It's time to say goodbye to February and welcome March with open arms.
This week is bringing with it the last few days – and even an extra one, for the first time in four years – of February, all before March arrives for the weekend.
If you’re finding it a bit tricky to pick what to do though, not to worry, we’ve chosen a few of the best bits for another edition of our 'what's on' guide.
Here’s some of our recommendations.
Free coffee at Livett's
Monday 26 February - Saturday 2 March 2024 | St Peter's Square
Image: Supplied
From the team behind Leeds institution The Wardrobe comes Livett’s Coffee Shop, a brand new on-the-go coffee shop. Nestled in the heart of the city’s cultural quarter, Livett’s Coffee Shop will open its doors on Monday 26 February 2024.Â
And to celebrate, they’re giving away hundreds of free coffees. They’ll be offering the first 25 customers through the door their coffee on the house every morning from Monday 26 February – Saturday 2 March, so you can sample a Livett’s brew for yourself.Â
Monday 26 - Thursday 29 February 2024 | Royal Armouries, Leeds City Centre
Image: Leeds City Council
The touring Knife Angel sculpture is coming to Leeds this February, to send a powerful message and spark conversations about knife crime in the city.Â
The Knife Angel, standing tall at 27ft and made from over 100,000 seized blades, was created by the British Ironwork Centre to highlight the negative effects of violent behaviour and the need for change.
Fondue Pizza at Pizza Pilgrims
Monday 26 - Thursday 29 February 2024 | Boar Lane
Image: Pizza Pilgrims
It's your last chance to enjoy Pizza Pilgrim's February special - a fondue and pizza all in one. Introducing the ‘La Fonduta’, a pizza topped with loads and loads of melted cheese which you can actually dunk stuff into like a real fondue. Utter madness.
Based around Fontina DOP which is a ‘rich and creamy, sweet but punchy, buttery yet nutty cheese’ found in the Italian Alps, the white base is topped with a melted concoction of this and stringy mozzarella for that Instagram-worthy cheese pull.Â
Two of Leeds indies are joining forces over at The Cheesy Living Co. Oakwood for a night of cheese and cocktails. You’ll be welcomed with olives, focaccia and an Aperitif cocktail before sampling six different taster cocktails from Philippos and the Tabula Rasa team.
Tucked away in Leeds Kirkgate Market you'll find a wonderful seafood stall selling freshly shucked oysters for £1.90 each.
It's places like these that remind us why we love Leeds so much.
Established in 1880, Hayes Seafood is widely regarded as the oldest trader within the historic Kirkgate Market.
For the past 42 years, it has been run by Cliff and Michelle, the loveliest couple who welcome every customer with open arms.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
The menu here is small but perfectly formed, focusing on fresh, ready-to-eat seafood that you can enjoy with a squeeze of lemon and a dollop of mayonnaise at most.
Delivered fresh every morning, there's pre-cracked crab shells, brown and white crab meat, cockles, crawfish tails - all perfectly prepared for you to eat at their bar or high tables opposite.
But, it's the oysters that you'll see people queueing for. And rightly so.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Everything here is prepared to order right in front of you, and for no extra fee. You can choose from two types of oysters: super salty Lindisfarne oysters or the slightly sweeter English Loch Fyne.
We recommend having a couple of each, pulling up a stool right by the counter and getting stuck in. If you ask Cliff nicely, he might tell you a bit about the history of the place - but you may have to order a couple more oysters for that.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
You're left to dress them yourself, whether you prefer dash of fiery tabasco or a few pickled shallots. But to be honest, they're delicious just as they come.
This spot is a real piece of Leeds history, and the queues at lunchtime as well as the repeat regular customers proves just how special it is.
All it's missing is a champagne stall next to it...now wouldn't that be perfect?
Yorkshire-set Christmas film by Leeds director starring Richard E. Grant set to hit UK cinemas next month
Clementine Hall
A brand-new Christmas film is hitting cinemas nationwide next month - and it’s a proper Leeds success story.
Jack Spring directed his first feature film at just 19 years old and has spent the last decade carving out a career in independent film, as well as co-founding Leeds-based production company Shush Films.
His first movie, Destination: Dewsbury, was shot just down the road in - you guessed it - Dewsbury. And after moving to Leeds from Grimsby, Jack became determined to build his business from the city, putting down roots and growing his production company here.
Image: Supplied
Now, after years of working on independent projects, Jack has taken his biggest leap yet with a brand-new Christmas film, Merry Christmas Aubrey Flint.
Set in Yorkshire, Merry Christmas Aubrey Flint follows Aubrey Flint, a reclusive model soldier painter with a lifelong hatred of Christmas, who is sentenced to community service at Willow Lodge - a retirement home on the brink of closure.
Roped into helping with a chaotic production of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Aubrey clashes with its interesting set of residents...
And the cast is about as star-studded as it gets, featuring Richard E. Grant, John Bradley, Celia Imrie, Adjoa Andoh, Sophia Di Martino, Adrian Rawlins and Kiell Smith-Bynoe.
Image: Supplied
The heartwarming festive comedy will hit cinemas nationwide on Friday 6 November - a huge milestone for a Leeds-based director and production company, taking a homegrown Yorkshire story to audiences across the country.
You just can't beat a proper wholesome British Christmas film, so you can best believe we'll be watching in the cinema, popcorn in hand.
Clementine Hall -
26th February 2024 
