HEART OF YORKSHIRE

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 29 June 1927, Page 16

HEART OF YORKSHIRE

LEEDS AND ITS HISTORY. VISIONS OF GREAT WORKS.

The heart of Yorkshire ‘bea t a in Leeds —the “Queen Qf the Ridings.” For its Tercentenary celebrations last year — its Charter of Incorporation was granted by Charles 1. in 1626—it was the Mecca, of tens of thousands of its sons —■broad-shouldered men who -walk sturdily and- with independence; whose softburied speech As, biuff and direct; whose eyes look at you straight Ay; and whose nearts have last not,hang of the traditional hospitality and kindliness of the dalesmen.-

It is extraordinary, says a London writer, how the true born-and-bred Yorkshi reman remains steadfast to type—in bearing, manner, speech and walk. Shrewd he is, undoubtedly—some have called him “hard, but honest” —but he has a vision and a, supershare of grit, qualities which have made Leeds—“ Leeds always leads!”— the wonderful city she is. She may yet 'be more wonderful, for those who guide her destinies .have their eyas set cm the sea, and vision a- ship canal across the Riding to the coast. Leeds a seaport ! It will come. The Yorbshiren,an is dogged, and when doggedness is allied with imagination, and prestige and business are the prizes, .and he does not rest till he has them in his- grasp. ft may be due to the psychological effect of bis »nA i :.re ’s broad ac.re-s and its vast moors that his vision runs to big tilings. The Town Halil of Leeds, for iiwtance, is a vast and imposing building, in perfect taste. It cost £133,000 sixty-eight- >er.vrs ago, and to-day would •ast half a million. Leeds loves the beautiful, and in ad that her civic authorities c-an control, beauty is tlie prime co aside ration. THE, CIVIC GO'A.I-Q'F-ARMS. The coa.t-oi —ai xus o-r the city may make one smile at fiifcit, and then compel tribute- to tne canny head, o-r lie ads, of those who gathered the symbols together; so entirely typical -are they of the Yorkshire diameter. Three wise old awls; three stars; a fleece. The owls symbol ire wisdom.—they’ve long beads in Yorkshire; the .stars hold the heraldic symbolism of hospitality; the fleece—that’s wool, and business. Wisdom, hospitality, business! The civic trinity of Leeds.

The city’s history .stretches far back. The Romans must have been on the banks of the Aire for remains have been found. Bede, England's earliest historian, mentions “Loddis,” and hi ■Doomsday Book tlie .place is described as “£V Ja.rge- faxmiing vil tage, V oojYtadnirLg about KkM) gores, and titled by thirtyfive farmers. The .'latter were probably driven to- the distant dales, for William the Conqueror devastated “Ledes”—the name means “a, settlement in the woods” —and divided the land among hi.s followers.

But Leed-s—or I/edes—‘-grew again, and -she had doth mills of repute a.s early as the twelfth century. At the time of her Charter of Incorporation—there were earlier Charters, .stretching book to- the time of Edward I.—she was selling cloth to the value of £200.00;,* a year—«. stupendous sum in those days. From then onwards, although some of her industries., owing to changes in ta.ste rand fashion, have died and others have taken their place, Leeds has never linked back.

Some, jealous of her prosperity—more money has been made in Leeds than in any cither city in Great Britain —flailed her the “Black Town.” Her burgesses smiled and erected a statue to the Black Prince, who gave her her Charter. It was not until 1893, however. that she really became a “city.” In that yean* Queen Victoria gave her, bv Royal Charter, the right to the title, and in 1597 bestowed the further honour of making her Mayor r, “Lord Mayor.” Some idea, of the astounding growth of Leeds may be gathered from the fact that in 1811 her population was but 62,534. A hundred years later it had jumped to nearly half a million. AKiiCILFo IN EVERY HOME. Leeus lias the uiuvaiitage of being ideally situated, fcilie has iron at her duuis and coat mil about, ner—a.nu, literally, under her teat! Goal-mining , within the city has nearly finished, although there are .still some seams to work. Fireclay—a valuable maternal — she has also. And all around her there stretch vast areas of the richest agricultural laud in the kingdom, feeding her with, the raw ..materials —wool and hides —of two of her great industries. Leeds oLothes 11,000,000 people yearly, either with “ready-mades” or with the material* for made-to-measure suits and oostuin.ee. It as her boast that there is not a theme in Great Britain which has not at least one Leeds-made article in it. Clothing apart, if one has anything of leather in his home it was probably made in Leeds. If lie has a glass bottle, the fame remark applies. His child’s mechanical toy was probably Leeds-made. The whole house may have been built of Leeds bricks. She could cobweb the country with the linen she spins. What of Leeds’ home life? Well, she has more parks, open spaces, gardens, recreations and playing-grounds than any other city. Like other cities, -she grew just anyhow during the nineteenth century, but—it cannot be done in a moment—she re cleaning her slums and abolishing those ghastly black-to-back houses. In the last few yearns .sire has demolished 4800 houses, and built, under town planning schemes, 6107 new ones. Her new outer suburbs arc admitted models. Civic life ba-s always been keenly progressive in Leeds. To her, more than to any other city, tlrere go representatives of mumicipalities all over the country—-.from the Continent, too —.to .see one or the other of her numerous undertakings! a.nd to return wiser.

At some provincial univei-.siti.es Oxford and Comhnklge turn up their ancient noses, but net at Leeds University. In the realm of science it admitted lv holds, first place. In art and music, too, Leeds does net lag. A,nd i-s it not a sure thing that lie who is Vicar of Leedf? will become a Bishop? There have been seven in the last half oentury.