Councillor Brian Selby

Temple Newsam House
21st March 2018
2 mins read

New Beer exhibition will be the toast of Temple Newsam

Beneath the lavish halls and chambers of Temple Newsam House, a huge network of cellars was once liberally stocked with thousands upon thousands of gallons of beer. Upstairs, 18th-century aristocrats would host lavish banquets and parties where locally-brewed ales would flow freely and guests would raise a toast to kings and queens. Now that…
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Alan Hinkes OBE braves a blizzard on one of his daredevil climbs
19th March 2018
2 mins read

Himalayan exhibition scales spectacular heights of fashion

A new exhibition will reach the pinnacle of sartorial style by exploring flamboyant fashions from the home of the world’s highest mountains. Lotherton’s new Himalayan Fashions exhibition, which opens later this week, will see incredible clothes and outfits collected from Tibet, Bhutan and Nepal go on display in the house’s stunning fashion galleries. Among…
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Thomas Chippendale Leeds City Museums
21st February 2018
1 min read

Object of the week- Original Chippendale drawings

In the 18th Century, a furniture maker from Leeds came up with a revolutionary new idea to sell his fabulous designs to potential customers. In a ground-breaking stroke of marketing genius, he produced the first “furniture catalogue”, filled with hand-drawn images of the beautiful pieces he could craft to order. The book was called…
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Leeds City Museum
9th February 2018
2 mins read

Museum seeking stories of historic wartime air raid blast

On the evening of March 14, 1941, the staff at Leeds City Museum safely locked away their incredible collection of exhibits, antiquities and curiosities for the night. Among the thousands of items on display inside was a magnificent elephant’s skeleton, a rare collection of stamps on loan from the Leeds Philatelic Society and the…
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Thomas Chippendale exhibition
8th February 2018
4 mins read

Exhibition celebrates stunning craftsmanship of Thomas Chippendale

Thomas Chippendale, 1718-1779: a celebration of British craftsmanship and design launches a nationwide programme to mark the tercentenary in 2018 of the birth of Thomas Chippendale senior, celebrating his life as furniture maker, designer and entrepreneur. The exhibition will show key pieces from the Royal Collection, Paxton House, Newby Hall, and Dumfries House displayed…
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Eggs at the Leeds Discovery Centre
7th February 2018
1 min read

Object of the week- Elephant bird egg

It’s a hard to imagine exactly how the gigantic bid that laid this colossal egg would have looked. But it’s clear that the Madagascan elephant bird, a huge, three metre tall giant, must have been one of the largest birds that ever lived. Related to modern kiwis, elephant birds disappeared around 1200 AD and…
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Roman coins
1st February 2018
2 mins read

Copper load of museum’s ancient Roman coin hoard

A remarkable Roman stash made up of hundreds of ancient coins has gone on display in Leeds this week. Part of the famous Cridling Stubbs hoard, which lay buried in a North Yorkshire field for more than 1,600 years, can now be seen in Leeds City Museum’s Ancient Worlds gallery until July. Experts believe…
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Chippendale
31st January 2018
1 min read

Object of the week- Chippendale lady’s secretaire

A beautifully elaborate example work by a word famous Leeds master craftsman, this beautiful lady’s secretaire will be going on display at Leeds City Museum next month. Made by none other than Thomas Chippendale, the stunning cabinet was created in 1773 and fashioned from specially-imported Chinese lacquer panels. Originally made for the State Bedroom…
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Mary Gawthorpe
19th January 2018
3 mins read

Empowering exhibition celebrates women’s place in history

Inspirational women who have blazed a trail through history are being celebrated in an empowering new exhibition in Leeds. A Woman’s Place? opens at Kirkstall’s Abbey House Museum this weekend and marks the centenary of the first British women getting the right to vote as well as celebrating the quiet heroism of ordinary women.…
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Queens of Industry
10th January 2018
1 min read

Object of the week- Railway Queen’s gown

For the hard-working women once chosen to represent some of the country’s most prominent industries, suitably regal attire was an absolute must. This glamourous gown, for example, was once worn by the country’s Railway Queens, who would be the face of the rail industry at all manner of events and functions and even international…
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Buddhist Faith
8th December 2017
1 min read

Buddhist monks attend captivating new display

A fascinating collection of items has gone on display in Leeds as part of a new exhibition exploring the ancient history of the Buddhist faith. Monks from Headingley Thai Temple visited Leeds City Museum’s Voices of Asia gallery today (Friday) where the items are being shown as part an ongoing project looking at the…
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Temple Newsam Christmas
6th December 2017
1 min read

A visit to house’s wonderful workshop is good for your elf

Hidden away, deep inside Temple Newsam House is a fantastically festive creation worthy of Santa’s most enterprising elves. The wonderful workshop will be the latest addition to the beautiful mansion’s spectacular 500 years of Christmas celebrations, which take place this Saturday and Sunday. Crafted entirely from leftover parts taken from previous exhibitions and installations,…
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Queens of Industry
15th November 2017
1 min read

Object of the week- Cotton Queen’s tiara

A dazzling reminder of a fascinating chapter in British industrial history, this beautiful tiara is truly fit for a Queen. Although not made of real precious metals and jewels, the tiara is no less prestigious, as it was once worn by the country’s very last reigning Cotton Queen. Elsie Kearsley, who was crowned in…
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Leeds-Industrial-Museum
9th November 2017
1 min read

Object of the week- Demob suit on loan

For a Yorkshireman returning home after the Second World War, it was tailor made to help him take his first sartorial steps back into civilian life. And a dapper demob suit from Leeds has also proved to be the perfect fit for a celebration of fabulous fashion at one of the world’s biggest arts…
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