Up until 2000, 71 Vicar Lane was home to an iconic Leeds pub that hosted such bands as Nirvana, Oasis, Blur and the Manic Street Preachers.
Known as The Duchess of York, it was famous not just in Leeds but across the north - serving as an integral piece of the city's music scene for many years.
After its closure in 2000, it was replaced by fashion giant Hugo Boss which still has a store on the site to this day.
For those who miss the good old days at the Duchess, though, we've got some good news. The pub has now been partially recreated in Leeds’ Kirkgate Market for the Compass Festival, as part of a project called "Public House: The Yorkshire Square."
The Duchess of York has been re-created inside Kirkgate Market as part of Compass Festival / Image: Compass Festival
At just 12ft x 12ft, it's not that big - but then it's true that all good things come in small packages.
Described on Compass Festival's website as "Bringing a ferment of connections, conversations and experiences to the heart of Leeds iconic Kirkgate market", it will be in situ here up until 24 July.
Although it's an interactive art project, you can still grab a pint here at the recreated Duchess and relive a taste of the good old days and reminisce on a time before the iconic pub was replaced with a clothes shop.
The Duchess is only at the market until 24 July, so don't miss out / image: Compass Festival
Designed by Katie Etheridge and Simon Persighettie, the remade pop-up pub features a mock-up of the sign, gig flyers, photos from gigs in a massive hit of nostalgia.
The duo behind the project hopes that local visitors will “come together, share memories of gigs they went to and discuss why pubs and pub venues are so important, and what we can do to stop them being lost” here.
Further big names to grace The Duchess's stage over the years include Radiohead, Coldplay and Green Day - but it's biggest claim to fame has to be welcoming in Nirvana as a support band back in the late 80s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cMEZtJ-9Mw&t=4s
It's said that the little-known band from Aberdeen, Washington came to support Tad - and that Kurt Cobain went and slept on the sofa upstairs afterward.
At the time, the band was in town to promote their album Bleach; but they also played some songs that would feature in their second album Nevermind, such as About a Girl, Love Buzz, Floyd the Barber and Polly.
For anyone who was there, it was surely a truly iconic gig to witness. We have to say, we're rather jealous.
You can get some of Yorkshire's finest ales on tap here alongside old school favourites like Tetley's / Image: Compass Festival
Modeled on the dimensions of the unique fermenting vessel made famous by Tetley’s Brewery, the recreated Duchess of York has plenty of cold beer as well as what they're calling the 'Time Bar.'
Here, you can watch and listen to specially recorded interviews on pub's past, present and future and add your own using the interactive Pub Quiz machine.
There is no need to book, you can just turn up. Find it inside Kirkgate Market until 24 July.
Opening times at The Duchess:
Friday 16 July: 11am – 10pm
Saturday 17 July: 11am – 5pm
Monday 19 July: 11am – 5pm
Tuesday 20 July: 11am – 5pm
Wednesday 21 July: 11am – 5pm
Thursday 22 July: 11am – 5pm
Friday 23 July: 11am – 10pm
Saturday 24 July: 11am – 5pm
Feature image - Leeds Civic Trust / Youtube.
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.”
Georgina Pellant -
16th July 2021 
