Leeds as a city in general

[Tom]

Aside from the fact Countdown was filmed in Leeds, I'm wondering from you all what you think of Leeds as a city - most people I know have a marmite attitude to it. I sometimes like it, other times I don't. I worked and commuted there for a year and left with mixed feelings of the place.

The city centre is OK with a very good array of restaurants and bars but shopping wise I didn't think much of it and prefer Manchester. Millennium square is always worth a visit and the German market at Christmas is a great place.

How many of you here have been out in Leeds on a night and what are your favourite bars/clubs? Its not bad though it is very spaced out to get from one place to the other. I went last week and went to bars such as The Courtyard, Yates's, Square Bar and ended up in Bar Risa which is a hotbed for hen do's. These places are tolerable but a lot of the city and the nightspots I find are extremely pretentious though that said there are some good places.

[Craig Beevers]

Definite shithole. Looks half-decent at night, horrific during the day.

I remember walking around the area when I was filming for Countdown. Total nightmare trying to find a half-decent shop, just a never-ending array of oversized crappy corner shops. One of the supermarket chains in the centre of town (can't remember what it was, but there were scruffy steps to get in the shop and right next to it there was parking, looked like a multi-storey car park, but it was probably just one floor) and usually these chains are pretty universal, but this just felt like I'd suddenly journeyed into the third world - it was surreal. I'd walked round a different part when I'd stayed in a Hilton Hotel (the room was shite - poky and fittings that had been ripped off the door) and while again it looked okay in places it was still rubbish. Oh and not to forget the underpasses and the vomit coloured tiles that time forgot.

[Sue Sanders]

I thought it was called 'Leeeeeeeds' And is its city byline - ooh we'll 'av you laffin'?

[Jimmy Gough]

It's quite Leedsy.

[Ben Hunter]

If you're into partying then Leeds is fucking mint, a true lively northern city with loads going on.

[James Robinson]

It is pretty dire. That's even before you start me off about that crap football team in that skip.

[Derek Hazell]

It's an anagram of "Le Des", which is French for "Countdown presenter".

[Sue Sanders]

It's an anagram of "Le Des", which is French for "Countdown presenter".

Have you thought of applying for the job, Dezzy?

[Ian Volante]

Spent a lot of time there in my younger years, and in many ways it's pretty good. It's got a lot going on, has a lot of places to go, and if you can avoid the city centre dives, there are many good pubs to while away an evening. The town centre has a lot of shopping, you can find most things there, although some of the more interesting shops seem to get squeezed out.

The downsides are that it's possibly too big, has a lot of crime, and some of the dodgier areas are pretty rough, comparable (in some ways) to some of the less salubrious bits of Glasgow, although possibly less life-threatening.

There's a lot of good sport going on (go Rhinos!), some great parks, and there's a hell of a lot of development gone in in the last twenty years or so which has swept away some of the dourer ex-industrial areas.

I think on balance that I'd be happy enough living there, as long as I could avoid the trendier side of the place which has certainly developed since I left, loads of yuppies etc.

[Jason Larsen]

I would go there just for the people and the pudding.

[Davy Affleck]

I can only go on my 1 visit in March. After being at the studios and getting humped (metaphorically)by Julie 4 of us went into the centre at night for a few hours. As it was st Patricks night we were obviously hoping that there would be a buzz about the place - WRONG. The first pub had numerous signs saying
"this pub has a direct link to the police station. If you attack any staff members they will be here within 2 minutes".
There was also a group of "travellers" in. We left after a kid about 8 came over begging, followed by his mum who muttered curses when we refused.
After trying 8 or 10 pubs - all nearly empty and with no atmosphere we looked for an Irish pub. There were 2 polis cars sitting outside it so we gave that one a miss.
All in all - I wouldn't rush back - ever.

[Jason Larsen]

Why, Davy?

[Sue Sanders]

Why, Davy?

Could you type that all out again Davy, but maybe use a highlighter for Jason, please??

[Jason Larsen]

I was asking why he wouldn't go back to Leeds, Sue.

[Lesley Hines]

Awesome festival.

[Kirk Bevins]

I was asking why he wouldn't go back to Leeds, Sue.

Did you read ALL of Davy's posts Jason? I think it's pretty clear it doesn't seem friendly.

[Jason Larsen]

What is Lesley talking about? The Cheltenham Festival?

[Ian Volante]

What is Lesley talking about? The Cheltenham Festival?

Possibly the Leeds Festival?

[Sue Sanders]

What is Lesley talking about? The Cheltenham Festival?

Possibly the Leeds Festival?

The Uk has lots of festivals, Jace - centering around lots of different activities, so Leeds, Reading, Glastonbury, V - those are all music festivals, Brighton, Newbury and other towns have comedy festivals, Edinburgh festival covers the arts, books, tv, fringe comedy and theatre;they even have a 'Children's Festival' . The best-known Cheltenham festival is probably the horse-racing one, but they have lots of others, I think...jazz, books, science; Hay-on-Wye has a book festival. Even my own small town of Whitstable has an Oyster Festival.

If we had an Anglophile festival, you would be an honoured guest!

[Davy Affleck]

Why, Davy?

I think I was fairly objective in my synopsis.
To be blunt - life's too short to return to crap places

[Jason Larsen]

The US does not have nearly as many festivals as the UK does, but Sue, thank you for inviting me to an Anglophile festival. I became an Anglophile by accident.

To each your own, Davy, but I like Yorkshire Pudding and I've spoken with Sarah Foulkes! She is a great lady!