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Leeds Leasing

Did You Know?

The oldest airworthy aircraft in the UK was made here in Leeds. Designed by Robert Blackburn in 1912 for Cyril Foggin, the Blackburn Monoplane Type ‘D’ is often called the Single-Seat Monoplane. At that time, it could only fly an individual per flight. Incredibly, the aircraft is maintained in flying condition by the Shuttleworth Collection in Old Warden, Bedfordshire.

Middleton Colliery Railway is the world’s oldest running public railway, situated in Leeds. It was established in 1758 to transport coals to neighboring quarries. But today, it’s a railway operated to re-create history and events.

Benjamin Henry Latrobe, a neoclassical architect from Leeds was one of the most impactful architects in America. Although he was British, he made several impressive works in the Washington DC, USA. His works include redesigning the United States Capitol building and America’s first Roman Catholic Cathedral.

Roundhay Park in Leeds, West Yorkshire, is now one of the most popular parks in Europe. Created by William the Conqueror, its ownership passed on to the De Lacy family. Succession saw ownership of Roundhay Park pass to John of Gaunt, then his son Henry IV.Located in the Northern part of Leeds, in Oakwood, it covers over 700 acres of rolling parkland with woodlands, lakes, and playground.

Cinema is one of the most notable kinds of entertainment in the world today. Over the years, there have been distinguishing upgrades in the industry. And yet, the humble beginnings of the motion pictures trace back to Leeds.
The very first motion pictures were shot in a garden in Roundhay in 1888, by a Frenchman named Le Prince.

The residents of Leeds surely have several innovative developments to be proud of; and the x-ray is one of them. Sir William Henry Bragg discovered the structure of X-rays at the University of Leeds. His works have birthed discoveries, including using X-rays to reveal hidden injury in humans and the structure of DNA.

Leeds West Indian Carnival is the longest-running event in Europe and has been going since 1967. It’s the first to feature all three important attributes of Caribbean Carnival, music, masquerade scene, and costumes.
It’s a three-day event that starts and ends in Potternewton Park in Chapeltown.

The Borough of Leeds was created in 1207, when Maurice Paynel, lord of the manor, granted a charter to a small area of the manor, close to the river crossing, in what is now the city centre.

St Andrews in Greenstead is believed to be the oldest wooden church in the world dating all the way back to 1081. That means the church is nearly 1000 years old!

Leeds United's nickname is 'The Whites' or 'The Peacocks' although the latter is mainly used by older fans. The nickname comes from Leeds United's kit which in the 1960s was changed to pure white.

Stank Hall was a very important site, almost certainly a hunting lodge for the King, when the Court visited nearby Rothwell Castle. Documents point to the lodge being rebuilt with a grant of money from the king in 1280 – making it now the oldest house in Leeds.