SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Hi, This is my first post after looking at your excellent site extensively.
I have in my great grandfather's spidery writing a "bit of good Yorkshire" about decorations and illuminations in Leeds. I can't decipher all of the hand-writing and/or dialect. I wonder if it is a concert piece for recitation that someone may recognise or just his reminiscence about a particular historic occasion when he lived in Leeds.
His name was Frederick Hartley. He was born in 1859 at Chapeltown. He left Leeds for Manchester around 1881 after his marriage. He came to Sydney Australia in 1906.
I will attach the page from my aunt's autograph book - he wrote it shortly before he died and he put the wrong year on the top of it, as he definitely died in June 1933.
I can see that it says:
Oct 16,1933
"By Gum! isn't Decarations Champion, There's nowt iver been dun ta beeat 'em. Triumphal Arch an 'tother festivities ar a reight ___Enoch?______ aht J'solm? is coming Throo all over such as Pudsey and Howit? and all sich like places. Boor loin's like a blooming Park and Briggett like a Drapers shop at Christmas time. and by gum if they arnt trying to make hay out Town Hall Steps. Ah ??? no gain? o Woodhouse Loin A' cudn't see nowt for throng Ee anet no way hoop in't City Square, wish I'd been a ??? They'd good and cooil? am barn o' see luminuated cars. T a net an all t'other meets? if I ha wants o lot dewing? reight Ha mun bring it to Leeds , Frederick Hartley Grandfather"
Any help at all appreciated gratefully, please,
Loiner Ancestry

What does the attached file mean please?

It is obviously referring to a festival or celebration in Leeds, as the references to a Triumphal Arch,people from Pudsey and Slawit(Slaithwaite) ,and other areas coming to Leeds, and Briggate looking like a drapers shop with flags etc imply the author is describing visiting for a special occasion.
If you have a date it would help to identify it further.

It is obviously referring to a festival or celebration in Leeds, as the references to a Triumphal Arch,people from Pudsey and Slawit(Slaithwaite) ,and other areas coming to Leeds, and Briggate looking like a drapers shop with flags etc imply the author is describing visiting for a special occasion.
If you have a date it would help to identify it further.

Apologies to the original poster but I have merged similar threads.

Steve, as you should now see approximately 1864 to 1881 assuming it isn't a memory of an under 5 and it wasn't a return visit to Leeds.

It's a fascinating thread. The Triumphal Arch may seem likely to be a reference to the Triumphal Arch that was erected on Wellington Street for a Royal visit on July 7 1908. However, as Frederick "came to Sydney Australia in 1906" that could be unlikely but he may still have known of it.

Could it be that Grandfather was relating a tale that had been told to him?

Crowds of up to 600,000 were reported in 1858 when a triumphal arch was erected for Queen Victoria's visit to inaugurate Leeds Town Hall.

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/che ... -1-6957458

I wondered about 1858 as too early,as it mentions the town hall which would mean a cvic occasion,i wondered about the Diamond Jubilee

I've made a little more sense of the writing.

......Triumphal Arch an t'other festivities are a reight knock aht [knockout]. T'folk is coming...etc

....

Eee an' it were hoot in City Square. Ah wish ah'd been at office? they 'ad good stand. [indecipherable bit,then] Am barn [I'm bahn = I'm going to] see Illuminated cars? tae neet [tonight] an' all t'other seets [sights]. If tha wants owt dewing [doing] reight [right] tha mun [you must] bring it to Leeds.

City Square might then refer to the ceremony around the unveilingof the black prince statue although i think from the references to Briggate,the town hall etc that it is more likely to have been a larger celebration and the City Square reference might be to crowds coming in by train etc.