Environment - Meanwood Valley Farm

Meanwood Valley Urban Farm was officially opened in 1980. From humble beginnings, operating from two old caravans with bed frames providing fencing, it has steadily grown to become a major centre for community and environmental work.

The farm is open to the public, with a cafe (closed on Mondays), and it also provides many other amenities to the community including holiday play schemes, development programmes for disabled people, and Re-Connect, an alternative for senior school children who have difficulty in main stream education.

There was a lot of photoshopping to get the pig house and animals into the photograph. The background was then printed onto fabric and machine stitched by Betty Bertrand. The animals were printed separately, hand stitched by Valerie Horner (12 hours) and then applied to the background. The large sheep looks a bit odd on the image above, with no front legs, these were omitted in the embroidery to prevent too much bulk behind the lamb when the animals were stitched to the background.

Sports for All - Moortown Golf Club

The founder of the club was Frederick Lawson Brown. It was officially incorporated as a limited company on 12 January 1909. Dr MacKenzie laid out and completed the 18 hole course in 1910 and it was officially opened that year by James Braid and Harry Varden, the present club house was opened three years later.
The international recognition of Moortown as a major championship venue has brought many visitors and notable tournaments to the course. The most prestigious event was staging the Ryder Cup in 1929, the first time for England and its first win (George Duncan was captain). Memorabilia pertaining to the match hangs in the clubhouse and attracts much interest. The ladies section plays for the Ryder Cup each year - a cup donated to the Ladies of the Club by Sam Ryder for all their help and support during the 1929 event.

Hand stitched on printed fabric by Betty Bertrand, a member of the club.

Community Spirit - Morris Dancers

Are these the Ladies of Briggate Morris Dancers? Hopefully someone may be able to identify the individuals.


The girl's dancing were hand stitched by Val Gomersal (28 hours) and those waiting for the show to begin were hand and machine stitched by Betty Bertrand (30 hours). The original photograph had dustbins rather than bushes in the foreground; photoshop and french knots and voila not a bin in site.

Local Faces - John Harrison (1693-1776)

During the run up to the Millennium there was a lot of press coverage devoted to the great and the good of Yorkshire. Two men named John Harrison frequently cropped up in these articles.

Both lived over 300 years ago so images of them are scarce and somehow the John Harrison born in Foulby, near Wakefield, has managed to settle himself at a table with the Leeds worthies on the Local Faces panel.

The clue is in his hand. It was only a matter of time before we could link him to Leeds.

The piece was hand stitched by Betty Bertrand