With half term just around the corner The Thackray Museum of Medicine is here to help keep you and the little ones occupied.
Ever wanted to see what it's really like to perform open heart surgery first-hand? Or how about learning about the ins and outs of germs and how they affect our day to day lives?
Well, you can do all of this and more at The Thackray Museum of Medicine this February.
Located just a short trip out of the city centre in Harehills, The Thackray Museum is an award-winning haven of learning, jam-packed with an ever-changing collection of immersive galleries, mind-blowing exhibitions and so much more.
Wander through the sights, smells and seems of 19th-century Leeds before visiting a seventies-style sexual health clinic, or why not get behind the microscope yourself and learn about what makes the human body fit for battling against disease.
There's so much to get up to this February, all of which is created to inspire and entertain our next generation of big thinkers.
So, let's have a look at what you can get up to at Thackray this February.
Fragile Microbiomes
Saturday 10 February - Sunday 23 June 2024 | Free with admission
Image: Thackray Museum of Medicine
Thackray’s newest exhibition ‘Fragile Microbiomes’, features the innovative works of internationally renowned artist Anna Dumitri and delves into the intricacies of the microbial world. The exhibition features sculptures and installations made using bacteria, DNA, altered vintage objects, 3D printing, textiles, video and digital technologies.
A true testament to the transformative power of BioArt, the exhibition showcases the emerging and groundbreaking art movement that incorporates living media, such as bacteria and synthetic biology.
Find out more about this incredible exhibition here.
Germs, Glorious Germs
Saturday 10 - Sunday 18 February 2024 | Free with admission
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Germs are often frowned upon, but in reality it's only a mere 1% of germs that make us poorly. This half term, learn about the trillion microbes in our tummies that help us digest our food and help us fight disease.
The museum's brain box Thackray Boffins will look at what germs really are, and what happens when good and bad germs become unbalanced.
Saturday 10 - Saturday 17 February 2024 | £3 (with a museum ticket)
Image: Thackray Museum of Medicine
Throughout half term, local artist Jenny Wright will be offering drop-in screenprinting sessions which makes for the perfect half-term activity. All materials will be provided and sessions will run from 11am-1pm and 2pm-4pm, limited spaces are available and you can book yours here.
Thackray Lates: Anatomy of Love
Thursday 15 February 2024, from 6pm | £10 per person
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Warning: not for the faint hearted.
At this one-of-a-kind Thackray Late event, expect a whole host of up-close medical experiments from a heart dissection to a living autopsy to really get you feeling loved up this Valentine's season.
No humans are harmed during this event, but it is most definitely not for the squeamish and is recommended for those aged 18+.
As well as these exciting exhibitions, there's also the permanent immersive street of Victorian Leeds, the Sparks! under 5s play area and so much more to enjoy this month.
Tickets cost just £11.95 per adult, and £8.95 per child with under 5s going in free. Tickets are for 12 months so you can come and go as you please to this wonderful museum.
For more information on exhibitions and ticket prices, visit The Thackray Museum of Medicine's website.
From Bombay to Leeds, Dishoom has opened in the city to resounding success.
Look, if you've been in town over the past week then you will have seen the snaking queues forming outside the city's hottest new restaurant - Dishoom.
This is one that's been in the pipeline for quite some time now, known amongst the UK for their all-day Bombay-inspired food and it seems the people of Leeds couldn't wait to tuck in.
But before we delve into the food, let's talk about the space.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Taking over the old Flannels site on Vicar Lane, Dishoom Leeds is nothing short of beautiful.
Dusty pink exteriors welcome you into a huge dining room complete with gold picture frames, baby blue walls and huge arched windows.
They've really thought of every little detail, eve down to the relaxing incense burning on the windowsill.
The menu is large and can seem overwhelming, featuring everything from breakfast naan rolls and small plates and to big sharing curries, but the staff are keen to lend you a helping hand.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Kicking off with a few Dishoom staples like the crunchy, salty okra fries and peppery chilli cheese toast was the perfect start to our meal.
But an absolute must order is the lamb chops, marinated overnight in raw papaya, yoghurt and spices before being blackened on the grill and finished with a thrilling Kashmiri chilli sauce. These will be on our order list every single time.
Elsewhere the charred masala prawns were juicy and perfectly aromatic, whilst smokey gunpowder potatoes served with a yoghurt dip were a perfect respite from the building spices.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
A really special dish which you can only get in Leeds is Malvani Lamb Curry, made using tender lamb leg nestled in a silken gravy of roasted coconut, cardamom, chillies, turmeric and pippali pepper. Served with a heap of golden laccha paratha for dipping and a sharp onion salad alongside, this is as perfect as it gets.
Drinks wise we got their special Dishoom Margarita which is shaken with a tamarind spice as well as the New Permit Room Old Fashioned that uses date liqueur. Both a twist on a classic, and just as delicious as the next.
If the queue doesn't make you want to try out Dishoom then let this be your sign. A fantastic addition to the city, and we'll certainly be back for more.
Inside Cats – the new Catalonian-inspired café and bar that’s just opened in Sheffield
Clementine Hall
Okay cool cats, this one's for you.
If you're looking for a place that swiftly transitions from day to night with ease, then look no further.
The brainchild of four Sheffield co-founders - Sam Swire, Tom Walker, Nicky Swire and Jenny Swire - Cats is a laidback cafe-bar on one of the city's best corners.
They have spent the past nine months gutting and renovating the space on Glossop Road, and the outcome is truly magic.
The interior is deliberately stripped back complete with unfinished plaster walls, reclaimed maple flooring, wine-red joinery and a concrete bar counter.
Image: The Sheff
Exposed brick, iroko shelving and exposed joists finish off the low-lit, sexy basement that acts as the perfect backdrop for date night.
The founders' family have connections to southern France, Barcelona and the Catalan region that shaped the concept from the start.
Images: The Sheff
The wine list is sourced exclusively from Arthur & Adrien, two sommeliers based in the South of France whose bottles don't currently reach the UK through any other route.
Cats imports every wine directly and each one has been rubber-stamped by Carcassonne’s Michelin chef, so whatever you order you know it's going to be good.
Images: The Sheff
Alongside the wine, Cats pours Moritz lager on draught, which is still brewed in Barcelona and serves espresso on a La Marzocco GB5 S using beans from Sheffield roaster Cuppers Choice.
Other than the fabulous drink selection, fresh croissants, baguettes and sourdough come in daily from a local artisan bakery, seven days a week.
Co-founder Sam said: "We've spent months stripping tiles and plaster, dealing with flooding and a lack of electricity, and it's finally starting to feel like the building can breathe again," said co-founder Sam Swire.
"It was the much-loved Nibbles Pizza but had sat empty for years. What we're putting in its place is closer to a café-bar you'd find in a square in Europe, just dropped onto Glossop Road instead."
Clementine Hall -
9th February 2024 
