500 commuters a month will get the cost of their season ticket back up to the value of £100.
Northern has now announced plans to reward 1,000 of its season ticket customers with the cost of their commute for free, reports The Manc.
Hot on the heels of its headline-grabbing £1 ‘Flash Sale’ - which saw the train operator sell one million train tickets across the north for just £1 last week - Northern is now looking to make life easier for commuters across Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle, Sheffield and beyond with the launch of its 'Big Commuter Giveaway'.
The new promotion means that anyone who buys a daily, weekly, or annual Northern season ticket during September or October 2022 could be in with the chance of winning their commute for free.
They'll be entered into a draw to get the cost of their ticket back up to the value of £100.
500 commuters a month will be chosen as winners in the move Northern hopes will encourage more people to "ditch the car and take the train to work".
Northern will reward 1,000 of its season ticket customers with the cost of their commute for free / Credit: Northern
Speaking on the launch of the new 'Big Commuter Giveaway' promotion, Mark Powles - Customer and Commercial Director at Northern - said: "Following the success of our £1 flash sale, we wanted to give something back to our season ticket customers who commute to work with us on a regular basis.
"And to those that haven’t bought a season ticket before, but are facing rising petrol prices and mounting city centre parking charges, we hope the chance to win back the cost of their commute might help convince them to make the switch from road to rail."
Mr Powles also promised new commuters will be "pleasantly surprised" by services.
500 commuters a month will get the cost of their season ticket back up to the value of £100 / Credit: Northern
He added: "We’ve made great strides in the last 12-18 months in terms of the customer experience, with our new fleet of modern trains and station renovations.
"I’m confident new rail commuters will be pleasantly surprised."
Find out more about Northern's 'Big Commuter Giveaway' promotion here.
Featured Image - Northern
Leeds
Leeds’ most famous pub has announced the return of its annual FREE Beer Festival this summer
Whitelock’s Ale House has announced the return of its annual Beer Festival - hoorah!
There’s nothing quite like a nice fresh pint, and we all know Whitelock’s Ale House know how to pour a good one.
So it's with great glee that we can fill you in on their upcoming Beer Festival which will be returning to the iconic festival from Thursday 18 to Sunday 21 June 2026.
The four-day festival will celebrate the best of independent brewing in Leeds, with beers sourced exclusively from local breweries.
Featured breweries will include Northern Monk, Kirkstall Brewery, Anthology, Amity Brew Co. and more.
Known as the oldest pub in Leeds, Whitelock’s Ale House has long championed independent beers and local brewing culture.
Image: Supplied
This year’s festival aims to spotlight the strength and diversity of the city’s brewing scene, with the tagline 'Beer tastes better up north!'
Beer will be pouring throughout the weekend across Whitelock's Ale House and The Turk's Head, with further brewery announcements and festival details set to be shared in the coming weeks via their Instagram.
The best part? Entry to the festival is completely free.
Talking about this year’s festival, General Manager Beth said: “Beer has always been at the heart of Whitelock’s, so this felt like the right year to celebrate both the breweries on our doorstep and the city we’ve called home for more than 300 years.
"Leeds has a brilliantly strong independent beer scene right now, and we’re looking forward to showcasing some of the best breweries the city has to offer across the weekend.”
You can find out more about Whitelock's Ale House and their fabulous Beer Festival here via their website. Cheers to that!
Inside Leeds’ very first sauna and ice bath cafe hidden behind a railway arch
Clementine Hall
Get ready to take the plunge Leeds, as a community-led sauna and ice bath concept has landed in the city centre.
Hidden behind a railway arch in Saxton Gardens, Kontrast has brought its popular sauna and ice bath concept to the city.
Following the huge success of its Manchester site, Kontrast Leeds combines saunas, ice baths and a cafe designed to bring wellness into everyday life.
The Leeds space features two traditional saunas, one infrared saunas and four ice baths each varying in temperature between 3 and 13 degrees.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
The space is absolutely gorgeous, complete with trendy tin ceilings, fairy lights and soft furnishings.
Plunge pools can be enjoyed solo or shared, depending on what guests choose, giving people the opportunity to shape each session around exactly what they need that day.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
The same goes for the saunas, with one silent and one sauna giving guests the option to come for conversation or reflection.
Single sessions will cost just £12 for 45 minutes, with 90-minute sessions from £20.
There's a fab little cafe too offering all sorts from electrolyte slushes to ginger shots and a range of coffees and matcha.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Known for making sauna and ice feel more accessible, welcoming and community-driven, Kontrast has grown beyond regular sessions to become a base for recurring events. These include their live ambient DJ set event, Unwind, which celebrates local talent, and their weekly run club, both of which the team hopes to bring to Leeds as part of building a similar sense of community in the city.
Officially opening their doors this Friday 29 May, Kontrast are offering free sessions over the weekend so you can try before you buy. Book your spot here.
The Hoot -
7th September 2022 
