downsmail.co.uk


A plumyear is good for the church tower


A BOUNTIFUL harvest of deli- cious plums has helped to swell the coffers of the Broomfield church tower appeal. The Friends of Leeds and Broom-


field Churches – which has about 130members - have pledged £5,000 fromthe fruit harvestwhich is sold each year in aid of good causes. A local orchard owner Simon


Brice, of Back Street, near Langley, allows folk from all over the bor- ough and beyond to pick the plums fromhis trees – usually for the last threeweeks inAugust – for cash. Volunteers man the gazebo


where the fruit baskets areweighed and bagged. And it was the second piece of


good news for the fundraising drive for repairs to the tower as the project has progressed in the quest for cash from the Co-op Local Community Fund. A project spokesmanwrites in the Leeds and Broomfield parish newsletter: “This is how it works – every time members shop at the Co-op, 1% of what they spend on selected own- brand products and services goes


to the Co-op Local Community Fund. Co-op will also give us and the other causes in the community an equal share of the money they raise fromthe sales of carrier bags.” Local Co-op members will be


able to choose the local cause and donate accordingly until Novem- ber. The spokesman adds: “It is dif- ficult to know how much this will amount to over the year but it is bound to help.Meanwhile, the con- firmed total has now risen to £35,346.” The church tower appeal project


has set a target of £72,000 to carry out the work on the tiny 12th cen- tury church.Afurther £12,000may be recovered throughVAT rules, al- though this government concession could bewithdrawn at any point. If you would like to know more


about Friends of Leeds and Broom- field Churches do, then click onto www.friendslbc.org.uk. The web- site states: “The Friends are not af- filiated with the Church, the association's members represent a variety of religious persuasions or even none at all.”


News So,who owns the


bird-killinghawk? AHARRISHawk has been reported in the Leeds and Caring Lane area killingmoorhens. The raptor – which is indigenous


to the United States – may have es- caped from captivity although the bird is understood not to be part of the falconry collection at LeedsCas- tle. The hawk has been seen targeting


waterfowl on ponds in the area. The Harris Hawk has become


popular in the UK as a bird of prey used in falconry because they are relatively easy to train and themost social. A number of local falconers keep


the birds, which will kill both birds andmammals as part of their diet.


New Year fun


LEEDS Amateur Dramatic Society (LADS) stages a “celebration in music,magic andmirth” thisweek- end. There are two performances on


Friday and Saturday, January 5&6, at Leeds village hall. Tickets cost £7.50 for adults and£5


for children.Click ontowww.ticket- source.co.uk or call Lesley 01622 862467 or Sharon on 07718263432. The event replaces LADS’ annual


panto which has been shelved for a year.


01622 738772


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