So ‘We are Bramley’ project arranged a meet up on saturday 11th december 2021 at Bramley Lawn. Bramley Lawn is on the Rossefields off Stanningly rd near the Daisy pub. Its a vibrant building, with a spacious open-plan main room with kitchen, various seated areas, opening out to a community garden. It belongs to Bramley Elderley Action and lots of different activities take place here from ukuleles to the mens group.

Before the meeting we also popped in to the ‘A Place to Sit’ saturday sit in at Bramley Shopping Centre, then we popped in to the Christmas Fair at the Community Centre. We chatted with local people and asked some questions we had prepared, to find out more about what people think and want.

We created a series of questions to ask people in Bramley about Bramley and creativity/ culture. Here are some of the answers we got.

Where in Bramley is special to you?

The park. I love the park – it’s a great place to walk around and they have those long social benches that they put up over lockdown so people can sit and chat and still be distanced. Its such a big park and there is room for so much to happen there.

Stocks Hill where the Unicorn Pub is – its got a blue plaque and it’s what is left of old bramley town. I love the old stone work.

Bramley Baths, the view up Broad lane, the area around Catherines Mill


What do you love to do for fun?

Reading – I read a lot for work and try to make a distinction between what I read for fun/ relaxation as opposed to work ( academic books). I love creative writing.

Crafting – I used to love crafting.

What would you like/ love to see happen or do in Bramley?

A Bramley Museum – bramley has so much history & i’d love to see a place it could be housed.

Loved that Bramley Baths exhibited the work of a local artist recently – it’d be great if there was a space to exhibit art here in Bramley’

My partner takes photographs for fun of the area – I’d love to see those photographs in an exhibition. Maybe the shopping centre’s empty shop units could be used to display artwork -like putting images on the shop windows – would brighten up the shopping centre & add a sense of friendliness/ community.

I’d love there to be a creative/ arts centre – lots of other smaller areas of Leeds like Farsley for instance have their own arts/ crafts hubs or centre – so why not Bramley?

Love to see an arts trail here in Bramley.

Love the idea of researching the different areas (wards) within bramley and their individual distinct characters. Relating these characters to the different architectural building eras that each area has – a sense of celebrating these council housing that was built – some of the houses around broad lane (broad leas/ fairfields) were built for the workers around St Catherine Mill. Some were built for the managers but most for the mill workers. Interesting to see the difference in those two builds.

There are certain houses that were built all over the city of Leeds that are exactly the same layout inside – they are exact replicas of one another – sort of the house that ‘everyone has been in’ (and knows the layout of). Same with a number of the community centres

re-enacting the very original carnival called the Bramley Clash ( 17th century) As one of the oldest carnivals in Leeds, the Bramley Clash saw rival music floats travelling along town street until they met then playing each other out – battle of the loudest sound. Seems like even then there was a sense of rebellion in small acts of defiance.

bring back the bed races!

What three words would you use to describe Bramley?

Community. Connection. Passion.

Hilly. Windy. Green

Spread out ( geographically).Homely. A sense of belonging.

Is there a particular bit of history of a person or event in Bramley that you love?

The original stone left from the original town street. There is so much history to collected and mileage in exploring that original town street. Its very significant and meaningful to a certain age group and there is rarely a day that goes by that they don’t mention the old town street in one way or another

There’s a blue plaque for Mary Eleanor Gawthorpe. Love to see alternative plaques through Bramley to raise up the ordinary ( & also extraordinary) people. The brilliant people in each smaller community in Bramley that get stuff done and the amazing things they have done being celebrated. That would be so great.

What should we do moving forward?

Looking at mapping / walking routes to and around Bramley, what are the stories to be told, who are the local character/ characters? What is special about each area? Broadleas/ Snowdens/ … feeling cut off from the city,

The Republic of Bramley!

The defiant ones:
Filming the routes
Alternative Blue Plaques tour (lucy did this before with Light Night)
Celebrating local people and characters (telling real stories)
Photography
House blueprints & layouts/designs used all over Leeds
Looking at different identities, Identity and attachment to areas
Mental boundaries & Physical Boundaries
Community art gallery /museum
Could empty shops be used? With vinyls stuck in the window so people could look from the outside
Art trail, mapping, having an arts centre…but where? Very little unused buildings in Bramley.
Are there any old mills? (like Sunnybank in Farsley)

We are Bramley: Small Acts of Defiance is part of the Leeds 2023 #MyWorldMyCityMyNeighbourhood project and we are working to co create what meeting culture loose is in Bramley. So what creative stuff and culture do different people and communities of Bramley want more of. Check out #wearebramley #leeds2023 #whatson

A Place to Sit is a campaign standing up for anyone who needs a place to sit at Bramley Shopping Centre. Bring back 22 benches!

The site removed the 22 benches spread across the centre. And have since reinstated 8, but its not enough and the benches are of poor quality and not very sturdy. According to Leeds City Council – the benches that lined this walkway should be restored. If they’re not restored, some people will not be able to shop on their own as usual, without places to stop and rest. Not everyone can walk this far that easily. Walking is good. Having your independence is good.

So we popped along with our tea trolley to chat with people standing up for their right to sit. Here’s what they had to say.

What surprises you most about people?

Their generosity. People give little kindnesses all the time, generosity to others. Yet we dont notice these kindnesses, we are more likely to notice the impacts of actions – especially negative impacts. So often those everyday acts of generosity go unnoticed.

What inspires you?

This does. People coming out of their houses to stand up for something they believe in. Something that is important. Saying what they want. Singing what they want even. Yes it’s very inspiring what we are doing here.

I’ve got time off from caring for a loved one (they are on respite for three weeks ), i’m excited. I get to be the ‘elf on the shelf’ and mischievous and naughty. I used to love walking. I was in all sorts of walking groups. Oh yes I loved walking. I don’t really get the opportunity these days.

Rev Paul Green – all his energy and rallying, enthusiasm, leading us in singing and chants about bringing back the seating to Bram-ley…

In what ways are we similar?

We all breathe, eat, sleep. We all bleed the same colour.

I guess things about our appearance are similar and different.

If you had a superpower, what would it be?

Flying

Teleport – you know click my fingers and be there in an instant.

Sex would be my super power ( laughs).

What do you think will happen to our beautiful planet in your lifetime? 

We’ll be gone won’t we. It’s a mess. Lots of things we could do differently but we dont.

Too many cars on the road and people driving singly in cars. Not enough done about flooding and saving energy. There are loads of system changes that other countries make but we don’t seem to learn from them.

What stops you in your tracks?

The sound of this small person’s scream – sounded loud enough to be a car alarm!

What makes you happy?

Drawing and art. I love painting. At the moment I’m making a viking house – original materials used to make them were mud, manure,wood,  twigs, straw….i’m making mine with tissue paper.

You could email or write to LCP and let them know what you think. Or you could let the shops you visit know that we need 22 benches back please! You can follow A Place to sit page or join the group to find out more, or get involved.

Photos by Phillip Mc Connell