Liz Minkin looks back to the beginning, the formation of KVCA and the first festival held in July 1981. St.Stephen’s School hall was full that night, and the Kirkstall Village Community Association came into enthusiastic and energetic being. The initial spur had been Barrett’s housebuilders’ proposal to build back to back houses on the Abbey Gorse site – the Victorian turreted yellow brick mansion had been blown up “accidentally on purpose” (as was popularly rumoured) and was derelict. The first major issue the KVCA tackled was the proposed closure of St. Stephen’s School and in the end that was a…