The Leeds Fun Weekend is an offshoot of the Croydon Fun Weekend, which began in 2012 as an annual celebration of things to do in Croydon. From 2020 onwards, Fun Weekends will take place in Croydon in odd-numbered years and somewhere else in even-numbered years. Leeds is the first “somewhere else” to feature!
The Fun Weekends aren’t associated with any formal or informal organisations — they’re organised solely by a small team of volunteers (this year: Kake and Alice) with the aim of showing people some of the things that are great about living in a specific place. Anyone is welcome to come along.
If you want to come to dim sum or any of the evening meals, please email kake@earth.li before 8 January so we can make sure we book enough spaces at the restaurants.
Pricing
All activities are free of charge aside from the costs of food and drink. If you’d like to attend a session that involves food and/or drink but are unable to afford this, please let us know and we’ll find a way to make sure you can come and join in.
Photography policy
Please don't take photos of other Fun Weekend attendees unless you have their explicit permission.
The 2020 programme
Friday 17 January 2020
- 1:45pm–5pm
- Museum crawl taking in the Henry Moore Institute, Leeds City Museum, Leeds Art Gallery, and Leeds Central Library Tiled Hall. Meet from 1:45pm at the benches in Millennium Square between the golden owl and the City Museum (on the right in this Google Street View image) for a prompt departure at 2pm.
- Accessibility: From what we’ve checked so far, we should be able to take a step-free route for most or all of this.
- 5:15pm–6:45pm
- Drinks at Foleys Tap House, 159 The Headrow, LS1 5RG.
- Accessibility: A small step to get in, and possibly more steps inside depending on where we find space.
- 7pm onwards
- Dinner at Ibérica, Hepper House, 17a East Parade, LS1 2BH.
- Accessibility: Four steps to get in (photo). Toilets are down some stairs in the basement.
Saturday 18 January 2020
- 10:15am–11:45am
- Leeds Owl Trail. Meet from 10:15am at the benches in Millennium Square between the golden owl and the City Museum (on the right in this Google Street View image). A group led by one of our organisers will depart from here at 10:30am prompt, but you’re welcome to make your own way around the trail instead if you prefer. We will all reconvene by 11:45am at the bench outside the main entrance to the Corn Exchange (south-west side, as seen in this Google Street View image).
- Accessibility: Some cobbled sections, though we may be able to avoid these.
- noon–1pm
- Lunch
at Kirkgate Market street food stalls.
- Accessibility: The market can get quite busy and noisy. Parts of the market are quite old, with some uneven floors and narrow passages, but these can be avoided. We will have our own reserved seating.
- 1:30pm–4:30pm (last entry 4pm), Team Crafts
- Craft session at The Tetley, Hunslet Road, LS10 1JQ. Feel free to bring your own crafting, but we will also provide crochet and knitting materials and lessons as well as paper, pencils, felt-tips, stickers, scissors, glue, etc. Both children and adults are welcome (all children must be accompanied by an adult; adults do not need to be accompanied by a child). Please feel free to arrive and leave at any time, but do note that last entry is at 4pm. This is a joint event with Queer Code Yorkshire.
- 1:15pm–5:45pm, Team Pub
- Pub crawl led by bob walker. Please note that you don’t have to drink alcohol to come on this — we’ve had at least one teetotal participant every year we’ve been doing it. Either meet by 1pm at Kirkgate Market as above, or join in along the way (see schedule for the crawl).
- 6pm onwards
- Teams converge for dinner at Fuji Hiro, 45 Wade Lane, LS2 8NJ.
- Accessibility: Level access from the street, with automatic door. Toilets not checked.
Sunday 19 January 2020
- 11:30am–1:45pm
- Dim sum at Oriental City Restaurant, 30–36 Cross Stamford Street, LS7 1BA. Please bring cash for this, to avoid faff with multiple card payments — it will probably be around £15–20/head. Pound coins and £5 notes are likely to be very helpful in splitting up the bill, so do consider bringing some.
- 1:45pm onwards
- Walk led by Chris Hindle of the Thoresby Society. Meet at the stone lions under the pagoda at the Ruby Street entrance to the Oriental City car park (see Google Street View) from 1:45pm for a prompt departure at 2pm. The walk will last a couple of hours and finish up in a pub near Leeds Station.
- 6pm onwards
- Dinner at Bundobust,
6 Mill Hill, LS1 5DQ.
- Accessibility: A small step to get in (photo). Tables are quite close together.