Assessed University Posts
FAQ: Who is the Maine Hermit?
Who is the Maine hermit?
The Maine hermit is a 47-year-old man, named Christopher knight who has been living in a wood in the northeastern state of Maine for the past 27 years. Christopher has not spoken to a single person since the 90′s and has lived his life in isolation for the most part of his life. He rarely left his camp, and when he did it was only ever to keep himself alive by stealing food.
How did he survive?
Christopher survived by stealing food and other supplies from local campsites and villages. He had created himself a cosy yet slightly desolate looking campsite, complete with a stove, bed and shelter. He was also thought to have stolen his clothes from locals. When the authorities asked him what he did to keep himself sane, he answered ‘reading, meditating and watching eagles.’
Who discovered him?
The local Authorities discovered his campsite on April the 9th; they described him as ‘clean shaven’ and wearing 80′s aviator style glasses. Christopher was later caught that day and has been arrested for stealing local frozen goods. Investigations are underway about his criminal history; he is thought to be responsible for over 1,000 burglaries, which a local game warden has discovered. The authorities apparently found it hard to locate his campsite as it was camouflaged so well amongst the trees and woodland growth.
What is his background?
Christopher vanished from his childhood home on pond road, for no apparent reason in 1984, when he was aged 19, and set up camp in the Maine woods. According to old school friends Christopher was an outcast at school, branded as the ‘quiet, bland, nerd’ he was never an active member of his high school years. His classmates never noticed his disappearance from school, and it was simply a case of ‘losing contact’.
Does he have a family?
Christopher’s relatives, including his mother Joyce, strangely still live on pond road, where he grew up, Its not yet been determined why his family did not question his disappearance. Since the story broke out, many old neighbours and peers of Christopher have been questioned, however none have said to know him or his background at all well.
What are the locals views on him?
For years the locals have been investigating a number of break in’s and stolen food, many have evidence of seeing Christopher at night walking through the woods and around the local area, but did not question it. After stealing food and various supplies from his fellow neighbours, his arrest has been one, which local wardens and victims will be celebrating. Some locals knew about the ‘north pond hermit’ but never questioned his motives, actions or whereabouts, they just simply knew he was there. Jodie Mosher-Towie, newsletter writer and board member of the North Pond association, has been talking with neighbours about the “north pond hermit” for the past 20 years, “It’s just weird how it’s always been that way — we’ve just always known about the hermit.”
What lies for him in the future?
Christopher knight has been arrested by the Maine state police for various thefts and bulgarie’s, it is unclear what will happen in the near future, obviously he will have to undergo a trial and it will be interesting to see if any more neighbours or old friends of Christopher come out with more information on him. Christopher will obviously find it difficult to get back into civilization and sparking up a conversation will become a true horror for him.
The Independent Café scene in Headingley
When in the city of Leeds, its easy to stop off for a coffee and a bite to eat at the likes of Starbucks, Costas and Greggs, yet the city also boasts a great deal of independent coffee shops. Aside from the more generic chain stores, these cafes ooze authenticity, a sense of community, relaxation and diverse culture. The student area of Headingley is brimming with these distinct and quirky cafes, from the ‘grab a coffee and go’, to the ‘sit down, relax and sink into to the atmosphere’ types, the town offers new and interesting places to experience away from the hustle and bustle of the inner city.
These independent, eccentric cafes are often cheaper, set up by passionate owners and more efficiently run by using local produce and fair trade. It’s clear from the booming independent scene in Headingley that these far from standard cafes are standing strong against the global coffee companies. Buying from these businesses increases economy and gives the independent market more of name in society as well as giving us, the buyers, more choice. So step out of the city centre, hang up your generic coffee gloves, and take a trip to the more cultural and varied part of Leeds, divulge yourself into the sweet surroundings of Headingly town, eat fresh and local produce and take a moment to relax away from the constant rush of daily life.
Here are some reviews of what I believe to be the best independent cafes in Headingley…
| 1. Love Rouge Bakery,51 Otley Road, Headingley, Leeds, LS6 3AB 0113 345 8441 orders@loverouge.com With its pastel blue walls, patriotic bunting and shabby chic inspired decor, Love rouge Bakery is the perfect place to sink your teeth into a moutwatering cupcake whilst enjoying a fresh cup of coffee. Lydia and Becky, two ambitious woman who left their previous rather mundane jobs to start up this independent café/bakery, are undeniably passionate about their business. “ We always loved baking and knew that we wanted to open our own, Headingley was the perfect place for the cafe as It is notorious for its independent community.” This quaint and tranquil café oozes indulgence, with its rustic but also playful furniture and colourful selection of cupcakes; it really does give a sense of individuality against other cafes. The bakery not only serves baked goods on the go but also has a quiet and cosy seating area for customers to come out of the cold and take a moment to indulge in this peaceful atmosphere. |
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Far from your normal in and out coffee shop, café lento is all about taking your time and enjoying your experience in this exquisite and relaxing environment. The café was opened five years ago by owner Richard Lindley and daughter Kate and has now created itself a popular space in headinley for anyone to enjoy a fair trade coffee and a locally produced meal. The name ‘lento’ in Italian means ‘slow’ which is ironic as this café is all about relaxation and getting away from modern life “Myself and Kate wanted to create a place which had the atmosphere similar to cafes abroad, I loved travelling and found that coffee shops had a much more relaxed and chilled feeling in Europe, and I wanted to re ignite that feeling in Headingley.” With its impressive lunch menu and delicious coffee selection, this café is somewhere to chill and eat good food. While it mostly attracts students, this café also welcomes many older local residents as well as many university lecturers looking for a quick coffee and some peace. |
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| 3. Dare Cafe 49 Otley Road Headingley Leeds, LS6 3AB(0)113 230 2828 Dare café is a seemingly popular, busy and lively café, with the dark and modern interior, friendly staff and fabulous lighting, it is a great place for anyone to come in and chill out over a great meal. Set up in 1993 by a man named Dan Dare, it has been enjoyed by many over the years, and has recently been booming against most other chain cafes in the area. Dare café offers a wide range of food including Mexican, Italian, and of course British, The portion sizes are very generous and every dish appears delectable and presentable. This place can be enjoyed by the passers by wanting a quick coffee and a slice of cake, or the restaurant goers, who fancy a top notch 3 course meal, with its sleek furniture, and handy seating area, dare café is quickly becoming one of the more popular cafes in the Headingly area. |
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4. Costello’s 61 Otley Road Headingley Leeds LS6 2 Area: Headingley 0113 278 7847 Costello’s bakery is a highly authentic and classic looking bakery which sells just about everything including fresh bread, pies, cakes, curds and sauces. This café exudes a sense of nostalgia and patriotism, with the open oven section at the back which lets customers watch their bread being made, it instantly takes you back to the 1960’s. With a cute little seating area in the corner, it’s the perfect place to stop for a coffee, however there’s a sense that this place is used more as grab and go bakery. Owner James and his wife Louise set up Costello’s in November 2011, after inheriting the company from his grandfather. The bakery gives a great sense of family and community, they mostly attract older residences as a few of the baked goods are slightly old fashioned, such as the ‘rabbit pie’, however Students are sometimes spotted on the odd occasion picking up a pie or two. |
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| 5. Mint Cafe33 North Lane Leeds LS6 3HW tel: 0113 226 48 43mint-cafe@hotmail.com
This Mediterranean and Lebanese style café is something a little different if you want to get away from the ‘coffee and cake’ side of headingley cafes, with a diverse and cultural menu of exotic wraps, sandwiches, crepes and breakfast dishes, it sets itself aside from the usual cheese and ham Panini’s seen in various mundane cafes. The nutritional dishes as well as the slightly more ‘guilty pleasure’ meals will defiantly wet anyone’s appetite. Set up by owner Marcus as a place for the locals to try something new and interesting, It has grown over the years and is enjoyed by many local residence as well as people from further parts of Leeds “ I wanted to create a space where people could enjoy new and interesting dishes, as well coming in for a coffee and a friendly chat.” |
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| 6. The Bowery 54 otley road headingley leeds ls6 2al t – 0113 2242284e – info@thebowery.orgThe bowery café, is a modern, innovative and creative place to visit, on entry you are instantly met the sumptuous smell of coffee, all smiles from staff and a slightly odd amount of paintings. This café is hardly your bog standard coffee house, it has a very creative vibe, with paintings, aunamounts and other interesting pieces on show, this seems to not only be a coffee house, but also a gallery where peoples art can be shown and bought. The bowery is also special as it uses all press coffee, which is considered a leading specialty coffee roaster in the UK, and if that’s not enough reason to visit this place, the food menu is highly desirable, with bagels, pies, soups, pastas and wraps and for reasonable prices, it really has got it all. The café also offer WIFI, and so if you’re a die-hard student, you can take a couple of hours to work whilst enjoying the coffee. |
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| 7. The agora restaurant55 otley road Leeds, West Yorkshire LS6 3AM 01132781532The agora resruarant is is a Greek inspired café in the centre of headingley, which offers a wide selection of authentic Greek food, as well as giving the option of trying other oriental selection. Opened two years ago by Greek born owner, Alex, it gives off a very interesting and cultural vibe. From the sleek and sophisticated furbishing’s to the Greek inspired aunamounts, this place gives the vibe of the relaxed and family orientated Greek way of life. “A lot of resruarants in leeds use frozen food, the food from agora is all locally produced and fresh.” Alex understandably prides himself in the fact that every item on the menu is fresh and nutritious. Agora unlike other independent cafes in the area gives you the feeling that you are abroad, with its Greek inspired atmosphere. |
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| 8. Jinos Tai café46a Otley Road Headingley Leeds LS6 2AL Tel: 0113 2788088 http://www.jinosthaicafe.co.ukIf your love for Tai food is through the roof, then this is the place for you. With its Tai inspired interior greeting you as soon as you walk through the door, this is the place to come for a great and authentic Tai curry. The menu has everything you could possibly want from tai food, however if you’ve come for a great coffee and a Italian meal then disappointment will prevail, as this is solely tai, and doesn’t really step anywhere out of that bracket. None the less, this restaurant will have you begging for more, from the classics like the green Tai curry, to the more interesting such as the **** and with great authentic taste and a fresh meal, this is a great place if you’re a Tai fanatic. |
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Hyperlocal Blogging in Leeds
Woodhouse Lane, famous for its historic culture, student happenings and Hyperlocal News.
Online blogging has created a vast impact regarding the way we now gather, read and digest news. It has carved itself a large sector within the Internet, and is nowadays regarded as a respected and almost reliable form of citizen journalism. With the most generic genres of blogging being fashion, culture and news, and with thousands of these blogs competing for traffic and followers this phenomenon has become somewhat of an online rat race.
With the City of Leeds famous for its vibrant and cultural scene its no wonder handfuls of bloggers are evaluating, discussing and reviewing various factors and features of the city, and its clear that there is a high demand for these rather more specific blogs, also known as hyperlocal. Hyperlocal blogging is something that is becoming increasingly in demand and is a diverse and more precise type of online writing which I believe, is effective and relevant.
Hyperlocal blogging, put simply, is news written for a specific area. Hyperlocal blogs are helpful and current as they allow residents to read news on their specific area, which is written from another locals perspective. Rather than traipsing through a more broad unbiased news website, you can get your local news instantly, with more character, opinion and almost word of mouth. This type of blogging is rather under crafted and is somewhat lacking in hits and numbers over the Internet compared to other more generic blogs. However, it has progressed significantly over the years and is now slowly making a name for itself online.
There are a handful of more established and impressive hyper local blogs in the leeds area, which cater to wider audience of the city. One being South Leeds life, a blog set up by a group of local residents whom contribute news and features specifically on the south area of the city. With its sharp and witty contributors to the blog regarding various goings on in the area, it has become a some what of an information hub for those living in that area. Another Blog, which I found quite impressive, was the Leeds citizen , which is again, a blog specifically catering to news around the Leeds area. This is a relevant and interesting blog which promotes and pushes citizen journalism as The writer (whom is a hard hitting journalist himself) has engaged with his audiences by asking if others would like to contribute to the site, which also acts as a stairway for aspiring writers in Leeds.
There are also a handful of more specific up and coming more specific hyperlocal blogs. These are blogs which are currently under development but could potentially follow the footsteps of that of the larger and more diverse Leeds blogs. I have ruled out a few, which I found engaging, with great content and relevance to the area. Firstly, the blog for the woodhouse area of Leeds named ‘Woodhouse moor online’ this blog has a lovely aesthetic, and great content. With its concise written work and great imagery it really does set the tone for the area and deliver fast and interesting news to the residents.
Another some what professional blog is the Kirkstall online, a highly worked on and impressive looking blog, which again features musings from various writers regarding that area. One story I partially liked was its latest piece on volunteering, it not only pushes the progression of participation with the residents, but it also highlights the importance of volunteering and the ethics regarding community life and getting involved.
Probably the most impressive and outstanding looking blog would have to be the Hyde park and woodhouse online blog as it generally comes across very artistic and well presented, it has some great news worthy stories for the area, keeps the local up to date with important council decisions, and uses fabulous imagery. Another blog is Holt Park today, again in keeping with that professional feel and pushes the locals to contribute.
One blog which is in the process of development and in my opinion is heading in the right direction isLeeds wellbeing blog not only does the writer promote their own blog in the ‘about’ section and reach out to other writers, but they are obviously new and up and coming and so its important that these blogs are promoted and read as much as the more developed hyperlocal ones.
It is evident that hyper local blogging is becoming much more popular with the locals, and especially starting to appeal to and target a younger resident audience. With relevant, interesting and generally well written news stories and features, these blogs will no doubt set the tone for hyperlocal blogs for the future. They have already created and carved a respected and evidently popular space for themselves, and no doubt will progress as the digital world develops.
Helen Clarke's Online Journal 