Dirty Leeds

This is a phrase used a lot when footy fans in the UK are talking about Leeds United Football Club and although it goes back to the infamous team of the 70's, the description gets carried along with every new generation of fans and so I think we're going to be stuck with it forever.

But this post isn't about our football team. It's about the city itself and how it has now got the same reputation as the team and it's such a sad thing to have to say......but the city of Leeds has become a mess and a dirty disgrace and I'm embarassed to say it.

I don't know why it is this way and having travelled abroad a bit more this summer, I have to say it's only helped to show Leeds up in an even worse light - when it could so easily be such a lovely modern city mixed with a good sprinkling of beautiful old Victorian buildings and arcades.

I was in the city centre yesterday as I had to get my eyes tested but what my eyes saw, was much more than the usual amount of litter that seems to be the Brit disease in most cities.

That was bad enough and again I just don't get why it's there. Why do Brits drop litter in such quantities ? It's along the road sides, at beauty spots and of course, all over our city streets. Are we incapable of taking an empty crisp packet to a litter bin ? If a bin isn't handy, can't we crumple it into our pocket and wait till we do find a bin or get home ?

And don't get me going on ciggie smokers ! Ever seen one take a butt to a bin ? Well actually they do - the streets are their bins. I honestly think many believe that butts are biodegradable and over time they'll break down and simply disappear. Ah no, they won't. They get into every pavement crack and look awful as you walk the streets. And someone else has to come along and pick them up for you.

Ever watch a smoker open a new pack of ciggies ? If you do, you'll see them remove the clear wrapping, then the little foil piece and toss both on the ground. Just about every time. And if you try and show them the error of their ways, you get verbal abuse at best or end up in casualty at worst.

But even more than the litter I had to endure yesterday were the streets themselves. It seemed to me that every single street in Leeds city centre was being worked on. Why ? Why can't they leave them alone ? There is never ending construction in Leeds and although I know cities need to be maintained and made 'nicer' for the residents and visitors alike, that doesn't mean new construction on top of new construction.

I don't want to pick out specific streets as no one outside of the city would understand anyway but we have a lovely wide street running north to south right through the city centre and many years ago it was pedestrianised. Lovely. Over the years since then it has been tinkered with and yes, most of these tinkers have added to the look of thoroughfare. Pavements lowered so the street was the same level right up to the shops on both sides; lots of metallic benches added down the sides for tired shoppers to sit on and have a rest; hanging baskets added to improve the ambiance....those sorts of tinkerings.

I thought it was done.



Yesterday it was a nightmare. They'd let in stallholders to sell 'exotic' hot dogs, crepes and ice cream and you had to walk around these traders. There were entire buildings knocked down and surrounded by construction hoardings. There were metal benches at funky angles right along the street instead of at the sides so you had to avoid those too. There were 3ft rods sticking up everywhere to obstruct vehicles from driving down the street so I donno how the hot dog vendors worked their way past them.

Oh and a few bins but not big practical ones to hold all the rubbish - oh no, just little metallic fancy ones that look nice but hold diddily squat.

So now instead of a lovely wide pedestrian street that could be looked down and enjoyed, there was a chaotic street with people forced to look where they were going to avoid all the obstructions I've mentioned above. It might as well not have been pedestrianised as you'd have spent less time checking for passing cars anyway.

And the powers that be have had this long held idea that laying down bricks of different colours and at different angles looks good. Yes tile a street as it looks good (and provides a nice resting place for ciggie butts !) but all one type and going the same way please. All they've done is add to the shambolic look of the streets.


So many other streets were being 'improved' as well that I couldn't help but think back a week or so to the Italian towns we'd visited. Almost unchanged for 2,000 years and looked great for it. Yes I know we need modernisation at times and fibre optic cables and new gas and electric pipes need laying from time to time but honestly...is all this construction really needed ?

The streets were covered with a fine layer of concrete 'dust' which added to the feeling that I was in a huge construction site. An entire shopping mall was now a empty shell and that shell was being renovated.

Lots of the construction areas had artist impressions of what the streets will look like in late Autumn so when I return in early May, I'd like to think that the dust may have settled and Leeds streets might be clear of the mini bulldozers and diggers and be uncluttered again.

Somehow I doubt it and I really believe that the work I saw yesterday will be in the middle of being worked on again as those in power in Leeds seem to believe a modern city has to be in a constant state of change.

Take a street. Pedestrianise it if you want. Stick a few benches on it and add a few hanging baskets and then LEAVE IT ALONE for a few decades so we can enjoy it.

It's not development rocket science after all. Oh and add a few more bins too as you never know, attitudes MAY change although I'm not holding my breath on that one either. Try fining people instead of threatening to fine them. Try telling the many different wannabe city police officers to actually spread out and keep our streets clean rather than gathering in groups to have a chat.


As you can see, one of them wasn't too keen on being photographed and I was SO hoping he'd come across and try and stop me. Oh I do wish he'd tried !!




Sighhhh......I guess I'm just missing Tuscany.