After eleven years with Leeds Living, I’ve decided to speak out. I could butcher the quote about good people saying nothing whilst bad people do bad things, so I won’t.
Instead, I want to tell you about some people who profess to care about the community and, if you’re their preferred part of the community, they will greet you with a smile and give you the impression that they are giving you more than just their time. They call themselves Northlight Arts Centre.
Tim Miller will tell you that he founded Northlight all on his own. That he is the sole investor and the owner of the cafe/bar. Boris/Mark Cruse will also tell you that the cafe/bar is his. He may even, I’m told, present himself as the boss. Cruse made no financial investment in Northlight Arts Centre. He quite simply freeloaded his way in. The landlord of the Northlight premises even warned Miller not to trust Cruse with business or with cash. Cruse was proclaiming himself as a renowned artist, until a complaint to the CIC Regulator drew their attention to his claim.
Tim Miller is not the sole founder. He would not even have secured the lease on the premises without our help, from day one, when we paid the deposit into his personal account so he could have the lease. Then he took himself off on holidays whilst Paul Simon, his co-founder (and Founder of Leeds Living) began working on the property to make it ready and accessible for the community. By early 2024, our investment stood at £63,000. The additional investment, including long hours of hard work, has not been counted. It was given as a labour of love for the property and the potential it offered.
Miller admitted, via email, our £63,000 was more than he had contributed. Cruse had, by August 2025, still contributed nothing.
We have the evidence to support our position. Much of it is in the form of emails from Miller himself – about founding, about investment and about Cruse and, subsequently, Amanda Burton. Cruse claimed Burton should be brought on board to raise funds via bids for grants. She has, instead, been part-time cafe assistant for three years. No bids were submitted at my last count, which was October 2025. Again, we have the email evidence, from Miller, that she was brought into the CIC for one role that she had never even attempted. It is much more likely that Cruse wanted an old colleague who would vote with him on every occasion. So she was brought in under a false pretext. She decided to make mischief her goal – giving a new customer of ours personal information about us and claiming a message sent to her (and many others) was offensive. The hundreds of people who had already received that message hadn’t found it threatening, but Burton decided it was an excuse for her to take yet more time off because she couldn’t possibly work with the sender of the message – Paul – who had forwarded it openly to many others.
Then Miller decided to claim that we owed him money, so he would take the cafe/bar from us as payment. We had refurbished, re-fitted and equipped the cafe/bar, a considerable part of Paul’s investment, and when Miller realised we were nearing the end of our funds for Northlight, he seized our property and blocked access to vital software. I should explain that he always sent any invoices to me. So I asked him where the invoices were in respect of the supposed debt. He told me he had written them off. So I asked him time and again for the written off versions. He has been unable to provide these. Yet again, there is email evidence of my requests. Given that the cafe/bar was a significant part of Paul’s income and that he had already had restrictions imposed on him by the pair, it became clear to me that Miller and Cruse’s intention all along was to maximise Paul’s investment to their own advantage, a ‘take what we can while we can’ approach, then make his working life untenable.
When an issue was raised by a Northlight user, Miller turned it into a big deal because it was about Paul. The person complaining told an independent investigator later that she had never wanted it to be dealt with the way Miller dealt with it and that she believed Miller just wanted Paul out of Northlight. Then another Northlight user who had gossiped her way through the proceedings, but who the investigator confirmed had been unable to provide any actual evidence, continued – even after Paul was exonerated – to spread her bile and venom, determined to try to make Paul feel outcast and isolated. Miller did nothing to stop her. When I mentioned the police, she stopped. The investigator commented on Miller’s incompetence to handle complaints and noted that there was no complaints procedure and that there should be. When a complaint was submitted to the CIC Regulator about this nine months later, Miller and Cruse finally added a complaints procedure to the website. The last time I looked, it had disappeared. There was, however, a DEI statement, again I believe in the light of a complaint to the CIC Regulator, which included mention of more than one accusation of racism against Cruse.
Cruse took £300 in cash from one of Paul’s customers, then when the customer told us he had handed it to Cruse, Cruse initially denied all knowledge, then said he didn’t know where it was, that he couldn’t find it. He has made no attempt to pay us that money. His claim to be in charge at Northlight is ludicrous, given that he had up to August 2025 made no financial investment in the business. Why should he, when he can freeload on others?
When we paid the full cost of the buildings insurance direct to the landlord of the property, Miller agreed to pay half. Instead, he took the 50% out of the CIC bank account and paid it into his own Tim J Miller account! Yes, we have the screen shots.
When Paul made a serious mistake whilst under extreme duress last August, Miller again decided he had the right to 100% of the takings for August and September. He has been asked to reconcile the takings and pay Paul his percentage. He has made no attempt to do so. So – he has seized our cash as well as our property. Cruse and Miller, it seems, are both happy to take what is not theirs; to benefit from others’ efforts.
Users of Northlight should be aware that the facilities do not belong to Miller, Burton or Cruse and that they are using stolen property, property that Miller and Cruse refuse to return to us or make us an offer for. Is that community interest? Or is it self-interest?
Members of North Art, Miller’s other company, have told me about their experiences – that he withholds the cash from the sales of their art and they have to press him for it. One North Art member who I will call ‘the artist’, had more than once to go into Northlight to get Miller to give the artist what the artist was owed. The artist told me he is all smiles and charm until he is exposed, then he turns derisory and mocking. Another North Art member said when he tried to complain to Miller about his customer service, Miller told him to go elsewhere if he didn’t like it. Some artists were promised certain things within their membership, but were not receiving what they were promised – and Miller would get defensive whenever questioned about what the members should be getting.
It was said that Miller ‘never’ gets work done on time and things have to be redone. I took ‘never’ to be a word used in frustration. One member complained repeatedly about some work Miller had done and in the end, gave up asking and just accepted whatever Miller produced, because the effort was too much for him to get Miller to do it right.
Some members must be happy, surely, so I think perhaps their money must be worth more than that of other members. I guess it depends on whose money it is.
Miller has also allowed a family heirloom of mine, a framed embroidery, to ‘disappear’. He denied all knowledge of it, then was reminded that he had commented to someone else on the quality of the frame. Other property of ours was moved from the basement and hidden behind a fence outdoors. I believe someone stowed it there so they could take it when there was no-one else to see. We found it in time.
We are not looking to recoup all of our investment and will never be compensated for the long hours worked over years, but we are intent on Miller and Cruse handing over the customer’s ‘missing’ money, the 50% of the buildings insurance, the share of the takings for August and September 2025 and a reasonable sum for the cafe/bar, for which we have the receipts. We have also suggested that we simply strip and remove the bar and take our property with us. We do not look for yet another reply from Miller telling us he doesn’t recognise what we’re saying and wishing us the best! Nor do I expect another accusation of being ‘deluded’ because Miller knows what the answer to that will be.
Nothing can compensate for the dirty tricks played on Paul, so I won’t go into the details of those. They beggar belief, even putting me in harm’s way of a person known to the police. (I have the police reference number.) I can’t tell you at this point why females on their own felt uncomfortable and wouldn’t share space with Cruse alone.
So, Cruse and Miller – we are supposed to be role models for our children. Those closest to you will forgive you and you will at least earn some respect if you admit what you’ve done and try to make amends, not only for seizing and withholding property that does not belong to you, but also for the lies, the abuse, the obstruction and the bullying. Someone who witnessed this and did so repeatedly declared that you “prevented Paul from his livelihood time and time again. It was disgusting.”
Users of Northlight please note: After complaints were submitted to the CIC Regulator, the three have made various attempts to address issues. In fact, one Northlight user emailed to thank us for tackling the three of them and advising them of the complaints as well as our mystery shoppers, because they straight away changed their attitude towards particular sectors of the community. The user asked me why they couldn’t have always treated her that way. They have even added music to the website, after refusing to do so over time (other than the events already established) declaring that ‘music is not art’. Then there are the DEI and complaints statement and procedure, and now some effort, I’m told, to tidy up the overgrown garden.
The CIC Regulator has asked us to inform Companies House of a variety of contraventions of the Companies Act 2006, such as failure to keep agreed minutes, failure to present on request the register of members, failure to adopt correct voting and notice of meetings….. I will get to Companies House eventually. I have more to raise with them, such as Miller having registered a company for the cafe he has forcibly taken.
That reminds me of Miller’s relationship with Companies House: I noticed earlier this year that one of his companies, Round Creative, is in liquidation, owing eleven creditors a total of over £100,000. Miller claims he only owes just over £50k. Whichever figure is correct, do Northlight/North Art users think it appropriate to encourage him to profit whilst he owes others so much money that, in liquidation, he clearly has no intention of repaying?
Then there is Miller’s government COVID loan. He boasted about having borrowed £50,000 as a bounce back business loan and using it to pay off his personal debts. Only a forensic accountant would be able to verify this, so was he simply bragging? Was the money used as the law intended – for his business – or was it for his personal liabilities?
As the landlord of the Northlight premises declared “Paul trusted them and they let him down.” Hopefully, the landlord has now insisted that the Northlight car park and the garden are properly maintained. He was unhappy with the state of the premises when we last were in touch.
So before anyone starts rattling off messages to me, why not ask Miller, Cruse and Burton to show you those invoices, the written off versions? Why not ask Miller and Cruse to show you the CIC bank statement and look for the figure of £328.14? Why not ask them about the cash? Why not ask the customer? Why not ask Burton how many bids she’s prepared and submitted over the years?
Then you might ask Miller if he thought it was right that I ran his leeds.tech website for seven years, free of charge, and when he closed it down, he did so without even mentioning this to me. I had to find out when I next logged on and saw that the website was gone, after I had dedicated seven years, contributing some time every day of the seven days a week. It was never my remit to grow the site; it was only to maintain it, and that I obviously did. Miller’s action, his behaviour, that attitude, is just another example of the calibre of the bloke.
Miller might tell you that Paul took £700. The event organiser will tell you the facts. Miller told us we would have to reinstate the Northlight kitchen to the condition in which we found it. We told him that would involve finding an old sink, damaging the floor and walls, finding an oven that is unusable, ripping out the lighting, knocking a hole in the wall, removing part of the staircase…… He had no answer to that.
Neither did he have an answer when he accused Paul of damaging sanitaryware – and I pointed out that the reason for trashing the old toilet was to create space for Miller’s framing room. Nor did he reply when I reminded him that Paul offered to share the cost with him of adding more toilet facilities on the first floor. Miller said he had no money for that.
So, users of No.31 Potternewton Lane: be aware that the premises were made fit for purpose because Paul Simon, with support from Andrea Simon and Mags Richards, made them so, from the floors to the walls, the electrics, the staircase and some of the plumbing, as well as the cafe bar (and of course previously the garden). Miller, Cruse and the complicit Burton, on the other hand, will forever be tainted by their stench of betrayal, deception, abuse and theft. Unless, of course, they find some integrity, some courage, from somewhere.
It is only right that I haven’t stayed silent. I’ve done so for too long. I make no apology, not to Leeds Living’s 8,400 followers (at time of writing), nor our wonderful team of 50 writers and photographers. It is, quite simply, time.
Mags Richards
PS As I was about to publish this, a local musician asked for our help. It reminded me of just one of Paul’s plans, so I put this to one of our music writers. Here’s my outline of Paul’s plan and the writer’s response:
MY OUTLINE This was part of Paul’s plan – to offer local musicians the chance to have an audience for the first time at Northlight, then spread wider, even offering a kind of package to visiting artists – publicity/preview/press release, stage, lighting, audience, food, B & B, reviews, social media.
Then apply for grants to improve the facilities.
OUR WRITER’S RESPONSE “And this is exactly what Leeds needs and it would be successful. I remember talking to him about it at Northlight when he was up there doing everything. I said we should expand it to a You Tube channel. I’d be happy to interview new bands. I even mentioned comedy nights and he had already been thinking of this. The potential when Paul was running it was unlimited.”
Once Paul had felt compelled to leave (Paul has now resigned his directorship with the CIC), Cruse very quickly started talking to people about having more music events, as if this was his idea and as if he had never declared that music is not art. Bad enough that he had taken Paul’s money and watched him do the hard work for years. It clearly wasn’t enough. He had to take his ideas as well. Fortunately, some people saw through this and removed their event from Northlight.
There is so much more that I could tell you about the abuses Miller and Cruse have committed. As one of my correspondents suggested, those could be saved for part 2. I hope there is no need for part 2, but if there is, it’s because we’ve been forced to ask the Court to decide the outcomes. The Court will want to know that we did everything we could to try to settle this matter and avoid using the Court’s valuable resources. Some people did suggest holding a protest outside the Northlight premises. Someone else suggested a petition. In fact, the Court will want to know that all parties involved did everything they could to settle. I think from our side, we can safely say we did, we are – and we will continue to do so.
MR
EARLY RESPONSES TO THE ABOVE:
A good catalogue of the underhand things that have been going on and a very reasonable request for response. This reads as a well documented case against Miller and Cruse and a call for the matter to be settled before it becomes more messy rather than a revenge piece.
We’ve just read your Northlight article, and wanted to send a message of support. The whole situation sounds awful – so sorry that you, and Paul, have been through this (and continue to be going through it).
It’s absolutely spot on, as it lays everything out…plus letting people know there are receipts! They’ll be useful for part 2.
Sounds like you’ve been personally robbed which is just atrocious !
I’m so glad you’ve written it and I’m sad at the same time.
They have no chance of escaping this exposure and it will be interesting and hopefully amusing to see them try!
Honestly this is the very least they deserve. I feel like the letter is just the beginning.
Loads of hugs for your valiant efforts.
I think the businesses that you deal with on a regular basis, must know you as good people and would be horrified and saddened that this has happened, especially if it financially impacts Leeds Living which does great work and has done for years.
I loved that place when Paul was doing it. It has such potential for so many things.
