Harvey Nichols is turning 25 next week and have a huge host of celebrations planned for the special occasion.
Located in the historic Victoria Quarter since 1996, Harvey Nichols has always brought the finer things in life to Leeds and their birthday celebrations will be no different.
Like any birthday bash, getting ready in style is essential. The Beauty Social is the first event to kick off the celebrations and will be a night spent in the company of cult beauty brands with prosecco flowing and a live DJ set.
Take advantage of mini masterclasses, on-counter treatments, 1:1 consultations and live demos whilst Harvey Nichols showcase the best of the new season on Wednesday 20 October. Tickets cost £10 but are redeemable against purchases on the night.
Charlotte Tilbury is just one of the beauty counters involved in the celebrations. / Image: Harvey Nichols Leeds
The main events will take place on Saturday 23 October: an all day shopping experience will be complemented by party food pop-ups, drinks tastings and a live DJ to bring the birthday bash to a smashing crescendo.
Harvey Nichols Leeds will even be handing out special birthday scratch cards to customers that spend over £50 in store that reveal a birthday treat.
This might just be the most selfless birthday event you will ever attend, given there is also a chance to win the ultimate personal shopping experience and £1,000 to spend in store from the 15 - 22 October.
The esteemed department store first opened on 23 October 1996 and was the first Harvey Nichols store to open outside of London. Deemed 'the Knightsbridge of the North', the store presented five floors of enviable fashion, innovative beauty, luxury food and fine wine: the first of its kind for Leeds.
Try the Birthday Cake Martini or sip on bottomless Harvey Nichols Champagne until the end of the month as part of the celebrations. / Image: Harvey Nichols Leeds
On the fourth floor, customers can toast to the quarter of a century with a Birthday Cake Martini until Saturday 30 October. There are three delicious courses on offer, costing £25 including a cocktail, or upgrade to bottomless Harvey Nichols Champagne for £45.
Harvey Nichols Leeds' CEO, Manju Malhotra was one of the first to raise their glass to 25 years.
"As the Leeds store continues to enjoy its position as the ultimate retail and dining destination in the city, we would like to thank our store team and our customers for their years of loyal custom and to invite them all to join us in celebrating our special birthday with a whole host of special events this October”.
A house that looks good enough for James Bond is set to be built on Ilkley Moor.
Is that a formation of angular grey rocks sitting atop of the Yorkshire dales? No, it's a house.
The wildly contemporary structure, which has huge irregular-shaped windows and a natural outdoor pool, is based off the famous Cow and Calf Rocks in Ilkley, West Yorkshire.
It will be built just down the road from them too, on green belt land which is the garden of a home off Heber's Ghyll Drive.
Images: Shaw & Jagger Architects
It is the work of Harrogate-based architects Shaw & Jagger, who said the project was passed through the country house clause which allows things to be built on green belt for buildings of "exceptional quality".
The house itself has been named 'Fomorian', after a supernatural race of giants in Irish mythology. The name takes inspiration from the mythical giant Rombald who is said to have roamed on Ilkley Moor.
Images: Shaw & Jagger Architects
Shaw & Jagger wrote: "The design approach was to propose a scheme that is intrinsically linked to the spirit of its place. Fomorian is of its place, part of the Moors, its geology and its spirit.
"We took cues from local folklore, the surrounding rocks; ancient carvings, standing stones and escarpments that are synonymous with the landscape.
"The building depicts a series of monolithic elements embedded in the earth as the wild, dramatic environment looms around, attempting to overcome them. The building is new, yet part of this ancient landscape.
Images: Shaw & Jagger Architects
"Fomorian is to be built over the next couple of years and will provide family accommodation consisting of 4 bedrooms, kitchen, dining room, sitting room and study.
"It was important to offer the client viable outside space therefore a paved courtyard garden allows external living to be within the heart of the plan. The abstract rock forms allow the design to have exciting internal spaces with large irregular windows designed to maximise views out across the valley."
Leeds railway station reopening delayed AGAIN due to problems with lift
Clementine Hall
The highly anticipated opening of Leeds City Station's new entrance has been further delayed.
The £46.1m Leeds Station Sustainable Travel Gateway has been in the works since 2022, with the original target for completion set for autumn 2025.
That date subsequently slipped to summer 2026, then September, then October, and now...well who knows?
This time, Leeds City Council have confirmed that the problem is to do with the lifts that connect New Station Street and Bishopgate.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
These lifts will allow the ever so turbulent taxi rank to move from the temporary arrangement at the rear of the station to its new home on Bishopgate Street.
A Leeds City Council spokesperson said on the recent setback: "Having opened the pavement along Bishopgate Street and sections of New Station Street, unfortunately we have encountered an issue with one of the lifts, which is delaying essential safety testing from being completed.
"We are working to resolve this as soon as possible so we can open the final parts of the scheme imminently."
When it does finally open, there should be plenty to like. The scheme is designed to make the area around the station more pedestrian-friendly, with improved public space, wider walking routes, better cycling facilities, a new cycle hub and step-free access between Bishopgate Street and New Station Street.
The taxi rank will also move to Bishopgate Street, with a new shelter and kerbside boarding.
So, after years of barriers, diversions, temporary arrangements, engineering works and at least one deeply controversial letter (lest we forget 'Welcome to Leeps') the end is apparently in sight.
We'll keep you updated with any updates and opening date of the new station, but we wouldn't hold your breath if the last couple of months are anything to go by.
Sophie Smith -
18th October 2021 
