The Junction, the new neighbourhood at Wellington Place is saying farewell to summer with a huge party - and everyone is invited.
From 6pm on Saturday 16 September, get yourself down to the secret garden, a new green space that was once part of the old Leeds railway.
Located just next to the 665 apartments from The Junction, the End Of Summer Party is the perfect example of how the new neighbourhood shines a spotlight on local independents, and is creating a new way of living right in the heart of the city.
The farewell to summer will be a proper Leeds affair, with some of the city's favourite independent food and drink companies providing masterclasses, food stalls and a pop-up bar on the landscaped space at Monk Bridge Viaduct.
The secret garden overlooks Wellington Place, and of course, the Leeds skyline. / Image: Unsplash
Shouk! has been on the Leeds foodie scene for a few years now, bringing Leeds flavour-packed pittas and falafels aplenty from Trinity Kitchen and popups at Wellington Place, North Brewing Co's Springwell and a whole host of private events.
Now its The Junction's turn for a taste of the authentic Middle Eastern street food - and we really can't think of a better menu to say goodbye to summer with.
Drinkswise, Wolfe Bros, another local favourite you might recognise from its award-winning Yorkshire distillery. The popular gin makers are just three years old, but have plenty of experience in creating the perfect tipple.
Wolfe Bros actually comes from the same people behind Call Lane's own Roland's and secret jazz bar, The Domino - so these guys are perfect to quiz about making the perfect gin.
The best of Wolfe Bros gin will be available from the pick 'n' mix G&T bar at The Junction this weekend, whilst The Domino Club will be running a masterclass, sharing the secrets behind creating a Gin Junction cocktail.
Masterclasses will run on a first-come-first-served basis on the night, so make sure to get there with plenty of time to secure a space.
Offering a different way to celebrate than the usual offerings in the city centre, The Junction is only ten minutes from Leeds Train Station - and where else will you have the chance to spend the evening watching the sun go down with a glass of gin in hand, hanging out with your mates and listening to the sounds of Bare Brass Band?
Tickets are just £3, with all proceeds set to be donated to LATCH: Leeds Action to Create Homes, a Leeds-based charity that helps to transform derelict and run-down houses in suburbs like Chapeltown, Harehills and Burley.
To make sure you don't miss out on all the fun, get a ticket booked via Eventbrite here.
About The Junction
The new green neighbourhood, featuring 665 apartments to rent, has emerged just moments from Leeds city centre – and it has some seriously swoon-worthy features.
Outdoor event spaces, private dining rooms, green spaces, 24 hour security, and the coolest walk to work in the city – that's just the beginning.
Check out some of these amenities that everyone living at The Junction will be able to take advantage of right here.
Feature Image - Supplied, The Junction
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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 September 2023 
