One of Leeds’ best-known boozers is set to reopen after four years.
But, it's going to look a little bit different.
The George on Great George Street has been closed since 2022, leaving a popular spot in the city centre sitting empty for years.
But now, the historic Leeds local is getting a new lease of life, with plans to reopen its doors as an Irish pub.
The George will be transformed into 'The Galway Girl' following a huge £430,000 investment by Star Pubs and West Yorkshire pub operators TL Inns.
Work on the pub has already begun and is set to reopen in mid-November. The investment is expected to create 15 jobs.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
The Galway Girl will be TL Inns’ second Irish pub. Its first, also called The Galway Girl, opened in Pontefract in 2024.
The investment will see a complete overhaul of the pub’s interior and exterior, creating a traditional, pared-back Victorian-style city pub. The small courtyard garden will also be upgraded with new Murphy’s-themed barrel-style tables, chairs and planters.
Inside, the pub will feature a two-bar layout, with one bar on the ground floor and a second bar and function area in the basement. The basement bar will also be available for private functions and the pub will also offer barista-style coffee, brunches and all-day food.
Tony Lumb says: “We’ve had tremendous success with our first Irish pub, The Galway Girl in Pontefract. I have every confidence that the new one will be equally popular, breathing new life into a derelict building. The location and bones of the pub are great. It will be really lovely once it has had investment and a sympathetic refurbishment.
“Authentic Irish pubs, as opposed to theme pubs, are having a moment. People want the craic, the warm and welcoming atmosphere, and live entertainment that they associate with a proper Irish pub.”
A £1.6m grant has been given by the government to Leeds City Council to help tackle rough sleeping.
The funding has been allocated to Leeds City Council as part of the Government’s national Rough Sleeping Programme.
The overall target is to help rough sleepovers off the streets by Christmas through providing safe accommodation.
The council have said that voluntary organisations and charities will be able to help them reach this target.
The council report said: "This funding will be used for immediate interventions to ensure all those rough sleeping have an offer of accommodation by Christmas and support longer term sustainment of accommodation.
“The initial target is to provide a suitable offer of accommodation for everyone who is rough sleeping by Christmas 2026.
“Providing a path into supported accommodation and independent living is the key objective and sustaining this independent living with, where necessary, ongoing support to prevent any return to rough sleeping and homelessness.”
The government announcement spoke of the scheme: "The programme is intended to support people experiencing rough sleeping.
"People experiencing rough sleeping may have differing entitlements to housing and support depending on their individual circumstances, including their immigration status and eligibility for public funds."
The funding is intended to help provide immediate support for people currently sleeping on the streets, while also helping them access longer-term accommodation and the support needed to maintain independent living.
By working with local charities and voluntary organisations, the council hopes to ensure people are not only offered a place to stay but are also given the help they need to avoid returning to the streets.
M&S launches massive recruitment drive in Leeds with hundreds of jobs available
Emily Sergeant
M&S has launched a massive recruitment drive across Yorkshire.
With the festive season fast approaching, and most British stores having already unveiled their Christmas ranges for 2026, one of the country’s largest brands has launched a massive UK-wide seasonal recruitment drives to gear up for what is always one of the busiest times of the year for the retail industry.
M&S has announced it will recruit for plenty of new colleagues across the UK.
As mentioned Christmas is one of the busiest moments of the year for M&S, and seasonal colleagues play a ‘vital’ part in delivering that.
Image: Supplied
New recruits will be tasked with helping M&S deliver a ‘brilliant’ service for customers.
Stores with vacancies span the whole of Leeds - including city centre, Moortown, Crown Point, White Rose Shopping Centre and Pudsey.
M&S says the roles are ‘fast-moving and hands-on’, with colleagues required to work together to make sure customers still get the very best of M&S, even at its busiest.
The roles will pay £13.41 per hour, with successful applicants receiving the training, tools and support needed to get up to speed quickly.
“We can’t wait to welcome over 300 new colleagues to our store teams here in Greater Manchester,” commented Zeba Khan, who is the Regional Manager at M&S.
“As we get ready for our busiest time of year, it’s a great opportunity to join us and help bring a magical M&S Christmas to our customers.
“We have a range of opportunities available, whether joining our city centre flagship or our fresh market-style foodhalls. We’re looking for colleagues who are passionate about delivering great customer service and being part of a team.”
Fancy it then? Applications are now open, and you can find out more and apply on the M&S Christmas careers page here.
Clementine Hall -
30th September 2026 
