Up in Harehills, Leeds is a haunted old hospital building that's attracted ghost hunters for years.
If you're fascinated by the ethereal and fancy hunting ghosts in the dead of night, this overnight ghost hunt at this old haunted Leeds hospital should be just the ticket.
Now home to the Thackray Medical Museum, its dark and murky history stretches back decades - with the building having also been a workhouse, an infirmary, and a museum in its 163-year history.
Reportedly one of Leeds' most haunted buildings, it's thought to be home to many trapped spirits.
First built in 1858, in the buildings' workhouse days over 700 people toiled away here in miserable conditions - surviving on little more than bread and gruel in the bleakest hours of the industrial revolution.
The set-up for the workhouse's residents was really closer to prison, with forced labour, meagre meals, and many heartbreaking stories told by residents with nowhere else to go - bringing much despair.
Image: Thackray Museum of Medicine
Later on, when needs had changed, the workhouse was discontinued and the building became an infirmary instead. In the early days of modern medicine, this often meant operations were conducted with no anesthetic, and as a result survival rates were often low for patients who came in for treatment.
It continued to be used as a hospital during the First World War, renamed to East Leeds War Hospital to recognise that staff here were looking after armed services personnel. Now, it's home to the Thackray Medical Museum.
By day, the museum reenacts Victorian life and educates on the development of medicine through history. But at night is when it really gets interesting.
Those who feel brave enough can now explore the terrifying Thackray Medical Museum in the dead of night, an imposing old Victorian workhouse that has a particularly grim and grisly history that spans centuries.
Ghost hunts run from 8 pm to 2 am, giving those fascinated with the spectral world the chance to see the building's eerie happenings in the flesh - so to speak.
Haunted Happenings, who organise the hunts, have warned that they're not for the faint-hearted and we're happy to take their word for it.
Given the building's history, we're sure a terrifying night is in store for those who dare attend.
"The Thackray Medical Museum in Leeds sits in the old Union Workhouse building designed to house nearly 800 of the poorest people, who worked their short lives in harsh and terrible conditions," say organisers.
"An overnight ghost hunt at The Thackray Medical Museum will no doubt reveal some of the many spirits that still reside here, in its many dark corridors and rooms."
Tickets are on sale now from £65, with dates available in October 2023, January 2024 and the option to sign up to the waitlist for future events too.
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.”
Georgina Pellant -
9th October 2023 
