Is there a more exciting new band in Leeds right now than ALASKA? Not judging by their brilliant, disarming debut video ‘Girl’ (below).

Like a 21st Century episode of The Monkees with a wonky, woozy soundtrack by Pavement, how refreshing to see a few green shoots of recovery planted in the wasteland wilderness of landfill indie by a band exhibiting – dare we say it – a little personality?

‘Girl’ has notched up 700 YouTube hits in the five days since it’s celebratory premiere at The Packhorse. ALASKA’s debut DIY gig was a succinct yet thoroughly eclectic evening’s entertainment – as befitting the band’s bracingly tuneful, psychedelic garage-surf clatter.

The 100-strong crowd’s fervent reaction to the raucous spaghetti western rumble of Reptile – accompanied by giant video images of copulating insects –contrasted sharply with their spellbound silence during an equally beguiling acoustic support set by Samuel Foxton Welles.

Such is the scope and ambition of ALASKA’s occasionally hallucinogenic, but utterly ‘pop’ worldview.

With an appearance at the ever-discerning Green Man Festival confirmed for August, surely ALASKA’s addictive cult of personality will take root beyond their burgeoning Leeds fanbase before the summer’s out?

Take a look at ‘Girl’, and decide for yourselves.

www.alaskaofficial.com

www.samuelfoxtonwelles.co.uk

Fashion Pony will be the headline sponsors at the ‘Vau Vau’ Charity Fashion Show and Art Market on Friday 27^th January at Left Bank, Cardigan Road, Leeds.

Currently in its second year, the Vau Vau Charity Fashion Show is organised by Leeds photographers Toria Brightside and Emma Parry, and aims to raise money for chosen charities – 100% of the proceeds will be shared equally between Cancer Research UK and Guide Dogs for the Blind. The event will also showcase and raise awareness of local creative talent.

Sponsored by Fashion Pony, an online fashion boutique which specialises in fashion from independent and emerging designers, the evening promises to be extremely entertaining, with a catwalk show featuring clothes from local stores and designers, including Bo Carter (one of Fashion Pony’s resident designers), Best Vintage, Bird Shell and innovative latex designer Eustratia.

In addition to the catwalk show, there will also be an exciting art and fashion market, consisting of up to 30 stalls selling everything from vintage clothing and alternative accessories, to custom graffiti canvases. Well known photographers and artists from Glasgow and London will be exhibiting, together with work by some of the best Leeds fine art and photography students.

Doors open at 7.30pm. Tickets (£8) available from Dusty & Dylan, Otley Road, Headingley; Rebel Pin Up & Paper Dress, New York Street;  Best Vintage, New Market Street; or email hello@emmaparry.co.uk  or  toriabrightside@hotmail.co.uk

Alhama de Granada is a pretty, ancient spa town about 53 kilometres from Granada, in the very heart of rural Andalucia. This is where retired West Yorkshire police officer, Terry Mottershead, and his wife Lisa, settled in 2004 and established The Alhambra Rambler.

The Alhambra Rambler provides quality guided walking and cultural holidays, together with self guided cycling tours. After seven years of living and working in the community, Terry and Lisa’s knowledge of the area, its people, customs and language offers a unique experience.

Alhama de Granada is perched precariously on top of a dramatic ravine, where the Rio Alhama carves its way through otherwise rolling countryside. It is surrounded by the Sierras Tejeda, Alhama and Almejarras, which loom above the lakes at El Ventorro and Los Bermejales. It is the perfect setting for activity holidays.

This traditional, agricultural town has about 6,000 inhabitants. Little had changed around its core for centuries. The thermal springs have been channelled into baths since Roman times. The countryside is covered with olive and almond plantations, and there’s a friendly ‘Andaluz’ welcome from its traditional Spanish community.  Every evening the bars are buzzing and serving up some of the best tapas around.

Alhambra Rambler’s guided walking holidays combine great walks with amazing scenery, herbs, wild flowers and birds, with cultural and historic visits. They include great accommodation overlooking the gorge, picnics, all evening meals in traditional local restaurants, and return airport transfers from Malaga airport.

Cycling holidays can include two nights in Alhama de Granada before cycling to Montefrio, then on to Granada where you can enjoy the city before returning to Alhama.

Andalucía has a great all year round climate and a warm welcome for walkers and cyclists who wish to embrace this unspoilt countryside, learn about its history and customs whilst enjoying its food, wine and traditional music.

To find out more, visit www.alhambrarambler.com, email alhambrarambler@yahoo.co.uk or phone 0034 69078 6302.

Are you interested in live performance? Fancy dressing up in period Edwardian attire and heckling the upper classes? Red Ladder Theatre Company is on the look-out for performers to take part in pre-show street theatre in and around the entrance to the City Varieties Music Hall during the run of its show Big Society! A Music Hall Comedy from 18 January – 4 February, which featured on the cover of our December magazines.

Auditions will be held in Red Ladder’s home in the Yorkshire Dance Building on Thursday 5 January from 6pm – 8pm. Red Ladder is looking for auditionees who are 18+ years old, no previous acting experience is necessary but performers must be confident enough to interact with audience members. Selected performers will be on rota throughout the run of the show, performing for half an hour from 7.30pm – 8pm, for 4 – 5 shows, spread out across the run of the show.

Starring comedian Phill Jupitus Big Society! will open the Spring Summer season at the newly-refurbished City Varieties Music Hall. The show is centred around the cast of an Edwardian Music Hall variety show, who are threatened with closure at the hands of the corrupt newspaper ‘The Double Standard’ and features live music from Chumbawamba.

To book a place at the audition please contact Duncan Marwick duncan.marwick@leedscitycollege.ac.uk or call Red Ladder on 0113 245 5311.

Photo: Castmember Kyla Goodey by photographer Tim Smith.

For more details about the company please visit www.redladder.co.uk

Mr Pickwick

Hope Pastures was set up in 1974 to rescue abused horses and donkeys. Along with providing a lovely environment where young people can learn about caring for horses in a natural setting, the sanctuary also runs an adoption scheme.

In the run up to winter, when food and bedding bills are the highest, Hope Pastures needs to increase the number of adoptions to raise much needed funds. The horses and donkeys can be adopted from just £12.50 a year and for this donation supporters will help to feed and look after these animals, safe in the knowledge that none of this money is spent on admin, 100% goes towards the animals’ care.

For each adoption the recipient will receive an adoption certificate, a photograph of their chosen horse or donkey, a history of the animal and the chance to visit 365 days a year. This could be the ideal Christmas or birthday present for animal lovers.

Hope Pastures also runs ‘Pony Days’, where children can spend a day at the sanctuary caring for the ponies during school holidays – gift vouchers are now available.

Adoptions can be completed online at www.hopepastures.org, by dropping in to the sanctuary on Weetwood Lane, or by calling 0113 261 4344.

One of the best places to look is The Vale Stables on Grove Lane in Headingley (07894 733618).

In addition to great trees you’ll find holly and mistletoe, beautiful wreaths made with natural foliage and berries, lovely potted seasonal plants like azaleas and cyclamen, and logs to throw on your fire to roast those chestnuts!

What’s more, a donation from every tree sold goes to Shire Oak School!

Headingley Christmas Art and Craft Fair is tomorrow, Saturday 10^th December, 10am – 4pm at HEART, Bennett Road, Headingley.

It promises to be bigger and better than ever, there will be something for everyone – in addition to 30 art and craft stalls selling quality handmade goods spreading through two or three rooms, there will be music, mince pies and mulled wine in the café, children’s art and craft activities, face painting, and lots more!

With the growth of independent breweries in the local area, and the fantastic reputation that many of them already have, is it any wonder that Ruth Edwards (previously landlady at The Chemic Tavern), and her partner Kevin Cooke, who runs 309 Studios on Meanwood Road, decided to stage the Headingley Ale Festival?

The festival is being held at St Michael’s Parish Hall, St Michael’s Road, in Headingley on 9th, 10th and 11th December and will serve only Yorkshire brews.

“There are loads of amazing new local breweries emerging and the micro brewery industry is bigger than ever at the moment”, said Ruth. “We have opted to select our range from Yorkshire breweries only. Even within the boundaries of the county, there is so much variety and so many wonderful flavours that narrowing the selection down to 45 ales is not easy!”

Yorkshire also boasts a fantastic selection of real cider producers, and there will be a number of ciders to tempt people too. Local selected breweries include: Ridgeside Brewery – Meanwood; Kirkstall Brewery; Burley Street Brewhouse; Leeds Brewery Wharfebank Brewery – Otley. Other Yorkshire favourites are Ilkley, Saltaire, Elland and Copperdragon, and newer include Revolutions, Magic Rock Brewery, Brass Castle and Geeves. The list continues to grow!

To keep up with developments, visit their website at www.headingleyalefestival.co.uk and be sure to drop into the festival to enjoy this celebration of Yorkshire beer.

Headingley Farmers’ Market at The Rose Garden, North Lane, Headingley, 9am – 12.30pm on Saturday 10^th December, is the last before Christmas and possibly the biggest yet! At least 23 stalls are expected, including olives, fish, cheeses, pies, preserves, eggs, meats, vegetables and much more!

The West Yorkshire Brass band will be playing from 10.30am and St Michael’s Church Choir will be singing carols during the morning.

The newly formed Headingley Country Market group will be there with a stall bursting with delicious, homemade cakes, bakes, preserves and treats. Other stalls include Cutting Cakes with their delicious Christmas chocolates and gluten free cakes; Horsforth Blossom Honey, who will also have beeswax candles; Birchfields Farm ice creams and other dairy products; Mays Asian Foods with their delicious samosas, pakoras and curries; Autumn Mushrooms, Thistlemist Soups and Parsnipship (organic and vegan produce).

Headingley Development Trust’s seasonal cards, featuring a print by local artist Jonathan Hooper, will be on sale, as well as the book ‘Our School – Stories and Memories of Bennett Road School Headingley 1882 -2006’.

The Market Group would like to wish everyone a Very Happy Christmas and Peaceful New Year.

St Gemma’s last Vintage Fair of the year is this weekend (10^th & 11^th December), 10am – 4pm at St. Gemma’s Hospice Conference Centre in Moortown.

There will be a huge range of goods on sale – from clothes to books, furniture to records, jewellery to artwork, all dating from 1920s – 1980s. “What sets us apart from other vintage fairs in the area is that we sell all the vintage and collectable items that have been donated to our 20 charity shops around Leeds – all at really affordable prices”, said event organiser Hayley Avron. “The event is hugely popular, amongst traders, the general public and die-hard vintage fanatics.”

St Gemma’s Hospice provides specialist medical and nursing care for people with life threatening illnesses, and support for their families. Care is provided free of charge, so St Gemma’s relies on donations and local fundraising initiatives to fund their vital service.

Entry is by donation with all proceeds going to the hospice.