As of 10am this morning, the price of more than a million train tickets have been slashed in half.
For the months of April and May, travellers will be able to get up to 50% off some train tickets in a move by the Department of Transport designed to restore train travel numbers to pre-pandemic levels.
However, the reduced cost tickets are not available for travellers making journeys at peak times - meaning they will be of no help to commuters battling the UK's cost of living emergency.
The discounted tickets went on sale this morning, reports The Manc, with passengers eligible to travel for cut prices on certain off-peak and advanced fares between 25 April and 27 May.
Image: Geograph
They are being sold on a first-come, first-served basis, and can be purchased online from participating retailers.
Cutting the cost of rail travel will help “ease some of the pressure” on finances at a time when inflation is rising, the Department for Transport said.
It is the first time that multiple rail operators have come together to offer nationwide savings.
Trips from York to Leeds are discounted from £5.60 to £2.80 at certain times. Elsewhere, travel from London to Edinburgh is available at £22 and £25 from London to Cardiff.
Still, the move ultimately only benefits those with disposable income and has drawn much criticism from transport campaigners and commuters alike.
The 'Great British Rail Sale' has been critiqued on a number of factors, primarily for not helping commuters who are facing increasing travel costs.
Labour’s shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh said the discounts this spring will be “small comfort to passengers” after years of “soaring fares”.
“A decade of brutal Tory fare hikes have priced people off our railways,” she said.
“This temporary respite will be small comfort to passengers who had thousands taken out of their pockets from soaring fares since 2010.
“And the decision to end the sale just before half-term will mean many families face the same punishing costs over the holidays.”
The Campaign for Better Transport, however, said that it had been pushing for action to improve passenger levels for months.
It welcomed the move by the government, but Norman Baker, its chief executive’s adviser and former transport minister said: “It can show the Treasury that the way to increase income is to cut fares, not keep ratcheting them up and driving people off the railway.”
Feature image - Wikimedia Commons
Leeds
The Leeds Chilli Shop selling sauces so hot they come with a warning
If you think you can handle your spice, then there’s one shop in Leeds that will put that to the test.
Tucked away on Merrion Street, Chilli Shop has been a staple of the Leeds high street for over a decade.
First opening back in 2014, Chilli Shop was founded by Frank Jay and has built a reputation as one of the city’s most wonderfully niche (and hottest) destinations.
It's basically a shrine to all things hot, a proper haven of everything spicy to get your tastebuds tingilng.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
We're talking everything from chilli hot sauces and jams to chocolate, cheese, dried chillies and even novelty gifts perfect for the chilli lover in your life.
But what they're most famous for is a shelf fully dedicated to the Youtube hit Hot Ones, a show where celebrities are pushed to the limit and served hot wings coated in a variety of hot sauces from mild to blow-your-head-off hot.
So if you've ever watched that show and wanted to have a go yourself, this shop stocks all the sauces so you can be the star of your own Hot Ones episode.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Best of all, you can try before you buy. Free, heat-rated tasters are available, meaning you can work your way up from “that’s got a bit of a kick” to “I can no longer feel my face”.
We can't promise there's any milk or ice cream on hand though, so get tasting at your own risk.
So whether you’re looking for a new sauce, a spicy gift for your mate or simply want to discover exactly how much pain your tastebuds can withstand, the Chilli Shop is one Leeds independent that deserves a visit.
A huge pumpkin festival with over 300,000 pumpkins is returning to Leeds this autumn
Clementine Hall
With up to 300,000 to choose from, the Farmer Copley's Pumpkin Festival is the ultimate pumpkin picking spot in Leeds.
Look, we know it's still August...but we can't help but get a little bit excited.
And it's safe to say that Farmer Copleys really do know a thing or two about growing pumpkins.
Every year, this family-run farm transform into one of the UK's biggest pumpkin festivals to offer the cosiest day out for all the family to enjoy.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
This year, there will be more than 300,000 pumpkins across over 40 different varieties, ranging from traditional orange pumpkins to beautiful white, green and striped varieties.
As well as choosing the perfect pumpkin to take home, the fields provide an excellent backdrop for autumn photographs, with photo opportunities and installations located throughout the festival.
One of this year’s biggest additions will be a brand-new Land Rover photo installation, bringing together one of Farmer Copleys’ own vintage Land Rovers with a new Land Rover kindly loaned to the farm for the festival.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Also new for this year, in the first weekend of the festival, the farm will be hosting a Pumpkin Pilates event where ticket holders can enjoy early morning Pilates session within the pumpkin fields.
And like always, visitors can enjoy tractor rides through the pumpkin fields, live shows and entertainment, archery, vintage fairground rides, Witches’ Storytime and magical performances, Velcro the Scarecrow and other family characters, as well as the festival’s popular daily fancy dress competitions.
Farmer Copleys Owner Rob Copley said: “Pumpkin Festival is such a special time of year for us and something the whole team works towards for months. We grow hundreds of thousands of pumpkins here on the farm, but we’ve always wanted the festival to be about much more than simply choosing a pumpkin.
“For 2026 we’ve invested in new installations, upgraded areas of the festival and added more live music. We’re particularly excited about the new Land Rover feature, bringing together one of our vintage vehicles with a brand-new Land Rover. We think it’s going to make a brilliant addition to the festival and another great place for families to capture their visit.”
The Farmer Copley's Pumpkin Festival will run from Saturday 26 September until Sunday 1 November, and you can buy your tickets here.
The Hoot -
19th April 2022 
