Middleton Airfield Remembered

Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust donated a granite plaque in remembrance to all those who served at Middleton Airfield 1916 – 1918. The airfield was located near to where Middleton Asda is now, however the plaque has been mounted and placed at Middleton Park Circus as a focal point for the community to remember all those who served at the Airfield.

It is hoped that the plaque will be a focal point to remember all the units and personnel based at Middleton Airfield for many years to come.

Local Councillors, Cllr Judith Blake, Cllr Kim Groves and Cllr Paul Truswell led a ceremony before the plaque was unveiled.   The Last post was played, and 2 minutes silence was observed.

Friends of Middleton Park

Friends of Middleton Park are a charity organisation who promote local interest and involvement in the park and it’s woodland.

Friends of Middleton Park (FOMP) were formed in 2003, some of their keys aims are:

• Improving Facilities
• Encouraging Use
• Protecting Wildlife
• Promoting Activities

There are lots of events going on in the park throughout the year, some of these include:

Upcoming events

Day / Date	Event	Event Organiser	Times	Location
Sun 17/02/19	Explore Middleton Park Walk	FOMP	13:00-15:00	Visitor Centre
Tues 19/02/19	Children’s Play Sessions (TBA)	FOMP	13:00-15:00	Visitor Centre
Wed 20/02/19	Children’s Play Sessions (TBA)	FOMP	13:00-15:00	Visitor Centre

 

Regular Events

Day	Event	Event Organiser	Times	Location / Starting Point
Monday	Couch to 5k	Leeds Girl Can	18:30	Leeds Urban Bike Park
	Walking Group	BITMO Gate	11:00	BITMO Gate
Tuesday	Knit and Natter	Knit and Natter Group	10:30-12:00	Visitor Centre
	Bootcamp	Leeds Girl Can	18:00	Leeds Urban Bike Park
	Fitness Session	Trailblazer	18:45-19:45	Middleton Park Car Park
	Gate practice	Leeds Urban Bike Park	18:00-20:00	Leeds Urban Bike Park
Wednesday	Pilates	Leeds Girl Can	10:30	Visitor Centre?
	Couch to 5k	Leeds Girl Can	19:00	?
	Walk and Talk Group	Health For All	?	?
Thursday	Middleton Park Estate Volunteers	Leeds City Council	10-15.00	Middleton Park Visitor Centre
Friday
Saturday	Parkrun	Middleton Woods parkrun	09:00	Rose Garden
	Meeting (Monthly – 3rd Saturday)	Young Archaeologists Club	10:00-12:00	Visitor Centre
Sunday	Let’s Ride (Monthly – 1st Sunday)	British Cycling	10:30-12:30	Leeds Urban Bike Park

You can find out what is going on in your park, read more about the history of Middleton Park and even read through the Archaeological Survey which ran 2006 – 2008 on FOMP website http://www.fomp.co.uk/index.html

Belle Isle and Middleton Christmas Lights Switch On’s 2018

The Belle isle Christmas Lights Switch On took place on Monday 26th November.   Pupils from Windmill Primary School and Low Road Primary School led the carol singing, and the local community joined in.

On Tuesday 27th November, pupils St Philips, Westwood Primary, Middleton Primary, Clapgate Primary, and Middleton St Mary’s Primary school sang carols as the Middleton Lights were switched on, and many residents also sang along.

All the children were fantastic, and created a fabulous festive mood with their carol singing!

Cllr Judith Blake, Cllr Kim Groves and Cllr Paul Truswell then handed out selection boxes to all of the children who attended the events.

Organised by the local ward Councillors, both the Belle Isle and Middleton events were very well attended.   Thank you to everyone who came to enjoy the festivities!

 

Middleton Bonfire 2018

Middleton Bonfire 2018 saw approximately 8,000 people turn up to their local park to enjoy the evening.

Organised by Parks and Countryside and sponsored by the White Rose Centre, the event was one of the largest in Leeds.  Middleton Park Ward Members, Cllr Judith Blake, Cllr Kim Groves and Cllr Paul Truswell supported the event.

Everyone enjoyed the large bonfire, a fireworks display and fairground rides.

Last Coals To Leeds

‘The Last Coals to Leeds’ marked the fiftieth anniversary of the closure of Middleton Broom Pit.  This was the last working coal mine in the South Leeds mining district.  The coal mine was central to the development of the Middleton Railway and to the communities of South Leeds.

The project, sponsored by Love Where You Live, was a great success, the main event taking place at Middleton Railway on the weekend of the 29^th and 30^th of September.  The main feature of the event was one of the Middleton Railway Trust’s resident locomotives which had been painted up to represent the last working steam locomotive at Middleton Broom Pit ‘Nineteen Fifty Three Blenkinsop’.

Young people from schools in the area attended the opening event on the 14^th September.  They were treated to a ride on one of the locomotives and received story booklets which, although fictional, were based on true stories from Middleton Broom Pit.  The story booklets were also delivered to all the local schools for children to enjoy and to learn about their local history.

A photographic exhibition in conjunction with Leeds City Council and the National Mining Museum illustrated the history of Middleton Broom Pit and its neighbouring communities.  So far the exhibition has been at Middleton Railway, Dewsbury Road Hub, St Georges Hub and will be moved to John Charles Centre.

A memorial plaque was also commissioned through the project to those who worked and gave their lives in the extraction of coal from Middleton Broom Pit.

Middleton Railway is a really enjoyable day out for all the family, it’s ran by very dedicated volunteers and is one of the gems of Leeds.

 

Environmental Health Services – A Quick Guide

This quick guide outlines information on the services provided by the Environmental Health Services and related contact details. It will be particularly useful for local businesses within the area.  We hope you find it useful.

Belle Isle Elderly Winter Aid – BIEWA

BIEWA celebrated our International Day of Older People yesterday, at BITMO Gate.  Many older people from Belle Isle attended as well as Councillors Paul Truswell and Judith Blake, whom we would like to thank for sponsoring the catering for this event.

There were information stalls from the following organisations to assist older people to make informed choices: Ross Care Centres; The Leeds Directory; Care & Repair; Carers Leeds; The Green Doctor; Age UK; The Kieran Bingham Charity and the British Red Cross.

Local resident Iris Crummack said “The stalls were really informative.  Everybody seemed to enjoy the event and the food was really good!”

“Be Smart at Christmas, not Debt-Ridden in January” event at Middleton Community Centre.

Apply for a Credit Union Christmas Loan and learn about the Christmas Savings Scheme.

The event is on Thursday 21st September, 9.30-1.30pm at Middleton Community Centre, Acre Road LS10 4LF. There will also be market place stalls providing benefits and financial information.

All welcome for a cuppa and a cake,

For more information or if you would like a stall, please email Lyn: lynda.bambury@leeds.gov.uk

National Citizens Service Event at the Belle Isle Family Centre. We had a lovely day on Thursday 8th August at the Belle Isle Family Centre. There was a barbecue, and entertainment was provided by the National Citizens’ Service. Councillors Kim Groves and Paul Truswell attended. Everybody enjoyed the get together! Thank you NCS! Thanks also to Steve Brewer for a fabulous job of organising the event, and to Pam Hathaway who was a heroine in the kitchen!

 

Stop Loan Sharks Campaign

Good News! As a result of the campaign in Middleton Park Ward, 6 people so far have sought financial help at the St Georges Centre – 4 at the Credit Union and 2 at Customer Services – and that’s just the ones we know about!

Keep a look out for further events in Middleton around helping people manage their money!