The Green SceneIssue 45 The newsletter of the Seacroft Green Residents Association Spring 2019

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E

1 Seacroft Gala: Hanging flower baskets:

2 It’s Bollards! Flying Solo: Words of Wisdom:

3 Committee: News and Updates:

4 Local news in brief: Café Culture: Ever wondered how?

5 Congratulations: Car theft warnings: Chapel FM:

6 Quiz: Urgent Treatment Centre: Phone Scams:

7 Answers: Did you know? New Alphabet:

8 Tribute: Flushable wipes block pipes! The Arium:

Newsletter 1

Will we - won’t we?

It seems at the moment that the only certainty is the uncertainty as to whether there will be another Seacroft Gala in 2019.

In spite of the trial move last year to Rein Park and the regular pleas in this newsletter and on Facebook etc. - no new volunteers have come forward. Local residents are desperately needed to help on the committee and to support the gala activities on the day.

Currently the committee is made up of representatives from other local organisations who unfortunately, can only commit a limited amount of time and energy to the planning and organisation of the gala. Therefore, more local residents are needed!

The Gala Annual General Meeting will be held on Wednesday 13th March - 11.00am

at Chapel FM.

We would love to see more local people attending.

The decision will be taken at the AGM regarding the future of Seacroft Gala - in the short term anyway - so if you want to see a gala in 2019 - this is YOUR opportunity to have your say.

We are sure you will all agree that the hanging flower baskets always look great and really help to enhance the visual environment around the village green each summer season.

Unfortunately, grant funding to pay for the flower baskets is now very difficult to obtain - and for the past two years it has only been down to the kind generosity of a few local residents and organisations, that we have been able to install any baskets at all!

The number of baskets has drastically reduced from 20 in 2016 to only 8 in 2018 - and wouldn’t it be sad for our community if we see them go altogether?

So - once again we are seeking your help. If we are to provide the baskets again this year we will need more local community support - either through small donations or the sponsorship of a full basket. The sponsorship price per basket has been held for us at £100 - which seems expensive but it does include the cost of installation, feeding and watering throughout the season. Smaller donations are welcome too and will go some way toward helping to ‘fill a basket’.

Two baskets are fitted to each lamp post and for the sponsorship of a full basket a dedication label will be arranged at no extra cost.

If you would like to help by sponsoring a basket, please register your interest at marsden858@btinternet.com and an order form will be forwarded to you.

Alternatively, to make a donation - simply send a cheque, made payable to Seacroft Green Residents Association, or put some cash in an envelope with your name, and pass it to any member of the association committee. See page 3 for details.

A full list of sponsors and donators will be printed in the next issue of the newsletter. With thanks in anticipation.

Hanging flower baskets -

Will you help fill this one?

Newsletter 2

It’s Bollards!At a recent site visit, the ongoing issue of problem parking along the road between the Cricketer’s Arms and Seacroft Grange Care Home was discussed. This has been raised several times by local residents.

On site were Cllr. David Jenkins and representation from the Residents Association and LCC’s Highways Department. The hope was that any solution found could be incorporated in to the new development of Extra Care housing on Seacroft Crescent.

A number of possible options were looked at in detail. Some of the points raised are explained here and are open for your comments and consultation.

Move the existing bollards further back along the road to allow easier and direct access to The Green Care Home car park from Seacroft Crescent.

This is a good idea in principle as some visitors to the care home do park on the road instead of driving all the way around behind Tesco to access the care home car park. However, as this would then be the main vehicular access route to the care home it would not just be for the benefit of visitors, but staff and delivery vehicles etc. would also have to use it. This would then increase through traffic along a road that is, at times, already quite congested.

In addition - who would pay for it? Highways state that the area under discussion is outside that of the new development!

Remove the existing bollards and open up the road.

The bollards were installed many years ago to stop ‘rat running’ and removal would probably result in a return to the previous problem.

Install double yellow lines on the road between the entrance to the Cricketer’s Arms car park and the entrance to Seacroft Grange car park.

Would this just push the car parking further around The Green?

Install time limited parking bays.

This would ‘manage’ some limited parking but if no bays were available, indiscriminate parking would probably still occur.

We invite your comments, views, ideas and / or any suggested solutions. Please send them by email to the secretary or via any committee member. See page 3 for contact details.

Flying SoloThis fantastic weather has brought the insect world to life and we are already seeing a growing number of bees looking for early sources of pollen and nectar. When we think of bees, we usually think of the social honey bees but some bees lead a very solitary life.

Solitary bees are heroes of the pollinator world. There are over 200 species in the UK. Unlike bumble bees and other social bees, each female makes her own ‘nest’ and there are no workers. Many females may nest in close proximity to each other but solitary bees raise their offspring alone.

Solitary bees will lay each egg in an individual cell, separated by walls built out of the material favoured by the species of bee. Each cavity will be filled with provisions of enough nectar and pollen to support the development of the larvae.

Eggs that are to become female bees are often laid first at the back of the cavity, with eggs that are to become males laid at the front. This is because males often emerge before the females in the spring.

You will need a clean 2 litre plastic bottle; some pieces of bamboo canes of differing diameters and some very strong string or twine.

Cut the top / lid half off of your plastic bottle. Measure and cut your bamboo canes to the

length of your bottle - ensuring that the canes are hollow, then pack them tightly inside.

Tie the string or twine tightly around the bottle leaving a loop for hanging.

Find a sheltered, dry and sunny spot to hang your solitary bee hotel - sit back and keep watch as the bees line up to ‘check in’.

Words of WisdomBy that famous Yorkshire son, Ian McMillan

I've got one of those books with the place names in.Gazetteer? Ask nicely and I might.

We’re living through one of those eras when you wish history would take a gap year!

IT is very important as without it Isaac Newton would just have discovered gravy!

Here’s how you can make your own

solitary bee hotel.

Newsletter 3

SEACROFT GREEN RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION

Who’s who on the committee?

Lily Woods Chair 26 The GreenMick Firth Vice Chair 5 CourtenaysRev. Dominic Mughal Treasurer St James Church Diane Marsden Secretary 49 The GreenJanet Cordwell 1053 York Road Sean Hennigan 87 The GreenKelly Murtagh 7. The GreenKeith Nichols 69 The GreenThelma Sierwald 28 The Green

If you wish to contact the committee you can either ring the Chair on: 0795 1785 845

or alternatively contact the secretary by email at: marsden858@btinternet.com

You can find out more about us at:www.seacroftgreen.org.uk

Thanks are the order of the day:We are all very proud of our local neighbourhood and keeping it looking good is something we continue to strive for. Even in the autumn and winter months, when it’s dull, cold and miserable outside, our members continue to keep up the good work - litter picking, and reporting issues that need attention.

So it’s really nice when we receive compliments and/or positive comments about our work - this certainly helps to cheer us up!

Here’s some we received earlier:

Jennifer Scott - by email“Thank you to the lady who decorated the community Christmas tree for the gala day. It looked so pretty - but what a shame most of the baubles were taken!”

Mrs. Christine Bentley - by email“Thank you so much to the people who do the litter picking - the chap and the lady in the purple coat. It never ceases to amaze me just how much litter gets ‘picked’ and goodness knows what the area would look like without these dedicated folk. Well done to all.”

James Carter - by email“Big thanks to all the committee for the brilliant work you do and particularly for the newsletter which is always a good read and usually the only way we find out what’s happening in the area! So keep up the good work, it’s really appreciated.”

News and updates Keep a look out - coming soonWe have recently been fortunate enough to secure the sponsorship of a large stone planter which is to be positioned on one corner of The Green.

The planter will be arriving some time, in the next few weeks and once planted up with seasonal bedding, we think it will help to make the area even more attractive.

Road markingsWe are delighted that LCC Highways have finally completed the work on the road markings at the Tesco roundabout on York Road.

Following concerns raised by local residents, due to the lack of road markings and the confusion this caused for motorists, the association has been ‘lobbying’ for some years for this work to be completed. Working with Catherine Dobson, our previous ward councillor, who managed to get the necessary work accepted by LCC Highways and added to their list of undertakings, we are chuffed to bits that this is now finally off our ‘to do’ list!

Wades Charity GrantWe send our grateful thanks to Maxine Woods at Voluntary Action Leeds for the ongoing support we receive - along with thanks for our recent grant awarded by Wade’s Charity.

This small grant is ‘ring fenced’ and awarded only for help with our running costs - postage, stationery, printer ink, telephone, etc. We are not allowed to use the grant towards any other activity such as paying for hanging baskets or the flower beds.

We are required to forward an expenditure report to VAL on an annual basis showing how the grant has been spent and the grant is always identified on our audited accounts which are submitted at our AGM.

Two hour parking at TescoWe understand that a new two hour parking limit is to be introduced at the Tesco car park. Although this may help to reduce the amount of ‘park and ride’ vehicles at the bus station, the association is very concerned that this action may ‘push’ all day car parking down to and around the village green.

The association will be keeping a very close watch on this as we already have several ongoing issues with parking - as highlighted on page 2.

Newsletter 4

Local news in brief New school places at Leeds East Academy:

The White Rose Academies trustees, working in partnership with Leeds City Council, are proposing an expansion to Leeds East Academy, situated on South Parkway, Seacroft.

Recent population growth and planned future housing across East Leeds will increase the need for additional secondary school places over the next ten years.

The proposal is to permanently expand the LEA to increase the number of places from 180 to 300 from the year 2021 with the possible creation of up to 30 Special Educational Needs places.

More information is available on line at:www.leeds.gov.uk/schoollplacesconsultations

Plans move forward for Extra Care homes:

LCC’s plans to provide Extra Care houses at the site on Seacroft Crescent are moving forward. Together, with another three sites across the city - Holt Park, West Ardsley and Woodlesford - an extra 240 homes will be provided by 2021.

Extra Care housing is primarily for people who have care and support needs as well as housing needs. The scheme helps to alleviate social isolation through access to shared facilities / activities and also provides on-site access to 24/7 emergency or unplanned care.

Extra Care provision has been shown to result in savings as it costs significantly less to deliver than residential care.

The four sites will have a minimum of 35% affordable rented homes at each scheme. Building work is set to start on the first site at the end of 2019 with all four sites becoming operational by the spring of 2021.

The Old Gatehouse:

The old gatehouse which was originally situated on York Road was/is not a listed building but it has always been recognised as being of heritage value, lying adjacent to the Seacroft Conservation Area and contributing to its setting.

The building of new homes at the South Parkway junction required the old gatehouse frontage to be removed - but Keepmoat are committed to a rebuilding programme which is now underway. Currently with the foundations being installed and the superstructure started, the old stone is being cut and cleaned so that it can be reused in the new build. Keepmoat anticipate that it will be completed by May/June 2019.

 

Café Culture – open to all

Come and join us for a cuppa and cake at any of the following local venues.

Chapel FM Community Café Every Thursday 10.00am to 4.00pm @ Chapel FM

Seacroft Grange Bistro Café Every day @ Seacroft Grange Care Village

Non-residents are welcome

Second Saturday Café Every second Saturday 10.00am to 12.00 noon

@ The Barn, Mayfield Farm, 69 The Green, Seacroft

Seacroft Community HubMonday to Friday @ Deacon House

Ever wondered how…?Have you ever wondered how Temple Newsam got its name? Read on!

Temple Newsam is perhaps the most well-known of the old ‘Templar’ estates which once belonged to the Knights Templar (the Poor Knights of Christ and the Temple of Solomon), who received the gift of the manor of Whitkirk which, at the time, included more land in Leeds.

Their properties were typically marked by the Templar Cross, part of which was to signify their exemption from grinding corn at the manorial corn mill in Swinegate, Leeds.

The Order of the Knights Templar has its origins in the Crusades and between 1096 and 1291 they were intent on spreading Christianity across the Eastern world whilst battling to recover the Holy Land. Pilgrims who trod this path were protected by these knights.

The Order was supressed in the early 1300s and formerly abolished in England in 1312, although their estates had been confiscated and sold by the crown four years earlier.

In 1991, an archaeological dig at Temple Newsam unearthed evidence of a large barn and other buildings thought to have been used by the Templars.

Thanks to Claire O’Connor of Whinmoor who sent in this contribution to our series of - Ever wondered...?

Newsletter 5

Congratulations! To Parklands Primary School who celebrated on Christmas Eve with a great big party for hundreds of local guests.

The primary school, locally based in Seacroft, has much to celebrate. After being ranked in the bottom five per cent of the country’s schools, Parklands has now risen to the top one per cent of the country’s schools in just four years - earning an ‘outstanding’ rating from the education watchdog Ofsted.

Well done Parklands.

SPRING SEASON 2019What’s on?

March 2019 Friday 1st - Comedy Checkout

Back with a combination of local comedians and hilarious comedy improvisation sets.

Friday 8th to Sunday 10th - Leeds Lit FestAs part of the inaugural festival and celebrating International Women’s Day, we welcome and present Sisterhood, Talking about the Voices and Wordy Women.

Friday 15th – Colour of Light presents….A combination of folk, bluegrass and classical sounds.

Thursday 21st to Sunday 24th - Writing on AirChapel FM’s very own broadcast literature festival with the theme of Hearing the Voice.

Friday 29th - Open Mic Night

Saturday 30th - Open Day (2.00pm to 5.00pm)

April 2019 Monday 8th - Give a Gig

Associate Bands are putting on a special gig at Hyde Park Book Club.

Friday 12th - Best in the WorldUnfolding Theatre returns to Chapel FM.

Friday 19th – Open Mic NightGood Friday special (Please note date change from last Friday of the month).

Friday 26th – Chris Sharkey Preparing to premiere new work created in residence at Chapel FM in advance of his headline shows at Cheltenham Jazz Festival.

Saturday 27th – Punjabi Night South Asian Arts present a night of Punjabi folk music.

All events start at 7.30pm unless stated.

You can check out the website for more information and booking details at: info@chapelfm.co.uk

Chapel FM, York Road, LS14 6JB

Car theft warningsThe Leeds East Policing Team is warning local vehicle owners to keep their remote keys as far away as possible from their parked cars to avoid falling victim of car theft.

Thieves working locally have been using ‘signal booster’ devices to trigger a car’s key to unlock vehicles parked outside properties - and this is without having to set foot inside or physically hold the keys.

If you do not have an ‘anti-theft key fob pouch’ (available from suppliers such as Halfords) another precaution you can use is to keep your keys inside a metal container that might reduce the device’s ability to send a signal to the keys.

How to report it:In the event of any theft, other crime or persistent anti-social-behaviour, you can report it to the police by dialling 101 on your telephone.

However, it is far easier to report something to the police on line. Simply follow these few simple steps:

Type West Yorkshire Police in to your browser Click on ‘Official Site’ Click the relevant box for the crime you wish to

report Then complete the simple set of questions which

ask for the details

You will be asked to give your personal information and this will be held in confidence - but if you wish to report something without giving personal details, scroll down the page and complete the section for Crimestoppers instead.

In the event of a crime in progress always dial 999.

Newsletter 6

Your Quarterly QuizAnimal Magic

How much do you know about the animal kingdom?

Let’s find out. See if you can answer all 20.If not, then check out the answers on page 7.

1. What type of creature is a black widow?

2. Bactrian and Dromedary are species of what?

3. Which creature lives in a formicary?

4. True or false - penguins can be found at the North Pole?

5. Abyssinian, Balinese and Persian are all breeds of which animal?

6. Which animal appears on the logo for the World Wide Fund for Nature?

7. Friesian, Red Poll and Daisy Shorthorn are all breeds of which group of animals?

8. Which animal lives in a nest called a drey?

9. What is the collective name given to a group of geese?

10. By what name is the North American caribou more commonly known?

11. Squab is the name given to the young of which bird?

12. Cougar and Mountain Lion are alternative names for which member of the cat family?

13. ‘Canis lupus familiaris’ is the scientific name for which animal?

14. Vulpine means something relating to what species of animal?

15. What is the collective name given to a group of crows?

16. Which bird is the international symbol of peace?

17. What is the name given to a young kangaroo?

18. Batrachian means something relating to what animal?

19. The turkey is native to which continent?

20. The Rothschild’s is a subspecies of which animal?

Urgent Treatment Centre for East Leeds?

A public engagement process has been launched by the NHS Leeds Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) with regard to providing an Urgent Treatment Centre for East Leeds.

Urgent Treatment Centres should make it easier for local people to access services nearer to home, so it is vital that they meet the needs of local people.

The CCG are running the engagement to collect the views of as many local residents as possible and will use this engagement to inform their final proposal on the future of Urgent Treatment Centres in Leeds.

The engagement began on 21st January and will end on 15th April 2019. Details, including access to documentation and the survey can be found at: www.leedsccq.nhs.uk/utcsurvey

This sounds like a great idea for the people of East Leeds as currently we have to travel to other areas of the city in order to access an out of hours GP. So please log on now to give your views. Editor.

Avoid phone scams!It seems we are never going to completely stop scammers from ‘trying it on’ - but we can all do lots of things to make sure we are protected. A simple way to ‘stay safe’ is to always be on your guard when you receive any unsolicited call.

Here we’ve listed some of the common tricks that scammers use so you know what to look out for.

It’s most likely a scam if someone calls you out of the blue and -

tells you that your service has been hacked. tells you that your bank details have been

compromised. tries to remotely take control of your computer

or any other device for ‘repair’ reasons. tells you they have found a problem with your

computer and wish to upgrade your software. asks you for payment details to activate either

call protect or caller display which are usually free from your phone company.

If something doesn’t feel right - it probably isn’t. Never feel as if you are being rude, simply hang up the phone and stay safe.

Newsletter 7

Answers to your Quarterly Quiz

1. Spider2. Camel3. Ant4. False5. Cat6. Panda7. Cattle8. Squirrel9. A Gaggle10. Reindeer11. Pigeon12. Puma13. Dog14. Fox15. A Murder16. Dove17. Joey18. Frog19. North America20. Giraffe

As the long-time Editor of The Green Scene, I hold back- copies of all the newsletters - right from the first issue which was launched at the beginning of 2008. Looking through them recently I came across a few things that warrant a second reading - or possibly a first reading if you are new to us. This fun poem was first printed in issue 21 in the spring of 2013 Enjoy!

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N OP Q R S T U V W X Y Z

New AlphabetA is for apple and B is for boat,

That used to be right, but now it won’t float.

Age before beauty is what we once said,But let’s be a bit more realistic instead!

A’s for arthritis; B’s a bad back,C’s for the chest pains, perhaps cardiac?

D is for dental decay and decline,E is for eyesight, can’t read the top line!

F is for fissures and fluid retention,G is for gas which we’d rather not mention.

H for high blood pressure, we’d rather have low,I’s for incisions with scars we can’t show!

J is for joints, out of socket, won’t mend,K is for knees that crack when we bend.

L’s for libido, what happened to sex?M is for memory; we forgot what comes next!

N’s for neuralgia, in nerves way down low,O is for osteo, bones that don’t grow.

P’s for prescriptions, we have quite a few,Just give us the pills and we’ll be good as new!

Q is for queasy, is it fatal or flu?R is for reflux, with one meal or two.

S is for sleepless nights; counting our fears,T is for tinnitus and bells in our ears!

U is for unary; troubles with flow,V is for vertigo, that’s dizzy you know!

W’s for worry, now that’s going round,X is for X-ray and what might be found.

Y’s for another year that we’re left behind,But Z is for zest, do we still have our mind?

Now here’s the good news!We’ve survived the symptoms our body’s deployed,

And we’re keeping twenty six doctors employed!

If you enjoyed tackling our quiz and have a similar one you would like to share, please send it in and we will print it in the next issue. Editor.

Did you know? With the European War over, the attention of Leeds folk was drawn back to events closer to home and in Leeds that meant ‘expansion’. It is worth noting that the First World War was a period of great social change, not least in terms of the moving population.

The war had been waged on an industrial scale. Munitions factories across the country needed workers - and thousands of them! Leeds was singled out after the war for its extraordinary efforts in terms of production. At its height, the factory at Barnbow in Cross Gates, employed over 10,000 workers, running shifts around the clock.

The great machine of industry drew in huge swathes of people from across the countryside, so that the population of Leeds had trebled by the end of 1918.

Inevitably the city authorities needed to cater for the new inhabitants and a Bill passed in Parliament enabled the Corporation to purchase lands at Middleton for the provision of housing, the construction of new tramways, street improvements - and to enlarge the boundary of the city by including the township of Middleton.

Local builders objected to the scheme, citing a number of plots owned by them which were designated to be built upon. They were overruled and censured by the committee which argued they were ‘in it for the money’ and had had ample time and opportunity to build on the land in question. Not much change there then!

Newsletter 8

Newsletter 9

Tribute Robert Shoesmith-Taylor-Marshall

We really miss Robert now he has moved to York, so far away from his beloved Seacroft. Robert joined Seacroft Community Literature and Art Society (SCLAS) as we were planning a book about Seacroft men who had served in the 1914-18 war and he knew so much about the subject.

Robert had listened to an uncle and others, collected records, preserved documents consigned to a skip when the village school was demolished - and visited archives for many years. He was deeply involved in our work and the publication of a book endorsed by Professor Alison Fell at Leeds University. He loved it all and we loved him. We read and wrote together, drank gallons of tea, ate mountains of Jaffa cakes and laughed a lot despite our sombre research.

Robert was part of our tribute play at The Tetley, our tour of battlefields and our performances at the Gala and at Chapel FM when we honoured the fallen men by presenting a new plaque. We felt closely linked to the men whose names and graves we had visited or wept over at the Menin Gate. We also felt very close to Robert after all those days and nights on buses, through preserved trenches and then back safely to Seacroft.

Of course Robert also knew a great deal about Seacroft, of Seacroft Hall, his grandmother’s shop which was once on old Town Street and how Seacroft became part of Leeds. If he forgot a name or place he would substitute with ‘whatyemaycallhim’ or ‘whatsit’, delivered with a twinkle and requests for more tea “with sugar my love”. He also relished all our visits to West Yorkshire Playhouse.

So, we do miss Robert but we are glad he has moved near to his family. Hoping he reads this, messages from our group include - “Miss you lovely chattery man” (Phylis) - “The group isn’t the same without you, I miss your stories but I do get the odd Jaffa cake now” (Bill) - “I wish I’d met you” and “Heard so much about you” (Jean and Jenny) - “Missing you on Tuesdays” (Colette) - “Thinking of you and wishing you were here” (Dot) - “We are now overrun by whatsits and watch-a-ma-call its” (Joy and Bill) - “Remember Calais Robert?” (Steve) ”I Remember you in France and Belgium and as our officer in the play” (Margaret) - “You will always be the Seacroft Historian of details, thingymeBob” (Jaimes) - “It was a privilege to make a film of Barnbow with you as the star” (Dave) - and even messaged from Australia - “Will never forget my nbf on that tour” (Steph).

So next time we catch a bus it could well leave the old Town Street to head for a destination near York.

Geraldine.

Flushable wipes – block pipes!

Don’t throw your money down the toilet!Yorkshire Water have issued a timely warning to all householders to be aware of the problems caused by flushing any kind of wipes down the toilet.

Wipes are NOT flushable - no matter what they say on the packet and by flushing them, you could be creating a huge blockage to build up in your pipes!

Make sure nothing other than the three P’s (pee, paper and poo) gets flushed down your toilet - and this includes all sanitary products - otherwise you may be in line for a nasty, smelly and expensive surprise!

Always put wipes and any other non-flushable products in the bin!

Remember: Wipes are NOT flushable no matter what they say

on the packet. They can cause the sewers and your pipes to

become blocked - meaning nasty, smelly waste could come back up through your toilet and maybe ruin your bathroom.

Blocked pipes can also cause sewage to escape into the environment near your home or in your garden, causing serious pollution.

If you get a blockage in your pipework you will have to call a plumber and may have to pay the ‘urgent’ call out fee as well as for your pipes to be unblocked.

Flushable wipes - really do block pipes!

To find out more go to www.yorkshirewater.com

The Arium

It appears that spring is just around the corner, or has it sprung already?

But whatever the weather you can pop in to see us at The Arium, - Leeds Parks Nursery on Thorner Lane LS14 3FB and pick up some seasonal plants, or simply enjoy a cuppa or lunch in the popular café.

Find us at: www.theariumleeds.co.uk