There's a brand new book shop in town - but it's unlike anything we have in the city.
Having only opened a few short months ago, Hold Fast is a book and plant store that champions independent artists, local authors all onboard an old coal boat called Marjorie R.
Hop aboard every Thursday - Sunday at Leeds Dock and uncover a whole new world hidden from plain sight.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Inside you'll find a huge selection of hand picked books. Choose from second hand novels priced at less than a cup of coffee, non fiction celebrating unsung heroes and local writers alike, as well as selection of stunning classics and contemporary ficton.
But this is far from just a book shop.
Also stocking a large selection of house plants with adorable names - yes, each one has a unique name, so that "customers will love the plants as much as we do", says a sign above the wheel.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Owners Chris and Victoria Bonner support a whole community and support network inside these walls in any way possible. The walls are lined with work from local artists, and the owners can tell you all about the student illustrators and locals that have spent time creating the prints in store.
Humbled by the company of regulars who come in to catch up and recommending newcomers to check out the other independents at the Docks (which helped us to discover a new coffee spot on our visit), these guys are truly wonderful company, and make you feel right at home inside Hold Fast.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
And there's probably good reason.
The boat itself, Marjorie R, was actually inhabited by the couple for around six years before deciding to transform their home into a book shop.
The idea was that by creating a public service, the boat would be looked after and protected in the future - and there's glimpses of every decade of the boat's 70-something year life all around.
You'll find cosy corners by the fireplace, which would have once warmed the entire living quarters, homage to its former days as a coal transporter in the strong frames and even photographs of the original Majorie, whom the boat was named after are on display.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
This is the perfect place to grab a new read, spend time escaping from the everyday in a truly unique setting.
There’s a real community feel about the place, with talks from local authors and Chris and Victoria welcome anyone in to spend hours pouring over their hand picked selection of new and preloved books.
Open every Thursday- Sunday, this has got to be one of, if not the, coolest bookshop in the city - but it's much more than that, it's a true independent that's keeping the spirit of locality, hospitality and sustainability alive in the city.
Feature Image - The Hoot Leeds
Leeds
No Greek Tragedy, just indie bangers – The Wombats set Leeds’ First Direct Arena alight
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.”
Sophie Smith -
14th March 2023 
