Leeds

Leeds lies about in the center of England.

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We must remember to laugh at life when non-consequential events sweep us in unanticipated directions. Routinely today that message was called upon. A bus driver reminded me once after I'd bolted onto the bus forgetting to let passengers off first. Well, his statement was "You seem to be in a big hurry." The admonishment was welcomed as I quieted my anxiousness after that. I had nowhere to be and no obligations to perform.

Originally - you can see already that travel today did not go to plan! - a trip to visit Anne and John Boyle near Inverness Scotland was intended. The first anxiety driving period started at the starting line when the taxi didn't show at the anointed time. He was over 30 minutes late. The narrow country lanes and coaches leading to backed up traffic were the reason. I spent much of that waiting time scheming alternatives. Once at the train station with plenty of time to spare as I'd include a large safety factor, the discovery was made that there were no trains and no information as to when the trains would be back in service.

I took a timeout to contact the Boyle's to let them know that reaching them today wasn't happening. Anne encouraged me to just head south toward London. I was most disappointed to not visit them and the Hallidays.

Now I had to decide what to do. I chose to catch a bus to the town of Kendal and transfer onto Oxenholme with the hint that trains were still running there. I and a dozen other people boarded the bus with the same goal. Many of the trains at Oxenholme were delayed or canceled for reasons that included 'time table changes', 'fire next to the track', and 'broken down train'. As the hours passed, I just wanted to be somewhere else. Mid way through the afternoon a train going to Prescot provided an escape. But was it? Once in Prescot the delays and cancellations continued for a couple more hours. A train bound for York through Leeds arrived and on it I jumped. The 2-1/2 hour ride was in a car with no air conditioning. I perspired while searching train schedules, hotels, campsites, and places to visit in an effort to determine where to end the day. I chose Leeds because a) I'd never been there before while I had been to York, and b) it was after 8PM.

Leeds has a large train station. The hotel I selected is across the street making the transfer easy. The room turned out not to be air conditioned feeling close to suitable as a sweat lodge. A much priced dinner at an Indian restaurant nearby tasted delicious and sitting down having someone serve me was welcome after the long day of standing on platforms.

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So what are the things to do and see in the city of Leeds? How about the Royal Armouries Museum, Kirkgate Market, Leeds City Museum, Leeds Industry Museum, and the River Aire Canal?

The Royal Armouries museum has a massive collection of swords and body armor from the 13-16th centuries. It was free to go in and had live historical performances to demonstrate the use of some of the weapons used in the past which were most entertaining.

The Kirkgate Market was a freebee in that I stumbled in one end and out the other with considerable wandering about inside. Its been there is some form for well over 150 years.

The meat of the Leeds City museum is housed on the second floor (third floor if you're from the American Continent). Leeds really took off as a city at the beginning of the 1800's. It's strength came from the use of water mills on the River Aire and the ability to ship goods by water to and from Liverpool on the west coast. Wool processing into textiles and clothing manufacturing were key economic drivers until the last 40-60 years. Steam engines for locomotives and other applications were designed and built here. A three wheel car was even manufactured here briefly.

The Leeds Industry Museum is housed in a major millworks on the River Aire. The building the museum is housed in was originally a water driven mill grinding up corn and used to power wool processing equipment. There are quite diverse types of machines to be explored right up close with the smell of old grease still on them. Much of the machinery was used for wool processing and weaving; it was all new to me. The museum also housed some massive movie theatre film projectors.

I had ridden a bus to quickly go from the city centre out to the industry museum, but decided to walk back along the River Aire Canal. The walk takes you by several locks. One had a long canal boat actively being raised (or lowered) by three people that appeared to be just a step beyond reading the instruction manual. There were five Moorhen chicks and an adult in the canal almost indifferent to my presence. The walk along the tree lined canal in a spitting rain was a marvelous way to return. The path brought me to the train station on one side and rising new multi-story office/townhome buildings on the other with the greenery and coolness of the river in the middle.

Dinner was enjoyed at the Thai restaurant called Sukhothal in a bustling section of the city centre. There seemed to be many brides about this weekend with there friends enjoying bridal parties and activities.