Behind the well-known name of St. James’s Hospital lies a story of two dedicated professionals, both called James. Join us to learn more about their lives and legacy.

Between them, Dr James Allan and Mr James Ford devoted decades of their working lives to the welfare of local people, as Medical Superintendent of the Leeds Union Infirmary and Clerk to the Board of Guardians respectively. Both were honoured in the naming of St. James’s Hospital in 1925, but what were their accomplishments and how did they pave the way for the city’s huge medical institution of today?

For the first of two satellite events as part of Battle of Ideas 2024*,  we welcome back author and broadcaster Timandra Harkness to discuss her new book, Technology is Not the Problem. 

As part of the 2024 Farsley Literature Festival we are bringing you another fabulous event, join us in the Old Woollen as we chat to Anna Murphy, Fashion Director of The Times. Anna will be introducing Destination Fabulous – her inspirational and invigorating guide to embracing your age and celebrating the wisdom and inner beauty that comes with it.

From the Fashion Director of The Times comes a wise and inspiring guide to making the most of life as a grown-up woman – from the practical (how to dress your best) to the existential (how to feel your best).

Join us for Fet Gede Leeds on 2nd November 2024, an extraordinary masquerade inviting people from all backgrounds to express themselves in a safe, vibrant space. 

Dress in elaborate purple or black Victorian-style outfits, don an ornate mask, and embrace the spirit of this unique celebration. 

Fet Gede, or the "Festival of the Ancestors," is a significant cultural event in the Haitian Vodou tradition, honouring the lives of ancestors and the cycle of life and death. 

A lad lives half way up a historic hill. A teenager is on a road trip to the city in a stolen car. A boy is driving a chariot, pulling the sun across the sky.

A story about the son of the god of the sun, HELIOS transplants the Ancient Greek tale into a modern-day myth wound round the winding roads of rural England - and into the everyday living of a towering city. It’s a story about life, the invisible monuments we build to it, and the little things that leave big marks.

Prepare for a night like no other to come to Leeds where we will take you on a tour of our Haunted Theatre featuring delicious cabaret and momentous burlesque cast from an international all star line up guaranteed to delight and mystify you all.

Acts
Lana Montreese 
Elena Candela
Scarlett Von Siren
Mrs No Overall
Gina Stirling

Dress code: Dress to express

(No full nudity allowed)

Dancing after the show til 12.00am.

The talk

Ellie will talk about the current housing emergency in this country, the scale of it and what this looks like for individuals and communities. She will also talk about the government’s current plans for housing and what Shelter is campaigning to see.