We've found Santa Claus in Leeds: where will you visit him in the lead-up to Christmas?
Wandering around Leeds trying to find Father Christmas sometimes feels like a game of Where's Wally.
Think about it.
They both dress in white and red, have hats and glasses. The two special characters also are extremely hard to find year-round.
Unfortunately, nobody will tell us where Wally really lives, but we have managed to get the lowdown from Santa's elves about the whereabouts of the big man in red himself.
Rumour has it he's actually living in Leeds and you can go and visit him before he gets on his sleigh and heads back to the North Pole to pick up all those Christmas presents.
Here's where you'll find Father Christmas around the city before the big day.
White Rose Shopping Centre
Since White Rose is essentially a giant present factory, it only seems fitting to find Santa here. Arriving this weekend, you can let the little ones tell Santa all about how great they've been before heading off for some Christmas shopping.
White Rose will have a resident Santa Claus from Friday 11 November - Saturday 24 December.
Stockeld Park
Magic is made and adventure begins in Santa's Grotto at Stockeld Park. / Image: Stockeld Park
The rustic cabin and twinkling lights at Stockeld Park make this Leeds location Santa's home-away-from-home but there's enough here for a full family day out. Get lost in the snowflake maze or gaze at the winter illuminations in the award-winning enchanted forest.
Father Christmas will be visiting from Saturday 19 November - Saturday 24 December, tickets from £13.
If you want the full Christmas experience, visiting Santa's Elf Village at Lotherton Hall is worth a visit. Their 'Under the Wishing Tree' experience lets the little ones meet all the elves under a magical wishing tree for story-time, collect magical reindeer food and post their letter to the North Pole before paying Santa Claus a visit.
Father Christmas will be visiting the Elf Village at Lotherton Hall from Saturday 26 November - Saturday 31 December, prices from £8.50.
Ackworth Garden Centre
Harpin's Christmas grotto is decked out with more festive gear than we knew existed, all in honour of the big man in red. Visit Santa at his grotto at Ackworth Garden Centre but don't forget to help him find all of his reindeer along the reindeer trail and grab a chocolate-flavoured reward if you can find them all. Once you've handed over your wishlist and saved Christmas by finding the reindeer, you can also choose your Christmas tree before heading home.
Santa Claus will be visiting Harpins, Ackworth Garden Centre from Saturday 3 December - Saturday 24 December, prices from £20.
Middleton Railway Santa Specials
Santa Specials run up and down the country, but this is your chance to meet Father Christmas onboard in Leeds. / Image: East Lancashire Railways
Didn't you know travelling by sleigh is so last year? With the price of petrol ever-increasing it appears that Father Christmas has been temporarily converted to travelling by train. From 9.15am - 3.45pm, get on the Santa Special at the world's oldest working railway and take advantage of the festive displays and seasonal drinks on offer.
Santa will be visiting Middleton Railway Station from Saturday 3 December - Saturday 24 December, tickets from £10.
One of Leeds’ most iconic buildings is set to be brought back to life.
Plans for a brand-new padel and leisure destination at The Roundhouse on Wellington Road have been approved by Leeds City Council’s West Plans Panel.
Consent has been granted for Ollo Padel to transform the Grade II* listed Roundhouse into a state-of-the-art sport, fitness, food, drink and community venue subject to conditions and completion of a Section 106 agreement.
Built in 1847 for the Leeds and Thirsk Railway Company, The Roundhouse was once home to the steam locomotives that powered industrial Victorian Leeds. In recent years, the building has stood largely unused.
Image: Supplied
The approved plans will restore and protect the landmark building and give the site a new, long-term future as one of the city’s most distinctive leisure destinations.
The three-acre site, located on the edge of Leeds city centre, will include nine outdoor doubles padel courts under a 10-metre canopy, plus a dedicated indoor coaching court within The Roundhouse itself.
At the heart of the site will be the Ollo Clubhouse; built around an all-day kitchen and bar, it will combine a comfortable lounge and co-working space, meeting rooms and live sport and events spaces.
The kitchen and bar will be run in partnership with Southbank Provisions, the independent Leeds hospitality team behind Headrow House, Belgrave Music Hall and Galleria whilst the gym will be operated by fitness and performance specialists Northbound, who will bring strength and conditioning practice, Hyrox training and pilates classes to The Roundhouse.
Image: Supplied
Construction is expected to begin later this year, with the venue aiming to open in early 2027.
Luke Gidney, Founder & CEO Ollo Padel: "This is a huge day for Leeds, for The Roundhouse and for Ollo. The Roundhouse has been part of the city’s story for nearly 180 years. It’s an incredible building but it needs people, energy and purpose again. Our plan is to bring it back to life as a place where people can play, eat, work, meet friends and feel part of something.
"Padel is growing so quickly because it’s fun, social and easy to pick up. But for us, this is about more than just the courts. We want Ollo to become a proper community destination for Leeds, somewhere welcoming, joyful and full of life.
"We’re incredibly grateful to Leeds City Council’s planning team, our case officer, the wider council team and everyone who has supported the project to this point. This has been a complex project but the sport and engagement throughout has been brilliant. Now the real work starts and we cannot wait to open the doors for you.”
New study crowns Leeds as one of the friendliest cities in the UK
Clementine Hall
New research has revealed a global ranking of cities with the best customer service, with Leeds taking one of the top spots.
If you've been wondering which cities across the world are the friendliest of them all, then look no further because MoneySuperMarket have done the work for us in a new study.
In a world where social media culture plays a huge part in people's lives, online customer reviews are pretty important to local businesses.
To uncover the global locations that are home to the best customer service, the businesses insurance experts analysed over 100,000 reviews of leisure and hospitality businesses in 107 cities worldwide.
They looked at the language in the reviews to see how often friendly workers and staff were mentioned, building a global ranking of the cities where customer service truly stands out.
Out of a whopping 107, Leeds came in at a very respectable number 12. Now we think that's pretty good going.
Outside of the UK, Hanoi, Paris, Montreal and Abu Dhabi were highlighted for their friendly customer service whilst Edinburgh tops the global ranking, with Liverpool, Birmingham and Bristol also making the world’s top 10.
The top 10 cities in the UK with the best customer service are as follows:
Edinburgh
Liverpool
Birmingham
Bristol
Belfast
Leeds
Glasgow
Cardiff
Manchester
London
Alicia Hempsted spoke on the study: “As businesses grow and engage with more customers, it’s important to make sure they’re protected. Public liability insurance is an important safeguard for those working with the public, helping to cover costs if something goes wrong, while also showing customers that their experience is taken seriously - from the moment they walk through the door to long after they’ve left.”
Sophie Smith -
30th November 2022 
