Not to be contentious or anything, but Manchester doesn’t have it all.
We’re sorry, we didn’t want to admit it as much as the next person.
We have an abundance of fantastic cafes and world-class sports facilities, we’ve had people busking in Piccadilly Gardens dressed in rat costumes (only feels like yesterday we still had the Piccadilly Rats) and we’re not afraid to embrace the wacky and wonderful.
Having said all this, it’s impossible to have every possible cuisine, gallery, mode of transport and invention under the sun – and there’s nothing wrong with wanting to further than this side of the Pennines.
And where better than the unofficial capital of nearby Yorkshire?
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Just an hour on the train, Leeds is home to a flourishing food and drink scene, beautiful architecture and brilliant museums and galleries.
Here are five places to visit on your trip to Leeds that we promise you wouldn’t find in Manchester (and are well worth a visit over for).
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Water Taxis
Image: Leeds Dock Image: The Hoot Leeds
That’s right, who would have thought that Leeds would have been home to the coolest way of getting from A to B. Drie and Twee were transported over from Amsterdam to take passengers from one side of Leeds below the train station to the Leeds Docks.
Every 15 minutes you can catch the striking yellow taxis over the River Aire and embark on a sightseeing tour of Leeds street art, including a 500ft mural of Kalvin Phillips (yes, he’s still in a Leeds United shirt, yes it’s still pretty impressive) and the Me & You, You & Me mural.
Tickets will cost you £2 each – and better still, dogs and children under five are free.
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Where to find them: Either at 1 Canal Wharf, Granary Wharf, Leeds City Centre LS11 5BB or alternatively at La Salle, 147 Chadwick St, Leeds Dock, LS10 1NW
Roast Dinner Fondue
Image: The Hoot Leeds
The Yorkshire Puddings in Leeds are second to none (as you’d expect from the namesake county) – but have you ever thought about how tasty they’d be dunked in gooey Swiss cheese?
The Cheesy Living Co. is doing roasts differently and combining the humble Sunday dinner with what they do best – cheese.
Plate up with piles of slices of Lishman’s ham and peppered beef, fluffy Yorkshire puddings and roasted veggies aplenty before dipping in the gooey Swiss melting pot. Add lashings of gravy before tucking in – it’s a Sunday roast like you’ve never experienced before.
Where to find them: Ground Floor of Leeds Corn Exchange, Call Lane, Leeds City Centre, LS1 7BR
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Birthplace of Marks & Spencer
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Over 200 years ago, Kirkgate Market was home Europe’s largest indoor market as well as the first ever Marks and Spencer.
The original home of M&S is still treasured today inside the market where you’ll find walls adorned with historical memorabilia and information about the 200-year-old history of the British supermarket- plus plenty of Percy Pigs and sweet treats to tuck into.
Where to find them: Inside Kirkgate Market, Vicar Lane, Leeds City Centre LS2 7HY
The Tetley
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Now a beautiful contemporary art gallery and exhibition space, The Tetley was once home to one of Leeds’ oldest brewing dynasties. The iconic Leeds landmark is a hub for local and international artists to showcase their work. Pop by and explore the exhibitions or take part in their ever-changing calendar of workshops.
Down in the bar and kitchen, you can still grab yourself a pint of Tetley’s own whilst sampling a selection of sustainably sourced meals, including the Tanzanian tofu and coconut curry and one of the best Sunday roasts in the UK (officially) with slow-cooked Yorkshire porchetta and plant-based ‘lamb’ with pomegranate molasses.
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Where to find them: Hunslet Road, Leeds LS10 1JQ
The UK’s last remaining gas-lit cinema
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Hyde Park Picture House has been undergoing some serious renovation work recently but plans to reopen at the end of the month, with its beautiful 1920s architecture still very much intact.
Besides catching the latest blockbusters here, Hyde Park Picture House showcases independent movies from near and far, and has launched a ‘lost cinemas of Leeds’ tour where you can head across the city centre to rediscover some of Leeds’ movie spaces that have disappeared or been repurposed over the past century.
Where to find them: 73 Brudenell Road, Hyde Park, Leeds LS6 1JD
Century-old Didsbury Sports Ground left devastated after Greater Manchester flooding
Danny Jones
As residents and local businesses in various parts of the region continue to pick up the pieces after recent flooding, one of the venues worst affected is Didsbury Sports Ground, which sadly suffered “catastrophic” levels of damage.
Having stood in South Manchester for over 100 years, Didsbury Sports Ground (DSG) has been a key community institution for generations, home to rugby, cricket and football clubs, as well as the weekly parkrun, just to name a few of its regular leisure activities.
Unfortunately, following the recent floods which hit several of the 10 boroughs hard, as well as many parts of Cheshire from New Year’s Eve onwards, the pitches, car park, clubhouse, storage and changing rooms have all rendered unusable or completely ruined following the major incident.
And when we say unusable, we mean a lot of it is still underwater.
Credit: Didsbury Sports Ground (supplied)
After banks burst up and down the River Mersey and the North West downpour continued, not only were the various playing fields left heavily waterlogged, but the club’s central building also suffered significant structural damage.
In addition to a large hole being knocked through the main clubhouse wall, with collapsed fencing and tree limbs littering the perimeter, the constant flow of water has seeped right down to the foundations.
Speaking on the damage,DSG‘s director Ian Bailey said: “The devastation caused by the flooding is nothing short of heart-wrenching. The Grounds have been a landmark and local hub within the village for over a century. The damage is catastrophic and the impact on the community is immense.
“Our Ground is far more than just a sports facility, it is a place where people connect, grow, and thrive, and embrace the community spirit. To lose such an iconic and central community resource would be unthinkable and such a travesty, which is why we’re calling on local and central government support.”
“Every week, DSG brings together over 800 people from the local area for Manchester sports, fitness, social activities, recreation and community events, creating a place for well-being, a fantastic social circle and helping to build an all-round happier and healthier community.”
As a result of the damage and loss to the community, the team behind DSG are now frantically trying to raise enough funds to carry out a raft of remedial repairs and some serious groundwork.
Setting themselves a total target of £50,000 for the entire clean-up operation, every penny of which will go towards getting the sports ground back in a usable state.
Thus far, thanks to nearly 500 donations by loving locals and kindhearted Mancunians who know the value of leisure centres and clubs like this, they have already more than 30% of the amount needed in just over a week (just over £17k). Legends, every single one of them.
Bailey went on to add: “We are so grateful for the immediate help of our volunteers and the fantastic people at this club […] We will, however, need more than time, we will require the funds to bring the Grounds and Clubhouse back into full use and to safeguard from future flooding, which is why we have launched our ‘Repair & Rescue’ Fund.
As Ian reiterated, “Every contribution will make a huge difference”; you can see more proof of just how much work needs to be done and donate if you wish HERE.
You can now receive the UK’s ‘first-ever’ same-day sperm MOT for free right here in Manchester
Danny Jones
For any bloke who’s ever wondered about their fertility and considering grabbing a quick test, you can now get what’s being called a quick sperm ‘MOT’ right here in Manchester– and it’s free.
As well as the obvious importance of regular sexual health checks, many people understandably worry about their virility as they get older and there’s no harm in just giving yourself that piece of mind.
That’s why one Manchester-based sperm and egg bank is expanding its already wide range of services to offer quick and easy tests to locals.
We’re all adults here: if your car’s MOT is considered an essential check, then why not take a little look under the hood to see how your little swimmers are getting on?
Credit: Cryos International (supplied)
Cryos International, located over at Rutherford House on Manchester Science Park, is a quick and confidential clinic that specialises in sexual wellness and reproductive health.
The industry-leading sperm and egg bank remains at the forefront when it comes to various different areas of the sector but now they’re taking one field even further by offering men aged 18-45 an unprecedented level of service.
While sperm tests and egg checks are nothing new, Cryos are the UK clinic to offer rapid detailed analysis that will see your results returned to you the same day.
Better yet, this initiative is completely free of charge and provides a non-diagnostic assessment of key sperm quality criteria, including sperm count and how effectively the sperm moves.
It’s part of Cryos’ commitment to demystifying male reproductive health and demonstrating how lifestyle factors can impact male fertility, while at the same time breaking the stigma around sperm donation, and helping more people on their journey to parenthood.
The launch comes at a time of unprecedented demand for fertility services in the UK, with births from sperm donation tripling since the turn of the millennium.
Sadly, donor numbers here in Britain have hit an all-time low and similar struggles are being seen all over Europe even despite the growing population.
To combat this, the UK government has actually increased its standard compensation fee by £10 as of October 2024, rising to £45 a pop.
Of course, your sperm needs to be in good health before you can donate, not to the obvious benefits for couples trying to conceive and, as lab Manager Samantha Duffy-Olive explains, even “simple lifestyle changes can have a huge impact on sperm quality.”
With that in mind, Manc males are being encouraged to make the most of this free semen test and in addition to the analysis service, they will also offer helpful advice that could make a real difference to improve your reproductive health. You can book HERE.
This isn’t the first time we’ve clocked Cryos pioneering the sperm donation and sexual health space…
Sophie Smith -
30th August 2023 
