Ideas for short breaks in Leeds

Written by Carol Ferndale

You won’t believe those ridiculous tales about it being “grim up north” when you see Leeds with its pavement cafés, its top name stores, and its glittering arcades. Now hailed as the Knightsbridge of the north, Leeds has all the shops, boutiques, clubs, bars, restaurants and entertainment you could wish for, and it has one thing that London and many other big cities do not have, a feeling of space and fresh air.

Fashionable high-street brands

Walk down the Headrow and you can sense the country air of the green Yorkshire Dales which are but a stone’s throw away. Walk around the pedestrianised central shopping street of Briggate, going from Muji to Harvey Nicks to M&S, without having to run the gauntlet of taxis, buses or cars. Just off Briggate you will find the fashionable Victoria Quarter, designed by Frank Matcham in 1900, who also did the London Coliseum.

It includes the pretty Victorian County Arcade of fine marble and gilded mosaic, and in the nineties Brian Clarke’s magnificent stained glass roof was erected over adjacent Queen Victoria Street, which now has pavement cafés and gently bubbling fountains. All the stores have traditional shop fronts of mahogany framed windows, and gilded art nouveau lettering indicating such fine names as Louis Vuitton, Mulberry, Vivienne Westwood, Quiksilver, Neal’s Yard Remedies, and top chocolatier Charbonnel et Walker.

Building on Leeds’ obvious tradition for arcades is the newer construction The Light, which incorporates an entire street now covered over by a glass roof, providing a bright, warm indoor space complete with pavement eateries, top shops such as Joy, O’Neill, Superdry and Lambretta, a thirteen-screen cinema complex, Esporta gym, and places to eat such as the (of course) French Café Rouge, and Maxis where you can enjoy Chinese cuisine or Japanese sushi.

Largest indoor market in Europe

And if all these top names are making you feel dizzy, Leeds also has a traditional market, both indoor and outdoor, where you can brownse for bargains. Kirkgate Market is actually one of the largest indoor markets in Europe, with a Butcher’s Row, Caribbean veg stall, coffee and sandwich bars, delicatessens, Indian food, electrical goods, florists, linen, a haberdasher’s where you can buy glitzy ribbons and buttons of all shapes, sizes and colours, plus loads of other stalls and shops besides.

Take in the local culture

But Leeds isn’t just about shopping and eating – go to Millenium Square and you’ll be amazed by the blend of old and new architecture, with traditional buildings such as the crisp white Civic Hall topped by its gilded owls and the Leeds City Museum blending in side-by-side with the modern exciting constructions on the Square. In winter an ice skating rink is created here, and throughout the year the Square has musical and cultural events.

Nearby you have the Leeds Art Gallery with a world class collection of art, and many works by the very own local man, Henry Moore. The Art Gallery is linked to the library by The Victorian Tiled Hall which is a must-see with its original parquet floor and colourful tilework. The Hall has now been turned into a café so you can sip latté and eat cakes while you admire.

Live music of all genres

Like music and a good night out? Leeds is simply great for gigs and clubbing, with a whole host of venues for live music and DJ’s. At O2 Leeds Academy you’ll find big names such as Kasabian, N-Dubz and the Sisters of Mercy. The centrally located tapas bar Sandinista! is great for night owls – it has live bands, and stays open till 3.00 am every night. The Library Pub on Woodhouse Lane has a vast upstairs room where they put on a variety of indie, metal, electronica and other genres.

The Refectory up at the University of Leeds has put on some of the most major acts since the 1960’s, and recently hosted The Strokes, Arctic Monkeys and Kaiser Chiefs. The Cockpit has both local and international acts from Amy Winehouse to the dramatic Swedish metal band In Flames. For big name shopping, bargains, terrific nights out, good food, great music, and a brilliant blend of old and new, it doesn’t get much better than Leeds.

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