Leeds Voices

Here’s a treat for everyone who read the student newspaper.

Was it Union News, Leeds Student or The Gryphon when you were at Leeds? On this episode, you'll hear about the integral role our student newspaper has played on campus through the decades. 2 minutes 45 and 21 minutes 45

You’ll get the inside scoop from those who held the editor’s seat as they celebrate the paper that’s forged the careers of many prominent journalists. Joining us are:

• David Smith, Washington Bureau Chief, The Guardian
• Andrew Harrison, Podcaster
• Jessica Murray, Midlands Correspondent, The Guardian
• Adam Lebor, Author, trainer and former foreign correspondent
• Alba Goskova, current editor, The Gryphon

Also on this episode, technology has finally caught up with some vision needs, thanks to physicist Professor Helen Gleeson OBE. Using liquid crystals, Helen’s team have made contact lenses that will adjust between distance and near vision with a press of a button. 12 minutes 45

This episode is not to be missed so please listen now.

Henry Gee used to ask a Hell's Angel called Big Paul for the Prog Rock Society's cheque book. You won't want to miss a rambling tale of dinosaurs, University Challenge and a benevolent Leeds professor told by the winner of the Royal Society Science Book Prize. 02:30

How do you count fish, and why would you do it? Based in our Aquatic Interactions Lab, Josie South is on a mission to prevent unstoppable change in our fish and aquatic ecosystems before it's too late. 09:40

He hosted Leeds Student Radio and will soon appear in Jemima Khan's film What's Love Got to Do with It? Mim Shaikh tells us about hanging out with Will.i.am when he was BBC 1Xtra's first South Asian daytime host.

Favourite sandwich shop? Barber? Night out? Listen to hear which "really, really, really good memories" of Leeds you share with Mim. 15:45

We celebrate 21 years of LUU's Fruity club night with enthusiastic students who prove that cheesy music never ages. 21:45

This bumper episode features contents from the Leeds alumni digital magazine as well as a few highlights from last year's episodes.

Steve Rosenberg (Russian 1991) describes momentous events during his time as the BBC's Moscow correspondent and how his life at Leeds shaped his career. 1:27

After treating casualties in Libya and Iraq, Moez Zeiton (Medicine 2009) tells how, within weeks of returning to Manchester, he put his medical war experience into practice with the arena bombing. 12:06

Like what you hear? Find out more with the latest edition of Leeds magazine

Highlights from last year:

Hollywood star Chris Pine (JYA English 2001) tells us why he loved his time at the University of Leeds. 18:47

The creator of Idris Elba's Luther, Neil Cross (English and Theology 1994, MA English 1995), sheds light on why his heroes are complex characters. 20:15

Superstar podcaster and author, Pandora Sykes (English Literature and Language 2009), reminisces about our library, studying with boys and the Top Shop phenomenon. 26:26

Did you know that the founder of IMDb went to Leeds? With a passion for film and some computing savvy, Col Needham tells us how he built the world's largest entertainment website. 02:15

Academic Dr Tom Bennett astounds us with news that plants detect signals from each other in a variety of ways, even by touch. 12:00

From Botswana, Rebecca Klein discusses her work preserving the world’s fastest land animal. 19:00

After laying face down in the Yorkshire Dales for 1600 years, stone inscriptions shed new light on the first African emperors of Rome. 23:20

Hear from celebrity podcaster, writer and 2009 graduate Pandora Sykes. She speaks about her career and waking up early to buy the second iPhone in Leeds (2:58).

Long before being rated one of the best rock drummers ever, Bill Bruford was a student at Leeds. Bill discusses life as a musician on our new podcast episode — and how he chose to leave Leeds to be a rock star (18.06).

Dr Jim McQuaid, who measures clouds from a flying laboratory — and uses the same technology to monitor pollution on the ground (10:58).

And we hear the voices of students grabbing some grub in the Refectory (25:50) as well as alumni gathering to celebrate a bit of Leeds in North America (22:35).

The creative powerhouse behind Idris Elba’s TV detective Luther, tells us about what drew him to Leeds and the genesis of his compelling detective. Early in life Neil learned that people you admire can have a terrible dark side (5:14).

We drop by the old Bodington Hall playing fields, which have now transformed into our state of the art football facilities and an "engineering marvel" (18:40).

Professor Ornella Iuorio, named one of the 50 most influential women in engineering, speaks about modular housing, architecture and our very own Roger Stevens Building (12:04).

And finally, the voices of current students prove that our celebrated social life is back in full force (28:30).

What's it like to stand on top of Mount Everest? Find out from a Leeds graduate who is just back from his record breaking 16th summit. Kenton Cool talks about life as a mountain climber and how it all stems from being a Leeds student (3:30).

Also taking time to speak to us is CEO of Aviva Amanda Blanc, who shares her insight as one of only nine female leaders in the FTSE 100 and the Government's Women in Finance Champion (17:24).

Is it a ginnel? A snicket? An alley? We learn about the University’s fascinating dialects survey of the way people speak English - and how we need your contributions (13:26).

And finally, we'll summon up memories of that summer feeling as current students reflect on the past year. With the comment "great memories, great music, great people," we hear a timeless description of the Leeds student experience (23:01).

What did Captain Kirk love about being a University of Leeds student? Listen to Chris Pine (3:35) recall his life in Leeds, including how a barbecue at his Brudenell Road home was the “glorious cap to a great year”.

You'll also hear:

• elite rugby player Jodie Cunningham (Medical Sciences 2013), who introduced her England teammates to the Otley Run (20:00)
• how Leeds ignited a passion for equality in Fiona Cannon OBE (English 1985), a director at Lloyds Banking Group (33:50)
• Engineering professor Pietro Valdastri explaining how tiny robots can travel into a patient’s lungs to tackle disease (12:34)

And finally, it’s worth listening to hear the enthusiasm at our Global Café, where students from across the world come together for some weekly fun (27:36).

This episode features Martine Croxall (Geography 1990), who as a BBC news presenter has broken major stories to the world. She recalls her student life of home perms and nights out, saying “they would lift a hatch up out of the floor and you would walk down these steps” to a club under the Merrion Centre (28:50).

We check in with a Leeds doctoral fellow, who explains how low-carbon heat pumps could be an affordable way for us all to support a net zero future (12:30).

The bestselling author and historian Helen Rappaport (Russian and Slavonic Studies 1970) tells us about student life in the swinging 60s and how Leeds kindled her passion for Victorian and Russian history (4:15).

You’ll find out why the University chose to name a new building after an inspirational woman who graduated in 1924. Esther Simpson changed the face of UK higher education by devoting her life to rescuing thousands of scholars from Nazi Germany and later fascist regimes (22:07).

And finally, it’s worth listening just to hear the delight in the voices of our alumni who returned to campus this spring to celebrate graduating during lockdown (36:43).

FOREVER LEEDS is a podcast by the University of Leeds Advancement team. Tell is what you think by tweeting @LeedsAlumni and find out more at leeds.ac.uk/alumni

* Presented by Rich Williams and Alba Goskova. Music composed and produced by Japjisingh Valecha. Esther Simpson and graduation conversations by Tom Davy. Audio production by Alex Rees. Produced by Andrew Harrison

Forever Leeds is a Podmasters Production

The latest episode of our Forever Leeds podcast charts the journey of Ben Winston (Broadcasting Studies 2004) from Brudenell Road to Beverly Hills, becoming executive producer of one of the biggest TV events of the decade – Friends: The Reunion.

We explore how two Yorkshire schoolgirls created the first fake news controversy with the infamous Cottingley Fairies hoax. Leeds researchers discuss how employers are coping with the post-pandemic world of work and we catch up with current Leeds students to find out what life is like on campus right now.

FOREVER LEEDS is out

monthly from the University of Leeds Alumni and Development team. Tell is what

you think by tweeting @LeedsAlumni and find out more at alumni.leeds.ac.uk.

* Presented by Rich Williams and Alba Goskova. Music composed and produced by Japjisingh Valecha.

Cottingley Fairies package by Tom Davy. Audio production by Alex Rees. Special thanks to Becca Morrison and Leeds Student Radio. Produced by Andrew Harrison with Mark Dorey.

Forever Leeds is a Podmasters Production