This Remembrance Sunday, Leeds will fall silent as it commemorates the civilians and soldiers lost in conflict since the start of the First World War.
Paying homage to both British and Commonwealth casualties, the city will host a remembrance service and two-minute silence on Victoria Gardens this Sunday, 10 November 2024, followed by a parade through the centre.
People from across Leeds can join the Lord Mayor on Sunday, and joining her to lay wreaths will be Lord-Lieutenant of West Yorkshire Ed Anderson, Leader of Leeds City Council Councillor James Lewis and other party leaders.
Starting from Leeds Civic Hall at 10.50 am, a procession will then depart and make its way to Victoria Gardens for the laying of wreaths.
Image: Commons Wikimedia
At 11 am, a bugler will mark the two-minute silence for the Last Post. Then, after the service, the Lord Mayor and others will make their way to the war memorial from Rossington Street.
The multi-faith service at the war memorial will be led by the Bishop of Kirkstall Right Reverand Arun Arora, hoined by Rabbi Anthony Gilbert, Senior Imam Qari Muhammad Asim MBE, and the Very Rev Canon Father Matthew Habron.
The service will be broadcast on two big screens to allow members of the public who are not near the front to watch the proceedings.
Following the service, the Lord Mayor and civic representatives will proceed to Millennium Square, where a salute and march past will take place.
Image: Geograph
Speaking ahead of the service, the Lord Mayor of Leeds and Coun Abigail Marshall Katung said: “It is a great honour to lead our fantastic city, with its deep-rooted connections to the armed forces, in a poignant and moving act of remembrance.
“In these globally troubled times, it is more important than ever that we come together as one community to honour and remember the service and sacrifices of the British and Commonwealth armed forces in defending our freedoms.
"We also use the occasion to recognise and honour those who have lost their lives because of conflict or terrorism together with marking the vital role played by the emergency services and civilians.”
The Wombats aren’t just still going strong - they’re getting better. And honestly? Long may they reign.
The Wombats absolutely tore the roof off the First Direct Arena in Leeds last night, Wednesday 26 March and what a night it was.
From the second they hit the stage it wasn’t just a gig, it was a full-blown indie-pop spectacle, packed with infectious energy, nostalgia, and a whole lot of dancing.
They kicked things off with “Moving to New York,” and honestly? The crowd was in from the first note.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Matthew Murphy’s unmistakable vocals rang through the arena and suddenly, thousands of people were screaming every lyric like it was 2007 all over again. It was one of those moments where you could just feel how much this band still means to people.
Despite the massive venue, The Wombats somehow made it feel intimate. The lights? Pure chaos in the best way - vibrant, colourful, and totally in sync with the band’s wild, bouncy sound.
Murphy’s cheeky banter between songs made it feel less like a polished arena show and more like a jam session with a few thousand of your closest mates.
Setlist-wise, they nailed it. “Let’s Dance to Joy Division” and “Greek Tragedy” had the whole place losing it, while the stripped-down version of “Techno Fan” gave everyone a minute to breathe (and maybe get a little emotional).
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Those quieter moments just made the high-energy choruses hit even harder. It was a rollercoaster - in the best way possible.
Then came the encore. If you thought the crowd was loud before, “Kill the Director” took things to another level. Pure, chaotic indie bliss. The kind of moment you don’t want to end.
Here’s the thing about The Wombats: some might say their older songs hit harder than their newer stuff, but is that just nostalgia talking? Or maybe it’s a generational thing?
Either way, they proved they’re still one of the most exciting live bands out there. They’ve still got the hooks, the humour, and the ability to turn a massive arena into a sweaty, euphoric singalong.
Get Baked’s viral ‘Bertha’ cake has a sister on the way – and she sounds just as cheeky
Danny Jones
She's big, she's green and she's ready to ruin your figure.
A lot of you will have seen the viral ‘Bertha’ cake by Leeds born beloved sweet treat specialists Get Baked.
They recently opened another site in Manchester's Northern Quarter, where queues literally formed round the block of hungry punters wanting to get their hands on the infamous sugary treats.
And now it's going to happen all over again, as they've recently unveiled their newest flavour which is sure to go down a storm.
We’ll give you a hint: it’s a current food and drink trend that’s about as big as Bertha herself – it’s not matcha, it’s not hot honey (duh), and it’s not Guinness…
Images: Get Baked
Yes—scratch that; HELL YES!Get Baked is set to welcome Bertha’s equally beautiful twin sister, and she’s officially a pistachio girlie.
Having started out life simply as ‘Bruce’, after taking inspiration from the iconic scene from Matilda, this thing has become a phenomenon in its own right, and who doesn’t like more flavours of a good thing?
Probably one of the biggest foodie crazes going at the minute, thanks to the popularity of pistachio cream, cookies, lattes and the similar social media sensation that is the ‘Dubai Pistachio Bar' people are rather fittingly going nuts for this particular flavour of almost absolutely anything.
With that in mind, the Leeds-born bakery and dessert shop – founded by Rich Myers over in Headingley back in 2011 – have shown no hesitation in hopping on the bandwagon and creating a new twist on their own viral menu item.
Teasing the full details in a post on their Instagram this week, they wrote: “What’s big, green, and is going to destroy your life in a couple of weeks’ time? Pistachio Bertha. Strictly limited to 5,000 slices. Coming oh so soon. GB.”
In case you were wondering just how mad those with a sweet tooth could possibly go for a slice of cake, just look at the recent queues when they finally launched in Manchester city centre:
Speaking on the grand opening here on our turf and his partner Amy’s hometown, Myers said simply: “Manchester, what a launch. Thanks for much for the warm welcome. Stay baked.”
Clementine Hall -
8th November 2024 
