Temple Newsam will host Northern Lights, West Yorkshire's newest seasonal attraction.
Following sellout success in Newcastle last year, the acclaimed event is now making its debut in Leeds and it is going to be nothing short of spectacular.
Expected to attract over 100,000 visitors, a spectrum of illuminations and unique musical instalments will be set among the heritage gardens and picturesque woodlands of Temple Newsam.
Running from Thursday 21 November to Tuesday 31 December 2024, the jaw-dropping festival of light will take visitors on a journey of the beloved surroundings but in a new magical new light.
Images: Supplied
Visitors can expect a showcase of exclusive art installations and special effects from the UK’s leading lighting designers , along with interactive elements and festive photo moments, along a 90-minute route.
Approximately one mile in length, the light trail will feature 14 distinct illuminated zones along the way as well as vintage fairground rides and stalls serving a variety of festive treats, including mulled wine, hot chocolate and toasted marshmallows.
Image: Supplied
Roxy Robinson, Creative Director at From the Fields said: “It’s fantastic to have the opportunity to deliver a completely new trail at such an iconic location, with so much history and heritage.
"We have big plans and cannot wait to deliver an experience like no other; one that welcomes everyone from all ages and backgrounds to come together. We’re proud to have an incredibly experienced and talented team of creators behind Northern Lights, who will help make this an unforgettable experience for all, while remaining as inclusive and accessible as possible.”
Images: Supplied
Councillor Debra Coupar, Leeds City Council’s deputy leader and executive member for resources, said: "We're delighted to be bringing the Northern Lights trail to Temple Newsam this Christmas, with stunning light installations and plenty of festive treats to be enjoyed.
"The people behind these lights are incredibly talented so we're looking forward to a full transformation of Temple Newsam's iconic grounds. It's going to be a great one for the whole family!"
Tickets for Northern Lights Leeds will go on sale Wednesday 3 July with prices starting from £13.95 for children and £19.50 for adults.
You can sign up to early bird access here to grab 20% off your tickets.
A prehistoric fish fossil has been unearthed at Roundhay Park in Leeds.
The fascinating prehistoric skull bone of a coelacanth fish was discovered by a geologist at Roundhay Park earlier this year.
It is thought the creature was frozen in time aeons ago, during an era when the park was submerged under a vast tropical lagoon.
The remarkable discovery has now been kindly donated to Leeds Museums and Galleries and added to the natural sciences collection at Leeds Discovery Centre.
Image: Leeds City Council
The Leeds fossil was found by Ru Smith of the Yorkshire Geological Society during a reconnaissance walk he was carrying out ahead of a planned field excursion in the north Leeds park.
Describing the moment he made the discovery, Ru said: “There’s a layer of rock in the park which dates from around 320 million years ago, from a time before the breakup of the continents, when what is now the park would have been situated close the Equator and under the warm waters of a tropical lagoon. West Central Africa would be a good place to find similar environments in the present.
“There’s a bed of freshwater mussels called Carbonicola at one level in the rock, and opening a piece of shale from this bed in my hands I saw something unusual – a distinctive skull bone of a large fish. I knew straight away this was something different and very rare."
The bone was verified byexperts as belonging to a coelacanth older than those found elsewhere in Yorkshire, making it the oldest fossil coelacanth discovered in the region.
Ru added: “Coelacanths are pretty amazing fish and it’s just very cool to think that at one time, you could have been standing in Leeds and watching them swim around above a bed of mussels in Roundhay Park.
“That’s really the wonder of geology, looking at the rock and time travelling in the imagination to what was a very different world.”
One of Leeds’ most historic buildings is being transformed into an all-day cafe, bar and events space
Clementine Hall
A family-run business is about to breathe new life into one of the city's most culturally significant buildings.
Introducing Moods - a new all-day cafe, bar and events venue that will open to the public at First White Cloth Hall on Kirkgate on Friday 31 July.
Created by husband-and-wife founders Will and Hayley Moody, the team behind Buzz Club Tattoo, Moods will occupy the ground floor of the Grade II* listed building.
Originally built in 1711 for the sale of white, undyed cloth, some of its roof timbers have been dated to the mid-1470s, and the building spent more than 20 years on Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register before a major restoration by Rushbond returned it to use.
Images: Supplied
Moods will bring speciality coffee, in-house patisserie, elevated day dining, cocktails, wine, beer and events together under one historic roof.
Doors open at 6pm on Friday 31 July for drinks and bar snacks, with all-day food service beginning at 8am on Saturday 1 August.
The kitchen will be led by Head Chef Craig Rogan, who trained within Simon Rogan's Michelin-starred restaurant group, including time at L'Enclume and Fera at Claridge's.
Will Moody said: "Leeds has been our home since university, and First White Cloth Hall felt like the kind of building you do not get a second chance with. From the moment we saw it, we knew it could become much more than a studio home.
"Moods is about opening the ground floor up and giving people a reason to use the building from morning through to night, whether that is coffee, food, drinks, private events or simply a good catch-up with friends."
We can't wait to check out the space, and you can find out more about Moods here.
Clementine Hall -
22nd May 2024 
