Leeds

Last chance to apply to host a street party in Leeds for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee

You can now submit a request to close your street off for the day and host a good, old-fashioned street party.

Sophie Smith Sophie Smith - 14th April 2022

This week is your last chance to apply for a street road closure for the Platinum Jubilee weekend in Leeds.

Leeds City Council is inviting local communities to host street parties for the occasion, but your last chance to apply is Friday 15 April- so make sure if you're looking to clsoe your road for a Jubilee-themed street party over the June bank holiday, you get it in quickly.

With Queen Elizabeth II set to mark her Platinum Jubilee from Thursday 2 June to Sunday 5 June 2022, making her the first ever British monarch to reach this milestone, and with the UK to get an extra bank holiday to celebrate, Leeds City Council is offering anyone the chance to host a street party.

The Platinum Jubilee celebrates the Queen's Elizabeth’s 70 years on the throne, and a remarkable seven decades of service to the British people.

She acceded to the throne in 1952 at age 25.

A photo of the Queen from Queensland State Archives
The Queen usually celebrates in private. / Image: Queensland State Archives

Read More: Everything you need to know about the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations

On a national scale, a number of events are planned for the celebratory four-day weekend - including Trooping the Colour, lighting of Platinum Jubilee Beacons, a thanksgiving service at St Paul’s Cathedral, and of course, an extra bank holiday.

If that's not enough to keep you entertained, there will be performance in London to tell the story of the Queen’s reign through a pageant that will include a ‘River of Hope’, a section that will see over 200 silk flags flow through The Mall to replicate a moving river.

But a little closer to home, you can now submit a request to close your street off for the day and host a good, old-fashioned street party.

Officially, Saturday 4 June, is the day of the Big Jubilee Lunch. Street parties in their masses are already being planned across the UK and neighbours are expected to come together to mark the occasion, so this is likely to be the most popular date to close off your street and celebrate with neighbours.

This said, Leeds City Council has stated that residents of Leeds are encouraged to apply to close their street and celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee bank holiday weekend, with the expected dates of Thursday 2 June - Sunday 5 June 2022 in mind for road closures.

British flag on bunting
Leeds residents can now request to close their road for a street party this summer / Credit: Tim Ellis (via Flickr)

Read More: Ibiza Classics is coming to Leeds for the Jubilee Bank Holiday

The Queen's Platinum Jubilee bank holiday weekend will also see the royal announcement of the winner of the Platinum Pudding Competition. Back in January, it was announced this morning that Buckingham Palace is searching for the perfect pudding to celebrate the platinum celebration.

Entries are due to be judged by the likes of culinary legend and national treasure, Dame Mary Berry, and the dish will follow in the footsteps of the British staple dish, coronation chicken, a dish created by Le Cordon Bleu to celebrate the Queen’s coronation banquet in 1953.

The royal family around a giant cake.
Image: Eden Project Communities
Portrait of the Queen.
Image: Michael Garnett, Flickr

If you can't wait until June to celebrate, the Platinum Jubilee Celebration will kick off Thursday 12 May - Sunday 15 May 2022 with smaller scale events celebrating the monarch. In London, over 1,000 performers and an additional 500 horses will take part in a 90-minute show in honour of Her Majesty. The performance will take the audience through the Queen’s reign as well as looking back on year’s gone by- right from Elizabeth I to the present day.

The deadline to apply to close a road is Friday 15 April, and you can find out more information and submit an application via the Leeds City Council website.

Featured Image - Royal UK

Leeds

A popular Caribbean street food restaurant is coming to Leeds this spring

Clementine Hall Clementine Hall

Get ready to enjoy a taste of the Caribbean as Jerk Junction is gearing up to open in Leeds.

The street food favourite has made waves in the foodie scene over in Manchester and Liverpool, so it's only right that its making its way into Trinity Kitchen.

Jerk Junction specialises in authentic Caribbean flavours, from dumplings and jerk chicken to curried goat and rice and peas, it's all flame-grilled and packed with island spices.

It is expected to open this spring.

Image: The Manc Group

Steven Foster, Centre Director at Trinity Leeds, said: “We’re so excited to be welcoming Jerk Junction to Trinity Kitchen and we’re sure it will prove very popular. Bringing an authentic Caribbean flavour to Leeds, it’s the perfect new addition and complements our already stellar line-up of street food vendors.”

Jake Shaffi, founder at Jerk Junction, said: “Jerk Junction is all about real Caribbean food and culture. Everything we do is rooted in Jamaican tradition, from bold spices and authentic cooking to dishes that bring people together.

“For us, food is family. From our kitchen to every person who comes to our counter, we want people to feel the warmth, the energy and the spirit of the islands. We can’t wait to bring those authentic flavours and good vibes to Trinity Kitchen.”

The announcement follows news that the UK’s largest independent boutique bowling brand Lane7, and footwear retailers schuh and Footasylum, would be opening at Trinity Leeds later this year, whilst the LEGO Store will be relocating to a larger space within the shopping centre.

Read more:

Featured image - The Manc Group

Leeds

Loved Leeds cocktail bar to no longer close following ‘outpouring of love’ by the community

Clementine Hall Clementine Hall

It's great news for the Leeds hospitality scene as The Maven announces it will no longer close.

Just over a week ago, The Maven on Call Lane sadly announced that they would be closing their doors for good.

It's safe to say that we were absolutely gutted, alongside everyone else who's enjoyed a cocktail or two in The Maven.

But our beloved bar isn't going anywhere, as today they have announced that The Maven is sticking around.

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by The Maven (@themavenbar)

Posting to their social media, The Maven said: "When news broke The Maven could close its doors at the end of March, the reaction across the city was immediate. The response from customers, bartenders, and hospitality operators showed just how much this bar means to Leeds.

"For nearly 15 years, The Maven has been one of the city’s most loved cocktail destinations and a true institution within the local bar scene.

"When we told you about its potential closure we were flooded with support and interest from across the hospitality community. In the days that followed, several Leeds-based operators stepped forward with genuine offers to buy the venue and keep the bar alive.

"At a time when our industry is too often filled with stories of closures, today brings a little hope - a story about a community stepping up to protect something it values.

"The reports that The Maven would close at the end of March are now firmly in the past: The Maven Lives.

"Thanks to the passion of the Leeds hospitality community and the loyalty of its guests, the bar will continue to be part of the city’s nightlife story. More details about the next chapter for The Maven will be shared soon."

Read more: Beloved Leeds takeaway Souvlaki Corner to open new restaurant in Morley next month

Featured image - The Hoot Leeds

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