Leeds - city

The City of Leeds

Leeds is a
prosperous, commercial, industrial and manufacturing city, and is also the cultural and
sporting centre for much of the region. In the City Centre, modern offices have developed
alongside fine old buildings like the Town Hall and the Corn Exchange.
Impressive new shopping precincts complement traditional Victorian arcades, and
have created a fine regional shopping centre. Leeds is a 'green' city, proud of its parks and open spaces,
including Woodhouse Moor, close to the University and Roundhay Park and the
Temple Newsam estate near the City
Centre.

Visitors to Leeds are impressed by the
range of different leisure facilities. There are lively audiences for all kinds
of films, concerts and plays. There is a thriving local music scene covering
everything from soul and reggae to jazz and folk. Leeds has a rich musical tradition. Each year a
full programme of symphony concerts and chamber music is arranged in the Town
Hall. The world famous Leeds
International Pianoforte Competition is held every three years.

The Grand Theatre
is the home of Opera North. It also stages touring productions of national and
international ballet and theatre companies. The new West Yorkshire Playhouse is
the home of one of the leading provincial theatre companies and has been called
the 'National Theatre of the North'. Costing over £12 million, the new
Playhouse has some of the best facilities outside London. Leeds City Art Gallery offers a wide variety of
exhibitions and also houses the new, internationally famous Henry Moore Centre
for the Study of Sculpture.

If you are an
active sportsperson you will find many sporting facilities both in the
University and the City.
You will be able to use the Leeds
international swimming pool which is only ten minutes walk from the University,
and other heated pools which are located in various parts of the City. There are many fine
golf courses in the Leeds
area and the City's
parks include more than 160 tennis courts as well as pitches for rugby,
cricket, soccer and hockey.

Shopaholics
are in for a treat as the city
boasts around 1,000 shops in a unique mix of stylish pedestrianised high
streets, state-of-the-art shopping centres, Victorian arcades, historic
buildings and yards and Edwardian markets. Leeds
city centre has almost 1,000
shops, 16 major hotels, 4 renowned theatres, 90 restaurants and cafes and over
160 bars.

For the spectator,
Headingley is the home of Yorkshire County Cricket Club and Leeds Rugby League Club; Leeds United play at Elland
Road.

The Region

Leeds lies in the
heart of West Yorkshire. The City
enjoys excellent communications with the rest of the country. The M1 motorway
provides a direct road link with the Midlands, London and the South; the A1
provides access to the North East and the Eastern Counties; and the M62 links
the City with Hull,
Manchester, Liverpool and the North West. Manchester is about 1 hour's drive,
Liverpool about 11/2 hours, Newcastle about 2 hours, Birmingham about 3 hours
and London and Bristol about 4 hours.

Inter-city trains operate frequent
through services to London, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff and Newcastle; other
services provide regular connections with the North West, the East Midlands,
East Anglia and the South West. Extensive coach services are available and Leeds/Bradford airport
provides connections to an increasing number of locations in the United Kingdom
and Western Europe.

Within easy reach
of Leeds are many
areas of outstanding natural beauty. You will be able to explore the Yorkshire
Dales and the Pennines, the North York Moors and the Vale of York. Within half
an hour of the City
Centre, you can be in some of the finest walking country in the world.

The region is also
fortunate to possess many places of historical interest. Kirkstall Abbey and
Temple Newsam lie within the City
boundaries while Castle Howard, Nostell Priory and Harewood House are some of
the stately homes close to the City.