Kirkstall Online News

No Abbey Shakespeare in 2008

Just to confirm previous information we have posted about threats to the Shakespeare Festival, there will be no Shakespeare at Kirkstall Abbey this year.

For further information please see this article in the Yorkshire Evening Post.

Also see letters to the editor on Wednesday 6th August 2008:

"Bad form to turn down the bard

I do not believe a city the size of Leeds can afford to turn down such a wonderful attraction as the Shakespeare festival. For years now we have had a summer programme for the Kirkstall Abbey grounds – Kirkstall Community Festival, Shakespeare Festival and to finish off Fantasia.

Could you see cities like Sheffield or Manchester turning away such wonderful entertainment held in the beautiful grounds of an ancient Abbey? I think not.

No wonder we in Leeds are so far behind other cities when it comes to live entertainment (still no concert hall) our council members should be ashamed of themselves.

Leeds, capital of Yorkshire, do me a favour!

John Liversedge, Chairman, Kirkstall Valley Community Association"

Kirkstall football club need women players

A football club based at the Cardigan Arms in Kirkstall, who play in the Open age West Riding 11 a side League on Sundays, and 5 a side football usually on Wednesday nights is looking for new members.

Training on tuesday evenings, the team are inclusive of all ages, abilities, backgrounds, and races. The team are winners of the Anti-Racist World Cup of Football, and participate in and organise community football tournaments in Leeds and abroad. The team look forward to hearing back from you if you are interested in coming along to play. Please contact Sophie on 07963045268, or write to sophie.michelena@yahoo.co.uk

Kirkstall Festival Photographs

Thanks to Val and John Crompton we have these great photographs of the set-up, parade and festival.

Setting up
Parade - part 1
Parade - part 2
Parade - part 3
Festival - part 1
Festival - part 2

Si also has some photographs of the festival on flickr

Kirkstall Festival 2008

This is our 28th annual Kirkstall Festival held as usual in the grounds of Kirkstall Abbey.

Free Parking adjacent to Vesper Lane which will be clearly marked and manned by volunteers.

A free event 11am till 5.30pm. We do like people to buy a programme, cost £2, as it helps fund the Festival. We do have lots of people in before 11am to get bargains from the stalls and to look around the new Visitor Centre before it gets busy. If its too hot or too exciting in the Abbey grounds the Abbey House Museum is open all day and they serve food and drink as well.

7 Primary Schools and 2 High Schools taking part and many other voluntary groups involved.

Parade sets off from Hesketh Road at 11.45am, along Morris Lane down Abbey Walk left on to A65 turning right into Abbey grounds through the City Gate arriving at the Main Stage for approx 12.30. for Festival official opening.

Theme is "Festival of Colours" Lots to do, Main Stage, Youth Stage, O.A.P. Marquee with a 1940s theme, Refreshment Marquee, Lots of food outlets, Fairground, 33rd of Foot re-enactment in Main Arena, Pipes & Drum Band, Climbing Wall, Bungee Jump, Dog Show (starts 2pm), Burley Rugby Union Competition on the rugby field, Tennis Competition in the tennis courts, 90 Stalls, canoes on the river, Mini Motorbikes, Kites display, Circus workshop, Barbershop singers, Pony Rides, Kids Football Competition plus Performances all around the grounds all day.

There is the launch of the Vision for Kirkstall, look for the marquee and C.E.G. the owners of the Kirkstall Forge site will have a marquee to show how work is progressing. Then there is the wonderful experience of the Church Service in the Abbey Nave at 4.15pm conducted by the Very Revd Keith Jukes, Dean of Ripon Cathedral.

All in all it's a good day out for all the family and for all ages, there really is something for everyone. John Liversedge 0113 278 5987

Abbey Shakespeare Under Threat

A report in the Yorkshire Evening Post reports that the Shakespeare festival is under threat due to a cash shortfall.

The company claim they have a £30,000 shortfall and much of that shortfall is made up of the fees they pay Leeds City Council.

Last year's festival was the 13th staged in Leeds and takes place in the summer in the cloisters of Kirkstall Abbey.

If funding is not found, the company may continue their tour as normal, but miss Leeds out.

The full report in the YEP is linked here

Doug Kilvington 1922-2007

Regular readers of Kirkstall Matters will be familiar with the skilful cartoons produced by Doug Kilvington. After suffering a stroke, Doug moved last year to a Retirement Home in the Brighton area to be near relatives. Sadly, Doug, aged 84, died 4th September 2007.

Doug was born in Swinton, North Yorkshire, in 1922 and became grocer’s apprentice at 15. In 1939, when Doug was 17, he joined the Home Guard. At 19, he was in the RAF serving in Britain and Germany as an Instrument Repairer. When demobbed in 1947, Doug took an Art course and embarked on a career in commercial art. He moved to Leeds in 1950. From 1985, for twenty years, Doug has produced much appreciated posters and art work for Kirkstall Festival and Kirkstall Matters. Doug's 'Monastic Moments' cartoons have acquired quite a following, including a local community of nuns. In 2006, Doug was made an Honorary Vice President of KVCA.

Doug, a bachelor, was a life member, since his retirement, of the Yorkshire Air Museum. Doug has drawn cartoons for their newsletters and has painted signs, pictures and RAF badges for them over the years. Always interested in aviation, he contributed to books on the subject. Doug’s cartoons have been used by the RAF Benevolent Fund and other service charities.

Doug and his cartoons will be remembered in Yorkshire, with affection. Present and past members of the Festival and K.V.C.A. committees held Doug in great respect. He will be sadly missed.

Val Crompton

A65 Bus Scheme widens road

The A65 Kirkstall Road/Abbey Road is the most congested road in Leeds according to research by Leeds City Council.

The new suggested "Quality Bus Initiative" will widen the road to two lanes in each direction with priority given to buses. The work will involve widening the road, compulsory purchases, business closures, demolition and removal of some green spaces.

Questions are being asked as to whether there are enough environmental impact considerations for the scheme or adequate consultation with both ward councillors and the public.

Over the next few years there will be more pressure on the A65 from the Kirkstall Forge development as well as new housing further outside the city at Highroyds and expansion to the Leeds and Bradford airport.

Although many people welcome the scheme, including the ward councillors, concerns have been expressed about whether such a major scheme should go ahead without more consultation and involvement of the local community. This could include assessing the impact on the environment as well as local business and proposed developments such as the Kirkstall District Centre.

If approved construction on the scheme is scheduled to commence in August 2008 and be completed in the late summer of 2010.

Festival 2007

Another great Kirkstall Festival weekend. Despite the damp start the weather improved through the day and the rain did nothing to dampen people's spirit.

Thanks to Val Crompton, we have photographs of this year's event available online. These include the parade and the festival in two galleries.

St. Stephen's Gala Concert

St. Stephen's Church present the final event of "Treasures Revealed Week 2007" a "Gala Concert" on
Sunday 13th May 2007 at 7.30pm.

An Evening Of Varied Music With Artistes From Opera North.

Victoria Sharpe Soprano
John Cunningham Bass
Susan Lenton Accompanist
Tickets: £5.00 (Including Refreshments) Tel: 267 7775

Proceeds In Aid Of The Building Development Fund

Comedy and Shakespeare Return

Leeds Comedy in the Park, Monday 30th July and
Monday 6th August

Two nights of stand-up comedy from the biggest
and best names on the comedy circuit in a beautiful
open air setting. Week one artistes include Stephen
Frost, Josie Lawrence, Andy Smart, Richard Vranch
and Lee Simpson.

Week two will be an evening of comedy with
Madame Galina, Mandy Knight, Junior Simpson and
Andrew Bird.

http://www.comedyinthepark.com

13th Leeds Shakespeare Festival, 23rd July to 19th
August 2007

Kirkstall Abbey Cloisters provide an idyllic setting
for two of Shakespeare's most popular plays Henry
V and As You Like It. Henry V is Shakespeare's most
powerful, popular and compelling history play and
As You Like It his wittiest and best-loved romantic
comedy.

These productions are performed in beautiful
Elizabethan costumes by a cast of sixteen of
Britain's finest professional Shakespearian actors.
They will include live music, action, exciting sword
fights and hilarious comedy all set in the stunning
natural surroundings that Shakespeare intended for
his plays.

http://www.britishshakespearecompany.com/leeds.html