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DISCOVER LEEDS, Yorkshire

Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is located on the River Aire and is the urban core of the City of Leeds metropolitan district.

According to the last census the Leeds Urban Area had a population of over 450,000 while the metropolitan district, City of Leeds had a population of almost 750,000 and is one of England's core cities.

Leeds has a strong sporting heritage, with the Yorkshire County Cricket Club, Leeds Rhinos (the rugby league team) and Leeds Carnegie (the rugby union team) playing at Headingley Stadium, and Leeds United A.F.C. playing at Elland Road.

In recent times Leeds has seen many new developments. High rise schemes are making a much bigger mark on Leeds' skyline. Sixteen skyscrapers are under construction or proposed, all of them taller than West Riding House (80m) - Leeds' tallest building since it was built in the 1970s. Bridgewater Place recently became the tallest building in Leeds, however this title is anticipated to be shortlived as the 171m Lumiere is expected to be finished by 2010.

LEEDS AND TOURISM

Recently Leeds has received accolades in the field of tourism; including being voted by Conde Nast Traveller magazine Readers' Awards as the "UK's favourite city" and also "Visitor city of the year" by The Good Britain Guide. Leeds has excellent transport links with the rest of Yorkshire and the UK.

Tourism is big business in Leeds, and supports more than 20,000 full time equivalent jobs. On average Leeds attracts 1.4m people annually who stay overnight, plus a further 18.4m who visit on day trips. Visitors to the city bring in nearly £735m into the local economy each year and Leeds' vibrant and cultural scenes are some of the key reasons that visitors from across the UK and Europe come to Leeds.

Major national and regional attractions include the Royal Armouries, Henry Moore Sculpture Centre, West Yorkshire Playhouse and the award winning Harewood House, which was voted one of the best large visitor attractions in the Excellence in England Awards for Tourism 2003.

Additionally, in the Good Hotel Guide 2004, four Leeds hotels were named as top choices for places to stay in the UK.

EVENTS IN LEEDS

The Leeds German Christmas Market is held in Millennium Square every year from 17 November to 17 December.
The Ice Cube - Europe’s largest open air ice skating rink is also held in Millennium Square annually.
The Leeds Christmas Lights Switch On is an annual event featuring a celebrity turning on the lights with the Lord Mayor, accompanied by an up-and-coming band and small funfair. Leeds is one of the only cities in Britain to have a year-round agency in charge of planning their display and maintaining the equipment, and as such has established the largest Christmas lights display in the country, and one of the largest in Europe, with illuminations covering over 13 miles (21 km) of street.

The Switch On ceremony used to take place on the fourth Thursday in November from its inception in the early 1980s, but from 1996 has been held earlier in the month, usually close to (but not on) 5 November. It was held on a Friday in 1997 and 1999, but is otherwise always held on a Thursday, the traditional night in Britain for pre-Christmas late night shopping. As the popularity of the event increased into the early 1990s, attendances at what essentially became a free concert swelled, and has been known to attract in the region of 50,000 people (part of the main road through central Leeds, The Headrow is closed off and traffic diverted).
The Leeds International Pianoforte Competition, founded by Fanny Waterman, takes place every three years, next due in 2009.
Party in the Park and Opera in the Park are major free events held each summer at Temple Newsam
The Leeds Mela is held each summer in Roundhay Park.
Leeds West Indian Carnival takes place in Chapeltown each summer.
The Leeds International Film Festival takes place each autumn and there is also an annual Leeds Young People's Film Festival.
The annual summer and Christmas concerts at Leeds Town Hall, organised by the Leeds Schools Music Association and involving hundreds of schoolchildren from around the city.
There is also a musical event held annually at the Kirkstall Abbey, known as Fantasia, usually held in August which includes a large firework display.
Kirkstall Abbey also plays host to the annual Kirkstall Festival, a Leeds tradition. This takes place every July.
A Half marathon takes place every May, starting in the Town centre and running in a loop around the North of the city.

HISTORIC HOUSES & PARKS

The ruins of Kirkstall Abbey, a Cistercian abbey dating from the 12th century, are in an open park alonside the river Aire in Kirkstall, to the west of the city centre. The abbey gatehouse houses the Abbey House Museum. To the east of the city centre, Temple Newsam house dates from the early 16th century and has an extensive estate including gardens and a rare breeds farm. Lotherton Hall, with art collections and a bird garden, lies to the east of the city, Bramham Park to the north-east, and Harewood House to the north. Kirkstall Abbey, Temple Newsam, and Lotherton Hall are owned and administered by Leeds City Council.

To the north lies Roundhay Park with its well regarded Tropical World hothouse. Other parks in the city include Golden Acre Park which lies between Adel and Bramhope, Hall Park in Horsforth, Woodhouse Moor in Hyde Park, Potternewton Park between Chapeltown and Harehills, East End Park in the location of the same name, Cross Flatts Park in Beeston and Middleton Park in Middleton.

SHOPPING IN LEEDS

Leeds has a massive and diverse range of shops and department stores, one of the largest in the UK and has become known as the Knightsbridge of the North. The diverse range of shopping, from individual one-off boutiques to large department stores, including Harvey Nichols and Louis Vuitton, has greatly expanded the Leeds retail base. The Victoria Quarter, several existing arcades connected by roofing the entirety of Queen Victoria Street with stained glass, is the jewel in Leeds' shopping crown, located off Briggate, Leeds' main shopping street.

Other popular shopping attractions include the Corn Exchange, Leeds Kirkgate Market, Granary Wharf, Leeds Shopping Plaza, Headrow Shopping Centre, The Light, The St John's Centre, The Merrion Centre Leeds, Crown Point, Birstall Retail Park and the White Rose Centre. In addition, there are 2 proposed shopping centres, namely the Harewood/Eastgate Quarter and Trinity Quarter.

WALKING IN LEEDS

The Leeds Country Way is a waymarked circular walk of 62 miles (99 km) through the rural outskirts of the city, never more than 7 miles from City Square. The Meanwood Trail leads from Woodhouse Moor along Meanwood Beck to Golden Acre Park. Leeds is on the northern section of the Trans Pennine Trail for walkers and cyclists, and the towpath of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal is another popular walking route. In addition, there are many parks and public footpaths in both the urban and rural parts of Leeds, and the Ramblers Association, YHA and other walking organisations offer sociable walks. The Ramblers Association publish various booklets of walks in and around Leeds

From Wikipedia

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