And welcome to part two of the great exploration.
For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, here's a hand-dandy link to part one of the trip myself and my ever-amazing wife, Tina, took to my native Leeds, the decision to go there, and the drunken carnivore's delight of an anniversary meal we enjoyed on our first night.
Read it? Good. Then, let us continue.
Landmark Moments
As I mentioned, and as the title of this post alludes to, the point of returning to the city of my birth, was to explore, or rather re-explore some of the attractions the city has to offer, which is why, after abusing the all-you-can-eat breakfast we’d paid an extra tenner apiece for, and drinking enough coffee to even out the previous evening’s cocktails (I’m all for a balanced diet), we set off to do exactly that.
For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, here's a hand-dandy link to part one of the trip myself and my ever-amazing wife, Tina, took to my native Leeds, the decision to go there, and the drunken carnivore's delight of an anniversary meal we enjoyed on our first night.
Read it? Good. Then, let us continue.
Landmark Moments
As I mentioned, and as the title of this post alludes to, the point of returning to the city of my birth, was to explore, or rather re-explore some of the attractions the city has to offer, which is why, after abusing the all-you-can-eat breakfast we’d paid an extra tenner apiece for, and drinking enough coffee to even out the previous evening’s cocktails (I’m all for a balanced diet), we set off to do exactly that.
Not that we had all that much of a plan, you understand. I mean, there were certain landmarks on our self-imposed itinerary but we had no set thoughts as to when we were going to chalk them off the list, or in what order.
So, after a drink (IPA fro me, a cocktail for Tina) at the North Taproom, a nice, if slightly expensive bar we could see from our hotel room window to, um gather our thoughts, we decided to spend our first full day exploring Kirkgate Indoor Market, and The Corn Exchange
Up Market
Kirkgate Market is a case in point of the ignorance I’ve been guilty of displaying regarding the treasures I’ve grown up around. It is the largest covered market in Europe, a building that wears its over 150 years with dignity and which houses a plethora of stalls that have marched on with the times just as it’s shell has resisted them.
Today, alongside the butchers, fishmonger, and clothes stalls, mobile phones may be found. Henna tattoos can be purchased. In the new (to me) area towards the bottom of the building, just before reaching the outdoor area, a collection of food stalls sell the cuisine of the Middle and Far East, Eastern Europe, and, for some reason, Mackerel sandwiches. It’s a real collision of the new and the old, but somehow, still feels vintage. I think we wandered round the stalls and gazed at the architecture for a good couple of hours.
Purely by reason of its proximity, the next port of call was The Corn Exchange, another lovely building originally used, as the name might suggest, to trade grains (and, hopefully, not foot ailments). Today the building, with its oval design and domed roof, houses a collection of small, independent clothes retailers that verge on the trendy, coffee shops, and the type of establishment one might pick up posters, post-modern mantelpiece wear, and household smellies. It was examples of the latter two varieties in which we invested some of our hard-earned. One fruit infusion and a pistachio croissant later (Tina had carrot cake and a weak latte), we packed up our wax melts (I have ‘vintage bookshop’ burning now) and headed back to the hotel to avail ourselves of the bath it came equipped with, refresh, and change before heading back out to meet up with friends for a few more drinks (are you detecting a theme here?) and a bite of supper at a tapas place. It was a nice get together, so nice in fact, we’re doing it again tomorrow.
So, after a drink (IPA fro me, a cocktail for Tina) at the North Taproom, a nice, if slightly expensive bar we could see from our hotel room window to, um gather our thoughts, we decided to spend our first full day exploring Kirkgate Indoor Market, and The Corn Exchange
Up Market
Kirkgate Market is a case in point of the ignorance I’ve been guilty of displaying regarding the treasures I’ve grown up around. It is the largest covered market in Europe, a building that wears its over 150 years with dignity and which houses a plethora of stalls that have marched on with the times just as it’s shell has resisted them.
Today, alongside the butchers, fishmonger, and clothes stalls, mobile phones may be found. Henna tattoos can be purchased. In the new (to me) area towards the bottom of the building, just before reaching the outdoor area, a collection of food stalls sell the cuisine of the Middle and Far East, Eastern Europe, and, for some reason, Mackerel sandwiches. It’s a real collision of the new and the old, but somehow, still feels vintage. I think we wandered round the stalls and gazed at the architecture for a good couple of hours.
Purely by reason of its proximity, the next port of call was The Corn Exchange, another lovely building originally used, as the name might suggest, to trade grains (and, hopefully, not foot ailments). Today the building, with its oval design and domed roof, houses a collection of small, independent clothes retailers that verge on the trendy, coffee shops, and the type of establishment one might pick up posters, post-modern mantelpiece wear, and household smellies. It was examples of the latter two varieties in which we invested some of our hard-earned. One fruit infusion and a pistachio croissant later (Tina had carrot cake and a weak latte), we packed up our wax melts (I have ‘vintage bookshop’ burning now) and headed back to the hotel to avail ourselves of the bath it came equipped with, refresh, and change before heading back out to meet up with friends for a few more drinks (are you detecting a theme here?) and a bite of supper at a tapas place. It was a nice get together, so nice in fact, we’re doing it again tomorrow.
Bien Venue
The final full day, we had another two venues in mind, again, nicely concentrated together, so, after brekkie, and an hour with my book, we headed to Leeds Cathedral, a place I used to pass every day on my way to work but never paid much heed to. Externally, it’s not all that impressive, (as cathedrals go), and tucked away in the middle of a reasonably busy street, it’s easily missed. Unfortunately, as we made our way in, we realised we were interrupting a service, so we didn’t get the opportunity to explore the small space fully. In fact, when Tina tried to take my eye out while passing me a leaflet and the helpful chap working there as a guide mistook my pain and temporary blindness for an epiphany, we took it as a cue to leave (a sign from up high, mayhap?) and made our way to Leeds Art Gallery.
Again, this is a place I’ve passed on many an occasion but only visited, to the best of my shaky memory, the once. It might not be as big as some of its contemporaries but I think that works in its favour, lending the old place an intimate air. Of course being us, we managed to get lost, and that was after struggling to find the disabled access, too!
The collections will no doubt change, but the focus, in the main, seemed to be on portraits, with a side exhibition on Percy Wyndham Lewis and The Vorticist Movement. I’m not all that cultured, but, as the saying goes, I know what I like, and the latter in particular I enjoyed immensely.
And Away
The evening saw us meeting up with another friend, this time the one I’ve personally known the longest (we were 4 years old when we meet, we reckon), and then, because it was our actual anniversary, a kebab, some less than healthy snacks and a bottle of wine back at the room.
And that, apart from a mosey in the morning, was that. Back home we trotted, taking the train rather than the bus this time.
The break from the humdrum, and the familiarity, mixed with an air of exploration and the lack of constraints were both refreshing and relaxing and I’m glad we stuck to the plan, Familiarity does indeed breed contempt, but looking above street level, immersing myself in the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of the city I know so well meant I felt I was seeing it with new eyes.
Was it exotic? No. Was it expensive? Not really (apart from some of the drinks). Was it worth it? Abso-bloomin-lutely!
Until next time…
Hey, there! If you enjoyed reading any of the above, why not take a look at some of my published work? Below you’ll find links to a number of short stories I’m lucky enough to have included in anthologies. I’d love to know what you think
New Tales Of Old: Volume 2
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09TMVTX9H/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Death Ship
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/9198684140/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_TWEMTA3KWK7T89QEZPF6?fbclid=IwAR322Fx5nfgVUQAA62ZZ6CUsNnBm8pbSxPanzz6Qkjg3vAv4ESipq7iKKhs
https://www.waterstones.com/book/death-ship/david-green/s-o-green/9789198684148?fbclid=IwAR2gP4CXHSG7wTccO39wOqXFtI81k0259Ep8DUM48Ki6kTUdlKoF3yafojA
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/9198684140/ref=ewc_pr_img_1?smid=A2XZ7JICGUQ1CX&psc=1&fbclid=IwAR2Wa6sGxb82_VCsC7l1CGXwHjsSwTheqba6jDX_G8EDsywZoGpC93nXr2w
Reaperman
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Reaperman-Drabbles-3-Legends-Night-ebook/dp/B099NNPTQ1A
Pestilence
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pestilence-Revelations-Black-Ink-Fiction/dp/B09MDLZGHY/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2VP38WZDWJVAF&keywords=black+ink+fiction&qid=1654090896&sprefix=black+ink+fiction%2Caps%2C218&sr=8-1
The Musketeers Vs Cthulhu
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Musketeers-Cthulhu-Court-King-Louis-ebook/dp/B09YQKQQB7/ref=sr_1_18?crid=2VP38WZDWJVAF&keywords=black+ink+fiction&qid=1654091002&sprefix=black+ink+fiction%2Caps%2C218&sr=8-18
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