IL Magazine (Issue 18)

A U T U M N 19

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CITY LIFE & TIMES LEEDS | YORK

FOOD & DR INK

ENTERTA I N MENT & C U LT U R E

SHOPPI NG & LI FEST Y LE

When the

SUN goes down

The feeling of a place in the dark and the light can be two very different things. At once, the city reveals itself, shining on the rivers, parks and paths, sparkling in all its urban beauty. Of course, it’s nice while it lasts, but it isn’t the norm around these parts. For here, when the sun goes down, the fun comes up; creativity exudes, students influx, nighttimes enhance; there’s music in the cafes at night and revolution in the air. This issue celebrates the city coming to life once more, showcasing those that make it rise this fall. Soak it up; because they said it changes when the sun goes down around here.

COVER

INSIDE

Niall Unger  @niall_unger_illustration

FOOD & DRINK

Niall Unger is an illustrator and graphic designer currently studying at the University of Leeds.

Season's Eatings

“My cover artwork was to reflect the theme of ‘when the sun goes down’. I really wanted to do something vibrant to reflect that special vitality the city has when the lights go out, and nightlife takes hold. I worked with high contrast tones to evoke a sense of excitement and possibility, as well as a bold line, to indicate the new edge of the city at dusk.

I hope everyone enjoys the issue!”

Read more great stories online: www.independentlife.co.uk

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Season's Drinkings

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Punk Kitchen

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Autumn Aspirations

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ENTERTAINMENT & CULTURE

What’s On

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Light Night

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So many books…

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• Dancing in the Dark

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Rainbow of Light

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Creatures of the Night

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Digger’s Island Discs

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SHOPPING & LIFESTYLE

Playing Out Late

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Tech Toys

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Through the Eyes of the Concierge

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Eye View

56

The House of Future Past

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• Listen to the Trees

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Editor

Sales

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John Barran : john@independentlife.co.uk Fancy contributing drop him a line!

Sarah Laycock : sarah@independentlife.co.uk

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Words: Megan Ponting  @feedingtherest Illustration: Kate Semple  @katesemple

SEASON'S Eatings And so the cycle comes round again.

Here we are, lamenting the passing of hot weather and juicy berries, picked fresh from their bushes; BBQs with friends and family that lasted long into the light, bright evenings.

As the earth turns, our shorts and sunglasses get hidden away in favour of cardigans and scarves, but why lament when we can celebrate? Yes, summer brings us the berries, the courgettes, the aubergines; let’s not forget the tomatoes!

But autumn brings us comfort - apples, pears, squashes and gourds. It’s the best time of year to make batches of pumpkin puree, either to eat in a variety of recipes or to freeze for when the craving strikes.

Autumn brings with it spices and stews. Either the hearty Irish stews of my mum’s youth with flaky beef, rich gravy and chunky vegetables; or the fragrant Middle Eastern stews of my dad’s youth, full of okra, bright green molokhia, preserved lemons and always served with rice and maybe some chilli paste for the brave. Autumn is the reason we preserved our glut of tomatoes in olive oil, or stewed our plums into chutneys. The spices and the oil are the comfort we need with summer flavours when the weather turns nippy.

In my opinion, York comes alive with the shortening days and the lengthening evenings. Places like the Fossgate Social draw you in to sit in their cosy window surrounded by fairy lights. The perfect setting for a long overdue catch up or a drink after work. Gone is the desire for a beer garden and it’s replaced with the need for comforting food, something that Los Moros and Coto Kitchen on Swinegate both do very well. Choose from a selection of Los Moros’ perfectly flavoured mezze or something more substantial from their delicious dinner menu. Everything is cooked with care and incredible attention to detail. Meanwhile, down the street, Coto Kitchen is serving up steaming hot bowls of hearty pho as well as beautifully fragrant Vietnamese rice dishes.

The newest addition to York’s ever-growing food scene is the supper club. Every event, every host, every venue is different and charming in its own way, and ideal to try something new. Hosts include myself - Feeding the Rest - where I use my Middle Eastern heritage and influence from my time in Tuscany to take you on a journey by sharing something very special, Cardamom & Dill who will sail you around the Mediterranean in three courses and inspire your next holiday, and Third Season Food who will take the simplest of ingredients and transform them in a way that surprises the most experienced of chefs.

So, it’s with something akin to glee that I take out my weather sturdy shoes and rummage through my scarf collection to find the perfect outfit combination for each supper experience.

This season, my spices will be constantly replenished and my stew pot will be incessantly used. And for those evenings I can’t cook, York’s eateries have got it covered! www.feedingtherest.com

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THERE WA S A TIME WHEN LOW ALCOHOLIC BEERS WE RE FE W A ND FA R BETWEEN AND THOSE T H AT D I D E X I S T W E R E N ’ T E X A C T LY, H O W C A N I P U T THIS? NICE.

Words: Rich Fiddaman  @peteybean

However, a lot has changed over the last few years following the growth in wellbeing, largely headed by millennials, and forecast to only grow further with generation Z. In the past five years the drinks industry has seen a 15.4% increase in soft drinks, including non-alcoholic beers.

Beers classed as non-alcoholic can have anything up to 0.5% in alcohol and are made in a couple of ways, but generally by either limiting the alcohol produced in the first place or using heat to remove the alcohol; both can have undesired effects on the flavour of the beer. For me the best non-alcoholic beers are the German wheat beers, such as Edinger or Schneider Wiesse, the wheat content in them means that you get a good flavour profile and mouthfeel often lacking in other low/ no alcohol beers. For years, Edinger has been handed out at the end of marathons in Germany, as an isotonic recovery drink; don’t let people tell you beer isn’t good for you.

As I tend to stick to the same type, for this, I opened it up to the world of twitter and posed the question: ‘what is your favourite no/low alcohol beer’. To be honest, I was expecting very few responses and confirmation that I was right: the only non-alcoholic beer worth a punt is one based on a wheat beer. Except I got a load of responses and no such confirmation! (Only one person mentioned Edinger).

It seems that the thirst for non-alcoholic beers is very much real. One name that came up again and again was Big Drop Brewery. Unlike most breweries who produce a non-alcoholic version of their beer, Big Drop are a brand who solely focus

on beers 0.5% and below. They have a wide range from pales to stouts, lagers to sours, so no matter what your taste there’s a beer for you. I tried them a few years ago at a conference and was impressed.

The rise of the craft beer market has seen people demand better beers, made with better ingredients, and this has transferred over to the non-alcoholic / low abv beers. People such as Brewdog and Thornbridge have been making some decent alternatives for while, and the effort going into developing these beers just shows how seriously the market is being taken.

The movement for more responsible and mindful drinking appears to be here for the foreseeable, which will only bring better products and a greater choice. One group that are really pushing this is Club Soda, who promote mindful drinking, review non-alcoholic beers (amongst other drinks) and even are compiling a drinking out guide based on non-alcoholic drinks. I guess the key to all of this is to go out and try different ones, and when you find one you like, still try some more, otherwise you may miss out!

Oh, and one final addition, from my wife: Bavaria 0% got her through pregnancy and is available in supermarkets. Is it any good? I’ve no idea as I wasn’t allowed near it.

Words: Rose Bax  @baxbotanics

Most of us probably remember a time when they were in a bar or restaurant and couldn’t drink alcohol. I’d be driving, my friend is pregnant, and her friend doesn’t drink alcohol full stop!

BMC public health reports that the percentage of 16-24 year olds that do not drink alcohol has increased to 29%. This has been attributed to reasons such as social media, and not wanting to be seen drunk on there, and excessive drinking no longer being deemed to be cool, both by consumers and the industry.

The reasons why people don’t drink are countless but what are the options if you don’t want alcohol?

Fizzy pop, water, cordial - it’s not good. Flavoured tonic is nice, but it’s not a treat; you’re not going to think ‘wow how amazing!’

Low and no alcohol beer has seen a 381% increase in sales over the past 2 years, and alcohol-free spirits are forecast to upsurge by 81.1% by 2022.

The quality is improving too, with more luxury alcohol free brands appearing and increasingly available.

Chris and I were creating flavour distillations at home and thought non-drinkers deserve better, and so we put our tastes to the test. Our foraging company Taste The Wild has been at the forefront of wild food teaching and recipe development for the last 15 years, and it’s this knowledge of wild flavours that formed the basis of our alcohol-free spirits company Bax Botanics.

Our drinks were originally flavoured with ingredients from the North Yorkshire wood, but as we looked in to larger production, it was clear that we needed to find something more sustainable. Organic Herb Trading in Somerset import Fairtrade ingredients and farm their own, and so this was a perfect fit for an ethical business model.

We had a gut feeling that there was a need for more grown up alcohol-free drinks way before we thought of launching. Since then, there has been a huge growth in the demand for and range of these alternatives.

We created two recipes for different occasions: one herbal, bright and refreshing with green Mediterranean botanicals which we named Verbena after lemon verbena, the main ingredient.

The second flavour is more relaxing, the sort of

Food & Drink | independentlife.co.uk

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drink that gives you an aaaah after a busy day. Flavour-wise, it’s a mixture of Seville orange and fragrant herbs with sea buckthorn giving depth. We called the drink Sea Buckthorn and gave the bottle orange colouring to reflect the delicious berries in the recipe.

All our distilling is done in Wetherby in our copper still ‘Ebenezer’, named after Chris’ tea-total great grandfather.

Everything is kept super healthy with no sugar or sweeteners added. The drinks contain only half a calorie per 50ml serving and have no allergens. So, no gluten or any baddies! They’re great for vegetarians and vegans, dieters and diabetics alike.

I love a good gin and tonic and to me the alcohol-free classic serve is the closest thing to it. The flavours fill your mouth with layers that balance and the tastes linger so that you sip the drink rather than glugging it down like pop. The botanicals are not the same as in a gin, but people have said they get a similar buzz. My favourite serve is 1:3 with quality bubbly tonic and a garnish, but cocktail bars are using both drinks in some really inventive mixes.

Bax Botanics was born in the Yorkshire woodland but now, alongside increasing alcohol-free alternatives, it’s stocked in retailers and bars around the country. Just because you don’t or can’t drink alcohol no longer means that you’re an afterthought. www.baxbotanics.com

YES CHEF

Words : John Barran

Only a few years ago, York was a city forgotten in great culinary conversations. Whilst London dominated the British restaurant scene, other northern hotspots such as Manchester and Leeds gained acclaim for diverse selections of exciting modern openings, traditional comforts, local ingredients and worldwide influences. Perhaps unfairly, York remained sidelined, until in the summer of 2016 one place appeared combining all the above qualities into one small space. Within a year, Skosh was being name checked nationwide as the top newcomer in town, and York was back on culinary tongues.

“It’s exciting to be at the forefront of the buzz around York right now,” says Skosh’s owner and chef Neil Bentinck, a man born and raised here. “It’s a great city, not too big or too small, and with both modernity and history. You have everything here, but for a short time there was not a lot new going on. It’s a proud achievement to help it become popular again.” He is, however, keen to credit Skosh’s forefathers; “When Jeff Baker’s opened, it was something so different, incredible”, he says of the Michelin starred chef’s eatery, which lived on Fossgate from 2008 to 2013. “Michael O’Hare briefly had a place in York too before moving to Leeds, and then theres Josh Overingtons’ Le Cochon Aveugle with its modern, French style tasting menus.”

Neil’s own food journey also travelled through various excellent restaurants, learning his trade and increasing his skill, though it took a literal journey across the world in early adult life to commit him to the chef life. “I grew up around lots of different food”, he explains of his childhood. “My mum was a good cook of traditional British food like stews and pastries, and my dad was from India, so I was around great traditional Indian cooking. There’s no fairy-tale story of me making chapatis at 6 years old, but the spices really stuck with me.” This realisation hit when Neil went to Australia, and experienced the spices of Japan, Thailand and other far flung flavours that eventually inspired Skosh.

Upon returning home, he took to work in a number of high quality Yorkshire kitchens; “Before, I had been serving in a posh hotel, seeing food coming out, and wanted to get on the other side, where it is created.” From being mentored at Ye Old Sun Inn in Colton and The Pipe and Glass in Beverley, to becoming head chef at Harrogate’s Van Zeller, he began itching to set up his own place. “I wanted to explore and do my own thing, so I became self-employed. Around the same time, we had a baby and I was all over the place. It was a massive risk, but my partner was so supportive; I had to do it, or I’d regret it.”

And so, after finding their grade II listed building on Micklegate, the dream of Skosh became reality. Whilst close support was vital, the restaurant was opened by himself without investment, allowing the result to match his original vision.

“THE ATMOSPHERE’S AMAZING, AND I ALWAYS WANTED IT TO BE THAT SMALL PL ATES THING; PEOPLE KNOW TAPAS, BUT ALSO IN JAPAN AND INDIA THEY HAVE LOTS OF DIFFERENT DISHES SO THAT YOU CAN TRY EVERY THING.”

Food & Drink | independentlife.co.uk

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Indeed, the menu reflects Neil’s story, as local, international, modern and traditional mix adventurously and harmoniously. “Where possible we use organic local suppliers like Brunswick Nursery, and York Food Circle for veg, and The Courtyard and Acorn for dairy. And all our meat is from Yorkshire, but I’m also proud to get sustainable Cornish fish and to use Asian spices.” The emphasis is on the quality, which naturally leads to using ethical sources, something which Neil feels the food world is encouragingly moving towards. “A lot of the empty units in York are chains which have left, whilst the independent restaurants offering a personal experience with care and attention are thriving.”

Similarly, Neil’s kitchen mirrors a positive shift in attitude and behaviour. “I wanted an open kitchen from day one.

It’s exciting for it to be on display and the industry has changed from behind closed doors. It is now frowned upon to be pushed too hard, and I’d rather nurture staff to deliver a certain standard. Working in a kitchen is high pressure, which is where the aggression comes from, and some can work like that, but we’re very calm and collected; when everyone is focused on the food, my kitchen can communicate with barely any talking.”

Having said that, it is clear that there remains a dedication required to be a successful chef which surpasses many other professions. As the industry aims for four day weeks and more modest shift patterns, Neil’s kitchen are now doing less hours than ever before; “My team have a better work life balance, which I’m proud of and something I am looking to increase in the near future”. He confesses however, to working far beyond a standard week; “That’s fine, I am the owner and it is a lifestyle choice!” He very much understands the differences, positive and otherwise, having chosen to step away and work in a bank for a year at a young age, only to be hooked back in to the adrenaline of what he loves which is, of course, to York’s huge benefit.

Arrivals since Skosh such as Roots and Spark have continued the city’s momentum towards an exciting food future. As summer moves to autumn, and Skosh’s menu transforms from one weird and wonderful combination to another, it is already providing for an exciting food present.

www.skoshyork.co.uk

Words: Craig Worrall  @edible.leeds

SEASON'S Drinkings

ROOTS Words: James Banks  @rootsyork

Photo: Andrew Hayes-Watkins  @andrewhayeswatkins

Drink of Choice: Damson in Distress

This drink revolves around three of our signature homegrown ingredients: our Damson Brandy, Italian-style bitter liqueur and our red winebased sweet vermouth. The Damson plums in question were harvested and added to brandy in Autumn 2015 before being removed at Christmas, with the brandy subsequently allowed to age until it had a taste as intense and earthy as its tawny brown colour. Our Italian-style bitter liqueur is an intense aromatic concoction with a vodka base that incorporates dazzling fruity flavours, while our vermouth is fortified with botanicals such as lavender, sage and thyme to elicit a slightly bitter aftertaste. All sustainably sourced from our garden and local producers, each of the cocktail’s key components is made from a long list of integral ingredients, which is why the overall taste feels so authentically complex. Adding drops of Olorosso Sherry, Woodruff Syrup and a few drops of Orange Bitters, the Damson in Distress is a delicately balanced concoction which is nuttiness, vanilla and citrus all rolled into one.

Reason for the Season: Here at Roots we find it isn’t always best to limit yourself to one season at a time. Since we grow our ingredients ourselves, we practically have to plan our menu a year in advance, preserving our best ingredients at their freshest so that we can continue to use them all year round. This ‘ultra-seasonal’ approach means that, even during the winter months, you’ll find the most summery of marigold martinis on our menu. Not everyone wants to drink mulled wine at Christmas and sometimes the best way to deal with the cold weather is to escape it all together.

That being said, due to the fabulous intensity of the plum brandy, the Damson in Distress carries a rich and dark heaviness which is powerful enough to thaw even the most frostbitten of lips.

We’ve worked hard to find ways of adding acidity without using citrus, for example using fermented products, unripe acidic fruit juices or vinegars.

And also using natural sugars from the products themselves by reducing natural juices down to syrups rather than using sugar. The result is clear crisp flavours that actually taste of the ingredients, naturally.

VEENO Words: Stefania Colabene  @veeno_uk

Drink of Choice: Caruso & Minini’s Perricone aka Spice and Herbs (Bio)

This is a complex wine full of character and personality, with flavours that encompass rich red fruits and liquorice.

Otherwise known as “Pignatello”, the Perricone has been an undisputed leader of red grapes in western Sicily and it is not for the faint hearted. A variance of red wine whose production is solely found in a small vineyard area in the north-west of Sicily, Perricone is incredibly rare, and its unique taste reflects the richness of the Sicilian climate in which it is manufactured. With bold flavours that work perfectly when paired with aged meats, such as Bresaola, this variance of Perricone is a distinctive blend of aromatic characteristics that makes it a drink you’ll not forget in a hurry and want to keep coming back for more.

Reason for the Season: As the weather makes a drastic transformation, my team and I find the same goes for our customers’ drink selection. While in the summer months light and fruity white wines are incredibly popular, people are drawn to richer and more indulgent wines as the festive season approaches. This is simply because the heavy and decadent flavours of a complex red offer a warming comfort as the climate of the summer months fades into a distant memory. With the nights slowly beginning to get darker and colder, we search for refuge in warming food and drinks.

The earthy herbs and spices found within the Perricone provide a glorious sensation of intensity which will heat up any Autumnal evening. This is the beverage of choice when huddling around an open coal fire with a selection of tasty meats and cheeses.

THE IVY Words: Aidan Beaumont  @theivyleeds

Photo: The Ivy  @theivyleeds

Drink of Choice: Salted Caramel Espresso Martini

Primarily featuring the distinctive sharpness of Wyborowa vodka, this cocktail is complemented with Bepi Tosollini espresso liqueur, salted caramel syrup and fresh espresso. The result is a deliciously sweet twist on the classic espresso martini, one which can be enjoyed by people looking for an exciting night out but also by those looking for a quiet, reflective drink instead. The intense flavour of the fresh espresso acts as a perfect pick me up for when the night begins to loom, giving you that second wind of energy to keep you going until the early hours. Ensuring you don’t burn out too quickly, however, the salted caramel flavouring calms proceedings with its smooth texture, making this drink the ultimate post dinner tipple. Like a dessert in a glass.

Reason for the Season: Summer is all about light, delicate flavours that can be enjoyed in the sun – the classic examples of rosé wine, gin, and bubbles spring to mind. The darker months, however, are much more about intense, rich flavours.

Red wine, whiskey and hearty comforting tastes and flavours are always in high demand by the time October comes around, and our Salted Caramel Espresso Martini is no exception. An absolute must have offering from any restaurant bar, the classic espresso martini is the ultimate after dinner drink. Here, we’ve made it extra special by adding salted caramel and using a true espresso liqueur. What initially was a humble drink on any menu is now a drink that will make even noncoffee drinkers think twice.

Food & Drink | independentlife.co.uk independentlife.co.uk

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Words: Dan Thrippleton Illustration: Simon Erl  @simonerl

My first head chef Sue Pender sat me down at 18 years old and asked where do you want to be in your career in a few years’ time? I just shrugged, I had no idea or money. Maybe a senior CDP position, hell knows! And she said stop buying tattoo magazines and start studying, write down every recipe you make, make it your own, never copy. I went on to open countless legendary restaurants and I’ve never followed a trend in my life, just followed my creativity, passion, and the love of food that feels right. Punk is how you do it, not how you use it!!

Which is what my attitude and integrity towards this industry has been for over my 30 years. The first thing I ever cooked, at 7 years old, was whitebait. My mum asked what I’d like to cook, gave me a book to choose from, and we went to the market to buy the products and followed the recipe.

That was it. The first and last recipe I ever followed. Since then I’ve researched then made it my own.

As I keep cooking and getting older, my focus and taste constantly changes, and my style and execution of food develops when I learn, which I believe is the excitement of food. The food I’ve been creating for the last 10 years is to be eaten at any time and to be shared; a little bit of this with that.

Maybe a more European approach you might say, but this has always intrigued me. By going here for them oysters we will then go there for that steak tartare; travel to eat! Which is definitely a distortion from when I was 18 years old in ’92 at Arts Café’s a la carte structure: Starter. Main. Dessert.

“I got a feeling inside of me / It’s kind of strange like a stormy sea / I don’t know why, I don’t know why / I guess these things have got to be” (New Rose, The Damned)

So many enthusiastic young chefs are coming up now without going through the ranks. Many are expecting recognition straight away, with new skills and equipment and they’re good; respect! But you have to learn the simple basics of your art and know your history before putting it in a new piece of cooking time machinery. This does bring exciting new flavour and texture combinations but working on the frontline day in day out gives you more knowledge than anything you’ll ever read.

Discipline and organisation may not appear very punk, but it follows the ethos of getting out there and doing it. It’ll be gruelling and horrible some days, then one dish will make you feel like you’re the best in the world; proud because it’s how you execute it, personally, in real life, to a paying customer. Keep on cooking.

We’re spoilt for the high quality of ingredients more than ever in Yorkshire, but with true tradition, just like San Francisco for tattoos in the 90/00s. Yorkshire is the centre of this universe to me, born and bred. Now in autumn here you’ll find blackberries, greengages, gooseberries, mulberries all growing on every tree and hedgerow to be picked for classic pies or winter conserves. Mixed beans, French beans, broad runners and fresh peas, all amazing in raw salads or cooked along with lettuce. Cucumbers for a blitzed cashew nut salad with fresh dill and togarashi pepper. My favourite beetroot boiled, whipped, smoked, roasted. As back up, pulling out the pickles and preserves we collected from the past winter months.

Food & Drink | independentlife.co.uk independentlife.co.uk

For fish and meat, it’s great for crab, lamb, duckling, wild rabbit, venison, and pork cooked in milk. Harewood has exquisite produce on the whole estate, from gin, which is available at Latitude Wine, to meat, from the best chef in Leeds Josh Whitehead, who is pushing boundaries whilst keeping tradition, which I admire and respect.

The suppliers too are doing things their own way: Leeds Kirkgate Market is finally going in the right direction, with permanent food stalls like Owt, Tarbutt’s fish, and legendary JP Johnston’s butchers. Nell’s micro greens offers the freshest cuts of herbs and leaf; and Cryer and Stott produce award winning cheese at the Yorkshire Show and at world competitions, including their Duke of Wellington blue, eaten by the Queen. God save the Queen, huh!

There are loads of local places I’m excited about and eat at: Stuzzi, The Reliance, Noodle House, Doner Shack, Zucco, Ox Club, Arts Cafe, Diamond Dogs, and Soul Shack if you can catch em. Laynes for great coffee and a shackshuka. Bake My Day are doing amazing innovative and old school love well to stand apart from the herd. And Manjit’s have a permanent site in Kirkstall, which is the one to watch hotspot!

Pubs are back in full effect too... The Brunswick, Kirkstall Brewery, The Moorcock and The Beehive are doing simple food unbelievably well, with care and love, without the formalities. That is my childhood, and that is why I keep on cooking.

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The Doghouse Bar has proudly taken residence on Kirkgate for over 2 years now. There is still a huge amount of redevelopment work to complete on the street.. but please don't forget we're still nestled away amongst the scaffolding poles and hoardings.

DOGHOUSE BAR & BAGEL SHOP, 93 KIRKGATE, LS2 7DJ

The bar, which is open til late daily, is the home of great music, outstanding drinks amongst the best service you'll find in Leeds. From mid September it will introduce the finest bagels menu youll find in the city. And so the Doghouse Bar & Bagel Store is born! @DOGHOUSEBAR

/THEDOGHOUSEBARLEEDS

0113 244 1396

IF CALL LANE IF VICAR LANE

at Headrow House at Headrow House

at Headrow House

The award-winning solid-fuel grill restaurant at Headrow House, showcasing the best of Yorkshire seasonal produce.

Featured in the Michelin Guide 2019 and Good Food Guide 2019 House, The award-winning solid-fuel grill restaurant at Headrow showcasing the best of Yorkshire seasonal produce. oxclub.co.uk

Ox Club at Headrow House, 19a The Headrow, Leeds, LS1 6PU

Featured in the Michelin Guide 2019 and Good Food Guide 2019 oxclub.co.uk

Ox Club at Headrow House, 19a The Headrow, Leeds, LS1 6PU

Words & Photos: Melanie Hadida  @melaniehadida

AUTU M N Aspirations

utumn is on its way; it’s time to swap delicate stone fruits for robust squashes and dark greens. It’s a time to embrace soups and curries, indulgent cheeses and rich chutneys. It’s also a time to start thinking about boosting our immune systems to ward off those nasty coughs and colds that seem to affect every single one of your coworkers. You don’t want to be the next victim.

Integrating warming spices into our daily meals - whether they’re cooked at home or enjoyed out - is one of the best ways to prevent illness, keep our bodies warm and dynamically enhance the foods we eat.

Ayurveda, a form of indigenous (and possibly pre-historic!) Indian health and wellness system teaches us to “let food be thy medicine” and by taking conscious care of what we put into our bodies we can maximise our health and feel like our best selves. One way of doing this is by using the right combination of spices and herbs to compliment, or even anchor, our meals.

Warming spices not only enhance our food with aromatic intrigue, but they can have a range of benefits on our bodies. Most notably, they boost immunity, stabilise energy and blood pressure levels, and balance out those of us who are particularly sensitive to cold temperatures. Don’t be misled, warming spices are not limited to hot peppers, chillies and spicy foods, instead they include a range of spices with fragrant, dramatic and magical flavours. These include turmeric, black pepper, ginger, mustard seeds, cardamom, fenugreek and cinnamon. That being said, try and resist that Pumpkin Spice Latte. It’s probably not going to do you much good.

Instead, consider new ways to engage with these spices and start including them in your meals: Look out for fresh turmeric in your local Indian grocer or health food store, and try grating the tasty anti-inflammatory gingery root over plain basmati rice, or chop into matchsticks and pickle in lemon juice with black peppercorns for weeks of crunchy enjoyment. Gently toast mustard seeds in oil and pour over dark greens for a warming spiced salad. Consider buying a massive hunk of fresh ginger and grating the entire thing; freeze the grated ginger in an ice-cube tray so that you have plenty of it handy for hot ginger tea or for your Asian cooking projects. Roast a handful of fenugreek seeds and stir into your curries and dals.

Of course, one of the best ways to enjoy warming spices is by creating your own spice blends to use again and again. Buy a mortar and pestle! Try dry frying cumin seeds, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and a bay leaf to create your very own garam masala (which directly translates to “warm spice mix”). You can never compare the fragrance of a freshly ground spice blend made from whole-roasted spices to some basic ‘spice dust’ purchased from a supermarket.

If cooking is not your thing, seek out these warming spices from local Leeds restaurants. Experience the magical blend of cloves, cardamom and star anise in Bundobust’s chole sag - a spinach and chickpea curry served with flakey fried flatbread. Check out Wen’s Chinese Restaurant (the new occupants of Hansa’s) and order their super spicy kung pao chicken, rich in Szechuan peppercorns and roasted peanuts. Visit the Harewood Food Project and sample dishes utilising an array of locally foraged aromatics. Or hop over to Cardamom and Dill in York (I mean, the name says it all) to enjoy freshly prepared vegetarian foods celebrating fresh herbs and spices scattered generously over all their dishes.

By adopting a few of these tips into our lives we can maximize both the flavor and wellness benefits of our autumn culinary routines. The weather is cooling down but you don’t have to.

www.melaniehadidanutrition.com

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W H AT ’ S ON The past few months may not have brought the sunshine of the previous year, but that didn’t stop the good people of Yorkshire from having a fine summer at the myriad of happenings in and around Leeds and York.

Festivals of food, drink and music were occasionally wet and often wonderful, from Deer Shed to Leeds Fest, Leeds Indie Food to Yorkshire Dales Food and Drink, and at these and dozens more events of entertainment and culture, thousands of punters kept spirits high.

September As we move into Autumn, the gatherings remain strong and many. September opened with Leeds International Beer Festival at the Town Hall and the boozing continues through the month, at Leeds Rum Festival in the Corn Exchange on 21st, at York Beer and Cider Festival spanning the 18th to 21st by the Racecourse, and at York Food and Drink Festival around Shambles Market for the whole of the 20th to 29th.

Other events, from the niche to the popular, frequent the month too. Picks include the huge York National Book Fair, of which you can read more of further on, the quirky York Balloon Fiesta from the 27th to 30th, and a couple of events at fab Leeds venue Left Bank, who celebrate turning 10 on the 25th, and host a closing party for their exhibition INF23 by Michael Shaw on the 28th.

October

November

October offers are equally inviting and varied. Yorkshire Whisky Festival on the 5th and One For The Road at The Fulford Arms on the 18th and 19th keep the liquid and music flowing, and Oktoberfest hits various venues in Leeds and York as Yorkshire joins in the German beer celebrations. In more refined surroundings, Northern Lights returns to York Minster, with performances twice nightly from the 24th to 31st, and more impressive displays of light dazzle at Leeds Light Night, who tell us more overleaf.

Which is when the chill is likely to be kicking in. Of course, the usual array of bonfires will warm you up at the many parks across both cities, including big ‘uns at York Maze and Roundhay Park; remember remember the date. November also puts on intriguing and educational entertainment, notably in the form of York’s Aesthetica Short Film Festival and Otley Science Festival from the 6th to 10th and 11th to 16th respectively.

Throughout all of this, the usual high standard and all sizes of shows are playing regularly at theatres across the cities.

Amongst Leeds’ many choices are Northern Ballet’s Dracula at West Yorkshire Playhouse, Cher at First Direct Arena, Paul Foot at The Wardrobe, Loyle Carner at O2 Academy and We Will Rock You at The Grand. York’s similarly vast selection includes Shrek at the Grand Opera House, Martin Carthy at The Crescent, The South at Fibbers, and The Nutcracker at The Barbican.

And if you really want to feel like Winter’s coming, there are the November early arrivals of Christmas Markets. Leeds’ begins in Millennium Square from the 8th and York’s on Parliament Street from the 14th. It may be September, but already, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

It is also Black History Month, and on the 5th at Parkinson Building the Leeds Black History Walk informatively marks the start of it. Then at the very end of the month, Halloween spooks us out at Temple Newsam’s Spooktacular and at uprisings all over the ghost-filled city of York. It is also then that the nation-spanning Museums at Night opens access to culture up late in selected spaces and into the first days of November.

Entertainment & Culture | independentlife.co.uk independentlife.co.uk

27

Words: Abbe Robinson  @lightnightleeds

LIGHT Night

For many years Light Night Leeds was a DIY / grass roots arts festival with local arts organisations staying open late and putting on special projects. The event started in 2005 from an idea by the Arts Development staff at Leeds City Council, inspired by the Nuit Blanche style events that began in Paris. It was seen as a way to celebrate all the creative work going on in the city by having one special night each year to showcase local artists and performers, as well as provide after-hours access to local cultural venues.

Over the past 5 years the event has built significantly, becoming one of the largest arts and light festivals in the UK. Activity is now spread across the city centre, from the University to the Southbank, Quarry Hill to the Civic Quarter, with some of the city’s most iconic landmarks and public spaces transformed by a mix of international, national and local artists. It has become a highly anticipated event in the city and an apt way to move into the autumn and winter seasons.

We like to think that Light Night creates an exciting urban playground where people can experience something very different in familiar surroundings. We love the idea of using light and dark to create exciting and spectacular collective experiences, presenting work in a unique vision. There are projects of varying scales, including projections on buildings, interactive installations, live performances and exhibitions.

The biggest challenge every year is making sure over 60 events and performances run smoothly all at the same time!

There are many times when I have come up with a crazy idea and despite a bit of eye rolling the amazing team of staff, collaborators and volunteers make it work. In 2015 there was the light and water projection of a whale that we did on the River Aire in 2015. Last year we made a 3D fire breathing dragon appear on the front of the Queen’s Hotel, which disrupted the City Square area in a fantastically unexpected way. It’s always very gratifying when audiences respond to something positively.

The contrast between light and dark - what Italians refer to as Chiaroscuro - occurs in all aspects of life. For us, the use of light and dark at Light Night is all about creating atmospheres, moments of awe and wonder, and provoking new ways of thinking and reflection. This year will see lots of great new artworks related to our festival theme of Mind, Body and Spirit, with more spectacular projections, interactive installations and performances.

Leeds has a loyal and incredibly diverse audience, which is reflected at Light Night. The fact that it is free and takes place in public spaces and buildings mean that people take a chance on even the most weird and wacky of projects or unfamiliar art-forms. The atmosphere in the city changes significantly, with over 80,000 people attending events across the 2 nights, which kicks off with a large illuminated parade through the streets. It’s great to see families out in the city centre during the evening as opposed to just the usual pubs and clubs crowd.

These types of events raise the aspirations of a city, help make it a great place to live and work and spread the word. They are a way to showcase the talents of people in Leeds as well as bringing artists and interest from across the world. Light Night provokes a lot of pride in the city and has received increasing attention outside of here too. Leeds is really putting itself on the map of world class cultural experiences. www.lightnightleeds.co.uk

Entertainment & Culture | independentlife.co.uk independentlife.co.uk

29

KIOSK 41 Fossgate, York Coffee / Food / Art / Community @kiosk_cafe

Illustration

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Friday 13th September, 12.00 noon - 7.00 pm Saturday 14th September, 10.00 am - 5.00 pm www.yorkbookfair.com * Telephone: 01904 624414 Free shuttle bus from the Memorial Gardens Coach Stop (by Railway Station) Organised by the Provincial Booksellers Fairs Association independent_life_271x185_2019.indd 1

04/08/2019 11:33

so many

books...

The York National Book Fair on the 13th and 14th of September is, believe it or not, the forty-sixth that the city has hosted, having grown from a modest gathering to a giant showcase. The first, in 1974 at the White Swan Inn, had 20 exhibitors. The latest, in 2019 at York Racecourse, has 220. With approximately a million pounds of sales last year and over 100,000 books this time, it is reputedly the largest of its kind in Europe. If you aren’t already, now is the time to get familiar with a city stalwart to be proud of.

Tony Fothergill Owner of Ken Spelman Books in York and manager of the York National Book Fair. ď…­ @ken_spelman_books This year the York Book Fair enters its 46th year, and for most of that time I have been involved in its organisation. Looking back, I can see just how much the fair has developed, outgrowing many earlier sites within the city walls, and now comfortably settled at the Racecourse. More than ever it offers York the chance to enjoy the touch and visual delights of tens of thousands of real books, from distant ages, as well as modern times.

In the past, most exhibitors would have had shops around the country, but now they are in the minority, so you could say that York is vital in preserving an ancient trade. The Fair brings thousands of visitors to the city and has engendered an annual Rare Book Seminar to teach bookselling, and events such as Women in the Book Trade, and the York University Book Collecting Prize.

It has also been encouraging to see so many more young people at the Fair. It shows that book buying is not just an on-line price matching exercise, but a three-dimensional experience, where you can come and get hands on for yourselves!

Janette Ray Owner of Janette Ray Booksellers in York and organiser of the York National Book Fair. ď…­ @janetteraybooks The fair attracts booksellers from throughout the UK and some from Europe and the USA as well. Some specialise in particular subjects whilst others have a wide range of titles on their stands.

It is aimed at anyone interested in books and the printed word in all its forms, and attracts clientele of all ages. There is something for everyone, from the collector seeking the rare and unusual to the curious person seeking a good read. It is a special quality that all comers mingle under one roof.

People are increasingly turning towards online purchasing but I prefer shops every time. There is the possibility of some friendly chatter, exchange of ideas and knowledge.

Bookshops are destination locations and so is the book fair.

Lu Mason Artist in York and creator of the large birds mobiles artwork at York National Book Fair.  @lu_mason The Book Fair in York makes me feel that we’re a town full of enquiring minds, and I love the fact that it brings in collectors and buyers from all over the country, all of whom share a passion for books. The great thing about the fair is that it makes you realise that there’s so much more to books than the reading of them…. the look of them, with their covers, illustrations, lettering; the weight of them, even the smell of them. Today the physical characteristics of books are more important than ever in our digital age.

I became aware of James Audubon’s book on the Birds of America when I saw it at Liverpool Library. I was taken aback by the beauty of the illustrations - capturing the birds in their natural habitats, sometimes with added theatricality - and by the scale of the book. That was when I formed the idea of interpreting his illustrations with paper cut outs, thereby literally letting the birds fly by hanging them from mobiles.

I have cut out nearly a hundred of his birds - just a fraction of the number he painted - and have also interpreted the foliage: tumbling branches, leaves and flowers, to accompany the birds. The birds range in size of course, from tiny warblers to huge owls and eagles. I hope my mobiles will go some way to conveying the dynamism and excitement of these wonderful creatures, in the way that James Audubon has.

James Hallgate Owner of Lucius Books in York and exhibitor at York National Book Fair.  @luciusbooks York is a book town; it’s geographical location, the energy, innovation and collegiality of the local trade and their willingness to embrace technology to promote rather than replace has a lot to do with how it thrives.

At a time when bookshops are disappearing from the nation’s high streets at alarming rates, York is home to seven independent bricks and mortar second-hand bookshops and hosts two major bookfairs in January and September.

There has been an Antiquarian book fair in York for almost half a century and for half of that time I have been attending, initially as a collector and novice dealer, and for the last 20 years as an exhibitor.

As an exhibitor specialising in literary first editions, detective fiction, children’s books and counter-culture, the York bookfair is a rare opportunity to sell to and buy from a large and diverse crowd of bibliophiles under one roof over two exhilarating (and exhausting) days.

It’s not just books though, my favourite purchase of last year’s fair, one which as yet I am unwilling to part with, is a seemingly unique 2.5 foot tall, hand painted, die-cut steel Asterix, rescued by a fellow bookseller from the liquidated stock of a private museum in the south of England, now happily greeting customers in our Micklegate shop.

You just never know what will turn up. www.yorkbookfair.com

Entertainment & Culture | independentlife.co.uk independentlife.co.uk

33

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Sanja Marušić, Flowers in December, 2016. Courtesy of the artist.

6 10 november

Words: Tom Bird  @yorktheatreroyal

DANCING IN THE DARK

WE’VE BEEN MAKING DRAMA HERE FOR MILLENNIA – I T ’ S PA R T O F WHO WE ARE.

No-one knows where the Roman theatre is, long searchedfor, but we know there was one. It’s hiding under a car park, or a railway shed, or a chip shop. For centuries, the guilds of the city performed their Mystery Plays, penned by a murky genius called the York Realist, once a year in squares and streets. They still do. But now we make more than ever, and we do it in the dark.

Above us, Pilot Theatre craft new stories with ambition and technical wizardry for the young people of the whole country – often starting their mazy journeys in York, UNESCO City of Media Arts. Over at Riding Lights, by the Ouse in Friargate, new plays get made with passion and played with skill, while round the corner the Grand Opera House brings the big London hits to Cumberland Street.

At night the lights come on, and at York Theatre Royal the main house sees epic stories flashing across the stage, stories of far away and of round the corner, that inspire new audiences in our beautiful auditorium. In the Studio, experiments explode, work for everyone aged 6 to 106 in our brilliant black box. Meanwhile, the Youth Theatre dream of the future in our rehearsal rooms, and around the city our Access All Areas and school programmes reach out to anyone we can involve in this vibrant work.

Down below, the Basement at City Screen is filled with the luminous words of Say Owt, the perfect performance poetry party. And at 41 Monkgate, or York St John, or back on the streets, the SLAP – Social Live Art Performance – festival makes you see in new ways.

Before home-time, pop in for a pint on Petergate, where performers wind down, where we rip it all up and start afresh. Think you know York theatre? Think again. www.yorktheatreroyal.com

Entertainment & Culture | independentlife.co.uk

37

Words: Lorna Gray

@lorndawwg

R A I N BOW of Light

While the rainbow coloured dust (or glitter, as it’s probably better known), settles in the city’s LGBTQ+ corners of lower Briggate following yet another successful edition of Leeds Pride, there’s no better time to reflect on how lucky we are to be residents in a city that preaches inclusivity and individuality all year round. It’s worth celebrating, because it’s so easy to take for granted how fortunate we are to live amongst acceptance and support while the fight is still very much a daily struggle and often a dangerous one in other communities.

Beginning under that statement rainbow bridge is a district dedicated to such a community, a beautiful reminder of what those colours stand for. Which is total and unequivocal bliss in celebrating individuals, ringing especially true by night and post-summer sun, as even under the cover of darkness, it still manages to remain one of the brightest and warmest places in the city centre. It’s a place where the glammest of drag queens deliver some of the most famed claimed queer anthems in the likes of Viaduct showbar, where you’re encouraged to throw out your most garish dance moves into the early hours in Fibre, where the bravest of folk belt out their favoured karaoke song in The Bridge and where anybody, regardless of their sexual or gender identity can unapologetically and openly be their complete selves.

But beyond this dedicated slew of clubs and pubs, there’s an entire underground and alternative LGBTQ+ scene in Leeds, focused on not only acceptance, but the freedom of sexual liberation and expression (or the lack of, as asexuality is often underrepresented), as well as a space of safety and support regardless of where you fall on the gender spectrum.

Members only co-operative Wharf Chambers are widely renowned for their safer spaces policy, but they should also be recognised for their frequent hosting of LGBTQ+ friendly events. The brain child of DJ Michael Upson, the monthly “queer pumping dance party” Love Muscle sells out every month and with good reason too, as the music - selected by incredible DJs of people of margilised genders and sexualities - supplies a truly unparalleled soundtrack until the early hours. Expect incredible outfits and even better showcases of attendees living their truth and celebrating it. More than that, Wharf also hosts some of the most creative and innovative minds in the world of drag, with Dyke Chambers - a space for womxn and non binary folk - delivering some of the most artistic and gender bending variations of the art form within the city, a true homage to the art form and a reclamation of the performative act.

Communal work space / cafe / night club Sheaf St. also deserves a mention, with its permanent safer spaces policy in practise no matter what the occasion. Some occasions deserving of a special mention though are their Midnight parties, encouraging fancy dress and fun (precious themes included ‘Space’ and my personal favourite ‘Dungeons and Drag Queens’) and their frequent hosting of Equaliser, a DJ night giving a platform to Womxn and non binary selectors, with a focus on marginalised sexual preferences as well as races is an absolute wonder to behold. Bringing everybody together through incredible music despite any differences.

If drinking and dancing aren’t your thing, Leeds first LGBTQ+ friendly cafe - and the only exclusively dry queer space - Flamingos is open late and with board games, books and delicious vegan cake on offer, you’ll surely stay until the warm environment - complete with preferred pronoun badges and an LGBTQ+ literature - closes it doors.

It’s been a real joy living here and experiencing these underground and underated gems of the city’s queer scene, allowing myself to feel entirely accepted with no judgement, as well as complete safety and the best part of all; being surrounded by nothing but love. Gender identity and sexual orientation are often complex traits, so far from black and white - which is why our flags represent the vast spectrum of red, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet - it’s just wonderful to feel a part of a community that not only recognises this, but accepts and preaches it.

Entertainment & Culture | independentlife.co.uk

39

Sat 7th Sep • 7pm

Fri 18th Oct • 10pm

Fri 29th Nov • 6pm

Fri 13th Sep • 7pm

Sat 19th Oct • 6pm - 10pm

perform The Eight Legged Groove Machine and HUP

Pearl Jam UK Definitely Mightbe (Oasis Tribute) Sat 14th Sep • 6.30pm

Bongo’s Bingo Tue 17th Sep • 7pm

Pixies

Fri 20th Sep • 6pm

Fireball: Fuelling The Fire Tour ft Less Than Jake, Gold Finger, Save Ferris + more!

Mon 23rd Sep • 11pm

Psychedelic Carnival Elvana: Elvis Fronted Nirvana Sun 20th Oct • 7pm

The Cult

Indie Thursdays – Fresher Special Fri 27th Sep • 11pm

Thur 24th Oct • 7pm

MoStack

Indie Thursdays Black Star Riders + Stone Broken + Wayward Sons Mon 28th Oct • 7pm

Picture This Wed 30th Oct • 6.30pm

Bongo’s Bingo Fri 1st Nov • 7pm

Sticky Feet Fresher’s Show The Sherlocks Sat 28th Sep • 6pm - 10pm

The Libertines Fri 6th Dec • 7pm

Bongo’s Bingo

Sat 26th Oct • 6pm - 10pm

Thur 26th Sep • 11pm

Wed 4th Dec • 7pm

Wed 23rd Oct • 6.30pm

Tue 24th Sep • 12pm - 5pm Wed 25th Sep • 12pm - 5pm

Bongo’s Bingo

Scouting For Girls Thur 5th Dec • 7pm

Heels of Hell

Thur 24th Oct • 11.30pm

Wed 25th Sep • 8pm - 1am

Sat 30th Nov • 6pm - 10pm

Tue 22nd Oct • 7pm

Bobby’s Freshers Disco Club Fresher’s Fair

The Wonder Stuff

Sat 2nd Nov • 6pm - 10pm

Rodrigo y Gabriela

Loyle Carner

Wed 2nd Oct • 7pm

Sun 3rd Nov • 7pm

IDLES

Primal Scream Sat 7th Dec • 6pm - 10pm

Happy Mondays Thur 12th Dec • 7pm

Melanie Martinez Fri 13th Dec • 8pm

Brutus Gold’s Love Train Xmas Disco Ball Sat 14th Dec • 6pm - 10pm

Bjorn Again Tue 17th Dec • 7pm

Dermot Kennedy Wed 18th Dec • 6pm

Dan Reed Network + GUN + FM Thur 19th Dec • 7pm

Clutch

+ Graveyard + Kamchatka Fri 24th Jan 2020 • 7pm

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard

Greta Van Fleet

Thur 3rd Oct • 11.30pm

Wed 6th Nov • 7pm

Indie Thursdays

Reel Big Fish

Mon 7th Oct • 7pm

Sat 9th Nov • 6pm - 10pm

Wed 9th Oct • 6.30pm

Mon 11th Nov • 7pm

Thur 10th Oct • 11.30pm

Tue 12th Nov • 7pm

Sat 12th Oct • 6pm - 10pm

Fri 15th Nov • 10pm

Festival Of The Dead

Michael Kiwanuka & Celeste

Wed 16th Oct • 6.30pm

Sat 16th Nov • 6pm

Sat 14th Mar 2020 • 6pm

Thur 17th Oct • 6.30pm

Sat 23rd Nov • 6pm - 10pm

Thur 17th Oct • 11.30pm

Thur 28th Nov • 7pm

Hootie and The Blowfish Bongo’s Bingo Indie Thursdays Gary Numan Bongo’s Bingo Roy Chubby Brown Indie Thursdays

ticketmaster.co.uk

+ Yola

The Amazons Metronomy Kodaline

Freya Ridings Sigrid

Sam Fender

Caravan Palace Sat 1st Feb 2020 • 6.30pm

The Interrupters + Buster Shuffle Sun 2nd Feb 2020 • 7pm

Mabel

Mon 17th Feb 2020 • 7pm

KATYA & The Comedy Queens Thur 12th Mar • 7pm

NF -The Search Tour Sun 5th Apr 2020 • 6.30pm

The World Famous Elvis Show starring Chris Connor

o2academyleeds.co.uk

ALAN DAVID EARLY WORKS 19 OCT– 19 JAN Open daily 10am – 5pm Free entry hepworthwakefield.org

Supported by

Registered charity no 1138117 David Hockney, Arizona, 1964. Acrylic on canvas 60 x 60” © David Hockney. Photo Credit: Fabrice Gibert. Private Collection / Alan Davie, Cross for the White Birds, 1965. © The Estate of Alan Davie

Words: Wendy Cook  @hydeparkph Illustration: Lizzie Henson  @lizziehensonart

Late night screenings have long been a fixture at the Picture House as at many a traditional repertory cinema. These post watershed slots have generally been perfect for showcasing genre films, including horror and science fiction, alongside classic bits of noir and cult favourites with a few music docs thrown in for good measure.

We started using the name Creatures of the Night around 2011 for our regular late night strand as a way of trying to build a bit of a community around a programme that can sometimes be a bit disparate. When the films on the surface can look a world apart a name like this can be a way of telling audiences that if they dig a little deeper we feel there are connections here.

After lots of unsuccessful spit balling of ideas the name Creatures of the Night came up and right away it felt like a natural fit, bringing to mind the classic creature features of the 1950s, all strange swamp monsters and shadowy figures. The kinds of characters it’s fun to entertain in the relative safety of the cinema auditorium only to let your imagination play a few tricks on the walk home.

Midnight til 7am, 8am, 9am…whenever the last person leaves. 250 or so people in one big old room being collectively afraid, disgusted, amused and sleepy. After a few years on the graveyard shift I learnt that film audiences who venture out past midnight are the greatest. Open minded and good humoured, always up for a chat with a random stranger. Some years on I still don’t understand it fully but it’s there in the Creatures of the Night audiences and it’s why it’s a pleasure to keep programming for these folks.

And what does that programming look like, what makes a great late night film? For us it’s fun to dart around. Coming up we’ve got a double bill of classic noir Gun Crazy and Detour programmed

by She’s A Rebel (the banner name for local programmer Alice Miller). We’re pitting that alongside some newer titles like Oldboy and the really recent Midsommar. It won’t be long before John Carpenter is back in our schedule and we’ll revisit The Rocky Horror Picture Show before 2019 is over because 47 years on that one still keeps giving.

Some of these things will work and some won’t because that’s also part of the fun; but whatever happens, keeping these late night slots going is so important because it maintains this magical space where guards can be dropped and cinema going feels a little closer to the communal experience at its most beautiful. www.hydeparkpicturehouse.co.uk

Creatures of the Night also worked because it felt like it started to say something about the community of filmgoers who come to these shows.

No, I’m not saying they’re monstrous, far from it.

This is going to feel like a bold statement but the folks who come to late night shows are the nicest cinema goers you will ever meet. I’m willing to extend this opinion to horror fans as a whole in fact. This is an unavoidable truth I arrived to, in large part, through many a long night spent serving coffee and sweets on the Fanomenon Night of the Dead as part of Leeds International Film Festival.

Entertainment & Culture | independentlife.co.uk independentlife.co.uk

43

Words: Shauna Stapleton Photos: Kirsty Garland  @photogarland

DIGGER'S ISLAND DISCS Digger’s Island Discs explores the collections of Leeds’ most prolific vinyl slingers and groove bringers to present us with the records they could not live without.

In this edition, Shauna Stapleton spins her favourite late night sounds. Having started DJing in 2016 Shauna has played at various Leeds parties including Love Muscle, 0800 Disco and Dyke Chambers, as well as opening for Yaeji. Her sets encompass everything from house and techno to electro and even a few curveball remixes.

MISSY ELLIOT - GET UR FREAK ON (SUPERCHUMBO’S SUPERFREAKON REMIX)

I love remixes of 90’s R&B tracks. There’s an Oxfam in Brighton that is a gold mine for them. Get Ur Freak On, which I got for a pound, is my favourite - it’s 8 minutes 53 of pumping bass. I don’t think the vocals come in properly until 5 minutes in, but as soon as that little riff kicks in at the start everybody just goes for it. It’s a cliche but it’s a proper dancefloor filler.

GREG BELSON’S DEVINE DISCO VOLUME 2

In association with

This came out for Record Store Day this year and I got it purely because of the subtitle ‘obscure gospel disco’. All of the tracks on here were pressed in tiny quantities, usually just enough for the congregation of one church, but their sound is big enough to fill dancefloors. I didn’t think it was possible for disco to get anymore fabulous and feel-good than it already is, but this is such a curiously charming and fun listen. There’s one cut on here, Imitations by the Johnson Family Gospel Singers, that Horse Meat Disco play, it’s great to see the tracks’ reach transcend the church. There’s so many negative things happening in the world today that we need records like this to spread a positive message across the dancefloor.

SHAUNA S TAPLETON KELLY LEE OWENS - S/ T

Kelly Lee Owens is my favourite glow-up. She used to play bass in the indie band The History Of Apple Pie, now she’s a techno producer and DJ. This is her debut album, but it doesn’t feel like a debut, she already sounds so accomplished. The thing I love most about this record is that it’s so spacious. It’s got an ambient, minimalist nature about it, you’re not bombarded with an onslaught of noise, yet you can still dance to it. It’s a perfect end of the night record to play at that '3am' lull in the party when everyone’s tired and sobering up.

BRIAN ENO - AMBIENT ONE MUSIC FOR AIRPORTS

This is my favourite ambient record of all time, I was searching for ages and found it in Forever Records in Nottingham and bought it instantly. It’s made for airports but is such a soothing listen on a night time drive or straight after a set. The music changes every time I listen to it, I constantly pick out and tune in to new parts that I’ve not heard before, I could never get bored it. It’s the perfect soundtrack to nightlife.

Entertainment & Culture | independentlife.co.uk independentlife.co.uk

Words: Ellie Palmer  @elliepalmtree96

45

Art that moves.

Genre-defying performances at Yorkshire’s largest dedicated dance house

|

THEATRE

|

LIVE ART Some Greater Class by Holly Blakey © Charlie Littlewood

DANCE

Discover more:

rileytheatre.com

Northern School of Contemporary Dance, 98 Chapeltown Road, Leeds, LS7 4BH

The only specialist arts university in the North of England.

We offer postgraduate, undergraduate and further education courses across a range of creative subjects. Our students benefit from award-winning specialist facilities, expert staff and an inspiring environment where anything feels possible.

To find out more visit: www.leeds-art.ac.uk/study To book an open day visit: www.leeds-art.ac.uk/open-days

www.leeds-art.ac.uk

Eat, Shop, Experience

www.leedscornexchange.co.uk

LeedsCornExchange

@LeedsCornEx

@LeedsCornEx

Words: Hannah Riordan

PL AY ING Out Late

Photo:  @bradleyhamerphotography

Before the nights draw in for another long winter, there is fun still to be had in these last few sacred long evenings. The remnants of that summer adventurous spirit shouldn’t be put to bed just yet, as Yorkshire’s twilight is a playground perfect for playing out late.

Before you shake off the sand and put those deck chairs away for another year, why not give them a final airing at the Luna open air cinema. Touring up and down the country, this pop-up cinema has entertained crowds at iconic Yorkshire venues such as Harewood House, Bolton Abbey, and York Minster. So, keep an eye out on their website to see where your next movie night could be.

And if you’ve given that a try but need another fix of fresh (air) entertainment, then head over to Sheffield Botanical Gardens for their ‘Theatre in The Garden’ performances.

Plays are put on by a series of theatre companies, and listings have so far included Wuthering Heights, Romeo and Juliet, and Gangsta Granny. They recommend a comfy chair, a picnic, and cosy blanket; immerse yourself in not only the play, but the atmospheric setting of the botanical gardens themselves.

Photo:  @geeejackson

Photo:  @a_boyer._

For the thrill seekers out there, or those who just want to make the most of this summer’s new trunks, head over to Hardraw Force in Leyburn to experience evening wild swimming in the pool of England’s highest single drop waterfall. Events are regularly held at this nature pool for keen wild swimmers and beginners alike. The pool is often lit with flood lights for night swimmers to take the plunge before heading to the pub for a whiskey to warm the cockles.

And whilst the evenings are still warm and the skies are still clear, why not make a weekend of it in North Yorkshire and go stargazing in Malham Village. ‘A beginner’s night sky in Malham Tarn Village’ is led by rangers who will introduce you to the wonders of the night sky.

But for those who want a lasting memory of the night’s wonders, Leeds offers a night photography walk in the city centre for camera buffs and novices alike. Play around with the knacks of night-time photography, and master techniques like long exposure, and light trails, all which will help you capture an illuminated Leeds.

At Ingleborough Cave, evening photography sessions are held for anyone with an interest in photography of any standard who has their own camera. One of the local guides will lead you as you follow in the footsteps of early Victorian explorers on a journey spanning over 350 million years of geology and history. The guides will help you locate some of the spectacular rock formations which you may later wish to capture. After the tour, you are left to snap at your leisure and get those killer cave shots.

If you don’t play out, but instead you play “out out” then perhaps some alcoholic tasting sessions are just up your street. Put your gin-tasting expertise to the test at Spirit of Harrogate Ltd’s gin experience. And it really is an experience, as you follow the process from start to finish, choosing the flavour, selecting the botanicals, and distilling the gin in one of their traditional mini copper stills, and then the gin is ready for you to take home printed with your very own personalised label.

Photo:  @gibulet.d

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Or perhaps craft beer is your poison, and if so, head over to Castleford where Yorkshire Craft Beers are offering craft beer tastings three nights a week for small groups of 8-12 people.

Learn more about the beers you’re tasting and the breweries they come from with knowledgeable staff on hand to give you tips and tricks as well as top-ups.

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Words: Lauren Hockney

TECH TOY S

technology noun ˈ/tɛkˈnɒlədʒi/ 1 : The tools and machines that help to solve problems or do new things 2 : the system by which a society provides its members with those things needed or desired

Since the dawn of time, technology has changed the way we live - may it be for better or for worse.

The Stone Age saw man create tools from wood and rock to make the simplest of tasks easier, and was the first real recorded development in technology that we saw.

The Bronze Age saw the introduction of thin metals such as copper and tin, an evolution from the initial wooden materials in The Stone Age, and something man would not have thought possible at the time. The Iron Age introduced heavier metals into these everyday tasks, making building and creating things easier than ever before.

However, roll onto modern day and we see how the advances in digital technology have changed everything. No more black and white televisions or having to lose connection to the internet when your mum wants to use the landline. Technology is as far advanced now than we ever could have imagined.

Leeds has been a rising tech hub for years now, with the development of digital workspaces, tech events and an ever-growing number of tech jobs within the city.

York is not far behind with their technical college which opened in 1964, which now offers over 76 accredited technical programmes.

With this being said, we decided to do a search for independent minded individuals in Leeds and York to tell us about how they use tech to work, rest or play.

We’ve taken some of the favourite tech toys from the responses and picked key businesses for you to get your tech on..

ELECTRIC DRUMS

“My favourite tech toy has to be my electric drum kit. As much as I would love a real drum kit, sadly my wife won’t let me have once in the house! Luckily I can just plug my headphones in and escape from the world with this, even when it’s the middle of the night. It’s definitely allowed me to practice and advance my skill set without annoying everybody in the world!”

- James Davies, York Where can I get one?

For all your electric drum needs try Gears 4 Music at Clifton Moor Gate in York or PMT Music on Kirkstall Road in Leeds.

DRONES

“I know this might be a bit of a cliche since it seems like everybody has one, but my drone is definitely the tech toy I find myself reaching for the most. It’s allowed me to discover the city more and take images I never thought would be possible. It’s also great for helping me capture images at night, which I struggled with before.”

- Katie Tate, Leeds Where can I get one?

If like Katie you want a drone, why not try MenKind in York Designer Outlet, or RED5 in The Core Shopping Centre, Leeds.

SCOOTERS

“My electric scooter is definitely what I would class as my favourite tech toy.

Although I used to have a scooter when I was like 8, this is way more advanced. It goes a lot faster than I thought it would when I first bought it but I love it, it makes me feel like a big kid. It makes a late night trip to the corner shop a lot quicker!”

- Graham Lee, York Where can I get one?

In York, try Anti-Gravity located on Colliergate. For Leeds, check out Swegway in Hyde Park.

÷÷ To find out more about the tech history in Leeds and York, or see some more of our audience’s favourite tech toys, view the rest of the article online.

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Words: Olivia Odudu  @thegrandyork

Through the Eyes of the

CONCIERGE We go behind the scenes at Yorkshire’s finest hotels to discover the goings on and taking offs of everyday life, and sneak a unique view of the city through the eyes of the concierge. This issue enters York’s aptly named 5 star stunner, The Grand.

Life as a Concierge means that no day is ever the same. One of my favourite things about it is that we get to meet so many different people from lots of different cities, all visiting us whilst celebrating a variety of different things.

The job puts us in the unusual position of being involved in people’s important life events and seeing them up close. It’s always an honour to open and close the carriage doors for blushing brides and beaming grooms when the hotel hosts weddings. As we’re dog-friendly, we also get to meet the sweetest fur babies!

Customer service is a main part of our day to day role, from a friendly “hello” to valet parking and luggage delivery to bedrooms, plus offering advice to guests about the city of York. Most of the Concierge team at the hotel have lived in York for all their lives so it is such a treat to be able to talk to visitors about York’s hidden gems and our favourite spots.

Of course, it’s always great to point our guests in the direction of York’s fabulous tourist attractions such as York Minster, the city walls, York Dungeons, York’s Chocolate Story and the Jorvik Centre, but also small quaint areas such as Barley Hall, St Mary’s Church in the Museum Gardens and the Cold War Bunker.

The Grand is 10 years old as a hotel but was originally built in 1906 as the North Eastern Railway Headquarters and was home to one of the most powerful companies in Northern England. The links to this are evident today and influence my other favourite place…

Our Grand Boardroom once held the largest board table in Britain, where huge decisions were made. Also, now named ‘The Penthouse Suite’ and the most luxurious bedroom in the hotel was once the janitor’s bedroom, seen as the least important area of the North Eastern Railway Headquarters.

It is always a story that our guests seem to enjoy due to the direct contrast in importance. As it has a huge tie with our heritage, another attraction I love to visit in York is the National Railway Museum – especially enjoying Afternoon Tea on one of their trains!

As we move into autumn, you can feel the change in the hotel and around the city, as restaurants begin to update their menus with seasonal ingredients, and bars reflect the colder seasons with warm infusing flavours. It’s a pleasure to guide people to places that perfectly fit in with autumn, and York is particularly suited to Halloween with the likes of York Dungeons and York’s Spooky Tour, whose guides we have a close relationship with. As the nights get darker, there is also a Northern Lights show at York Minster, which is always beautifully artistic, and an example of one of many things that are unique for York. www.thegrandyork.co.uk

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LET THE GRAND, YORK HOST YOU THIS FESTIVE SEASON...

The Grand becomes a magical place at Christmas, as decorations lace the elegant Edwardian architecture, lights illuminate the grand marble corridors and live music floats through the building.

Join us for: Christmas Day Dining and Residential Packages, Seasonal Menus, Afternoon Tea with Carols, Private Dining and Group Bookings, Santa Sunday Lunches, Christmas Cookery Classes, Gala Balls, New Year’s Eve Celebrations THE GRAND, YORK, STATION RISE, YORK, NORTH YORKSHIRE, YO1 6GD T: +44(0)1904 380038 E: YOURSTAY@THEGRANDYORK.CO.UK WWW.THEGRANDYORK.CO.UK

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Words: Robbie Cairns

THE HOUSE OF FUTURE PA S T

Nestled away in a quiet corner of York, the last Berkeley Statesman in existence cuts an imposing figure. A bulky caravan and a cornerstone of British social history, could someone be willing to call the two-ton metal behemoth their home?

What makes a house a home? For many, it’s that loft conversion you’ve always dreamed about. For others, it’s that fresh-out-of-the-showroom kitchen island, complete with in-built wine cooler and automatic ice dispenser. But for some, it’s the ability to get all of this, and more, into a space of less than 400 sq. feet. Staircases which double up as storage spaces? Sinks which are also chopping boards? This isn’t something out of Dr. Seuss’ maybe pile – it’s the tinyhouse movement.

At its core, the tiny-house movement advocates being creative with the living space around you, maximising your home’s potential without maximising its size. But while this notion of building ‘better rather than bigger’ – as well as the prospect of saving a few pennies on council tax – seems remarkably akin to that Yorkshire spirit we know and love so well, the UK housing market has so far remained relatively immune to the tiny-house movement’s charms.

However, while the movement itself is widely thought to have originated in the mid-nineties as a result of American architect Sarah Susanka’s influential book, The Not So Big House: A Blueprint for the Way We Really Live, the truth might not be so clear-cut. When it comes to tiny-house living in the UK, our fascination with tiny homes dates back to 1951, when the first Berkeley Statesman rolled off the production line.

Originally priced at £1065 (the cost of a terraced house at the time), the Berkeley Statesman was brought into existence partly in an effort to combat the housing shortage following the Second World War. A tiny home before tiny homes were even fashionable, these 22-foot-long, 12-feet-high, 2-tonne caravans offered sleeping arrangements over two floors, a living/dining area, a kitchen and a shower, all accompanied by the cutting-edge interior designs of John and Sylvia Reid.

Now, the very first Berkeley Statesman to grace our shores sits in a quiet corner of York, the last of its kind. Originally owned by a builder who used it as a temporary accommodation for the families whose homes he was rebuilding, the caravan fell into the hands of a Mr and Mrs Armitage during the 70s, where the couple used the giant tin can as a Wendy House for their children.

Eventually falling into disrepair, this particular Berkeley Statesman was saved by the Historic Caravan Club back in 2001. But, within a few years, it was facing the frightening prospect of being turned into scrap metal. It was at this point in 2007 that Tim Mitchinson bought this piece of British social history for just £1, and began the mammoth 3-year task of restoring it to its former glory.

Staying as true to the original design as possible, Mitchinson transformed a rusting hunk of metal into a stylish and beautiful home. Fully furnished and kitted out with a modern toilet, the last surviving Berkeley Statesman is once again brimming with all the essentials you could possibly need to live out a happy life. After putting a sizeable amount of blood, sweat and tears into the restoration, Tim is now looking to sell his passion project to a suitable bidder.

So, aside from transporting British holidaymakers to the tropical shores of Butlins Skegness, what exactly could a new buyer use the Berkeley Statesman for? Well, with three beds and a modern toilet and shower, the Berkeley Statesman is perfect for providing guest accommodation.

With its genuinely unique design and back story, it doesn’t take a shrewd business mind to see its clear potential as a exclusive bed & breakfast experience. Renting out the Berkeley Statesman to adventurous treat-seekers could be a smart source of additional revenue for someone who wants to preserve its history for that little bit longer.

Alternatively, it might just be the quintessential glamping accessory. Rock up to any campsite in Britain with the iconic caravan in tow and you’ll find yourself the envy of just about everyone around you. Gone are the days of roasting marshmallows from the shelter of your generic single-decker

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caravan, you can now sip piña coladas from the Berkeley Statesman’s in-built roof terrace and look like a King while doing it.

But could some be brave enough to make the Berkeley Statesman their permanent digs? And, if so, why would anyone in their right mind ditch the comfort of a traditional home for the quirks of a refurbished antique, especially with the bitter cold of Autumn and Winter just around the corner?

Well, although it might lack the powerful heating systems of your standard house, the significant reduction in floor space makes the Berkeley Statesman – and tiny homes in general – much more efficient at maintaining and distributing warmth.

This also means that it will costs less energy to adequately heat the Berkeley Statesman in the first place, allowing you to reduce your environmental impact in the process. With vastly lower energy requirements than your standard British homestead, you can turn to renewable energy sources like solar or, more realistically, wind and rain to power and fuel your morning shower.

Some people may understandably feel sceptical about the prospect of taking up permanent residency in such a potentially claustrophobic setting, but the amazing thing about tiny homes is their power to de-clutter your life. By forcing you to be more sensible with the amount of belongings you own, and to be creative with the places you store them, tiny homes organise rather than cramp your lifestyle, which can have a remarkable impact on your mental well-being.

The Berkeley Statesman represents a wonderful snippet of post-war plucky British industry which deserves to be preserved. So, whether you’re looking for a unique workstation, a family caravan or somewhere to call home this coming winter, then make sure that it’s at least an option on your list. Sure, you might not rack up quite as many steps on your fitbit whilst living in it, but that’s a small sacrifice to make for a monument which has stood the test of time.

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Words: Megan Humphreys Illustration: Megan Dobbyn  @megdobbyn_illustration

LISTEN to the Trees In a time of such undeniable ecological crisis, it is more essential than ever to connect people with the natural world and create longstanding and emotive relationships with our green landscapes. While we know it’s not easy to take time to reconnect with the natural world, it is boundlessly important.

Not only is connecting with nature a key component in creating compassion for our planet, but it is intrinsically beneficial to both our physical and mental health.

For decades now, interaction with nature has been a cornerstone of preventative healthcare in Japan, where it’s poetically known as Shinrin-Yoku; the practice of ‘forest bathing’. It follows the premise that time spent outdoors paying attention and simply being present in nature can put us in harmony with the natural world and thus restore us to our happiest, healthiest selves. On a physical level, time spent in nature relaxes our nervous system, lowers our cortisol levels (our body’s stress hormone) and increases serotonin and other happy hormones in our brains. For many, it can be a welcome respite from the frazzle of everyday life and a precious opportunity to experience something beyond their own tangle of worries.

Nature connectivity is especially precious for those of us who reside in cities and are statistically more vulnerable to experiencing excessive stress. However, though city life can sometimes leave you feeling disconnected from the natural world, it’s heartening to know that in reality our ‘green and pleasant land’ is actually home to more nature reserves than McDonalds’, thanks to institutions like The Wildlife Trusts, The Woodland Trust, and The National Trust.

Both a household name and longstanding British institution, The National Trust operates as a key component in safeguarding our countryside and protecting our vulnerable wild landscapes. With a large focus upon maintaining our diminishing native woodlands, and restoring threatened habitats, they care for over 25,000 hectares of land (including areas of beloved Yorkshire landscapes like the Peak District, the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors), meaning their potential for positive environmental impact is immense.

Here in Yorkshire, our rich and diverse landscapes have always played a significant role in our cultural identity. Thanks to the National Trust, sites of historical significance not only stand in harmony with the lands that shaped them, but offer immersive and accessible green spaces within a stone’s throw from major cities and towns.

In West Yorkshire, Nostell Priory offers visitors a rich ‘mosaic of interconnecting habitats’ that knit together grazing pastures and wildflower meadows with pockets of ancient woodland.

Visitors are able to explore over 300 acres of land, including their 18th century parks and gardens which have been beautifully restored to their original splendour. The lakes and woodlands in the surrounding estate are home to herons, swans and kingfisher and provides a tranquil escape from daily stresses.

Likewise Beningbrough Hall, on the outskirts of York, offers visitors a chance to explore beautiful gardens that flourish all year round. Their miles of parkland are dog-friendly, with accessible walks that can lead you through billowing larch woodland or alongside riverbeds where you may even catch a glimpse of resident otters.

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Not far from Ripon, North Yorkshire, is Fountains Abbey - one of The National Trust’s most wellestablished Yorkshire sites. Beyond the Abbey ruins and its beautifully manicured gardens, the vast estate stretches over miles of countryside, leading guests through a myriad of walking trails and into rich pockets of ancient woodland.

Within this vibrant ecosystem, trees over two hundred years old reside with enduring grandeur, and elusive wildlife like the Green Woodpecker as well both Roe and Sika Deer can be spotted between the rustling leaves.

Woodlands such as these demonstrate the intricacy and complexity of our ecosystem, and serve to highlight the importance of an interconnected natural world. While it’s easy to forget our own place in nature, in true ShinrinYoku style; immersing ourselves in meditative and restorative spaces such as woodlands can help us regain this precious sense of belonging.

Whether it’s a short walk or a whole afternoon forest-bathing, I urge you to take a moment every now and again to listen to the trees - there’s a lot we can learn from them.

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WINTER IS COMING. WE’RE ABOUT TO TRANSFORM. OUR GIANT CANVAS ROOF RETURNS OCTOBER 1ST

THERE WILL BE FIRE

SPARK is a temporary community space in the centre of York that contains street food, boutique bars and independent retailers. We also host live music and events throughout the year.

FOLLOW US @sparkyork on Instagram.

OPEN 10AM - LATE TUESDAY - SUNDAY CONTACT hello@sparkyork.org for more information. www.sparkyork.org

tell your friends! tell your enemies! ...even tell the cat!

We have moved!

But don’t worry, we haven’t gone far!

At the start of August, West Yorkshire Cameras closed our doors at Leeds Corn Exchange. Now our marvellous new shop which is practically overflowing with cameras, lenses & accessories, is open and better than ever before.

Situated in the charming Grand Arcade, (just off Vicar Lane and adjacent to the Leeds Grand Theatre) we still have all the photographic equipment you could ever want - to suit all tastes and budgets.

So whether you have a view to buying, selling, or you just need a little advice - you’re more than welcome to see us at: 20 The Grand Arcade, Leeds LS1 6PG

Naturally, we remain “Exclusively Analogue!”

Call us today on (0113) 246 0868 - visit our website at wycameras.com - or follow us @wycameras

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