There's been a real life Cinderella story going on in Leeds this week- lost shoe and all.
If you're a familiar face at The Watermark Bar, you'll know that it can get a little chaotic in there on a Saturday night.
In a good way of course, but you really never know what to expect here. Will the entire bar be a giant pillow fort and turn up to the sight of Leeds party-goers dancing in their dressing gowns? Or will there be a no-context chocolate fountain placed in the middle of the room?
Last Saturday, unfortunately none of those were actually a part of the nighttime activities at the bar, but things did get pretty hectic for one individual.
A typical night out at the bar on Belgrave Street. / Image: The Watermark Bar
So much so that one customer left his shoe in the bar.
A single shoe- and not just any shoe, a Croc.
According to the Watermark, this is what happened- and it's hilarious:
"It was a wild Watermark Sunday, I wasn't in the bar that night but Dman (our Sunday DJ) was up to his usual mischief. You know its a good night when you lose a shoe.
"Well the next day I swanned in and right under the table was the lonely Croc. Obviously it belongs to a chef (i hope). Our lost property gets a bit chaotic at times and there is no way we were going to hang on to one lonely shoe.
"So a nice like Jack Bauer 24 style hostage situation seemed to be the way to find its owner."
What are the chances of anyone coming forward- surely if you lose a Croc on a night out you're probably not going to remember where, let alone tell the internet it's yours and travel all the way to the city centre to collect it?
No. Not one person was willing to make the effort. But three. The Watermark had a three Spiderman situation (and of course they used this to illustrate their point).
Turns out they were all tracking down the Croc for the same person.
The Watermark Bar have been laughing about the situation ever since: "funnily enough the 3 people who came forward for the shoe all were just trying to rescue it for the same person. He collected it today.
"It happened one time before also..."
Last time it was a Doc Marten shoe that got left. / Image: The Watermark Bar
The last Cinderella story for the bar dates back to pre-Covid times when the bar announced:
"Found this beast in the bar last week. A lovely, lonely Doc Martin belonging to a female foot. Can only wonder where the other one got to. Were you in a rush to make it home before midnight? Did your Uber turn into a Pumpkin? We can't promise you a Prince Charming but we can give you your shoe back at least. "Any takers? Anyone? Going once... Going twice..."
Alls well that ends well, the Croc is back with it's other half and the rightful owner is assumably pleased to have tracked it down. It's the hilarious comedic value that The Watermark Bar has added to the unusual situation that made this one of our funniest finds of the week- and if we're honest, obsessively checking Instagram to find out the next instalment.
Late night snacks are available to those with two shoes on, every night. / Image: The Watermark Bar
If you head over to The Watermark Bar over the next week, you're unlikely to find any mystery shoes, but you will find charcuterie boards and crumpets until 4am.
Never change Watermark.
Feature Image- The Watermark Bar
News
Plans to turn one of Leeds’ most historic buildings into padel courts approved
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.”
Sophie Smith -
20th January 2022 
