Sports for All - Bobby Whiteley, Bramley

The last of the Baines cards and I'm out of my comfort zone. Apparently Bramley, prior to 2nd June 1896, was a rugby union club, so W Bobby Whiteley (born 1871) may have played both Union and League for the club. As a Rugby Union player Bobby won a cap for England in 1896.

According to one of the websites dedicated to these cards Mr Baines offered the boys prizes if they had collected so many and took them back to the base in Bradford. What is not mentioned is whether the cards had to be handed in or were kept by the boys. It reminded me of the Sunday School sticker books in the 1950s. A good way to encourage regular attendance by the children but I think they were handed in for certificates, a shame that we couldn't keep them. Finally found a reference to them, presumably the collector stopped going to Sunday School before the book was finished. I know it's off the point but can anyone else remember them?

Ann Wheatley hand stitched this Baines card on printed fabric.

Leeds in Bloom - Oakwood Clock

Designed by Leeming and Leeming and made in 1904 by Potts and Sons of Guildford Street Leeds. The clock was originally the centrepiece of Leeds New Market Hall (1904) but alterations to the building made it obsolete and the decision was made to move it to Oakwood in 1912.

Originally a gravity hand-wound striking clock the mechanism was removed in 1941 (re-used in Leck Church, Lancashire) and a self-starting synchronous movement was fitted, the bell was broken up and used for scrap.

Potts and Sons made many clocks for Leeds including those in Thornton's Arcade (with figures by JW Appleyard), The Griffin Hotel and the clock on the Stable Block in Roundhay Park. Going off the point a bit, there seems to be some confusion in the books about Leeds as to who built the clock in the Grand Arcade - were Robert James and Joseph Potts of Leeds part of the same family and company? For readers wanting more information on Potts there is a flicker group of photographs of the clocks and a book on the history of the firm.

The company joined the Smith of Derby Group in 1933, but possibly still have a base in Leeds? Not any longer - see notes from Michael Potts below.

The canvas was chartered by Ann Wheatley and the piece was started by Maureen Carr and finished by Godfrey Harland (Godfrey spent 199 hours working on it).

Additional notes supplied by Michael S Potts, direct descendant of Robert and William and collector and researcher of clocks made by the Potts Family:

1. The firm's name was Wm. Potts & Sons in 1904 and apart from the addition of "Limited" a few years later it has remained the same to the present day. Robert, James and Joseph were William's sons who joined the firm. In the end five consecutive generations of the family were involved in clockmaking.
2. the Oakwood clock movement is now at Leck Church.
3. The firm installed over a hundred public clocks in Leeds between 1858 and 1934, not all of which have survived, but many have. Thornton's, Queen's, Grand, and Market Arcades all had clocks. Other significant buildings in the city centre that can be seen today are The Corn Exchange (1862), Griffin Hotel (1877), General Post Office (1895), Leeds Parish Church (1898), Holy Trinity Church(1902).
4. The firm joined Smith of Derby in 1934. They no longer have a base in Leeds.

Thank you Michael

Leeds in Bloom - Ainsley's

Lady Day and a friend's birthday, so thought I would send virtual flowers and cakes via Mrs Ainsley. It could so easily have been an embroidery of some form of public transport!

Victor Ainsley opened his first shop at Headingley, Leeds, in 1938. Over the next 30 years he worked with his wife May to expand the business. They specialised in fresh-from-the-oven bread and cakes and were among the first bakers to capitalise on the take-away sandwich market. In 2009 there were 29 shops but at the end of the year the company went into administration.

Jill Rutter wrote this when she had completed the figure

"I first heard about the Leeds Tapestry in an article in a local newspaper in April 1994. The idea of the Tapestry intrigued me, but I did not have any spare time to get involved then.
Some years later when Leeds Girls' High School decided to hold a workshop to stitch figures for the tapestry, I decided to get involved. The workshop was fascinating - how to stitch real people using photographs as a guide. First of all I stitched my daughter, Emma, as she was a pupil at the school. Then I stitched my son, Simon, and also two oriental girls. My husband's pharmacy business sponsored part of the Civic Pride panel.
Some time later I was asked if I would stitch the figure of Mrs Ainsley for the Leeds in Bloom panel. I was delighted to do this as both my own and my husband's family were friends of hers. The figure took many hours to complete (32), and the details were stitched as accurately as possible using a photograph as a guide.
I would have liked to have done more stitching for the tapestry but unfortunately my husband's business was undergoing major reorganisation, and this and family commitments took over all my spare time. As one's children get more independent, unfortunately one's parents get less so"

Ann Wheatley worked on the charting for the building and Lizzie Ingle did the cross stitch.