# Things to do in Leeds



## Liza (Oct 23, 2009)

OK, we are a family of three - me, partner and baby and have won a free return day ticket to Leeds in December. We're not much in to shopping and live in Nottingham so we have our own Christmas German market and big wheel and all that big city stuff. Does anyone have any suggestions of what we might do and where we might go - family friendly veggie cafes perhaps, good art galleries, nice architecture....etc


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## mincepie (Oct 23, 2009)

Lol i was gonna say it has a pretty good range of shops...oh well....


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## Maurice Picarda (Oct 23, 2009)

Why did you enter the competition? Where was first prize - Hull?


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## skyscraper101 (Oct 24, 2009)

There's a Harvey Nichols in Leeds.


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## London_Calling (Oct 24, 2009)

Maybe get off before Leeds or take a short journey from Leeds into all that glorious countryside - Moors, Dales, etc. Can't help with the city itself.


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## free spirit (Oct 24, 2009)

Liza said:


> OK, we are a family of three - me, partner and baby and have won a free return day ticket to Leeds in December. We're not much in to shopping and live in Nottingham so we have our own Christmas German market and big wheel and all that big city stuff. Does anyone have any suggestions of what we might do and where we might go - family friendly veggie cafes perhaps, good art galleries, nice architecture....etc


get the bus out to otley (x84, takes about 30 minutes), go for a walk on otley chevin (big moor/forest type place great for walks with kids), then there's a vegie restaurant across the road called the Chillie Pepper (think I've got that right) that's supposed to be good, back in otley there's a kids playground in the park by the river...

bit different anyway


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## Liza (Oct 24, 2009)

I entered the competition just because it was there and it was easy enough and to see if I might win, I thought it might be an adventure to go out for the day. All the prizes were the same - a journey along the Nottingham to Leeds rail connection and I chose Leeds as I haven't been there for about 20 years.  Can't be arsed with a 30 minute bus journey after a 2 hour train journey to get there, but thanks for the suggestion anyway.  

There's a museum and an Art Gallery I looked up on line I just wondered if anyone had some more suggestions or inside info?


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## CyberRose (Oct 25, 2009)

There's a new museum on Millennium Square that just opened up that might be fun for a family to have a look around. It's got a natural history section downstairs that's pretty good. 

Another free museum, also good for the kids, is the Royal Armouries. Has lots of displays showing how many different cultures have killed people in slightly different ways throughout history! It's also based at Clarence dock which might be interesting to walk around if you want to kill 10 mins (it's the start of the Leeds-Liverpool canal I think).

No idea about a "family friendly veggie cafe" but there's loads of Greggs dotted around all over the place that will sell cheese sandwiches.

As you say, the German market will be there that time of the year (on Millennium Square) which if you can't think of anything else to do will kill a bit of time (to be honest it's not a great market compared with others I've seen in different cities). Unfortunately there's no big wheel in Leeds.


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## Corax (Oct 25, 2009)

My first choice would be leaving.


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## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Oct 25, 2009)

I have been there twice. I can remember having a nice milkshake, buying two records, watching some telly and going for a nice walk beside a steam while stoned. You could try any one of those.


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## Corax (Oct 25, 2009)

ATOMIC SUPLEX said:


> I have been there twice.



Once is an excusable mistake.  Twice seems like appalling carelessness.


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## joustmaster (Oct 25, 2009)

tropical world


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## CyberRose (Oct 25, 2009)

joustmaster said:


> tropical world


Ah yes good call forgot about that.

http://www.roundhaypark.org.uk/tropical-world-leeds/index.html

It's a 15 min bus journey from the town centre tho, but you might like to look around the rest of Roundhay Park as well


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## CyberRose (Oct 25, 2009)

Corax said:


> Once is an excusable mistake.  Twice seems like appalling carelessness.


I came here for the second time over 5 years ago. I'm still here now


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## Corax (Oct 25, 2009)

CyberRose said:


> I came here for the second time over 5 years ago. I'm still here now



Bloody one way systems eh?


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## StanSmith (Oct 25, 2009)

Ive only been there once and I had a great day.........but that was due to knocking them out of the FA Cup quarter final!!


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## Spion (Oct 25, 2009)

Corax said:


> Bloody one way systems eh?


Leeds' city centre orbital is one of the worst I've ever encountered

</Partridge>


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## Barking_Mad (Oct 25, 2009)

Kirkstall Abbey - nice grounds for a walk round, but the inside might not be open at this time of year...

Moorish is a good Moroccan place just off Hyde Park and 5-10 mins out of town on the bus. Good veggie food.


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## Liza (Oct 25, 2009)

CyberRose said:


> There's a new museum on Millennium Square that just opened up that might be fun for a family to have a look around. It's got a natural history section downstairs that's pretty good.
> 
> Another free museum, also good for the kids, is the Royal Armouries. Has lots of displays showing how many different cultures have killed people in slightly different ways throughout history! It's also based at Clarence dock which might be interesting to walk around if you want to kill 10 mins (it's the start of the Leeds-Liverpool canal I think).
> 
> ...



Thanks for that


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## _angel_ (Oct 28, 2009)

You have _won_ a ticket to Leeds 

Apart from tropical world and kirkstall abbey it's a bit hard to say what there is to do.

There's a few good buffets in Leeds city centre --- the only veggie cafe I can think of is called roots and shoots (??) in the Grand Arcade (if it's still there) but it's a bit cramped.


Hansas is a veggie indian restaurant a bit further out of town. (Haven't been but it's meant to be good)
West Yorks playhouse is a bit far out and pricy but does some nice cake.


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## Corax (Oct 28, 2009)

Stand outside Elland Road and piss yourself laughing.


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## Hocus Eye. (Oct 28, 2009)

Get yourself outside of a pint of Tetley's.


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## A. Spies (Oct 29, 2009)

Maybe you could go to Eureka the interactive kids museum in Halifax on the train. Will take 30-40mins. Then eat or something in Leeds later. It looks ok but dunno what there is to do there in the day.


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## Barking_Mad (Nov 3, 2009)

I think you can do a tour of Tetley's Brewery. 

The canal can make for a nice stroll.


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## Shirl (Nov 3, 2009)

Hansa's Gujarati vegetarian restaurant in Leeds has won loads of awards. Not sure of the address but it's walkable from the train station, not expensive and very good. You could google for the address


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## Liza (Nov 3, 2009)

Thanks for all the helpful suggestions, keep'm coming


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## argenteum (Nov 7, 2009)

The Yorkshire Sculpture Park in Bretton nearby is seriously my favourite place in the world. It's a great place to visit. 

It's also free (an important factor for us Yorkshire folk).


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## Kaka Tim (Nov 7, 2009)

Comedy prize! 


Still ... 

Leeds Museum
Leeds Art Gallery
Royal Armouries 

(all free) 

Tropical World.

Meanwood Valley urban farm. 

If weather is decent - Meanwood Park is the best park I've ever been too. Woods, plus terraced semi-wildness full of rhodedendrons (sp?) - with meanwood beck running through the middle. 

Roundhay park is pretty good as well. 

Veggie food - Peach and pear cafe in hyde park, Hansas is good but pricey, Roots and Fruits in the grand arcade is ok, Saffran is a good persian cafe in the city centre that does lots of veggie stuff.


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