Leeds Museums and Galleries' host an exciting collection of some of the UK's most fascinating historical items- but there's some rooms that don't make the light of day.
Now this could be to do with selecting exhibitons, or in this case, because they're too dangerous for public viewing.
Store 2 at Leeds Discovery Centre houses some of the most dangerous items you'll find in Leeds- and new footage allows us to see exactly what's inside.
Expect a deadly black widow spider, first discovered on a bunch of imported grapes back in 1991 inside a Leeds supermarket. Luckily the venomous spider is of no harm today, having been preserved in concentrated alcohol (though it'll still give you the shudders all the same).
There's also hundreds (yes, hundreds) of other animals and creatures from around the world that are considered highly dangerous, including large scorpions, dead sea fish, an octopus and the Brazilian wandering spider.
Leeds city council has explained that the liquid that preserves the animals must be kept in a specialist area which is appropriately ventilated to prevent the build-up of potentially harmful fumes.
But if all that isn't enough, there's also radioactive materials in all shapes and sizes.
From Victorian glassware with a 'beautiful green tinge' from small quantity of uranium (the same stuff that's used in larger quantities to power nuclear submaries) to a prehistoric predator called the Megalodon, an extinct species of shark that grew to over 50ft long and whose teeth can give off trace amounts of radiation- this really is one of the most unique collections you'll find in the city centre.
Clare Brown, Leeds Museums and Galleries’ curator of natural sciences, said: “There’s a natural sense of mystery and curiosity around Store 2 and the objects inside, and they’ve certainly been safely locked away for good reason.
Image: Supplied, Leeds City Council
“But each object has also been collected and kept safe because they tell us something important about our history and the world around us.
“The black widow, for example, is a fascinating creature with a fearsome reputation. But the story behind this particular specimen also demonstrates how the scope and scale of global food production and transportation has affected the lives and behaviours of native species all over the world.
Naturally, the contents of the store is pretty dangerous, so Store 2 is restricted to only trained members of staff and off limits to the public, but visitors heading over to the Discovery Centre, can see an array of insects and arachnids, like a banana spider and some pretty fearsome-looking Indian scorpions, with tours available to book.
Consider yourself a confident driver? Have a drive through Leeds.
Have you ever had the joy of driving the wrong way up a one-way road in Leeds City Centre? Perfect - then you know what we’re on about.
Whether you still have your L-plates on or you consider yourself a pro, driving can be anxiety inducing at the best of times, never mind when you’re in an unfamiliar area, with unclear signage and your passenger is reading the map upside down.
MoneySuperMarket recently conducted a study, to investigate where UK drivers felt least safe. It also uncovered that more than 8 in 10 UK drivers have avoided driving somewhere due to the journey feeling too stressful or difficult. We can’t be having that - nobody should have to miss out on visiting our lovely city.
Leeds sadly ranked as the fourth most stressful UK location to drive in, with an Overall Drivability Score of 25, closely following Manchester, then Derby, and Croydon at number one.
This was contrasted by Bath, which was named the ‘UK's easiest place to drive,’ where vehicle traffic has fallen by 0.9% over the last decade. To add insult to industry, Leeds racked up a whopping 6,000 road incidents, compared to the 357 incidents in Bath, in 2024.
The study analysed multiple factors, including road infrastructure, the numbers of road incidents, increasing traffic volumes, and higher levels of concern about vehicle crime, to conclude which locations drivers found most stressful.
It found that the top three sources of stress were dealing with aggressive or impatient drivers, driving in bad weather and driving in an unfamiliar area.
Carmine Mastrogiacomo, driving expert at Drive Therapy, revealed some ways that drivers can build their confidence on the road: "Confidence comes from experience. Start with routes you already know and repeat them regularly to build comfort. Gradually introduce new routes and challenges, setting realistic goals that stretch your ability without feeling overwhelming.
"If anxiety starts while driving, slowing your breathing can help your body relax. Try breathing in through your nose for four seconds, pausing, then breathing out through your mouth for six seconds. Practise this outside the car first, then use it when needed while driving.”
We may not be able to do anything about the weather, but come on - we can definitely curb (pardon the pun) that road rage and try to bring Leeds out of the top four this year.
New rules restricting the use of bikes and street trading are set to be introduced in Leeds city centre
Clementine Hall
New regulations are set to be put into place as part of the Briggate Action Plan.
Proposals for the plan, aimed at making some of the city centre’s busiest areas safer for everyone, received a huge amount of support during a public consultation last year.
Since then, the council have been drawing up the necessary regulations and signage, with the new rules now due to officially come into place over the next few months.
Once implemented, the action plan will mean a requirement to walk bicycles and e-bikes within the city centre’s pedestrianised shopping area from 10.30am until 8pm every day.
That means no surprise bicycles will try and run you over as you're doing your shopping, hooray!
The action plan will also introduce prohibitions around certain street trading activities in targeted areas, including mobile street traders.
Extended restrictions will be put into place during major city centre events including Leeds Pride, Light Night Leeds and the Leeds Christmas Market.
Anyone breaking the new rules could be given a £100 Fixed Penalty Notice.
A spokesperson for Leeds City Council, said: “The city centre welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, and our aim is for every one of them to have the best and safest possible experience of Leeds.
“Through this action plan, we’ve taken important and meaningful steps to address issues which the public have consistently told us were impacting their enjoyment of the city centre whilst also creating potential safety issues for shoppers and pedestrians.
“With these new regulations in place, our hope is that both day-to-day visits and major events will now be even more enjoyable, successful and welcoming.”
The new restrictions on pedlars are expected to be in place from Thursday 1 October, with restrictions on bikes in pedestrianised areas due to be in place by the end of the year.
Sophie Smith -
9th January 2023 
