Legendary Leeds comic Barry Cryer has OBE has sadly passed away, aged 86.
The Yorkshire writer and comedian, best known for his work wtih Morecambe and Wise, David Frost and The Two Ronnies, had also been a fixture on the panel of BBC Radio 4 show I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue since it began in 1972.
The circumstances surrounding his death are currently not known, including the cause.
Throughout his career, he worked with icons like Bruce Forsyth, Bob Hope, Spike Milligan, and the aforementioned Two Ronnies, and wrote a number of episodes for Doctor in the House, the 1969 TV comedy starring Simon Cuff and Barry Evans.
Born in Leeds and educated at the local grammar school, he then went on to continue his studies here - reading English Literature at the University of Leeds.
Having appeared in the University revue, he was then offered a week's work at the Leeds Cities Varieites theatre. At the time, the theatre was the home of iconic show The Good Old Days, which ran for 30 years from 1953 to 1983 - becoming the longest-running TV show of all time.
After learning his first-year results, however, Cryer left Leeds and university life for London -where he began his career at London’s Windmill Theatre after making an impression on Vivian Van Damm.
A short stint as an actor at the theatre ended rather promptly after several hospitalisations, caused by eczema, led to Cryer being released from his contract - at which point he decided to focus his attentions on writing over performing.
He went on to become a regular collaborator with David Frost, writing for The Frost Report from 1966 and 1967, a move that cemented him as a name to watch in the world of writing.
However, despite being a recognised talent, he mostly preferred to write in partnership and collaborated regularly with John Junkin. Together, the pair wrote two Christmas specials for The Morecambe and Wise Show, which aired in 1972 and 1976.
He also acted as a host on the ITV comedy panel show Jokers Wild between 1969 and 1974, and even had a hit song in Finland - with a rendition of Sheb Wooley’s 1958 novelty song Purple People Eater taking the number one spot in the charts the same year.
He married his wife Theresa in 1962 and is survived by four children - one of whom he launched a WW2 podcast called Now, Where Were We? with, shortly prior to his death.
As the news has broken, there has been an outpouring of emotion from friends, family and fans, with famous names including Stephen Fry, Piers Morgan, Jon Holmes and Richard Herring all taking to social media to pay tribute to the great man, his life and his work.
Richard Herring wrote: "Losing Barry Cryer is like losing a member of the family. Utterly gutted that I’ve had my last birthday joke.
"He was one of my absolute comedy heroes and kept working right to the fucking end. A life well lived and a connection to every great comedian of the last 60 years. RIP."
He later tweeted, "He made me laugh so much that I suppose it's only fitting he should finally make me cry."
Stephen Fry said: "Such sad news, one of the absolute greats of British comedy, Barry Cryer, is no more. A glorious, gorgeous, hilarious and gifted writer and performer who straddled all the comic traditions. Universally beloved … farewell, Baz."
After six years in the city, independent homeware retailer North Home is closing its Leeds city centre shop.
If you're a lover of all things home then you'll have most likely visited the gorgeous North Home shop in the Victoria Quarter.
Stacked to the brim with unique pieces from striking ceramics to stylish soft furnishings, North Home is known for its well-curated stock and great customer service.
Seriously, we've probably spent a good hour in here in awe of all the beautiful pieces.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Last week, curious shoppers noticed the three-storey store was suddenly empty and now the company have confirmed that they have closed for good.
In a statement, they said: "After nearly 6 wonderful years trading in Leeds, we’ve made the difficult decision to close our physical store while we restructure the business and explore the next chapter for North Home.
"Retail has changed significantly in recent years and, like many independent businesses, we’ve faced increasing costs.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
"Taking this step now gives us the opportunity to protect what we’ve built and focus on the future of the brand. North Home continues to operate online and all existing customer orders will be fulfilled as normal although delivery times may be slightly extended.
"We’ve loved being part of the Leeds retail community since 2020 and are incredibly grateful for the support we’ve received. We hope to share more about our plans soon."
We'll be sad to see them go and we hope this isn't goodbye forever, but you can still shop from North Home online here.
Neighbourhood Leeds bistro hailed as ‘a bit horny’ and ‘brilliant’ by national critic Camilla Long
Clementine Hall
Food critic Camilla Long visited Leeds for her latest review for The Times with her sights set on Horsforth's finest - Bavette Bistro.
Ever since opening back in 2024, Bavette Bistro nestled in the leafy suburb of Horsforth has made waves across the country for its sheer brilliance.
It's pretty much received five star reviews across the board and been handed awards from left, right and centre. And rightly so.
The Good Food Guide crowned Bavette the best local restaurant of 2024, and Michelin handed them a well deserved Bib Gourmand - so it's safe to say it's not just us who think it's really something special.
So it was only a matter of time until The Times popped in for a review, and this one is truly glowing.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
The review labels Bavette as "warm, unmannered and unpretentious" as well as "authentically French".
Long describes the food as "gorgeous, confident, surprising" with a menu that "isn’t too long" and "filled with sturdy, noble dishes, whiffing mightily of the sea and the soil."
It continues: "All of it made with generosity and cheer, served fast by nimble waiters, with a long, if slightly eccentric, wine list. To bang out French dishes with this much fiddly detail and to do it to a full room is not easy. Yet all four courses came in under two hours, for about £75 a head, which in London terms is nothing.
"It’s not that this place was perfect, it’s that it was decidedly not perfect. A bit too much chat about the menus; the oeufs in the meurette not quite runny enough. But the point is: it didn’t matter. All of it came charmingly together. It felt relaxed, just right."
The review is then wrapped up with a pleasing five stars, the cherry on top of the cake.
It's a review only restaurants can dream of, and we can't think of a more deserving team - congratulations Bavette.
The Hoot -
27th January 2022 
