How Leeds Changed The World (New Book Out)

[Chrism]

Book Launch Party.13 November · 20:00 - 23:00 Location LS6 Bar - Hyde Park corner16A Headingley LaneLeedsTAKEN FROM THE FACEBOOK PAGE... ... Encyclopaedia Leeds. Guess which British city spawned the current three most successful high street chains in the UK? That’s right....Bristol. Only kidding, but can you name them? The clue is that Asda doesn’t count.The world’s first functioning locomotive, when you erase pencil with a rubber, the mapping of your DNA, the world’s first disco, Britain’s first flying plane and kidney dialysis, Lads Mags, the clinical thermometer, every time you have a can of pop, the telescopic sight, the world's most prolific stuntman, the world’s first iron framed building – the ‘grandfather of skyscrapers’, Occupational Medicine, our ability to calculate the size and distance of planets, all are rooted in Leeds.Many people know that, adopted son of Leeds, Louis Le Prince filmed the world’s first moving pictures in Leeds but what about the Leeds lad who created the world’s second film using mill technology? If money-men hadn’t thought he was crazy and his ideas of films 'wild and ridiculous’ he could have been the first by some way. I know it’s part of our Leedsness to keep our feet on the ground, not show off, get ideas above our station or blow your own trumpet but I’m blowing our trumpet hard here. I’m blowing it loud and proud.

[Chrism]

Back Of Book.

[kango]

Not too sure the Trevithick society would agree about the first "funtioning" locomotive.Middleton was the first to use use steam power sucessfully and commercially in 1812 but trevithicks Pen-y-Darren locomotive carried 10 tons of iron, 5 wagons and 70 men for nearly 10 miles in 1804 , making that the first functioning engine.Edward Nairne from london is credited with erasers so I can't see the Leeds connection.Hope the rest of the book is not as inaccurate.    

[Leodian]

It's a well known fact (or should be!) that Leeds leads. Well apart from football. I shall have a look at the book when it comes out.

[Chrism]

There's also a book signing session at Waterstones 20 November · 11:00 - 14:00AGAIN FROM FACEBOOK."He's doing a signing at Leeds Waterstones Sat 20th Nov. He'll be there most of the day, so look for the sad lad sat alone in the corner next to a pile of books."     

[Mick McCann]

kango wrote: Not too sure the Trevithick society would agree about the first "funtioning" locomotive.Middleton was the first to use use steam power sucessfully and commercially in 1812 but trevithicks Pen-y-Darren locomotive carried 10 tons of iron, 5 wagons and 70 men for nearly 10 miles in 1804 , making that the first functioning engine.Edward Nairne from london is credited with erasers so I can't see the Leeds connection.Hope the rest of the book is not as inaccurate.     Hi kango, I wrote this book and I'm sure there will be inaccuracies in it, I read a lot of Leeds books while researching it and found many mistakes in those but I did research it long and hard. I'd like to know about errors as I can alter new copies of the book at any time and would love to take out any dodgy info. You lot are probably the best people to find them....I love this site.Right so matters in hand: I hadn't heard of Edward Nairne in connection with rubbers so here's my date and if Nairne was earlier I'd love to know.On April 15, 1770, Joseph Priestley recorded his discovery of Indian gums ability to rub out or erase lead pencil marks. He wrote, ‘I have seen a substance excellently adapted to the purpose of wiping from paper the mark of black lead pencil.’ The Trevithick thing, the journey you describe above wrecked the track, it couldn't be repeated, so I suppose it come down to semantics. In the entry I do use language more like yours but I alsoreference Richard Trevithick's earlier work so that people can check him out and make up their own mind - I describe him as 'a brilliant, visionary inventor'.Right I'm signing in Waterstones today, so I need to get a wiggle on.