If you find yourself dropping by Munro House in the next couple of weeks, definitely worth a visit is the incredible exhibition of iconic flyers from the past 20 years of the city’s legendary dance night Back To Basics. Started in 1991 by Dave Beer, the original artwork has been produced by the event’s main promoter Dave Beer and graphic designer Nic Gundill for the Excess All Areas exhibition.

Guardian Northerner meanwhile reports on the extent of local authority cuts across Yorkshire, with Leeds set to make savings of £55.4 million in the coming year after council debates on Wednesday night. 400 jobs will be lost as a result; part of a reduction of 2,500 agreed by the Labour-run Leeds council by the end of 2015.

Innovative Leeds’ sustainable developer Citu has received yet more plaudits for Greenhouse, the low carbon eco development in Beeston. South Leeds Life reports on the decision by judges at the Leeds Architecture Awards who handed Citu’s Greenhouse the prize for Best Altered Building.

On the blogosphere, if you haven’t been keeping up with Lynn Hill’s furtive goings-on with The Secret Tea Room, then see what she’s been up to after “a funny old few weeks”. Or of course you could tune in to The One Show tonight and see for yourself…

On The Culture Vulture meanwhile, Monica Tailor blogs on family-friendly eating out here in Leeds, identifying what it is that makes a quality family dining experience, and asking what the world thinks of them. If you’ve been out with the young’uns to any of these spots, leave a comment.

And for a tantalising taster of what’s coming our way next week, have a look at Richard Michie’s blog on next Wednesday’s TEDxLeeds event at the Corn Exchange – all about money!

That’s all for now. Have a great weekend from Beyond Guardian Leeds, and see you bright and early next week for more!

The BBC has reported that there was an explosion at the Fox’s biscuit factory in Batley. Hopefully everybody involved makes a full recovery and there isn’t panic buying of ginger crunch creams in the supermarkets.

After an accident in Otley last Friday calls are being made for a lorry ban in the town, reports the Wharfdale Observer.

A car accident happened on Roundhay Road last night, says the YEP. Hopefully the driver isn’t too badly hurt, but the photographer deserves a round of applause.

As we reported last week on BGL campaigners in Bramley are stepping up their demands to “clean up the petrol station” on Broad Lane. It turns out that there are concerns that the site was not properly decontaminated (YEP). It probably was, but the owners really need to sort this out.

Why are our waterways being invaded by North American crayfish at the expense of native species? Researchers from Leeds University have an answer: the cousins are greedier and less picky about their food.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust is looking at the MRSA and C. Difficle targets that will be missed this year.

Did somebody say “Bettakultcha was on the radio”? Social media surgeon John Popham has put the interview up for all to hear. BGL loves Bettakultcha, for the record.

Speaking of John Popham, he’ll be in the Leeds Wellbeing Centre on Saturday streaming a 12-hour chatathon. We got this from the centre:

February 25th and will run from noon until midnight. The centre is inviting everyone in Leeds and the surrounding communities to join them in raising vital funds for the charity project to continue in 2012. The event will see fundraisers young and old join the centre to chatter away for twelve hours whilst enjoying yummy nibbles and massage tasters. The event is open to all and will see local councillors and members of the community join forces with the centre to create a buzz of non-stop conversation.

Again in the YEP: Leeds Young People’s Film Festival over the Easter school holidays looks brilliant again. The programme is concentrating on “becoming a teenager”, with Tales of the Night and The Crocodiles: All For One featuring.

Finally today, in the Wakefield Express is news of a beer that BGL would love to get its hands on: Roo-Barb Beer, to be sold at the rhubarb festival over the coming weekend (alas, unless Mark or Elly make it BGL will be sadly absent from the festival. If anybody would like to go and write a report on it for BGL next week we’d love to hear from you). The beer and festival sound a lot of fun and it’s a shame we’ll miss it.

That’s it for today! Mark will be back tomorrow, and in the meantime remember to get in touch if you have anything you’d like us to mention! Thanks for reading.

Although not the worst by a long chalk, total spend on CCTV by LCC since 2007 topped £8,760,000, reports many places including the Huddersfield Examiner. LCC takes the number three slot in spend on CCTV, after Westminster and Birmingham. Over West Yorks it looks like about £20m has been spent on CCTV. Does it prevent crime? Does it help to get convictions? Does it do the same job as the police officers it could have funded?

As previously reported in BGL, Red House Museum in Gomersal is potentially under threat of being sold; however Kirklees Council has come up with an alternative; admission charges. Although this could lead to a drop is the number of visitors it could also generate just enough income to save the museum from being sold.

The search for a new LEP director in Leeds has started, says the YEP. This matters because the replacement for the regional development agency can shape the future of our city – and in the past the focus has been on retail, retail, retail. Perhaps a new director could focus elsewhere.

The Morley Observer reports that an apprentice engineer from Bruntcliffe has won the Against All Odds award at the inaugural Leeds Apprenticeships Awards. The Awards, set up this year and run by LCC and the National Apprenticeships Service, highlight apprentices and people who teach and provide placements. Adam France won his award after an unsettled start to his apprenticeship, but he settled down to become a promising young employee. Well done, and keep it up Adam!

The YEP reports that Mrs Maureen Baker MBE, has died. Mrs Baker devoted her life to challenging racism and was working to secure the rights of people up until very recently. Her obituary is an incredible list of her achievements and is well worth reading; she was an immigration councillor who changed the law on the wives of settled immigrants being able to remain in the country; she helped resettle Ugandans during the Amin era; and set up the Stephen Lawrence Educational Standard. An astonishing person, who will be missed by all.

Also in the YEP: after the Indian Ocean tsunami on Boxing Day 2004 LCC started a charity to help people in Sri Lanka. Over £240,000 was raised by the council and its employees who could give a small amount each month from their pay packets to the Building Hope appeal. And next week, after consultation with people in Sri Lanka, the doors open on a brand new children’s centre in the capital, Columbo, donated by the City of Leeds. This is, quite frankly, brilliant.

This, from Leeds & York partnership NHS trust:

To recognise that anyone can suffer from an eating disorder at any time, the 20 – 26 February marks Eating Disorders Awareness Week. The theme for this year is “Break
the silence, beat eating disorders.”

Yorkshire Centre for Eating Disorders, part of the Leeds and York Partnership NHS
Foundation Trust, was founded in 1978 and grown to become the largest Northern ‘eating
disorder service’. Yorkshire Centre for Eating Disorders aims to provide a comprehensive
and flexible service that will effectively meet and treat the needs of individuals with eating
disorders. YCED also runs a Carers Support Group with the aim to support carers of people
who are suffering from eating disorders and give them a space which enables them to feel
less isolated with their experiences.

The next meeting of the Carers Support Group will be at Seacroft Hospital’s Newsam Centre on March 7th, 7pm. If you or anybody you know is affected by an eating disorder then please get in touch with the Trust who will be able to help.

As part of the commitment to increase fostering in Leeds, LCC is being encouraged to improve the payments made to carers and foster parents (YEP). The increase should keep foster parents from going outside LCC’s already very good fostering service to private agencies. An interesting article, worth a read.

Being big Lego nuts, we like this: Dean Clough mill in halifax has been recreated in Lego. Brilliant. Watch the video.

And, speaking of toys, there will be a toy hacking workshop at East Street Arts’ Patrick St Studios on Sunday. Culture Vultures’ Monica Ali has some thoughts on the matter.

Right, that’s that for today! Keep warm and dry folks, and we’ll see you soon.

The West Yorkshire Archive Service Catablogue recently had a vote on the best ‘treasure’ of the archive, and Tetley’s Brewery won (by a hair’s breadth). It’ll be interesting to see what the Brewery turns into on the next step through its historic journey – any ideas?

The BBC reports on Leeds City Council urging the continued adoption and fostering of Leeds’ children by gay or lesbian individuals, with a special event taking place this evening for those people interested in this to find out more.

Phil Kirby writes a review of Madama Butterfly over on Culture Vulture, which is very helpful if you haven’t seen the opera (synopsis alert) and also pretty positive. I think he might be ill.

Over on the Guardian Northerner blog, John Popham asks – where are all the northern innovators? In fact, where are the northern radicals (hence the New Radicals above, geddit?) ? We obviously must have them, so John has put out a call to start the list right there on the Guardian.

Yorkshire Sculpture Park has the pleasure of being the site of the first UK exhibition and survey of Joan Miro’s sculpture, in a show which will trace his relationship with sculpture over the course of around 40 years.

My Life in Leeds has a great roundup of family-friendly walking routes in Leeds and the surrounding area.

South Leeds Life demonstrates how blue plaques aren’t just about the super famous – in fact, even those people who pioneer council housing should be commemorated.

And from Kirsty aka @gazpachodragon:

Leeds Letters is a letter writing club held on the third Tuesday of every month at Dock Street Market. Aiming to rejuvenate the lost art of letter-writing, we provide materials and space for you to write letters, doodle on postcards or just do some colouring in with friendly people and special offers on cocktails. We even have stamps available to buy and promise to post your letters for you, so there’s no excuse not to keep in touch. The next Leeds Letters will be tomorrow from 7pm, and Dock Street Market won’t just be giving us half price teapot cocktails, but will also be flipping pancakes as a Shrove Tuesday special.

More information (though not much more, what the flip can you say about a letter writing club? you come, you write letters. end of.) can be found at www.leedsletters.blogspot.com or by contacting me on twitter (@gazpachodragon obv.)

Right, only one last thing to mention:

PANCAKE DAY – FILL YER BOOTS!

Have a great Pancake Day full of batter and lemon and sugar. Ciao!

Do you have Euro-style locks in your nice new double-glazed doors? The ones with easily swappable barrels? According to the BBC and West Yorkshire Police they’re pretty rubbish, being susceptible to “lock snapping” (although the article doesn’t explain what that is). There’s a programme about it on BBC1 at 7:30 tonight. In the meantime, you may want to contact your local crime prevention officer. There is a problem with this, though; many people will worry unnecessarily after watching the programme, and potential burglars will discover a new technique of getting into houses. It’s important people know about risks, but perhaps there should be a better way of disseminating the information.

Pretty much everybody knows that jury duty is compulsory unless you have a good reason for deferral, right? Apparently not, as one juror – who had been sitting in the same trial at Leeds Crown Court for two weeks – said she was “too bored” to continue (YEP). So she was arrested.

When claiming milage allowances BGL has been allowed 38p/mile, which barely covers petrol costs these days (so we take the train). So it was a bit of a shock to discover some LCC personnel can claim up to 65p/mile (YEP) which all adds to the £25m bill for milage across Yorkshire’s local authorities. Proposals are on the table to cap it at 45p, which could save LCC £500,000.

The Guardian takes a look at the fountains and mirror pool in Bradford that’s apparently called “City Park” (although it’ll never be called that outside of official documents). It does sound quite nifty, although whether the £24m pricetag brings the projected £80m-worth of business to the area remains to be seen.

Back in the YEP, two stories on Headingley. Leeds Music Hub has very nearly opened on Wood Lane; the organisers are putting in classrooms, practice space,
a cafe and art gallery and hope to attract people and bands of all ages and abilities to their space. Good for them.

Also, the previews for Headingley LitFest have started to get out there. Ian McMillan will be in attendance, alongside Richard Brown’s look at literary languages (like Elvish and Newspeak). More details on the LitFest website.

Local author Mick McCann will be at Litfest (of course!), but he’s also got a piece in Pulp Pusher about his publishing company, Armley Press. Mick’s work is also in Test Space Leeds’ popup shop in the Corn Exchange until the end of the week, alongside other Leeds artists. If there’s a copy of Jon Eland’s Leeds Home Tourist in there, or the Bettakultcha book then you may spot familiar names & faces.

Next week is Journalism Week at Leeds Trinity. The programme of events is available (it’s a PDF, though). Looks interesting, especially if you’re thinking of following a career in newsgathering and presenting. Jon Snow is giving a lecture, along with Harry Gration and Mark Easton.

If you came to Leeds to go to University in the ’90s then you have probably at least heard of club night Back to Basics. The organisers were also the designers of the posters, flyers, tickets and pretty much everything that went into the club’s promotion. These guys have an exhibition on at Leeds Gallery at the moment of their best flyers and posters, and it’s well worth taking a look. Culture Vultures were there for the opening (and BGL also had a quick look around too).

Secret Tea Room organiser Lynn Hill has had an odd couple of weeks. Read all about them here. And… well, watch the One Show on Friday. You may spot a few familiar faces.

Finally today, we have to applaud My Life in Leeds‘ Darren Cronian, because he put together a list of all the Leeds blogs he could find on Pinterest. Have a look through them and see who you are reading, and who you should be!

That’s it for today. As always, if you have anything you’d like to tell us or would like us to investigate, then please let us know. Thanks for reading, and Elly will be with you tomorrow.

Good morning Leeds, Mark here on this Friday the 17^th, with all that’s happening around town as we prepare to bring on the weekend.

Not for the first time of late, Leeds theatres have been striding into the national pages. This time it’s West Yorkshire Playhouse, where it was announced yesterday that Leeds-born James Brining, currently at the helm of the Dundee Rep, has been appointed artistic director. For The Guardian, Lyn Gardner asks whether the appointment could herald a renaissance for regional theatre across the country. James will take over later during the summer: we look forward to welcoming him home properly!

Council leaders from the north of England’s five largest cities – including Leeds – have written to the Treasury asking for their commitment to fund the Northern Hub rail project. The scheme is set to cost £560m, and would see 700 more trains running daily across the north, including six fast trains per hour between Manchester and Leeds. Work could begin as early as April 2014.

Elsewhere, Guardian Northerner uncovers (apologies) the story of Nigel Keer, the naturist we exposed yesterday (I’ll stop now) who has been fined for an offence against public order having walked Otley Chevin wearing only boots, a backpack and a baseball cap. Naked rambling has a tradition, writes Martin Wainwright, even if the courts may not see it in quite such terms. Personally I think he’d deserve £315 as a prize were he to ramble naked in the cold weather of late…

South Leeds Life has been trawling through the photo albums, and links to some of the images from the Beeston and Holbeck Photohunt.

Taking pride of place is a glorious shot of Phil Kirby, standing by the door of Temple Works, gazing awe-struck at the south Leeds skies. Reading his latest post on The Culture Vulture there was no mention of any especial divine intervention, albeit plenty of the vinous kind. His account of “A Typical Day As Culture Vulture Editor” is an epic, faintly Joycean in form – and good a reason as any to come along to The Palace at 8.30pm this evening where the Culture Vulture editors will be meeting anyone who wants to go and find out more about contributing to the site.

You could even shake the hand that wrote the post. Though as the other Irishman said before, it’s done far more than that.

And finally if you’re on the hunt for some inspiration for your weekend dinner plans, take a look at My Life In Leeds which has been out scouring for the best steak this city has to offer.

And there’s the meat for today. Until next week!

Nigel Keer has been fined over £300 for rambling nude apart from a backpack and boots across Otley Chevin, after causing distress to a female dog-walker and being apprehended by an off-duty policeman out running at the time. Keer protested that ‘being naked is not an offence’. No, but it can be bloody cold up on Otley Chevin.

At 6pm today on Radio Leeds, Alan Raw of BBC Introducing… will be hosting a music masterclass for young people wanting to break into the ‘biz’, followed by a live music showcase from bands across West Yorkshire. Awesome!

South Leeds Life has information on a recent awards ceremony celebrating the achievements of young people in the area over on their blog.

The Culture Vulture has an indepth review of the first day of the Leeds Antifascist Film Festival, covering all the different films of the day with Day 2 review coming soon.

The Guardian Northerner blog has a great article on the potential implications and impact of a tourist tax and other funding initiatives in York – read it here.

The former mining community of Rotherham will receive a boost in combatting youth unemployment thanks to the Coalfields Regeneration Trust’s National Apprenticeship Programme, which is aiming to create a significant number of opportunities for those aged between 16 and 18.

And finally, I love pancakes, so I absolutely loved this story about nearly 900 people breaking a pancake-flipping world record in Sheffield. Just imagine the amount of sugar and lemon juice you would need for that feast! Man, I love pancakes.

That’s it for today – have a fantastic weekend and take care of yourselves darlings. Ciao!

Something nice to start with; The Guardian Northerner’s John Baron has put together a slideshow of favourite photographs from the Northerner’s Flickr group. Some cracking shots there.

Members of staff from the DVLA at Leeds held protests yesterday lunchtime over proposals to close nearly all the regional offices of the agency. Apparently down to the need to save £28m, the closure will risk 1,200 jobs countrywide and effectively remove any face-to-face way of sorting out driving license issues.

Wakefield council has issued compulsory purchase orders on three homes on the Girnhill estate, reports the BBC. The estate, which is scheduled to be demolished, was built in the ’50s and is considered not fit for purpose. Thirty residents have already been moved, but three – one of which doesn’t live in the house – aren’t budging.

Middleton Leisure Centre has managed to secure nearly £150k from Sport England’s Olympic Legacy fund for improvements, reports South Leeds Life. Facilities to be upgraded include the changing rooms, outdoor pitches and a specially-built room for people with learning disabilities.

Would you spend an extra £1/night to stay in York? Last night councillors in York were debating a “tourist tax”, reports the Guardian. York does have a huge wealth gap and badly needed social services could be partially funded by the wealthy visitors to the city, but then would the tax put people off going in the first place? (BGL suspects most people wouldn’t notice, especially when booking online, but a vocal few in the media would put the kibosh on the whole thing.) How about it Leeds decided to do the same thing – would you pay – or notice – £1 extra if you were staying at Quebecs?

BGL loves this; a look at Holbeck from blogger Leeds Printer, who used to go photographing in the area in the 70′s – a time when a camera was a passport to access as opposed to the accusations of terrorism or worse today. A lovely piece, worth reading.

In the YEP: there’s a piece on the York Street Practice, a surgery that provides healthcare for the homeless and vulnerable people across the city. These people are fantastic, flexible and able to accomodate people who normally would find keeping rigid appointment schedules difficult. And for this we applaud them.

Also the the YEP, a Leeds student had the interesting idea of placing silhouettes of people in hoodies along the main route across Woodhouse Moor to make sure people stayed alert after a spate of muggings and attacks in the area last year. Was this a good idea? A sensible idea? Let us know your thoughts!

Hebden Bridge’s Picture House cinema has changed hands; from Calderdale council to Hebden Royd Town Council. It means people ni Heb are funding the cinema directly. Now… this would be like people in Headingley, Burley and Kirkstall funding the Hyde Park Picture House. Thought-provoking, especially if you like cinema.

Speaking of film; the Post has an article on teens honing filmmaking skills at Yorkshire Dance, seeing as it’s half term.

Finally today, in the YEP: an unemployed Leeds chap who has applied for over 100 jobs is trying to run a jobseeker’s podcast:

Damon Cooper, from Farsley, has written to Mr Clegg and to the business community to ask for help in putting together a podcast project which would challenge listeners to help his young, unemployed guests find jobs, as well as showcasing young people’s skills and talents.

Damon is in need of funding, although he has the backing of the DPM. Lets hope that the JSA people don’t think that he should be better spending his time working for free at a supermarket.

And that’s it for today. We’re back tomorrow, but in the meantime if you have any thoughts, stories or comments on these or any other issues in Leeds, Bradford or West Yorkshire, then please get in touch. Thanks for reading!

A case has been reopened concerning the disappearance of a man who went missing five years ago on Valentine’s Day, reports the BBC.

In a bid to make Leeds and Bradford super connected, the two city councils have joined forces to try and make services faster by bidding for government funding.

There’s some fantastic images of No Redemption, a series of photos documenting the 84-85 miners’ strike, over on the BBC.

Shang Ting has another instalment of the top trends in Tokyo of last year – a must read for fashion bloggers!

Cookridge Fire Station firefighters have helped raise money for a young girl who is working to raise £45,000 for an operation to help her walk again, reports Holt Park Today.

Looking for something to do this month? Kay Brown has a rundown of cool stuff wot is happening over on the Culture Vulture.

The debate over Kirkgate Market rumbles on – here’s the latest news from the Guardian Northerner blog.

And finally, information on the ‘Reading the Riots’ community conversations that will be happening in the north of England, again on the Guardian.

Righty ho, have a wonderful rest of the day. Happy Valentine’s Day, wherever you are and whoever you with, and be sure to spread a little happiness today and every day by sharing the love. Sorry, I think I appear to be drunk still…ciao darlings!

From the YEP: a PCSO tells animal rights campaigners that they’re a terrorist threat whilst being video’d. People protesting outside Dogs4Us at Bramley – a puppy breeding centre with a less than stellar track record – were stopped by the PCSO who threatened to confiscate the camera belonging to one demonstrator. WYP have since apologised to Ms Firth, and hopefully will train their PCSOs slightly better. The video is astonishing; you thought this sort of thing vanished in 2009, but no. For the record, BGL is a supporter of I’m a Photographer, Not a Terrorist.

Immigration officers have stopped about 70 weddings in a single month at Leeds Town Hall, as they had all the hallmarks of being “sham” marriages. They actually only burst in during two ceremonies, but whilst carrying out interviews of people getting married they think they prevented many more.

Is Leeds a “Twin-Track” city? That’s the question being asked by Mike Chitty after a meeting about South Leeds:

Closing down the bookies, off-licences and credit shops would be like excising chicken pox with a knife. Its just going to leave nasty scars and not deter the pox. The fast food outlets and the bookies did not make people poor and susceptible to an early death. They are there because people are poor and unhealthy!

Hm. A trial of QR codes on bus stops to find out when the next bus is due is being rolled out between the city centre and Adel. Passengers can scan the QR code and will get information about when the next bus is due at that stop. Fine, except you can already do the “text your bus stop number” thing (which seems underused as it is – does anybody have usage stats on that? We’d love to see them), there’s a timetable and there’s the rollout of digital signs and monitors on bus stops that’s been going on for a couple of years. Plus, this excludes anyone who doesn’t have a smartphone with a barcode reader application. Smacks of trying to fix a problem that doesn’t exist with a tech fix that doesn’t do anything particularly smart. Sort out the GPS trackers on the buses first, and then the back-end infrastructure so we get accurate ETAs on the monitors and text messages instead of times I could read off the published timetable, please.

Residents in Bramley are once again calling for the clear-up of the empty, derelict Q8 petrol station. LCC have been promising to get something done, and yet nothing has as yet.

The YEP also has a piece on Leeds Involving People, a project that represents disabled, elderly and socially disadvantaged communities to make sure they have their say on how services are run in the city. The group is asking for users of LCC services – individuals as well as groups – to fill out a questionnaire that will feed back into LCC to create “involvement standards”.

The Post has an article about our old friend Temple Works. Plans are afoot, as they usually are.

BIFF – Bradford International Film Festival – is sorting out its programme for this year’s event in April, and is planning a tribute to Chuck Jones, the legendary animator and director of the Bugs Bunny cartoons. Loving this.

A new top secret supperclub is opening in Beeston. Pen Coles went along to the preview evening at Masala Magic, in Beeston. Sounds good!

Also on CV is the review of the new exhibition at the Hepworth in Wakefield, their Spring Exhibition, featuring work by Heather and Ivan Morison, Ben Rivers, and David Thorpe.

Speaking of Wakefield, Unity Hall is issuing community shares in order to finish the project to turn it into a theatre, arts hub and gig venue. An interesting idea; does anybody buy into this sort of thing? Again, we’d like to see data!

Finally today, Holt Park Today has got hold of the half-term timetable from Holt Park Leisure Centre. Useful information, and suggests its worthwhile checking out what your local leisure centre has planned for the break.

That’s it! Thanks for reading and we’ll see you tomorrow!