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
Petition launched to save independent matcha stand operating from a Leeds front garden
An independent matcha stand in Leeds has launched a petition to save the business, after council concerns could result in its closure.
This front garden matcha spot is none other than Sips Matcha, and it's safe to say its become a firm favourite in Leeds, with more than 12,000 followers on Instagram.
Many of us have made the trip to the vibrant green, family-run matcha shed at its Little Woodhouse residential location, and tasting some of Leeds' best matcha while nattering away to Matt and Julia, but this could soon change.
The self-proclaimed 'tiniest matcha stand in Leeds' only just celebrated its one year anniversary, but now faces closure in the coming weeks after a retroactive planning application was rejected.
According to Sips Matcha, Leeds City Council has given them 28 days' notice to stop trading and remove the shed.
In this published document via Leeds City Council website, multiple reasons are listed for the decision to refuse planning permission for the bright-green matcha shed.
This electronic letter signed by Martin Elliot, Chief Planning Officer, lists spoiling the property's character, increased footfall, and a failure to comply with numerous development and design policies.
The full statement reads: "The Local Planning Authority considers that the design, scale and position of the wooden shed fails to respect the previously un spoilt character of the host property, resulting in an unacceptable impact on visual amenity and the wider street scene.
"The Local Planning Authority considers that the use of the shed for retail sales in this quiet residential location would result in an unacceptable impact on the amenity of local residents due to increased levels of comings-and-goings, demand for parking and antisocial behaviour including increased noise and litter, to the significant detriment of neighbouring amenity."
The matcha maestros have now launched a petition urging people to save Sips Matcha, labelling the painted wooden shed-turned-coffee shop as a 'Community Stand'.
Co-owner Julia has published a statement via the petition link where she details: "After being made redundant and at a crossroads in life Matt threw himself into making Sips something special - and it has become exactly that...
"Their concerns are that the shed is in a front garden, and that the business could cause nuisance - litter, traffic and parking issues. In over a year of trading, none of these have been a problem. Leeds City Council asked neighbours on the street for their opinion. Not one negative response.
"We are a registered food business with Leeds City Council, insured and hold our food and hygiene certificates. They have now asked us to stop trading and remove the shed within 28 days."
TESTBED unveils major transformation to become Leeds’ premier destination for music and culture
Clementine Hall
Here's your first look at the new and improved TESTBED music venue in Leeds city centre.
Gearing up to relaunch this September, the landmark Leeds venue will reopen its doors to showcase permanent structural improvements and major upgrades across sound, lighting and overall customer experience.
With a capacity of a very impressive 2,500, there's no denying that TESTBED is preparing to relaunch at the forefront of Leeds’ vibrant creative culture.
The venue is expanding from 10,000 sq ft to 23,000 sq ft, guests will now enter through a new lobby where they can enjoy a brand-new 5,000 sq ft mezzanine level with customisable seating and a view of the dance floor from a brand-new balcony.
Image: Supplied
There will be a new upstairs bar that will continue TESTBED’s commitment to support local brands and suppliers.
Downstairs, the custom-built stage allows for a 360-degree crowd and a room two is also underway for a 2027 reveal, creating a multi-purpose space and chill-out area.
Image: Supplied
The newly designed lighting includes multiple moving lights and strobes, together with a large LED ceiling installation and bespoke under-balcony display of LED strips and curves, complemented by a high-res 8m x 4m LED video wall.
Guests will also keep cool thanks to significant upgrades to ventilation and air circulation, with powerful high-capacity fans creating a fresher, more comfortable environment throughout.
Image: Supplied
Now onto the important stuff... the portaloos are gone and replaced by four brand new toilet blocks, doubling capacity and of course - comfort.
So, what are you waiting for? We'll see you on the dance floor at the brand-new TESTBED when it opens its doors again this September.
Full lineups and opening details will be announced soon, we'll keep you posted as and when we find out more.
Josh Teal -
4th June 2021 
