IL Summer 2023 (Mag 26)

Yasmin and Amber Le Bon wear ASHOKA

SEIZE THE SUMMER

All over Yorkshire the sun has been shining and the mood has been lifted. So we’re heading out into the summer for a super season of amazing happenings here. This issue showcases the best of them - from fabulous food and drink through special shopping and lifestyle to exceptional entertainment and culture. In Leeds, York and across Yorkshire, come out to play, enjoy it all, and seize the summer.

John

Barran - Editor: john@independentlife.co.uk Sarah Laycock - Sales: sarah@independentlife.co.uk

www.independentlife.co.uk

Leeds.independentlife | York.independentlife | Yorkshire.independentlife

COVER

WE WAITED FOR THE SUN AND NOW WE ARE FREE

BY JOEL BURDEN @joelburden

This was an image I created during spring that followed a particularly bleak winter. As the flowers and leaves began to bloom, and the birds began to find their voice, I too felt freed, as though the whole world was opening up together after a long and patient wait. It’s important to remind ourselves that our lives, just like seasons, have both dark and light, and when it seems coldest, remember the sun will rise again soon.

Contents

FOOD & DRINK

THE SWEETEST SUMMER - Perfect patisseries from four fantastic pastry chefs. EAT WHAT YOU SOW - Chef Ruth Hansom take us from Swinton Estate to plate. IF YOU LIKE YOUR COFFEE HOT… - Summer coffees from Abstract Coffee Roasters. A PERFECT PAIRING - Seasonal food and drink pairings by Pignut in Helmsley. BREAKING BREAD - The 21 year story of Sukhothai.

YORKSHIRE BEER VIBE - Bundobust’s favourite summer beers.

SHOPPING & LIFESTYLE

THE BEAUTIFUL SOUTH - A look at the changes down on Leeds’ south bank. CREATING WAVES - Ola Akinlade introduces local fashion talent.

STYLED IN STONE - The craft behind the stone at Lapicida.

THE EXPERIENCE IS EVERYTHING - Luxury lifestyle at Grantley Hall and Redline supercars.

NORTHERN SOLE - The Last Shoemaker on bespoke shoemaking.

WOODHOUSE TO THE WORLD - Nigel Matambo explains augmented reality. MAKE DO AND TREND - Behind the scenes at BEST reviving vintage clothing.

ENTERTAINMENT & CULTURE

INSPIRED BY YORKSHIRE - The artistic life of Barbara Hepworth.

NIGHTS TO REMEMBER - Celebrating legendary Leeds nightclubs Vague and Speed Queen.

TELLING STORIES THAT CONNECT - Exciting evolution at Northern Ballet.

YORKSHIRE ROVER - Exploring the wonders of Wentworth.

LANDSCAPE CREATOR - Showcasing the creations of Alistair Baldwin.

MY CITY - Ellie Warner picks her favourite things about Leeds.

SIGNAL TO THE FUTURE - How York is part of a progressive future for national railways.

MEET THE ARTIST - Discover the work of this cover’s artist Joel Burden.

WHAT’S ON - Our highlights of the eclectic events in Yorkshire this summer

THE SWEETEST SUMMER

Four fabulous Yorkshire chefs showcase their perfect patisseries for the sweetest summer.

Summer Fruit Tart by Florian Poirot, Florian Poirot

My Summer Fruit Tart has a crunchy base with almond cream, soaked with bergamot syrup, raspberry confit, fresh vanilla cream and then some seasonal summer fruits. It is then topped off with some fresh bergamot zest to give it a seasonal twist that screams summer….et voila! For me, I always keep my pastries simple, with the emphasis on taste over looks every time.

Blackberry Mousse by Devin Jones, The Grand Blackberry Mousse, Vanilla Whipped Crème, Green Apple Compote, Shortbread my second favourite after the passion fruit, the blackberry mousse has a lovely light texture and rich purple colour which hides a small nugget of granny smith apple compote which in itself is quite sour but together with the rich mousse, the vanilla whipped crème and the shortbread really creates a balanced taste and mouth feel. The white chocolate we use is not as sweet so not to be too over powering as blackberry is such a soft and subtle flavour. We finish off with an ultra-shiny blackberry glaze which adds a different colour purple in contrast to the mousse.

‘Raspberry & Tarragon Cake’ by Stefan Rose, Grantley Hall

Welcoming back some more summery flavours to our Afternoon Tea menu, I have paired together one of my favourite flavour combinations for our new ‘Raspberry & Tarragon Cake’. The fresh herbaceous notes combine perfectly with the sweet tartness. We use the incredible chocolate producer Valrhona, who have combined freeze dried raspberry powder with cocoa butter and sugar to produce an amazing raspberry flavoured chocolate, which has fresh flavour and acidity.

This raspberry ‘Inspiration’ chocolate is formed in a band which encapsulates the whole dessert. When you cut or bite into the cake, the clean and simple exterior reveals layers of vanilla sablé biscuit, light almond sponge, a soft set raspberry ganache, raspberry confit, raspberry compote, tarragon crémeux, and finally a whipped raspberry cream. On top of this we add some sliced fresh raspberries, some whipped Madagascan vanilla cream, and some mascarpone to enrich it. Finally, some little ‘sticks’ of the same raspberry chocolate, some fresh lime zest, and a touch of silver leaf for that visual note. It’s very satisfying to create!

‘Blackcurrant and its Leaf’ and ‘Strawberry, Goats Curd, Basil’

by Ruth Hansom, Swinton Estate

As summer comes, the terracotta walls that line our Walled Garden are awash with berries and currants – so long as we get to them before the birds do! On our 7-course tasting menu we allow these to shine, our pre dessert ‘Blackcurrant and its Leaf’ comprises of a blackcurrant jelly, wood sorrel mousse, candied white chocolate, poached angelica stalk and a whole blackcurrant leaf baked gently in a brown butter cigar paste. It’s a dish bursting with juicy flavours; the blackcurrants are picked from the garden and are lightly set and remain tart, the sorrel is foraged from the woodlands that surround the hotel, the angelica stalks are poached in a blackcurrant leaf syrup. It's such an underused product but I love the floral notes and unique texture that it gives the dish. And last but not least, the blackcurrant leaf, that could so easily be discarded, but is full of flavour, and when baked in the cigar paste looks impressive and gives a lovely crunch.

To the dessert, and how can we talk about British summer desserts without talking about strawberries?! We are lucky to be in abundance of both grown and wild strawberries here on the Estate, so we use them both on our dessert, ‘Strawberry, Goats Curd, Basil’. Strawberry gel sits on top of a buttery sable, around that sits dots of goats’ curd mousse, wild strawberries, strawberry crisps, basil sponge and a strawberry sorbet. I love the savoury, sour notes that the goat’s curd adds to this dish, making it almost cheesecake like. And of course, the super sweet, freshness of daily picked berries is what really makes this special.

Photos: @thomholmes

EAT WHAT YOU SOW

Ruth Hansom is a uniquely talented young chef. Having started growing fruit and vegetables as a child and pursuing an education in the industry, she began her career when still a teenager, working at some of the UK’s finest restaurants. Her culinary skills have been acclaimed on successful television appearances, but she has always returned to her first love; growing and showcasing fabulous local produce on delicious plates of food. Her ethos marries perfectly with the Swinton Estate, where she is Executive Chef at Samuel’s Restaurant. Ruth shows us round the abundance of produce growing out of the Walled Garden at this stunning North Yorkshire site.

@ruthhansom @swintonestate

We really do believe in “Eat what you Sow” here on Swinton Estate; the majority of produce is grown here in the Walled Garden, foraged from our woodlands or reared by out resident farmers. We’re proud to utilise the ‘Estate to Plate’ ethos in all our kitchens.

Within the Parkland lies the four-acre Walled Garden - the largest hotel kitchen garden in the UK! The Walled Garden grows over 60 varieties of fruit, herbs and vegetables and you will often see chefs wandering into the garden to collect ingredients for the day. Produce that can’t be sourced from the Walled Garden is sourced from either the 20,000-acre Swinton Estate or local Yorkshire suppliers, limiting food miles where possible.

You may notice that an ingredient is used more than once across our menu in different forms. Our chefs are creative and will get the most out of a single ingredient before moving on to the next bounty and allowing the previous to replenish for the next year.

www.swintonestate.com

Photos: @thomholmes

IF YOU LIKE YOUR COFFEE HOT...

Abstract Coffee Roasters source and roast superb seasonal coffee from around the world here in York. Joe Walker tells us how he got into it and recommends some special summer origins.

@abstractcoffeeroasters @thatcoffeeguyjoe

I got into coffee completely by accident; I was away backpacking in Asia and my mum decided to buy a coffee shop (Bison Coffee), despite never having worked in anything coffee related in her life. When I got back from travelling I needed a job so I said I'd help out whilst I looked for something and just completely fell in love with speciality coffee.

Luckily the cafe was supplied by the wonderful Hasbean who are a fantastic coffee roasters. I still remember the first coffee that really got me into speciality - it was a natural process Ethiopian called Ana Sora and it just tasted of Blueberries; after that I was hooked. I did some training with Dale Harris at Hasbean who also happened to be the world barista champion at the time, so I was lucky enough to get trained on brewing espresso by the best.

I'd decided I wanted to get into roasting and luckily I had just got my roaster before the first lockdown struck. This gave me plenty of time to practice and figure out how to roast. After a few months I was ready to launch Abstract and my first few coffees. I wanted Abstract to focus on the best of the best speciality coffees, super exclusive microlots and experimental processed coffees. The idea is to showcase just how amazing coffee can taste.

A lot of people don't realise that coffee is a seasonal product. Different coffee origins and regions harvest their crop at different times of the year, meaning there's always a constant change in what's freshly available to roast.

Some origins, such as Colombia, have two harvests a year, meaning you might see coffee from this origin more frequently as you're buying coffee throughout the year. However, for the most part countries will have one harvest which means we associate different times of the year with different coffee origins.

Rather perfectly, summer is when fresh crops arrive from Ethiopia and Kenya. Both of these origins are known for their very fruity flavour profiles which tends to lend themselves to a more summery brew.

Ethiopia

Ethiopia is considered by many to be the spiritual home of coffee and is where the coffee Arabica plant originates from. The combination of high-altitudes and the fact most coffee is grown amongst the rain forests mean that the crops produced in Ethiopia give a complexity of flavour seen nowhere else in the world. Ethiopia is one of the most exciting origins to cup samples from each year, you know there's going to be lots of very fruity coffees to choose between. If you love very intensely fruity coffees then look out for natural processed lots which will have lots of berry flavours such as blueberry and strawberry. If you prefer a more delicate coffee then go for a washed process which will be more tea like with floral and citrus notes.

Costa Rica

Costa Rica is definitely an origin that doesn't get as much love as the other 3 on this list but has some seriously good coffees coming out of it! Many of the coffee growing regions have fantastic altitude and good, rich volcanic soils. Expect to find a lot of honey processed coffee from Costa Rica. The term honey relates to the sticky mucilage on the coffee bean. Unlike washed processed coffee, the skin and pulp is removed with mechanical washing, rather than using a roller, allowing the producer to determine the level of mucilage that is left behind. So this process is somewhere between a washed and a natural. If you get yourself some good Costa Rican coffee you can expect some vibrant and well-balanced fruit flavours with a clean, sweet and light body.

Colombia

As well as having multiple harvests throughout the year a lot of Colombian farmers are at the forefront of experimental processing. Expect to find lots of very exclusive and expensive experimental microlots over the summer as well as the rest of the year. My personal favourites are coffees that have gone through some kind of anaerobic processing before being finished as a natural. They will have big fruity/boozy tasting notes, certainly not subtle! If you really don't mind spending a few pennies then it's worth finding a Geisha varietal from this region, the results are often exquisite!

Kenya

Kenya is another origin that I always look forward to year on year. A lot of coffee in Kenya is traded through cooperatives but more single estate coffee is becoming available as it becomes easier to export from. Deep volcanic soils, very high growing altitudes and varietals that have been engineered to work perfectly in this environment means Kenya consistently produces some of the best coffees in the world. Lookout for washed process SL28 & SL34 varietals if you love blackcurrants as these are going to taste like a cup of ribena!

www.abstractcoffeeroasters.co.uk

A PERFECT PAIRING

Laurissa and Tom have recently opened their first fabulous restaurant: Pignut in Helmsley. Laurissa explains how the pair got here and provide four recommendations of delicious food and drink pairings.

Tom and I worked together in different restaurants for a number of years; we began to realise we had a lot in common on how we see the food, wine and the natural world. Additionally, we had the same vision of what our own restaurant would visually look like and how we would like to deliver the experience. I have always loved pairing unusual wines with Tom’s food - his dishes are already so interesting, being able to bring out particular flavours with the use of unusual wine, beer and cocktails seems to take the food to a whole new level.

We were having lunch in Helmsley talking about our dream of opening our own restaurant with the freedom to really push boundaries and completely use local and foraged produce, restricting us and allowing Tom to be creative with these ingredients in the kitchen, plus I can use them throughout the bar offering. We incidentally walked past an empty restaurant which we enquired about - and here we are 4 months later, about to open our own restaurant!

We want to offer an experience that is affordable along with showing our commitment to sustainability. Locally sourcing our produce to minimise the environmental impact and showcasing the highest quality ingredients, enhancing these by using unconventional food-wine pairings, all wrapped up in a casual fine dining atmosphere. We will have a course dedicated to all our ‘waste’, so all the trimmings of the fish, meat, vegetables and herbs will be used up in this course.

Liz and James’ Asparagus, Wild Garlic, Almond Liz and James grow asparagus in Appleton Roebuck; they don’t spray the asparagus which means there’s a lot more work involved in growing them but you can tell with the taste that it’s worth it. This is a really simple dish that tastes great. We slightly roast the asparagus but leave it still crunchy, pair it with a wild garlic and almond sauce and finish it with halved almonds and wild garlic flowers.

We’ve paired an orange wine with this one. Asparagus is a hard pairing as it is such a strong flavour it can make a lot of wines taste vegetal and grassy. Which would in turn ruin the dish and wine. The Orange wine I have chosen is Francois Lurton Hacienda Araucano ‘Humo Blanco’ Edicion Limitada Sauvignon Blanc. It is really rich with lots of intense flavours but all that compliment the asparagus and the garlic; it even has a hint of asparagus on its palate as well as having some tropical guava fruit to lift it.

Soda Bread with Acorn Dairy Butter

I’ve always been a fan of serving bread on a menu and a lot of people serve sourdough - we’ve decided to serve a soda bread which has an amazing flavour. We use the buttermilk and butter from Acorn Dairy - an organic dairy in the Yorkshire Dales - and flours from Mike and Kate Stringer, whose farm is also fully organic and part of the Yorkshire Grain Alliance on top of the Yorkshire Wolds.

We paired this with a beer brewed literally a 30 second walk away from our front door! It’s delicious. We use Helmsley Brewing Co. Honeyed Golden Ale - this uses Honey from Hives in the North York Moors. They also use Maris Otter Malts, which are perfect with the soda bread and then the zesty flavours cut through the creamy butter and the honey just adds flavour to this dish. Think butter and honey with a squeeze of lemon on toast!

Castle Howard Aberdeen Angus Tartar, Blue Cheese, Onion, Gherkin, Dill and Chervil

This dish is all about the quality of the beef which has been salt aged for 21 days as well as hung for 21. The blue cheese really helps enhance the aged flavour of the beef. Castle Howard’s Aberdeen Angus beef is among the best I’ve ever tried and is reared on the Estate by the Fargher family.

For this one we’ve paired a wine by the De Andres sisters - they don’t try to impose any rules in these terroirs, but to listen, to learn and to create wines that have a real impactyet a low impact on the environment. This wine uses organic and biodynamic practices, they use over 80 year old Garnacha vines for real quality fruit grown in Navarra in Spain. This has really delicate red fruit flavours of cranberry and cherry which compliment the blue cheese and then subtle hints of earth and dark spices enhancing those aged tones you get throughout the rump of beef.

Slow Cooked Food Circle Egg, Crispy Onion, Dopiaza Sauce, Yoghurt

When I travelled around India, what I loved best about the country was exploring all the different flavours of curry, which is why we will normally have an Indian inspired dish on the menu most of the time. Dopiaza is my favourite; onions are in season at the moment and we use both the bulb and the tops. We get our eggs from the Food Circle who have formed an egg Co-op, bringing local farmers together to help sell their eggs.

Cataratto/Grillo, Vanedda Azienda Agricola, Cortese Sicily 2021 - this is one of our joint favourite wines and it’s so versatile with food as well. Prominent notes of coconut and tropical fruit are great with curry dishes and it’s got a high acidity which cuts through that rich egg yolk. It also has an undercurrent of gentle spices from being aged with the leaves for 7 months which intensifies the dish.

BREAKING BREAD

The food of Thailand was rarely eaten in the UK before the turn of the century, but ever since then the nation has enthusiastically embraced the flavours and cultures of Thai cuisine. One of the first Thai restaurants to open in Leeds is still sharing the traditions and tastes of their homeland over twenty years later. We broke bread with long-standing legend Pat to tell the story of Sukhothai.

@sukhothai_

Sukhothai was founded in 2002 by Ban Kaewkraikhot, who was born and raised in the Sukhothai province of Thailand. The first Sukhothai restaurant was opened in Chapel Allerton in the same year. Ban, who moved to the UK in the late 1990s, saw an opportunity to share her love of Thai cuisine with the people of Leeds, when at the time there were very few Thai restaurants in the UK. The city took to these new flavours they were being introduced to and Sukhothai quickly gained popularity for its authentic Thai dishes and warm, welcoming atmosphere.

The inspiration for Sukhothai’s food came from Ban’s upbringing, when she learned to cook traditional Thai food from her mother. Her commitment to using these traditional Thai cooking techniques created flavours that she had perfected which were unfamiliar to the British palate, and the restaurant gained a loyal community of customers and an inclusion in the Good Food Guide.

Pat, who had moved from Bangkok to the UK in the 1980s, was approached by Ban to join Sukhothai in 2007. “She’s full of energy” Pat describes Ban. “Her mind is going all the time!” Sixteen years later, Pat remains at the original restaurant as a well-known and much-loved part of the Sukhothai family and Chapel Allerton community. “Lots of staff have been here for a long time” she tells us. “One of the chefs at Chapel Allerton has been there 13 years. The team are very close and a big family.”

During this time, Sukhothai has undergone significant changes. There are now 3 Sukhothai’s, with the addition of Harrogate and Leeds City Centre to the Chapel Allerton original. More recently, the group has evolved and in 2015 launched sister brand ZAAP Thai. ZAAP replicates the vibrant fun of Bangkok street food, an experience so popular that it now has 6 locations and more on the horizon.

“We love food” Pat enthuses about the culture back in Thailand. “People cook with lots of fresh ingredients, herbs and spices. And many open 24 hours.” As much as the UK has embraced the authentic Thai way of eating, some traditions have not yet crossed countries. “In Thailand there are no starters, they eat everything together” Pat explains. “And women have Som Tum (a Thai salad) with every meal.”

There, food is seen as a way to bring people together; family-style dining is popular, and people are encouraged to interact and bond over a shared dinner. Many of Thailand's holidays and festivities are also centred around food - the Thai New Year celebration or ‘Songkran’ is celebrated with water fights and the sharing of traditional Thai sweets and desserts. Sukhothai hope to encourage this feeling of togetherness in their restaurants for both their family of employees and community of customers.

“It’s not just a job” Pat confirms. Indeed, the Chapel Allerton Sukhothai in particular has become integrated into the neighbourhood. During Covid-19, they donated over 3000 meals to NHS hospitals, care homes and other causes, and in turn the local people supported Sukhothai during those times. “Everyone is more than kind and looks after me well” says Pat. “The way I can repay them is with my work”.

Although she has worked elsewhere over the years, including at the Harrogate restaurant and managing Zaap in Leeds, Pat always returns to Chapel Allerton as the place she calls home and the people she calls friends. “I feel comfortable here” she says. “I feel love”.

YORKSHIRE BEER VIBE

@bundobust

Dan Hocking is the head brewer at Bundobust - the much loved Leeds venue who also brew their own beers in Manchester. He recommends six of the best beers to drink in Yorkshire this summer.

This is about the time of year when we all start getting excited about the summer. The temps are creeping up, and the rain clouds are (supposedly) clearing. We can all go and play outside again! Pretty much all summertime activities can be enhanced with a cold refreshing beer. I’m planning on spending as much of my free time as I can manage sitting in a paddling pool in my garden with a beer in hand. Here’s what I’ll be drinking:

One of our collaborations with the ever-innovative Northern Monk. A full-bodied, zingy pale with heaps of vibrant and fresh mango, with a little touch of vanilla. Northern Monk are always pushing the boat out with flavours, that’s what craft beer is all about.

Northern Monk - Mango Lassi Dazzler

North - Sputnik

A more or less permanent resident in my fridge at home; Sputnik is super accessible and a really lovely beer. It’s great to have on standby for those unexpected bursts of weekend sunshine. “It’s sunny! Quick, light the barbecue! Grab a Sputnik! Oh no, sun’s gone in. Nevermind, the beer’s still good.”

Amity - Waterpistol

Amity is a brewery we’ve been keeping track of for a few years now. Besides being lovely people, they also make some really ace beers. Though the one that I’ll be going back to again and again this summer is the Waterpistol. Soft and juicy pale ale with a big old bump of NZ Motueka hops. Proper sunshine beer.

Timothy Taylor - Landlord

Obviously no list of Yorkshire beers would be complete without Landlord. Often emulated, but never replicated. Regardless of the time of year; regardless of the occasion; Landlord is, and will always be about as Yorkshire as it gets. We even drink it over here in Manchester.

Mahr’s - aU Ungespundet

Definitely not from Yorkshire, but one of my all time favourite beers. It’s an unfiltered lager from Bamberg, Germany. Ungespundet means that some of the carbon dioxide produced during fermentation is kept in solution giving the beer a really nice soft carbonation. It’s also a very fun word to say. I’ve seen it in a couple of beer shops in Leeds, go and find some.

Bundobust - Manak

Obviously can’t resist sneaking one of our own onto this list… Our Manak Cream Ale is a bit of a hybrid of a lager and an ale: Super clean malt and hop character, paired up with that lager drinkability, perfect for the sunny times. Fun fact; Cream Ales have nothing to do with cream. They’re just named as such because of some confusing marketing in the US in the 1800s.

LEEDS - 6 MILL HILL . LS1 5DQ

THE BEAUTIFUL SOUTH

To the south side of Leeds city centre, major regeneration has been happening to revive the area into a unique attraction. Martin Farrington, Director of City Development at Leeds City Council, gives us an insight into what’s going down at the South Bank.

I have often said that development is an exercise in dynamic patience, and the regeneration of the South Bank is certainly a prime example.

I first looked at the area to the south of the River Aire after the City Centre Conference of 2008…. some 15 years ago. Through walking the area and mulling things over, I quickly realised the latent potential that the then, not so snazzily titled, “City Centre South” presented. Put simply, a once in a career opportunity.

Dominated by post industrial buildings, over-engineered highways and with the expansive Tetley Brewery set to close, it was clear that there was the potential to deliver regeneration at a scale that could deliver a whole new district in an expanding city centre. And so, with a quick rebrand

that was conceived through my doodling in a rather boring meeting about performance management, the “Leeds South Bank” was born.

With the help of many colleagues in the Council, the support of the Civic Trust and too many external partners to mention, a number of opportunities took shape including a new city-centre park, the Hunslet Stray, calming the highway infrastructure and a new footbridge over the Aire; all as part of a new mixed area that aimed to double the size of the city-centre. The scale of the opportunity quickly took hold amongst many stakeholders with lots of co-production helping to inform and refine our master plans further.

Since the development of the first South Bank Planning Framework in 2011, progress has continued to be made in realising our ambition including the introduction of new learning cluster in the area such as the City College, the College of Building, Ruth Gorse Academy and the University Technical College. In addition, the delivery of the new Southern Entrance to the Station by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority in 2016 provided a new gateway to the area was a key move that enabled Leeds Station to now face South as well as its traditional North.

Building on these early successes, in the past few years the long-held ambition for the South Bank has really taken shape. The Council has completed the first phase of the Park at Meadow Lane, which is ready to receive a major new piece of public art, Hibiscuss Rising by Yinka Shonibare. The opening of the new David OIuwale Footbridge was also completed earlier this year and Vastint is making excellent progress with its Aire Park development, including more than 20,000m2 of office development close to completion.

Alongside this progress a number of residential schemes have been brought forward including the completed Mustard Wharf and Iron Works schemes which is being followed by Tower Works and the Guinness Partnership on the former Evans Hallshaw site. This development at scale is book-ended to the West by the recently completed Globe Point office development by CEG and Citu’s Climate Innovation District to the East.

Along with the calming of Crown Point Road, which has recently been completed, it’s clear that the potential to create a new part of Leeds City Centre is now being realised. An area that introduces new green space into a former brownfield post-industrial landscape, new homes with high levels of environmental performance, and infrastructure that prioritises the person, not the car is well on the way to delivery. The dynamic patience that has been exercised by many stakeholders in the city is starting to pay dividends and, with the potential to bring the British Library North into a restored Temple Mill, those dividends look set to continue and make a return for Leeds for many years to come.

CREATING WAVES

Ola Akinlade is a talented designer who is creating waves in the industry from his Leeds studio. He describes the work he does and introduces five more men making a name in fashion from Yorkshire.

Ola Akinlade, Designer, Bespoke Customiser and Creative Director of AP Studios

@Apstudiosleeds

@designsbybvl

As a self-taught designer, I embarked on my art and design journey during the lockdown, and it has been an exhilarating ride ever since. My journey initially revolved around customising various pairs of shoes with an array of mediums. It’s given me fantastic opportunities to work with brands and celebrities such as Adidas, size?, Converse, EA, My Protein and even collaborate with Microsoft and LADbible on a campaign that was nothing short of thrilling.

The experience has been incredibly insightful, and I even had the chance to take part in BBC 3’s show The Drop, which was a blast! While I still make bespoke shoes for athletes, including working with Emily Campbell, Cheavon Clarke and Ben Stokes, my team and I have expanded our horizons. We now have a creative studio space in Leeds, where we design and develop campaigns for fashion and event businesses, including lookbooks, eco, and editorial campaigns.

Over the past year, I’ve had a great time studying creative direction and putting it into practice. I consider myself incredibly lucky to have an outstanding team of creatives working with me. Together, we are growing and building a community, and even working with fashion photography students in universities. We have several community-led events in the pipeline that we can’t wait to explore. Stay tuned for more exciting updates from us!

www.ap-studios.co.uk

Charlie Pollard, Designer and Creative Director of Glorydays

@glorydaysclo www.Glorydaysclo.com

I’m a ready to wear menswear designer working from our atelier retail space at the Corn Exchange in Leeds. As a brand we have had the opportunity to grow exponentially in the past 12 months due to our unique cuts, fabric choices and silhouettes that we release on a seasonal basis. We have also had the opportunity to dress the likes of Grammy winning recording artist Lucky Daye and bespoke fittings for many red carpet events around the world.

Husain Momoniat, Vintage Designer, Fashion Collector and Dealer of Ruder Than The Rest

@ruderthantherest

www.ruderthantherest.com

I specialise in curating rare and covered vintage designer womenswear from the 1990’s and 2000’s. My pieces have been worn by Jorja Smith, Ivorian Doll and Bree Runway. I also had the opportunity to work on Reggie Yates’ first directed feature film ‘Pirates’.

Val’Green, Model @valgreen_11

I’ve been a model in the industry for a couple of years now and it’s been a crazy experience! Coming from a football background, the idea of modelling had never crossed my mind, although I’ve always been up to date regarding upcoming fashion trends around the globe and love to experiment a lot with different clothing items inspired by music, mood and cultures. I’ve met a lot of amazing people on my journey such as pro athletes, great directors and talented creatives that led me to work with the likes of Puma, Umbro and many more. Love.

Tom Hill, Fashion Photographer and Art Director of Northern Soul Agency

@tomhillvisuals @northernsoulagency

I’m a UK-based Fashion Photographer, Art Director and recent Mother Agent who has been working in the industry for around a year now. Looking at showcasing the theme of fashion and documentary within my photography work alongside aiming to push the boundaries with my casting and modelling agency. I have worked with the likes of Storm Model, Boy London, Adam Jones, Imm Model plus many more. Currently I’m working on a topic around male representation within the modelling industry looking at themes such as mental health, diversity and masculinity.

@_Sekkle_ www.sekkle.co.uk

I’m a Leeds based vintage specialist and stylist. I’ve worked in the vintage scene for over 5 years supplying clothing and styling to artists around the UK. I run a vintage company called ‘Sekkle’ specialising in streetwear and high end vintage clothing ranging between the 1990’s-2000’s. I also work with music artists throughout the country where I lend clothes for music videos and also offer styling. I have had the chance to work with some big names in the game such as Aitch, Mabel, Sugababes, Jammer and lots more.

Adam Dowdy, Vintage Designer and Collector of Sekkle

STYLED IN STONE

Lapicida are a proud Yorkshire company, operating from a three-acre showroom, workshop and warehousing complex in Knaresborough near Harrogate. Best known as specialists in luxury surfaces for both floors and walls, they source and supply an amazing range of new and reclaimed natural stone and marble as well as new generation porcelains and ceramics. Lapicida Director Jason Cherrington provides insight into the style and craft behind the business.

@lapicidastone

Inspired by travel

The business evolved from my travels in Asia. I saw that there was interest in the market for feature stones, so undertook some extensive geological research which led me to South Africa. The trip was incredibly rewarding, and I came back with some very different natural stone products that no-one else had seen in the UK before. After that, I gradually researched and bought product from all over the world, including Italy, Israel, Portugal and Germany. I was looking for the rare and the unusual - and I was learning all the time.

Bringing it all back home

We’ve evolved into quite a sophisticated operation! Today, we continue to source stone and other materials from all over the world. Our complex in Harrogate is home to Europe’s largest stone and tile showroom, a manufacturing facility and stone warehouse. Alongside our luxury surfaces, our artisans work with advanced technology to create bespoke furniture and objects. We have even launched a new brand called ORNAMENTI that sources high-end garden ornaments that you simply cannot find in a garden centre. All this means we work on a massive variety of projects, large and small, interior and exterior, UK and internationally.

Traditional artisans

Our team have honed their craft for many years and are extremely skilled at combining traditional stonemasonry techniques with hightech processes and cutting-edge machinerythis means we can offer both natural stone and marble, and alternative products, for virtually any situation. All the genuine antique stone and terracotta floors and tiles are chosen for character and quality - we can do this because we have maintained and developed traditional artisan skills to transform unwanted old flooring materials into stylish products for contemporary living. All are expertly recalibrated into a more regular thickness to make installation easier before being carefully colour selected to the client’s specific requirements. In my opinion there are few things in life that are as green as reclaimed building materials!

Global reach, Yorkshire heart

Being a Yorkshire business is a key part of our identity. Although we do have a global outreach, we work on many local interiors projects and try to give back to the community by sponsoring various local charities and fundraising over the years. There are so many projects we have been involved with in God’s own country! In reality, the majority of what the company actually supplies is tiles for kitchen floors and bathrooms in Yorkshire. We are also proud to have worked on many prestigious commercial projects in the area - such as the beautiful bespoke mosaic floor at the entrance to Betty’s famous Harrogate Tea Rooms. We also worked extensively on the sumptuous interiors at Grantley Hall where we supplied a wide range of opulent marbles and limestones as well as porcelain and ceramic tiles. We’re very lucky to work with some of the most beautiful materials from all over the world, and with really talented craftspeople. It can be challenging to maintain such a high standard, but it is very rewarding. www.lapicida.com

“ O l d S c h o o l I t a l i a w i t h a l i t t l e D e v o u r T w i s t ”

N e s t l e d i n t h e p i c t u r e s q u e a n d h i s t o r i c H o l m e

V a l l e y ; t u c k e d a w a y b e t w e e n a n c i e n t w o o d l a n d a n d

t h e g e n t l e e b b a n d f l o w o f t h e w i n d i n g R i v e r

H o l m e l i e s D e v o u r , a s t o n e ’ s t h r o w a w a y f r o m t h e

c o b b l e d s t r e e t s o f H o l m f i r t h .

S I P . S H A R E . T A S T E & F E A S T

THE EXPERIENCE IS EVERYTHING

Grantley Hall is a Grade II* listed building that dates back to around 1680. In recent years, the site has been lovingly restored to its former glory by the Sykes family. Set within 38 acres of beautiful grounds, Grantley Hall now offers a unique blend of local heritage and faraway luxury in the heart of North Yorkshire.

Mrs Sykes had always seen the restoration of Grantley Hall as a family project, with three generations involved from the very beginning, but also one that would create jobs, support local businesses and drive tourism in the area. Born and raised in Yorkshire, she prides herself on working with like-minded businesses who share a passion and pride for the region.

This ethos, alongside their work with luxury car brands such as Rolls Royce, Aston Martin, Ferrari and Porsche, makes Grantley Hall a perfect partner for North Yorkshire supercar company Redline Specialist Cars. The two recently combined for an exclusive Supercar Sunday, and regularly work together to create an elevated piece of Yorkshire, with the shared sentiment: ‘The Experience is Everything’.

John Graeme is the Sales Director at Redline Specialist Cars and explains how Redline and Grantley Hall got together to form a harmonious luxurious partnership.

We created a partnership with Grantley Hall quite easily because we share the same values and vision as each other. My business partner Rob and I loved their brand, and Grantley Hall’s Lifestyle Manager Paul Boulton loved ours!

Grantley Hall is Yorkshire’s premier destination with a licence to entertain. It’s without doubt the best place to bring businesses and customers together in a stunning relaxed setting. We’ve built up a great collaboration and it’s always a pleasure to come and showcase our cars on the greatest stage in the heart of Yorkshire.

We have a similar hands-on, professional but friendly approach, personally looking after customers, from unique to special to unusual. We pride ourselves on our general and specific car knowledge - as well as stunning hot new supercars we are really starting to grow our classic car side of the business too - and have grown our business customer by customer making sure they’re happy at every turn and come back.

We quickly realised that Redline and Grantley Hall shared a good proportion of the same customers and there was a natural synergy. Our relationship stepped up through Covid, culminating in us becoming a lead partner sponsor for the Supercar. We’ve chosen the iconic Supercar Sunday experience showcase event to quietly launch our new brand!

Both our businesses are built on giving our customers the best possible service and our brand now leads with this sentiment: ‘The Experience is Everything’.

Photos: @thomholmes @grantleyhall_

NORTHERN SOLE

The Last Shoemaker hand craft high quality shoes from their workshop in Heslington, York. Co-owner and shoemaker Payson Muller describes the skilled process behind their handsome creations.

@thelastshoemaker

In the lovely village of Heslington on the edge of York there is a unique business that is stepping back in time and striding into the future. From there, on one of the last Parish farms, Payson Muller is quietly creating a world of shoes which are walking far beyond their immediate surroundings.

With his business partner and friend Allan Donnelly, The Last Shoemaker are using traditional techniques to revive quality shoemaking. “We make our shoes through the whole process, from the ground up” says Payson. “Starting with making the last to the client’s measurements, making the pattern from the last, putting the shoes together and fitting them to the client’s feet and taste.” This meticulous approach, taking responsibility for every part of the design and manufacture, is what attracted Payson; “Learning how to make a perfect shoe last was the pathway that got me into shoemaking and where Allan and I met.”

The brand started as an idea to put the duo’s last making skills together. “We needed to seek out the people with the skills to learn from and I learnt everything here in England” he explains. “There are a lot of artisan and traditional craftspeople in England still - it’s fairly hidden but if you seek it out you can find it.” Keen to credit those who tutored him along the way, Payson lists “Steven Lowe and Dominic Casey for last making; for shoemaking, James McCormack; pattern making and orthopaedic bespoke, Bill Bird. And a personal shout out to Terry Brown, who was a local shoemaker in York. He’s sadly passed away now but he directed me to the Independent Shoemakers conference where all my contacts are members.”

“My parents were hippies and the idea of natural footwear, like Birkenstocks, is not new - but it is against the norm.”

As Payson praises the UK, his own origins are a long distance away. “I’m from Los Angeles, California” he confirms; a place which suited his interests less than his Yorkshire home. “It’s actually an industrial city but the industry there is entertainment. Wasted on me as I’m not interested in pop culture or entertainment!” However his upbringing isn’t entirely removed from his present vocation, making natural footwear; “My parents were hippies and the idea of natural footwear, like Birkenstocks, is not new - but it is against the norm.”

The natural footwear that The Last Shoemaker produce is what sets them apart. “We came up with a way to make shoes that people who don’t want to wear shoes appreciate - people who like barefoot characteristics, minimalist shoes. The result is traditional techniques that create modern, minimalist footwear.” The process is time-consuming and hands-on, but mightily effective; “It takes up to 6 weeks to create the lasts” Payson confirms. “The last can then make different styles of shoes for same customer repeatedly, a truly bespoke service.” A bespoke service which is proving popular, with a waiting list on orders now of up to 6 months.

The benefits to the wearers of The Last Shoemaker is not only in the aesthetic style but especially in the comfort. “They allow feet to be their natural form” explains Payson. “Modern shoes have created damage and misshape the foot in my opinion. Our mission is to create healthy shoes and transform feet back to natural comfort.” And for The Last Shoemaker, the benefits are in the process, but it’s not without challenges; “It’s hard to learn the crafts, and because of the time it takes, it’s never going to make you rich” says Payson. “But” he concludes “artisan crafts are very rewarding.”

www.thelastshoemaker.com

Photo: @paulvonhowley

Photo: @theshoesnob_official

Perfected Thai Flavours

See you at Rosa’s Thai York

We’re serving up all the best hits, from our famous Pad Thai to handmade Spring Rolls; crowd’s favourite, Chilli Basil Stir-Fry to Massaman Curry with our very own curry paste. There’s a bit of something for everyone at our cozy new restaurant. Come

Scan to book or followt this link: tinyurl.com/rosasthaibooking or give us a ring 01904 590046

For more info, visit rosasthai.com or follow us @rosasthai

Design by Tyler McFaul, BA (Hons) Graphic Design

WOODHOUSE TO THE WORLD

Nigel Matambo - aka Sununguro - is a rising tech creative who is making an immense impact with his exciting innovations in augmented reality. Creating interactive experiences that combine the real world and computer-generated content, he has worked with a remarkable list of collaborators and featured in the Forbes 30 under 30 list as one of the most influential young individuals on the European entertainment scene. This has all been achieved from his humble origins and his Leeds home, and for Nigel, it’s only the beginning. He takes us on his journey to here and explores where it might go…

@sununguro

I moved to the UK from Zimbabwe in 2006, growing up and studying in Leeds. After receiving a bursary award from Universal Music, I started working on technology and learning how to code, then pursued it as a way to augment over my own reality and be creative on my own terms.

I’m an interdisciplinary designer working in creative technology. I’m a technical artist building the augmented layer of experiences for the new era of the internet. Understanding aspects of spatial computing and engineering experiences and products for the new age. Exploring the space between physical and digital augmentation.

For people’s lives, augmented reality will make luxury more accessible; the idea of being able to try on a product without having to do so physically is interesting. But also the idea of connecting an already existing physical item and adding a layer of additional capabilities with digital overlays will give people a new way of being able to interact with the world.

Currently we’re at its nascent stages, tools and platforms are still being developed and will improve. I’m always iterating, learning to think across different mediums and finding the synergies. My biggest challenge is that context for a lot of my ideas doesn’t exist yet so I need to be patient with being understood. The benefit is being able to see the world in a new way and apply my ideas broadly.

Leeds has always been very tech adjacent and at the forefront of pioneering innovation. But I’d like to see more done here to actively seek out and promote those in underrepresented groups and in deprived areas. Programmes such as the Samuel Ross Black British Artists Grant come to mind.

There’s a pretty extensive list of international collaborators that I’m grateful for. My technical skills were instrumental in teaming up with Virgil Abloh across his shows. I built Pharrell Williams’ digital wearables too for his digital-first auction house Joopiter, in partnership with Virgil’s studio.

Collaborating with Coachella and Meta was fun; I built the global geo anchored experience for them, which is revolutionary for connected experiences. And we built the inaugural augmented wearables for Louis Vuitton - making luxury accessible in building engaging spaces and try on experiences. This work has been exhibited across numerous galleries internationally. But my biggest success is building a new water tank for my grandma in Zimbabwe.

For me the future is open. I’m exploring the use of augmented reality and artificial intelligence to improve lives and wellbeing in a very comprehensive and accessible way. All we have is belief - I’m trying to push the boundaries of what I believe is possible, and through that I hope to help those around me.

www.sununguro.io

Photo: @issaclawrencebrown

MAKE DO AND TREND

Perri Isa has run the vintage and streetwear clothing store BEST in Leeds city centre for over a decade. Following in his father’s footsteps and alongside his brother Erin, this independent business is moving through generations of family and appealing to generations of fashionistas. Perri reveals the passion and people behind this proudly local brand that sources and reworks specialist and stylish clothing from across the world.

@bestleedsuk

We’ve run BEST in Leeds independently now for 17 years. My dad initially started the business as a vintage shop - I came on board in 2009/10 so am pretty vintage myself! What we really have a passion for is having a proper independent shop in the city where people can come in, see us and find the brands they’re wanting.

The shop is still vintage clothing, but has evolved to source brands from all over the world and also rework some items to stay on trend. What we like to do is fuse it with streetwear, which is very popular with the younger generation.

One of my passions is sourcing clothes that are both unique and sought after and then bringing them to the masses. We specialise in specific eras - a lot of designer stuff is from the nineties, brands like Prada and YSL. We get brands in like Stussi which started in 1980 and we source specialist Stone Island pieces made in Italy. I always wear our clothing too to represent the shop and bring it to life - what I’ve got on today is a vintage Burberry shirt which is made in England - there is a lot of clothing here made in the UK which many customers appreciate.

The quality of clothing that’s 20, 30, 40 years old holds up amazingly - I can show you a jumper from 1990 and it still looks brand new, or vintage football shirts that date back to 1980. There are not many stores in Leeds that stock what we do now.

One of the biggest things we try and do is get feedback, listen to our customers and deliver what brands and trends they’re wanting. We try to be as on trend as possible and work with Beth, who is our head on-site seamstress, to rework items. This building is beautiful and dates back to the 19th century - upstairs, the floor above the shop, is where the magic happens!

It could be that Beth has an idea or Erin and I come to her - we work very closely together and have all these different mood boards for inspiration. For example, this jogger short with a loophole on that you’d find on Carhartt - what I’ve done is used a loophole off a genuine Burberry nova check shirt and attached it on a nice pair of shorts. We get a lot of cut off scraps of Burberry - you could either throw that scrap away or you can make it into something new.

We like to give people an insight to what we do here. Obviously social media is massive, and on there we’ll show videos with Beth making the reworked clothing so people can see from scratch how we’ve actually done it. It creates a partnership with the audience, encourages people to share, makes it social, and gets them involved with the brand.

BEST is still a family run business. The shop is about having a good hub where people can come and me and Erin give the the best of the brands they’re wanting. My dad now runs Shush Furniture in Leeds with the similar idea to here, on-trend vintage but with furniture, which is his main passion.

As well as our online shop, I like to have this Leeds base as our main flagship store. There has been a rejuvenation for some people to shop on the high street again which I think is majorly important. It’s hard to replicate what we’ve got here, that personal experience created by us being there every day, which we’re all vey proud of.

https://wear.best/

INSPIRED BY YORKSHIRE

Celebrated British artist and sculptor Barbara Hepworth grew up in Yorkshire and studied in Leeds from 1920-21. Her work is showcased across the area, including at Yorkshire Sculpture Park and Hepworth Wakefield. Rachael Hickson Pearce of Leeds Arts University tells the story of one of their most famous alumni.

Barbara Hepworth was of one of the most important artists of the 20th Century with a career spanning over fifty years. One hundred and three years after she began her studies, let’s take a look at Hepworth’s time in Yorkshire and how her connection to the landscape proved to be a formative influence on her work.

Hepworth was born in Wakefield in 1903, the eldest child from a middle-class family. As a child her father Herbert Hepworth, a civil engineer for the West Riding County Council, took her on car trips around the Yorkshire countryside to inspect local roads and bridges, an experience which would have a lasting effect on her work.

“All my early memories are of forms and shapes and textures. Moving through and over the West Riding landscape with my father in his car, the hills were sculptures; the roads defined the form. Above all, there was the sensation of moving physically over the contours of fulnesses and concavities, through hollows and over peaks – feeling, touching, seeing, through mind and hand and eye. This sensation has never left me. I, the sculptor, am the landscape” Barbara Hepworth, 1961.

Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Sculptures The Family of Man (1970) and Squares with Two Circles (1963) are on public display at Yorkshire Sculpture Park. The Family of Man is one of the last major works that Barbara Hepworth made before her death and is a representation of a group of figures in a landscape. Each of the nine sculptures represents a stage of life.

Yorkshire Sculpture Park, West Bretton, Wakefield WF4 4LG. www.ysp.org.uk

The family would holiday at Robin Hoods Bay, near Whitby. Hepworth spent her summers in a house on the beach, painting and collecting items along the shore. A student at Wakefield Girls High School, she was encouraged in her love of art and won a scholarship to attend art school.

In 1920 Hepworth arrived at Leeds School of Art (now Leeds Arts University) to begin her studies alongside fellow Yorkshire born sculptor Henry Moore, they became friends and developed a friendly professional rivalry that lasted for many years.

Following this, Hepworth won a scholarship to the Royal College of Art and moved to London in 1921 with fellow Leeds students Henry Moore, Edna Ginesi, Raymond Coxon and Vivian Pitchforth.

Hepworth went on to travel through Italy with a scholarship from her local council. There she met artist John Skeaping and they married in 1925, separating six years later after the birth of her first child Paul. Hepworth married artist Ben Nicholson in 1934 and the couple later had triplets. The theme of motherhood was a recurring one for Hepworth and she often returned to the theme of mother and child in her work. The family moved to St. Ives in Cornwall at the outbreak of war in 1939. Hepworth lived in Trewyn Studios in St Ives from 1949 but the early experiences from her childhood in Yorkshire were a formative influence on the artist.

Leeds School of Art

The 1903 Leeds School of Art building, where Hepworth studied, was later renamed Leeds College of Art and is still part of Leeds Arts University. It is located on Vernon Street next to Millennium Square in the city centre.

Photos:

Yorkshire

The Hepworth Wakefield opened in 2011 and presents major exhibitions of the best international modern and contemporary art and has dedicated permanent galleries exploring Hepworth’s art and working process. The exhibition Magic in this Country, Hepworth, Moore and the Land is at Hepworth Wakefield until January 2024.

Hepworth Wakefield, Gallery Walk, Wakefield WF1 5AW.

1: Barbara Hepworth The Family of Man 1970. Bowness. Photo Josh Hallett.

2. Barbara Hepworth, c.1919. Courtesy Bowness.

3. Barbara Hepworth with prototype for Figure for Landscape and a bronze cast of Figure (Archaean), November 1964. Photo: Lucien Myers. Courtesy Bowness

4. Hepworth Wakefield. Photo: Hepworth Wakefield.

5/6: Photo: Leeds Arts University

Explore Barbara Hepworth in

NIGHTS TO

REMEMBER

It’s been 30 years since the start of one of Leeds’ most legendary club nights: Vague. Later evolving into the equally iconic SpeedQueen, their impact and influence on the dance music and LGBTQ+ scenes still lives on. Founder Suzy Mason revisits these nights to remember.

@loveconquersclubland

The Inspiration

Vague started in 1993 at High Flyers and then quickly moved to the Warehouse. It was set up by myself, Paul Fryer and Nick Raphael to challenge the sexism, racism and homophobia in clubland at the time. Paul and I had been running a small glamorous art club called The Kit Kat Club the year before and quickly realised that no-one else was going to address these issues of exclusion in Leeds; it was just the way things were and people seemed to accept it. So we decided to do something about it and set up Vague with Nick, who was a promotions manager at the venue. Vague was the first purpose built mixed safe space to exist in Leeds. We just wanted the city to have more glamour and be more cosmopolitan and tolerant. There were so few places to go out back then.

The Atmosphere

Vague created a moment and place where everyone could celebrate diversity. It was such an eclectic mix of people: gay, straight, trans, black, white, asian, disabled, rich, poor, young, old. The walls were covered in art, visuals and films. You could wear whatever you wanted and not get laughed at. It really was people’s first experience of anything like this in Leeds - challenging stereotypes and encouraging complete freedom to be who you are and all set to the most uplifting house and hard house music downstairs and funk soul disco and latin upstairs.

The Reaction

At first a lot of people didn’t quite get what we were trying to do - they said it could never work in Leeds and that people would never accept it. But it very quickly became incredibly popular, with people travelling from all over the country and waiting hours to get in. We were voted No.1 club in the country by numerous media and magazines over the 3 years Vague lasted.

The Evolution

Vague kind of imploded due to crazy hedonism and love, and Nick and Paul moved to London. When it finished I started SpeedQueen with Kas Shaw. It was very much a reaction to what was becoming an increasing corporate club scene and big name DJs charging huge fees. We set up SpeedQueen as a social enterprise even though there was no such business model at that time. We supported many young people in their DJ careers and created opportunities for women - clubland was very male dominated and we were the only female promoters in Leeds at that time

The Highlights

The absolute highlight for us was being invited by SFOR the stabilisation force for NATO to tour Bosnia with the British Army after the war. We ran club nights, put on school discos and ran workshops in children’s homes and camps for displaced youths all who had never had a party before. It was a very humbling experience. Night clubs are often dismissed as superficial spaces but at their best they have the potential to be so much more than that. Another highlight is when Liz Dawn (Vera Duckworth from Coronation Street) accepted our invitation to our 2nd birthday in 1995 and performed on stage. She was magnificent and we raised £3000 for her Cancer Research charity at St James Hospital.

The Legacy

At Vague we had a statement of intent on the door that people had to sign before coming in to agree to respect everyone. I think inclusivity, diversity and codes of conduct have all become well understood mainstream ideals now but back then it was really pioneering and quite visionary. Leeds has changed beyond all recognition. It was a post industrial town that had been hard hit by a recession in the 80’s and there weren’t many places to go out. Now it’s a thriving cosmopolitan city with a lot to look forward to.

The Future

I am starting a new social history archive project called Love Conquers Clubland. I will be collecting the stories, experiences and memories of the people who came to the clubs in order to preserve a true record of this time in Leeds and share it with younger generations. Anyone can get involved - all contributions are welcome!

facebook.com/speedqueen

hello@loveconquersclubland.com

TELLING STORIES THAT CONNECT

Northern Ballet’s new Artistic Director Federico Bonelli has just announced his first curated season with the Company, following 20 years under the leadership of David Nixon CBE, marking a new era for the Leeds-based cultural powerhouse.

Celebrating the breadth of Northern Ballet’s work, Bonelli’s first season presents stories that connect with people of all ages and backgrounds. From UK and world premières created by compelling new voices, to the revival of critically acclaimed classic repertoire - these are stories created in Leeds for a national stage. Federico describes his vision for the season before the Company tell us about some of the highlights…

@northernballet

At Northern Ballet we tell stories that connect with people and for my first season I have invited some exciting young choreographers to Leeds, to create new stories and share their fresh and compelling perspectives with us. These are presented alongside the revivals of landmark productions that we will take across the country with the hope of introducing a whole new generation of people to the power and beauty of world-class ballet.

I am incredibly proud of our place within the wider cultural landscape of Leeds and the North of England. This year, we’re also opening up our space and resources to collaborate more closely and forge partnerships with our community, local artists and organisations throughout the North.

“I am incredibly proud of our place within the wider cultural landscape of Leeds and the North of England”.

Every Little Thing Is a Change

In a Company first, dancers from Northern Ballet’s Company and Ability, the Company’s weekly dance course for adults with additional learning support needs, will join forces in the world première of a pioneering new dance film, Every Little Thing Is a Change. Created by renowned Director and Choreographer Ben Wright the film will première as part of Expressions, the Company’s ground-breaking inclusive dance festival that celebrates the talents of disabled dancers from Yorkshire and beyond. The festival, which marks its 10th anniversary, will also feature I think we should start over by the world’s foremost inclusive dance company, Candoco.

Sketches

This month, Northern Ballet will launch Sketches, a new choreographic development programme, which will build on the Company’s previous Choreographic Labs. Devised by Bonelli, artists at different stages of their careers will have access to mentorship from leading choreographers to experiment with movement, ideas, and storytelling. Seven dancerchoreographers from the Company (Wesley Branch, Harris Beattie, Filippo Di Vilio, Katharine Lee, George Liang, Gavin McCaig and Bruno Serraclara) will work with mentors Mthuthuzeli November, Kenneth Tindall, and Sharon Watson MBE DL to develop new work which they will present to sold-out audiences for the very first time, alongside a piece by awardwinning Leeds based artist Jamaal Burkmar.

Generations: Three Short Ballets

Curated by Bonelli, this new triple bill will feature a world première from American ballet dancer and choreographer Tiler Peck - her first choreographic commission for a European ballet company; a UK première by emerging choreographer and Royal Ballet Soloist Benjamin Ella; and the contemporary classic Adagio Hammerklavier by Dutch ballet master Hans van Manen. The mixed bill will premiere at the Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre in Northern Ballet’s home in Leeds (8-16 Sept) before hitting the stage at the Royal Opera House’s Linbury Theatre in London (31 Oct - 2 Nov).

Romeo & Juliet

For spring 2024 the Company will restage their critically acclaimed production of Christopher Gable and Massimo Morricone’s Romeo & Juliet. Breathing new life into this classic piece, Northern Ballet will work with the original creative team to bring this much-loved work back into repertoire and present it to audiences across the UK. Building on its tradition of storytelling, Northern Ballet has also commissioned a contemporary response to Romeo & Juliet with a new work for 2024 from South African choreographer Mthuthuzeli November, following Mthuthuzeli’s Wailers for the Company in 2022.

Tortoise & the Hare

Northern Ballet provides for many their first experience of live theatre with their ballets for children and this autumn will see the revival of Dreda Blow & Sebastian Loe’s Tortoise & the Hare. Performed by members of the Company and accompanied by live music, the ballet will be performed at the Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre in Leeds (dates TBC) before transferring to the Linbury Theatre, London (27 - 29 Jan), followed by a full UK tour in spring 2024 (dates TBC).

Northern Ballet Late

In January 2024 Northern Ballet will launch Northern Ballet Late, a new series of after-hours informal ballet evenings at the Company’s home in Leeds. The inaugural event will feature a special night of performances, a sneak preview of Romeo & Juliet alongside films, DJs, and a late-night bar.

Rise & Shine

As part of their ongoing work in Yorkshire schools, Northern Ballet are launching a new inclusive dance project called Rise & Shine. Supported by Paul Hamlyn Foundation, the project will see the Company pilot and develop inclusive dance in schools, encouraging and supporting children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities to progress their movement skills and creativity. Led by Northern Ballet Community Dance Artists alongside artists with lived experience of disability and specialist Music Therapists, the project will cover the full academic year with weekly sessions, culminating in the opportunity for the children to perform as part of the Expressions Festival in 2024.

Beauty & the Beast and The Nutcracker

Classic stories also returning are previously announced productions of David Nixon CBE’s Beauty & the Beast and much-loved Christmas classic The Nutcracker. Set to a hand-picked score of classic music from the likes of Bizet and Debussy, played live by the Northern Ballet Sinfonia, Beauty & the Beast will embark on a national tour in Autumn 2023 (4 Oct - 9 June) whilst The Nutcracker returns to Leeds Grand Theatre for Christmas following sell out performances in 2022.

www.northernballet.com

YORKSHIRE ROVER

Catherine Hardy takes a trip to some of Yorkshire’s lesser known areas to reveal their unique character. Join her here to discover the story of Wentworth.

@yorkshire_pudding

One of South Yorkshire’s best kept secrets is the village of Wentworth, which lies between Barnsley and Rotherham. It’s appearance as a sleepy, quintessentially English country village belies the fact that this was once home to one of the most powerful families in Britain, who built the nearby Wentworth Woodhouse, which is the largest privately owned home in Europe.

The once influential Fitzwilliams made their vast fortune from coal mining, and visitors to the house during their tenure included Queen Victoria and Anna Pavlova, the prima ballerina who danced for King George V in the house’s beautiful marble saloon during his state visit of 1912 (fun fact: the first Downton Abbey movie is based on this visit and some of the scenes for the film were also shot here).

After WWII, due to death duties, the house became a bit of a millstone around the family’s neck, and after attempts to sell it to the National Trust were declined, it became a ladies college. In the intervening years, it fell into a state of disrepair and was sold to a succession of private buyers starting in 1989. Attempts were made at renovations, but it was only when it was sold to a local trust that repairs began in earnest and it is now open to the public for tours and as an event space.

If stately homes aren’t your thing, the village itself has plenty to offer. The garden centre which stands on the site of the old pleasure gardens of Wentworth Woodhouse, and has been substantially restored, includes an old bear pit, an Italian garden and a maze. It’s a pleasant round walk from the garden centre up to not one, but two churches.

The ‘new’ church was built in the late 1800’s and is a a local landmark as its spire can be seen for miles around, and while the old church is no longer in use as a religious building, there’s still lots to see inside for any lovers of history, including a wall frieze dedicated to the 1st Earl of Strafford, who was privy counsellor to Charles I.

Then it’s back through the main road of the village, and though the village is small, it boasts two pubs, a tearoom, an antique centre and even a post office. You might even spot the peacock, who appears to have taken up residence near the old church. Continue on and stop off at the picturesque and perfectly named ‘Paradise Square’ - it’s a must for your Instagram feed.

LANDSCAPE CREATOR

Alistair Baldwin is an internationally renowned landscape architect and garden designer based in North Yorkshire. His practice near Ripon, AWB Associates, delivers high spec public and private gardens and he has also spent 13 years delivering courses and lectures throughout the UK and the world. Passionate about his northern base, Alistair taught at Leeds Beckett University and has built a reputation for nurturing the talent of the future. We take a look at some of his amazing projects, in Yorkshire and further north, which Alistair describes.

@awbassociates

The Yorkshire School of Garden Design

The YSGD launched in July 2022 and was born out of my passion to create a school based in the north of England. Our flagship and professional diploma courses and programme of short courses are delivered across the year from our base at Grade I listed Harewood House, between Leeds and Harrogate. I present all courses with a team of talented professional designers, horticulturalists, architects, landscapers and artists.

Tunstall Grange, North Yorkshire

Photography by Ray Cox

We were tasked with creating a country garden of soft, seasonal textures, with far-reaching views to the North Yorkshire horizon, as the setting for a large new country house.

Kinross House, Scotland

Photography by Ray Cox

This project saw the restoration of a 10-acre 17th century walled garden, in the setting of one of Scotland’s most important classical houses, Kinross House. We re-applied the classical proportions of the original 17th century plan by architect William Bruce and overlaid a contemporary layer of soft grasses and perennials, while opening up views to Loch Leven and Leven Castle.

Grantley Hall, North Yorkshire

To begin the project, we provided master-planning services to convert this stunning country house into a luxury hotel, spa and wedding venue. Following its sale, we were tasked with creating new gardens directly in front of the hotel as well as to restoring the wonderful Japanese strolling garden around the new restaurant and wedding venue. The new gardens to the east front are a contemporary interpretation of the traditional Edwardian flower garden, arranged on two historic axes and including an 80m long rill and steel seating Arbor.

Photography by Shane Webber

Our brief was to create an extravaganza of roses in this public garden, to which we introduced layers of grasses and perennials to extend the flowering season and attract bird and insect species into the garden. The team worked with David Austin Roses to introduce over 3,000 roses from shrub, climber and wild to groundcover and ramblers.

I was tasked with restoring the 30 acre grounds of the Grade II Listed Bowcliffe Hall, the former home of British aviation pioneer Robert Blackburn. It is now an exclusive events venue and heritage office park. I reinterpreted the notion of the Edwardian flower garden and re-introduced a major new glasshouse, working closely with greenhouse specialist, Alitex. New flower gardens and walks now give event attendees and office workers contact with nature, colour and seasonality.

Wynyard Hall, County Durham

Photography by Clive Nichols

Bowcliffe Hall, West Yorkshire

Photography by Clive Nichols

Bridge Farm, North Yorkshire

Photography by Alistair Baldwin

The team and I began by planting up the setting to this elevated North Yorkshire former farm at the head of a windy valley. We used bold drifts of grasses and perennials to clothe the land, intersected by feature steps.

www.alistairwbaldwin.co.uk https://ysgd.co.uk/

MY CITY

Ellie Warner is Leeds born and bred and proud of her roots in the city. As a hairdresser in the centre, she knows plenty of people here, and as a face off the telly with her sister Izzi, plenty of people think they know her. “I get a lot of people saying “Where do I know you from?” And I don’t like to say because they might not even watch it” she says. So instead, we asked Ellie a different question: what do you love about Leeds?

@ellie_warner

Kirkgate Market

My great grandad was a market trader in Leeds market; my dad is one of six children and he and three brothers also became market traders. One brother - my uncle Damienstill has a fruit and veg stall (Steve’s Fruit and Veg) on the outside there now. And Shaun (M&S Dolan greengrocers) is my godfather. My mum’s dad was also a greengrocer; he had a shop in Harrogate and a market stall in Knaresborough. My mum and dad met at Knaresborough Market when she was working on her dad’s stall and he was working on another fruit and veg stall there.

My first Saturday job was working at Leeds market for my dad and my uncle - stacking bananas and being their gofer! I used to love all the customers and got to know a lot of them - some of the regulars would bring me homemade food in, things like pakoras, cooked plantain and foreign sweets. It was absolutely buzzing, every unit was filled, the outdoor car park was heaving, there were queues outside Graveleys fish and chips. Leeds needs the market to be thriving.

I still shop in the market and like to support all the traders; herbs and spices from AJ and Spice Corner, the double yolk eggs from Whitakers, meat from JP Johnston and Nigel Gifford, sweet bakes from Karpaty, oven bottom cakes from Firth & Payne, sewing fabrics from B&M, keys cut at Toolbox… And I’ll go for lunch at Chop Chop, Bahn & Mee, The Yorkshire Wrap Company, Jenny’s Jerk Chicken…

Multi-cultural Leeds

My dad’s side of the family were from Harehills and I’ve got lots of happy memories of going to my nana’s house there. It was so multi-cultural and I remember her neighbours would offer me things from their heritage; one of them even gave me a sari which I loved. Later she moved to the Chapeltown / Chapel Allerton area and my nana would take me to the carnival. There are so many great areas in Leeds with their own character - I’m from east Leeds and live near Temple Newsam now, it’s within walking distance and is one of my favourite places to visit.

Nights Out

I was a bit of an indie kid. When I started going out there used to be a place next to the big Boots in town, downstairs to a basement (Mixing Tin, Trash, Mr Bens) - I don’t know what I got up to in there! I’d go to The Cockpit on a Friday night, The Faversham on a Saturday, then die in bed with a hangover on a Sunday! And I loved going to Brighton Beach at Leeds University. I remember going to lots of gigs to see The Pigeon Detectives, The Cribs and Arctic Monkeys - and of course we’d go to Leeds Festival. I don’t go out as much now I’m in my thirties and am currently pregnant but we used to often end up down Call Lane or in Fibre. I’d go to places like Belgrave and Headrow House but I don’t think of myself as much of a hipster!

A City of Food

Some of my favourite places to eat in Leeds are Cut & Craft, The Whitehall, Man’s Market… and I cannot wait to try Things In Bread. At work we go out for lunch at Thai Aroy Dee every Tuesday - we call it Thai Tuesdays! I work at Tint on North Street and there are some great places there too - the crispy shredded beef from Wen’s, and I’m looking forward to a fish finger sandwich from Threes a Crowd - plus I really want to go to The Swine That Dines.

A new Leeds staple for me is Get Baked in Headingley - we’ve even got the Gogglebox crew onto Get Baked! As soon as I’ve given birth the first thing I want to eat is a big slice of Bruce from there or a donut from doh’hut. Another thing from Gogglebox that me and Izzi have become known for is eating spam and egg sandwiches! I started having these as a child in the market and one of the best places in Leeds that still does them is Country Crust on Scott Hall Road. Country Crust is mine and Izzi‘s favourite cafe to go for an English breakfast.

Theatre Sisters

I really like going to the theatre and Leeds has got some amazing venues (Grand Theatre, City Varieties, Leeds Playhouse…). I recently went to see Kinky Boots at The Grand which is the second time I’ve seen it! And we’ve been to watch Benidorm, Mama Mia, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie… Me and Izzi love a musical!

SIGNAL TO THE FUTURE

York has been an integral city to the national railways for many years and is currently a vital hub for for the UK rail network. With a proud past and strong present, York is signalling to the future as a leading railway city which positively influences and innovates. Rob Scargill, the lead creative of The Futures Gallery coming to the National Railway Museum in 2025, explains what we have to look forward to.

What could the future of the rail industry be? That’s what the The Futures Gallery asks in an exhibition dedicated to tell the story of the contemporary railway. What we want to do is showcase to people that the railways can help influence what they really care about. For example, if somebody wants a molecular society, or they want to limit the impact of the climate crisis, we can show them where rail can help shape that future; they can see the influence we can really have. It’s showing the importance of an industry that often gets accused of being too traditional, whereas it’s absolutely integral to the future of our society if we want a positive, progressive railway network.

As part of the Science Museum Group, we have to build people’s confidence at a time of extreme change. There’s Artificial Intelligence coming in, which will impact any industry - including the railways and far beyond that. It’s an exciting time with a lot of job roles that don’t exist now which will be vital in the future, and we want to get young people interested. It’s not just building trains, train drivers and ticket inspectors - there are market teams, ecologists, legal teams, the British Transport Police - loads of people working in the railway industry that you don’t necessarily realise - and particularly so in developing new technologies.

It’s like a stepping stone from the past, going to the next chapter. The core technology doesn’t change - it’s an anti friction device that enables you to move heavy goods over rough ground easily - that’s what a railway is. And if you want to decarbonise the economy, the quickest way to do it is to get people out of cars - rail is one of the main ways to do that. A quarter of all emissions in the UK are from the transport on roads, whilst rail is the greenest transport - it accounts for 10% of all journeys, but only 1% of carbon emissions.

Rail is a trusted technology, and in cities that have well developed metro systems it integrates into the economy and makes everything work well. In the UK, despite our current rail structure, there have been developments towards that idea. Lines reopening and new stations have a huge impact - the classic example is the Borders Railway out to Galashiels, 35 miles of railway which completely transformed that part of Scotland. And that kind of thing is happening all over the country - a great example of regeneration.

We need railways to to do a lot more, and another big part of that is decarbonising the railways themselves. There are lots of ways that we can do this; there is a three millimeter fit solar film technology that works in the depth of winter and the height of summer and can be put on anything - it’s used on ambulances to power the electrics inside them and we’re also starting to use it on train stations; there’s a new 3D printed low carbon concrete which is amazing how that’s progressed from just a few years ago; and there are lots of rail expansion projects that are taking place in Britain - the biggest expansion of our railways since the Victorian Times.

The infrastructure to look after UK rail is being transformed to become Great British Railways. There is a new Headquarters in Derby, and York plays a significant part in this new era. All the people who work in signalling and control will be in York, which means that all of the signalling technology through the county has come from here. This is based at the Rail Operating Center (York is one of the twelve ROCs in the country) just opposite the Railway Museum which can be seen as you pull into York station. It’s an exciting and important time for railways and their wider impact on the world, and York is essential to that future.

Look out for our online feature with the National Railway Museum’s Robert Gwynne at www.independentlife.co.uk

MEET THE ARTIST

Joel Burden is the creative talent whose artwork adorns the cover of this magazine. He selects a few of his favourite pieces of art and tells us more about his artistic practice.

@joelburden

I’m originally from Doncaster, but moved to Leeds when I was 18 and have never really left. These streets now feel as familiar to me as anywhere in the world. My studies took place at Leeds Arts University, but in Graphic Design, which wasn’t completely for me, but I think that sense of boldness and vivid colour has translated into my artistic practice. All paths meander, and there’s a beautiful complexity to that and how we find ourselves where we are.

Recently my practice, and perhaps always, has really been about letting myself play and experiment. It’s easy to get into a comfort zone and complacency can set in. My mind is too curious to repeat the same action too many times so my work can jump around stylistically and tonally, and I’m learning to be accepting of that.

I’ve been lucky to create work for Nike, The Guardian, The New York Times, Spotify and many more. My favourite work tends to be self directed however, and I’ve included some here. The beauty of what I do is it can be incredibly broad in use, whether that be mural, print, clothing or even translated into clay or 3D form. Sculpture is what I’m most excited for moving forward and have big plans I’m working on bringing to life. Yorkshire has such a rich history of Sculpture and I hope to contribute to that. I’m positive and open to the next chapter and ever curious to see where it leads.

www.joelburden.co.uk

WHAT’S ON

The summer season sees a huge array of events arrive in Yorkshire. Every day of every week there are irresistible reasons to get out there and sample the eclectic entertainment and culture. Here are ten of the many highlights of what’s on across the county this summer:

14 - 19

Sheffield DocFest

The UK’s leading documentary festival is held right here in Yorkshire. The city of Sheffield brings doc makers and lovers together for a week of film, television, immersive and art. Opening with the World Premiere Of Paul Sng’s Tish and with Iranian filmmaker Rakhshan Banietemad as Guest of Honour, plus crowd pleasers such as Munya Chawawa, this is a unique and diverse celebration of documentary.

23 - 02

Bradford Literature Festival

Bradford Literature Festival began less than a decade ago to an audience of under a thousand; now, the event attracts tens of thousands of people to dozens of venues to see hundreds of artists. Fitting for such a strong multi-cultural city, the line up is always significantly diverse, and this year sees an incredible list of authors, poets, politicians, activists and visionaries, from the famous to the fascinating. If there’s nobody you want to see here, you might want to read more.

02 - 08

Holmfirth Art Week

The charming local town of Holmfirth hosts one of the UKs largest open art exhibitions, with over 400 artists and 2000 artworks at Holmfirth Civic Hall, plus thousands more at dozens of fringe venues. Enjoy the diverse creations of talented photographers, painters, textile-makers, ceramicists, sculptors and more in the inclusive atmosphere of this exceptional long-running event.

07 - 14

York Early Music Festival

The National Centre for Early Music is a uniquely pioneering musical hub which is proudly located in the centre of York. Their ‘jewel in the crown’ is the annual York Early Music Festival, a celebration of the city’s medieval churches, guildhalls and historic houses through the highest standard of music. Their Grade I listed medieval church is the perfect home for these concerts, which this year commemorates composer William Byrd.

10 - 16

Leeds Poetry Festival

Celebrating the spoken word and the written verse, Leeds Poetry Festival presents a week of workshops, talks and performances at intimate venues such as Hyde Park Book Club and Left Bank. This creative showcase invites everyone in, from the wordsmiths to the novices, to enjoy an array of personal poetry. And look out for the winner of this year’s competition, themed ‘out of time’.

Great Yorkshire Show

Exactly what it says in the name - this show of Yorkshire is great. Remarkably, this renowned event is on its 164th show and it only gets greater. Across the expanse of the Harrogate showground this summer will be the usual exceptional agricultural attractions, from animals and entertainment to local food and drink, as over 100,000 visitors enjoy all that makes Yorkshire great.

28 - 31

Deer Shed

Returning to North Yorkshire this summer is the coolest family festival in the country: Deer Shed. This year’s tagline is ‘A Wonderland of Creativity’ and the line up confirms this to be true, with an eclectic mix of music, comedy, literature and cinema to be entertained by, plus science, sports and arts to interact with. From national heroes Public Service Broadcasting and Bridget Christie to local favourites English Teacher and Rob Auton, there’s an array of excellence to enjoy in the friendliest field in Yorkshire.

Yorkshire Dales Food & Drink Festival

At Funkirk Farm near Skipton, for one weekend in July, it is turned into the most delicious piece of Yorkshire. The Yorkshire Dales Food & Drink Festival brings the finest local grub at stalls of specialist produce and an array of tasty street food. Plus workshops, celebrity chefs, and music from tribute acts: it all makes for a fun-filled food-filled weekend.

Whitby Folk Week

The evocative coastal town of Whitby is famous for its gothic attractions, but its relationship with folk music is equally strong. Indeed, it is a fitting setting for the traditional English song, and as such Whitby Folk Week has been held here since the sixties. Now, over 600 events at 50 venues attract folkies from all over to this year enjoy concerts by the likes of Maddy Prior, Reg Meuross and Granny’s Attic.

28 - 29

Yorkshire Balloon Fiesta

The August bank holiday weekend provides many options across the county - from Leeds Festival to Malton Food Lovers. Or for some unique fun for all ages head to Yorkshire Balloon Fiesta at their brand new home of Castle Howard. At this impressive site there will be music and entertainment, food and drink, and of course, balloons! There are hot air balloons, a mass balloon launch and a balloon night glow, for a magical bank holiday weekend.