Alex Inkley

Who doesn’t enjoy gorging on tiny crust-less sandwiches and cream-covered scones? Leeds has some of the best afternoon teas available, and here are the some of the most mouth-watering options... Just Grand! Vintage Tea RoomsJust Grand! is an adorable and incredibly twee tearoom situated just inside the Grand Arcade. Seated among the 1950s decor, frilly tablecloths, and abundance of pink, you can order either the standard afternoon tea or a 'gentleman’s afternoon tea' from a menu plastered on a vinyl record. The latter is a spin on the traditional and includes a pork pie and ale. Photo by Alex Inkley BrownsThe afternoon tea at Browns is available every day from 2.30-5pm, and boy is it worth the trip. If dinning in a renowned establishment with a fantastic ambiance isn’t enough, for £16 you and your tea-loving partner can enjoy a selection of sandwiches, including smoked salmon and creme fraiche, fruit scones with clotted cream and jam, a selection of desserts, and unlimited tea. For an extra £8 you can both enjoy a glass of Hendricks and Fever Tree tonic, and an extra £10 gets you a chilled glass of Mercier Champagne. Photo by Robyn Lee, https://www.flickr.com/photos/roboppy/ Love Rouge BakeryThis fantastic little café bakery on Otley Road offers not only a fantastic retro vibe but also an incredibly diverse afternoon tea selection. There's an entirely vegetarian option for the finger sandwiches, which includes homemade falafel, humous and roasted vegetables, and cream che

As far as alternative club nights go, Leeds has always been pretty awesome at providing a fantastic range of non-mainstream floor-stompers to attend. From Saturday nights at the legendary Bar Phono, the supposed birthplace of gothic two-step regularly frequented by Andrew Eldritch, to hugely popular nights at the now-defunct The Cockpit, Leeds has been a mecca for alternative music of all genres for decades. Times have changed, but Leeds is still host to an impressive array of alternative choices for all your raving, moshing and body-jerking needs. Here's what you need to know. Bunker 13Bunker 13 is a phenomenal industrial/EBM/aggrotech night that's been running for over 10 years. Initially a Whitby Gothic Weekend fringe event at RAW nightclub, it recently moved to a new location at the fantastic Eiger Music Studios. DJs Amanda Lee and John Bland work tirelessly to bring you the best music, spinning tracks from Nachtmahr, Combichrist, Suicide Commando and more. If you're looking for a night of latex-heavy outfits and brilliant people, you need look no further.    A photo posted by Tom Barker (@ctombarker) on Dec 23, 2014 at 8:17am PST   Carpe NoctumFor years, The Library pub has been infamous for its association with gothic club nights. As a spooky student I regularly went to Flock!, a night of post-punk, goth and industrial music hosted by Phono Paul. Flock! closed its doors in June 2014, but thankfully for us macabre lot, a new club night quickly arrived to keep the sp

Apparently eating less meat is one effective (and easy) way to fight global warming – sorry, extreme carnivores. According to the UN, raising animals for food is a top contributor to environmental problems, globally and locally. So at this stage in the game, cutting down and eating veggie is a pretty awesome thing to do – and ace new campaigners Reducetarian agree. You might even try some delicious things you never thought about eating before. Right now, Leeds boasts an impressive array of restaurants and food shops, bursting with veggie and vegan treats. Here are a few places that the master herbivore and the curious food enthusiast alike should check out. Grove Cafe, Cardigan RoadGrove Cafe is a fantastic little gem in the Burley area of Leeds. Because it doesn’t advertise as a specifically veggie and vegan café, it's quite often overlooked. But it's worth going that little extra distance to experience what's on offer. There's a variety of Indian style starters and mains, including tasty tofu fritters, vegan chicken gourmet curry, and soya, mushroom and pepper biryani, and their vegan pizzas are to die for. Plus, everything is available to takeaway. They also cater for non-veggies and the gluten-free.                       Global Tribal Café, Swan StreetEverything about this place exclaims peace and love. The staff are relaxed and welcoming, the bohemian decor is a refreshing mix of pastel colours and there is a shop on the ground floor selling a selection of incense, crys

With LGBT History Month in full swing, it’s worth reminding ourselves that Leeds is a fantastic place for the young and queer. I’m not just talking about the club scene in The Calls; I’m talking about a wider reach of support and artistic expression for LGBT, queer, and non-binary people. The Wharf Chambers offers not only a sense of fun and liberation, but also safety, community, and tolerance. As well as hosting the monthly Caffe Queero, a social event that involves anything from arts and crafts to an unwanted Christmas present swap, Wharf Chambers also runs a regular chilled out LGBTQ club night called Queer We Go. What’s unique about Queer We Go, and separates it from other LGBT events in Leeds, is its focus on live music and new, exciting indie bands – ones who sing about queer topics. It will often feature up to four artists from around the country before transforming into a club night, playing ace, non-mainstream tunes. It's not only views on gender, equal rights issues and sexuality that unite people; it’s also the music. There's a DIY ethic to Wharf Chambers that's hard to find elsewhere. In the past they've held events like the Pop-Up Salon, where cis and trans people alike can get their hair cut for £2; the Veg Out! food festival, featuring veggie and vegan treats from Yorkshire’s finest kitchens; and queer film nights showing the best of underground and acclaimed LGBTQI cinema. Here's the next round of goings-on… Spoonboy, Onsind, Jesus and His Judgemental Father,