Light on Leeds

Send us Fan Mail I discovered Martyn’s amazing art on Instagram and was very pleased when he agreed to come along and talk to me about it. Martyn is a design director and has travelled around the world working for some very big companies. The band who supplied a track for this episode was Flat Moon with “Hold It There”. Flat Moon fuse elements of funk, rock and psychedelia to form an alternative s...

Send us Fan Mail I had a great chat with Amy about Hania Therapies, yoga, meditation and the training she completed in India. Music this week is the fabulous track “Promises” by Sure Fire Affair. https://app.namastream.com/#/hania-therapies/join/info www.facebook.com/haniatherapies www. Instagram.com/haniatherapies https://www.facebook.com/surefireaffair @haniatherapies I make no money from this p...

Send us Fan Mail Peg Alexander is a freelance journalist, works with Leeds Community Homes and hosts an 80s music podcast. She tells me about her love of the city, her work at the Bradford radio station BCB and her work with Amanda Owen, the Yorkshire Shepherdess. Music this week is a gorgeous track called “A Sacred Place” by Peakes. https://www.facebook.com/TVRadioPeg https://www.twitter.com/TVRa...

Send us Fan Mail Yusef Arjo makes incredible art - he tells me how he got into it through architecture and how lockdown has made him reassess how he engages with his audience. He has gone from craft markets to online auctions - do go an check out his work on Instagram... Yusef explains how he can create personalised art for his customers and how he and his family are coping in these strange times....

Send us Fan Mail Anna Turzynski remotely connected to tell me about the Compass Festival and the Young Producers Scheme got 18-24 year olds (deadline for applications is 05.06.20). The track this week is the brilliant “Chasing Thunder” by Paradeis. https://compassliveart.org.uk/news/Compass-Young-producers-scheme-2020 https://www.facebook.com/CompassFestLDS   I make no money from this podcast and...

Send us Fan Mail Chris Nickson has been a published author for ten years - he was a guest on Episode 3 and has come back to tell me about his new role as the Writer in Residence at the Abbey House Museum. The track this week is “Prince Charming” by the wonderful jazz singer Beverley Beirne. She has a new album coming out later this year “Dream Dancer” so do keep an eye out for that. https://www.ch...

Send us Fan Mail I really enjoyed taking to Alice about Dwell time an award winning, not-for-profit arts publication reflecting on mental wellbeing.  It was founded in 2018 and is curated and produced by Alice Bradshaw, Vanessa Haley and Lenny Szrama in collaboration with Penistone Line Partnership. http://www.alicebradshaw.co.uk http://dwelltimepress.wordpress.com https://www.facebook.com/groups/...

Send us Fan Mail Jamie Taylor has three podcasts on the go! I don’t know how he does it but he remotely connected to explain how he does. We talked about Japan, technology, podcasting and much more... Music this week is the raucous track “Hang on There Boys” by the brilliantly named The Blind Dead McJones Band https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jsopumv0fGA www.blinddeadmcjonesband.com www.facebook.co...

Send us Fan Mail Kimberley Robinson remotely connected with me to tell me about how and why she founded Keep Real - a social enterprise running mental health interventions in the community. Check out the Keep Real podcast and eco store at: Keep Real www.facebook.com/KeepRealUK www.twitter.com/keep real UK?lang=en Music this week was provided by a friend of mine Joe Leo with his band Kaya. The trac...

Send us Fan Mail Geraldine Montgomerie and Fe remotely connected to tell me about the great work LAWHN Leeds Art, Well-being and Health Network are doing. Music this week is a fantastic track “Magpies” by Blue Nudes. Thanks to John Boocock for editing. You can join at http://bit.ly/joinLAHWN Email: g.montgomerie@leeds.ac.uk Tel: 0113 34 32911 Twitter: @LeedsAHWN FB: @LAHWNpage Https://www.facebook...

Send us Fan Mail Kirsty (aka Hizzle) and Camille (aka Camboozled) were my last guests I got to interview face to face before the world went crazy and no-one was allowed outside. Kirsty and Camille told me all about how they got such great nicknames and how you can get involved in Leeds Roller Derby - once the world is back to normal of course. The music this week is provided by Plot 32 (a band tha...

Send us Fan Mail Joe Williams is an award winning poet and a writer. In November 2018 he published the verse novella “An Otley Arun”, shortlisted for a Best Novella in the Saboteur Awards 2019. He remotely connected to tell me about his work, how he started, how he has ended up in Leeds and much, much more. Joe provided the song “Quicksand” by a band he was a member of The Resplendents, it’s a gre...

Send us Fan Mail Rob Kilner is my guest on episode 3 of the extraordinary episodes. We had many problems recording this episode so please forgive the sound quality. Thanks to John Boocock for working his editing magic. Rob specialises in nano-tourism, creative urban mini breaks, food tours and city engagement. Hear about his Bettakultcha talks, his Worker’s Lunchtime project on Instagram and how h...

Send us Fan Mail Ann told me all about her brilliant company Cards or Die and explains how board games bring people together. Cards or Die can provide a bespoke selection of board and card games and can tailor the games for any event and any guests. I loved talking to Ann about favourite board games and she told me about lots of games I’d never heard of. Ann chose the track this week by Leeds band...

Send us Fan Mail Chris O’Connor has just finished touring The Parting Glass with Red Ladder Theatre Company. He is also the creator of Life is Sketchy. Chris co-hosts Mantality with Stevie Ward of Leeds Rhinos - it’s a podcast exploring male mental health, offering advice and entertainment. Chris was a great guest and I’m sure you’ll enjoy listening to our conversation. Music this week is provided...

Send us Fan Mail Emilia Quinn was a lovely guest and told me all about the Whiskey Kisses events she runs. She’s a singer/songwriter from the epicentre of Leeds - Beeston. Emilia was due to go on a tour in April - she tells me about how she is adapting during lockdown and about the virtual gigs she’s hosting. Do check out one of her performances, she has the most beautiful voice! Emilia chose one...

Send us Fan Mail I have lots of previously recorded podcasts saved up but obviously none of them mention Corona Virus or the lockdown we’re all experiencing in the UK. I felt that it’s important to acknowledge how this is affecting us all and so I’ve started a new series for these strange times. I found a way to remotely record podcasts and Seth Mowshowitz from the band Fold was my first remote gu...

Send us Fan Mail Erlend  Arnesen is a Norwegian student currently studying songwriting at Leeds College of Music. He tells me how he ended up in Leeds, about his course at LCM and his Arnesen Music project. Erland supplied his own fantastic track “The Fast Lane” featuring vocalist George Harris. https://www.facebook.com/Erland.arnesen.5 I make no money from this podcast and all I ask is that you e...

Send us Fan Mail On Episode 27 I speak to John Boocock, historian, who tells me about the Leeds 1917 convention which was set up to support the first Russian revolution. He tells me about Leeds alternative publications including Leeds Other Paper. Music this week is the enchanting track “Latthay Di Chaddar” by Kinaara (formerly Naghma) featuring Satnam Galsiam. www.facebook.com/kinaara.band/ www.f...

Send us Fan Mail Sam Taylor, Adam Chase & James Benson host the popular Leeds podcast, Killer Rabbit. They tell me about their inspiration for beginning the podcast and were generally just great fun to chat with. www.facebook.com/killer rabbit pod/ http://www.patreon.com/killerrabbitpod https://Twitter.com/KillerRabbitPod Music this week is a fantastic song “Nobody Listens” by Destiny K www.in...

Send us Fan Mail James Rhodes came to tell me about his voracious love for Leeds facts. He tells me about how the book “On This Day in Leeds” came about and he was so lovely he gifted me a copy! It was great to hear James share his love of Leeds history and share stories of his grandfather, who sparked his interest in the subject. Music this week is the gorgeous track “Star Sailing” by The Star Sa...

Send us Fan Mail Carl Milner told me about his work with Igers Leeds (Instagram) and the epic photography meet ups he organises with Elaine Taylor and Bill Moody. www.instagram.com/igersleeds Music is this week provided by The Sheratons with their great tune “Part of a Picture.” www.twitter.com/TheSheratonsUK www.facebook.com/TheSheratons I make no money from this podcast and all I ask is that you...

Send us Fan Mail Larry & Paul have a brilliant show on Saturdays on BBC Radio Leeds. They came to tell me all about how they got to where they are and about the exciting launch of their production company Northern Imposters. For more information, or for interview requests, contact hello@northernimposters.com or call 07734 999612 . Every Political Debate. Ever: https://www.facebook.com/larryand...

Send us Fan Mail Danika Priim is a rugby league player for Leeds Rhinos Women in the Leeds Rhinos Women’s Super League. Danika told me about how it feels to be the current Women’s Super League Champions, her travels in East Asia and where to get the best donuts in the city. Music this week is by singer/producer and multi-instrumentalist, Sam Stevens with his own take on what makes a great James Bo...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 22 of Light on Leeds podcast features Rachael Unsworth, an urban geographer whose company Leeds City Walking Tours takes groups of people on guided walks across the city. If you’d like to learn more about Leeds, you could do worse than getting hold of a copy of the book “Leeds: Cradle of Innovation” which Rachael and Steve Burt authored together.  Leeds City Walking Tours...