Visit the only medical museum in the north for free this weekend.
National Lottery ticket holders will be able to visit one of Leeds' best known museums this weekend to celebrate the staggering £30 million raised by the National Lottery players for 'good causes' every week.
On both Saturday 26 March and Sunday 27 March, anyone with a valid National Lottery ticket or scratch card can enter Thackray Museum of Medicine free of charge.
Whether you decide to make Mother's Day an educational trip to the museum or find solace from avoiding the crowds outside, the museum has a range of exciting exhibitions for all ages to learn from.
The new galleries tell a rich story of healthcare, from herbal remedies in apothecaries to genetically modified medicine, with displays including recreated Victorian streets and a 19th-century operating theatre.
Current exhibitions comprise ‘Periods: A Brief Jaunt Up North’, a stigma-busting collaboration with London’s Vagina Museum, and ‘Can Robots Care?’, which explores the facts, fictions and futures of robots designed for care.
Thackray has also recently benefited from a £4 million refit thanks to National Lottery funding, reopening its doors in summer 2021 after an extended closure.
Image: David Lindsey
Nat Edwards, CEO of Thackray Museum of Medicine said: “We’re delighted to be taking part in The National Lottery Open Week this year by opening up our doors on the weekend of the 26th and 27th March to National Lottery players.
"We’ve been fortunate to receive National Lottery funding, which has enabled us to create a museum fit for a diverse, 21st century audience. Our open weekend is our way of saying thank you to everyone who has bought a National Lottery ticket, helped us on our journey and made a vital contribution to supporting good causes.
"We’re excited to welcome you to our magnificent museum and show what it has to offer!"
Norfolk-based jewellery brand Lisa Angel is opening their first Yorkshire site right here in Leeds.
Jewellery and trinket lovers, this one's for you.
Lisa Angel, a female-founded jewellery and gifting brand will open the doors to its new store in Victoria Gate next month.
Shoppers can expect a wonderful range of jewellery, gifts, and accessories that have established a loyal following during more than twenty years of business.
Founded in 2004 by Lisa hand making jewellery which she sold at craft fairs local to her Norfolk home, the business has only gone from strength to strength since.
Image: Supplied
The brand is now a recognised part of the British high street landscape, boasting seven other stores across Norfolk, Suffolk, and the Midlands.
After opening two stores last year and three stores in 2024, Lisa Angel’s founder and Creative Director, Lisa, said: “As an independent retailer, we are thrilled to launch in a destination with such a reputation as Victoria Leeds.
"We believe retail should remain grounded in inspiration and discovery, and we look forward to bringing just that to the vibrant city of Leeds, in our first store in the north.”
Managing Director James Moody explained the significance to the business of opening a new store in a city as influential as Leeds: “We're incredibly excited to be opening our first northern showcase store in such a prestigious location.
"Victoria Leeds represents exactly the kind of vibrant retail destination where we can bring the full Lisa Angel experience to new customers. This is a significant milestone for us as we continue to grow our retail presence."
We'll keep you up to date when we know an opening date, but for now you can check out what to expect here.
Yorkshire residents are being invited to name two new bin lorries
Clementine Hall
Well...this is a new one.
Ever fancied naming a bin lorry? Well today is your lucky day, because now you can.
Yorkshire-based waste management experts Divert are celebrating the arrival of two swanky new tbin rucks by inviting the local community to help name them.
The iconic purple bins, vans and trucks can be seen across the Yorkshire area helping to clean up waste from Bradford to Harrogate.
Two new lorries are set to be joining the fleet in April and May, and of course they need a name.
And who better to ask than the general public? The winning names will be added to the cabs of each of the trucks for all to see, and announced via the Divert website and social media channels.
Absolutely anyone from across the UK is welcome to take part, but the company are especially keen for people from Yorkshire to enter.
You can be as creative as you like, but there are a couple of rules...
No swearing or offensive names. Aside from that, you can let your freak flag fly.
The Divert team are keen to hear the 'best celebrity puns, local namesakes, and downright silly names' the public have to offer.
John Verity, Managing Director of Divert, comments: “Naming our bin trucks is a great way to bring some joy to the local community. We hope to bring a smile to the faces of passing drivers and pedestrians as our fleet passes by.
“Not only that, naming our lorries can help our drivers to take pride and ownership in the vehicles they drive and be a key reminder of our engagement within the community. We’re always keen to employ any initiatives that help the public to engage with us and ensure we’re seen as a friendly face in the area.”
Winners will be voted for by the team internally, and the competition closes at 5 pm on 31 March 2026.
Sophie Smith -
24th March 2022 
