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Short Stuff: The first ever Marks and Spencers opened in Leeds Kirkgate market

This must mean Percy Pig has a Yorkshire accent...

Clementine Hall Clementine Hall - 16th August 2022

Did you know that Marks and Spencers originated from Leeds over 130 years ago and first opened in the iconic Kirkgate market?

Marks and Spencers is a British institution, known for it's high quality goods and iconic characters such as Percy the Pig and Colin the Caterpillar.

Born right here in Leeds back in 1884, it all started when Michael Marks opened up a Penny Bazaar in the heart of Leeds Kirkgate market.

With a simple slogan of 'Don't ask the price, it's a penny', the stall quickly rose to success and both Marks' idea and hard work paid off. However, it wasn't until ten years later when Tom Spencer came along that the business really began to take shape.

An old Marks and Spencers stall in Cardiff.
Image: M&S

Together in partnership, Marks and Spencers was born. By the year 1900 they had opened 36 Penny Bazaar outlets across the country, including 12 high street stores with the rest being market stalls.

Their new Leeds premises opened on Boar Lane in 1904 before moving to Briggate in 1909 where you will still find the store today.

As the war broke out and goods became scarcer, Marks & Spencers sadly could not maintain the penny price limit and instead built up a reputation of selling high quality goods at reasonable prices.

The iconic British retailer which we all know and love now have an astonishing 790 stores in the UK, more than 450 stores worldwide, and employ almost 86,000 people.  The retail giant brings in billions of revenue from its clothing, food and online stores.

In 2013, M&S celebrated its history by opening up a stall in the place where the famous brand first started at Kirkgate Market. Situated next to the famous Marks and Spencers clock, visitors can learn about the heritage of the brand whilst enjoying a coffee and purchasing M&S merchandise.

You can even pick up a bag of Percy Pigs whilst you're there, it would be rude not to after all.

You can find out more about the rich history of Marks and Spencers here.

Read more: Short Stuff: The iconic Leeds building where sheep used to graze on top of the roof

Feature Image: M&S

News

Bradford man, 20, jailed after admitting to 36 child sex offences

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

A 20-year-old man from Bradford has been sentenced to time in prison this week after admitting to numerous child sex offences.

Following an investigation initially by West Mercia and Lancashire Police, Kasey Fitton, aged 20 of Amundsen Avenue in Bradford, was arrested in February 2025 on suspicion of engaging in sexual communication with four children residing outside of West Yorkshire Police force area.

An investigation was then launched by Bradford Safeguarding Unit, who went on to uncover large-scale sexual offending against children.   

In February 2026, Fitton was charged with 16 counts of sexual communication with a child and 20 counts of making/possession of indecent images of children - with police confirming that five child victims have been identified.   

At Bradford Crown Court, Fitton admitted to all 36 counts, and then earlier this week (7 September), he was jailed for seven and a half years, plus a five year extension on licence. He will also be required to sign the sex offenders register for life, and he has been given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 15 years.

Speaking following the sentencing this week, Detective Superintendent Alan Weekes of Bradford District Police, described Fitton as a 'very dangerous individual to children'.

"There are further investigations ongoing and we would appeal to anyone who may have been a victim to come forward to us," DSI Weekes said.  

"We are keen to speak to anyone who interacted with the Snapchat accounts Kaseyfitton23, Kaseyfitton24 and MyCroft110.  

"We take all reports of this nature extremely seriously and they are treated with sensitivity. We have specially trained officers who will guide you through the process and do everything we can to get justice."

Featured Image - West Yorkshire Police

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History has never been this fun – Operation Mincemeat at Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House | Review

Declan Kelly Declan Kelly

Don’t judge a book by its cover... or in this case, a musical by its posters.

Going in completely blind, I really didn’t know what to expect from Operation Mincemeat. In fact, after the first number, I found myself thinking, I’m not sure this is quite my cup of tea.

How wrong I was.

Watching Tuesday night’s performance at Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House, I was quickly proven wrong about what I thought a musical needed to be. There are no huge sets, endless costume changes, or hundreds of performers filling the stage. Instead, Operation Mincemeat delivers a genuinely funny, surprisingly heart-warming story with just five performers, while somehow teaching you a bit of history along the way.

If I had to sum this show up in two words? Belly laughter.

Based on the real-life British intelligence operation during the Second World War, the musical follows the unlikely group tasked with convincing Hitler that the Allies were planning to invade Greece rather than Sicily.

And honestly, if you didn’t already know it actually happened, you’d probably think someone had made it up. That ridiculousness is exactly what makes the show work. The comedy comes thick and fast, with characters, accents, and personalities constantly changing as the five-strong cast jump between roles.

And this is where the production really impressed me.The multi-roling is incredibly slick. A pair of glasses, a change in voice or a small shift in posture can completely transform a character, and somehow it never feels like a gimmick. Instead, it becomes part of the magic of the production. It’s a brilliant example of how much can be achieved on stage without throwing money at elaborate sets or costumes.

Credit: Matt Crockett
Credit: Matt Crockett

But underneath all the comedy is where Operation Mincemeat really surprised me.

One of the standout performances for me came from Christian Andrews as Hester Leggatt. During ‘Roses’, Andrews completely captivates the audience while portraying an older woman writing about the experience of wives waiting for their loved ones away at war.

What makes the moment so effective is its simplicity. With little more than a pair of glasses, Andrews transforms into Hester, but there is never any sense that the character is being played for laughs. Instead, there is real care and respect in the performance.

Andrews captures the loneliness, vulnerability, and uncertainty of a woman whose life has been put on hold while her partner is away fighting. After so much laughter, the sudden change in tone really lands. For me, it was one of the clearest examples of the craftsmanship behind the show. Both the writing and performance manage to find genuine emotion without losing the production’s personality.

The music follows the same balance, moving between big, energetic numbers and quieter moments that give the characters room to breathe. It never feels like songs have been added simply because this happens to be a musical; they actually help tell the story.

And despite being based on a historical event, it never feels like a history lesson.

Operation Mincemeat at Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House / Credit: Matt Crockett

In fact, I left the theatre wanting to find out more about the real Operation Mincemeat, which is probably the biggest compliment I can give it and definitely will be watching the film very soon.

If you’re heading to the theatre expecting huge dance numbers, powerhouse ballads and elaborate sets, then this might not be the show for you. But if you want something different, something that will have you laughing at one of the strangest stories in British history while leaving you amazed at just how slick a production can be with only five cast members, then this is absolutely worth seeing.

What I initially thought wasn’t my cup of tea ended up being one of the biggest surprises of the evening.

Funny, clever, completely bonkers at times and unexpectedly moving, Operation Mincemeat proves you don’t need a massive production to make a big impression. I have seen a lot of theatre productions in my life, but I have never seen anything as slick as this production, and that is pure talent at its finest.

Sometimes, all you need is a ridiculous true story, five brilliant performers and a whole lot of belly laughs.

Featured Image - Matt Crockett (Supplied)

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