And we're in the top five cities for DIY home improvements too.
Bank Holidays often mark the start of huge new DIY home projects in Leeds.
Whether you're choosing to use your bank holiday to repaint your bedroom or upcycle furniture for the lounge, there's no doubt that hundreds of homeowners across the UK will be using their extra day off to take on some home improvement challenges.
Whether you're someone that can see such projects from start to end, or get bored halfway through, here in Leeds we've been recognised as having some of the most enthusiastic DIY and home lovers across the country.
According to Leader Doors, there was a staggering 35% increase in the number of first-time buyers stepping onto the property ladder in 2021 when compared to 2020, and whilst that means that more people than ever are undertaking the challenge of furnishing and improving homes for the very first time, the cost of living crisis also suggests that they're trying to do this on a more limited budget.
New financial limitations, combined with new TikTok hack trends that are making DIY projects accessible in a way that previous generations could not have possible fathomed, was the driving force behind a new survey from Leader Doors into the best UK cities to live if you're a home enthusiast.
Leeds scored an impressive 7th place, pipped by Bradford in 6th. Marked against the number of combined decor and DIY stores and ranked accordingly, this survey was all about accessibility to materials- given there's little point in moving to your dream city if you're a flat-pack lover and there's not an IKEA for miles.
Overall, Leeds has a respectable 68 stores across the city, whilst Bradford totted up an impressive 74 DIY and home improvement stores across the city. Even Wakefield made it into the top ten, with 61 stores counted across the region.
When it came to DIY stores, the survey counted up the number of B&Qs, Homebase, IKEA and Wilkos to discover where cities lay in their ability to upcycle and get creative. Leeds and Bradford scored a joint fifth place with a total score of 21 each- not bad when you account for the size of our cities compared to the likes of London (which came in first with 52 stores across the entire city).
Clearly, we're a city with a lot to offer, but now Leeds can add 'Top UK city for DIY and home improvement' to its accolades- an unusual, but nonetheless exciting, title to have.
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 -
2nd May 2022 
