Leeds Blogger Q&A: The City I See blog

Gwen at the Athabasca Glacier in the Canadian Rockies

The first in a series of interviews with Leeds bloggers. When I first started writing about Leeds there didn’t appear to be many bloggers in the city, but thanks to Twitter, I soon realised that this is not true – we live in a city with lots of creative writers; writing about topics such as from food, fashion and music.

First up, is Gwen Pew who is a final year student studying English at Leeds University, she grew up in Hong Kong, London and Beijing. She writes the The City I See blog which features reviews of the theatre, restaurants and her experiences travelling around Leeds and the world.

Please could you introduce yourself and tell the readers about your blog

My name is Gwen and I started ‘The City I See’ during my final year at Leeds Uni. The blog was born as a result of my love for the arts, culture, and travel. I have a passion for trying new things, going to new places, and meeting new people, as I believe that everyone and everything has a story to tell.

The blog attempts to tell those stories. It’s a personal city guide for whichever city I happen to be in at the time. I mostly post reviews of and interviews with interesting things and people I come across in my days and ways, in the hopes that my readers will enjoy them too.

Which city have you enjoyed travelling to the most, and why?

Tough one! My family have always been keen travellers so I’ve been to a lot of fantastic places. If I can only choose one though I think I’d have to say Bangkok, but a few other cities like Vancouver, Boston and Albufeira are good fun too.

For a city to be awesome I think it has to have great people, interesting places (and not just tourist attractions) and most importantly, great food. Bangkok happens to check all those boxes a few times over!

Where would you like to travel to next, and why?

I’ve been hearing so many great things about Capetown and I’ve never been to Africa before so that’s pretty high up on my list. Not sure if I’m up for eating wild animals but whale-watching and ostrich-riding sound pretty fun!

What tips would you give people who are interested in writing a blog?

Find a passion and a style, and then keep writing as though your life depends on it. Publish regularly. Ask for constructive criticism and don’t be put off if traffic is slow at the beginning. Make it personal but keep things interesting.

Don’t be afraid to ask for things like interviews (make sure you do so at least a few weeks in advance though!) – the worst they can say is no but remember that everyone loves free press. And finally, there is nothing shameful about self-promotion, so go all out…

If you had the opportunity to improve one thing about Leeds what would it be, and why?

I’d say the weather, but that would be cheating I assume? That aside, I think it’d be great if we could integrate students with locals a bit more.

There are things like the Barefoot Poetry Festival coming up at Woodhouse Moor on 28th April, which is organised by Leeds Uni students for students as well as the community, and a few art exhibitions like Northern Arts Uncovered that showcase both students’ and local artists’ works, which are fantastic.

I’d just love to see an even higher level of integration, because at the end of the day it takes all of us to make up the great city that is Leeds!

Please visit The City I See blog and follow Gwen on Twitter too.

Rate this Leeds blog post

(4 votes, average: 4.75 out of 5)

 Loading ...

Get involved in Hyde Park Unity Day

Hyde Park Unity Day is run entirely by volunteers in the LS6 area, and aims to promote community cohesion by, amongst other activities, organising and fundraising for a not-for-profit annual Community Celebration which showcases the talents of local residents and promotes the benefits of living and working within Hyde Park.

Click here to find out more information about Unity Day

Rate this Leeds blog post

(4 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

 Loading ...

Promoting Leeds charities: Meanwood Valley Farm

The gardens at Meanwood Valley Urban Farm

Meanwood Valley Urban Farm is a unique, community led charity that supports inner-city school children, marginalised young people and vulnerable adults through groundbreaking, outdoors based projects. It’s a 25 acre working farm and a unique greenspace that encourages people to develop a lifelong interest in nature and the environment.

Click here to learn more about Meanwood Valley Farm

Rate this Leeds blog post

(3 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

 Loading ...

Promoting Leeds charities: Leeds Music Trust

Leeds Music Trust is a new registered charity dedicated to nurturing and promoting amateur musical talent in the fine city of Leeds. Our main fundraising focus is on those who would not otherwise have access to such support. We aim to make a real difference to lives and communities.

Click here to find about the Leeds Music Trust

Rate this Leeds blog post

(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

 Loading ...