What with being let down once again by Virgin Media, I had to seek solace on such a rainy day as…read moreyesterday, with coffee and wifi. There's a number of spots about town in which to laze the day away with a supply of reasonable coffee, but since The Bowery is so close and it's been so long, I decided to set up here for lunch and respite from the rains. As far as I can tell, the place has gone from strength to strength, providing in-numerous excellent artistic courses for folks to partake of, alongside their range of fresh lunchables and gift-shop-cum-gallery. The programme of lessons looks fantastic, offering up everything from jewellery making to knitting, and browsing the hand crafted gifts about the cafe reveals a wealth of local talent and passion. I hadn't intended to purchase anything (one never does) but couldn't help be drawn in by some of the kitsch and quirky little items. The staff, as ever, are mega friendly, which makes a visit all the nicer. I decided to try the spinach and ricotta quiche, which comes with a sizeable plate of salad on the side. I have to say, whilst the quiche didn't make my mouth sing, the accompanying salad more than made up for this in flavour - the dressing was mouth watering, and the mix of sultanas, sesame seeds and such made this a healthy taste sensation. You can grab a decent sized latte for about £2, a pot of tea which yielded a few cups for the same, and of course the wifi is free. It's not coffee comparable to the likes of Bottega or Laynes, but the space more than makes up for this -and I'm not complaining, it was a good cup of Joe. The atmosphere defines relaxed, and with the array of art and crafts on the walls and in the cabinets, you're not short on excellent things to look at and ponder. The gallery and classroom space is upstairs, and whilst I didn't have an opportunity to wander around, I'll have to come back soon for a peek. I read also that the classroom space is available for hire for most art-related activities, for as little as £5 an hour I believe, which is fantastic for the local community. It's also worth noting that the toilet even has a mini seat that you can pull down, should you have kidlets in your company, which is a lovely touch. Overall, I'm a big fan of this place, and hope that Headingley continues to support independents like this. More of this, please Headingley. Get your senses open and your art head on.

The Bowery is more than just a cafe. Here you can also find art exhibition space, a classroom for…read moreworkshops and an impressive selection of cards and gifts. It's split across two floors and, while the upper floor is light and airy the lower floor feels a little cramped. Possibly because the lower floor contains the cafe and the gift shop but it does seem to work. Naturally, the gallery space is a little quieter but it's a lovely space and I really enjoyed wandering around and looking at the exhibits. It looks like the workshops room is really well used. A group was finishing a crafting workshop as we arrived and the website advertises further workshops as well as a series of short courses that starts in September and a variety of other events. We didn't stay for food but they're certainly popular, which has to be a good sign, and the cakes look great. I'd be tempted to return for a coffee and some treats but even if these turn out to be less than the best in the area The Bowery is doing a great job of pulling together a creative community in Headingley. They describe themselves as The Home of Creativity and I think that that suits them very well.

Everything pictures! This is an established family run business in Cleethorpes on Alexandra Road,…read moreoverlooking the seafront. The main element of the business is that of art gallery and picture framing. The range of prints and original artwork available is outstanding. Where outside a big city will you find art by the likes of Todd White? you wouldn't expect to find it in Cleethorpes but yes, the limited edition (95 prints only) releases which are hand embellished by Todd White have been on sale here, albeit not for long because you can't get them for love nor money. Traditional watercolours to modern prints can be found here and prices that are surprisingly cheap - the Todd White pieces were only £700 each. If you need something framing then this is the place to go. Forget any of these bargain basement type places because they often don't have much of a clue. Mig (the owner) just has an eye for framing. He just knows exactly what will look best. When I need something framing I don't even bother thinking about what I want because I just leave it up to him and know the end result will be perfect. Finally upstairs of the gallery is an art studio which hosts lessons for all levels by famous watercolour artist Leslie Treacher.

A free art gallery with a great cafe with terrace. As a…read moreteenager my cousin and I would try and stnd on our heads to look at the portrait of The Martydom of St Sebastian. Ok we were weird we wanted to see if he was good looking right way up and he wasn't really :)) A lovely place to spend an hour or so. We used to go here, and other free museums in Hull, at lunchtime, when I was at Art College. From Fran Hal and Elwell to David Hockney and John Davies. My Favourites (other than ST S) are a woman playing cards by Frampton and The Lettermen by Peter Black (Pop Art). There is also a great portrait of Hulls first lady Maureen Lipman. Small shop for prints and postcards.

Fabulous art gallery in the city centre. If you have…read morechildren, the Children's Gallery is a wonderful little area upstairs that will keep them amused, and teach them a little about art in the process.