Popular Leeds city centre food and drink destination Call Lane is set to welcome back hundreds more outside revellers for seated al fresco drinking and dining following recent renovations and changes to the street made by Leeds City Council.
The long-awaited changes to the thriving bar and restaurant hub have seen the expansion and laying of new pavement and dramatically reduced traffic following a successful trial in Summer 2020. The ongoing improvements on Call Lane leave it well-placed to be the next great destination in a growing list of bustling outdoor city centre spaces.
Already making the most of their new surroundings is local bar and restaurant group Akito Ltd who will be opening three of their four sites for outdoor drinking and dining from Monday 12th April in line with the government’s reopening roadmap.
With new furniture, outdoor heaters and rain cover, the bars (including Leeds nightlife mainstays Oporto, Knaves Kitchen, Neon Cactus and Power, Corruption and Lies) will be ready to welcome their dearly-missed customers in all weathers and circumstances from 12PM - 12AM, seven days a week. Bookings won’t be required for the three Akito venues, leaving space for walk-ins of groups of up to six.
All sites will be fully seated, offering table service exclusively and logging track and trace details for all guests in line with current covid regulations. From Mexican street food and cocktails, ‘Disco Dim Sum’ to vegan fast food, craft beer and coffee, the widespread and diverse offering from the various Call Lane venues will ensure that all tastes are catered for.
Following their reopening on the 12th, the bars plan to make use of the new and long awaited outdoor space to host BBQ’s, events, bank holiday specials and lots more over the Summer months. The independent Akito group along with their neighbours on the lane are excited to bring another great outdoor social space to Leeds city centre and welcome back the crowds who make Leeds such a beloved place to eat, drink and dance.
Ross Millar, Operations Manager, Akito Ltd said: “Down on call lane we are chomping at the bit to welcome people back for al fresco drinking and dining in our new and extended outside area. With extra seating available and no booking necessary the summer is going to look beautiful! We have worked really hard over the past months to ensure complete safety for our guests is achieved with all the necessary covid procedures in place.
"Having done weeks of extensive research and development on new food and drink offerings in our venues we are super excited for people to come down and sample our creations. It’s been such a tough year all round for everybody, I personally feel a real sense of excitement and emotion for the coming months when we are able to get back to what we know and see some lovely faces.”
A Leeds City Council spokesperson said: “Leeds City Council has worked with hospitality businesses across the city as they prepare to welcome back customers from 12th April. Large parts of the city centre have been transformed over the past year, with some of our key streets and spaces now offering wider footways, more room for outdoor seating, and newly planted trees”
Oporto, Knaves Kitchen, Neon Cactus & Power Corruption and Lies will be open from 12PM - 12AM, seven days a week. Food will be served until 10PM.
Leeds
Viral Yorkshire shop urges visitors to avoid weekends as huge queues form
A viral apothecary shop in Yorkshire has warned visitors about huge queues forming outside its doors, urging people to visit during the week if they want to avoid the crowds.
The Cabinet of Curiosities in Haworth has become a popular destination for those looking to really get into the autumn spirit.
And it seems like there's a lot of people who are looking to do so, as huge queues have been forming along the quaint cobbled streets of Haworth.
So much so, that owner Carolin had to issue a statement via The Cabinet of Curiosities Instagram page.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
It reads: "Weekends in Haworth have become particularly busy during Autumn and we are so grateful to all those lovely souls who have patiently queued to visit the shop.
"We are so honoured that you are happy to wait to come in to our magical apothecary shop, and I can’t quite believe it when I look out of the windows and see the queue snaking up the cobbles. Be assured that the queue does move fast and it makes for a far more pleasurable visit if there are fewer people in the shop at once.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
"If you would rather avoid the busy times it’s best to visit during the week if you can. Our shop is open 7 days a week 10-5, but to make sure all the shops in Haworth are open then Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are probably the best days to visit.
"We are doing our best to keep up with restocking and our fabulous workshop witches are busy blending, filling and packing every day to keep to keep the shelves stocked. We are humbled and forever grateful that you love our little shoppe, and hope you enjoy your potions and your visit to The Cabinet of Curiosities."
Leeds Bradford Airport issue statement as 130 workers prepare to strike
Clementine Hall
Leeds Bradford Airport is set for a standstill as almost 130 workers are set to take industrial action over pay.
If you're planning on catching a flight from Leeds Bradford Airport, then you may want to double check the date.
The Unite members planning on going on strike are a mixture of air traffic control workers, customer experience staff, security staff and cleaners.
The workers involved in the dispute have recently come out of a four-year pay deal, with some of the departments having fallen behind other airports in equivalent roles.
Pay talks have been happening since December 2025, with the airport's formal offer not going far enough to address the lack of pay parity.
Strikes will take place from 03:00 Friday 16 October to 06:00 Sunday 18 October for hourly paid staff and from 06:00 Friday 16 October to 06:00 Sunday 18 October for air traffic control workers.
Strike will mean the entire airport will shut down.
Since the announcement, Leeds Bradford Airport have issued a statement: "Leeds Bradford Airport acknowledges the proposed industrial action due to take place between 16-18 October involving a group of operational colleagues.
"We respect the right of employees to participate in lawful industrial action. However, we are disappointed by this and do not believe strike action is the right way to resolve the issues still under discussion.
"The airport has made what we believe is a fair and responsible offer that is significantly above inflation and reflects both current economic conditions and the need to ensure the long-term sustainability of the business.
"Our priority now is to minimise disruption for customers, many of whom have worked hard and saved for important holidays, family visits and business travel. At this stage we anticipate running near-normal operations during the period.
"Leeds Bradford Airport plays a vital role in connecting Yorkshire to the world. Industrial action has the potential to cause inconvenience for thousands of customers and local businesses who rely on those connections.
"We remain committed to constructive dialogue with Unite and would welcome continued discussions aimed at reaching a resolution. Our focus remains on serving Yorkshire, supporting our colleagues and maintaining safe airport operations."
The Hoot -
8th April 2021 
