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LEEDS - ENGLAND
Leeds is a city in the county of West Yorkshire, in the north of England. It
is the main settlement in the metropolitan borough named the City of Leeds,
and the River Aire runs through the town. It has a population of 716,513
according to the 2001 census, making it the 3rd biggest city in England (by
Population).
An inhabitant of Leeds is locally known as a Loiner, although such terms are
rarely used or understood. However, the mock-classical adjectives Leodensian
and Leodiensian are sometimes used by some local sports clubs .
History
The city was originally an agricultural market town in the Middle Ages, and
received its first charter in 1207.In the Tudor period Leeds was mainly a
merchant town (woollen cloths) trading with Europe via the Humber estuary.
At one point nearly half of England's total export passed through Leeds. The
city's industrial growth was catalysed by the introduction of the Leeds and
Liverpool Canal in 1816 and the railway in 1848.
Industry & Economy
Leeds today has an extremely diverse economy with the service sector now
dominating over the city's manufacturing industries. The city is served well
by its canal, by the rail network at Leeds station and, with the M1 and M62
intersecting at Leeds, it is one of the principal northern hubs of the
motorway network. Leeds Bradford International Airport is located to the
North West of the city which has scheduled flights to destinations within
the U.K and Europe. These good transport links have been a major factor
contributing to the growth of Leeds, and it has led to the city becoming a
major centre for distribution, as well as banking, financial and legal
services. Retail is another major service and employer in the city centre,
with a retail economy which has experienced a recent boom resulting in
several shopping centres and department stores. Although, like the rest of
the North of England, Leeds had its fair share of tough economic times
during the 1970s and 1980s, it was quick to bounce back by investing heavily
in communications links. This helped it (along with Birmingham and Glasgow)
become one of the major hubs for call-centres in the late 20th Century,
particularly for service-oriented companies. Many outlying mining and heavy
industrial towns found financial salvation in the 'reliable' Yorkshire
accent. However, these large employers are now outsourcing many of these
jobs to places like Bangalore in India, where staff costs are considerably
reduced.
Sport
The city has a strong sporting heritage, with the Yorkshire County Cricket
Club as well as Leeds Rhinos, the Rugby League team and Leeds Tykes, the
Rugby Union team playing at Headingley, and Leeds United F.C. playing at
Elland Road. Leeds United had a turbulant 2004, narrowly avoiding bankruptcy,
and dropping from the Premier League into Division One.
The Rugby League team, Leeds Rhinos, were crowned Super League champions on
16 October 2004 after defeating arch rivals Bradford Bulls 16-8 at Old
Trafford.
Museums & Arts
The city has a large number of museums, being the home of the Royal
Armouries Museum,transferred in the early nineties from the Tower of London),
the Leeds City Museum about the history of Yorkshire, the Museum of Leeds,
being devoted to the city's industrial heritage, and Thackray's Medical
Museum as well as the City Art Gallery. Leeds also boasts the Grand Theatre
(which is where Opera North are based) and the West Yorkshire Playhouse.
Temple Newsam House and the ruins of Kirkstall Abbey, dating from the 12th
Century, are on the outskirts of the city. The Leeds Festival takes place
every year in Bramham Park (having moved from Temple Newsam after pressure
from some local residents), on the outskirts of the city, and features some
of the biggest names in rock and indie music. The city is home to the Leeds
International Piano Competition, held every three years since 1963 and which
has launched the careers of many major concert pianists. There is also the
Leeds International Concert Season, the largest local authority music
programme of any UK city outside London.
Nightlife
The city has a very large student population and boasts a large number of
bars and nightclubs, as well as venues for live bands such as the Cockpit
and The New Roscoe, which combine to generate a vibrant nightlife.
Leeds is also very well-known for its underground music scene based around
the DIY punk ethic, With venues such as Joseph's Well allowing punk to
thrive.
Education
Leeds has two universities, the University of Leeds, with around 31,500
full-time students (and a further 52,000 on short courses) and Leeds
Metropolitan University with around 26,000 (according to UCAS; the LMU
website claims 37,000) as well as various higher education colleges
including Trinity & All Saints College accredited by the University of Leeds,
giving it one of the largest student populations in the country. The main
campuses of both universities are near the city centre.
Leeds Grammar School, situated on the outskirts of the city at Alwoodley
Gates and dating back to 1552, is the principal public school.
Allerton High School in Leeds has a long and interesting history. It was
started in 1901 and has grown tremendously since that point .
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