December – Another Year done: can someone please press reset to 2019?

🎄 Our last one of 2025. Another year gone, and somehow the world seems to have thrown more at us than ever before. Can we go back to 2019 when we thought we had problems?

This year has shown me a side of humanity that’s been hard to watch at times. It’s left me a bit empty about how some people treat… well, people. To me, there has only ever been one race, the human race. And if you’re fortunate enough to be on the inside looking out, then be grateful for what you have. Your home, your family, your friends and food in a peaceful setting. The simple things so many people don’t get to enjoy.

I hope you’re still enjoying these monthly updates, and maybe even learning something new you wouldn’t have otherwise known. Staying active and informed in your community shows you care. It shows you want to understand your town, your local businesses, and the place you chose to call home.

Here’s to a kinder, more connected year ahead.

✨ Not so Giggly

I see there are a few banners from the team of Garforth Against Giggle Fibre – great!  It’s to ask that if a provider comes to you with the option of fibre.. great connection, that you make sure it’s not on these hideous telegraph poles that we didn’t ask for

– Is Giggle in financial trouble, and could we use the poles as part of the extension of Christmas?  Here is this week’s vlog on more of those ideas! https://youtu.be/gsUWHT_ypZI

Also, GAGF team wants you to get involved a little more.  They want to set up an ‘official recognised body,’ to represent the interests of all those people who are adversely affected by these unwanted and unnecessary Telegraph poles  – Read more https://bit.ly/3MH1oIJ

🎅 Christmas Advent Calendar 
I hope you’re keeping your eye on our daily, shop local advent calendar.  Here to give you inspirational ideas and perhaps things you wouldn’t normally think about – trust me, not everybody wants bottles of different sauces or a pizza cutter!  Perhaps give something to someone who might not quite have been able to afford to get something done…. Keep watching on our socials, or here on our website page for those ideas – there’s 24 of them!

☃️ GREAT NEWS!

The old CLO building has finally been sold, and it’s gone to a landlord who already owns a Main Street property. So now we wait and see what happens next. As always, it’s best to hold off on the wild speculation until a new sign actually goes up, because Facebook can invent a whole new storyline in about 30 seconds, and people believe it!

I just hope it’s let to a business that really suits the building. Personally, I’d love to see something that works from day to night, it would be great to have an alternative to Weatherspoon’s for people who fancy something with a different vibe.

🎁 Talking with East Side Story

Next week I’ll be doing a video call with East Side Story, an online magazine covering all things East Leeds. Janine, the editor, was sent my details because we’ve got plenty to talk about — from what I’ve been involved in locally to the projects and actions from the past 12 years. One of those includes my ongoing mission to get the council on board with the idea of intermittent yellow lines.

I’ll share the feature as soon as it goes live.

🦌 What’s on locally 🦌

• Saturday 6th  – Garforth WI Christmas Fair from 10 am – Welfare Hall
• Every Wednesday and Thursday there are local Quiz nights across our local pubs
• Saturday 13th  – Garforth in Bloom Christmas Fair from 10 am – 12 pm– Welfare Hall
• Saturday 6th, 13th and 20th and Wednesday 31st December from 7 pm  – DJ Nights upstairs in Izgara – DJ Willy Irish and DJ Alex
  Don’t forget their Greek nights on a Wednesday evening
• 12th  December – Christmas Party at Perfectly Batched Bar 80’s, 90’s, 00’s Free entry but tickets required  https://www.facebook.com/events/1990178921557368/?active_tab=discussion
• Sunday 14th December – Garforth Market with Yorkshire Urban Markets –  The Gascoigne 10 am – 2 pm

Lots going on locally, find out more on Facebook events here – https://bit.ly/49YLbs9

❄️ January – The FlowerHouse Celebrates 30 years on our high street – we had a great giggle recording our weekly vlog with them – find out what they actually offer, because you might learn something new
https://studio.youtube.com/video/ogH8uSAOUs4/edit

What’s on in Leeds

https://www.leedsinspired.co.uk/collection/leeds-inspired-christmas-list

 

🌟 Planning

• The planning application for the proposed retirement village at the top of Townend, where the old petrol station used to be, is still active. The site definitely needs something, and this could be a good fit. The application was submitted back in January, and it’s taking a long time to progress… if it progresses at all! I suspect there’s a lot to work through, building land, and accessibility
• 62a application to change flats to office ( I think this is perhaps the new old SLP building – the one that has recently been painted black)
• A new ATM is coming near 25 Garforth mini market – YEP actually wrote an article on this on their social page – as though we didn’t already have 3!  I thought this was very odd

 

Here’s to a better 2026 – Have a great break, whether you celebrate it or not, just spend time for you

Until January, which will be out on Friday, 9th  January