Over the weekend, the streets of Leeds was lined with onlookers hoping to get a glimpse of Hollywood legends like Samuel L Jackson and Emilia Clarke as they were out filming for their new Marvel series, Secret Invasion.
Over the entire weekend, Bond Court, Greek Street, Alexander Street and Gusto alleyway between Greek Street and Bond Court were closed off to the public for filming.
Popular restaurant, Blackhouse has transformed into the movie set, where the restaurant signage and street signs changed into Russian for filming.
Tattu and Blackhouse were main filming spots for the Marvel series. / Image: George Garforth
Meanwhile, neighbouring restaurant Tattu was used as a crew area and outside onlookers could see a Russian taxi and expensive cars that were being used to film the series.
Throughout the day, both Samuel L Jackson and Emilia Clarke were seen on multiple occasions alongside cast member Ben Mendelsohn.
Hundreds of people queued up to try and catch a glimpse of Hollywood's greatest Marvel cast, but many were turned away due to the set's viewpoint capacity. If you missed out on the cast in Leeds, you'll find them a mere thirty minutes from the city centre, filming in Halifax's Piece Hall.
Over in Halifax, the Piece Hall will be shut from today, Monday 24 January and Monday 31 January for filming. It is rumoured that there will be 260 members of cast and extras, plus an additional 200 crew members taking part throughout the TV show’s weeklong stay in Halifax.
MP for Halifax, Holly Lynch shared on Twitter that the celebrity appearances are going to be a great opportunity for Yorkshire.
A Russian taxi was spotted at filming in Leeds. / Image: The Hoot Leeds
“Not to coolest quote I’ve ever given but this is awesome! I confess to being a massive Marvel geek and so the prospect of filming taking place here in Halifax is incredibly exciting!”
This is what we know about the series Secret Invasion so far:
“Secret Invasion is an upcoming American television miniseries created by Kyle Bradstreet for the streaming service Disney+, based on the Marvel Comics storyline of the same name“.
Filming took place outside Blackhouse. / Image: The Hoot Leeds
Samuel L Jackson will play Nick Fury, the former director of S.H.I.E.L.D who is working with Skrulls in deep space; Ben Mendelsohn will play Talos, the leader of the Skrull sect and an ally of Fury, and Kingsley Ben-Adir has been cast as the lead villain.
At the moment, there’s no further information about the roles of the rest of the cast, only that the series will be six episodes long and all the revealed cast will feature in at least one episode.
The North’s favourite Mexican restaurant is arriving in Leeds.
You've met Salon Madre, but have you met her older sister Madre?
This fabulous new restaurant is bringing a taste of Mexico to Leeds, and after making a name for themselves over in Manchester you already know it's going to be good.
By day, Madre is a laid-back space designed for relaxed lunches and by night, it transforms into a lively restaurant serving a menu that celebrates the breadth of Mexican cuisine.
Expect everything from rich Oaxacan-inspired moles and salsas to Baja-style mariscos and Sonoran grilled meats.
Images: The Manc Group
At the heart of Madre is the Mexican tradition of sobremesa - the art of lingering at the table long after the meal is over. It’s all about good food, great drinks and even better company.
Madre’s famous Taco Tuesday will also be heading to Leeds, launching on Cinco de Mayo and running every Tuesday thereafter, guests can enjoy two-for-one tacos all day, every Tuesday.
Madre joins its sister venue, Salon Madre - the lively tequila bar and taqueria- which opened just a few weeks ago. Just a few minutes walk apart, the two spots are perfectly paired for a full day or night out.
We're talking dinner at Madre followed by a few margaritas and a couple games of pool at Salon Madre - class.
Images: The Manc Group
Co-founder Sam Grainger, inspired by extensive travels across Mexico, says: “Mexico is alive with passionate artisans and cooks, mastering everything from street tacos to regional delicacies. It’s a world where traditions blend and evolve, and we’ve built that ethos into the heart of Madre.”
Madre Leeds will be located on Wellington Place and will officially open its doors next Friday 17 April, you can book your table here.
Take a look inside the huge Tulip Festival that’s just opened in Yorkshire with over one million tulips
Clementine Hall
Farmer Copley's Tulip Festival is back and it's just as beautiful as we remember.
Spring has officially sprung and with it, so does Farmer Copley's iconic Tulip Festival that officially opened last Sunday.
Based in West Yorkshire, nestled between Pontefract and Featherstone, the Copley family really know how to get you feeling ready for the season ahead.
Just moments after entering the festival, we can assure you that winter will feel like a distant memory.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Spanning over 8 acres, Jack and the team have planted over 600,00 tulip bulbs consisting of 100+ different varieties of all shapes and colours that arrived directly from the Netherlands.
In addition to the 500,000 planted last year, that means there's over one million tulips to enjoy - now that is pretty impressive if you ask us.
Varieties include Carnaval de Rio, Tom Pouce, Gavota, Lily Flowering Mix, Blushing Appledorn, Wedding Dress and Rodolfo.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
The festival includes five sections that have been split by 5 metre walkways enabling the best customer interaction in the field.
There's two dedicated pick your own areas where a mix of bulbs have been planted to ensure that visitors have a wide range of tulips to explore, pick from and create the perfect bunch of tulips. How lovely is that?
Of course there's plenty of photo opportunities, fairground rides and a bar to enjoy the view with a tipple or two.
This really is the perfect family-friendly day out and with the weather looking gorgeous (for now), we'd take the opportunity to see the tulips looking their best whilst you can.
The festival is on until Sunday 3 May 2026, with tickets starting from just £9.
To find out more and to book your ticket, take a look at Farmer Copleys website. We'll see you in the tulip fields.
Sophie Smith -
24th January 2022 
