A Red Letter Day.
Alwoodley Parish Council invited residents to a community picnic today to celebrate “Leeds 400” – the 400th anniversary of Leeds receiving its’ first Royal Charter from King Charles the first, described on Leeds City Council as the historic moment which marked the beginning of Leeds’ journey towards self-governance and city status.
In addition, it was Father’s Day and, at 9.24 am, the Summer solstice, the moment when the northern hemisphere of the Earth was tilted most towards the sun, making it the longest day of the year.
The weather was beautiful, and the event started at about 1 pm and concluded at about 4.30 pm.
The main draw was the Manhattan Sound Big Band who played big band standards from 2.30 pm till 4 pm. In addition there were stalls from organisations including:
- Friends of Adel Woods
- The Thoresby Society
- Alwoodley Repair Cafe
- Alwoodley Allotment Society
- Alwoodley Parish Council
- Alwoodley in Bloom
- Friends of Heath Nursery Woods
- Incredible Edible
The police service, fire service and Leeds Rhinos were also represented.
The Committee of Friends of Adel Woods had a great afternoon chatting to passersby about our activities and signing up another twelve people to our mailing list.
In addition we are very grateful to Lynne from Fetch Pet Supplies on King Lane who donated a beautiful planter, complete with plants, for Friends of Adel Woods to raffle. The raffle raised £24 towards FOAW funds.
The Thoresby Society are the Leeds historical society. Their stall displayed many interesting photographs, maps and other documents, and their committee chatted to visitors about the history of Leeds and Alwoodley.
The winning ticket for the Friends of Adel Woods raffle was drawn at 4.15 pm by the Chair of the Thoresby Society, and the winning number was announced by the Manhattan Sound Big Band.
It was a glorious afternoon and Friends of Adel Woods would like to thank the Parish Council and Parish Clerk for organising the event; Fetch Pet Supplies for donating a raffle prize and their constant support; the Manhattan Sound Big Band for a great concert; all the organisations who attended to share the work they are doing for the community. And, as the great Leonard Sachs might have said, “chiefly yourselves” – all the audience and visitors who made it all worthwhile.
About Friends of Adel Woods
Friends of Adel Woods were formed in 2009 to help maintain Adel Woods and encourage people to enjoy them. We meet one weekend morning a month to carry out various jobs or ”work parties”, and we also put on educational events such as bat walks, fungal forays and birdsong walks.
We are a very friendly group and welcome new members who want to help preserve our special woods, enjoy fresh air, exercise in the woods, and make new friends.
If you would like to take part in our activities, keep an eye on our Home Page. You don’t need to book to come along to one of our work “parties”: just come along!
If you would like to join our email mailing list, please get in touch by leaving a comment on this website – you should be able to see a comment box at the bottom of this page.
Friends of Adel Woods 