May, 2018 | Postcards From Here and There

Tio Pepe Fino En Rama 2018

Sherry sales have been in decline in recent years. The Wine and Spirit Trade Association calculated that sales decreased in the UK from 22 million bottles in 2005 to only 10 million in 2015. Fashions change and the image of sherry as a sweet style of fortified wine appealing to a perceived older generation was very much held against it. I remember when gin was unfashionable not all that long ago but how it has reinvented itself since then, gin sales in the UK are at an all time high. So what next for sherry?

Recently there have been some indications that sales are beginning to grow again, particularly in the drier styles of sherry such as fino and manzanilla. For me this is good news and I hope that the trend continues as sherry is currently one of the most underrated of all wines.

Along with the arrival of lighter evenings and the advent of spring we have the annual release of Tio Pepe Fino En Rama. Now in something like its ninth year, this is fino sherry that comes fresh from the cask and it’s at its best just after release. They change the label each year but always choose something from the company archives. Last winter was particularly cold and dry in Jerez and this has contributed to an intense fino that is packed with flavour. Its fresh, lively, youthful, dry with almond, baked bread and a lingering finish with a touch of bitterness. Its unfiltered and this helps to pack in the flavour. It’s a gem, try it before it’s all gone.

Leeds’s Victorian Arcades

On a recent visit to Melbourne I was struck by the Block and Royal Arcades in the Central Business District and how similar they were to the arcades found in Leeds. Both cities built their arcades in late nineteenth century with the Royal Arcade in Melbourne the oldest dating back to 1870, but it seems unlikely one influenced the other. Perhaps arcade building was simply very fashionable in late Victorian times. The Burlington Arcade in London’s Piccadilly is certainly much older, dating back to 1819. What is clear is that these shopping arcades were the shopping centres of their day and are a must see on a visit to the city.

In Leeds there are three surviving arcades from the Victorian period. Although they had lost much of their splendour by the mid twentieth century, programmes of restoration have brought them back to life. They are home to an eclectic mix of retail units and cafes and include an excellent range of independent retailers.

THORNTON’S ARCADE

Thornton’s Arcade was the first to built in the city. Commissioned by Charles Thornton and designed by George Smith it opened in 1878 and connected Briggate with Lands Lane. It provided a pleasant covered walkway for shoppers, replacing the alley and yard that existed beforehand.

The clock in Thornton’s Arcade is based on Walter Scotts novel Ivanhoe and features several of the characters including Robin Hood and Friar Tuck. The clock itself was made by Potts and Sons who were local clockmakers of the day. The characters were carved by a John Appleyard.

QUEEN’S ARCADE

Running parallel to Thornton’s Arcade, Queen’s was designed by Edward Clarke and opened in 1889. As they are today it looks the most modern, partly because it has been repainted in pastel colours, it has a glass roof and this gives it a light and airy aspect.

COUNTY ARCADE

The most elaborate of the Victorian arcades and restored in the early 1990s to the wonder that you see today. Designed by Frank Matcham, who was actually a theatre designer, it opened in 1900 . It is on the opposite side of Briggate and leads to Vicar Lane and the nearby Leeds Market.

Highly decorated with intricate ironwork, marble and fine mosaics it was fully restored as part of the Victoria Quarter development in the early 1990s.

Cross Arcade is very short and runs from the middle of County Arcade out to Queen Victoria Street which in the original design was a traditional shopping street.

In the development of The Victoria Quarter Queen Victoria Street became a modern arcade with the construction of an ornate stained glass roof.

It makes an interesting contrast to its Victorian neighbour and the restoration of the shop fronts is no less ornate.

The Victoria Quarter has become a high end shopping destination, it is a lovely mix of the old and the new and great place to wander around.

Tour de Yorkshire in Leeds

On 5th July 2014 198 professional bike riders lined up on The Headrow ,close to Leeds Town Hall, for the start of stage 1 0f the Tour de France. So began Yorkshires love affair with cycling. Hundreds of thousands of people lined the roads for the two days the event was in Gods own country and their enthusiasm and support surprised both organisers and riders alike. Villages and town en route had spent weeks preparing, yellow painted bikes were everywhere, the bunting was out and cycling related art installations were in the fields. Travelling the route today some of the yellow bikes are still there. It led to the race director Christian Prudhomme describing it as “the grandest of Grand Departs.”

The following year The Tour de Yorkshire began as a three day legacy event and attracted some of the top world professional teams and the support from the people of the county was no less enthusiastic. Now in its fourth year it has been extended to a four day stage race for men and a two day race for women. The final stage of the mens raced finished back in Leeds, only a few metres from the start line of the 2014 Tour. In many ways cycling in Yorkshire has come full circle.

It has been estimated that over 2.5 million people watched the 2018 race during its four day duration. The crowds at the finish were loud and vocal hours before the riders arrived as they gave support to the hundreds of amateur cyclists that had completed the Maserati Tour De Yorkshire sportive.

Huge screens enabled spectators to watch the race as it developed over the roads of west Yorkshire. The arrival of the publicity caravan an hour before the riders added to the already great atmosphere on the finish line.

The final stage was won by Stephane Rossetto who broke away from the main peloton early in the stage and rode for 120Km on his own to claim victory. He had built up a lead of over nine minutes during the stage but this as gradually whittled down and he crossed the finish line with only 34 seconds to spare.

The overall race was one by Greg Van Avermaet who finished second on the stage

As the 2018 tour comes to an end we hear that discussions are underway to bring the Vuelta (Tour of Spain) to Yorkshire. I am sure that this is an excellent move for both parties. Fingers crossed and lets hope that it happens soon.