City Varieties

Pam Moss

2013-04-10T08:29:00.0000000 2016-07-21T08:32:53.5400000

Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House Ltd is the company which manages the Leeds Grand Theatre, City Varieties Music Hall and the Hyde Park Picture House, three of the regions' most distinguished cultural institutions. We pride ourselves on entertaining the people of Leeds and the surrounding area with the best in musicals, plays, comedy, music and film as well as being the home venue for both Opera North and Northern Ballet.

We are a company controlled by Leeds City Council who provide us with regular funding. Both the Grand Theatre and City Varieties have recently undergone major refurbishments to bring facilities up to date. Neither of these projects would have been possible without the generous support of the Heritage Lottery Fund who continue to support our Learning Programme.

AN ABSOLUTE GEM OF A PLACE

I am passionate about this theatre, the home of The Good Old Days, the BBCs 30 year running TV variety show. It has undergone a 9.4 million renovation, reopening in 2011 and is now a step back in time to the 1880s. It makes me shiver to think famous names like Charlie Chaplin, Harry Houdini, Lillie Langtry and Mickey Rooney have all performed on this famous stage tucked away on a Leeds back street. This theatre is steeped in history and I’d say you can feel something special about it the minute you step inside. It was the first theatre I ever visited as a child and my children too so have such strong lasting happy memories I treasure.

When you walk in the first thing you see is the confectionary, so nostalgic and you will be struck by the scale of the place, it feels small and intimate, gives a real sense of going back in time and how architecture and people have expanded over the years. The rich décor and plush red velvet is sumptuous and even the smell is comforting somehow.

It’s a lovely experience whether you support the annual panto, Oh no he didn’t or yes he did, or one of the other shows in the varied schedule and 60p from every ticket sold goes to the renovation fund to ensure this beautiful cultural haven is preserved for generations in the future. Tickets are usually around the 10 pound mark so affordable for all.

As well as the excellent schedule the City Varieties has a thriving Youth Theatre program which performs a full scale musical once a year. The next production in July is Little Shop of Horrors and there are still slots open for anyone, 11-21 who wants to participate. It is free, by audition and I’d recommend anyone who loves to perform to have a go and apply. I’ve seen a couple of their shows and known children who have been part of this group, they are out of this world and many go on to professional careers. Emaillearning@cityvarieties.co.uk or call 0113 2977043.

Honestly the pictures could never do this theatre justice, go and see it for yourself.

Hever Castle

Pam Moss

2013-06-11T17:59:00.0000000 2016-07-20T17:02:05.5830000

WHAT FUN

Oh my, what a fun day my friend Eileen and I had this weekend just gone. We decided to have a late breakfast and then have a mosey round Hever. I'd never been before and was not sure what it would be like.

First off we paid £12.75 to go into the castle as well as the gardens which are magnificent. It was only two pounds extra on the senior rate to see the castle which we thought was well worth it.

It is quite a chilling place as it is the castle the Anne Boleyn grew up in. Her execution bible is on display and you can imagine the Boleyn girls enjoying their early life in this idyllic setting.

The highlight for us was the maze. I have never had a go at a maze, we were in there for quite some time and did finally make it to the centre. The only place you get to have a sit down, the bench tells you you've made it. We laughed a lot, we had as much trouble getting out of there as getting in.

It was a beautiful sunny day, not sure it would have been so great if it was cold and raining, so the perfect day to soak up this intimate medieval castle. You even get to cross the moat on foot.

I have visited quite a few of the more famous English castles and stately homes, the gardens compare to Blenheim and the castle, I think it is my favourite. The staff were extremely welcoming and the tour we tagged onto was entertaining, I think we were supposed to pay extra but nobody seemed to mind. Opps. I would hope to go back.

Help work yourself out

Pam Moss

2013-06-18T13:46:00.0000000 2016-07-10T14:02:37.4530000

HELP WORK YOURSELF OUT.

I have just downloaded this book on kindle because I am trying to change the way I think about losing weight. I have battled with my weight for years and I know I need to lose some fat and give up yo yo dieting but my brain keeps me stuck and I always fail. I read about Shirley in the Telegraph a couple of years ago and have also just joined her free life coaching website venuscow.com so when I saw the book I wanted it. The beauty of this book is, it is short and straight forward which I like, so I have read it twice and it makes sense to me now. I love the idea of self therapy because I can do it on my own schedule. It is only ourselves who can make the right choices when it comes to being addicted and I confess I am addicted to the wrong foods that do affect my moods as Shirley says in her book. I loved it and I am on my way to a brand new me now. This time will be the last time and with her book I know I can make it now.