It's 6pm, but the dark skies and near freezing temperatures suggest it may as well be past nine.
You're ready for a mid-week tipple with your workmates and want somewhere with personality: somewhere that'll make you forget about the day gone by, and certainly somewhere you're not going to feel the cold weather blowing the rest of the city around.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Hidden plain in sight just off Boar Lane, underground bar Distrikt has become a proper institution for party-goers over the last fourteen years, but with an earlier opening time of 6pm on weekdays and 4-5pm on weekends, the underground bar has plenty to offer before the bartenders at your favourite late-night watering hole have even woken up.
Between 6pm and 10pm each night, take advantage of 2-for-£14 cocktail offers. The drinks list spans to pretty much everything on the menu, including classics like Espresso Martinis and Bloody Marys, as well as seasonal specials like Winter Woodfords Old Fashioned and JD Apple Sours. And if you’re a student, better still: the offer lasts all night long.
Plus, this Christmas there’s a Mexican Christmas cocktail menu with options like the Spicy Tommy’s Margaritas, Daïquiri De Mexicana and the Rum Refashioned to choose from.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
But the list doesn't stop there, oh no.
There's also £15 bottles of Prosecco, £10 bottles of wine and for those that just want a simple pint of beer, you'll pay £3 for selected house lagers. Plus, spirit and mixer options also come in at the £3 mark until 10pm every Sunday - Friday (and this might just be one of the cheapest spots in the city for an evening tipple).
Accompanying your four-hour Happy Hour, you'll find both local and international DJs on the decks playing house, minimal, disco, deep and all the classics, and certainly bring a different atmosphere to your usual pre-drink pub nights.
Distrikt has been known over the years for its late-night antics, but the underground bar is now keen to ensure everyone across the city knows 'it's better underground' from 6pm.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
'Combining the elegance and secrecy of a speakeasy with the cutting-edge freedom of a club', the bar is proud to offer free entry to all those that want to head down the cobbles at Duncan Street, every night of the week.
Now moving into its fifteenth year, there's a reason that Distrikt remains a huge part of the city's nightlife scene - and you can find all the upcoming events planned on the Distrikt website here.
Feature Image - The Hoot Leeds
Feature
The Leeds bakery serving up fresh pastries straight from their backyard
In case you missed it, a bakery in Bramley has received lots of attention recently after people have sampled some of its impressive bread and pastries before raving about it online.
Since then, Ruth, the mastermind behind it all, has generated queues from her summer house-turned bakehouse with people coming from far and wide to sample her flaky favourites and doughy delights.
Baking for more than 10 years and opening The Fat Pigeon just outside of Leeds city centre three years ago, there's no denying that the pastries and more produced here are some of the best.
This micro-bakery has a mighty menu and although Ruth's personal tastes might lean more savoury, the menu heavily favours sugary baked goods.
Anyone who loves a good sweet treat will be glad to know there's croissants, traybakes, cinnamon buns and the star-studded kouign-amann, a French-originating buttery pastry that covers all bases as it's sugary, sweet and slightly salty - heaven in baked form.
Ruth posing with a pigeon statue alongside some of her delicious golden creations / Image Credits: The Hoot Leeds / The Fat Pigeon
There's plenty more dough-based delights that cater to the savoury palate too. Think sourdough loaves, baguettes and focaccia that's oozing with perfectly paired herbs and generous amounts of oil.
What makes this place even more special is the fact that not only the products being created and consumed made by a Leeds local, most if not all of the offerings are made using Yorkshire produce.
Ruth has made sure to keep local produce at the heart of all her bakes with Met's in Farsley who providing cheese, Whiteley's contributing fresh vegetables like parsley and rhubarb, flour from East Yorkshire's own Stringers and The Organic Dales for any dairy items - it really doesn't get more Yorkshire than this.
Enough from us, social media user's are singing this bakery's praises too as one commented "Delicious. Delicious. Delicious" and another going as far to say, "Beats every pastry I had in Copenhagen".
The sourdough loaves and bloomers at The Fat Pigeon are homemade and look as good as they taste / Image Credits: The Hoot Leeds / The Fat Pigeon
Hopefully you're reading this on a Friday or early Saturday morning, otherwise all I can do is apologise for tempting you with all this bakery's homemade golden goodness so far in advance.
The Fat Pigeon is open from 9am to 12pm every Saturday meaning you can stock up on some of Leeds' best bread and pastries to tie you over until the next weekend, depending on your will power.
Pioneering Bradford artist David Hockney has passed away aged 88
Clementine Hall
David Hockney, one of Britain's most influential and recognisable artists, has sadly died.
Born in Bradford in 1937, David Hockney built a career spanning more than six decades and became one of the most influential figures in contemporary art.
He was best known for his vibrant paintings, from the iconic swimming pools of Los Angeles to the sweeping landscapes of Yorkshire and Normandy.
And of course you can't forget the adorable paintings of his sausage dogs Stanley and Boodgie.
This morning on Friday 12 June, it was sadly announced that David Hockney had passed away - just one month prior of his 89th birthday.
Admired by critics and the public alike, Hockney's work was exhibited around the world and attracted record-breaking prices, cementing his place as one of the defining artists of the modern era.
Most recently, his incredibly immersive exhibition 'Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away)' was a hit across the country, proving his work still resonated with the people of today.
His work at Salts Mill has remained in exhibit for years, including his special digital drawings that he did on his iPad.
His death marks the end of a truly extraordinary career, but his influence on British culture and contemporary art will endure for years to come.
A true West Yorkshire icon that will be missed by many from across the globe. RIP David.
Sophie Smith -
12th December 2023 
