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A team of BPP activists was again out today in Bramley, West Leeds partaking in the Party's rolling campaign which will lead up to our first candidate on Thursday May 6th. Over 500 leaflets went out this morning - the special "Bramley BPP" leaflet - "Fed up with the Old Gang politicians?". We have had a fair number of enquiries from the first leafleting session, and with a good response this morning from people we chatted to at their home and in the streets, we can expect more. We even had a mobile phone call from someone who had just received a leaflet and wanted an information pack. We are starting early because we want to put in a truly thorough campaign so that EVERY household on the ward gets at least three leaflets in total even before they receive the BPP's election address.

If you want to help then we are out every week - come along and lend a hand....we aim to win Bramley and Stanningley in May 2006! Can you imagine the boat we will rock? You can help too, by sending in a donation towards the campaign costs:- BPP Bramley, PO Box 115, Bramley, Leeds LS13 9AN.

For those interested, below is a brief history of the area, showing its deep historical roots in Yorkshire...

BRAMLEY – originally a township in its own right, is now part of the Leeds metropolis. However before this relatively recent event Bramley’s history was rich and varied and goes back many, many years...

‘BRAM’ – reputed to be an Anglo-Saxon Lord, who lived, certainly in Yorkshire, gave his name to the area known as Bramley, in the now West Riding of Yorkshire. The ‘ley’ part of the name means either a field or meadow.

‘BRAMELEIA’ – (it’s Latin name) came about following the Norman Conquest in 1066, as in 1086 the first mention of the area appears in the Doomsday Book:-

Land of Ilbert de Laci, Wapentake of Morley Manor. In Brameleia Archil had four carucates of land to be taxed, and there may be two ploughs there. Ilbert now has it, and it is waste. Wood pastures half a mile long and half broad. Value in Kind Edward’s time, twenty shillings.

Land of Gospratic Manor. In Brameleia, two carucates of land to be taxed. Land to one plough.

William the Conbqueror had divided the arable land of Bramley between these two men; De Laci became the founder of a renowned family. His grandson, Henri De Laci, was the founder and patron of Kirkstall Abbey, built by the Cistercian Monks in a position on the River Aire, one mile northwest of Bramley. Gospatric was a powerful Northumbrian who opposed the Normans, but later made peace with William and was given an Earldom. Later history of Bramley makes no mention of him or his descendants.

No mention is made of the number of inhabitants at this time, but as a comparison one might consider the fact that Leeds (then a farming village) only had three hundred inhabitants. It would seem likely therefore, that Bramley was inhabited by a considerably smaller number of people.

Bramley and Kirkstall Abbey (founded in 1153), were closely linked and so many grants of land from Bramley were made to the Abbey, that in 1280 the Abbott of Kirkstall was returned Lord of the Manor of Bramley, and these close links between the two were maintained for many years to come.

Kirkstall Abbey near Bramley