We spent a day in the Yorkshire city of Leeds in Northern England. Being the nearest city to Moonbase, we visit a few times a year.
One of its hidden gems is its Water Taxi, a free boat ride along the river Aire into and out of the city centre from Leeds Dock.
The two boats are bright yellow .... like New York Taxis!
Along the river the Skipper gave us a really interesting fact: the world's first moving pictures were made on Leeds Bridge, a Victorian bridge we went under! The Skipper said the very short film of traffic crossing the bridge is on You Tube!
And so it is! Frenchman Louis Le Prince's black and white flicker of horses, carts and early cars ... in 1888!
As with all world firsts there's competition. Louis Le Prince appears to have shot another earlier film also in Leeds. This is on You Tube as well and is known as the Roundhay Garden Scene. Roundhay is an area of Leeds. It was also shot in October 1888 but earlier than the Leeds Bridge scene.
Reading further I noticed mention of real controversy surrounding these films or more particularly the film-maker himself. It appears that Louis Le Prince simply vanished in 1890.
Rather darkly there appears to be some suggestion that he was kidnapped by powerful forces emerging during the lucrative birth of motion pictures. There are many articles on the net and this is just one I chose at random. I have no views on this myself as I have only just come across this mystery. Maybe you know more?
And all this from a ride on the Leeds Water Taxi!
Have you got a water taxi near you?
Or maybe even a lovely plastic toy boat you sail in the local pond?
Or maybe even a lovely plastic toy boat you sail in the local pond?
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