A group of teenagers in Leeds have been publicly praised for their 'mature attitude' during a meal out.
The trio of lads visited Salute at The White Swan last weekend - and since the restaurant posted about them, they've gone viral.
Pals Will, 12, and Leo and Charlie, both 13, usually meet up outdoors every weekend, but decided to pay a visit to the popular Rothwell restaurant when the weather turned.
When the trio arrived at the restaurant, they sat down and told staff that they only had £9 between them and asked politely if that would be 'enough' for a pizza and water to share between them.
As management at the restaurant recognised Leo from his regular visits, they decided to treat the lads to an extra pizza and some fries for their 'mature attitude'.
The restaurant took to social media to share the heartwarming story of the lads' visit.
Explaining in a now-viral Facebook post, Salute at The White Swan said: "They came to Salute asking for a table of three, and they said they had £9 and asked if that would be ‘enough’ for a pizza and water to share.
"In exchange for their mature attitude to dining out, Salute decided to treated them to extra fries and extra pizza."
The restaurant even revealed that Will even took some of the leftover pizza and breadsticks home to share with his baby sister too.
Staff said that the lads' parents should be 'so proud' of them.
The photo showing the lads smiling at their table shared to the restaurant's Facebook page on Sunday has since gone viral globally, amassing over 44,000 interactions, thousands of shares, and hundreds of comments from people both praising the lads for their attitudes, and the restaurant for 'always looking for the good' in people.
"Smashing lads well done, and thanks to those at The Swan who have praised them - we have some awesome young people," one person commented.
Another added: "That's warmed my heart to read. Loads of young people out there that parents can be proud of, and the lads are an example of that. Keep going the way you are and be proud of yourselves."
"Lads, that is awesome. You're clearly a credit to your families, school and wider society, so great to read, and good on the staff for your care and generosity," a third said.
The restaurant said they hoped the lads' parents would see the post, and their wish ended up coming true as Leo's mum, Lucy-Rae Prince, commented underneath the picture saying: "Thanks so much for your call letting us know how polite our boys were today and for looking after them like you did - above and beyond."
"Thank you for sharing this," she also added.
Lucy also told the Yorkshire Evening Post that she is 'so proud' of Leo and his friends for being 'so polite and well mannered', and said that for them to be recognised in such 'a lovely way' by Salute was 'just amazing for all of us'.
Staff at Salute at The White Swan also told the YEP that they had been 'blown away' with the response to the post.
A list of the UK's best independent coffee shops for 2026 has been released, and one in Leeds has come up trumps.
The coffee shop in question may come as no surprise to some of you, as some would say that after 15 years in the city it's become somewhat of an institution.
Of course it's none other than Laynes.
Founded in 2011 by Dave Olejnik, Laynes began life on New Station Street and quickly became one of the first venues in Leeds to focus on carefully sourced and roasted coffee beans, helping lead the way for the city's now-thriving independent coffee scene.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
It's a proper Leeds staple at this point, sat proudly with its glowing yellow exterior and queues out the door full of punters looking for their morning caffeine fix.
But it's not just us who think it's flipping fantastic, as a new study has revealed the top 10 most popular independent coffee shops in the country and Laynes comes in at a very respectable number 8.
The list, made by Capital on Tap, analysed coffee across the UK looking at Google reviews, monthly searches and social media success.
Laynes was in some pretty good company including Idle Hands in Manchester and Kaf Coffee in Glasgow. But most importantly, none of the top 10 were in London - make of that what you will.
The top 10 most popular independent coffee shops for 2026:
Neighbourhood Café, Belfast
Colonna & Small’s, Bath
Established Coffee, Belfast
Hard Lines Coffee, Cardiff
Rough Handmade, Liverpool
Idle Hands Coffee, Manchester
Full Court Press, Bristol
Laynes Espresso, Leeds
Kaf Coffee, Glasgow
Dom’s Coffee, Cambridge
Bravo Laynes, a well earned accolade for one of our favourite spots in the city.
Everything you need to know about watching the solar eclipse in Leeds
Emily Sergeant
People all across the UK will be able to see an almost total solar eclipse in the sky this evening.
For the first time this century, with the last one being all the way back in 1999, people in the UK and Ireland – including here in Leeds – will get to see 90-96% of the sun covered by the moon today (12 August 2026), and if that wasn’t exciting enough as it is, this will be the last chance to do so until 2081.
NASA and Royal Museums Greenwich has confirmed that tomorrow’s solar eclipse will be the most coverage seen from the UK and Ireland since the 1999 event.
But what can astronomy fans in Leeds expect from today’s eclipse? When will it be happening? How much coverage is our region going to see? And where are some of the best places to watch?
First up, let’s get the basics out the way – what is a solar eclipse? A solar eclipse occurs when the moon moves between the sun and the Earth, blocking the sun’s light either partly or fully.
Although the UK will only see a partial solar eclipse this time, some other countries – such as parts of Iceland, Spain, Portugal, and Greenland – will be lucky enough to witness the spectacle of a total eclipse for a duration of up to two minutes and 18 seconds.
When will it be happening?
The eclipse is set to start at 6:13pm in Greater Manchester, and will run right through to 8:03pm – with the peak happening at 7:10pm.
How much coverage can Greater Leeds expect?
Of course, we always have to preface anything we say about astronomical events like this by saying ‘it depends on the weather’, as we do like in the north after all, and even though it is the height of summer, that won’t stop the skies from being overcast.
Luckily though, the Met Office is predicting some of the best weather conditions for an event like this in a long time, so it really is worth watching.
Spectators in Leeds will see 90 - 92% coverage, according to expert sources.
How can I watch the eclipse safely?
If there’s one thing experts are stressing, it’s the need to take correct precautions if you are planning to watch tomorrow.
The most important thing is to wear eclipse glasses and avoid looking directly at the sun.
It’s true that during an eclipse, the sun does appears dimmer therefore making it easier to look at directly, however solar radiation can still reach and damage the retina, often without causing any pain, so you may not realise harm is occurring until it’s too late.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) advises that there are two safe approaches – specialist eclipse viewers, or indirect viewing methods.
Eclipse glasses or handheld solar viewers must be genuine, sold by a reputable retailer, and have specially designed filters that meet the international safety standard ISO 12312-2:2015(E). They must also have no scratches, tearing, or damage to the lens.
Old pairs may not be reusable, and sunglasses should never be used.
Indirect view methods include viewing the sun’s image projected through a colander or the gaps between tree leaves on to white paper, or using a pinhole pierced in one sheet of card and projected on to another.
Emily Sergeant -
8th February 2022 
