Dear ―, I hope this letter finds you well though, judging by our last encounter only two days since, I can scarcely imagine you have managed to shift the general air of dilapidation that I observed on the occasion. It was a strange encounter, indeed, and it was clear that neither of us had expected […]
Greetings from the 21st Century! Thursday, March 14th 2024 to be precise – a wet and foggy day. My name is Riana and I’m a 43 year old woman from Leeds, a city in the United Kingdom; which is of course that small, rabbit-shaped island just west of, and previously part of, Europe. It may […]
In the forest, all is quiet except for a pair of nesting cranes down in the marshes, whose bugle call arches upwards, echoing back and forth as they communicate their love for one and other. Cranes pair for life, and in Japan they symbolise longevity and lasting love. I admire these birds so much that […]
Old age is really starting to rear its ugly head. As I walk along on this moderately cold day with my left hand like a block of ice, and my lower back aching as usual, now my knee suddenly starts to hurt and I walk with a slight limp. Not the limp! I’m so proud […]
The Pack Horse pub in Hyde Park, Leeds, is host to the Cloth Cat open mic night every Thursday evening from 8:30pm until late. It was there, on the 24th of August 2023, that I met Jack to interview him about his music, his songwriting, singing, and drumming. There’s a function room upstairs adjacent to […]
The Grove Inn is a stubbornly traditional real-ale pub tucked away on Back Row, Leeds, and is now almost entirely hidden from view by the monstrosity that is Bridgewater Place. It’s a wonder it’s stayed open at all, and if it wasn’t for it’s loyal patrons and thriving music scene it may well have closed […]
On Monday 21st of August, 2023, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ceejay, a bouncy and upbeat musician from a picturesque little town on the outskirts of Leeds. I’ve known Ceejay for about two years now but my interactions with him have always been through other friends. I first met him through my good friend […]
As I made my way up to city Square one Friday afternoon in August to interview my good friend and ex-bandmate, Katie Gittins, I carried mixed emotions and I began to ponder the sort of questions I would ask her. It occurred to me that it might seem weird to have a formal conversation with […]
On Friday the 11th of August, 2023, I set off for York with my guitar to try out some busking. I have been toying with the idea of busking in York for almost twenty years and so it was nice to be finally doing it! Being an early riser, I was up at 05:30am. I […]
If you’ve ever walked along Park Row in Leeds, you may have heard the sound of a rather whimsical wooden whistle coming from the Mill Hill Chapel area. If your curiosity was then piqued to find out who was playing these mystical melodies, you may have discovered “Rat”! Not the kind one finds running out […]