The Rail, Maritime and Transport union strike officially begins today (Monday 20 June) and will continue throughout the week.
Commuter chaos ensued thismorning in Leeds and will continue throughout the day as a whopping 80% of all trains running across Great Britain are cancelled.
Today marks the biggest walk-out of rail staff in more than 30 years with further walk-outs due to take place on Thursday and Saturday. The union have confirmed that an estimated 50,000 employees will be walking out over the course of the week, making it the biggest train strike since 1989.
The strikes are an attempt to reform the rail industry and Network Rail alongside 13 other train networks will be taking part.
Strike days are scheduled today, Thursday 23 and Saturday 25 June. A very limited service will be seen from all networks on these days with most trains only running between 7.30am and 6.30pm.
Network Rail has urged passengers to check their travel route ahead of time with train operators and only travel if absolutely necessary on strike days. The disruption will heavily impact Leeds and Yorkshire, here is a list of all the services effected.
Northern Rail
Northern Rail have stated they will have "extremely limited availability" of train staff and that the majority of services will not be running. They urge passengers not to travel at all between Tuesday 21 June and Sunday 26 June.
The seven services running on the days of the strike are as follows:
Transpennine will also experience serious disruption and will be closing a number of stations during the strike period.
There will be roughly one train per hour between Manchester and York, and every two to four hours on other routes, and no trains at all to the following stations:
Yarm
Scarborough
Seamer
Malton
Selby
Brough
Hull
Some other Transpennine services will only have limited availability, these are as follows:
LNER have announced that only 38% of their trains will be running on all strike days.
There will be no services between Leeds, Harrogate, Hull, Skipton and Bradford Forster Square. The Leeds to London service will also be extremely limited with only one train every hour.
On strike days there will be one fast train per hour between Nottingham, Sheffield, Corby and London and one per hour on routes between Derby, Matlock, Nottingham, Leicester and Sheffield. All other lines will be closed.
For more information and to view their timetable, click here.
Crosscountry
Crosscountry will also be running a very limited service with no road transport busses in replacement.
You can find more information and their timetable here.
An independent açai bowl pop-up is opening a permanent cafe in Leeds city centre.
It seems the açai bowl trend isn't over just yet, and we're absolutely not mad about it.
The aesthetically purple frozen treat isn't just delicious, but is also known to have numerous health benefits making it guilt-free and the perfect post-workout pick me up.
You may remember Açai Social Club that opened as a pop-up in the Victoria Quarter last year, and now they're moving into a permanent spot in the city centre.
Run by a lovely husband and wife duo who have spent the last 15 months exploring cafes around the world, it's safe to say they know exactly what they're talking about.
Their açai is made with the very best ingredients, topped with the freshest fruit and sprinkled with their homemade granola - it doesn't get much better then that does it?
Announcing the very exciting news to Instagram, they said: "Açai Social Club is getting a home. Our very first store is officially on the way! We’ve been working behind the scenes to create a space that’s more about than just açai.
"What started as an idea is finally becoming something you can walk into…There’s still a lot we’re keeping under wraps for now, but we’re so excited to finally share the beginning of what’s to come.
"We can’t wait to open our doors and welcome you in. Your new neighbourhood social club, coming soon."
The exact location of the cafe and its opening date is still under wraps, but we'll of course keep you updated as and when we find out.
Inside FaceGym – Leeds’ newest facial fitness studio loved by celebrities
Clementine Hall
We hope you're ready for your workout, because FaceGym has landed in Leeds.
You may be wondering...what on earth is Facegym? And to be fair, you've got a point.
FaceGym, as they themselves describe it, a 'non-invasive fitness studio concept for the face' using high-intensity facial massage, hand manipulation, and electrical muscle stimulation technology to tone, lift, and sculpt the face without surgery.
Sounds pretty fancy if you ask us, and it feels just as fancy from the moment you step through the door.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Unsurprisingly, it's loved by celebrities worldwide who are looking to get snatched and ditch their gua sha.
Currently occupying five standalone stores in London, one in Cambridge as well as a pop-up in Space NK in Selfridges Manchester, FaceGym will be opening this Friday 18 September inside the coveted Victoria Gate, taking over a 1,772 square foot studio.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
The space really does look like a gym, ditching the standard beauty salon aesthetic for an American-style gym interior complete with the iconic red FaceGym balls all over the place.
A signature sculpt costs £110 for a 45 minute treatment, so it's definitely a treat if you're looking to have skin that can reflect the sun and cheekbones for days.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Angelo Castello, chief executive at Facegym, said: “We’re incredibly excited to bring Facegym to Leeds and to open in the beautiful Victoria Gate. The city has a thriving beauty, wellness, and retail scene, making it the perfect location for our next studio.
“We’ve seen growing demand from customers across Yorkshire, and we can’t wait to introduce even more people to the benefits of facial fitness.”
You can find out more and book a treatment at FaceGym via their website here.