Camp, glitz, shiny walls and dodgy disco lighting. These are the things that come to mind when we hear news of Leeds' new, minuscule gay bar.
Opening on Wharf street at the end of this month, One in One out gives visitors the experience of a queer nightclub - something that's been out of bounds for over a year now. The catch? It has to be experienced in isolation.
Squeezed into a space barely larger than a telephone box, in truth, it's more art installation than functional bar with room for just one viewer at a time.
Popping up for three days only, it's the creation of artist Lucy Hayhoe and has been commissioned as part of 2021's Complex Festival.
Photo: Lizzie Coombes
Offering a five minute night out, your coat is taken by a bouncer before you're ushered in and offered a drink. There's room to dance, but you can only dance alone - prompting the question, 'what makes a place gay if not its clientele?'
The show was made pre-Covid, but after a year of isolation feels more significant than ever following the closure of a number of gay bars in the city.
“The number of gay bars in Leeds that have closed due to Covid,” Hayhoe says, “is proportionately way above the numbers of the straight places that have closed. They seem to be much more quickly susceptible to the economic downturn.”
Returning access to queer space that the community has been missing out on for so long, even if it's only for a number of days, is such a hopeful and positive act.
All visitors are welcome, but Hayhoe is particularly interested in welcoming queer guests to the space. The One in, One out opens May 28th - 30th, 12pm - 7pm.
Feature image - Lizzie Coombes
News
A huge new venue designed for 1,000 fans to watch the World Cup is coming to Leeds city centre
Trinity Kitchen will turn into one of the city’s biggest hotspots to watch the World Cup this summer.
The space is getting ready to be transformed into an evening fan zone with three super-size screens, a brand-new bar, DJs, brass bands and space for up to 1,000 supporters.
The space will be completely free to attend and will open just in time for the start of the tournament on Thursday 11 June.
And before you worry about getting a seat, fans will have the option of booking tables for England’s games.
It doesn't stop there, as it has also been announced that award-winning Leeds independent brewery Northern Monk will open in Trinity Kitchen for the first time.
Image: Supplied
The ‘Northern Monk Trinity Tap’ will feature two, seven-metre bars, 20 beer taps, whilst 11 street food vendors will be serving match day meals and snacks to keep you fuelled through the games.
Josie Towning, Food and Beverage Manager at Trinity Leeds, said: “Trinity Kitchen will operate as normal during the day, transforming into a football fan zone in the evening.
“It will be one of the biggest World Cup venues in Leeds with three huge screens showing the games live and more dotted around Trinity Kitchen. There will be live roaming brass bands and DJs turning every England fixture into a true celebration.
“Fans can turn up and grab a space for free and we will also be offering table bookings for England games for those who want to guarantee the best spots to watch the drama unfold.
“Our line-up of street food vendors will serve bold flavours from around the world, while the all-new Northern Monk Trinity Tap will pour award-winning craft beers across 20 taps, making Trinity Kitchen the ultimate place to eat, drink and experience every unforgettable World Cup moment."
Rooftop padel courts planned for multi-storey car park in Leeds city centre
Clementine Hall
Padel courts could be built on top of a car park in Leeds if plans are agreed.
Padel has been taking the world by storm recently, and it seems like there's no stopping it just yet.
Developers behind the Merrion Centre in Leeds have submitted plans to build eight rooftop padel courts at the shopping centre.
If successful, the development would result in the loss of 128 spaces at the car park which currently has space for 960 vehicles.
The plans outline that the courts would be built on the eighth floor of the building and that the scheme would support the fast growing popularity of the sport in the city.
The development would include seven indoor courts that would be housed in a detached aluminium-framed structure at the car park site that was built in the 1960s.
The report said: "Padel is widely recognised as a fast-growing racket sport, combining elements of tennis and squash in a format that is social, inclusive and relatively easy to learn.
"Its increasing popularity across the UK has led to a notable rise in demand for accessible courts, particularly in large urban areas."
It continued: “The application site forms part of the existing Merrion Centre car park, currently operated by CitiPark. The building comprises eight levels in total, with this proposal limited to the uppermost level.”
Leeds City Council is currently considering a full planning application which is out for consultation until Wednesday 3 June.
Georgina Pellant -
6th May 2021 
