Leeds
2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Geography of Great Britain
| Leeds | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Statistics | ||
| Population: | 443,247 | |
| Ordnance Survey | ||
| OS grid reference: | SE297338 | |
| Administration | ||
| Metropolitan borough: | City of Leeds | |
| Metropolitan county: | West Yorkshire | |
| Region: | Yorkshire and the Humber | |
| Constituent country: | England | |
| Sovereign state: | United Kingdom | |
| Other | ||
| Ceremonial county: | West Yorkshire | |
| Historic county: | Yorkshire ( West Riding) | |
| Services | ||
| Police force: | West Yorkshire Police | |
| Fire and rescue: | {{{Fire}}} | |
| Ambulance: | Yorkshire | |
| Post office and telephone | ||
| Post town: | LEEDS | |
| Postal district: | LS1, LS2 (City Centre), LS3-LS19, LS26 | |
| Dialling code: | 0113 | |
| Politics | ||
| UK Parliament: | Leeds Central | |
| European Parliament: | Yorkshire and the Humber | |
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Leeds is a major city on the River Aire and the urban core of the City of Leeds metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, England.
According to the 2001 UK census the Leeds Urban Area had a population of 443,247 while the metropolitan borough had a population of 715,404 and is one of England's core cities.
History
The name "Leeds" came from "Leodis", which was a name recorded in Anglo-Saxon sources for a Celtic kingdom that survived in the area for a while after the Anglo-Saxon invasion.
Leeds has been known since being mentioned in the Domesday book of 1086. Leeds was an agricultural market town in the Middle Ages, and received its first charter in 1207. In the Tudor period Leeds was mainly a merchant town, manufacturing woollen cloths and trading with Europe via the Humber estuary and the population grew from 10,000 at the end of the seventeenth century to 30,000 at the end of the eighteenth. At one point nearly half of England's total export passed through Leeds. The industrial revolution had resulted in the radical growth of Leeds whose population had risen to over 150,000 by 1840. The city's industrial growth was catalysed by the introduction of the Aire & Calder Navigation in 1699, Leeds and Liverpool Canal in 1816 and the railway in 1848. In 1893 Leeds had been granted city status. These industries that developed in the industrial revolution had included making machinery for spinning, machine tools, steam engines and gears as well as other industries based on textiles, chemicals and leather and pottery. Coal was extracted on a large scale and the still functioning Middleton Railway, the first commercial railway in the world, transported coal into the centre of Leeds.
By the 20th century this social and economic had started to change with the creation of academic institutions such the academic institutions that are known today as the University of Leeds, Leeds Metropolitan University and Leeds Trinity & All Saints. This period had also witnessed expansion in medical provision particularly Leeds General Infirmary and St James's Hospital. Following World War II there was a decline in secondary industries that had thrived in the 19th century. In 1951, half the workforce was still in manufacturing; by 1971 the figure was a third. Leeds lost a third of its manufacturing jobs 1971-81 (Champion & Townsend, 1990, p.82). In 1991, 64,000 were employed in manufacturing. In 2003, 2,103 firms employed 44,500 (10% of workforce) - see Leeds Economy Handbook. But there are still some large engineering firms. The largest make turbine blades, components, alloys, valves and pipelines for the oil industry, switchgear, printers' supplies, copper alloys, surgical and hospital equipment, pumps, motors, radiators.
In the 1980s, the Conservative government designated Urban Development Corporations on a number of UK cities: some declining areas were taken out of local authority control and government funding was provided with the aim of speeding up and concentrating private sector investment in the most run-down areas. Leeds Development Corporation ran from 1988-95 and helped to focus attention on two decayed industrial areas (lower Kirkstall Valley and the riverside area to the south east of the city centre). Achievements of LDC included refurbishment of many riverside properties, the opening up of Granary Wharf and the Royal Armouries development.
Today Leeds is known as one of eight core cities that act as a focus of their respective regions and Leeds is generally regarded as the dominant city of the ceremonial county of West Yorkshire.
Industry and economy
- and List of companies based in Leeds
Leeds was recently voted Britain's Best City for Business by Omis Research. It is also regarded as the fastest growing city in the UKand has a diverse economy with the service sector now dominating over the city's manufacturing industries. Leeds is the largest financial centre outside the capital. New tertiary industries such as retail, call centres, offices and media have contributed to a high rate of economic growth since the early 1990s. Nearly 100,000 people work in financial and business services - about a quarter of the workforce. The strength of the economy is also indicated by the low unemployment rate.
Leeds has one of the largest Live and Work Credit Unions in the UK. Membership is open to anyone who works or lives in Leeds. Employing over 40 people with offices in the centre and surrounding areas it brings financial services to everyone in Leeds. Leeds City Credit Union is a membership owned co-operative that provides financial services to the less well off as well as those with what is normally considered sufficient means. Regulated by the FSA it offers an ethical investment opportunity for anyone who wishes to see their savings aid the wider community.
Growth sectors in financial & business services: banking, labour recruitment*, commercial cleaning, legal services, insurance, pension funds, computing*, architecture and civil engineering, real estate, investigation & security, accountancy, equipment leasing, consultancy & market research*, advertising, R&D* Some of the faster growing sub-sectors during the 1990s marked *
Transport
The rail network is still of great importance. From Leeds station (the 6th busiest in the UK- the busiest outside of London ) MetroTrains operated by Northern Rail operate to all parts of West Yorkshire and surrounding local and commuter locations and other operators including GNER, Virgin Cross Country, Midland Mainline and First Transpennine Express operate services to the rest of the country.
Leeds has two railway lines offering direct services to London. The priciple route is along the East Coast Main Line although Midland Mainline offers an alternative route via Leicester along the Midland Main Line to London St Pancras soon to be the home of Eurostar international services.
The city had plans for a tram network. However the government axed the scheme due to an unwillingness to pay for any costs over budget, and the Department for Transport's general dislike of trams and attachment to buses. The Merseyside transport authority Merseytravel is preparing a legal case against the Government to restore the tram system plans. Leeds remains the largest city in the European Union without a mass transit system.
Leeds was chosen as the focus of the A58, A61, A62, A63, A64 and A65 roads. Nowadays, with the M1 and M62 intersecting just to its south and the A1(M) passing just to its east, it is one of the principal hubs of the northern motorway network. The city centre is pedestrianised, and is encircled by the clockwise-only 'loop road'.
Leeds Bradford International Airport is located to the north-west of the city and has scheduled flights to destinations within Europe, Egypt and Turkey.
Development
In recent times Leeds has seen many new developments. Some large schemes that are proposed or under construction include:
- Holbeck Urban Village regeneration
- Clarence Dock (Completion 2007)
- Quarry Hill Cultural Quarter
- Leeds Metropolitan University rebuilding & partial relocation
- Millennium Square
- Leeds Station modernization
- Leeds Arena
- St. James' University Hospital Oncology wing (Jimmy's)
- Harewood/Eastgate shopping quarters (commence Late 2006/Early 2007)
- Trinity Shopping Quarter (commence 2006)
- South Leeds Sports Centre
- Leeds Bradford International Airport expansion
- Whitehall Road
- Wellington Place
- Completion of Leeds Inner Ring Road and construction of East Leeds Relief Road
High rise schemes are making a much bigger mark on Leeds' skyline. Sixteen skyscrapers are under construction or proposed, all of them taller than West Riding House - Leeds' tallest building since it was built in the 1970s. The UK's tallest building outside of London, La Lumiere, has also got the green light for construction in Leeds.
- Bridgewater Place (construction)
- The Plaza (construction)
- La Lumiere 1 & 2 (construction imminent)
- Criterion Place 1 & 2 (advanced planning)
- The Gateway (construction)
- Mayfair (advanced planning)
- Brunswick Terrace
- Spiracle Tower
- Kite Tower
- Leeds University
- Wade Lane Apartments
- Green Bank including Providence Tower ( GreenBank Website) (advanced planning)
- Clarence Dock (construction)
- Sweet Street (advanced planning)
- Marshall Street (planning)
- Monkbridge Forge (planning)
- West Central
Areas of the City
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Prior to the 1974 reorganisation of government, the City of Leeds was defined as including the former parishes of Armley, Beeston, Bramley, Chapel Allerton, Farnley, Headingley/Burley, Holbeck, Hunslet, Leeds, Osmondthorpe, Potter Newton, Seacroft, Temple Newsam, Wortley . Since then, many modern definitions also include areas such as Garforth, Middleton and Rothwell. Seeing as all government functions are done by the wider Leeds district, official definitions of the boundaries are no longer considered important by the council.
Tourism
Recently Leeds has received accolades in the field of tourism; including being voted by Conde Nast Traveller magazine Readers' Awards as the "UK's favourite city" and "Visitor City of the Year" by The Good Britain Guide. Leeds has excellent transport links with the rest of Yorkshire and the UK. Leeds Bradford International Airport has flights connecting to Europe, and the rest of the world via London Heathrow Airport, Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. Leeds Bradford International Airport is part of the Star Alliance. Leeds station is very modern and has regular trains to the rest of Yorkshire and the UK. Leeds also has excellent road links via the A1, M1, M62 and M621 motorway. Leeds also has a large modern bus station served by National Express and local bus services. It is also possible to travel to Rotterdam and Zeebrugge by ferry from Hull, only an hour away.
Culture
Sport
The city has a strong sporting heritage, with Yorkshire County Cricket Club, Leeds Rhinos Rugby League Football Club and Leeds Tykes Rugby Union Football Club playing at Headingley Stadium, and Leeds United Association Football Club playing at Elland Road. Unlike many other large cities such as Manchester and Sheffield, Leeds only has one association football team.
Leeds United were formed in 1919 on the bankruptcy of a previous club, Leeds City. Their first major trophies came in 1968 when they won the League Cup and the European Fairs Cup under the management of Don Revie. They won two league titles and an FA Cup before Revie left for the England team job in 1974. Their only major trophy since then was the 1992 league title. Between 1982 and 1990 Leeds were in the second tier of the English league, and returned to this level in 2004 following a financial crisis which almost resulted in bankruptcy. They narrowly missed out on a return to the Premiership in 2006, when losing the Championship playoff final 3-0 to Watford.
Leeds Rhinos were crowned Super League champions on 16 October 2004 after defeating arch rivals Bradford Bulls 16-8 at Old Trafford. Unfortunately they lost the Grand Final to Bradford Bulls in 2005. Hunslet Hawks and Bramley Buffaloes are other Leeds-based rugby league teams.
Leeds Tykes won their first ever trophy in 2005 with battling performance to defeat favourites Bath Rugby in the Powergen Cup final. In the 2005-06 season the Tykes were relegated from the Guinness Premiership.
Leeds City AC is amongst the biggest and most successful athletics clubs in the North of England and has had the most successful men's harriers section in the country in the 21st century. Since the turn of the millennium the team has never been out of the top 4 in the National Cross Country Championships, winning in 2003 and 2006. In 2006 the team achieved the 'Grand Slam' of wins - Yorkshire, North of England and English National Champions.
Leeds has a wealth of sports facilities including the 40,000 capacity Elland Road football stadium, a host stadium during the 1996 European Football Championship, 22,000 capacity Carnegie Headingley Stadium, world famous for both cricket and rugby league, Leeds International Pool (50m), South Leeds Stadium used for athletics, bowls, football and tennis. Other facilities include the Leeds Wall (climbing), Yeadon Tarn sailing centre, and Garforth Jets Badminton Club. Nearby, in Castleford, is Xscape (real snow indoor ski and snowboard slope with ice climbing wall).
Museums and the arts
Leeds has a small number of museums, being the home of the Royal Armouries Museum (opened in 1996 when the collection was transferred from the Tower of London), the Leeds City Museum which is dedicated to the history of Yorkshire, the Thackray's Medical Museum and the Leeds City Art Gallery. Leeds also boasts the Grand Theatre (where Opera North is based), the City Varieties music hall (which has hosted performances by Charlie Chaplin and Harry Houdini) and the West Yorkshire Playhouse.
The Leeds Festival takes place every year in Bramham Park, having moved from Temple Newsam after pressure from some local residents. It features some of the biggest names in rock and indie music. The city is home to the Leeds International Piano Competition, held every three years since 1963, which has launched the careers of many major concert pianists. There is also the Leeds International Concert Season, the largest local authority music programme of any UK city outside London. The city also has an internationally recognised film festival; the Leeds International Film Festival is the largest film festival in England outside London and shows films from around the world. It incorporates the highly successful Leeds Children & Young People's Film Festival, which is organised and put together entirely by people under 18 years old.
Some of the first moving pictures in the world were taken in the city, by Louis Le Prince, of Leeds Bridge in 1888, and the first set of traffic lights in Yorkshire were installed on Park Row.
Stately homes and parks
Harewood House and the ruins of Kirkstall Abbey, which date from the 12th century, are on the outskirts of the city. Other significant stateley homes that are located in proximity to Leeds include Bramham Park, Temple Newsam House and Lotherton Hall. To the north lies Roundhay Park with its well regarded Tropical World hothouse. Other parks in the Leeds area include Golden Acre Park which lies between Adel and Bramhope, Hall Park in Horsforth, Woodhouse Moor in Hyde Park, Potternewton Park between Chapeltown and Harehills, East End Park in the location of the same name, Temple Newsam situated south of Halton Moor, Halton, Whitkirk and Colton, Cross Flatts Park in Beeston and Middleton Park in Middleton.
Shopping
Leeds has become known as the Knightsbridge of the North. The diverse range of shopping, from individual one-off boutiques to large department stores, including Harvey Nichols, has greatly expanded the Leeds retail base. The Victoria Quarter is the jewel in Leeds' shopping crown, located on Briggate, Leeds' main shopping street. Other shopping attractions include the Corn Exchange, Leeds Kirkgate Market , Granary Wharfe, Leeds Shopping Plaza, Headrow Shopping Centre, The Light, The St Johns Centre, The Merrion Centre Leeds, Crown Point, Birstall Retail Park and the White Rose Centre. In addition, there are 2 proposed shopping centres, namely the Harewood/Eastgate Quarter and Trinity Quarter.
Music
- and List of bands originating in Leeds
- Artists
Though not as prolific as its neighbour Manchester across the Pennines, or indeed Sheffield to its south, Leeds has still produced many notable acts. Most recently Kaiser Chiefs, The Music and Corinne Bailey Rae have joined the list of successful bands from the city. Also worth a mention are The Wedding Present, who released a 7 inch single, every month for a year. Every one hit the charts - a feat only achieved by one other artist: Elvis Presley. Leeds also produced one of the most famous one-hit-wonders ever, Chumbawamba
- Dance music and the clubbing scene
House music had a big impact on Leeds when it arrived in the late 1980's. Early house nights included Downbeat at the Warehouse, Meltdown at the Astoria in Harehills, and Joy and Kaos at various temporary venues, along with a thriving Shebeen or "Blues" scene in Chapeltown.
Along with Sheffield and Bradford, Leeds was a centre for the Yorkshire Bleeps and Bass scene in 1989-1990, with influential local bands such as LFO, Nightmares on Wax, Ital Rockers, Unit 93 and Juno on Sheffield's Warp Records and Leeds' Bassic Records.
Dance band Utah Saints hit the top ten several times between 1991 and 1993.
The earlier underground house scene developed into the Leeds club scene of the 1990's, when for a while Leeds held the title of Britain's clubbing capital. Both Back to Basics and mixed gay night Vague enjoyed the title of best club in Britain at different points in the decade, whilst The Orbit in Morley was an internationally recognised techno mecca (Orbit closed in the late nineties and was replaced by a restaurant).
- DIY scene
Leeds is very well-known for its current DIY underground music scene, encompassing the genres of hardcore, post-hardcore, post-punk, and noise rock among others. There is a vibrant and active community based around the DIY ethic, supported in part by Cops and Robbers, a monthly guide to DIY events in and around Leeds.
- Festivals
Leeds initially played host to the northern leg of the V festival between 1996 and 1998 before the event moved to Weston Park, Staffordshire.
In 2000, Leeds played host to the first and as of 2006 the only ever BBC Radio 1 Love Parade at Roundhay Park.
Since 1999 the Leeds Festival, a northern leg of the well established Reading Festival, has taken place on August bank holiday weekend. The event was initially held at Temple Newsam (the venue for the Leeds V Festival) before protests from residents forced a move to Bramham Park.
Leeds is also home to the International Pianoforte Competition which is regarded highly. It was established in 1963 by Fanny Waterman with the 15th competition starting in September 2006.
West Yorkshire Playhouse and the neighbouring Venue at Leeds College of Music play host to the biennial FuseLeeds festival showcasing an eclectic mix of more left-field music.
2006 had seen the two-day O2 Wireless Festival take place at Harewood House.
- Venues
Leeds plays host to many venues, currently including Leeds University refectory (where The Who recorded their 1970 live album Live at Leeds), Leeds Metropolitan University , The Cockpit, Brudenell Social Club , The Faversham , The Hi-Fi club , The Wardrobe, The Irish Centre, Joseph's Well , The New Roscoe , The Vine and The Mixing Tin among others.
Occasional gigs are held in Millennium Square in the city centre (including the Kaiser Chiefs and Fall Out Boy in 2006), Roundhay Park (which was home to Love Parade in 2000 and has hosted gigs by the likes of Robbie Williams, U2, Michael Jackson and The Rolling Stones), Harewood House has hosted gigs by the likes of James Blunt and The Who, Leeds Town Hall (hosted the Kaiser Chiefs and many classical music events) and Leeds Parish Church.
Recently attempts have been made to build an arena in the city (currently larger touring acts tend to play either Manchester or Sheffield owing to the relatively small capacity of the refectory, Leeds's biggest permanent venue).
Nightlife
Leeds has a very large student population and boasts a large number of bars and nightclubs, as well as venues for live bands such as the Cockpit, The New Roscoe, Joseph's Well and The Wardrobe which combine to generate a vibrant nightlife. There are also a number of smaller venues which cater for underground and DIY gigs, such as Sela Bar and The Brudenell Social Club.
Leeds has gained a reputation as one of the UK's favourite clubbing destinations. Often described as the UK's 'clubbing capital', Leeds is best known as the home of pioneering club nights Back to Basics and Speedqueen. Until a few years ago, Morley was home to the legendary Orbit, which for 13 years was known internationally as one of the original and best techno clubs in the country.
Complete listings and reviews of bars, pubs and nightclubs in Leeds can be found online at Leeds City Guide, an extensive online venue and lifestyle guide. Live music events are also listed on Leeds Gig Guide, Cops and Robbers and 'Leeds, Live it, Love it'.
In recent years a Gay nightlife scene has developed. The Bridge Inn and The New Penny, both on Call Lane, have long been Gay night spots. Queens Court offers a similar experience to its London counterpart Rupert Street. Recent additions such as Bar Fibre, on Lower Briggate and Mission offer more contemporary 'straight friendly' environments. During the summer months the secluded courtyard that lies between Bar Fibre and Queens Court is a beer garden. Recently opened clubs include the Velvet Underground and The Warehouse, home of the Saturday club night Electrocute.
Towards Millennium Square and the Civic or Northern Quarter, is the newly developing entertainment district thriving on students. Recently, the Hard Rock Café and TigerTiger have opened here, and various upper class restaurants have opened in the Northern Quarter. Millennium Square bursts into life during the night with its many bars (such as Cocoon, Revolution and Haha!, to name but a few), and a big screen mounted on the Civic Theatre completes the Quarter. Millennium Square plays host to many large events such as Earth From The Air, Icecube (a large outdoor ice rink), Christmas markets, gigs, citywide parties and the world famous rhythms of the city festival. Millennium Square is adjacent to the Mandela Gardens, which Nelson Mandela opened in 2001. A number of public art features, fountains, a canal and greenery can be found here as an oasis amongst the city centre excitement.
Leeds is home to a number of 'super-clubs' including Creation, Evolution and Oceana. Life Bar, Tiger Tiger and Discotheque by Gatecrasher are also large clubs.
Leeds is also home to some Bohemian bars that are not aimed at the 'usual' weekend crowd - especially the bars in and around Briggate and North Street ( North bar, Sandanista, Mojo, The Reliance(Reli), Reform, etc), Baby Jupiter on York Place and Milo on Call Lane.
Religious Communities
The majority of people in Leeds consider themselves to be Christian of which most belong to the Church of England. Leeds also has a large Roman Catholic community and is the Episcopal of the Diocese of Leeds. The city also has several fairly large New Church congregations.
Leeds' Muslim community is prominent and thriving. Mosques can be found throughout the city, serving the large Muslim community. As well as this, pockets of Muslim-related shops, and restaurants to Islamic book shops can be found in Harehills and parts of Hyde Park and Beeston.
The Sikh community is represented by Gurdwaras (Temples) spread across the city. There is also a colourful religious annual procession, called the Nagar Kirtan, into Millennium Square in the City Centre around 13th/14th April to celebrate Vaisakhi - the Sikh New Year and the Birth of the Religion. It's estimated around 3,000 Sikhs in Leeds take part in this annual event.
Leeds has a large Jewish community, especially around the Alwoodley area.
The small Hindu community in Leeds have a Hindu temple at Hyde Park. Herein major Hindu religious festivals such as Ganesh Chaturthi, Durga Puja,Dusshera and Diwali are celebrated with gaiety.The temple is has all the major Hindu Deities and is also dedicated to the Lord Mahavir of the Jains
Various Buddhist sects are also represented in Leeds.
People from Leeds
An inhabitant of Leeds is locally known as a Loiner, a word derived from the 'Loins' (or lanes) around Briggate in the city centre, although the term is rarely used or understood. The mock-classical adjectives Leodensian and Leodiensian are sometimes used by some local sports clubs, and the word Leodensian also features in the lyrics of " I Predict A Riot" by The Kaiser Chiefs.
Many famous people have been born in Leeds including novelist Barbara Taylor Bradford, former Spice Girl Mel B and comedian Vic Reeves. Leigh Francis, creator of the TV show Bo' Selecta!, took his stage name ' Avid Merrion' from the Merrion Centre in the city.
Artists based in Leeds
Axis is an online database listing practising artists within the UK. It was started as a Leeds Metropolitan University project and over the last 15 years has grown to be the Internet based resource for finding artists for commissions.
- Kerry Harker
- Emma Bolland
- Tony Quinn (Photographer) - Photographer based in Leeds specialising in images of the changing face of the City.
- Derek Horton (writer)
- Peter David Hamilton - (visual artist)
- James Wakefield (photographer)
Education
Leeds has a very large number of primary schools, secondary schools and further and higher education establishments with Education Leeds having responsibility for statutory education for young people in the City.
Leeds has two universities, the University of Leeds, with around 31,500 full-time students (and a further 52,000 on short courses), and Leeds Metropolitan University with around 26,000 (according to UCAS; the LMU website claims 37,000). It also has several higher education colleges: Leeds College of Art and Design (formerly Jacob Kramer College), Trinity & All Saints' College accredited by the University of Leeds, and Leeds College of Music, which is the largest music college in the UK. This gives Leeds one of the largest student populations in the country. Indeed recently it has gained accolades as the Best UK University Destination in the Independent newspaper.
The cities two main independent schools are Leeds Grammar School and Leeds Girls' High School. Leeds Grammar School is situated on the outskirts of the city at Alwoodley Gates and dating back to 1552, is the principal independent school for boys. Leeds Girls' High School is an independent, selective school for girls, located in Headingley and consistently ranked highly in education tables.
The city is home to several further education colleges, such as Park Lane College Leeds (the largest FE College in Leeds with over 38,500 students), Leeds College of Technology and Thomas Danby College.
The city is home to many high schools such as Royds School, Rodillian High School, Allerton High School which was started in 1901, Roundhay School Technology College and Morley High School was founded as a grammar school in 1907, but became a mixed comprehensive in 1975. Notre Dame Catholic Sixth Form College is a very large college for A-level students close to Leeds City centre.
OFSTED reports are available for all schools and further education colleges in Leeds.
Under the Governments targets for better schools for children, Education Leeds has been given several £billion to help towards the cost of refurbishing or rebuilding primary and secondary schools in Leeds. One of the first high schools in Leeds to be rebuilt will be Pudsey Grangefield School (Mathematics and Computing Specialist Status).
Location Grid
| North: Harrogate | ||
| West: Bradford | Leeds | East: Selby |
| South: Wakefield |