Buried deep in the heart of Hyde Park, at a glance Brudenell Social Club looks like an archaic and somewhat dingy watering hole. Appearances are often deceptive and in fact, this under-appreciated, small venue is thriving. In truth, it is the cherished hub of the community. It is dingy and the furnishings are outdated, but these features only add to the quirkiness of the building.

Hyde Park community hub

Despite its gig listings – which range from lesser-known indie artists to post-rock and even black metal, it attracts an incredibly wide range of people. A handful of characters frequent the club and never fail to engage you in sometimes bizarre yet never dull conversation. Whether you’re popping in for a daytime cup of coffee or a Friday night booze-fest, you are always greeted with beaming faces and friendly banter, and this isn’t just the staff.

Locals, who one might assume would be sick to death of students, their noise and their litter, are always friendly and game for a chat. This is rare. Living in Hyde Park can be trying at the best of times, what with overflowing bins and noise nuisance from early morning revellers. It’s really great to find such a gem, with such an overwhelming sense of community. There’s even a pub dog – an old school but nonetheless quaint touch.

Food and drink at the Brudenell Social Club

The bar is more than adequately stocked, serving local bitters and lagers from incredibly hip microbreweries. It’s also fairly priced (less than £3 for a pint) and champions a variety of snacks – a crisp-fanatic’s dream. Us often-shunned cider drinkers are also catered for, with a selection of boozy apple-filled beverages.

Even better, the hosts are so relaxed that they encourage you to bring your own food and even get pizza delivered to your table. Handy, as what many consider to be Leeds’ best takeaway Pitza Cano is only a five-minute walk away.

Tour around the Brudenell Social Club

As well as ample parking spaces and an area to lock up your bike, the outdoor area is perfectly equipped for a warm day with its many tables and benches. There’s also an outdoor area with heaters because let’s face it Leeds weather is unpredictable. The venue part of the building is found on the left hand side as you enter and has a separate bar, which is handy if you don’t want to miss even a second of the gig.

Music-wise, it’s undoubtedly one of the best places to watch live music in Leeds. The room is spacious and laid out in a way that allows even the shortest music fans to see the stage. There are even a few booth-type sofas. The sound is always infallible (thanks to what appears to be the world’s largest sound desk). The other side of the building is more sociable and has plenty of tables and electronic games if that’s what you’re into.

Behind this room, there is another small room and bar which houses a lounge area with a well-sized plasma television which often shows sports. This area is artistically wallpapered with gig posters, past and present. It’s interesting and often shocking to see who’s played there before. Behind the bar in this room is a mecca of framed prints – proof that big name bands began their careers screaming their lungs out in this humble social club.

This room leads to yet another spacious area where you’ll find a number of snooker tables. This tardis of a room is always buzzing and overflowing with customers lining up to play a game. Be sure you put your 50p down or you’ll be waiting a while!

Getting to and from the Brudenell Social Club

Those who may have had a little bit too much to drink will find Royal Cars taxi rank nearby which is cheap and reliable. Or if you’re planning on dancing the night away in the city centre, a taxi will cost roughly £4.

Bus stops are also nearby. The bus service is frequent and convenient as most routes lead to the city centre. Burley Park train station is a ten-minute walk from the club, where trains travel towards Leeds, York, Harrogate, Headingley and Knaresborough.

It’s amazing to think that it opened as a gentleman’s social club in 1913 and has now evolved to become an iconic part of Leeds’ culture. All in all, the Brudenell Social Club is a great find in a city facing domination by chains and retail giants. Guaranteed, it is worth a visit.

Leeds Map

Browse the map and click on the pins to find the location of the places featured in this guide.

Every parent can paint the same picture; it’s raining, square eyes are forming on your child’s face, and the cheeriness of Kids’ TV is beginning to grate on you. You are caught in a vicious circle of tidying, washing up and providing half-consumed food and drink. One false move could result in a breakdown in relations that will take all day to repair. In short, everybody needs a breather and a change of scenery.

School holidays; everybody loves them! But in truth, a bit of forward planning can create a structured programme of events that offers variety and fulfilment for your family. We face the same dilemma at weekends of occupying restless children with a low attention-span and an irregular appreciation of the value of money, but school holidays require a bit more groundwork.

Farms

Leeds is surrounded by numerous farms and wildlife sanctuaries. Children of any age are fascinated by animals, and you can make this fun and educational at the same time. Temple Newsam, Roundhay Park Tropical World, Meanwood Valley Urban Farm, Elmsley Farm at Horsforth, Lotherton Hall and Ponderosa Rare Breeds Farm at Heckmondwike are just some examples of accessible wildlife, birds, livestock and aquariums to consider.

Swimming and Sports

Regular weekend sporting activities are usually open to children during the holidays. Swimming is the most popular of course and you will find that your local pool will put on extra sessions in the holidays, but in addition you may want to see what new activities they are offering. Dance classes, Five-a-Side Football and Martial Arts are often programmed in to keep the kids occupied.

Seaside

If you wait for the weather you might be missing out, and if the weather does eventually turn good, you can count on the seaside being very popular. However, at any time there is plenty to do on the coast, and just a change of scenery and a view of the sea is enough to perk everybody up. Scarborough, Filey and Bridlington are all a 90 minute drive from Leeds, Whitby is a little further up the coast, and on the West side, Blackpool and Morecambe can be reached within two hours.

Museums

Depending on the age of your child museums are something you may wish to consider. The children’s museum ‘Eureka’ is just a 30 minute drive from Leeds in Halifax, but closer to home there are the Thackray Museum, Abbey House at Kirkstall, and in the city centre the Royal Armouries and the Leeds City Museum have some good interactive sections for the smaller children and often special exhibitions for the holidays.

Indoor Play Centres

Leeds is blessed with several Play Centres in local areas, which tend to allow the parents to relax with a cuppa whilst their children have fun and tire themselves out. For the minimal costs these are usually good value and they allow children to play and interact with others.

Craft Workshops

Keep an eye out for local craft workshops scheduled for the school holidays. Many local churches, scout and school buildings hold sessions for kids to create a range of arts and crafts, such as themed t-shirts, decorative mirrors, purses and toys etc. These are usually advertised locally and sometimes have morning and afternoon sessions for which you can book to suit you.

Picnics

Obviously this is weather-dependent, but if you just fancy a bit of fresh air kids love the adventure of a picnic, and you can involve them in making it. In Leeds there are several parks where a combination of scenery and playgrounds will keep the kids entertained. Roundhay, Golden Acre, Kirkstall Abbey and Horsforth Hall Park are particularly nice and have ample green space even on popular, sunny days.

All of the above can be done on a relatively low budget, but it is worth bearing in mind that everything adds up, and you will need to allow for a little more expenditure than normal during the week. If your budget permits there are more ambitious activities a little further afield that are worth considering, such as the Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster and The Deep at Hull, or Lightwater Valley near Ripon and Flamingo Land at Malton.

Some families prefer the spontaneity of seeing what catches their mood, which is fine, but does sometimes limit what activities might be available, and nobody wants a sulking child in the back of the car when the cinema is sold out. All in all, it pays to look around and plan ahead.

May Bank Holiday weekend (Friday 4th – Monday 7th May) sees the return of Leeds’ own venue-hopping inner-city music event, Live At Leeds. Now in its sixth year, the lively metropolitan festival is bigger than ever – expecting attendance of around 25,000 for 2012. Acts confirmed so far include big-name headliners Example, the Subways and Marina and the Diamonds, as well as plenty of local favourites and fresh talent. All acts will be playing across 11 different locations in or around Leeds city centre.

Live At Leeds venues

Venues participating this year include larger capacity city centre venues the Cockpit, Leeds Metropolitan University, the University of Leeds and the o2 Academy. More intimate bar gigs are lined up for Nation Of Shopkeepers, Milo and the Faversham. Finally, don’t miss local must-see venues Holy Trinity Church on Boar Lane, and the faded glamour of the Brudenell Social Club, just a short bus journey away in nearby Hyde Park.

As usual with Live At Leeds, the real challenge is seeing how many of the great bands on offer you can squeeze into your timetable, especially on Saturday May 5th, when the majority of performances will be taking place. Here are just a few of My Life In Leeds’ must-sees for 2012.

Live At Leeds artists

Friends: These Brooklyn based multi-instrumentalists released their smooth debut single I’m His Girl on the Lucky Numbers label just last year, and are already winning hearts and minds over in the UK with their tropical electro-pop. Their debut full-length is due out at the end of the summer, and should cement their reputation as one of the most stylish new bands around.

Ladyhawke: New Zealand singer-songwriter Pip Brown (aka Ladyhawke) seemed to vanish after the success of her sparkling debut in 2008, so it’s great to finally see her back in the UK to give us a glimpse of her hotly anticipated follow-up album Anxiety. Expect shimmering, 80s-infused indie pop. Fingers crossed for more tunes as enormous as her big hit Paris Is Burning.

Los Campesinos!: If you like your indie sticky-sweet then Los Campesinos! will lift your heart with their endlessly danceable lo-fi anthems. Let’s hope the nice people at Live At Leeds sort the seven-piece out with a stage big enough for them all to fit on and still shake their booties. Guaranteed to make you smile.

Ghostpoet: The Mercury Prize nominated MC/producer spins his broody, moody stories over simple, hook-laden loops. Describing his music as a blend of Joy Division and Roots Manuva with a “dash of lemon and a pinch of salt.”, fans of the album will be pleased to hear that in a live environment Obaro Ejimiwe builds his subtle sound into something dynamic and quite brilliant.

Toy: Toy are one of the real buzz bands playing Live At Leeds this year. The moody, Krautrock-influenced single Motoring has already lead them to a sold out residency at East London’s Shackleton Arms, and now there’s a debut album in the works with Kills’ producer Dan Carey. Catch them now and say you were there at the beginning…

As usual there will be a good showing of quality local acts to look out for too, including post-rock favourites iLikeTrains, rowdy rock from Eagulls, indie poppets This Many Boyfriends, a whole lot of racket from Blacklisters and an equal amount of heart from local hero Sam Airey.

Live At Leeds Unconference

It’s not just live music either – on Friday the 4th, the festival opens with the Unconference, a discussion about music in the city featuring a panel of experts. This free event is being held in Munro house, and promises to cover various aspects of distribution, marketing and promotion, as well as giving everyone involved a chance to network and talk about their music and ideas.

Annual Football tournament

Also, closing the festival will be the second annual Live At Leeds 5-A-Side Football Tournament, featuring teams made up from local bands, venues and record labels. All matches take place at Goals Soccer Centre on Kirkstall Road, with proceeds going to Sport Relief.

The lovely folk at Live At Leeds promise even more artists and special guests will be announced in the run up to the event, so keep your eye on the official website for more information. Wristbands and tickets are a mere £20 this year. Get yours online from Lunatickets, or buy direct from Crash Records on The Headrow or Jumbo Records at the St John’s Centre in Leeds city centre.

My Life In Leeds’ #lookupleeds campaign on Twitter had dozens of Leodiensians craning their necks and peering skyward, seeing – perhaps for the first time – some of the amazing Leeds architecture that we so often pass by. I wonder how many of those people also caught a glimpse of another sort of local history: a living, breathing, soaring part of Leeds’ natural heritage.

The Red Kite returns

The Red Kite has returned to the skies over Leeds. The Red Kite is a huge bird of prey, somewhere between an eagle and a hawk. In mediaeval Leeds, as in most cities of the time, it was a common bird – thanks largely to its habit of eating absolutely anything (and I mean anything: its close Indian relative the Black Kite was given the nickname ‘shite hawk’ by British servicemen overseas for much the same reason). In a city strewn with effluent and offal from the slaughterhouses, the Red Kite was a valuable member of the clean-up squad.

But the Red Kite was driven to the brink of extinction in the centuries that followed. Late in the 20th century, action was finally taken to save the endangered predator. Red Kites were re-introduced at a number of locations. One of the most successful of these programmes was based in the splendid grounds of Harewood House.

Explore for wildlife at Harewood House

A visit to Harewood today pretty much guarantees a glimpse of one or more Red Kites soaring lazily above the treetops (they’re easily identified by their size, reddish tint and forked tails).

But the great thing is that you don’t have to go to the countryside to see them. They’re an increasingly common sight throughout north and east Leeds, even in such unpromisingly urban environments as Harehills and Seacroft. They’ve even been seen in Leeds city centre, picking at leftover kebabs and pizza crusts in the early mornings.

It’s good to have them back. But even when they were absent from the area, they were gone but not forgotten: many Leeds placenames – not least ‘Gledhow’ – are derived from ‘glede’, an old name for the Red Kite. The Kites are a reminder that you don’t need to buy a ticket for Tropical World to get a glimpse of fascinating wildlife within the city ring road.

Kirkstall Valley Nature Reserve

Over in west Leeds, the Kirkstall Valley Nature Reserve provides another instance of nature gaining a foothold in an unlikely environment. The reserve was a long, long time in the making (one junior planning officer apparently grew so frustrated with the process that he quit his job and became a monk) – but now, in a once-derelict strip of ash lagoons and building waste where a power station once stood, it provides a home for wildlife of many kinds.

Included within the reserve is an island in the river, which provides a secluded habitat for Roe Deer and waterfowl. Throughout the reserve, visitors can expect to see scarce wildflowers and butterflies (16 different species have been spotted here), and birds including the Kingfisher, Reed Bunting and Blackcap. This is an example of urban regeneration in its most fundamental sense.

Exploring places like this is not only fun – it’s free, too. If you walk or cycle, you don’t even have to stump up for bus-fare.

Eccup reservoir

A little further out of the city centre, Leeds’ major green spaces provide further opportunities to get to know the local wildlife. More than a hundred species of bird have been seen at Adel Dam reserve, for instance (including all three species of British woodpecker: gold star if you can name them); Eccup reservoir is home to huge flocks of ducks in winter and is noisy with songbirds in the spring; at Golden Acre Park and neighbouring Breary Marsh, visitors might spot anything from a Mink or a Water Vole to a rare Freshwater Crayfish.

This spring, you can explore these and other habitats with the help of experts. The RSPB’s local Leeds group organises free guided walks around popular bird-spotting spots like Eccup and Harewood. It’s a great way of learning what to look for and how to go about looking for it.

Discovering wildlife in the city centre

But you don’t need to go outside LS1 to see wildlife. Nature gets everywhere. On a set of traffic lights next to Leeds bus station, for instance, a blackbird regularly builds a nest in the frame of the ‘amber’ light. Around the town hall, Peregrine Falcons – the fastest-flying birds of prey on earth – can sometimes be seen terrorising the local pigeons.

You can see plenty without even leaving home. Urban foxes are common garden visitors throughout the suburbs. A Leeds garden can attract birds ranging from wrens, goldfinches and thrushes to sparrowhawks and great spotted woodpeckers.

Wildlife is as much a part of the fabric of the city of Leeds as its roads, churches, squares and civic buildings. Taking the time to look around and see what flying, growing, crawling or climbing in your neighbourhood is well worth the effort.

Map of Leeds

Browse the map and click on the pins to find the location of the places featured in this guide.

The water of the river Aire is the lifeblood of Leeds. It was the soft, fast-running river water that powered the new city’s first corn and textile mills in the Middle Ages. Later, the Aire – now grey with industrial filth – was the busy artery that drove Leeds’ export and import industry. Without the river, we simply wouldn’t have the city that we know today.

Mediaeval times on the waterfront

Leeds has always been a city of engineers. As long as people have occupied the banks of the Aire they have come up with ingenious ways to make the best use of the river. Mediaeval millers diverted the water via a complicated network of channels (known as ‘goits’) and through two dams – the High Dam and the Bondman Dam – to supply the power for grinding their corn (stand on the bridge beneath the Dark Arches, and you can still see the High Dam).

The north side of the river grew noisy with the clatter of water-driven fulling mills, the first of which was established in 1322. These were places where wool was cleaned and ‘fulled’ or thickened. In earlier times, fulling had been tiresome and back-breaking work; now Aire-driven waterwheels made it more or less of a doddle.

Navigating Leeds Bridge

Engineers also mastered the river in another way. Leeds Bridge – that’s the one that crosses the river at the bottom of Briggate (formerly, for obvious reasons, Bridge Gate) – was constructed in the Middle Ages. There are hazy suggestions that it was built with stones from a half-forgotten Leeds castle. By the 17th century, it had become home to Leeds’ wool market, the bustling centre of the West Riding’s flourishing wool trade.

The 18th century saw the bridge modernised; in the 1870s, it was rebuilt in its modern form. Its architect was the great William Henry Barlow. Barlow had spent his early career studying lighthouses on the Bosphorus for the Turkish government, and went on to work on many era-defining Victorian engineering projects: the Crystal Palace, the Clifton Suspension Bridge and the roof of St Pancras railway station were all, in part, Barlow’s work.

Barlow was a Londoner, but in another way the bridge was Leeds through and through: its iron was cast at John Butler’s ironworks in Stanningley (some of the buildings of which still stand).

A few years later, Leeds Bridge made its mark on the world in an unlikely way: in 1888, the French cinema pioneer Louis le Prince shot groundbreaking footage of traffic crossing the bridge from the upstairs window of an ironmonger’s on Bridge End (now Morgans’ letting agency). This – along with le Prince’s ‘Roundhay Garden Scene’, filmed a few miles up the road – is thought to be among the first ‘moving pictures’ ever recorded.

(Incidentally, those nosing around the Bridge End area with an eye for the area’s history might be interested to know that the building now housing the Xibit bar was once a Post Office – and the site of the 1966 shooting of postal worker Winifred Sharp, one of the city’s most notorious unsolved murders).

Leeds acquired the status of an inland port

With the growth of the canal network, the waterways of the city centre acquired the status of an inland port. Factories, mills and warehouses crowded the banks of the Aire. Many of these buildings still stand, although most have been given a stylish makeover: the swish 42 The Calls hotel, for instance, was built in the 18th century as Fletland’s Mill.

A little way downriver, the development of the canals prompted the construction in around 1850 of Clarence Dock. The Dock in its working days was a far cry from today’s gleaming restaurants and bars; it was a colliers’ dock, used primarily for shipping coal from the Wakefield and Rothwell pits to fuel heavy industry around Hunslet. But it was the secondary trade in sacks full of a quite different sort of produce that gave the dock its short-lived nickname: The Potato Dock.

Clarence Dock, however, was one of the last flowerings of the Victorian canal age. The day of the railway had arrived; the canal freight industry simply couldn’t compete. The Dock struggled on, despite declining trade – but the arrival of roads and lorries delivered a blow from which it couldn’t recover, and the Dock sank into grim dereliction.

Overcrowding led to pollution and disease

Decades of industry and overcrowding hadn’t done the river itself a great deal of good, either. In 1841, the Leeds Intelligencer had reported that the Aire was “charged with the contents of about 200 water closets and similar places, a great number of common drains, the drainings from dunghills, the Infirmary (dead leeches, poultices for patients, etc), slaughter houses, chemical soap, gas, dung, dyehouses and manufacturies, spent blue and black dye, pig manure, old urine wash, with all sorts of decomposed animal and vegetable substances”.

Despite the smell, the vocal protests from nearby residents and the fear of disease, the Aire remained in a pretty unwholesome state well into the 20th century. Lightly-treated effluent sloshed along its banks. Little wildlife existed in its murkier reaches (only the ring-tailed maggot flourished, thanks to its ability to breathe through its anus).

Local campaigning since the 1970s has changed all that. The river now sustains healthy populations of fish – not to mention healthy populations of riverside drinkers at bars like Calls Landing and Oracle. As they sip their cold beers and chilled wine, they might reflect on the liquid history flowing past them: the Aire, the river that – millers, fullers, potatoes, bridge-builders, maggots and all – made Leeds Leeds.

Leeds United Football Club is as infamous for its exploits off the field as it is for its many triumphs on it. As a result, a visit to Elland Road, for the uninitiated, may be preceded by feelings of fear and unease, based on the horror stories of yesteryear.

In reality, Elland Road today, like most football grounds in the country, is a much-diluted experience and holds very little of the hostile and intimidatory aura that made it a notoriously inhospitable ground to visit in the 70s and 80s. That said, it still retains a unique quality on occasions for its vibrancy and thundering acoustics.

Location

Elland Road is situated 1 ½ miles south west of the city centre on the outskirts of Beeston and Holbeck, and is approximately a thirty-five minute walk from the city centre and railway station. Alternatively, ‘Football Special’ return-service buses run frequently on matchdays from the ‘Dark Arches’ near Granary Wharf.

The ground is particularly well-served by the adjacent M621 motorway, which allows direct access from the A1, M1 and M62, and has plenty of parking areas in surrounding streets, industrial estates and in matchday council-run car parks.

Stadium

The stadium has changed dramatically since Don Revie master-minded an audacious plan to turn the provincial, under-achievers into the most feared club in Europe in the mid 1960s. Revie’s success allowed Elland Road to be fully re-developed into a modern stadium, though today some areas bear a dated feel.

The West Stand, built in 1957, houses the dressing rooms, tunnel and Directors Box, along with, traditionally, the more restrained and ‘mature’ Leeds United followers. The South Stand replaced the old ‘Scratching Shed’ in 1974 and houses executive boxes amongst the vocal followers who tend to buy tickets match-by-match.

The South East Corner previously held away fans before these were moved in 2011 to the end section of the West Stand. Today, the South East Corner is only used as an overspill stand.

The 15,000 capacity East Stand is the newest addition to Elland Road, opened in 1993. This has executive boxes in the middle, with a lower tier housing the family stand and some general ticket areas, and an upper tier for a mixture of corporate and general fans.

The Kop is flanked by two corner stands, the North West and North East, both built in the early 1970s, and generally housing season ticket holders, but do have spaces for match-by-match tickets. The Kop itself, or the ‘Don Revie Stand’, like the rest of the ground, is now all-seater. Whilst never the biggest stand; the Kop once held a fearsome reputation as one of the most venomous and antagonistic terraces in European football.

Along with the Lowfields terrace, which the East Stand has now replaced, these combined to give Elland Road its unforgiving, bear pit atmosphere. But this is long gone today, and whilst the Kop still houses the most vocal fans, the threatening undercurrent is now almost non-existent.

Tickets

As you would expect, the majority of ticket sales are done on-line via www.leedsunited.com, which highlights areas of the ground not available for general sale. Leeds United have membership schemes which restrict access to some areas. A telesales service is also widely utilised, numbers and opening times for which are also on the website. Away fans should contact their own club for ticketing arrangements.

Facilities

Bars, refreshments and betting facilities are located throughout the stadium concourses, in home and away areas, plus a huge megastore selling merchandise is situated on Elland Road itself. Disabled access is available for all fans, and prior arrangements should be made for access.

Pubs

Elland Road is served by a number of pubs around the ground and on the approach from town, though away fans should note that some, such as the Old Peacock and the numerous pubs in Holbeck, are not advisory establishments for the visiting fan. The Drysalters, however, a ten minute walk down Elland Road away from the ground towards the Beeston Ring Road, is an ‘away fan- friendly’ pub and actively welcomes visiting fans.

Inside Elland Road is a safe environment for any fans; stewarding, segregation and the promotion of a family atmosphere, ensures that. Outside the ground, Leeds have a volatile rivalry with only a few clubs (notably Manchester United, Chelsea, Millwall and Cardiff), and whilst Leeds United are widely disliked by most clubs this is largely a one-way thing, and outside Elland Road fans mix and enjoy the matchday atmosphere amid a friendly, trouble-free vibe.

Map of Leeds

Browse the map and click on the pins to find the location of the places featured in this guide.

Until I created this website I was stuck in my own little bubble in Pudsey and very rarely explored the city. People appear surprised when I tell them that despite living in Leeds all my life, it was only last year that I visited Golden Acre Park for the first time. I have travelled all over the world, yet it took me 38 years to visit a beautiful park, which is fifteen miles away from my home.

Let’s not take Leeds for granted

There is a lot going on in the city to be excited about; there’s Trinity Leeds and the Leeds Arena to name just two. I do wonder though what the city will look like in the future if we continue to take places for granted and assume that they will be around for future generations to use. In reality, if we don’t support them they will shut down and more than likely  be converted into yet another Wetherspoon pub or empty apartment complex.

It would be tragic if any of the places that I have featured below were to close.

Historic Leeds cinemas

I know that the Hyde Park Picture House exists, I have seen photos and it looks fabulous but I have never watched a film there; it opened in November 1914 and was one of a few cinemas built during World War I. It became a popular place for the community to watch news updates during the war.

The oldest cinema in Leeds is Cottage Road and has been showing films since 1912. One of my first memories of going to the cinema was watching E.T. at Cottage Road. Nowadays, rather than jump on a bus to Hyde Park or Headingley to support one of these historic cinemas, I visit multiplexes, like Vue, where staff frown if you take in your homemade cheese and pickle sandwiches and charge you a week’s salary for popcorn and a hotdog.

Bramley Baths

According to the Victorian Society, Bramley baths is the last survivor of eight public baths built in Leeds between 1899 and 1904. Unless local people, not just living in Bramley, but citywide use these baths, they will close, which would be a huge loss to the city.

I remember when I first moved to West Leeds, my dad took me swimming there most weekends; it was a little odd at first getting changed in cubicles at the side of the swimming pool, but I suppose that’s what made it a unique experience and memorable.

Leeds Central Library

You will very rarely find me with my head in a book but I love walking around the Leeds central library; a stunning building and a great place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre. It isn’t just a library though, there’s the first floor art space, the Leeds Tapestry (which is great!) and lots of resources to learn about local and family history.

My family tree only goes as far back as my grandad who was brought up by nuns in Knaresborough, so I plan to spend some time trying to discover more about my family.

Leeds Kirkgate market

Leeds Kirkgate Market is one of Europe’s largest indoor markets and I remember my parents and grandparents shopping there every week without fail. The place was heaving and alive with traders shouting to attract the attention of shoppers.

So, when I visit the market nowadays it does disappoint me that the atmosphere has disappeared and you do not find as many people shopping there.

This aside, it is important that we all support the local traders and keep the market alive. I feel a hypocrite typing that considering I have just completed my weekly shop at one of the local supermarkets, but I intend to support the market by shopping there at least once a month. What I would love to see are more unique products on offer, things you cannot buy anywhere else in the city.

Support independent Leeds

It is great to see a growing number of independent businesses setting up in the city centre, in the last couple of years we’ve seen an increase in coffee shops like La Bottega Milanese, Laynes Espresso and my favourite café by far, Café 164 located in Munro House.

There are also a number of great organisations like Test Space Leeds, who do a brilliant job at promoting independent artists, and as consumers we have to support these types of businesses, otherwise, they will cease to exist. For every high street shop, there’s an independent equivalent that we need to support. Think about that before you shop.

The point that I am trying to get across is that we are all guilty of loving places and businesses like these, but sometimes we need a reminder that they exist and that they need our support to keep them open.The city already struggles with its identify, but if we were to loose what makes us different, we’ll just become another Manchester, Liverpool and London clone.

The combination of an evening with friends, a beer and a comedy act is a winning formula that is hard to beat. Whether you are looking to find something different to do of an evening, or you are a professional belly laugh-seeker scouring the comedy field for new talent, Leeds has a rich selection of dedicated clubs and bars hosting specific comedy nights, all of which will have you either rolling in the aisles, cowering in embarrassment, or nodding sagely at the witty observations.

Comedy nights in Leeds

All the venues listed below promote details of the acts, but be warned that some acts may offend and depending on the size of a venue or where you sit, you are exposed and vulnerable to becoming an object of fun. Many comedians like nothing more than a bit of audience-participation, and thrive on interaction with a willing, or sometimes not-so-willing audience member, so you can keep a low profile and avoid all that, but otherwise be warned that you may well become part of the act!

Jongleurs

Probably the biggest name in regional comedy clubs, Jongleurs in Leeds has moved premises into the super club Oceana on Woodhouse Lane. Comedy nights are staged every Friday and Saturday night and consist of four comedians who perform on both nights each week. Details of each comedian can be found on the Jongleurs website and many are well-established names on the circuit. The ticket price also admits you to the Oceana club afterwards.

The Highlight

Part of the Cube complex on the corner of Great George Street and Albion Street, Highlight is a spacious and impressive 1,500 capacity club that offers a full night of entertainment.

Comedy shows start at 7pm every Friday and Saturday night and form part of the ‘Fosters Comedy Live’ show with four comedians, for which you can buy tickets months in advance. As soon as the show finishes, approximately 10.30pm, the venue turns into a club with numerous bars, lounges and dancefloors, which enable you to have a wild night out or a more refined, intimate drink.

Mr Ben’s Bar and Lounge

Tucked away on the pedestrienised section of Albion Street, Mr Ben’s is a small, well-established club that hosts comedy nights on Monday, Friday and Saturday. Naturally, the size of the venue reflects the stature of the comedians, so is maybe more for the comedy connoisseur.

Monday nights are a gong show featuring nine comedians with the audience participating in how long they perform. Group food packages are available, but must be pre-ordered with tickets.

Hi-Fi Club

A mid-sized venue on Central Road, which runs parallel to Briggate, the Hi-Fi Club is a regular nightclub, open all week, but holds the ‘Comedy Sessions’ every Saturday.

Three comedians are on each night and your ticket allows you entry into the ‘Boogaloo’ night which plays a mix of Soul, Ska and Funk. There are some areas of seating which go quickly on a first come first served basis, otherwise there is ample standing room. The Hi-Fi has a partnership with Malmaison offering a food and comedy club ticket deal.

Comedy at the Varieties

As opposed to many other theatres in Leeds the City Varieties, re-open after a significant re-vamp, is famous for hosting great comedians doing touring shows. Be assured these are big names on the circuit and therefore, you are more likely to know what to expect from the evening. Barry Cryer, Jack Dee, Rory Bremner and John Bishop are all booked in 2012, and the traditional beauty of the City Varieties adds a unique glamour to the occasion.

Pubs and Bars with comedy nights

Various pubs and bars in Leeds host comedy nights of various shapes and sizes. Most notable is probably Tiger Tiger, who host the ‘Big Night Out’ every Saturday. The Verve Cellar Bar on Merrion Street offers a fine selection of up and coming talent every Tuesday night, and occasionally the odd gem road-testing new material on an intimate audience. The Adelphi on Hunslet Road and the Original Oak on Otley Road, Headingley also stage regular and very popular comedy nights.

Nothing beats the dangerous edge and unpredictable energy of live humour, and Leeds offers plenty to tickle your ribs and shake off the stresses of everyday life.

Map of Leeds

Browse the map and click on the pins to find the location of the places featured in this guide.

Thai cuisine can be described as a combination of Chinese and Indian food, but I don’t think that fully acknowledges the balance of flavours and aromas that gives Thai its own very strong identity. Leeds is extremely well-blessed with Thai restaurants, all dishing up the delicate combination of sweet and sour, fragrant and spicy and light and rich, and these are not just located in the city centre.

All the restaurants listed here serve a great variety of the traditional Thai dishes, often with intriguing regional variations on the classics. Importantly, all the menus have a guide to the spiciness of a dish, and in many cases this can be controlled and cooked just how you like it.

Finding the best Thai food

So whether you want a curry, a stir fry, a delicate fish dish, a delicious mound of noodles or rice, or a perfectly-seasoned grill, there is something for you here. Some of these restaurants have separate lunch and dinner sittings, so always check the opening times before heading out.

Thai Edge

Situated on Calverley Street overlooking Millennium Square, Thai Edge is an established restaurant that provides a sophisticated dining experience. The décor gives the fresh, crisp and spacious atmosphere that compliments the food perfectly.

The menus (set, a-la-carte, lunch, buffet) are comprehensive and cover all the regions of Thailand, offering a contemporary twist on the classic Thai dishes, with grilled meats and varieties of fish seeming to be a speciality. Thai Edge is fairly priced in general, but the speciality dishes and some of the set meals are, not unreasonably, priced accordingly.

Chaophraya

Chaophraya is situated on Swinegate, overlooking Bibi’s. As with Thai Edge, this is a contemporary and stylish Thai dining experience with beautiful décor and fittings that suggest palatial decadence. The open kitchen gives you a chance to see your food being cooked as you salivate at the energy and passion being put into your meal.

Chaophraya offer all the classic dishes such as Red and Green Curries, Pad Thai Noodles and Tom Yum Soups with meat and vegetarian options, it also has some good lunch and buffet offers which make the elegant adventure more affordable.

Thai Cottage

If you are wanting a more authentic Thai experience, you will get value for money at Thai Cottage. Located on Great George Street next to the back of the Town Hall, the restaurant is smaller and more homely than its city centre alternatives, and hence has a winning formula that puts food and wholesome enjoyment before style and sophistication. They have their own variations on the classic dishes, with great descriptions of the various soups, salads, curries and stir fries.

Baan Thai

Baan Thai is an underrated gem tucked away in Commercial Street at Morley. With little fuss and pretension Baan Thai offers an extensive menu (curries, stir-fries, grills, fish, noodle and rice dishes) with a focus on quality, that gives you the option of choosing the strength of your meal according to taste.

The restaurant is open and airy with wooden beams amongst the traditional Thai decor, but is understated and clearly concentrates its energies on providing top quality dishes.

Sukhothai

Headingley has garnered a strong reputation for more eminent dining in recent years, helped mainly by the Italian Salvo’s, which stands next door to the impressive Sukhothai on the corner parade of St Anne’s Road.

Sukhothai prides itself on providing a healthier dining experience concentrating on the leaner meats and fresher fish and vegetables that Thai food is synonymous with. In addition to their regional variations on traditional curries, Sukhothai offer a hugely impressive range of meat and seafood dishes.

The atmosphere at Sukhothai is often vibrant and energising and the staff add verve and a friendly vitality to your meal. Sukhothai have an established sister restaurant in Chapel Allerton and also offer a thriving takeaway service.

Thai Sabai

The name ‘Thai Sabai’ literally means a ‘place to relax’ and hence the soft lighting and intimate atmosphere gives this Thai restaurant a different feel to most others. Situated on Shaw Lane near to Headingley Carnegie Stadium, Thai Sabai has a simple but varied menu featuring all the classic curry, stir-fry, noodle and rice dishes, and also has good vegetarian options and special offers to suit all budgets.

Good selection of Thai restaurants

Leeds offers plenty of other Thai restaurants that are worth discovering, such as Saengarun Thai in town, Thai Erawan on Roundhay Road, Sala Thai and Jino’s Thai Café at Headingley, and if you fancy heading a little further out for a quality Thai meal, there is Lemongrass at Guiseley. All in all, there is a rich variety of options in Leeds that each reflect the extensive menus and loving detail that makes Thai cuisine an increasingly popular escape from the more traditional restaurants in the area.

Leeds Map

Browse the map and click on the pins to find the location of the places featured in this guide.

You know you’ve found Call Lane when you are hit with the spirited noises of locals and students mixing and mingling side by side in the multitude of bars. Famous for being a mecca for night life in Leeds it is definitely the place to head if you want to find a variety of options. Multitude of cocktails and lively characters. Situated just next to the Corn Exchange and it’s stone throw from bus stops and the train station it is hard to miss.

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The Calls comes alive at night

Walking down the street during day light hours it appears just as a normal everyday bar and restaurant area. However as the sun sets and the moon comes out each bar leads you to an unexpected experience. On making my way down the various bars all the bars vary in size, but the smaller ones impress with what they have managed to do with the space.

For most of them on a Friday and Saturday night a DJ is propped up in a corner, or up in the rafters so ample dance space is left or alternatively just prop up the bar and enjoy the sounds. Call Lane Social mixes with the traditional and more modern both in sound and look, teaming exposed brick work with plush leather seats. There is also a mix of music playing the Rolling Stones in one minute and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs in the next.

As I ventured across the road Oporto is one of the next stops. It is famous for the Gaslight club, every Monday where you can huddle amongst around the candle lit tables listening to some local bands. The founder of the evening has commented that the night is based on the New York coffee house vibe of the 1960s when venues would host then unknown names such as Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Carol King and James Taylor.

Great selection of bars

Neighbouring Oporto is Neon Cactus, bringing a taste of Mexico evident in the décor and food options. Then along the same side at some point you will come across Jake’s bar. As I pushed open the door, you are lead down a flight of stairs whilst being treated to the sounds of 90s indie tunes such as Oasis. Recently refurbished it guarantees a chilled week night, relaxing in the chesterfield sofas or dancing the night away at the weekend.

They have recently introduced the ‘Still Room’, where they can create their own unique range of spirits and liqueurs. The range changes, reflecting the flavours of the season. So it is definitely worth checking the chalk boards above the bar to see what this month has to offer.

Brooklyn bar and New Penny are other options that can be found at the bottom of Call Lane. As well as the independent bars, local to Leeds there are a couple of chains such as Bar Room Bar (BRB) and Revolutions. BRB promises a great pizza and an if you’re planning a party you can hire the space upstairs.

Lucky enough to attend a private party in one of the rooms downstairs they provided a delicious chocolate fountain with copious amounts of marshmallows and strawberries. I would definitely recommend it if you need to provide a starter for a night of entertainment.

Just opposite is Revolution, where you can opt to have a cocktail making class. Most of the bars down Call Lane will offer up a delicious cocktail, all with their own unique twist. However Revolution gives you the chance to make your own, a great girlie night out either for hen dos, a birthday party or just for a fun night out.

Places to eat on Calls Lane

Added to this you can sample the delights of Arts Cafe Bar, known for its delicious food on offer. While sampling the yummy food there are exhibitions by local and regional artists on display. Normans bar is another alternative, a bigger space but offering a great space to treat yourself to either a Thai curry, Yaki Soba or breakfast on a Sunday.

Play pool at the Elbow Rooms

I often make my way down Call Lane to turn the corner and be presented with Fire, a great night club, although always heaving on a weekend. Alternatively there is the choice of Elbow Rooms, a much larger space. Climbing the two flights of stairs I am always rewarded with cheap booze, cheap but tasty burgers and a number of pool tables. You only need a deposit to put down for the tables and on a Monday night it’s free so if you fancy trying your hand to bit of pool it is definitely a great place in town to check out.

They often hold competitions, but if this isn’t quite your thing then they have small intimate booths that mean you can watch on instead. My only caveat for here would be that in the winter it can get a bit chilly so remember to bring a warm coat! Walking one on again you reach Baracoa, another large space but this time filled with a large dance floor.

The staff are more than welcoming and you can even hire out a booth and be rewarded with a bottle of something special to share with friends. This would be more the place you turned to when your dancing feet start moving.

Call Lane a popular location for nightlife

Call Lane is fast becoming one of my favourite places to head for a night out in Leeds. If it is a quiet night you’re after then I recommend heading there early on in the week, but if it’s the hustle and bustle then you can pick any bar along the street and be rewarded with a night to remember.

One of the great things about Call Lane is that all the bars are so close together it is really easy to swap and change, or set up camp for the night once a table has been secured. My personal favourite is Jake’s Bar, with Call Lane Social in the running, the former oozing indie vibes with the latter a bit rockier. Whatever your choice it is definitely a place to head and experience a little bit of everything.

Rosie Driver writes a blog that is designed to bring you updates from a life in Leeds whether it is good places to eat or reviews of recent gigs from the area. As a Londoner moving to the North, there are some funny tales if not a few observations of the Northern way of life.

Map of the Calls, Leeds

Browse the map and click on the pins to find the location of the places featured in this guide.