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Leeds

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For other uses, see Leeds (disambiguation).
File:Leedscoatofarms.gif
Leeds' Coat Of Arms

Template:GBmap Leeds is a city in the county of West Yorkshire, in the north of England. The River Aire runs through the city. Leeds is part of a metropolitan borough named the City of Leeds. According to the 2001 census the urban area of the city had a population of 429,243, while the entire city has a population of 726,939. It is one of England's core cities.

In 2003, Leeds was voted the "favourite UK city" in a survey by Conde Nast Traveller magazine.

An inhabitant of Leeds is locally known as a Loiner, a word derived from the 'Loins' (or lanes) around Briggate in the city's centre, although the term is rarely used or understood. The mock-classical adjectives Leodensian and Leodiensian are sometimes used by some local sports clubs.

Leeds is twinned with:

History

The city 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. At one point nearly half of England's total export passed through Leeds. The city's industrial growth was catalysed by the introduction of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal in 1816 and the railway in 1848.

Industry and economy

Leeds today has a diverse economy with the service sector now dominating over the city's manufacturing industries. The city has in the past been served well by its canal, and today by its rail network at Leeds station, from where MetroTrains operate to all parts of West Yorkshire and other operators to the rest of the country. With the M1 and M62 intersecting at Leeds, it is one of the principal northern hubs of the motorway network. Leeds Bradford International Airport is located to the north-west of the city and has scheduled flights to destinations within the U.K and Europe, although competition from the newly opened Robin Hood Doncaster Sheffield Airport nearby may lead to a reduction in the airport's traffic. The city has plans a tram network, although government funding seems increasingly a distant prospect.

These good transport links have been a major factor contributing to the growth of Leeds, and have led to the city becoming a major centre for distribution. Retail is another major service and employer in the city centre, with a retail economy which has experienced a recent boom resulting in several new shops.

Although, like the rest of the North of England, Leeds had its fair share of tough economic times during the 1970s and 1980s, it was quick to bounce back by investing heavily in communications links. This helped it (along with Birmingham and Glasgow) become one of the major hubs for call-centres in the late 20th century, particularly for service-oriented companies. Many outlying towns formerly relying on mining and heavy industry, found financial salvation in the 'reliable' sounding Yorkshire accent. However, many of these large employers are now outsourcing many of these jobs to places like Bangalore in India, where staff costs are considerably lower.

Culture

Sport

The city has a strong sporting heritage, with the Yorkshire County Cricket Club, Leeds Rhinos (the Rugby League team) and Leeds Tykes (the Rugby Union team) playing at Headingley, and Leeds United F.C. playing at Elland Road. Leeds United had a turbulent 2004, narrowly avoiding insolvency, and dropped from the Premier League into The Championship. They finished 14th during the 2004/2005 season.

Leeds Rhinos were crowned Super League champions on 16 October, 2004 after defeating arch rivals Bradford Bulls 16-8 at Old Trafford.

Media

The city has bases for some media activities for the Yorkshire region. Yorkshire Post Newspapers Ltd, owned by Johnston Press plc, is based in the city, and produces a daily morning broadsheet, the Yorkshire Post, and an evening paper, the Yorkshire Evening Post, as well as other publications such as Leeds Express.

Regional television and radio stations also have bases in the city; BBC Television and Yorkshire Television both have studios and broadcasting centres in Leeds, but there is concern over the future of regional independent television with the consolidation of Independent Television franchises in the UK. BBC Radio Leeds, Radio Aire, Magic 828, Galaxy 105 and Real Radio all broadcast from the city. In the 1980s, pirate radio stations including Rapid City Radio (RCR), amongst other shorter-lived stations broadcasting a mainly reggae playlist from Chapeltown, later diversifying into hip hop and house. Later, Dream FM was one of the biggest pirate radio stations in the country, but folded soon after getting a license to operate legally.

In the late 1990s dot-com boom, Leeds became one of the key hubs in the emerging new media sector - companies such as Freeserve, Energis, Sportal and Ananova emerged to dominate the UK internet industry, with Freeserve and Ananova going on to become part of Wanadoo and Orange within France Télécom. The City's Holbeck area is now home to the 'internet quarter' - an urban village with infrastructure and facilities for digital media and creative companies; at its heart is the Round Foundry media centre facility.

Museums and the arts

The city has a large 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 about the history of Yorkshire, the Museum of Leeds devoted to the city's industrial heritage, Thackray's Medical Museum and the City Art Gallery. Leeds also boasts the Grand Theatre (where Opera North is based), the City Varieties (which claims to have 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 first moving pictures were taken in the city, by Louis Le Prince, of Leeds Bridge in 1888.

Temple Newsam House and the ruins of Kirkstall Abbey, which dates from the 12th century, are on the outskirts of the city.

Music

Though not as prolific as its neighbours Manchester and Liverpool across the Pennines, or indeed Sheffield in South Yorkshire, Leeds has still produced some notable bands. The Mekons and the influential Gang of Four came out of the 1970s punk movement, whilst in the early to mid 1980s the city was home to a large goth scene and more or less famous local bands including Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, The Sisters of Mercy and Salvation (which was formed by Sisters of Mercy roadies). The avant-garde art scene centred around Leeds Metropolitan University's (then Leeds Polytechnic) Fine Art course led to the formation of early 80s electronic pioneers Soft Cell. Later 1980s and 1990s rock bands include The Wedding Present, Chumbawumba and Cud.

Like in most major northern cities, house music had a big impact on Leeds when it arrived in the late 1980s. Early house nights included Downbeat at the Warehouse, Meltdown at the Astoria in Roundhay, 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.

This early underground scene developed into the Leeds club scene of the 1990s, 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. Sadly this venue has now been converted into a restaurant.

The successful britpop group Kaiser Chiefs are also from Leeds.

Nightlife

Majestyk, one of Leeds' many nightclubs

The city 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, and Joseph's Well, which combine to generate a vibrant nightlife.

Leeds has gained a well-deserved reputation as one of the UK's favourite clubbing destinations. Often described as the leading clubbing city outside London, Leeds is best known as the home of pioneering club nights Back to Basics and Speedqueen.

Complete listings and reviews of bars, pubs and nightclubs in Leeds can be found online at Leeds City Guide, an extensive online venue guide.

Leeds is also very well-known for its underground music scene. There is a vibrant and active community based around the DIY punk ethic, supported in part by Cops and Robbers, a monthly guide to DIY events in and around Leeds.

In recent years a homosexual nightlife scene has developed. The Bridge Inn and The New Penny, both on Call Lane, have long been homosexual night spots. Queens Court offers a similar experience to its London counterpart Rupert Street. Recent additions, courtesy of Terry George, Bar Fibre, on Lower Briggate and Mission, under the arches opposite, offer more contemporary 'straight friendly' environments. Other places include The Base, Bridge End, an alternative to Queens Court. 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 Speedqueen.

Famous People From Leeds

Bands originating in Leeds

Education

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) as well as various higher education colleges, including Trinity & All Saints' College accredited by the University of Leeds, giving it one of the largest student populations in the country. The main campuses of both universities are near the city centre, as is that of the similarly revered College of Art.

Leeds Grammar School, situated on the outskirts of the city at Alwoodley Gates and dating back to 1552, is the principal public school for boys.

Leeds Girls' High School is an independent, selective school for girls, located in Headingley and consistently ranked highly in education tables.

Allerton High School was started in 1901.

Morley High School was founded as a grammar school in 1907, but became became a mixed comprehensive in 1975.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Leeds.
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