SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Hi. I have been into redwood trees for a few years and usually keep my eyes open when out for them. An excellent site called Redwood World has been logging (no pun intended) trees across the British Isles and I have contributed a few of these photos and accounts. Anyway, I was amazed to see one more or less in the centre of Leeds! It's the maajestic looking Giant Redwood in the gardens of the Civic Hall, Portland Cresent (behind Millenium Square). It's amazing to think a tree that could potentially reach 300 feet plus in height, a 30 feet diameter trunk and 3000 plus years old is grwoing right in the centre of Leeds! Of course, nobody knows how big they will grow in the UK as they haven't been here long enough yet...I rememeber passing the tree 10 or so years ago regularly when I was a student at Leeds College of Art and Design and later when I worked at the LGI, and being impressed by it. At the time a stray dog lived underneath it and would wonder around the surrounding area goig about whatever business it had. A few people would feed it (including me). I was tempted to try and write a children's book based on it.Other Redwoods in Leeds include at least 5 in the Harewood Estate (again, see Redwood World, Locations, Yorkshire). Oh, and the one I am grwoing in my Eastend Park area backgarden (about 15 inches high right now, so a way to go yet!).

Slightly off-topic, but related to your mention of the stray dog, I can update you on what happened to the dog!As well as living around the Civic Hall, the dog also frequented the University campus in the mornings and several staff "adopted" him and made sure he was fed on a regular basis, even during the closed periods at Christmas and Easter. He would never allow anyone to catch him but in 2003, having lived as a stray for seven years, he was knocked down by a car and was rescued and rehomed by Whitehall Dog Rescue, and an update was sent to the University's staff newsletter in 2005 to say that Civic (as he had been named!) was living a very happy life and was much more confident around people!

Tasa wrote: Slightly off-topic, but related to your mention of the stray dog, I can update you on what happened to the dog!As well as living around the Civic Hall, the dog also frequented the University campus in the mornings and several staff "adopted" him and made sure he was fed on a regular basis, even during the closed periods at Christmas and Easter. He would never allow anyone to catch him but in 2003, having lived as a stray for seven years, he was knocked down by a car and was rescued and rehomed by Whitehall Dog Rescue, and an update was sent to the University's staff newsletter in 2005 to say that Civic (as he had been named!) was living a very happy life and was much more confident around people! What a lovely tale - or should that be "tail"? Glad it had a happy outcome.

Tasa, yes, the dog would never let you get too close, but he would follow me around a bit. For a while I was planning on writing (and illustrating) a childrens's story based on the dog.Nice to hear what became of him though!