Until the 1974 reorganisation of local government, the County Borough of Leeds included the former parishes of Armley, Beeston, Bramley, Chapel Allerton, Farnley, Headingley/Burley, Holbeck, Hunslet, Leeds, Osmondthorpe, Potter Newton, Seacroft, Temple Newsam (covering the areas of Halton Moor, Halton, Whitkirk, Colton and Austhorpe) and Wortley. Leeds, West Yorkshire is a large city in the UK and it has lots of areas This article discusses the metropolitan district of the City of Leeds. Adel is a wealthy Suburb in North Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Alwoodley is a suburb of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is north of Central Leeds and is one of the city's most affluent areas Armley is a district in the west of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Austhorpe is a district of east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England that is situated between Pendas Fields to the north Whitkirk to the Beckett Park is an area of and a large park in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Beeston is an area of south Leeds, West Yorkshire, England with a population of about 16000 Belle Isle is a large early twentieth-century Suburb consisting of several council estates 4 km (3 miles to the south of Leeds City Centre, West Yorkshire, Blenheim is a small area of inner-city Leeds, West Yorkshire, England It is situated north of the city centre between Little London, Bramley is a district in west Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Burley is a Suburb of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, characterised by the red brick terraced housing much of which was built in the period Burmantofts is an area of 1960s high-rise housing blocks in inner-city east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England adjacent to the city centre and St Chapel Allerton is an inner suburb of Leeds, north-east of the city centre West Yorkshire, England. Chapeltown is a Suburb of north-east Leeds, in West Yorkshire, England, and is the centre of the city's British Afro-Caribbean community Leeds city centre is the business and commercial centre of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Colton is a district of east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, situated between Cross Gates to the north Halton and Halton Cookridge is an outer suburb of north-west Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Cottingley is an urban area in the south-west of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Cross Flatts is a mixed area of Council estates and private housing in South Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Cross Gates (also spelt as Crossgates) is a large well known Suburb in east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. East End Park is an Inner city area of east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Far Headingley is an area of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England approximately 3 miles (5 km north of the city centre See also Farnley, in North Yorkshire. Farnley Village (also known as Old Farnley) is a district in Leeds Gipton is an early twentieth-century Council estate between Harehills and Seacroft in north-east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England Gledhow is a suburb of north-east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, situated east of Chapel Allerton and west of Roundhay. Halton is a district of east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, situated between Killingbeck to the north and north-west Halton Moor Halton Moor is a district of east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Harehills is an inner-city area of east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Hawksworth is a small early twentieth-century council estate in north-west Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Headingley is an inner suburb of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. Holbeck ( is a district in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The district begins on the southern edge of the Leeds City Centre and mainly Holt Park is a medium-sized yet quiet low-rise 1970s estate in the northwest suburbs of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England (approximately seven miles Hunslet is an area of inner-city south Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Hyde Park is an inner-city area of north-west Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, situated between the University of Leeds and Headingley Killingbeck is a district of east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England that is situated between Seacroft to the north Cross Gates and Kirkstall is a suburb of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, and is located on the eastern side of the River Aire. Ireland Wood is a Council estate in north-west Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Lawnswood is a suburb in the north west of the city of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. Little London, along with its adjacent areas Lovell Park and Blenheim, is an area of 1960s high-rise and maisonette Council housing in inner-city north Meanwood is a suburb of north-west Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Middleton is an old Pit village in south Leeds, it is 4 miles (6 km south of Leeds City Centre, West Yorkshire, England Miles Hill is a district in Leeds. It is about 1½ miles (2 km north of Leeds City Centre, West Yorkshire, England and is situated between the Moor Allerton is an area of Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK. The area is situated in North Leeds near to King Lane and the Leeds Outer Ring Road Moor Grange Estate is a Housing estate in the West Park area of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, which was built in the 1950s Moorside is part of the Bramley area of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Moortown is a suburb of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is a Civil parish and electoral ward in the north of the city Oakwood is an affluent well-known suburb of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, that lies between Gipton and Roundhay Park. Osmondthorpe is a district of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England, although it is considered part of the Halton Moor district Potternewton is a suburb of north-east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, situated between Chapeltown and Chapel Allerton. Quarry Hill is an area of Central Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Richmond Hill is a district of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Rodley is a Village on the outskirts of west Leeds, West Yorkshire, England with a strong history dating back to Georgian times Roundhay is a large suburb of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Scott Hall is a suburb of north Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, adjacent to Chapeltown and Meanwood. Seacroft is an outer-city Council estate covering an extensive area of east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Shadwell is a small but affluent village in north east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Sheepscar, in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England is the main interchange for north Leeds 's local roads Swarcliffe is a district of east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Swinnow (A Yorkshireised contraction of "Swine Moor" is a district of west Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Temple Newsam (historically Temple Newsham) ( is a Tudor - Jacobean house with grounds landscaped by Capability Brown, in Leeds, Tinshill (pronounced Tins-hill) is a district of Leeds, 4  Miles (7  Km) north of Leeds City Centre, West Yorkshire Weetwood is an area between Headingley and Meanwood in north-west Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. West Park is a suburb of north-west Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, north of Headingley. Whinmoor is residential area of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Whitkirk is a district of east Leeds, situated between Cross Gates to the north Austhorpe to the east Killingbeck to the west Colton Woodhouse is an area of largely back-to-back terraced housing in inner city north-west Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, and is home to the Wortley (pronounced Wurt-lee) is a district of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The Local Government Act 1972 (1972 c 70 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom, that reformed local government in England and Wales County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (excluding Scotland) to refer to a Borough or a City ^[6]

Location grid

Demography

Like many other English industrial cities, the crime rate in Leeds is well above the national average. Harrogate (or Harrogate Spa) is a large wealthy Spa town in North Yorkshire, England. York ( is an historic Walled city sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. Bradford ( lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a Metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, England. Selby is a town and Civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. Huddersfield ( is a large Market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, 190 miles (306km north Wakefield lies at the heart of the City of Wakefield, a Metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, England. ^[7][8] In July 2006, the think tank Reform calculated rates of crime for different offences and has related this to populations of major urban areas (defined as towns over 100,000 population). A think tank (also called a policy institute) is an organization institute corporation or group that conducts Research and engages in advocacy in areas such Reform is a London, United Kingdom based free-market Think tank whose mission is to set out a better way to deliver public services and economic prosperity Leeds was 11th in this rating (excluding London Boroughs, 23rd including London Boroughs). ^[9]

The city has three recognised red light districts, Spencer Place in Chapeltown, Water Lane in Holbeck and the areas surrounding the City of Mabgate public house in Mabgate, taking in Roseville Road, Telephone Street and Mushroom Street. A red-light district is a neighborhood where Prostitution and other businesses in the Sex industry flourish Spencer Place is a road that runs between Harehills and Chapeltown in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Chapeltown is a Suburb of north-east Leeds, in West Yorkshire, England, and is the centre of the city's British Afro-Caribbean community Holbeck ( is a district in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The district begins on the southern edge of the Leeds City Centre and mainly Mabgate is an inner city area of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.

Economy

Main articles: Economy of Leeds and List of companies based in Leeds

Briggate (from the junction with the Headrow), Leeds

Bridgewater Place from the Canal

Leeds was voted 'Britain's Best City for Business' by Omis Research in 2003 but dropped to 3rd place behind Manchester and Glasgow in 2005 ("Relative under-performance over the past two years in transport improvements and cost competitiveness were the major contributing factors"). Leeds, located in West Yorkshire, England, has a diverse economy with the service sector now dominating over the city's manufacturing industries Leeds is home to the UK headquarters Ainsleys - a bakers and sandwich retailer Asda Walmart - Supermarket chain Glasgow (ˈglæzgoʊ is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom ^[10] It is also regarded as the fastest growing city in the UK^[11]and has a diverse economy with the service sector now dominating over the city's manufacturing industries. Leeds is the largest financial centre in England outside the capital. ^[12] New tertiary industries such as retail, call centres, offices and media have contributed to a high rate of economic growth since the early 1990s. A call centre or call center (see spelling differences) is a centralized office used for the purpose of receiving and transmitting a large volume of requests by An office is generally a room or other area in which people work, but may also denote a position within an Organization with specific duties attached The news media refers to the section of the Mass media that focuses on presenting current News to the public In the late 1990s dot-com bubble, Leeds became one of the key hubs in the emerging new media sector, and companies such as Freeserve, Energis, Sportal, TEAMtalk and Ananova emerged to dominate the UK internet industry. The " dot-com bubble " (or sometimes the " IT bubble " was a speculative bubble covering roughly 1995–2001 (with a climax on March 10 Freeserve was a UK Internet Service Provider, founded in 1998 Now, over 33% of the UK's internet traffic is claimed to go through Leeds, making it one of the most important regional internet centres in the UK. Over 100,000 people work in financial and business services in Leeds, which is about a quarter of the total workforce. The strength of the economy is also indicated by the low unemployment rate. However, despite the growth of the Leeds economy in recent years, some parts of the city still remain poor, especially to the south and east of the city centre, typical of many large cities in the UK.

Growth sectors in financial & business services: banking, labour recruitment*, commercial cleaning, legal services, insurance, pension funds, computing*, architecture and civil engineering, real estate, investigation & security, accountancy, equipment leasing, consultancy & market research*, advertising, and R&D*.

Some of the faster growing sub-sectors during the 1990s marked *.

Development

Bridgewater Place taken in September 2007

An artist's impression of Lumiere

Further information: List of tallest buildings in Leeds and List of Developments in Leeds

In recent times Leeds has seen many new developments, with high rise schemes making a much larger mark on Leeds' skyline. Bridgewater Place, nicknamed The Dalek, is an office and residential development in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Lumiere is a mixed-use Skyscraper development that is currently on hold whilst under construction in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. See Also Architecture in Leeds Leeds is one of the United Kingdom Sixteen skyscrapers are currently under construction or proposed, all of them taller than West Riding House (262 ft/80 m) - Leeds' tallest building since it was built in the 1970s. ^[13] Bridgewater Place recently became the tallest building in Leeds, however this title is anticipated to be shortlived as the 561 ft (171 m) Lumiere building is expected to be finished by 2012. Bridgewater Place, nicknamed The Dalek, is an office and residential development in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Lumiere is a mixed-use Skyscraper development that is currently on hold whilst under construction in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. There are also plans in Leeds to build an even taller skyscraper than Lumiere, which will if built be known as the Millgarth Tower. Estimates of the height of this new building range from 190 m - 210m. Between 60-63 floors high.

Tourism

Main article: Tourism in Leeds

Leeds has received several accolades in the field of tourism; including being voted by Condé Nast Traveler magazine Readers' Awards as the "UK's favourite city" in 2004, "Best English city to visit outside London" in 2005, and also "Visitor city of the year" by The Good Britain Guide in 2005. See also Wikitravel Leeds has received several accolades in the field of tourism including being voted by Condé Nast Traveler magazine Readers' Awards as the "UK's favourite Condé Nast Traveler is an American Magazine published by Condé Nast Publications, started in 1987 and specializing in luxury A vibrant city, rich in culture and heritage, and ideally located in the very heart of England, it is supported by an extensive rail, road and air network which makes travelling to Leeds quick and easy. Situated close to the UK's geographical centre, it benefits from good transport connections with the M1 running from Leeds to London, the M62 connecting Leeds with the seaport cities of Hull and Liverpool, and the A1(M) for linking to the north. The M1 is a major south – north Motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where The M62 motorway is a west&ndasheast trans-Pennine Motorway in northern England, connecting the cities of Liverpool and Hull Kingston upon Hull ( almost invariably referred Liverpool ( is a City and Metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary Leeds Bradford International Airport is one of the fastest growing regional UK airports, with a 75 per cent growth in passenger numbers in the last five years. Leeds Bradford International Airport is located in the City of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. Over 450 weekly flights connect the city to over 50 major European business and holiday destinations.

Tourism in Leeds is estimated to support over 20,000 full time equivalent jobs, and on average Leeds attracts around 1. 4 million people annually who stay overnight, plus a further 18. 4 million who visit on day trips. Visitors to the city bring in nearly £735 m into the local economy each year and Leeds' vibrant and cultural scenes are some of the key reasons that visitors from across the UK and Europe come to Leeds. Major national and regional attractions include the Royal Armouries, the Henry Moore Sculpture Centre, West Yorkshire Playhouse and the award winning Harewood House, which was voted one of the best large visitor attractions in the Excellence in England Awards for Tourism 2003. The Royal Armouries houses the British national collection of arms and armour The Yorkshire Sculpture Park ( is an open-air art organisation showing work by UK and international artists including notably Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth The West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds, England is a theatre which opened in March 1990 as part of the regeneration of the Quarry Hill Harewood House (ˈhɑː(rwʊd as if written Harwood) is a Country house located in Harewood (pronounced as if written Hairwood) near ^[14] Leeds is also the only city outside London to have both its own opera and ballet companies – the internationally acclaimed Opera North and Northern Ballet Theatre. This is about the British organisation for the unrelated American one see Opera North (U Northern Ballet Theatre is a Dance company based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, with a strong repertoire in theatrical dance productions

Additionally, in the Good Hotel Guide 2004, four Leeds hotels were named as top choices for places to stay in the UK.

Transport

Main article: Transport in Leeds

Rail

Leeds Railway Station after the 2002 rebulid. Leeds has strong transport links nationally with the UK's busiest railway station outside London road connections via the A1(M Motorway M1 motorway and M62

The rail network is still of great importance. Leeds City station is one of the busiest in the UK outside central London, with over 900 trains and 50,000 passengers per day. Leeds railway station (often known by its official name Leeds City) is the mainline railway station serving the city centre of Leeds in West Yorkshire, It provides connections to London, Southampton and the south, Birmingham and the Midlands, Kingston upon Hull and Scarborough on the East Coast, Bristol and the West Country, Newcastle, Edinburgh and the north east, Manchester and Liverpool and the north west, as well as to local and regional destinations. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Southampton ( IPA /ˌsaʊθˈhæmptən/ is the largest city in the county of Hampshire, on the south coast of England Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um This article is mainly about the English Midlands For other uses see Midlands (disambiguation. Kingston upon Hull ( almost invariably referred Scarborough is a town on the North Sea coast of North Yorkshire, England. Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London The West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region Newcastle upon Tyne ( (often shortened to Newcastle) is a city and Metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, England Edinburgh ( ˈɛdɪnb(ərə Dùn Èideann) is the Capital of Scotland and is its second largest city after Glasgow. Liverpool ( is a City and Metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary The station itself has 17 platforms, making it the largest in England outside London. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom.

From Leeds City station MetroTrains operated by Northern Rail operate to all parts of West Yorkshire and surrounding local and commuter locations and other operators including National Express East Coast, CrossCountry, East Midlands Trains and TransPennine Express operate services to the rest of the country. Leeds railway station (often known by its official name Leeds City) is the mainline railway station serving the city centre of Leeds in West Yorkshire, The West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (WYPTE is the Passenger Transport Executive for the county of West Yorkshire, England. Northern Rail (often referred to simply as Northern) is a Train operating company that has operated local passenger services in the north of England West Yorkshire is a Metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of National Express East Coast is the name under which the Train operating company NXEC Trains Ltd operates the InterCity East Coast rail franchise which CrossCountry is a Train operating company, the brand name of XC Trains Limited owned by Arriva, that has operated Great Britain ’s Cross Country rail franchise East Midlands Trains ( EMT) is a train operating company operating in the United Kingdom. First TransPennine Express is a train operating company in the United Kingdom.

Leeds has two railway lines offering direct services to London. The principal route is along the East Coast Main Line which operates half-hourly through the day. The East Coast Main Line ( ECML) is the electrified high-speed railway link between London and Edinburgh connecting Yorkshire, North East East Midlands Trains offers an alternative route via Leicester along the Midland Main Line to London St Pancras International, home of Eurostar international services. Leicester (ˈlɛstə is the largest city and Unitary authority area in the East Midlands of England, and is the traditional The Midland Main Line is a major railway line in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system. St Pancras railway station is a major railway station situated in the St Pancras area of Central London between the British Library and King's Cross Eurostar is a High-speed train service in Western Europe connecting London and Kent in the United Kingdom, with Paris The East Midlands Trains service operates principally because the train operators fleet of diesel high speed trains (HST's) is based at Neville Hill maintenance depot in Leeds. There are three trains per day in each direction.

Tram plans

Artist's impression of Leeds Supertram running along Boar Lane

The city had plans in the 1990s and 2000s for a tram network known as Supertram. For information on the original tramway withdrawn in 1959 see Leeds Tramway The Leeds Supertram was a proposed Light rail / However the government axed the scheme due to an unwillingness to pay for any costs over budget, and the Department for Transport's apparent preference for a bus-based rapid transport scheme rather than a tram-based scheme. In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport (or DfT) ( Welsh: Adran am Drafnidiaeth) is the government department ^[15][16] A sub-surface tramway system which could double as a public air-raid shelter facility was proposed in the 1930s by Leeds City Council, with Central Government funding. For the general article about fortified structures see Bunker. The plans were axed as the Second World War commenced and funds were diverted to the war effort. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Leeds remains the largest city in Europe without a mass transit system.

Roads

Leeds is the focus of the A58, A61, A62, A63, A64, A65 and A660 roads. The A58 is a major Road in northern England that runs between Prescot, Merseyside and Wetherby, West Yorkshire The A61 is a major Trunk road in England. It runs from Derby to Thirsk in North Yorkshire. The A62 is a major Road in England that runs between the two major cities of Manchester and Leeds. The A63 is a major Road in Yorkshire, England between Leeds and Kingston upon Hull (aka Hull The A64 is a trunk road in England which links Leeds, York and Scarborough. The A65 is a major Road in England. It runs north west from Leeds in Yorkshire via Kirkstall, Horsforth, Yeadon The A660 is a major Road in West Yorkshire, England that runs from Leeds to Burley-in-Wharfedale where it meets the A65 Nowadays, with the M1 and M62 intersecting just to its south and the A1(M) passing just to its east, it is one of the principal hubs of the northern motorway network. The M1 is a major south – north Motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where The M62 motorway is a west&ndasheast trans-Pennine Motorway in northern England, connecting the cities of Liverpool and Hull There is an Inner Ring Road with part motorway status and an Outer Ring Road. The Leeds Inner Ring Road is a part Motorway and part A road in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The city centre is pedestrianised, and is encircled by the clockwise-only 'loop road'.

Recent developments to East Leeds have seen phase 7 of the M621 which involves completion of the Outer Ring Road scheme and construction of a bridge running from the A64 near South Accommodation Road, straight to the M621. The M621 motorway is a short Motorway in England. It takes traffic from the M1 and M62 motorways into Central Leeds. The A64 is a trunk road in England which links Leeds, York and Scarborough. This new road link will help in taking a percentage of traffic away from the city centre and roads exiting to South Leeds and the motorways.

Another project which will begin construction in late 2008 is the long awaited extension of Junction 45 on the M1. The M1 is a major south – north Motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where Provisions including slip roads, markings and roundabouts were all placed during construction of the motorway due to future expansion being a possibility. Now, a dual carriageway is being created from Junction 45 straight in to Leeds via Hunslet and Cross Green. This is all part of Leeds City Council's aim to re-develop and encourage investment in to the East Leeds area which in comparison to the North, South, West and Centre of Leeds, is the most underdeveloped.

Bus/coach

On 30 January 2006, a zero-fare bus service (the FreeCityBus) started running, on a circular route, in the centre of Leeds. Events 1648 - Eighty Years' War: The Treaty of Münster is signed ending the conflict between the Netherlands and Spain Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Zero-fare Public transport services are funded in full by means other than collecting a Fare from passengers FreeCityBus or FreeTownBus is a family of free bus services which are operated in the centres of several cities and towns in the English county of

Leeds has a large modern bus station served by National Express and local bus services. National Express Group plc ( is a UK -based Transport group with headquarters in London that operates Bus, coach, rail Buses in the city are mainly provided by FirstBus and Arriva. FirstGroup plc ( is a Scottish Transport company operating in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Canada, USA Arriva plc ( is a British -based international public transport operator headquartered in Sunderland. Harrogate & District provides a service to Harrogate and Ripon. Harrogate & District is a local Bus company based in Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England. Harrogate (or Harrogate Spa) is a large wealthy Spa town in North Yorkshire, England. Ripon is a Cathedral city, Market town and Civil parish within the Borough of Harrogate, in North Yorkshire, England. The Yorkshire Coastliner service runs from Leeds to Malton, Scarborough, Filey, Whitby and Bridlington via Tadcaster, York and Malton. Yorkshire Coastliner is a Bus company based in Malton in North Yorkshire, England. Malton is a Market town in North Yorkshire, England. The town is the location of the offices of Ryedale District Council and has a population Scarborough is a town on the North Sea coast of North Yorkshire, England. Filey is a small town and Civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. Whitby is a historic town and Civil parish in the Scarborough district of North Yorkshire on the north-east coast of England. Bridlington is a town and Civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. Tadcaster is a Market town in North Yorkshire, England, lying on the Great North Road approximately 15 miles east of Leeds and 10 York ( is an historic Walled city sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. Malton is a Market town in North Yorkshire, England. The town is the location of the offices of Ryedale District Council and has a population

Trolleybus plans

A business case for a new trolleybus system in the Leeds region is scheduled to be submitted to the Department for Transport towards the end of 2007. This system would broadly follow the route of the axed Supertram project[1].

Local public transport information

Leeds Travel Info is Leeds City Council's public access website providing real-time travel information in the Leeds area. West Yorkshire Metro provides bus and train information on its website, and offers the innovative "My Next Bus" service of real-time bus information by text message or online. The West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (WYPTE is the Passenger Transport Executive for the county of West Yorkshire, England. This real-time information is also displayed in certain bus shelters.

Air transport

Main article: Leeds Bradford International Airport

Leeds Bradford Airport, entrance to departure hall A

Leeds Bradford International Airport is located near Yeadon, to the north-west of the city and has both charter and scheduled flights to destinations within Europe plus Egypt and Turkey. Leeds Bradford International Airport is located in the City of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. Leeds Bradford International Airport is located in the City of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. Yeadon is a town within the City of Leeds Metropolitan borough, in West Yorkshire, England. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches There are connections to the rest of the world via London Heathrow Airport, Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (Aéroport Paris-Charles de Gaulle also known as Roissy Airport (or just Roissy in French in the Paris area is Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is the Netherlands ' main Airport, located 20 minutes (17 In 2007 Bridgepoint Capital acquired the airport from the local councils which had previously owned it, for £145. Bridgepoint is a pan-European private equity investor in companies valued up to €1 billion including Pets at Home in the UK Dorna in Spain and A-Katsastus 5 million. The new owners have said they are to implement a £70 million capital expenditure plan, to focus on improving passenger and retail infrastructure. They also aim to more than double passenger numbers to 7 million per annum and to add up to 20 new scheduled destinations, both by 2015. ^[17]

There is a direct rail service from Leeds to Manchester Airport, with trains running throughout the night. Manchester Airport is a major Airport in the vicinity of Manchester, England, and the largest airport in the United Kingdom outside the Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield is 40 miles (65 km) south of Leeds. Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield is an international Airport located at the former RAF Finningley airbase in Finningley, South Yorkshire

Sea transport

Leeds has good connections by road, rail and coach to Hull, only an hour away, from where it is possible to travel to Rotterdam and Zeebrugge by ferry services run by P&O Ferries. Kingston upon Hull ( almost invariably referred Rotterdam (pronounced) is the 2nd-largest City by population in the Netherlands, located in the province of Zeebrugge ( Dutch: Zeebrugge, French: Zeebruges, "Seabruges" in literal translation is a village on the coast of Belgium P&O Ferries (formerly P&O European Ferries) is a constituent company of DP World (which took over its parent company the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation

Events

Millennium Square

• The Leeds German Christmas Market (or Christkindelmarkt) is held in Millennium Square every year for about five weeks in November and December
• The Ice Cube - Europe’s largest open air ice skating rink is also held annually in Millennium Square, usually from January to March. A Christmas market, also known as Christkindlmarkt, Christkindlesmarkt, Christkindlmarket, and Weihnachtsmarkt Millennium Square is a city square in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.
• The Leeds Christmas Lights Switch On is an annual event featuring a celebrity turning on the lights with the Lord Mayor, accompanied by an up-and-coming band and small funfair. Leeds is one of the only cities in Britain to have a year-round agency in charge of planning their display and maintaining the equipment, and as such has established the largest Christmas lights display in the country, and one of the largest in Europe, with illuminations covering over 13 miles (21 km) of street (Blackpool Illuminations is bigger, but is not a Christmas display). Blackpool Illuminations is an annual Lights Festival, founded in 1879 and first switched on 18 September that year held each autumn in the English seaside The Switch On ceremony used to take place on the fourth Thursday in November from its inception in the early 1980s, but from 1996 has been held earlier in the month, usually close to (but not on) 5 November. Events 1499 - Publication of the Catholicon in Treguier ( Brittany) It was held on a Friday in 1997 and 1999, but is otherwise always held on a Thursday, the traditional night in Britain for pre-Christmas late night shopping. As the popularity of the event increased into the early 1990s, attendances at what essentially became a free concert swelled, and has been known to attract in the region of 50,000 people (part of the main road through central Leeds, The Headrow, is closed off and traffic diverted). The Headrow is the main street in Leeds City Centre, West Yorkshire, England.
• The Leeds International Pianoforte Competition [2], founded by Fanny Waterman, takes place every three years, next due in 2009. The Leeds International Piano Competition takes place every three years (next in 2009) in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Dame Fanny Waterman DBE (born 22 March, 1920) is a piano teacher and the founder Chairman and Artistic Director of the Leeds International Pianoforte
• Party in the Park and Opera in the Park are major free events held each summer at Temple Newsam
• The Leeds Mela [3] is held each summer in Roundhay Park. Temple Newsam (historically Temple Newsham) ( is a Tudor - Jacobean house with grounds landscaped by Capability Brown, in Leeds, Melas are south Asian events which have spread around the world from the south Asian subcontinent Roundhay Park in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, is one of the biggest city parks in Europe
• Leeds West Indian Carnival takes place in Chapeltown each summer. The Leeds Carnival, also called the Leeds West Indian Carnival or the Chapeltown Carnival, is the longest running West Indian carnival in Europe Chapeltown is a Suburb of north-east Leeds, in West Yorkshire, England, and is the centre of the city's British Afro-Caribbean community
• The Leeds International Film Festival [4] takes place each autumn and there is also an annual Leeds Young People's Film Festival. The Leeds International Film Festival (LIFF is the largest Film festival in England outside London.
• The annual summer and Christmas concerts at Leeds Town Hall, organised by the Leeds Schools Music Association and involving hundreds of schoolchildren from around the city. Leeds Town Hall was built between 1853 and 1858 in Park Lane (now The Headrow) Leeds, West Yorkshire to a design by Architect Cuthbert
• There is also a musical event held annually at the Kirkstall Abbey, known as Fantasia, usually held in August which includes a large firework display. Kirkstall Abbey is a ruined Cistercian monastery in the western outskirts of Leeds in Yorkshire, set in grounds which are now a public park on the north
• Kirkstall Abbey also plays host to the annual Kirkstall Festival, a Leeds tradition. Kirkstall is a suburb of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, and is located on the eastern side of the River Aire. This takes place every July.
• A Half marathon takes place every May, starting in the Town centre and running in a loop around the North of the city. A half marathon is a Road running event of 210975 meters or miles about 13
• The Leeds Festival (Previously Carling Festival:Leeds as of 2008) takes place every August bank holiday at Bramham Park
• Leeds Shopping Week annually gives shoppers discounts and longer opening hours at participating stores in the city, and usually happens mid-summer.

Sport

Main article: Sport in Leeds

Elland Road from the East

The city has a strong sporting heritage, with teams representing all the major national sports. Leeds has a strong sporting heritage with the Yorkshire County Cricket Club, Leeds Rhinos (the Rugby league team and Leeds Carnegie Yorkshire County Cricket Club, Leeds Rhinos Rugby League Football Club and Leeds Carnegie Rugby Union Football Club all play at Headingley, where there are adjacent cricket and rugby stadia, and Hunslet Hawks RLFC are based at the John Charles Centre for Sport. Yorkshire County Cricket Club, who represent the historic county of Yorkshire, are one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English domestic Cricket Leeds Rhinos, or informally Leeds or Rhinos, are an English professional Rugby league football club based in Leeds History See also History of rugby league The grass roots of rugby league can be traced to early football history, through the playing of ball games Leeds Carnegie is an English Rugby union club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire that currently plays in the National Division One after being relegated Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short Headingley Stadium is a sporting complex in the Leeds suburb of Headingley in West Yorkshire, England. Hunslet Hawks are a British Rugby league club They are based in Hunslet, to the south of Leeds, West Yorkshire. The John Charles Centre for Sport is a sports facility in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Leeds United A.F.C., the city's main football team, play at Elland Road in Beeston Also, one of Leeds' most historic and influential Rugby League team the Bramley RLFC play in Leeds from the Arthur Miller Stadium (Stanningley SARLC). Leeds United Association Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Leeds United or informally Leeds, are an English professional football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Elland Road is an all-seater football Stadium situated in the Beeston area of the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, Beeston is an area of south Leeds, West Yorkshire, England with a population of about 16000 Bramley Buffaloes is a Rugby league club from the Bramley area of West Leeds in West Yorkshire, England.

Football

See also: Football in Leeds

Unlike many other large British cities, Leeds only has one league football team. The city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, has several Football Clubs within its boundaries Leeds United were formed in 1919 in Salem Chapel, just south of Leeds bridge, following the bankruptcy of their predecessors, Leeds City. Leeds United Association Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Leeds United or informally Leeds, are an English professional football Leeds City Football Club were the leading professional football club in Leeds, England, before World War I. Under the management of Don Revie, they were a major force in English football during the late 1960s and early 1970s, winning the league championship twice, the FA Cup once, the League Cup once and the Fairs Cup twice. Donald George 'Don' Revie, OBE, ( 10 July 1927 - 26 May 1989) was a football player for Leicester City, Football is the National sport of England and plays a significant role in English culture. History Following the legalisation of professional football by The Football Association in 1885 the English Football League was established in 1888 The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition History Spanish era The first competition was to be held over two seasons to avoid clashes with national leagues fixtures After Revie's departure for the England job in 1974, Leeds went into decline and did not win another major trophy until 1992, when Howard Wilkinson guided them to glory in the last-ever First Division championship before the creation of the Premier League. The English national football team represents England in international football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football Howard Wilkinson (born 13 November 1943 in Sheffield) is a former English football player and manager. The Football League First Division was the highest division of The Football League between 1993 and 2004 and the highest division of English football overall between The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs They remained at this level for 12 years before a financial crisis contributed towards their relegation in 2004. Three years later they were relegated again, into the third tier of the English league for the first time in their history. Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Coca-Cola Football League 1 for sponsorship reasons is the second-highest division of The Football

Rugby league

The new Carnegie Stand at Headingley. Headingley Stadium is a sporting complex in the Leeds suburb of Headingley in West Yorkshire, England. Rugby league is Leeds' second most popular spectator sport. History See also History of rugby league The grass roots of rugby league can be traced to early football history, through the playing of ball games A spectator sport is a Sport that is characterized by the presence of spectators or watchers at its matches

Leeds Rhinos are currently the best rugby league team in Leeds. Leeds Rhinos, or informally Leeds or Rhinos, are an English professional Rugby league football club based in Leeds History See also History of rugby league The grass roots of rugby league can be traced to early football history, through the playing of ball games They play their home games at the Headingley Stadium and compete in the Super League. Headingley Stadium is a sporting complex in the Leeds suburb of Headingley in West Yorkshire, England. They make up the top 3 sides in the league, based on the number of Challenge Cups won, together with the Bradford Bulls and St Helens RFC. The Challenge Cup (as of 2008 known as the Carnegie Challenge Cup for sponsorship reasons is a knockout cup competition for Rugby league clubs across Europe The Bradford Bulls are a professional Rugby league club based in the city of Bradford, England. In 2007 they finished 2nd in the league but they beat St Helens in the Super League Grand Final, making them Super League champions. Engage Super League XII is the official name for the year 2007 's Super League season in the sport of Rugby league. The Super League Grand Final (commonly referred to as the Grand Final is the last game of the European Super League 's domestic season They went on to beat the Australian NRL champions Melbourne Storm 11–4 at Elland Road on February 29 in the 2008 World Club Challenge. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The Melbourne Storm is a professional Rugby league football club based in the city of Melbourne, Australia Elland Road is an all-seater football Stadium situated in the Beeston area of the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, Leap years Although the modern calendar counts a year as 365 days a complete revolution around the sun takes approximately 365 days and 6 hours The year 2008 's Carnegie World Club Challenge was contested between Super League XII champions the Leeds Rhinos and National Rugby League season 2007 ^[18]

They are the best supported rugby team of either code throughout the UK^[19], having won a number of domestic and international trophies, including 5 Championships, 11 Challenge Cups and 2 World Club Challenge titles. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Rugby League Championship was the major professional competition organised by the Rugby Football League in Great Britain.

Another rugby league team from the city are the Hunslet Hawks, who are based in Hunslet, South Leeds. Hunslet Hawks are a British Rugby league club They are based in Hunslet, to the south of Leeds, West Yorkshire. Hunslet is an area of inner-city south Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. They play in the National League Two and their home is the John Charles Centre for Sport, formerly known as the South Leeds Stadium. Media Some games are shown on Sky Sports, games involving Celtic Crusaders are shown on Welsh-language channel S4C. The John Charles Centre for Sport is a sports facility in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Their nickname is The Parksiders, after their former home ground, Parkside. Parkside was a Rugby league stadium in Hunslet, Leeds, England. They have won the League Championship and the Challenge Cup twice each, though these honours were all achieved before the Second World War. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including

Bramley Buffaloes, from Bramley, West Leeds, currently play in the Rugby League Conference. Bramley Buffaloes is a Rugby league club from the Bramley area of West Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. Bramley is a district in west Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The Rugby League Conference (RLC (also known as the Co-operative Rugby League Conference as a result of sponsorship from the Co-operative Group, is a series of regionally They are known as The Villagers and the club play their home games at Stanningley ARLFC. Leeds Akkies are also in the Conference and are based in Bramhope, North Leeds. Bramhope is a village and Civil parish in the City of Leeds Metropolitan borough, West Yorkshire, England, north of Holt Park The club was founded in 2003 by students from the three universities of Leeds, to provide a pathway from student rugby league to open age amateur rugby league. The word student is etymologically derived through Middle English from the Latin second-type conjugation Verb "studēre" A university is an institution of Higher education and Research, which grants Academic degrees in a variety of subjects Amateurism (from Fr amateur "lover of" from OFr from L

Rugby union

Leeds Carnegie, formerley known as Leeds Tykes, are the main rugby union football club in Leeds. Leeds Carnegie is an English Rugby union club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire that currently plays in the National Division One after being relegated Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short They are owned by the same company that run the Leeds Rhinos rugby league team and, consequently, they also play at the Headingley Carnegie Stadium. Headingley Stadium is a sporting complex in the Leeds suburb of Headingley in West Yorkshire, England. Their name was changed on May 14, 2007, when it was announced that Leeds Metropolitan University would buy a 51% stake in the club and change the name to fit with the university's sport department, Carnegie College^[20][21]. Events 1264 - Battle of Lewes: Henry III of England is captured in France making Simon de Montfort the Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Leeds Metropolitan University is a University with two campuses in Leeds, Yorkshire, England. They currently play in the Guinness Premiership, the highest level of domestic rugby union in England, having been promoted as champions of National Division One in the 2006–07 season. The English Premiership (known as the Guinness Premiership because of the league's sponsorship by Guinness) is a professional league competition for Rugby National Division One is the second tier of the English Rugby union leagues At the start of the season Leeds Tykes came down to National Division One after coming last in the Guinness Premiership of 2005-06. The club won their first trophy in 2005, with a battling performance to defeat favourites Bath in the Powergen Cup final. Bath Rugby (also known as just Bath) is an English professional Rugby union club that is based in the city of Bath. The EDF Energy Cup (also known as the Anglo-Welsh Cup) is an English and Welsh Rugby union knock-out cup competition featuring the

Otley R.U.F.C., who play at Cross Green, are another rugby union club from the area. Otley Rugby Union Football Club are an English Rugby union club representing Otley in the City of Leeds district of West Yorkshire Cross Green is a multi-use Stadium in Otley, England. It is currently used mostly for rugby matches and is the home ground of Otley They are based in Otley and compete in National Division Two, having been relegated from National Division One in the 2006–07 season. Otley is a Market town in the Metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, by the River Wharfe. National Division Two is the third level of domestic Rugby union competition in England National Division One is the second tier of the English Rugby union leagues Morley R.F.C., located in Morley, south-west Leeds, currently play in the National Division Three North. Morley Rugby Union Football Club is a Rugby union club based in Morley, Leeds, West Yorkshire. Morley is a Market town suburb and Civil parish in the City of Leeds Metropolitan borough, West Yorkshire, England National Division Three North is the fourth level of domestic Rugby union competition in Northern England Their nickname is The Maroons, due to the colour of their kit.

Athletics

Leeds City AC is amongst the biggest and most successful athletics clubs in the north of England and competes in the British Athletics League. The club has also had the most successful men's harriers section in the country in the 21st century. Since the turn of the millennium the team has never been out of the top 4 in the National Cross Country Championships, winning in 2003, 2006, 2007 and 2008. In 2006, 2007 and 2008 the team achieved the 'Grand Slam' of wins - Yorkshire, North of England and English National Champions. They were also 2007 National 12-stage road relay champions and gained silver medals in the National 6-stage and cross country relays the same year.

Many athletic clubs serve the youth of the city and enter teams in the country's major running events - especially raising funds for local charities in the London Marathon and the British 10K. The London Marathon is a popular road marathon that has been held each year in London since 1981 usually in April Leeds hosts many athletics events itself, most notably the Help the Aged Abbey Dash 10K, the Jane Tomlinson 10K and the Leeds Half Marathon.

Women's football

Leeds United L.F.C. are the best-placed women's football team in Leeds. They currently compete at the highest level in England, the FA Women's Premier League National Division, for the 2007–08 season, having finished 5th in the league last season. The FA Women's Premier League National Division is at the top of the English women's football league pyramid The club currently play their home matches at The Park, home of Tadcaster Albion A.F.C., in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire. Tadcaster Albion AFC are an English football club based in Tadcaster North Yorkshire, formed in 1892 Tadcaster is a Market town in North Yorkshire, England, lying on the Great North Road approximately 15 miles east of Leeds and 10 North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county in

Another women's team based in Leeds is Leeds City Vixens L.F.C.. For other uses of Leeds City see Leeds City (disambiguation. Leeds City Vixens Ladies Football Club is an English women's football They currently play in the Northern Combination Women's Football League, which is the third tier of women's football. The Northern Combination Women's Football League, also known simply as the Northern Combination, is at the third level of the English women's football pyramid along Last season they finished 2nd in the league, narrowly missing out on promotion into the FA Women's Premier League Northern Division. The FA Women's Premier League Northern Division is a league in the second-level in the women's football pyramid in England along with the Southern divisions Presently, the club play their home fixtures at The Bracken Edge, home of Yorkshire Amateur A.F.C.. Yorkshire Amateur AFC are a football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.

Other Sports

The "LeedsLeedsLeeds" Ultimate (frisbee) team competes nationally and internationally. Ultimate (often called Ultimate Frisbee in reference to the trademarked brand name) is a non-contact Team sport played with a 175 gram Flying ^[22]

Speedway racing was staged in Leeds in the period 1928 to 1939. The track was at the greyhound stadium in Elland Road. The track entered a team in the 1931 Northern league.

The universities offer many tens of sports, including American football and ultimate (frisbee).

Sports facilities

Leeds has a wealth of sports facilities including the 40,000 capacity Elland Road football stadium, a host stadium during the 1996 European Football Championship; the Headingley Carnegie Stadiums, world famous for both cricket and rugby league; John Charles Centre for Sport with an Olympic sized pool in its Aquatics Centre and a stadium used for rugby league (Hunslet RLFC), athletics, bowls, football and tennis. Elland Road is an all-seater football Stadium situated in the Beeston area of the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, The 1996 UEFA European Football Championship ( Euro 96) was hosted by England. Headingley Stadium is a sporting complex in the Leeds suburb of Headingley in West Yorkshire, England. Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries History See also History of rugby league The grass roots of rugby league can be traced to early football history, through the playing of ball games The John Charles Centre for Sport is a sports facility in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. List of Olympic-size swimming pools in the United Kingdom is an annotated list of Swimming pools in the United Kingdom which conform to the Olympic standard Other facilities include the Leeds Wall (climbing), Yeadon Tarn sailing centre. Nearby, in Castleford, is Xscape (real snow indoor ski and snowboard slope with ice climbing wall). Xscape buildings (named after the company that developed them are large strikingly designed and unusually shaped buildings

Culture and recreation

Media

Leeds has bases for some media activities for the UK. Yorkshire Post Newspapers Ltd, owned by Johnston Press plc, is based in the city, and produces a daily morning broadsheet, the Yorkshire Post, and an evening paper, the Yorkshire Evening Post (YEP), as well as other publications such as Leeds Express and the weekly freesheets of the Leeds Weekly News, Wharfe Valley Times and Pudsey Times. Yorkshire Post Newspapers are publishers of the Yorkshire Post and Yorkshire Evening Post. Johnston Press plc ( is a newspaper publisher based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The Yorkshire Post is a daily Broadsheet Newspaper, published in Leeds, England by Yorkshire Post Newspapers, a company The Yorkshire Evening Post (often abbreviated to YEP) is a daily evening Publication published by Yorkshire Post Newspapers Ltd in Free daily newspapers trace their history back to the 1940s when Walnut Creek California publisher Dean Lesher began what is widely believed to be the first The YEP's website includes a series of "community websites" focused on specific areas of Leeds and called "[placename] today". ^[23]

There are also a number of regular dedicated lifestyle magazines based in Leeds, most notably the The Leeds Guide magazine which features regular nightlife listings and pages on Food & Drink, Shopping, Fashion, Property, Travel, Clubbing, Film and Rock & Pop in the city. The Leeds Guide is a fortnightly what's on magazine and has been published in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England since 1997 and is the longest established The magazine reflects the diversity of cultural life in Leeds and Yorkshire, with areas such as Art, Literature, Cinema, Comedy, Dance, Classical Music, Opera, Jazz and Theatre all regularly represented.

Regional television and radio stations also have bases in the city; BBC Television and ITV both have very large studios and broadcasting centres in Leeds, but there is concern over the future of regional independent television with the consolidation of Independent Television franchises in the UK. Independent Television (generally known as ITV) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters set up under the Independent There are a number of independent film production companies based at The Leeds Studios, including the not-for-profit cooperative Leeds Animation Workshop, founded in 1978; community video producers Vera Media and several small commercial production companies. The Leeds Studios also known as the Yorkshire Television Studios or YTV Studios is a television production complex on Kirkstall Road in

BBC Radio Leeds, Radio Aire, Magic 828, Galaxy 105, Real Radio and Yorkshire Radio all broadcast from the city. BBC Radio Leeds is the BBC Local Radio service for the English metropolitan county of West Yorkshire. 963 Radio Aire is the main Independent Local Radio station broadcasting in Leeds and is the sister station of Magic 828. Magic 828 is the AM sister service of Radio Aire and broadcasts to West Yorkshire on 828 kHz Real Radio (Yorkshire is an Independent local radio station that broadcasts across South and West Yorkshire. Yorkshire Radio is a digital only radio station broadcasting on DAB in the UK. In the 1980s, pirate radio stations including Rapid City Radio (RCR), amongst other shorter-lived stations broadcasting a mainly reggae playlist from Chapeltown, later diversifying into hip hop and house. The term pirate radio usually refers to illegal or unregulated radio transmissions Reggae is a Music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s Chapeltown is a Suburb of north-east Leeds, in West Yorkshire, England, and is the centre of the city's British Afro-Caribbean community Hip hop music, also referred to as rap music, is a Music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with House music is a style of Electronic dance music initially popularized in mid-1980s Discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino Later, Dream FM (Leeds) was one of the biggest pirate radio stations in the country, but folded soon after getting a license to operate legally. Leeds is the UK's third largest media city, behind London and Manchester.

Leeds also plays host to one of the largest student radio stations in the country, serving all the students of Leeds and open to paticipation from all of the universities and colleges within Leeds, the station LSRfm.com is based in Leeds University Union, and regularly hosts outside broadcasts around the city. Campus radio (also known as college radio, university radio or student radio) is a type of Radio station that is run by the students of a college Leeds Student Radio (now broadcasting as LSRfmcom) is a student radio station covering the campuses of the University of Leeds, Leeds Metropolitan Leeds University Union (LUU is the representative body for the students at the University of Leeds, England.

Also based at Leeds University Union is one of the largest student newspapers in the country, The Leeds Student. Leeds University Union (LUU is the representative body for the students at the University of Leeds, England. A student newspaper is a Newspaper run by Students of a University, High school, Middle school, or other school Leeds Student is a British weekly Student newspaper, published free every Friday during term-time and distributed around the University of Leeds

A recent development in industry (particularly the boosting of the British Film Industry), Yorkshire hosted the International Indian Film Academy Awards in 2007. Yorkshire is a historic county of Northern England and the largest in Great Britain. The International Indian Film Academy (IIFA Awards, is an awards ceremony that honours Bollywood ( Hindi language film industry films around the world since 2000 Leeds and Sheffield played core parts in the awards, being the two key cities involved in hosting the ceremony. Sheffield ( is a city and Metropolitan borough in South Yorkshire, England The IIFA Awards are Bollywood's (the Hindi film industry) equivalent to the Oscars in Hollywood. Bollywood (बॉलीवूड بالی وڈ is the informal term popularly used for the Mumbai -based Hindi-language Film industry in India Hindi ( Devanāgarī: hi [[wiktहिन्दी हिन्दी]] or hi [[wiktहिंदी हिंदी]] IAST:, IPA:) is "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. The four-day event generated millions of pounds in inward investment to the economy of Yorkshire.

Away from broadcasting, the city is a hub for games design. Rockstar Leeds is one of Europe's biggest games producers, and is famed for its involvement in the Grand Theft Auto series. Rockstar Leeds (formerly Mobius Entertainment) is an English Video game developer.

Museums and the arts

Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds: Looking up the main stairwell

A new Leeds City Museum is expected to open in August 2008^[24] in the building of the former Mechanics Institute, more recently used as the Civic Theatre, in Millennium Square. Leeds City Museum opened on 13 September 2008 in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Millennium Square is a city square in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The previous city museum was in the Central Library building, and closed some years ago.

Abbey House Museum is housed in the former gatehouse of Kirkstall Abbey, and includes walk-through Victorian streets and galleries describing the history of the abbey, childhood, and Victorian Leeds. Abbey House Museum in Kirkstall, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England is housed in the gatehouse of the ruined Kirkstall Abbey. Kirkstall Abbey is a ruined Cistercian monastery in the western outskirts of Leeds in Yorkshire, set in grounds which are now a public park on the north

Armley Mills Industrial Museum is housed in what was once the world's largest woollen mill, and includes industrial machinery and railway locomotives. The Armley Mills Leeds Industrial Museum is a Museum of industrial heritage located in Armley, west Leeds, West Yorkshire, England

Thwaite Mill Museum is a fully-restored water-powered mill on the river Aire to the east of the city centre. A fulling mill was built on the site in 1641, and it was extensively rebuilt in 1823–25.

The Thackray Museum is a museum of the history of medicine, featuring topics such as Victorian public health, pre-anaesthesia surgery, and safety in childbirth. Thackray Museum in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England is a museum of the History of medicine. It is housed in a former workhouse next to St James's hospital. A workhouse, colloquially known as a spike was a place where people who were unable to support themselves could go to live and work St James's University Hospital in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, popularly known as Jimmy's, is one of the United Kingdom 's

The Royal Armouries Museum opened in 1996 in a dramatic modern building when this part of the collection was transferred from the Tower of London. The Royal Armouries houses the British national collection of arms and armour Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London (and historically as The Tower) is a historic monument in central London

Leeds Art Gallery reopened in June 2007 after a major renovation project, and houses important collections of traditional and contemporary British art. Leeds Art Gallery in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England has major collections of traditional and contemporary paintings drawings prints and sculpture Contemporary Art venues include Gallery 42, Leeds Met Gallery, PS:L and theartmarket.

Leeds has the Grand Theatre (where Opera North is based), the City Varieties Music Hall (which has hosted performances by Charlie Chaplin and Harry Houdini plus being the venue of TV's "The Good Old Days") and the West Yorkshire Playhouse. The Grand Theatre (also known as Leeds Grand Theatre and Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House) is a Theatre and Opera house in the centre This is about the British organisation for the unrelated American one see Opera North (U The Leeds City Varieties is a Grade II* listed Music Hall in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds, England is a theatre which opened in March 1990 as part of the regeneration of the Quarry Hill

The Leeds Festival takes place every year in Bramham Park, having moved from Temple Newsam after pressure from some local residents. Bramham Park is a country house between Leeds and Wetherby, West Yorkshire, England. Temple Newsam (historically Temple Newsham) ( is a Tudor - Jacobean house with grounds landscaped by Capability Brown, in Leeds, It features some of the biggest names in rock and indie music.

The city is home to the Leeds International Pianoforte Competition, held every three years since 1963, which has launched the careers of many major concert pianists. The Leeds International Piano Competition takes place every three years (next in 2009) in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. There is also the Leeds International Concert Season the largest local authority music programme of any UK city outside London.

The city also has an internationally recognised film festival; the Leeds International Film Festival is the largest film festival in England outside London and shows films from around the world. The Leeds International Film Festival (LIFF is the largest Film festival in England outside London. It incorporates the highly successful Leeds Young People's Film Festival, which features exciting and innovative films made both for and by children and young people^[25].

Some of the first moving pictures in the world were taken in the city, by Louis Le Prince, of a Roundhay Garden Scene and of Leeds Bridge in 1888. Louis Aimé Augustin Le Prince (born 28 August 1842 vanished 16 September 1890 was an inventor who is considered by many film historians as the true father of motion pictures who Roundhay Garden Scene is an 1888 Short film directed by French inventor Louis Le Prince. Louis Aimé Augustin Le Prince (born 28 August 1842 vanished 16 September 1890 was an inventor who is considered by many film historians as the true father of motion pictures who

Leeds also has a very important dance community; it currently is the home of the world-renowned dance companies the Northern Ballet Theatre and Phoenix Dance.

Historic houses and parks

Harewood House in 2005, seen from the garden

Kirkstall Abbey

The ruins of Kirkstall Abbey, a Cistercian abbey dating from the 12th century, are in an open park alongside the river Aire in Kirkstall, to the west of the city centre. Harewood House (ˈhɑː(rwʊd as if written Harwood) is a Country house located in Harewood (pronounced as if written Hairwood) near Kirkstall Abbey is a ruined Cistercian monastery in the western outskirts of Leeds in Yorkshire, set in grounds which are now a public park on the north Kirkstall Abbey is a ruined Cistercian monastery in the western outskirts of Leeds in Yorkshire, set in grounds which are now a public park on the north Kirkstall is a suburb of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, and is located on the eastern side of the River Aire. The abbey gatehouse houses the Abbey House Museum. Abbey House Museum in Kirkstall, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England is housed in the gatehouse of the ruined Kirkstall Abbey. To the east of the city centre, Temple Newsam house dates from the early 16th century and has an extensive estate including gardens and a rare breeds farm. Temple Newsam (historically Temple Newsham) ( is a Tudor - Jacobean house with grounds landscaped by Capability Brown, in Leeds, The house was left to Leeds City Council following the occupiers death in 1922. This article discusses the metropolitan district of the City of Leeds. The house is notable Jacobean architecture. Lotherton Hall, with art collections and a bird garden, lies to the east of the city, Bramham Park to the north-east (this now hosts the Leeds Carling Weekend (Leeds Festival) since it was moved from Temple Newsam due to riots and trouble in the surrounding estates), and Harewood House to the north. Lotherton Hall is a Country house near Aberford, Leeds, West Yorkshire. Bramham Park is a country house between Leeds and Wetherby, West Yorkshire, England. Harewood House (ˈhɑː(rwʊd as if written Harwood) is a Country house located in Harewood (pronounced as if written Hairwood) near Kirkstall Abbey, Temple Newsam, and Lotherton Hall are owned and administered by Leeds City Council. Kirkstall Abbey is a ruined Cistercian monastery in the western outskirts of Leeds in Yorkshire, set in grounds which are now a public park on the north Temple Newsam (historically Temple Newsham) ( is a Tudor - Jacobean house with grounds landscaped by Capability Brown, in Leeds, Lotherton Hall is a Country house near Aberford, Leeds, West Yorkshire. This article discusses the metropolitan district of the City of Leeds.

To the north lies Roundhay Park with its well regarded Tropical World hothouse. Roundhay Park in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, is one of the biggest city parks in Europe Other parks in the city include Golden Acre Park which lies between Adel and Bramhope, Hall Park in Horsforth, Woodhouse Moor in Hyde Park, Potternewton Park between Chapeltown and Harehills, Temple Newsam Park stretching from Halton Moor to Colton, East End Park in the location of the same name, Cross Flatts Park in Beeston and Middleton Park in Middleton. Golden Acre Park is a public park near Bramhope, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England ( administered by Leeds City Council. Bramhope is a village and Civil parish in the City of Leeds Metropolitan borough, West Yorkshire, England, north of Holt Park Horsforth is a Town near Leeds in the City of Leeds Metropolitan borough, West Yorkshire, England. Woodhouse Moor is an open space approximately one mile (16 km from Leeds city centre West Yorkshire, England. Hyde Park is an inner-city area of north-west Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, situated between the University of Leeds and Headingley Chapeltown is a Suburb of north-east Leeds, in West Yorkshire, England, and is the centre of the city's British Afro-Caribbean community Harehills is an inner-city area of east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Temple Newsam (historically Temple Newsham) ( is a Tudor - Jacobean house with grounds landscaped by Capability Brown, in Leeds, Halton Moor is a district of east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Colton is a district of east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, situated between Cross Gates to the north Halton and Halton East End Park is an Inner city area of east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Beeston is an area of south Leeds, West Yorkshire, England with a population of about 16000 Geography Middleton Park is a semi wooded area of Middleton, West Yorkshire, England, south of Leeds centre comprising of a Golf Middleton is an old Pit village in south Leeds, it is 4 miles (6 km south of Leeds City Centre, West Yorkshire, England

The parks of the city are put to good use. Roundhay Park hosts numerous concerts, as does Bramham Park (near Wetherby) and Temple Newsham. Wetherby is a Market town in the City of Leeds Metropolitan borough, West Yorkshire, England Temple Newsam (historically Temple Newsham) ( is a Tudor - Jacobean house with grounds landscaped by Capability Brown, in Leeds, Roundhay Park is probably the most notable of the parks in Leeds and certainly the largest (in excess of 700 acres/2. 8 square kilometres). It is one of the largest inner city parks in Europe and visited by almost one million people every year. The car park at Roundhay Park is notable as it contains the only remaining trolley poles from the former tram system in the city. The arena area of Roundhay Park is used for concerts and over the years had seen concerts from The Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, Simple Minds, Madonna, Genesis, Robbie Williams and U2. Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29 1958 is an American musician entertainer and businessman Simple Minds are a rock band from Scotland, who had their greatest worldwide popularity from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie (born August 16 1958 known as Madonna, is an American Genesis are an English rock band formed in 1967 With approximately 150 million albums sold worldwide Genesis are among the top 30 highest-selling recording artists Robert Peter Maximilian Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer

Shopping

Victoria Quarter

Leeds Kirkgate Market

Main article: Shopping in Leeds

Leeds has an extensive and diverse range of shops and department stores, and has been branded with the title of the 'Knightsbridge of the North. Knightsbridge is a road which gives its name to an exclusive district lying to the west of Central London. '^[26] The diverse range of shopping facilities, from individual one-off boutiques to large department stores, which notably include Harvey Nichols and Louis Vuitton outlets, has greatly expanded the Leeds retail base. Harvey Nichols ("Harvey Nicks" founded in 1813 is an Upmarket Department store chain Louis Vuitton Malletier, commonly referred to as Louis Vuitton ( pronounced /lwi vɥitɔ̃/ or sometimes shortened to LV, is a French luxury fashion The Victoria Quarter, several existing arcades connected together by roofing the entirety of Queen Victoria Street with stained glass, is located off Briggate, Leeds' main shopping street. The Victoria Quarter is an Upmarket shopping area in Leeds, England. An arcade is a passage or walkway covered over by a succession of Arches or vaults supported by columns For the Blackford Oakes novel see Stained Glass (novel The term stained glass refers either to the material of coloured Glass or to the art Briggate, located in the centre of the city, is one of two principal shopping streets in Leeds, England (the other is The Headrow, Other popular shopping attractions include the Corn Exchange, Leeds Kirkgate Market, Granary Wharf, Leeds Shopping Plaza, Headrow Shopping Centre, The Light, The St John's Centre, The Merrion Centre Leeds, Crown Point, Birstall Retail Park and the White Rose Centre. The Corn Exchange in Leeds, West Yorkshire is one of Britain's finest Victorian buildings and a great architectural heritage of the city of Leeds Leeds Kirkgate Market is a Market in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England located on Vicar Lane. The Leeds Shopping Plaza is a shopping centre in Leeds, England surrounded by the streets of Bond Street, Albion Street, Boar Lane The Light is a leisure and Shopping centre in Leeds, England. The Merrion Centre in Leeds, England is a Shopping centre opened in 1964. Birstall Retail Park is a suburban shopping park in the United Kingdom, just outside the major northern city Leeds. The White Rose Centre is a shopping centre in the Morley district of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. In addition, there are also two proposed shopping developments, namely the Eastgate Quarters and Trinity Quarter. Eastgate Quarters, nicknamed Eastgate Centre and formerly known in early planning as the Harewood and Eastgate Quarters, is a planned €1 billion retail development The Leeds Shopping Plaza is a shopping centre in Leeds, England surrounded by the streets of Bond Street, Albion Street, Boar Lane

Music

Main articles: Music in Leeds and List of bands originating in Leeds

Artists

Leeds has produced many notable acts, some recent examples being the Kaiser Chiefs, The Music, the Pigeon Detectives and Corinne Bailey Rae. Leeds has a thriving musical scene and has produced many notable artists The following is a list of bands originating from Leeds, West Yorkshire, England Abrasive Wheels Age of Chance Kaiser Chiefs are an English Indie rock band who formed in 1997 The Music are an Alternative rock band from Kippax, Leeds, comprised of Robert Harvey (vocals guitar Adam Nutter (lead guitar Stuart Coleman (bass The Pigeon Detectives are an English band from Rothwell, Leeds, who formed in 2002 Corinne Bailey Rae (born Corinne Jacqueline Bailey on 26 February 1979) is an English Singer-songwriter and Guitarist Other acts from Leeds include The Wedding Present - who once had 12 new hit singles in the same calendar year, a feat unmatched by any other artist - Chumbawamba, The Sisters of Mercy and Melanie B, of the Spice Girls. The Wedding Present is a Rock group based in Leeds, England, formed in 1985 from the ashes of the Lost Pandas Chumbawamba are an English band who began their career playing Anarcho-punk, but over a 25-year career have gone on to play music ranging from pop -influenced The Sisters of Mercy are an English Gothic rock band that formed in 1980 Melanie Janine Brown (born 29 May 1975) professionally known as Melanie Brown, Melanie B, Mel B, and Scary Spice The Spice Girls are a BRIT Award -winning English pop Girl group formed in 1994 The punk band Gang of Four formed when they met at Leeds University. Gang of Four are an English Post-punk group from Leeds. Original personnel were singer Jon King, guitarist Andy Gill, bass guitarist

Dance music and the clubbing scene

House Music had a big impact on Leeds when it arrived in the late 1980s. House music is a style of Electronic dance music initially popularized in mid-1980s Discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino Early house nights included Downbeat at the Warehouse, Meltdown at the Astoria in Harehills, and Joy and Kaos at various temporary venues, along with a thriving Shebeen or "Blues" scene in Chapeltown. Harehills is an inner-city area of east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Chiefly in Ireland, Scotland, South Africa and Zimbabwe, a shebeen ( Irish: sibín) is an illicit bar or Chapeltown is a Suburb of north-east Leeds, in West Yorkshire, England, and is the centre of the city's British Afro-Caribbean community

Along with Sheffield and Bradford, Leeds was a centre for the Yorkshire Bleeps and Bass scene in 1989–1990, with influential local bands such as LFO, Nightmares on Wax, Ital Rockers, Unit 93 and Juno on Sheffield's Warp Records and Leeds' Bassic Records. Sheffield ( is a city and Metropolitan borough in South Yorkshire, England Bradford ( lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a Metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, England. Yorkshire Bleeps and Bass ( Yorkshire Techno) was a short-lived (1989-1991 local musical movement in the cities of Sheffield, Leeds and Bradford LFO is an English Techno act on the Warp Records label LFO were pioneers of the bass-heavy techno music of the late 1980s to mid-1990s Nightmares on Wax is DJ and musician George Evelyn (born c 1970 also known as DJ EASE (Experimental Sample Expert from Leeds, UK. Warp Records is a pioneering independent English Record label, founded in Sheffield in 1989 notable for discovering some of the most enduring artists in Bassic Records was a short-lived Leeds techno Record label set up in 1990 and folded in 1991.

The earlier underground house scene developed into the Leeds club scene of the 1990s, when for a while Leeds held the title of Britain's clubbing capital. Both Back to Basics and mixed gay night Vague enjoyed the title of best club in Britain at different points in the decade, whilst The Orbit in Morley was an internationally recognised techno mecca (Orbit closed in the late 1990s and was replaced by a restaurant). Vague was a regular night at The Warehouse Nightclub in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, from 1993 to 1996 Morley is a Market town suburb and Civil parish in the City of Leeds Metropolitan borough, West Yorkshire, England Techno is a form of Electronic dance music (EDM that emerged in Detroit, Michigan, USA during the mid to late 1980s

DIY scene

Leeds is very well-known for its current DIY underground music scene, with all genres well represented from hardcore,post-punk, and noise rock, electronica, indie pop, dub reggae, dubstep and folk. Underground music refers to a variety of post-1960s rock pop or dance subgenres that developed a Cult following despite their lack of Mainstream appeal visibility Hardcore punk (now usually referred to as simply hardcore) is a subgenre of Punk rock that originated in North America in the late 1970s Post-punk was a popular musical movement in the mid to late 1970s following on the heels of the initial Punk rock explosion of the early 1970s Noise rock (also known as noise punk) describes one variety of Post-punk Rock music that became prominent in the 1980s Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary Electronic music designed for a wide range "Twee" redirects here For a definition of the word see its entry at wiktionary. See also Folk (disambiguation, Volk (disambiguation Folk is one of the Germanic roots that mean "(of the people" or "our There is a vibrant and active community based around the DIY ethic^[27] Including local record labels Dance To The Radio, Squirrel Records and Bad Sneakers Records. The DIY ethic ( Do it yourself ethic refers to the ethic of being self-reliant by completing tasks oneself as opposed to having others who are likely more experienced complete

Festivals

Leeds initially played host to the northern leg of the V Festival between 1996 and 1998 before the event moved to Weston Park, Staffordshire. The V Festival is an annual music festival in England, the first to be held simultaneously at two sites - currently Hylands Park in Chelmsford and Weston Park is a Country house in Weston-under-Lizard, Staffordshire, England, set in more than 1000 acres (4 km² of park landscaped Staffordshire (abbreviated Staffs) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England.

In 2000, Leeds played host to the first and as of 2006 the only ever BBC Radio 1 Love Parade at Roundhay Park. The Love Parade (German Loveparade) is a popular Festival and Parade that originated in 1989 in Berlin, Germany, and is held

Since 1999 the Leeds Festival, a northern leg of the well established Reading Festival, has taken place on August bank holiday weekend. A bank holiday is a Public holiday in the United Kingdom and also in the Republic of Ireland. The event was initially held at Temple Newsam (the venue for the Leeds V Festival) before protests from residents forced a move to Bramham Park. Temple Newsam (historically Temple Newsham) ( is a Tudor - Jacobean house with grounds landscaped by Capability Brown, in Leeds, The V Festival is an annual music festival in England, the first to be held simultaneously at two sites - currently Hylands Park in Chelmsford and Bramham Park is a country house between Leeds and Wetherby, West Yorkshire, England.

Leeds is also home to the Leeds International Pianoforte Competition which is regarded highly. The Leeds International Piano Competition takes place every three years (next in 2009) in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was established in 1963 by Fanny Waterman and Marion Stein with the 15th competition in September 2006. Dame Fanny Waterman DBE (born 22 March, 1920) is a piano teacher and the founder Chairman and Artistic Director of the Leeds International Pianoforte Marion Donata Stein, CBE (born 18 October 1926) is an Austrian Concert pianist and as a former Countess of Harewood, is

West Yorkshire Playhouse and the neighbouring Venue at Leeds College of Music play host to the biennial FuseLeeds Festival showcasing an eclectic mix of more left-field music. The West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds, England is a theatre which opened in March 1990 as part of the regeneration of the Quarry Hill Leeds College of Music, located in Leeds ’ Quarry Hill cultural quarter is the largest music college in the United Kingdom, with over

The two-day O2 Wireless Festival took place at Harewood House between 2006 and 2007. Telefónica Europe plc is a European Telecommunications company providing both fixed and mobile communication products usually under the styled brand O2 The O2 Wireless Festival is a Music festival in England that takes place every year in Hyde Park, London, and took place Harewood House (ˈhɑː(rwʊd as if written Harwood) is a Country house located in Harewood (pronounced as if written Hairwood) near

Venues

Leeds plays host to many venues, currently including Leeds University refectory (where The Who recorded their 1970 live album Live at Leeds and Motörhead partially recorded their most successful album No Sleep Til Hammersmith), The Cockpit, Brudenell Social Club, The Faversham, The Hi-Fi club, The Wardrobe, The Irish Centre, Joseph's Well, The New Roscoe and Trash (formally The Mixing Tin) among others. The University of Leeds is a major teaching and research University in Leeds, West Yorkshire; one of the largest in the United Kingdom with The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964. The primary lineup consisted of guitarist Pete Townshend Live at Leeds (1970 is The Who 's first Live album, and is their only live album that was released while the band was still recording and performing No Sleep ’til Hammersmith is the first Live album by the English Heavy metal band Motörhead. Formerly the Cock of the North pub The Cockpit opened in 1994

Occasional music events are held in Millennium Square in the city centre (including the Kaiser Chiefs and Fall Out Boy in 2006), Roundhay Park (which was home to Love Parade in 2000 and has hosted gigs by the likes of Robbie Williams, U2, Michael Jackson and The Rolling Stones), Harewood House (which has hosted gigs by the likes of James Blunt and The Who, as well as popular classical concerts), Leeds Town Hall (which hosted the Kaiser Chiefs, Morrissey and is the main venue for the Leeds International Concert Season), The Venue at Leeds College of Music, and Leeds Parish Church (which has a full programme of musical events, many associated with its Choral Foundation). Kaiser Chiefs are an English Indie rock band who formed in 1997 Fall Out Boy is an American Pop punk band from Wilmette, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago) that formed in 2001 Roundhay Park in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, is one of the biggest city parks in Europe The Love Parade (German Loveparade) is a popular Festival and Parade that originated in 1989 in Berlin, Germany, and is held Robert Peter Maximilian Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29 1958 is an American musician entertainer and businessman Harewood House (ˈhɑː(rwʊd as if written Harwood) is a Country house located in Harewood (pronounced as if written Hairwood) near James Blunt (born James Hillier Blount, 22 February 1974 is an English Acoustic / Folk rock Singer-songwriter whose debut album The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964. The primary lineup consisted of guitarist Pete Townshend Leeds Town Hall was built between 1853 and 1858 in Park Lane (now The Headrow) Leeds, West Yorkshire to a design by Architect Cuthbert Kaiser Chiefs are an English Indie rock band who formed in 1997 Steven Patrick Morrissey (ˈmɒɹɪsiː born May 22, 1959) known primarily as Morrissey, is a British Singer and Lyricist Leeds College of Music, located in Leeds ’ Quarry Hill cultural quarter is the largest music college in the United Kingdom, with over Leeds Parish Church, or the Parish Church of Saint Peter -at-Leeds, in Leeds, West Yorkshire is a large and architecturally-significant

Recently attempts have been made to build an arena in the city (currently larger touring acts tend to play either Manchester or Sheffield owing to the relatively small capacity of the refectory, Leeds's biggest permanent venue). In the next year the club previously known as Creation will be developed into a Carling Academy, and will have a bigger Capacity than any other venue in the city.

Nightlife

Leeds has a very large student population and has a large number of pubs, bars, nightclubs and restaurants, as well as a multitude of venues for live music such as The Cockpit, New Roscoe, Joseph's Well, The Brudenell Social Club, The Leeds West Indian Centre and The Wardrobe which combine to generate a vibrant and nationally renowned nightlife. Formerly the Cock of the North pub The Cockpit opened in 1994

Leeds includes the original home of the pioneering club nights Back 2 Basics and Speedqueen. ^[28] Also, until a few years ago, nearby Morley, was home to the legendary Orbit, which for 13 years was known internationally as one of the original and best techno clubs in the country. Leeds is home to a number of large 'super-clubs' including Oceana (Leeds), Discotheque by Gatecrasher, and [Club Mission]. Gatecrasher (later Crasher) is a Dance music event formerly held at the venue Gatecrasher 1, previously Republic in Sheffield England.

Leeds also has a well established gay nightlife scene. The Bridge Inn and The New Penny, both on Call Lane, have long been gay night spots. The New Penny is a Gay pub in Leeds, West Yorkshire. It is reported to be the oldest gay pub in the UK Queen's Court offers a similar experience to its London counterpart Rupert Street. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Other more recent additions such as Bar Fibre, on Lower Briggate and Mission offer more contemporary 'straight friendly' environments, along with The Viaduct and Blades just across the road. During the summer months the secluded courtyard that lies between Bar Fibre and Queens Court transforms into a lively a beer garden. The refurbished Warehouse venue is now also home of the alternate Saturday club nights Technique/Asylum.

Towards Millennium Square and the Civic or Northern Quarter, is a growing entertainment district thriving on both students and weekend visitors. Millennium Square is a city square in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Millennium Square has many bars (including amongst others popular chains Jongleurs, Tiger Tiger, Revolution and Ha!Ha!), various upmarket restaurants and large outdoor screen mounted on the side of the Civic Theatre. Jongleurs is a chain of sixteen Comedy clubs in the United Kingdom, established in 1983. Tiger Tiger is a chain of British nightclubs owned by Novus Leisure. Millennium Square also plays host to many large seasonal events such as Earth From The Air, IceCube (Europe’s largest outdoor ice rink), Christmas markets, Gigs and Concerts, citywide parties and the world famous Rhythms of the City Festival. An Ice rink is a frozen body of Water where people can Ice skate or play winter sports A Christmas market, also known as Christkindlmarkt, Christkindlesmarkt, Christkindlmarket, and Weihnachtsmarkt Millennium Square is adjacent to the Mandela Gardens, which were opened by Nelson Mandela in 2001. A number of public art features, fountains, a canal and greenery can be found here as an oasis amongst the city centre excitement.

Leeds is also home to some Bohemian bars that are not aimed at the 'usual' weekend crowd - especially the bars in and around Briggate and North Street North Bar, Sandanista, Mojo, The Reliance (Reli), Reform, etc), Baby Jupiter on York Place and Milo on Call Lane. Briggate, located in the centre of the city, is one of two principal shopping streets in Leeds, England (the other is The Headrow,

Walking

Leeds Country Way waymark

The Leeds Country Way is a waymarked circular walk of 62 miles (99 km) through the rural outskirts of the city, never more than 7 miles (11 km) from City Square. The Leeds Country Way is a circular long-distance footpath of 62 miles (99 km around Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. City Square is a paved open area in Leeds city centre in West Yorkshire, England. The Meanwood Valley Trail leads from Woodhouse Moor along Meanwood Beck to Golden Acre Park. The Meanwood Valley Trail is a waymarked footpath and annual (March/April footrace route in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Woodhouse Moor is an open space approximately one mile (16 km from Leeds city centre West Yorkshire, England. The Meanwood Beck is a Stream in West Yorkshire, England, which flows through Adel, Meanwood and Sheepscar into the Golden Acre Park is a public park near Bramhope, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England ( administered by Leeds City Council. The Leeds extension of the Dales Way follows the Meanwood Valley Trail before it branches off to head towards Ilkley and Windermere. The Dales Way is an 84-mile (135 km Long Distance Footpath in Northern England, from (south east to north west Ilkley, West Yorkshire Ilkley is a Spa town and Civil parish in West Yorkshire, in the north of England. Windermere is the largest natural Lake in England. It has been one of the country’s most popular places for holidays and summer homes since 1847 when the Kendal

Leeds is on the northern section of the Trans Pennine Trail for walkers and cyclists, and the towpath of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal is another popular walking route. The Trans Pennine Trail is a Long distance path in the north of England, running largely along disused Railway lines and canal towpaths, The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is a Canal in the north of England, linking the cities of Leeds and Liverpool. In addition, there are many parks and public footpaths in both the urban and rural parts of Leeds, and the Ramblers Association, YHA and other walking organisations offer sociable walks. The Ramblers' Association, also known as The Ramblers, is the largest walkers' rights organisation in Great Britain which aims to look after the interests The Ramblers Association publish various booklets of walks in and around Leeds. ^[29]

Religion

St Anne's Cathedral (Roman Catholic), Cookridge Street, Leeds

The majority of people in Leeds identify themselves as Christian. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings ^[30] Fairly unusually for a city of its size, Leeds does not have a Church of England Cathedral, this is because Leeds is part of the Anglican Diocese of Ripon and Leeds with the Cathedral for this Diocese being in Ripon. The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican This article is about the history and organisation of the cathedral Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs The Diocese of Ripon and Leeds is an administrative division of the Church of England, part of the Province of York. Ripon Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Ripon and Leeds and the Motherchurch of the Diocese of Ripon and Leeds, situated in the small Ripon is a Cathedral city, Market town and Civil parish within the Borough of Harrogate, in North Yorkshire, England. However, Leeds does have a Roman Catholic Cathedral, being the Episcopal seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Leeds. Leeds Cathedral, consecrated as Saint Anne 's Cathedral, is the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Diocese of Leeds, and is the seat A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight Many other Christian denominations are established in Leeds, including Assembly of God, Baptist, Christian Scientist, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ("Mormons"), Community of Christ, Greek Orthodox, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jesus Army, Lutheran, Methodist, Nazarene, Newfrontiers network, Pentecostal, Salvation Army, Seventh-Day Adventist, Society of Friends ("Quakers"), Unitarian, United Reformed, Vineyard, Wesleyan Church, an ecumenical Chinese church, and several independent churches. The World Assemblies of God Fellowship, or Assemblies of God for short is the world's largest Pentecostal denomination with over 283413 churches and outstations The Baptist Union of Great Britain is the oldest and largest national association of Baptist churches in Great Britain. The Church of Christ Scientist was founded in 1879 in Boston Massachusetts, USA, by Mary Baker Eddy, author of the book Science and Health with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the fourth largest Christian denomination in the United States and the largest and most well-known The Greek Orthodox Church ( Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία Hellēnorthódoxē Ekklēsía) is formed by several autocephalous churches Jehovah's Witnesses is a restorationist, millenialist Christian denomination The Jesus Army is the outreach ministry of the Jesus Fellowship Church, an evangelical Christian movement based in the United Kingdom. Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther The Methodist Church of Great Britain or British Methodist Church is the largest Wesleyan / Methodist body in the United Kingdom, with congregations The Church of the Nazarene, often referred to as the Nazarene Church is an International evangelical Christian denomination that began in New Frontiers redirects here New Frontiers program is a NASA space program to explore the solar system Pentecostalism is a renewalist religious movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on the direct personal experience of God through the Baptism The Salvation Army is a Christian charity and church that is internally organised like a military service. The Seventh-day Adventist (abbreviated " Adventist " Church is a Christian denomination which is distinguished mainly by its observance The General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches is the Umbrella organisation for Unitarian, Free Christian and other liberal religious congregations An unrelated American church of similar name is the United Reformed Churches in North America. The Association of Vineyard Churches, also known as the Vineyard Movement, is a Christian organization of over 1500 churches worldwide The Wesleyan Church is an Evangelical Christian Religious denomination in the United States Canada and Australia associated with the Holiness ^[31][32]

The proportion of Muslims in Leeds is average for the country. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion ^[30] Mosques can be found throughout the city, serving Muslim communities in Harehills, Hyde Park and parts of Beeston. A "mosque" in English refers to all types of buildings dedicated for Islamic worship although there is a distinction in Arabic between the smaller privately owned mosque and the larger Harehills is an inner-city area of east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Hyde Park is an inner-city area of north-west Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, situated between the University of Leeds and Headingley Beeston is an area of south Leeds, West Yorkshire, England with a population of about 16000 The largest mosque is Leeds Grand Mosque in Hyde Park. Leeds Grand Mosque is the largest Mosque in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.

The Sikh community is represented by Gurdwaras (Temples) spread across the city. Sikhism ( IPA: or; ਸਿੱਖੀ sikkhī, IPA:) founded on the teachings of Nanak and nine successive gurus in fifteenth century There is also a colourful religious annual procession, called the Nagar Kirtan, into Millennium Square in the city centre around 13/14 April to celebrate Baisakhi -- the Sikh New Year and the birth of the religion. Vaisakhi (ਵਸਾਖੀ vaisākhī, also known as Baisakhi) is an ancient Harvest festival in Punjab, which also marks beginning of It is estimated around 3,000 Sikhs in Leeds take part in this annual event.

Leeds has the third-largest Jewish community in the United Kingdom, after those of London and Manchester. Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut The areas of Alwoodley and Moortown contain sizeable Jewish populations. Alwoodley is a suburb of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is north of Central Leeds and is one of the city's most affluent areas Moortown is a suburb of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is a Civil parish and electoral ward in the north of the city There are eight active synagogues in Leeds. A synagogue (from Greek: grc συναγωγή transliterated synagogē, "assembly" he בית כנסת beit knesset, "house of ^[33]

The small Hindu community in Leeds have a Hindu temple (mandir) at Hyde Park. Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. A Hindu temple or Mandir ( Sanskrit: मंदिर is a house of worship for Hindus followers of Hinduism. Hyde Park is an inner-city area of north-west Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, situated between the University of Leeds and Headingley ^[34] The temple has all the major Hindu deities and is also dedicated to the Lord Mahavira of the Jains [5]. Mahavira (महावीर lit Great Hero) (599 – 527 BCE is the name most commonly used to refer to the Indian sage Vardhamana ( Sanskrit: वर्धमान Jainism, traditionally known as Jain Dharma / Shraman Dharma (जैन धर्म is an ancient religion of India.

Various Buddhist traditions are represented in Leeds,^[35] including: FWBO, Soka Gakkai, Theravada, Tibetan and Zen. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices The Buddhist community (sangha) comes together to celebrate the major festival of Wesak in May. This article concerns the concept of Sangha in Buddhism. For information on other senses see Sangha (disambiguation. Vesak is an annual holiday observed by practicing Buddhists in many Asian countries like Thailand, Cambodia, Sri Lanka,

16. 8% of Leeds residents in the 2001 census declared themselves as having "no religion", which is broadly in line with the figure for the whole of the UK (also 8. 1% "Religion not stated").

Public services

Water supply and sewerage in Leeds is provided by Yorkshire Water, part of the Kelda Group. Yorkshire Water Services Limited is a water supply and treatment utility company servicing most of Yorkshire in northern England. Kelda Group is a British utility company It is based in Bradford, England. Prior to 1973 it had been provided by the Leeds Corporation.

Leeds and Liverpool Canal near Granary Wharf in Leeds. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is a Canal in the north of England, linking the cities of Leeds and Liverpool.

Policing in Leeds is by the West Yorkshire Police. West Yorkshire Police is the Home Office Police force responsible for policing West Yorkshire in England. The force has eight divisions, three of which cover Leeds: AA "North West Leeds Division" covering north and west Leeds with a station at Weetwood; BA "North East Leeds Division", covering north east Leeds with stations at Stainbeck near Chapel Allerton and Killingbeck; CA "City and Holbeck Division" covering central and south Leeds with stations at Millgarth (City Centre) and Holbeck. Weetwood is an area between Headingley and Meanwood in north-west Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Chapel Allerton is an inner suburb of Leeds, north-east of the city centre West Yorkshire, England. Killingbeck is a district of east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England that is situated between Seacroft to the north Cross Gates and Holbeck ( is a district in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The district begins on the southern edge of the Leeds City Centre and mainly

Fire and rescue services are provided by the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service. The West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service is the county-wide statutory emergency fire and rescue service for the Metropolitan county of West The fire stations in Leeds are: Cookridge, Gipton, Hunslet, "Leeds" (near city centre, on Kirkstall Road) and Moortown. Cookridge is an outer suburb of north-west Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Gipton is an early twentieth-century Council estate between Harehills and Seacroft in north-east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England Hunslet is an area of inner-city south Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Moortown is a suburb of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is a Civil parish and electoral ward in the north of the city

Health services are provided by the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds Primary Care Trust^[36] and Leeds Partnerships NHS Foundation Trust^[37] which provides mental health services. Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is an NHS Hospital Trust in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Leeds General Infirmary is a listed building with more recent additions and is in the city centre. Leeds General Infirmary, also known as the LGI or more correctly The General Infirmary at Leeds, is a large Teaching hospital based in the centre of A listed building in the United Kingdom is a building or other structure officially designated as being of special architectural historical or cultural significance St James's University Hospital, Leeds, known as "Jimmy's", is to the north east of the city centre and is one of the largest teaching hospitals in Europe. St James's University Hospital in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, popularly known as Jimmy's, is one of the United Kingdom 's Other hospitals are Chapel Allerton Hospital, Seacroft Hospital, and Leeds Dental Institute. Chapel Allerton Hospital is located in the area of Chapel Allerton, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England and is operated by the Leeds Teaching Seacroft Hospital is based in the area of Seacroft, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England and is operated by the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust The "Pan Leeds Health Portal" provides information on all NHS services in Leeds. ^[38]

Notable people

Main article: List of people from Leeds

An inhabitant of Leeds is locally known as a Loiner, a word of uncertain origin,^[39] possibly from Loidis, an early name for the region mentioned around 700AD by Bede. This is a list of notable people born in Leeds: Academics Alfred Austin - poet laureate Tony Harrison - poet During the Early Middle Ages, between approximately the 5th century and early 7th century AD Elmet was an independent Celtic kingdom covering a broad area of Bede (ˈbiːd (also Saint Bede, the Venerable Bede, or (from Latin Beda (beda (c The term is rarely used or understood. The mock-classical adjectives Leodensian and Leodiensian are sometimes used by some local sports clubs, and the word Leodensian also features in the lyrics of "I Predict a Riot" by Kaiser Chiefs, although in that context it was referring to John Smeaton, a famous 18th century resident of the city (who resided in Austhorpe Lodge, now the site of Austhorpe Primary School) as a founder of Leeds Grammar School, as a Leeds Grammar School leaver is called an Old Leodensian. " I Predict a Riot " is a song by Kaiser Chiefs, appearing on their debut album Employment. Kaiser Chiefs are an English Indie rock band who formed in 1997 This article is about the 18th century civil engineer For the baggage handler involved in the 2007 Glasgow International Airport attack, see John Smeaton (baggage Austhorpe is a district of east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England that is situated between Pendas Fields to the north Whitkirk to the Leeds Grammar School was an independent school in Leeds established in 1552

Notable people born in and around the Leeds area include:

• academics: poet laureate Alfred Austin, mechanical engineer and physicist John Smeaton, and local historian Richard Vickerman Taylor. __FORCETOC__ Alfred Austin ( May 30, 1835 &ndash June 2 1913) was an English Poet, who was appointed Poet Laureate This article is about the 18th century civil engineer For the baggage handler involved in the 2007 Glasgow International Airport attack, see John Smeaton (baggage Richard Vickerman Taylor was born at Leeds, Yorkshire, on 10 October 1830, the son of John Taylor and his wife Ann Vickerman
• actors: Peter O'Toole, Malcolm McDowell, Elizabeth Dawn (aka Vera Duckworth), Tom Wilkinson, Steven Waddington, Matthew Lewis (aka Neville Longbottom of the Harry Potter films) and John Simm. Peter O'Toole (born 2 August 1932) is an Irish and British actor who achieved instant stardom in 1962 playing T Malcolm McDowell (born Malcolm John Taylor; 13 June 1943 is an English Actor. Elizabeth Dawn MBE (better known as Liz Dawn, born Sylvia Butterfield on November 8, 1939 in Leeds, England is an Veronica "Vera" Duckworth (née Burton) played by Elizabeth Dawn, was a popular Fictional character on the British Soap opera Thomas Jeffery "Tom" Wilkinson OBE (born 12 December 1948) is a two time Academy Award -nominated as well as BAFTA Award Steven Waddington (born 1968) is a British actor who is probably best known for his supporting role in Michael Mann's The Last of the Mohicans There are several notable people with this name including Matthew Lewis (writer (1775-1818 British Gothic novelist and dramatist Matthew Lewis Neville Longbottom is a Fictional character in Harry Potter is a series of seven Fantasy novels written by British author J John Ronald Simm (born 10 July 1970 in Leeds, West Yorkshire) is an English Actor and Musician.
• entertainers: BBC Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles, former DJ and TV presenter Sir Jimmy Savile, singer Corinne Bailey Rae, Spice Girl Mel B, bands The Pigeon Detectives and The Kaiser Chiefs, comedians Ernie Wise, Barry Cryer, Vic Reeves, Leigh Francis (aka Avid Merrion), and Julian Barratt. Christopher Moyles (born 22 February 1974 is an English broadcaster from Leeds. Sir James Wilson Vincent Savile OBE, KCSG (born 31 October 1926) commonly known as Jimmy Savile (often misspelled Corinne Bailey Rae (born Corinne Jacqueline Bailey on 26 February 1979) is an English Singer-songwriter and Guitarist Melanie Janine Brown (born 29 May 1975) professionally known as Melanie Brown, Melanie B, Mel B, and Scary Spice The Pigeon Detectives are an English band from Rothwell, Leeds, who formed in 2002 Kaiser Chiefs are an English Indie rock band who formed in 1997 Ernest Wiseman OBE ( 27 November 1925 &ndash 21 March 1999) better known by his stage name of Ernie Wise, was an Barry Charles Cryer OBE (born 23 March 1935 in Leeds, Yorkshire, England) is a British Writer and Vic Reeves (b 24 January 1959 as James "Jim" Roderick Moir) is an English Comedian, best known for his Double act with Bob Mortimer Leigh Francis (born 30 May 1974 in Old Farnley, Leeds) is an English comedy performer, son of Christopher and Hannah Malkin Leigh Francis (born 30 May 1974 in Old Farnley, Leeds) is an English comedy performer, son of Christopher and Hannah Malkin Julian Barratt (born 4 May 1968) is an English comedian, Musician Music producer and Actor.
• writers: playwright Alan Bennett, novelist Barbara Taylor Bradford, children's author Arthur Ransome, poet Tony Harrison, and poet, novelist and translator, Barry Tebb. Alan Bennett (born 9 May 1934 is an English Author and Tony Award -winning Playwright. Barbara Taylor Bradford OBE (born May 10, 1933) is an English Novelist Her 1979 debut A Woman of Substance, Arthur Mitchell Ransome (born 18 January 1884 in Leeds - died 3 June 1967) was an English author and journalist Tony Harrison (born April 30, 1937) is an English Poet and Playwright. Barry Tebb is an English Poet, publisher and Author. He was born in Leeds, West Yorkshire in 1942
• others: former Prime Minister Herbert Henry Asquith, furniture designer Thomas Chippendale, Newsnight presenter Jeremy Paxman, TV sports presenter Gabby Logan, Newsround presenter John Craven, journalist Tom Cullimore, model Nell McAndrew, celebrity chef Marco Pierre White, snooker player Paul Hunter, rugby league legend Ellery Hanley and dual code rugby star Jason Robinson. Herbert Henry Asquith 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, KG, PC ( 12 September 1852 &ndash 15 February 1928) served Thomas Chippendale ( Otley, near Leeds baptised - November 1779 was a London Cabinet-maker and furniture designer in the mid-Georgian Jeremy Dixon Paxman (born 11 May 1950) is an English Journalist, Author and Television presenter. Gabby Logan (born Gabrielle Nicole Yorath on 24 April 1973) is a British Television presenter and former Welsh international John Craven OBE (born 16 August 1940 in Leeds, West Yorkshire) is an English Presenter, currently employed by Nell McAndrew (born as Tracey Jane McAndrew on 6 November 1973 in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England) is an English Glamour model Marco Pierre White (born 11 December 1961 is an English Chef and restaurateur. Paul Alan Hunter ( 14 October 1978 – 9 October 2006) was an English professional Snooker player Ellery Hanley MBE (born 27 March 1961 in Leeds) is an English former Rugby league player and is now the head coach Jason Thorpe Robinson OBE (born 30 July 1974 in Leeds, West Yorkshire) is a former English international Rugby union and Rugby league

Education

Parkinson Building, University of Leeds

Leeds Metropolitan University

Leeds College of Technology

Leeds has a very large number of primary schools, secondary schools, special schools and further and higher education establishments, with Education Leeds having responsibility for statutory education for young people in the city. There is a partial list of state and independent schools, colleges and universities in Leeds. The following is a partial list of currently operating Schools in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. However, because like most UK cities, Leeds has a falling birth rate, the council have come under pressure in recent years to reduce the number of schools, merging Matthew Murray School and Merlyn Rees School as well as closing Braim Wood School. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located This article discusses the metropolitan district of the City of Leeds. Primary schools have also been hit. In 2006, Headingley Primary School was closed and a religious primary school 'secularised' to take over from Headingley. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.

Leeds has two universities, the University of Leeds, with around 31,500 full-time students (and a further 52,000 on short courses), and Leeds Metropolitan University with around 26,000 (according to UCAS; the LMU website claims 37,000). The University of Leeds is a major teaching and research University in Leeds, West Yorkshire; one of the largest in the United Kingdom with Leeds Metropolitan University is a University with two campuses in Leeds, Yorkshire, England. UCAS ( Universities & Colleges Admissions Service, pronounced " ʏwk{{sc||A}}s " 'juːkæs is a Clearing house for applications to almost It also has several higher education colleges: Leeds College of Art and Design (formerly Jacob Kramer College), Leeds Trinity & All Saints, Leeds College of Music (the largest music college in the UK), and Park Lane College Leeds (which offers both further and higher education). Higher education is Education that is provided by universities, vocational universities, Community colleges Liberal arts colleges Leeds College of Art and Design is a specialist arts further and Higher education institution based in the city of Leeds in northern England Jacob Kramer (1892&ndash1962 was a Ukrainian-born painter who spent all of his working life in England Leeds Trinity & All Saints is an accredited college of the University of Leeds offering degrees and diplomas in areas such as media business marketing education humanities psychology Leeds College of Music, located in Leeds ’ Quarry Hill cultural quarter is the largest music college in the United Kingdom, with over Park Lane College Leeds is the largest Further education College in Leeds, England, and provides further higher and adult education to This gives Leeds one of the largest student populations in the country. Indeed recently it has gained accolades as the Best UK University Destination in The Independent newspaper. The Independent is a British compact Newspaper published by Tony O'Reilly 's Independent News & Media. Leeds Trinity & All Saints is applying to become an independent University, by the name 'Leeds Trinity'.

The city is home to several further education colleges, such as Park Lane College Leeds (the largest further education college in Leeds with over 38,500 students), Leeds College of Technology, Leeds College of Building, Joseph Priestley College and Leeds Thomas Danby. Further education (often abbreviated "FE" is Post-secondary Education (in addition to that received at Secondary school) that is distinct from Park Lane College Leeds is the largest Further education College in Leeds, England, and provides further higher and adult education to Leeds College of Technology (formerly Kitson College) is a Further education college in Leeds, in Yorkshire, England. Leeds College of Building in Leeds, West Yorkshire, is the only college in the UK which specialises in the Construction industry Joseph Priestley College is a Further education college founded in 1955 serving the communities of South Leeds. Leeds Thomas Danby is a Further education college in Leeds, West Yorkshire, offering courses for 16-18 year-olds and adults Notre Dame Catholic Sixth Form College is a very large college for A-level students close to the city centre. For schools of the same name see Notre Dame High School Notre Dame Sixth Form College is in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England Leeds city centre is the business and commercial centre of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.

The city's state schools trace their history to the Elementary Education Act 1870 and the formation of the Leeds School Board in 1871. The Elementary Education Act 1870 commonly known as Forster's Education Act set the framework for schooling of all children over the age of 5 and under 13 in England Under the Government's targets for better schools for children, many schools are being rebuilt or undergoing refurbishment.

The city's oldest and largest private school is The Grammar School at Leeds, which was legally created in 2005 following the merger of Leeds Grammar School and Leeds Girls' High School. The Grammar School at Leeds is an Independent school in Leeds, England, created on August 4th 2005 from the merger of Leeds Grammar School Leeds Grammar School was an independent school in Leeds established in 1552 Leeds Girls' High School (LGHS is an independent selective school for girls aged 3-18 in Leeds. Both schools had long histories, dating back to 1552 and 1857 respectively. Click here for Indian Rebellion of 1857 Year 1857 ( MDCCCLVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the There are several other private schools.

OFSTED reports are available for all schools and further education colleges in Leeds. ^[40]

Twin towns

Town twinning, or "sister cities", takes place at the level of local authority. The City of Leeds metropolitan district has several twinning or partnership arrangements:

The city also has "strong contacts" with the following cities "for the purposes of ongoing projects":^[42]

References

Further reading

• Burt S. and Grady K. (2002 – 2nd edition) The Illustrated History of Leeds, Breedon Books, Derby
• Fraser D. (ed. ) (1980) A History of Modern Leeds, Manchester University Press, Manchester
• Unsworth R. and Stillwell J. (eds. ) (2004) Twenty-First Century Leeds: Geographies of a Regional City, Leeds University Press, Leeds; Sixteen Chapters about the Contemporary City; 160 maps, many photos
• Wrathmell S. (2005), Leeds, Pevsner Architectural Guides, Yale University Press, London

External links

• Leeds travel guide from Wikitravel
• Leeds City Council Leeds City (Metropolitan) Council. Wikitravel is a Web -based project "to create a free, complete up-to-date and reliable worldwide travel guide.
• 'Leeds, Live it, Love it' Official city website, for visitors, business, students and residents.
• 'Leeds Initiative' Leeds Initiative city partnership.
• Leeds Communities Online Community Group Website Portal
• Leeds Local History Wiki Add your memories of Leeds.