It sounds unbelievable, but sometimes it's the strangest things that turn out to be true. Such is the case with this story of the mysterious hippos that once roamed the streets of Leeds.
Suggest to the average Loiner that hippos once walked the same streets we do and your sanity is likely to be called into question, but there are cold hard facts to back this far-fetched-sounding story up - trust us.
Although no written record survives from the time they were actually walking around Leeds, we can prove their existence thanks to the discovery of several huge bones by workmen digging clay in a brick field in 1851.
Unearthed in Wortley, Leeds over 150 years ago, the bones were so massive the workmen knew they couldn't possibly be human bones but were still at a loss as to what they were.
It wasn't until the workers visited Henry Denny, the curator of the Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society Museum, that the real truth was uncovered.
Impressively, Henry identified them as the bones of the Great Northern Hippopotamus, much to the excitement of the workers - who saw Henry a lot over the coming months, due to the fact he visited their field regularly to collect more bone specimens.
These ranged from more huge thigh bones to tiny teeth, and as Henry continued his discovery he realised it wasn't only hippopotamuses in this field. There were elephants and an extinct species of wild ox, too.
For a long time, it was thought following their discovery that the hippos were from relatively recent times - however that turned out to be an error created by a preservative coating on the bones, which misled scientists as to their true age.
It turns out, they were actually hundreds of thousands of years old: with the closest estimate coming between 113,000 and 130,000.
It's believed by scientists that they once roamed in the area close to Armley Gyratory, now one of the busiest road intersections on the city's outskirts today.
Leeds would have been very different at that time, according to Phil Murphy, from the University of Leeds' School of Earth and Environment.
"Leeds would have been just like Africa in those days – and the climate would have been exactly the same as hippos enjoy in that continent today, in the so-called Ipswichian interglacial.
"Hyenas were also around at the time and hyena dens have been found in Victoria Cave near Settle in Yorkshire and Kirkdale Cave on the North Yorkshire Moors.
"But it is important to remember that during the last glacial period, the glaciers did not reach Leeds.
"The earth has experienced some 24 periods of cooling and warming over the last 2.5m years."
Asked if Hippos could return, Murphy answered unequivocally 'yes' - stating "If it is warm enough in Leeds in the future, the Hippos will return."
Entire hippo skeletons are very rare, making the Leeds hippo extra special. It can be viewed on display at the Leeds City Museum.
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.”
Georgina Pellant -
7th August 2021 
