I went to Leeds for the weekend, Leeds being a huge Northern city for those of you who don't know. I have three mates from Oxford who live there, so I went to stay with one (Rebecca) along with Lauren, from Birmingham-ish, while Becca's parents were on holiday. The three of us shared a floor last year and we're living together again next year.
It had to be a short trip because of work on Friday and Monday, so I got there very tired at about midnight on Friday-Saturday, and had to leave again on Sunday at 5:30, which was far too short. But overall, Leeds was awesome.
The first thing I noticed was that the trains to and in Leeds and the North in general were much, much nicer than the trains I have to use locally. They were actually clean, and on time, and not offensively ugly, and organised and had sliding doors and buttons and stuff. The best way to demonstrate the contrast with my local trains is to quote from![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif)
bellesecrets:
I am on what was formerly known as Thameslink, i.e. the worst trains in England (and I'm sure you know England has the worst reputation as it is for trains) and trust me, as great it is that First Capital Connect have painted everything pink, I wouldn't say anything's improved. I actually feel rather nervous, whenever I'm on train elsewhere in England, that I've accidentally wandered into first class, because everything is literally about 100x better than the first class on the trains I grew up on, let alone ordinary carriages.
Anyway, I got there and was glad to see Becca and Lauren and catch up a little after weeks apart, although I was pretty shattered, having wokenn up at 6:30 for work. So we didn't stay up for long. On Sunday we set out for Leeds (as in the city centre) in the morning to go shopping, with the girls trying their utmost (and failing) to interest me in fashion. We decided to eat at YO! Sushi which is quite awesome despite its name - it's a Japanese restaraunt where the chefs cook everything in front of you, and the food is placed on a conveyor belt that goes around the room. You pick what you want off the belt as it goes around, which makes for an exciting experience (what was that? QUICK! GRAB IT!) but you can also order something made hot if you want. There's one opening in Oxford soon, so we'll probably go back at some point, although I personally adore the other Japanese restaraunt in Oxford.
Anywho, once the girls had bought their costumes we headed home until evening, whereupon we went out, meeting on the way a few of Becca's local friends and Matt B, who also lives in Leeds and goes to Hertford college. I'm not usually a fan of clubbing, perhaps because I've only been out in Oxford, where the clubs are expensive, far away and play shit music, but I really enjoyed it in Leeds. We went to Halo, a converted church, which was a great setting - I love church architecture. There's a similar place in Oxford which is just a bar, I think, so I may have to mosey over at some point.
Anywho, after returning home and going to bed at 3, I woke at 12 and we spent Sunday on Ilkley Moor (part of the famous Yorkshire Moors). We went to the cow and calf, a huge formation of rocks which we spent a lot of time climbing. I took a photo of some writing somebody had decided to engrave on the top of one of the rocks in 1869, which was quite amazing to think about - graffiti isn't a modern phenomenon. Anyway, the views were quite amazing - we could see a little town under the rocks - but once we tired of them, we headed to the Cow and Calf pub nearby and relaxed there for a while. After which I had to go home far too soon. I wish I could have stayed longer in the lovely North (Leeds, incidentally, is the furthest North I have been in the world) but I'm now keen to return at some point - perhaps for the street parties that Lal has promised will take place once Maggie Thatcher dies?
It had to be a short trip because of work on Friday and Monday, so I got there very tired at about midnight on Friday-Saturday, and had to leave again on Sunday at 5:30, which was far too short. But overall, Leeds was awesome.
The first thing I noticed was that the trains to and in Leeds and the North in general were much, much nicer than the trains I have to use locally. They were actually clean, and on time, and not offensively ugly, and organised and had sliding doors and buttons and stuff. The best way to demonstrate the contrast with my local trains is to quote from
bellesecrets:I am on what was formerly known as Thameslink, i.e. the worst trains in England (and I'm sure you know England has the worst reputation as it is for trains) and trust me, as great it is that First Capital Connect have painted everything pink, I wouldn't say anything's improved. I actually feel rather nervous, whenever I'm on train elsewhere in England, that I've accidentally wandered into first class, because everything is literally about 100x better than the first class on the trains I grew up on, let alone ordinary carriages.
Anyway, I got there and was glad to see Becca and Lauren and catch up a little after weeks apart, although I was pretty shattered, having wokenn up at 6:30 for work. So we didn't stay up for long. On Sunday we set out for Leeds (as in the city centre) in the morning to go shopping, with the girls trying their utmost (and failing) to interest me in fashion. We decided to eat at YO! Sushi which is quite awesome despite its name - it's a Japanese restaraunt where the chefs cook everything in front of you, and the food is placed on a conveyor belt that goes around the room. You pick what you want off the belt as it goes around, which makes for an exciting experience (what was that? QUICK! GRAB IT!) but you can also order something made hot if you want. There's one opening in Oxford soon, so we'll probably go back at some point, although I personally adore the other Japanese restaraunt in Oxford.
Anywho, once the girls had bought their costumes we headed home until evening, whereupon we went out, meeting on the way a few of Becca's local friends and Matt B, who also lives in Leeds and goes to Hertford college. I'm not usually a fan of clubbing, perhaps because I've only been out in Oxford, where the clubs are expensive, far away and play shit music, but I really enjoyed it in Leeds. We went to Halo, a converted church, which was a great setting - I love church architecture. There's a similar place in Oxford which is just a bar, I think, so I may have to mosey over at some point.
Anywho, after returning home and going to bed at 3, I woke at 12 and we spent Sunday on Ilkley Moor (part of the famous Yorkshire Moors). We went to the cow and calf, a huge formation of rocks which we spent a lot of time climbing. I took a photo of some writing somebody had decided to engrave on the top of one of the rocks in 1869, which was quite amazing to think about - graffiti isn't a modern phenomenon. Anyway, the views were quite amazing - we could see a little town under the rocks - but once we tired of them, we headed to the Cow and Calf pub nearby and relaxed there for a while. After which I had to go home far too soon. I wish I could have stayed longer in the lovely North (Leeds, incidentally, is the furthest North I have been in the world) but I'm now keen to return at some point - perhaps for the street parties that Lal has promised will take place once Maggie Thatcher dies?
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