Be transported back to the 19th century and stroll the Victorian streets of Leeds at the Abbey House Museum in Kirkstall.
Have you ever wanted to live the life of a Victorian for a day? To explore the social history of 19th century Leeds?
Well you don't have to jump in a time machine to do so as The Abbey House Museum provides all this and more.
Established in 1927, you will find this fascinating museum opposite the famous Kirkstall Abbey.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Boasting an incredible history itself, it was originally a dwelling house for the abbey before it was operated as a farm house, and then was the home of the Butler family, the owners of Kirkstall Forge, before being purchased by Leeds City Council in 1926.
Today it offers visitors the chance to fully immerse themselves in the sights, sounds and smells of 19th century Leeds by exploring life-like cobbled streets complete with shops, pubs and houses.
You'll be handed a booklet on arrival which provides bundles of fascinating information to guide you through the streets. From the live expectancy rates of nearby towns to pay rates of millworkers through the years - one things for sure you'll definitely learn a whole lot on your trip to the Abbey House Museum.
Pop into Popplewell the grocers before stopping for a pint at the Hark to Rover pub, each recreated building is filled with original objects dating back over 100 years from the museum's extensive collection.
Upstairs you will find the museum's Childhood Galleries which exhibit their incredible growing collection of toys, 19th century dolls, memorabilia and nostalgia.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
There's plenty of comfortable spots for you to play and relax with their huge selection of toys and books, making it the perfect place to while away the afternoon.
The first floor of the museum is home to an annually-changing special exhibition, each one as interesting as the next. In 2022 the museum showcased a menagerie of Victorian animals in an exhibit named Curious Creatures:Victorian attitudes to animals.
Entry for an adult costs just £6, and a child aged 5-18 only £3. Family admission of up to 2 adults and 3 children is just £13.50, making it the perfect family trip out over the school holidays or on the weekend.
To find out more about this wonderful museum, take a look at their website.
An exciting new venue is set to open its doors this year, marking a significant moment for the city’s nightlife scene.
Introducing Mint XL, the latest venture rom the team behind the Mint brand that represents the next evolution of a name that has been central to Leeds’ music culture since the 90’s.
Built on over three decades of experience in the industry, the team’s track record spans from intimate club spaces to major outdoor festivals.
Mint XL will build on this knowledge to bring a venue designed to operate on another level, bigger and better than ever before.
Image: Supplied
With a capacity of over 2000 across multiple rooms, Mint XL has been purpose-built to host a wide range of events. Think large-scale electronic music lineups and extended DJ sets to live performances, brand activations, and private hires.
At the heart of the venue is a focus on sound and experience. A newly-installed Funktion-One Vero system will power the main rooms, supported by high-spec production throughout.
Mint XL will also operate a strict no-phones policy during club events, keeping the focus on the music and the moment.
Images: Supplied
“Mint XL is the next chapter for the brand,” says Owner Shane Graham. “From Mint Club through to Mint Festival, we’ve spent nearly two decades building something special in Leeds, and this is a natural progression of that journey. It allows us to take everything we’ve produced over the years and deliver it at a much bigger club setting.”
Director Mikey McMahon adds: “Mint XL is a big step forward for us. It allows us to programme multi-bill lineups at a much bigger scale across multiple rooms, while also expanding beyond electronic music into live bands, private hires, and brand-led events. At its core, we’ve designed it as a fully versatile space that can adapt to different audiences and experiences under one roof.”
Cult favourite burger chain Burgerism is officially coming to Leeds this summer
Clementine Hall
An award-winning burger chain is coming to one of Leeds' suburbs.
If you don't know Burgerism, then get to know.
The Manchester-based burger chain is known by many for its incredible smash patties and quick, reliable service.
Their concept is simple: good burgers made with quality ingredients and cooked fresh to order. Delicious.
And it's not just burgers, they've also got some great wings and fries available too with a range of homemade sauces on offer for dunking, drizzling and devouring. We're a particular fan of the buffalo wings with their garlic ranch dip.
The chain used to have a dark kitchen on the outskirts of the city where people could order via Deliveroo, however this closed down and since then there's been a Burgerism-shaped hole left in our foodie scene.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Burgerism recently applied to move into a vacant shop unit in Meanwood at 605 Meanwood Road, seeking change-of-use planning permission for the former Papa Johns site which was previously only allowed to serve...well, pizzas.
And the plans have now been approved, which means Burgerism will officially be coming to Leeds. Hurray!
Burgerism's new takeaway will be walking distance from the The Meanwood Tavern, perfect for those looking for some post-pint burgers.
It will be strictly takeaway with no dine-in option available.
The brand-new Burgerism will employ 15 people from the local area with food being served between 11am and 11pm.
We'll keep you up to date as and when we find out more, but for now we're aware that Burgerism Leeds is set to open this summer.
Clementine Hall -
8th February 2023 
