Back in the day, when I worked at a promotion company in Leeds, we’d go leafleting round the student areas, dropping dozens of Jungle night posters and zines through the letterboxes of seshheads across Hyde Park, Burley, Woodhouse and Headingley.
One day, on Estcourt Terrace, me and a colleague came across this house painted completely white. It had a motorised gate (also white) and a bronze bust of Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi beside the door. I’d never seen anything like it.
I asked some others about it, notably graduates of Leeds Met and Uni, who said it was home to an eccentric who had a tendency to play classical music in the wee hours, sometimes accompanied by strobe lighting.
It has captured the imaginations of locals for years.
“I’ve actually been to a party he hosted,” one Redditor said. “He’s a very weird guy but hell the party was awesome. A few mates used to work for him and for my 18th birthday he took about 12 of us to a 10 course Chinese and paid for the lot.
“Nice guy, just super eccentric.”
That nice guy is a self-taught classical and jazz music conductor and pianist. He took his inspiration for the paint job from a small opera house painted white he saw in the USA a few years before snapping up the infamous property.
The owner, who likes to remain anonymous, said: ‘I just like a refreshing, modern look — it’s my idea of modern elegance.”
During the renovation, he arranged a room with a piano and space for his musician friends to come over for music sessions in his house
Other decor at the home, worth approximately £250,000, includes a silver model rocket.
The bronze bust next to the front door was actually unveiled by Leeds University’s head of music faculty with an open air concert.
“This design reflects my love of design engineering,” the owner said.
“I have always done a lot to the interior and have had a cocktail bar I call the ‘Blue Orbit’ built.
“This is all lit with classic neon light and I often have musician friends over for a jazz night. The open plan space is big enough for a small band, with guitar, drums, bass and me on piano. It’s a nice place to entertain and play music.
“But I think I am getting to the point now where it is getting saturated and I feel the work of art is complete. Now it is just about maintaining it.”
He’s not short of fans. One man wrote online: “If the owners like it what does it matter?
“People spend far too much time bothered about what others are doing and not enough looking at themselves.
“Let them enjoy their home how they want it.”
News
Leeds cinemas are offering tickets to see big blockbusters for just £4 this weekend
You can watch some of the year’s biggest blockbusters for just £4 this weekend.
That’s because, to celebrate National Cinema Weekend (5-6 September), Vue has announced that it’ll be offering cut-price tickets to everything from the latest blockbusters and family favourites, to indie horrors and classic re-releases so you don’t have to break the bank to enjoy the full cinematic experience this autumn.
Some of the highlights currently showing that you’ll be able to see for just £4 include summer hits like Spider-Man: Brand New Day, The Odyssey, and Toy Story 5, as well as the recent release of Ridley Scott’s latest film, The Dog Stars, starring Jacob Elordi.
Family favourites such as Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie, and Cars will also be screening over National Cinema Weekend.
Meanwhile, horror fans can also catch new releases Insidious: Out of the Further, and indie horror Leviticus, or see the year’s biggest horror hit, Obsession, if you haven’t already.
The best bit about the offer? It applies to every seat on every showing, all weekend long. Just pass us the popcorn now.
This means that film lovers can enjoy Vue’s biggest and comfiest seats, Ultra Lux, which are strategically positioned to give the best possible view of the big screen – with extra-wide armrests, back and leg rests that recline independently, a personal table for snacks and beverages, and a state-of-the-art wine cooler, all for just £4 each.
“We encourage everyone to make the most of the celebration and enjoy a film at Vue.”
National Cinema Weekend returns for 2026 this Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 September, and you can book tickets on the Vue website here.
Major DJ has set cancelled as overcrowding concerns continue at Leeds Festival
Clementine Hall
After closing for the entire second day, The Warehouse stage at Leeds Festival has once again been forced to evacuate.
One of the most anticipated dance acts of the day has been cancelled due to health and safety concerns just moments before the set.
Sheffield DJ Silva Bumpa was due to take to The Warehouse stage today at 1:30pm, but the set was cancelled due to overcrowding.
It's not the first time this has happened at Leeds Festival 2026, as yesterday Omar+'s set was cancelled due to the same issue and the stage was subsequently closed for the rest of the day.
The Warehouse stage is completely new for this year, and supposedly is designed specifically for dance music...which is quite ironic.
Announcing the news to Instagram, Silva Bumpa said: "So so sorry Leeds Fest but due to over crowding my set was cancelled last min I was just behind the stage and got told right before such a massive shame."
Prospa, another prominent DJ who's set was cancelled at Reading on Friday afternoon, spoke up on the situation: "We are disappointed in The Warehouse stage closure at Reading Festival. We were told it wasn't possible to play whilst on the way. This was due to too many people outside the stage.
"We have seen this happen before at larger festivals in the UK. It's time to double the capacity of tents or put dance music on the main stage."
It comes after another dance stage, LS23, was closed mid-set last night due to a health and safety hazard when all the lights suddenly switched off and ravers were forced to evacuate.
If yesterday is anything to go by, we wouldn't be surprised if The Warehouse was closed for the rest of the day which means anticipated sets from Rossi and Mall Grab will also be cancelled.
Josh Teal -
4th June 2021 
