As I approach my last exam at Leeds Uni, it doesn’t quite feel real that my four years are almost up and I will soon be heading home to North London. Choosing Leeds was the best decision I’ve ever made, and I feel quite emotional thinking about all the amazing times I’ve had, and friends that I’ve made along the way. I’ve got less than a month left in Leeds, and I’m realising quickly how many places there are that I still haven’t visited, despite promising myself time and time again that I would.
So, my friends and I recently compiled a hit list of places we NEEDED to go to before we left Leeds. Our list was very food orientated, so here is a much shorter version that may be of interest. Whether you’re final years having the same last minute panic as me, or if you have a few years left yet but simply want to tick something off your Leeds wish list… here you go, I hope it’s useful!
1. Ilkley Moors
These have been top of my list for some time, as I’ve often witnessed my friends going on cute daytrips to Ilkley and taking some incredible pictures from this viewpoint. I’ve been trying to get a lift up there but it somehow always falls through, but I recently found out that with a railcard you can get there for about £4 return or something ridiculous! I’ll definitely go next time it’s a lovely sunny day in Leeds (hopefully we haven’t had our sun quota for the year) and if the weather is on side it would be the perfect place to have a picnic and a cheeky bottle of wine.
2. Knaresborough
This is another destination that’s ended up on the list out of pure jealousy of Insta-worthy snaps loaded by my friends. Knaresborough is a beautiful little place near Harrogate famed for its historical architecture and also boating. The perfect day trip destination that is a little bit less obvious than (the equally stunning) York.
3. Jump Arena Kirkstall
And now for something completely different… does anyone fancy a spot of trampolining? This is something that my friends and I put on our list recently, and although I initially had some very haunting flashbacks from Year 9 trampolining lessons (in which I fell flat on my face, a lot), this trampolining centre looks like a lot of fun. Although the picture might suggest it’s just for children, trampolining is actually acceptable for all ages! Funnily enough, I’ve had a few friends in final year at other universities who have been trampolining recently as an exam break; apparently it’s great for de-stressing! Note: although it probably would be hilarious to try drunk trampolining, apparently this is not acceptable. Now that I’ve said it, you probably weren’t considering it…but just in case you were, save the drinks for afterwards.
4. Everyman Cinema/Hyde Park Picture House
I’ve included both cinemas on the list because one is a chain (Everyman) whilst one is an independent cinema (Hyde Park). Admittedly, I did actually visit Hyde Park Picture House for the first time a few weeks ago, but having done so I wish I’d gone more, which is why it still makes the list because I’d love to go again. Hyde Park Picture House is honestly superb- it is dirt cheap for students, and even more so if you or a friend have a Meerkat code that gets you 2 for 1 on a Wednesday or Thursday (I think). The popcorn and drinks are also very reasonably priced, and the cinema itself is beautiful because it is a proper old fashioned cinema with upper and lower stalls, making you think you’re in a theatre. Everyman, by contrast, is a lot more modern and is right in the heart of Leeds Trinity, with sofas “so comfy you could fall asleep”, as one friend described. I’m hoping to try and go on a Monday because apparently you get a free pizza, and food is the way to my heart. Both offer something completely different, but equally a unique experience nonetheless.
5. Humpit
I’ve had to control myself and put only one food related place on this list, because trust me I could write a list five times as long with all the food places I would like to go to before I leave Leeds… but here we are with Humpit. Humpit is actually the highest rated restaurant in all of Leeds according to TripAdvisor, so it would be silly not to give it a visit. Humpit specialises in vegetarian dishes, and only has a few, but the phrase “less is more” definitely seems to be applicable here. Hummous and falafel are the key ingredients used in these dishes, so if you’re not a fan of them, then you should probably look elsewhere. With food costing typically around a fiver or under, this is definitely somewhere that is cost-effective and delicious. Note: if you have a browse of ‘#Humpit’ on Instagram, you’ll be able to see lots of pictures that will make you very hungry, incredibly quickly.
So there you go, I hope that’s given you a little bit of Leeds inspo as we head towards summer and that you get round to ticking off something from your own Leeds Bucket List!
Image sources:
Picture 1: http://www.summiteer.co.uk/May11/Ilkley%20Moor/Calf.jpg
Picture 2: http://www.bankingtech.com/files/2013/05/Knaresborough_Viaduct_from_River_Nidd.jpg
Picture 3: http://www.jumparena.co.uk/gallery/
Picture 4: https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/0a/08/5b/68/hyde-park-picture-house.jpg
Picture 5: http://www.into.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/into-everyman-3-1025×683.jpg
Picture 6: http://leedscornexchange.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/photo-e1438765346400.jpg