The "Great Leeds Valentines Fair" is back again folks, for the 19th year running, Leeds is cashing…read morein on the Valentines Day madness and holding a fun fair in it's honour. oh lucky Valentine!! All jokes aside it's a grand idea! It's £1 to enter on to the site, admission goes towards the payment of security around the fun fair limits, which is an excellent point, considering the amount of kidlets and families and potential for disaster sort of scenarios these type of events often have. The fair starts today, and runs until Sunday 21st of Feb this year, and it's open from 1pm and closes at 10.30pm. There are some exceptions to this, due to the football fixtures and Elland Road being Leeds' home ground. So what's there? Well, there are Roller Coasters, Dodgems, Ghost Trains, Fun Houses, the crazy claw looking thing that hurls you (safely) in every direction, Carousels, the Crazy Mouse, prize games, novelty stores, candy floss, toffee apples, greasy burgers, fries, hot chocolate, and all that other childish brilliantly fun stuff fun fairs generally have to offer. This year's chosen charity of choice is Martin House Hospice, which is dedicated to providing support to children with life limiting illnesses and their families.

Love is in the air, every time I look around. That's not strictly true but go on spread some love…read moreand hug a neighbour. No, okay then maybe try the ever increasing Valentine Fair at Elland Road. Now I must admit, fairgrounds and romance aren't the first two things to spring to mind when I think about it but any excuse for some thrill seeker rides, candy floss and hook-a-duck in my book. It really is becoming a big event in the city and I've now come to expect the resulting queuing traffic off the M621 and gaggle of school children milling around each time it rolls into town. Plenty of attractions to get your teeth into and I suggest the bungee if you like a bit of adrenaline action, or even the buzz mouse. Enough sugar rotting treats to shake a stick at and of course your entire usual fair ground games and over-sized teddy bears to win. Do watch out for pick pockets but that is the same at any large gathering of people. It's a shame to have to say that when the whole point of the event is to give a little love. Also look out for the special promotions to save on those pennies. Not exclusively for those in love, that would rule quite a few of us out, so don't let the name put you off.

It's baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!!! Nicely coinciding with the…read morereturn of Dancing on Ice, Millennium Square's annual Ice Cube hath returned. It's nice to see the Millennium Square space turned so easily into a large stomping ground for amateur skaters. I realise that since early December we've had some serious snow, with seemingly more to come, but the novelty of outdoor skating rinks rarely wears off. Plus this one actually looks safe, unlike some I've seen where there are hearty pools of wet located mid skate flow like potholes in the road. There's a decent size to skate around too, the last few I've been to in surrounding areas haven't been conducive to multiple persons gliding around, and there was definitely no room for a triple salchow, and plus points include, plenty of room to watch your friends and family skate around and fall on their backsides, and if it's a typical winter's day, there is a purpose built pavilion and café. It looks kinda special at night time, all lit up with multi coloured spots, very nice three month addition. Is it free to participate? Nope. Adults will pay £8.50 for between an hour or 90 minutes on the ice, depending on what time you arrive, kids, £6.50, students £7.50, and prices include skate hire but not locker hire. Depending on your perspective it's either a rip off or a bargain, but I think it's great. If you avoid Saturdays when all kidlets are off school, you can get a good dance around the ice pretty person free.

Apparently in it's 10th year running the 'ice cube' in Millennium Square provides show-offs and…read morenovices and distinct change to weekend revelries. Crammed with cheery circling friends, prancing pros and courting couples attempting to hold hands there is also a wee baby rink for smaller inexperienced people. I got a lovely view of all these happenings from atop o' the Carriageworks on Friday night. There is also a small exhibition about the melting polar circle around the edge too.

Leeds International Concert Season began in September of last year and ends in March of this year…read more It is a collection of lunchtime concerts and performances, held every Monday in between, and featuring a range of organists, collectives and choirs, and if you know someone who appreciates this type of musical experience then spread the word. The acoustics in the Leeds Town Hall are amazing, as they are in many town halls, granted, but after having experienced the sheer volume and encompassing feeling of music when these concerts play, it's worth the trip to the town hall just for the sheer hell of it. The genre of music tends to play towards the classical side of things, with the exception being choral appearances, but don't let that put you off, more inspire you to expand horizons. With Simon Lindley taking master residence as the city organist, his talents are truly worth appreciating, but it's also worth experiencing the University of Huddersfield Brass Band and the Leeds Cathedral Choir. From what I can gather the majority of performances are free to attend, I believe the exception is the Christmas and Easter performances, so it may not be the coolest thing to do, but it's quality and something a little different, and who knows, your gran or grandad might appreciate a lunchtime concert if nothing else.

Perhaps it's the waning allure of those same old crystal stalls, pretzels, and such like that's…read moreaffected my love for the German Market, or perhaps it's the lingering shock of a very un-tasty doughnut that has done it. There's a few things that have bothered me in the last few years about the Christkindelmarkt, but this particular offending confection was rather upsetting. The custard was sour, and the icing was fizzy. I did not expect that palate of flavour when biting into such an item, which promised in appearance to be delicious. In any case, that's not the sole reason that I'm now just 'a-ok' with the market. As much as I can confirm it to be genuine, as on my Berlin travels their markets were identikit to the stalls that grace Leeds each year, I'm not too much of a fan of the music in the big beer hall. I realise that to be truly authentic we'd require a strange mix of 90s dance (yes, that was my experience) but I'd much rather that than essentially Amarillo style tunes. Perhaps I'm grumpy. The things I love: The mulled wine, the loveliness of meeting people for a drink outside, the Christmas spirit, the shiny exciting foodstuffs, the cheese sausage hotdog. That guy was excellent -full of flavour, full of proper melted cheese, and really frankfurter-y in taste. Truly yummy. The waffles were cooked straight off, and not from a packet, and smothered in a slick spill of Nutella. Not for those who can't handle a sickly amount of spread. The things I don't love so much: The slightly grumpy staff. Most of the stall holders encountered on my visit were not particularly friendly. I do appreciate they work all hours on this thing, but y'know. The security staff were excellent though, and had all the banter come closing. The doughnuts, as described above. The fact that we could have a Leeds market, with local traders, where the money comes back into the city. I'm sure we could make our own Christmas style market with local produce and suchlike. Perhaps an idea for the LCC suggestion box... In any case, I'll certainly be back. It's a great place to meet friends, have a mug of mulled goodness together, and catch up. Since I didn't get to stuff my face with pancakes, chocolate covered marshmallows, and the other varied goodies, a revisit is a must. Plus, call me a big kid, but I kinda fancy a go on the carousel...

Now I like a good excuse to dive out of my hum-drum lifestyle and experience different and diverse…read morecultures. But I feel like I have come away from the German Christmas market a little cheated. I like everything that there is to eat and drink. Chocolate, beer, wine sausage etc... But £5 a sausage with a little bit of sauce. Rowena even asked for extra curry sauce as the teeny tiny serving of sauce was clearly not enough. It wasn't even curry sauce but a warm spicy tomato ketchup. The chips were very dry too. The chocolate looked and smelled amazing but I am not a chocolate person as I don't have a sweet tooth. Roweena however dived straight in and ravished a skewer of white chocolate covered marsh mellows. My gripe is that the wares weren't very diverse. So unless I was willing to join a very long line of people waiting to get into the beer tent. Which was playing very un Christmas and definitely not German music. The experience was quite a short one. And although Rowena can try and deny it until the cows come home. She did indeed make me eat sausage!

Placing art into public spaces exhibiting pieces on unusual mounts such as statute plinths and…read morehoardings this concept brings together curators, private landlords, artists and businesses. Exhibits include 'Short Shorts' a series of extremely short films ranging from seven second clips to those of 30 seconds duration, photography from exhibits such as 'Light Night' as well as 'Beauty in the Ordinary' which captures beauty in an otherwise ordinary setting from scenes around Leeds. This is very personal to the city of Leeds so if you want to catch a glimpse of Leeds life without leaving the city it may be good to hunt down some of this art.

This fantastic organisation is another gem that aims to keep the unique and independent arts scene…read morein Leeds alive. I've read a fair bit about their projects, and intend to make 2011 the year to experience more of them, as last year (to memory) I only attended one. I went to The Man Who Saved The World in the Autumn of 2010 and it was a fantastic, unique and completely quirky event. Basically, as a part of their projects, they've been using vacant retail space (I'm sure as a comment on using empty space during the economic downturn) and holding installations and events. This particular event was held in the old TK Maxx space and it was fantastically intriguing to wander through the back corridors of the Leeds Shopping Plaza, like something out of Silent Hill, to attend what felt to be an exclusive and underground party with a twist! As we arrived we found a huge empty space, with a ring of huge screens with some random Turkish sci-fi films being played on them, and a funky cool jazz band right in the centre. Drinks were available and it was great to see the space being used in such a quirky and intriguing fashion! My friend and enjoyed a happy hour sat on the floor watching some bizarre sci-fi, listening to the fabulous live band and generally having a good old natter in the centre of the space. One other project I remember seeing was set in some of the unused space in the Merrion Centre. There were sort of pin holes in the glass, which once you peered through, revealed a little art installation. It was delightful, but sadly I can't remember the name of the artist! At any rate, keep your eyes and ears open for any future goings on with these folk as I'm certain you won't be disappointed!

What more could I say about this space, that hasn't already been said? Well, that's the point -…read morejust because it's been said, doesn't mean that I shouldn't add some extra love. Right? So, the things that I've enjoyed in this place since the beginning of the year: Christkindlemarkt (which I wish was a Yorkshire Christmas market), Leeds Loves Food, Curry Festival, Wimbledon, 2.8 hours later, and many a sunny sit. I love that the area is constantly in flux, depending on the weather and season, and used in interesting ways. I completely missed the Leeds beach, like a fool, but I heard it was really interesting. I'm not sure I'm brave enough for ice skating, but I'll give it a go given a little nudge. (Last time I was swarmed by childs and ended up holding on to the edge in fear.) It's conveniently got a cash point for the spendage. There's even the Carriageworks, right there, if you want some theatre. Basically, often you might simply walk on through, but occasionally you'll have a wonderful time here. And I love it!

Millennium Square is such a cameleon place. One moment it's an ice rink, then it's a live music…read morevenue or a market, or a live broadcast venue. Whatever disguise it wears it's great! It's the real, warm, beating heart of our fabulous city, surrounded by lovely eateries and overlooked by a jolly decent (and cheap) pub. Can't go wrong really

For students at Leeds Uni the Parkinson steps (often abbreviated to 'Parkie steps') are the perfect…read moremeeting place because everyone knows where they are. And for anyone else, the building is notable by the fact you can see its clock tower from almost anywhere in Leeds, so if it was a convenient place to meet it would be easy to direct anyone there. The building itself is striking and grand and the chunky stone staircase adds gravitas to its entrance. It's rare (other than in summer) to see the steps and the area around them without a good few students sat smoking, chatting or waiting for a friend. Flyerers often dominate the nearby pavement, especially in fresher's week, promoting the latest club night or students' drinks offers. This hustle and bustle could probably lead non-students to stick firmly to the opposite side of the street, but it's intriguing to think that this busy, jovial atmosphere has been present here since the fifties when the Parkinson building was built. It has also been the setting of many a student demonstration over the years, providing a grand focal point visible to the general public in which many issues have been raised through a variety of simple protests and creative, theatrical and attention-grabbing stunts. I suspect it will remain a hub of student life for many decades, or even centuries to come!

Well. These steps are an iconic part of Leeds, it has to be said. My first instance of sitting upon…read moretheir solid blocks was during my freshers week, as it is most students who arrive in Leeds, at the start of the freshers ball. The only two icons that I knew to look for at the time were the "yellow boat on the grass" (Drydock) and the Parkinson steps. Not a bad place at all, if you need a little recuperation. Good times! This is of course a standard meet up for many newcomers to Leeds and serves many as a decent lunch spot, weather permitting, although realistically there's not a whole lot more can be said than that. The building itself is a lovely structure, and with so many delightful indie coffee shops and eateries nearby this is the perfect place to come and have a good procrastinate, with book or similar. It also makes a distinctly more comfortable waiting spot for the buses to arrive, and can oft be seen seating many an unbrushed stude with papers or friends.

Yes please, more please...Having recently been sensible of after a summer of frolicking I have been…read morea little busy and waiting, just waiting for the party season. This promises to be an absolutely belta of filthiness wrapped in a neat parcel at the Beaver Works. Hosted by Detatched, if you like Riff Raff and similar events this is where you'll probably want to be for NYE. Bring it on, and at a five you really cannot complain.

Excellent venue that leads the way for underground music in Leeds. No-nonsense sound system that is…read moreperfect for techno and house music and friendly bouncers / bar staff make this venue my favourite for dance music in the city. The bass here is heavy and tight! Odd location far enough from town to keep the idiots away makes it all the better - can walk it if you're on a mission or most taxis know where it is. There tends to be a party bus run on the bigger nights with pick ups from town or hyde park. If you're fed up of pretentious club nights that have turned into more fashion parades than anything else then I can highly recommend the Beaver Works for a good night out.

The other evening, very bravely, I ordered take away from a restaurant I've had no previous…read moreexperience with. I say bravely, because I'm so used to the luxury of relying on recommendations from Yelp that when I saw La Besi hadn't any feedback, I was concerned I'd stumbled on to a duffer. Well, without taking a leap every once in a while, you'll never discover new things - and I'm glad I risked it. This little Italian place seems, from my initial experience, well worth a dabble. For starters, the menu is varied beyond the usual doughy slop. Every pizza proudly states that it's mozzarella cheese, which immediately piqued my interest. Had I mustered a little more courage to try something different, I'd have gone for the Estiva Pizza: Mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, feta cheese, spinach, olives, onions & garlic. Sounds divine, right? Yes. But, having just gotten back from a festival, vegetables were on the agenda -so I took the veggie pizza. (I know, the ridiculous notion that because it's a vegetable pizza, it's healthy. Don't judge, I am lazy and I was broken.) I also ordered a Lemon Sorbet, from the beverages section, which on arrival was in fact some kind of ice cream actually inside a frozen lemon. I've yet to try it (mostly as I'd forgotten it existed until now) but I'm excited. It looks like it'll be a real mouth pleaser. As for the pizza, well. I've triumphed in sourcing out yet another actually palatable and delectable pizza place, of which I reckon there are few in town. Most offer a hugely bready, sloppy mess. This is nothing of the sort. Conjur up flat Italian style pizzas, real mozzarella cheese, voluminous toppings and very flavoursome sensations in your mind. The only real complaint I had was that the tomato sauce was spread a little thin, and I'd have like a bit more. Perhaps it's not the way it's done. Top tip - order a garlic mayo for dipping the crust. You know this makes sense. On second glance, the menu looks promising for an actual visit, rather than a cheeky just eaty. Plenty of exciting pastas, pizzas and specials -and they even do a range of paninis - presumably for the nearby students at lunch. Don't miss this wee hotspot as it seems, at first try, a bit of a win.

I have to admit that I was a bit cynical about ordering from La Besi, purely because I'm a bit of a…read moretakeaway traditionalist (I know what I like, and that's a curry house that does curries, a pizza place that does pizzas, etc etc - ordering fancy pasta and starters just feels wrong. Ok, felt wrong. Not no more, nuh uh). We ordered marinated olives (so very very tasty) and mozzarella wrapped in parma ham (oh my god, my mouth's watering thinking about it now), and then various pasta-y delights. Relatively cheap (I think it came to £26 with a couple of desserts thrown in). And then last night we tried a couple of pizzas and some cheesy chips (classy, ain't we?), and they came to under £13. Bargain. Really good, fresh, thin, authentic pizza bases and delicious pizza toppings. I'm hoping Hot Steve will stump up for another tonight because I'm feeling hungry and too lazy to cook... Ooh and they're very prompt at delivering! And the dude who delivers is very friendly! And you can order ONLINE! How fantastical is that?