highly recommended!

Number One – Canalside, Coach Street, Skipton

Formally the Waterfront Nightclub and previously “The Barge” (before my time!) the Canalside is set in one of Skipton’s landmark buildings. It offers fresh, home cooked fare in a wonderful picturesque location on the banks of the Leeds – Liverpool Canal.

With an excellent Sunday Lunch for friends coupled with great value “early bird” deals,The Canalside is my number one choice when eating out in Skipton!

Although there may be initial protests from attendees at, for example, a gig or concert that has been closed down early due to a fire risk, there are important reasons behind doing so, and the fire departments take any fire risk very seriously.

A Jimi Hendrix concert in 1969 at a venue in West Yorkshire, Ilkley, was famously shut down early by the fire department after the capacity of the venue was exceeded by more than three times the stated limit.

The owner of a nightclub will be aware of the building capacity, i.e. how many people it can hold on a particular night.  The more successful nightclubs will reach their capacity on a regular basis, with considerable queues outside.  Many nightclubs monitor their attendance electronically but for some smaller clubs, it is more of a case of estimation, thus bringing a risk that on a popular night, it is more than possible that it will stretch or even exceed its capacity.

Everyone has a role to play in ensuring we have protected ourselves and other people from fire.

The fire safety risk assessment must be kept up to date and reviewed regularly.  Depending on the nature of the business, to ascertain that a certain premises is doing enough in terms of compliance with the law, it may even be audited or inspected by an enforcement officer, which typically can be organised or carried out by the local Fire Station.

Whether it is an owner, a fire safety officer, or any kind of employer, they are the one who retains responsibility for the safety of their employees, and depending on the outcome of a Fire Safety risk assessment may need to provide training for staff.  Given the vast wealth of Internet resources available, an employer may get them to complete an online fire safety course to ensure they have had appropriate online fire safety training.

For many people, simply having the presence of a smoke alarm is enough to give reassurance that at least they have an early warning system in place in case of a fire, and have made some effort to acknowledge fire safety advice.  You will find that it is a commonly held view that all residential houses should have smoke alarms, so that if smoke is detected residents can get out before breathing toxic smoke.  It only takes a couple of breaths of toxic smoke to knock someone unconscious, and there is never a guarantee that you would wake up in time to smell and acknowledge the threat you are taking a chance by not having a smoke alarm.

Overall, the amount of fire safety responsibility for an employer is determined by their level of control, so naturally the greater the amount of control held then the greater the responsibility is for the premises and coordination of fire safety measures.

The traditional Yorkshire folk song to the accompaniment of Newnes’ Pictorial Knowledge

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Who has not heard of the famous fairy photos from 1917, that 2 cousins took in their garden here in Bradford? Arthur Conan Doyle was even sure the photos were real and even met the 2 girls. No proof could be developed that either proved or disproved their realism until 1983 and Elise came forth to clear the slate.

Elise admitted they were faked by using fairy cut outs they had found in a book and then stuck on the long thin hat pins of the day in the ground and when the wind blew it mimicked their movement. One manned the camera while the other pretended to interact with the wee fairy folks. Truly one of the funniest and longest believed hoaxes in history I think.

If you are a lover of art and photography then you should visit The National Museum of Photography Film and TV. Here you will find exhibitions of photographic art, TV and photography history and view the IMAX first hand.

For nineteenth and twentieth century British artists collections go to the Cartwright Hall. These are some of the best British works of art of their day.

Bradford even has a great theatre called The Alhambra which has all styles of performing shows and plays year round. To see whats playing when your in town just stop on by.

Ilkley village is a Victorian Village that looks as if it was frozen in time. The streets, shops etc. All have that antique Victorian feel to them and look. The restaurant’s’s serve wonderful tasty foods some of which may have even been eaten in the old times as well. There are boutiques and even more to explore around the panoramic countryside.

Hawarth is where you will find anything and everything Bronte. That is because this is the Bronte sister’s home were some of their most well known pieces were written and their imaginations took flight, you can almost see Wuthering Heights when looking across the meadows.

If you have a child that loves trains or even a grown child that loves them then taking a ride on an authentic working steam train is something you have to do. You can find this train at The Keighley Worth Valley Railway. While riding along take in the beautiful views along the countryside as you flow by.

Bradford’s Saltaire Village is a vintage haven. Here everything being sold or crafted is either real vintage or looks like the real things. Clothing, furniture, accessories, music, art, jewelry and so much more is all around in the quaint and eclectic shops here.

Anytime you come to Bradford – West Yorkshire for vacation you will leave wanting to stay longer and come back for more.

The small Yorkshire town of Ilkley like the rest of Britain was covered in snow during December 09 and January 10. This film is a short record of the snow cover in the town during this period.
Video Rating: 0 / 5

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Tadeeb International lives on!

After an unavoidable delay, Tadeeb International, the award-winning dual-language, (Urdu/English), literary and cultural journal, will be published again in January, 2009. As before, the journal will be produced in Islamabad, Pakistan, under the guidance of Hameed Qaiser, its Urdu editor, and will be distributed from Islamabad and Bradford, UK. The English editor, Helen Goodway, will distribute half the run of at least 500 from Bradford. We owe a debt of gratitude to a generous private donor and to Bradford Metropolitan District Council for respectively subsidising production and distribution of the new issue.

2007 saw the publication of the fourth issue of Tadeeb International under the remit of a grant from the Arts Council England, Yorkshire. As reported before, the quality of it gained us the seventh position, out of a field of 170 submissions considered, in The International Network & Community of Writers Society (Incwriters) Outstanding Contribution to Literature (Magazines) 2008.  (www.incwriters.co.uk/award.htm).

The judges’ comments about Tadeeb Internationa,l Vol 4-5 Issue 4-1 (Bazm-E-Tadeeb International/(http://www.tadeeb.com) read, ‘An intriguing magazine with an interesting mix of work…….An original idea with a mix of language and culture. A must watch.’

The worthy winner of the competition was Banipal, (http://www.banipal.co.uk/),

published and edited by Margaret Obank. Banipal concentrates solely on showcasing and presenting authors from the Arab world in English translation. In her acceptance speech, given by Philip Sadgrove on her behalf, Margaret described the rationale of the publication: Banipal exists because ‘Arab literature is an essential part of world culture and human civilisation.’ Also, it serves ‘to deepen the dialogue between different cultures..’ And, it celebrates ‘the pure joy and excitement of reading beautiful poetry and imaginative writing.’ Professor miriam cooke, Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, Duke University, North Carolina, reviews Banipal in January’s issue of Tadeeb International.

These cornerstones describe the Tadeeb project exactly if you substitute Arab literature with Urdu and English literature. Additionally, Tadeeb International seeks to foster new writing in Urdu or English of all kinds — prose, poetry, reviews, cultural commentary — from all quarters, but, particularly, by young people.  Recently, to this end,                                                Bazm-E-Tadeeb International organised and mounted, in conjunction with the British Council, Lahore, (www.britishcouncil.org/Pakistan), and the Global Schools Partnership, (www.britishcouncil.org/globalschools.htm), a video-conference literary event for pupils from schools in Bradford and Lahore. The umbrella title of this ongoing venture is the Tadeeb International Young Writers’ Project.

On Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008, 5 pupils from schools in Bradford and 6 from schools in Lahore shared their literary creations with each other via video link. In Bradford, this was the climax of a long period of preparation and effort, which has included the pupils’ performance of their work at the International Mushaira of the Ilkley Literature Festival (www.ilkleyliteraturefestival.org.uk)in October.

In the course of the project, assistance in kind has also been generously provided by the Schools Linking Network and the University of Bradford’s School of Lifelong Education and Development, without which it would not have been possible to realise the dream of directly connecting young people across the continents through the medium of literature.

Above all, the contribution of the pupils involved is to be applauded, for, in spite of onerous school schedules, they have responded with spirit and commitment. The Bradford pupils and their supporting teachers have spared no effort to help the project reach this point.

The connection with the Ilkley Literature Festival continues as Shamshad Khan, Poet-in-Residence to the Festival, 2008, who gave the students a deeply useful performance training session prior to the Festival Mushaira, attended the video-conference and performed her poetry at it. In the New Year, Shamshad will be working with students from schools participating in the project and others. We hope that the students engaged in this work will form a vanguard for Arts activities in Bradford.

The video-conference was introduced in Lahore by Rukhsana Ashfaq, Projects Manager of the British Council there, and hosted by Mati Ur Rehman, literary figure and TV anchorman. In Bradford, the event was introduced and hosted by Helen Goodway, English Editor of Tadeeb International. It was a joyful occasion at which the students performed magnificently. Their writing was utterly moving, expressing not only the woes of youth but also a profound yearning for peace over war, life over death and the universal characteristics of humankind underlying different cultural contexts. Hameed Qaiser, Urdu Editor of Tadeeb International, read from his editorial for the new issue; its content dovetailed with the ethos of the event, being entitled, ‘Peace and Literature’.

Before its conclusion, the students were invited to comment on the value of the project to them. Their responses were most moving:

Thank you very much for all your support and encouragement…I have learnt a lot through this project…I have become more confident…I enjoyed writing the poem…and I really liked your ideas and feedback about the poem and how I could make improvements to it. I really enjoyed the conference…I really liked the way students in Lahore presented their work. I was really impressed .It was a great experience.

The whole process was a precious experience that I shall always cherish. Apart from the enjoyment, we gained confidence and learnt a great deal of skills; skills that we wouldn’t have learnt otherwise; little things such as how to add expression to your poem to make it sound better, how to conduct yourself throughout the whole process, how to write out your piece in order for you to read it with ease, etc. I particularly enjoyed the video conference greatly as it connected me to my own roots which I left not so long ago. Coming across students from familiar schools, especially the Beacon House School System where I studied for 8 years, and sharing pieces and ideas with them from the other side of the world, felt extremely wonderful. This whole process was indeed very valuable. I shall be looking forward to such events in future.

The students’ works will be published in the forthcoming edition of Tadeeb International. Bradford Metropolitan District Council has contributed to the cost of its distribution. Our thanks go to the Council and all other institutions and the many individuals who have actively supported this pioneering project. We hope it will become an established event in the school calendar and that it will lead to further offshoots, such as student exchanges between Lahore and Bradford, and the establishment of an Arts exhibition and performance forum for the young people of Bradford.

Besides the works of the poets who performed at the Ilkley Literature Festival International Mushaira and the writings of the project students, Tadeeb International will comprise a cornucopia of works – prose, poetry, reviews, cultural commentary – by distinguished artists and academics from Pakistan, India, Britain, Iran, the US and elsewhere.

Please continue to submit your work to tadeebintl@hotmail.com.  Every submission will receive due consideration.

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West Yorkshire is often thought of as an industrial area yet here you will find a World Heritage Site, towns and villages in dramatic settings, the home of the famous Bronte sisters, wonderful art collections and bleak yet beautiful moorland, which you are strongly advised not to venture onto without wearing a hat!

From many a vantage point in West Yorkshire you can admire, in one breathtaking view, scenery combining the industrial landscape of times past with windswept, wild moorland. The Industrial Revolution exploited the fast- flowing rivers and streams of the Pennines to create a textile industry of world renown. The Victorian influence still dominates not only the public architecture of the many grand town halls but also the domestic scene with sturdy housing, now blackened by the pollution of the past.

Nowhere better can this be seen than in Hebden Bridge where the River Calder flows through a narrow valley with homes clinging to the steep valley sides that open out onto wild moorland, or in Holmfirth perhaps best known as the location for the long-running TV series Last of The Summer Wine.

Above Hebden Bridge is Heptonstall, which if relocated to either Provence or Tuscany would not look out of place as an ancient hilltop village. The traditional soot-darkened Yorkshire cottages might be incongruous but apart from that it has everything (well except the weather) – steep, cobbled streets little changed in the last 200 years and a rich history as a woollen centre. Weaving used to be a cottage industry around here, but once steam power arrived mills were built in the valley bottom, leaving the village quiet and peaceful for visitors and locals alike to enjoy.

The village of Saltaire, situated between Bradford and the Yorkshire Dales, has been designated a World Heritage site. This model village was built by a philanthropic mill owner and is dominated by the huge mill itself which now houses the world’s largest collection of works by Bradford-born artist David Hockney and a small number of select retail outlets.

On a nearby hillside is Haworth where the cobbled main street leads up to the parsonage, the former home of the Bronte sisters. A short, yet exhilarating walk from here takes you straight onto the bleak, beautiful moors and a ruined farmhouse with trees bent from the wind. This is Top Withens, which many believe to be the inspiration and setting of Wuthering Heights.

Nearby is the elegant former spa town of Ilkley on the other side of the famous Ilkley Moor. Ilkley itself is squeezed between the north-facing slopes of the moor and the River Wharfe. The oldest of the spas is White Wells, an 18th-century bath house, and one of very few buildings on the moor. Nowadays, each new year begins with a New Year’s Day dip at White Wells when hardy locals take a plunge into the cold water. Today walkers and nature lovers have unlimited access to Ilkley Moor and are free to enjoy the spectacular views across Wharfedale. Exploring on the moor you are likely to come across many ancient sites including the 12 Apostles – a small stone Druids circle – and the Swastika stone – a carved stone on a crag overlooking Wharfedale.  However the moor is probably most famous for the song that has become the unofficial anthem of Yorkshire. It tells of a lover courting the object of his affections, Mary Jane, on Ilkley Moor without a hat (baht ‘at). The singer chides the lover for his lack of headwear – for in the cold winds of Ilkley Moor this will mean death from exposure. This will in turn result in his burial, the eating of his corpse by worms, the eating of the worms by ducks and finally the eating of the ducks by the singers!

The Ilkley Class Gap The best bits from the session edited roughly together www.peterhodes.co.uk
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Tadeeb International seeks to foster new writing from all quarters, but, particularly, by young people.  Recently, to this end, Bazm-E-Tadeeb International organised and mounted, in conjunction with the British Council, Lahore, (www.britishcouncil.org/Pakistan), and the Global Schools Partnership, (www.britishcouncil.org/globalschools.htm), a video-conference literary event for pupils from schools in Bradford and Lahore. The umbrella title of this ongoing venture is the Tadeeb International Young Writers’ Project.

On Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008, 5 pupils from schools in Bradford and 6 from schools in Lahore shared their literary creations with each other via video link. In Bradford, this was the climax of a long period of preparation and effort, which has included the pupils’ performance of their work at the International Mushaira of the Ilkley Literature Festival (www.ilkleyliteraturefestival.org.uk)in October.

In the course of the project, assistance in kind has also been generously provided by the Schools Linking Network and the University of Bradford’s School of Lifelong Education and Development, without which it would not have been possible to realize the dream of directly connecting young people across the continents through the medium of literature. Bradford Metropolitan District Council has contributed to the cost of this issue’s distribution in recognition of Bazm-E-TadeebInternational’s engagement with the young writers of Bradford. Our thanks go to the Council and all other institutions and the many individuals, including Tadeeb International’s Advisory Editor, Dr. Mukhtar Uddin Ahmed and the poet, Sitara Khan, who have actively supported this pioneering project. We hope it will become an established event in the school calendar and that it will lead to further offshoots, such as student exchanges between Lahore and Bradford, and the establishment of an Arts exhibition and performance forum for the young people of Bradford.

Above all, the contribution of the pupils involved is to be applauded, for, in spite of onerous school schedules, they have responded with spirit and commitment. The Bradford pupils study at Tong High Schoool and Feversham College and their supporting teachers have spared no effort to help the project reach this point. The same comments apply to the pupils and teachers in Lahore from The Green School, The Lahore Lyceum School, The Beacon House School System, Garden Town Branch and The Lords International School.

The connection with the Ilkley Literature Festival continues as Shamshad Khan, Poet-in-Residence to the Festival, 2008, who gave the students a deeply useful performance training session prior to the Festival’s International Mushaira, attended the video-conference and performed her poetry at it. In the New Year, Shamshad will be working with students from schools participating in the project and others. We hope that the students engaged in this work will form a vanguard for Arts activities in Bradford. 

The video-conference was introduced in Lahore by Rukhsana Ashfaq, Projects Manager of the British Council there, and hosted by Mati Ur Rehman, literary figure and TV anchorman. In Bradford, the event was introduced and hosted by Helen Goodway, English Editor of Tadeeb International. It was a joyful occasion at which the students performed magnificently. Their writing was utterly moving, expressing not only the woes of youth but also a profound yearning for peace over war, life over death and the universal characteristics of humankind underlying different cultural contexts. Hameed Qaiser, Urdu Editor of Tadeeb International, read from his editorial for the new issue; its content dovetailed with the ethos of the event, being entitled, ‘Peace and Literature’.

Before its conclusion, Rukhsana Ashfaq invited the students to comment on the value of the project to them. Their responses were most moving:

Thank you very much for all your support and encouragement…I have learnt a lot through this project…I have become more confident…I enjoyed writing the poem…and I really liked your ideas and feedback about the poem and how I could make improvements to it. I really enjoyed the conference…I really liked the way students in Lahore presented their work. I was really impressed .It was a great experience.

 And,

The whole process was a precious experience that I shall always cherish. Apart from the enjoyment, we gained confidence and learnt a great deal of skills; skills that we wouldn’t have learnt otherwise; little things such as how to add expression to your poem to make it sound better, how to conduct yourself throughout the whole process, how to write out your piece in order for you to read it with ease, etc. I particularly enjoyed the video conference greatly as it connected me to my own roots which I left not so long ago. Coming across students from familiar schools, especially the Beacon House School System where I studied for 8 years, and sharing pieces and ideas with them from the other side of the world, felt extremely wonderful. This whole process was indeed very valuable. I shall be looking forward to such events in future.

Related Ilkley Articles

In the U-8s half-mile race the first three boys were Ciaran Crabtree 4.40 (Keighley & C), Edward Riley 4.54 (Ashlands School) and Tom Hagan 4.56 (Ilkley). For the U-8 girls it was Annie Brown 5.24 (Airienteers), Molly Hesketh 6.18 and Lucy Hargraves 6.20.

The U-10s, 12s and 14s all did a one mile course. In the U-10 boys’ race the first junior home was Charles Smith in 8.06 followed by Kai Atkins 8.29 (Pendle) and Francis Westhead 8.56 (Ilkley). For the girls Alex Baker 10.44 (Pendle), Bethan Morley 11.10 (Ilkley) and Zanya Moore 11.59 (Calder Valley). For the U-12s Ilkley had a clean sweep of the first three places in both the boys’ and girls’ races with Thomas Kerr 8.13, Ruaridh Mon-Williams 8.18 and William Tench 8.26 for the boys and for the girls Sarah Pickering 8.45, Elizabeth Westhead 9.10 and Lucy Jacques 9.12.

In the U-14s and outright winner of the one mile course was James Merchant 7.58 (Pendle) followed by Jack Cummings 8.26 and Tom Bennett 8.43, both from Ilkley.

In the girls’ race the order was Sally Handford 9.14 (Keighley & C), Lucy Williamson 10.04 and Joanne Williamson 13.03, both from Ilkley. Six U-16s competed in the two mile race and the winner was Kristian Edwards from Tamworth AC in 13.38 followed by Bradley Chapman in 17.53 and Sam Wood in 18.10, both from Ilkley. The girls’ race winner was Pippa Barrett 17.23 (Keighley & C) with Georgia Malir (Ilkley) second in 18.02.

This event was also the annual Junior Ilkley Harrier Club Fell Championship where Phil Dean Trophies are presented to the first boy and girl JIH from U-10 to U-16. The 2010 winners were: U10 – Francis Westhead and Bethan Morley; U12 – Thomas Kerr and Sarah Pickering; U14 – Jack Cummings and Lucy Williamson; U16 – Bradley Chapman and Georgia Malir. In the Great North West Half Marathon, Andy Wiggans finished 18th out of 881 finishers, and first in his class, in a new personal best of 80:09. Jann Smith also recorderd a new personal best 96:27 to finish 205th.

Fell Race results: 1, Graham Pearce (Pudsey & B) 39:52; 2, Robin Lawrence (Bingley H) 42:16; 3, Tom Adams (Ilkley H) 43:04; 4, Matthew Roberts (Eryri H) 43:13; 5, Colin Bishop (Saddleworth) 43:14; 6, Jack Dugdale (Clayton-le-Moors) 43:16; 7, Sean Willis (Saddleworth R) 43:17; 8, Stephen Brock (Keighley and C) 43:40; 9, Dave Wilby (Ilkley H) 43:42; 10, Ted Mason (Wharfedale H) 43:52; 11, Jonny Bradshaw (Wharfedale H) 44:01; 12, Paul Crabtree (Wharfedale H) 44:47; 13, Ryan Greaves (Pudsey & B) 45:38; 14, Alex Sinclair (Skipton AC) 45:40; 15, Jason Hemsley (Wharfedale H) 45:54; 16, Pete Keron (Wharfedale H) 46:28; 17, David Alcock (Pudsey & B) 46:57; 18, James Senior (Bingley H) 46:59; 19, Derek Fuller (Ilkley H) 47:04; 20, Jonathan Aylward (Pudsey & B) 47:19; 21, Stuart Pitches (Ilkley H) 47:21; 22, Colin Valentine (Keswick AC) 47:23; 23, Ralph Tench (Ilkley H) 47:24; 24, Neil Hardiman (Clayton-le-Moors H) 47:38; 25, Jamie Hutchinson (Ilkley H) 47:40; 26, Paul Brannigan (Todmorden H) 47:42; 27, Jim Ryder (Ilkley H) 48:03; 28, Paul Hobbs (Todmorden H) 48:10; 29, Richard Crossland (U/A) 48:17; 30, Dick Ballantine (Keighley and C) 48:25; 31, Nick Pearce (Ilkley H) 48:34; 32, John Beetham (Keswick AC) 48:41; 33, Dave Collins (Todmorden H) 48:45; 34, Richard Joel (Ilkley H) 48:47; 35, Dave Ward (Borrowdale FR) 49:05; 36, Chris Davies (Saddleworth) 49:15; 37, Rob Thackray (Leeds & Bradford Tri) 49:41; 38, Emma Clayton (Scunthorpe) 49:46; 39, Dave Cummings (Ilkley H) 49:50; 40, Phil Clayton (FRA) 50:18; 41, Andrew Fell (Rossendale H) 50:29; 42, Stephen Brandwood (Todmorden H) 50:49; 43, Pauline Munro (Bingley H) 50:52; 44, Richard Thackray (U/A) 51:40; 45, Holly Williams (Keighley and C) 52:11; 46, Neil Smith (Ilkley H) 52:16; 47, Ian Hutchinson (Bowland FR) 52:27; 48, Martin Farrar (Skyrac AC) 52:29; 49, William Smith (Wharfedale H) 52:34; 50, Tom McClelland-Thomas (Calder Valley) 52:37.

51, Brett Weeden (Keighley and C) 52:43; 52, Samuel Stell (U/A) 53:00; 53, Clive Greatorex (Todmorden H) 53:02; 54, Carl Bradshaw (Wharfedale H) 53:29; 55, Paul Smithson (Keighley and C) 54:04; 56, Peter Bramham (Keighley and C) 54:06; 57, Ed Robinson (Settle) 54:09; 58, Michael Toman (Rossendale H) 54:11; 59, Andrew Turner (Ellenborough AC) 54:14; 60, James Sheard (Saddleworth R) 54:15; 61, Steve Hall (Horsforth H) 54:17; 62, Alison Eagle (Ilkley H) 54:19; 63, Paddy Hagan (Ilkley H) 54:20; 64, Paul Hindle (Keighley and C) 54:24; 65, Ian Brocklebank (Skyrac AC) 54:28; 66, Alistair Barlow (Ilkley H) 54:29; 67, Fraser Hardie (Keighley and C) 54:33; 68, Heather Dawe (Ilkley H) 54:38; 69, Simon Harris (FRA) 54:43; 70, Sharron Smith (Bingley H) 54:47; 71, Stuart Conway (Keighley and C) 54:49; 72, Tim Clegg (Keighley and C) 54:50; 73, Nick Hayward (U/A) 54:56; 74, Mike Baldwin (Ilkley H) 55:01; 75, Barry Mordue (U/A) 55:11; 76, Bob Hamilton (Ilkley H) 55:13; 77, Tamara Hird (Wharfedale H) 55:20; 78, Gill Myers (Wharfedale H) 55:21; 79, David Bagot (U/A) 55:39; 80, Jenny Dybeck (Ilkley H) 55:46; 81, John Fortescue (Abbey R) 55:49; 82, Dom Nurse (Abbey R) 56:01; 83, Gordon Rowson (U/A) 56:16; 84, Michael McLoughlin (Preston H) 56:31; 85, Barry Rawlinson (Rossendale H) 56:38; 86, Paul Stephens (Ilkley H) 56:40; 87, Richard Giles (U/A) 56:51; 88, Christopher Jones (Spenborough AC) 56:54; 89, Alison Weston (Ilkley H) 56:55; 90, Antonio Melechi (Ilkley H) 57:01; 91, Ross Powell (Mercia) 57:15; 92, Ed Brougham (Ilkley H) 57:19; 93, Frank Glass (Skyrac AC) 57:26; 94, Nick Dybeck (U/A) 57:32; 95, Chris Tomes (Keighley and C) 57:35; 96, Stephen Coy (Ilkley H) 57:38; 97, Adam Baird (Otley AC) 57:41; 98, Chris Oxlade (Ilkley H) 57:53; 99, Graham Breeze (Ilkley H) 57:54; 100, Alan Brentnall (Pennine FR) 57:55.

101, David Buchanan (U/A) 57:56; 102, Donna Cartwright (Radcliffe AC) 58:17; 103, Mark Cartwright (Radcliffe AC) 58:22; 104, Timothy Jacobs (Abbey R) 58:25; 105, Sam Richards (Pendle) 58:29; 106, John Hayes (Ilkley H) 58:32; 107, Carol Morgan (Nidd V) 59:03; 108, Kelly Harrison (Ilkley H) 59:15; 109, Paul Livsey (Darwen D) 59:17; 110, Ian Yoxall (U/A) 59:18; 111, Sean Makin (Achille Ratti) 59:24; 112, Michael Smith (Bingley H) 59:25; 113, Mark Richmond (U/A) 59:26; 114, Jane McCarthy (Ilkley H) 59:28; 115, Derek Oliver (U/A) 59:30; 116, Trudy Beetham (Keswick AC) 59:51; 117, Britta Sendlhofer (Ambleside AC) 59:52; 118, Eddie Lesniak (Achille Ratti AC) 60:09; 119, Richard Thackeray (Featherstone RC) 60:16; 120, Gareth Miller (U/A) 60:18; 121, Steven Moss (Spenborough AC) 60:51; 122, Richard Butterwick (Todmorden H) 60:52; 123, Owen Mills (U/A) 61:01; 124, Rebecca Mon-Williams (Ilkley H) 61:02; 125, Ruth Dorrington (Abbey R) 61:14; 126, Nicholas Cunningham (Lancs Fire and Rescue) 61:18; 127, David Young (FRA) 61:22; 128, Robert Pritchard (Skyrac AC) 61:23; 129, Barbara Savage (Clayton-le-M) 61:36; 130, Peter Shelley (U/A) 62:02; 131, Andy Lawrence (U/A) 62:03; 132, Arthur Reilly (Ilkley H) 62:05; 133, Tim Whitehead (Keighley and C) 62:16; 134, Jonathan Riley (U/A) 62:29; 135, Steven Weston (Ilkley H) 62:31; 136, Harry Atkinson (Bingley H) 62:32; 137, Sean MacCarthy (Abbey R) 62:35; 138, Michael Waterhouse (Ilkley H) 62:38; 139, Matthew Burns (FRA) 62:44; 140, Matt Podd (Otley AC) 62:46; 141, Dave Roberts (U/A) 62:56; 142, Peter Dugdale (Clayton-le-M) 62:57; 143, Mike Dawe (U/A) 63:04; 144, Michael Keavney (FRA) 63:15; 145, Nicholas De La Poer (U/A) 63:28; 146, Mark Latham (Bingley H) 63:30; 147, Colin Best (Otley AC) 63:43; 148, David Gillian (Abbey R) 63:53; 149, Ashley Hardwell (U/A) 64:21; 150, Mark Cheekley (FRA) 64:25.

151, Derek Parrington (Swaledale RR) 64:27; 152, Tim Thom (Keighley and C) 64:30; 153, Rachel Smith (Bingley H) 64:37; 154, Jean Brown (Clayton-le-M) 64:44; 155,Trevor Symonds (FRA) 64:53; 156, Gary Burns (Horsforth F) 65:01; 157, Charles Barlow (Saddleworth) 65:08; 158, Elizabeth Tomes (Keighley and C) 65:22; 159, Philip Jones (Calder V) 65:31; 160, Martin Smillie (Otley AC) 65:34; 161, Matthew Shepherdson (U/A) 65:41; 162, Michael Hartley (U/A) 66:03; 163, Gerald Paxford (FRA) 66:10; 164, Philip Robinson (Nidd V) 66:15; 165, Sophie Brown (Ilkley H) 66:40; 166, Andrew Kitts (Keighley and C) 66:45; 167, John McGonnagle (Achille Ratti) 66:47; 168, Stephen Batley (Skyrac AC) 66:49; 169, Colin Shackleton (U/A) 66:54; 170, Alison Bennett (Ilkley H) 66:55; 171, Carl Harrison (LUUCCC) 66:56; 172, John Pickering (Ilkley H) 67:22; 173, Aidan Smith (U/A) 67:28; 174, Simon Bowens (Baildon R) 67:30; 175, John Coates (Ilkley H) 67:39; 176, Ian Marshall (Ilkley H) 67:46; 177, Sarah Fuller (Ilkley H) 67:47; 178, Jean Rawlinson (Clayton-le-M) 67:50; 179, Paul Mortimer (U/A) 67:56; 180, Simon Webster (U/A) 67:57; 181, Lincoln Jowett (U/A) 67:58; 182, Natalie Curtis (Ilkley H) 68:57; 183, Sarah Edwards (Abbey R) 69:07; 184, Andrew Jackson (Ilkley H) 70:11; 185, Janet Arkwright (Keighley and C) 70:48; 186, Susan Barber (U/A) 71:05; 187, Bob Payne (Ilkley H) 71:38; 188, Kieron Ashworth (Wharfedale H) 71:45; 189, Simon Everett (Overoptimists) 71:49; 190, Peter Ehrhardt (Todmorden H) 71:53; 191, Anne Freund (Baildon R) 72:10; 192, Michael Fryer (Otley AC) 72:47; 193, Dave Armstrong (St Bede’s) 73:09; 194, David Seaman (Nidd V) 73:36; 195, Stella Cross (Abbey R) 74:11; 196, Jackie Edwards (U/A) 74:13; 197, Sheila Witham (Keighley and C) 74:23; 198, John Ward (Abbey R) 75:06; 199, Alison Frost (Ilkley H) 75:25.

200, Jonathan Easton (Nidd V) 75:35; 201, Richard Parkin (U/A) 75:41; 202, Gavin Burgess (U/A) 76:22; 203, Philip Thackray (U/A) 76:27; 204, Max Wood (Skyrac AC) 76:55; 205, Sue Morley (Ilkley H) 76:57; 206, Caren Crabtree (Keighley and C) 77:08; 207, Robert Hirst (Clayton-le-M) 77:21; 208, Joanna Murphy (Ilkley H) 77:32; 209, Dave Beston (Abbey R) 79:51; 210, Gordon Kaye (Bingley H) 82:36; 211, Christopher Casson (U/A) 84:31; 212, Randall Casson (U/A) 84:33; 213, Richard Handford (Keighley and C) 84:35; 214, James Raffle (U/A) 89:42; 215, Andrew Bennett (Ilkley H) 91:25.