Antiques angst, mountaineering disasters, and gossiping on the 19A

It’s still early days at The Exchange, and one thing we’re very keen to do is introduce you to us properly, so you know the people behind the news you read. All our news is, and always will be, produced by actual humans, so it's nice to get to know who they are.

A couple of months ago we had a writers’ edition from Brad, and now it’s Mia’s turn. Mia moved up to Leeds to join The Exchange launch, so we thought it a golden opportunity to get her first impressions before she gets too comfortable. Please dive into the comments and let Mia know what she needs to get out and see/do/eat/drink next.

Before that, it’s your round up.

The round up:

💧Residents are organising to try to save the iconic Gawthorpe Water Tower (Yorkshire Post). The beloved neoclassical structure is almost 100 years old, but maintaining it is becoming increasingly expensive. “The objective is to bring Yorkshire Water, Wakefield Council, heritage organisations and the local community together and find a realistic route to protect and restore the tower,” said Chris Burley, organiser of the campaign.

⚽So let’s not get too carried away as we’re only four games in, but… Leeds United are third in the Premier League?!?! After soundly drubbing Newcastle 4-1 at home on Monday, the vibes at Elland Road are very good, and manager Daniel Farke is a racing certainty to be kept on at the club when his contract is up. (Our Daniel, whose beloved Norwich City stupidly sacked Farke years ago, is filled with remorse.) For a detailed read about how the German has turned the club around, including his “no dickheads” signings policy, the Guardian has you covered.

🎵A planning application has now gone in for “BRIT North” in Bradford (Local Democracy Reporting Service). The site will be run by the same people who run Brit School in London, which has birthed the careers of Amy Winehouse, Adele and Olivia Dean. The plan is for the school to continue the legacy of Bradford City of Culture, and there are some pretty snazzy looking CGIs on the link.

Antiques angst, mountaineering disasters, and gossiping on the 19A

By Mia Jankowicz

I’ll start with a little story. 

Back over the early May bank holiday, my friends and I headed out from Sheffield to take some country air by booking a converted barn near Settle in North Yorkshire. If that sounds posh, I’ll correct you: this was essentially a barracks and I’m never going again. The highlight of the trip was actually the drive.

If, like me, you don’t drive, you rely on long-suffering friends to shuttle you about on trips, and you spend quite a lot of time having zero idea where you are. Having blithely handed off all route planning to my chauffeur friend Molly, I was able to gaze out of the window in blissful ignorance.

About an hour in, though, as we passed through a city, I perked up even more. The streets around us were a mix of upscale new buildings and a treasure chest of beautifully-restored old ones. It was sprinkled with radiant-looking youth and colourful murals. Industrial remnants were being redeveloped. Shops were big, and busy. Trendy independent bars and cafes were thriving. Things were happening. This place is nice, I thought. This place has had investment. I’d like to live here.

Then I saw something strange. A minion, stumbling on the roadside. Then, a pair of Where’s Wallies. Then a group of drunk smurfs. I had a flash of recognition.

“This is the Otley Run!” I yelled. “We’re in Leeds!”