World Cup stickers to lion masks: the treasures hidden beneath Leeds playground to mark 400 year milestone
The touching items Leeds pupils chose to leave behind for the next century
Primary school pupils have sent a thought-provoking messages as Leeds marks 400 years with a remarkable gift to children of the future.
Young people attending schools across the city have been hard at work preparing a series of time capsules which will be buried today, the same day Leeds officially received its first royal charter from King Charles I, 400 years ago.
The project has been part of Leeds 400, a city-wide programme of activity commemorating the bestowing of the prestigious charter in 1626 while also celebrating the best of the city’s past, present and future.
Among the schools taking part has been Chapel Allerton Primary School, where pupils have chosen objects which they felt captured life both in Leeds and at their school in 2026, and which will be buried in the playground today to be opened in 100 years.
Alongside items related to school, sport and play, they also created eye-catching posters featuring all their favourite things about the area where they live.
Pupils taking part included Nellie Brennan, 11, who chose a FIFA 2026 World Cup sticker book to be buried in the capsule.
She said: “I think people in 100 years will be fascinated to know about the World Cup in 2026 and to know that people at school were trying so hard to collect all the stickers.
“Football might be really different by then and the game could have changed a lot. We might even put a prediction in about how well England are going to do and they’ll find it really funny when they read it and see if we were right or wrong.”
Fellow pupil La-niyah Fuller, also 11, chose to include a lion mask, which children at the school had made for their upcoming end-of-term musical production of Madagascar.
She said: “In the future, they might not have school plays like we do now, and it’ll be fun for them to imagine what ours was like.”
Headteacher, Nicholas Sykes added: ‘We felt the Leeds 400 celebrations provided a genuine opportunity for the children to reflect on what being a young person in Leeds today means and project forward a century to consider the future.
“We are proud of our school, which shortly celebrates its own 150 year anniversary, and hope learning and play still happens here in another hundred years.”
Chapel Allerton will be one of 19 primary schools around the city burying capsules today in a project spear-headed by Child Friendly Leeds, a Leeds City Council initiative working to make Leeds the best city for children and young people to grow up in.
Recent celebration events included a picnic on City Square and a special church service at Leeds Minster hosted by the Lord Mayor of Leeds yesterday.
Coun Salma Arif, Leeds City Council’s executive member for economy, said: “Leeds 400 is all about celebrating the past, present and future of Leeds, and what better way to do that than to ask children living and growing up in the city today what they think of Leeds and what’s important to them.
“It’s wonderful to see them joining people of all ages around Leeds in celebrating this landmark moment in the city’s history and taking the chance to reflect on all the things which make Leeds such a special place today.”