Video transcript: Leeds city tour - studying at the University of Leeds

Transcript for the video embedded on the Welcome homepage, City life homepage, Undergraduate city life homepage, Masters city life homepage and Research city life homepage.

(The screen shows footage of the clock tower on top of Leeds Town Hall, a vibrant City Square and the historic ruins of Kirkstall Abbey. Student Holly is walking in Millennium Square, puts her rucksack on the floor and starts to look around) 

Holly: So you land in Leeds… 

...and you look around. 

(Images of Leeds Bradford Airport, a wall mural with the words Leeds painted on, busy street in Leeds, Briggate, group of students walking on Otley Road, a traditional red Royal Mail post box and a street sign directing to Otley Road in Leeds. 

After the rotations of images, we see student Aeron as he’s walking down Albion Place.) 

Aeron: And you wonder what every new student wonders. 

(Student Sherry is also stood on Albion Place, in front of a restaurant.) 

Sherry:  Will I fit in? 

How do I get around? 

(We now see student Aastha walking down St Michael’s Road with Phoebe, Michal and Joey.) 

Aastha: Where do I get a decent Arrabbiata or Vegan pizza? 

Sherry: Where’s good to go? 

(On-screen images show a range of locations in the city centre including the inside of the Corn Exchange, the Neon Cactus on Call Lane, inside the Victoria Quarter, students enjoying food at Chow Down, the Marks & Spencer and Fultons market stalls in Kirkgate Market, a Rugby League match in a packed Headingley Stadium, a flower stall in Kirkgate Market, people enjoying drinks on the rooftop terrace at Belgrave Music Hall & Canteen and a busy bar at Granary Wharf.)   

(We now see Holly walking down from the steps outside the front of Leeds Town Hall.)  

Holly: Leeds isn’t just any old city. 

(We cut to student, Clemens, walking down The Headrow.)  

Clemens: It’s a big, vibrant community, full of friendly faces and personality.  

(A series of portrait captured faces appear showing a member of staff at the Northern Guitars Bar, a member of the bar staff at The Left Bank, a student outside Hyde Park Book Club, two student friends outside the Headingley Taps and a group of students with skateboards sat chatting in Woodhouse Moor Skate Park.) 

(We now see Aeron stood inside the centre of the Corn Exchange.) 

Aeron It’s got a real vibe. 

(Sherry is now inside Kirkgate Market, walking through the various indoor market stalls.) 

Sherry:  Leeds people LOVE being Leeds people 

(A series of images showcase a couple of the Burley Banksy street art and a framed Leeds Leeds Leeds picture. 

This is followed by more portraits of Leeds people including a member of staff at Crash Records, a butcher from a stall in Kirkgate Market, two staff members outside Poco Sicilian Street Food and a member of staff at The Vinyl Whistle.) 

(Student Fatema is stood in the student area of Headingley on North Lane.) 

Fatema: Their passion is painted on the walls. 

(A range of wall murals from around Leeds build on screen including Cornucopia, Washing Marine, Insa X Moniker, Paving The Way, Me & You, You & Me and finishing with Winifred.) 

(We cut to student Michal, sat outside Hyde Park Book Club at a table with his friends Aastha and Phoebe enjoying a drink.)  

Michal: As soon as you arrive, you’re welcomed with a friendly… 

(A waiter comes on screen, holding two iced coffees.) 

Café waiter: …Ey up. 

(An on-screen Google Translate graphic pops on screen, showing the translation of Ey up in Spanish, Chinese, French, Arabic and Korean. 

Student Fatema is walking up North Lane, with the Manahatta bar behind her.) 

Fatema: Which means ‘hello’. Or - ‘alright?’, which kind of means the same thing. You’ll get used to it. 

Aastha: It’s a real student city. 

(A series of footage and images rotate on screen showing students walking down the busy student area of Otley Rd, a student cycling down the road, a student skateboarder, students laughing together outside the Hyde Park Book Club, a map showing all the bars that are part of the Otley Run followed by a group of students in fancy dress, out on and enjoying the Otley Run. 

We return to Fatema on North Lane, now with some of the local shops seen behind her.) 

Fatema: There are loads of friendly, safe areas to live… 

(A rotation of images showing of safe and vibrant student streets and areas in Headingley are shown. 

Students Phoebe and Aastha are working through Woodhouse Moor, with Moorland Road in the background.) 

Phoebe: And the campus is just a short walk away, like most things in this city. 

(We see speeded up footage from a student captured camera, showing them walking through Woodhouse Moor towards the Leeds Business School. 

A number of images start to appear on screen to showcase the huge range of things to do in Leeds. We start with an image of the Christmas decorations on Headrow followed by students raising their glasses to say cheers in a bar.) 

Aastha: There’s something in Leeds for everyone, whatever you’re into. 

(Images from the Leeds Comedy Club, Hyde Park Picture House and Cottage Road Cinema are shown, rotating in time with the voice over.) 

Phoebe: Comedy nights, Independent cinemas!  

(Images from IF rooftop, a band at Live at Leeds, Back to Basics in Millennium Square, Leeds Festival and Leeds Pride are shown in time with the voice over.) 

Holly: Roof top hang outs, live music, summer concerts, festivals and carnivals. 

(Aeron is walking down New Briggate, with the busy Headrow behind him. A series of images then rotate on screen showing the First Direct Arena, Belgrave Music Hall And Canteen, Headrow House, O2 Academy and Brudenell Social Club.) 

Aeron: From massive arena bands to catching the next big thing at some of the best indie venues around. 

(Clemens is now walking down the steps outside the Leeds Art Gallery.) 

Clemens: Or for something more arty and cultural… 

(The film returns to showcasing a range of images on-screen, starting with a close up of a window with the Leeds Art Gallery signage, the Henry Moore sculpture: Reclining Woman: Elbow in the Leeds Art Gallery and finally, the Leeds International Piano Competition at Leeds Town Hall.) 

Joey: Leeds Art Gallery, Opera North,  

(Images  outside Leeds Playhouse, a Pantomime performance from the Carriageworks Theatre, a knight and horse exhibit from the Royal Armouries Museum and Thackray Museum of Medicine are shown before we return to see Holly, who is now sat enjoying a coffee and croissant in the Tiled Hall Café in the Leeds Art Gallery.)  

Holly: Leeds Playhouse and loads of amazing museums, galleries and creative spaces. 

(An on-screen text exchange graphic between two students appears on screen, asking one if they’re hungry, what do the fancy, followed by a host of various different food emojis. 

We then see Phoebe coming out of Poco Sicilian Street Food on Otley Road with her order.) 

Phoebe: The food here is really good too. 

(Imagery appears on screen showing a close up paper bag with a food order from Poco Sicilian Street Food, bowls of food from Bundobust, food and drinks at Nam Song and a plate of food from Tharavadu.  

We then see a series of footage showcasing the outside of Banh and Mee street kitchen, De Baga Indian restaurant, Chop Chop noodles and rice fast food kitchen, Lupe’s Cantina authentic Mexican Cuisine and a Maneki-neko in a restaurant window.) 

Aastha: There’s a culinary adventure for everyone, from everywhere.  

(Aeron is now on-screen, coming down the steps out of Trinity Leeds shopping centre.) 

Aeron: And you’re in the right place for retail therapy. 

Check out big brands in Victoria Leeds and Trinity, 

(Images and footage from inside Victoria Leeds and Trinity Leeds shopping centres are shown on-screen.) 

Aeron: Quirky places in the Corn Exchange and the Headrow,  

(Footage and images on-screen from inside the Corn Exchange, the Plant Point shop, Chinese Laundry clothing shop, students Samantha and Faith walking down through Victoria Gate. 

Aeron: Plus loads of hidden gems around the city. 

(We return to footage and images that celebrate and showcase some of the hidden gems in the city including Crash Records – including a pop up Google review graphic, Hyde Park Book Club, Hold Fast Bookshop, The Canary, The Vinyl Whistle and the Leeds Dock Water Taxi.) 

Joey: and for that ‘Leeds Uni ’ look, go vintage. 

(Footage of Leeds students walking in the city centre are shown, followed by some popular vintage shops including Best and Blue Rinse. 

Joey: How do I look? 

(A phone appears on-screen, with an Instagram style post of a Leeds student stood in front of the camera showcasing a vintage Leeds Uni look. The post swipes up and is replaced by another Instagram post, with Phoebe sat in a park with Joe, before the images swipe on screen through various parks or countryside pictures.) 

Phoebe: Like to hang out in the great outdoors? 

(Aeron is now walking through Park Square in the centre of Leeds.) 

Aeron: There are SO MANY green spaces here. 

(The screen cuts to footage of students sat on the grass in Woodhouse Moor, the Himalayan Gardens at Harewood House (credit Harewood House Trust and Lee Beel), Park Square and Roundhay Park before returning to more footage of students playing football and having a picnic in Woodhouse Moor.) 

Samantha: Seriously, SO many - you’d need a whole film just to talk about the parks. 

(Student Mason is sat in the park with Fatema and friends, before we see images of Harewood House, Ilkley Moor and the Terrace and surrounding land at Harewood House.) 

Mason: And Leeds is surrounded by some truly stunning countryside.  

(Images of a bus stop at Hyde Park Corner and two scenes showing Leeds buses travelling through Leeds are shown.) 

Samantha: Just jump on a bus, and head out into the wilds. 

(Fatema is walking down a street in Headingley with a water bottle in her hand, which she throws off screen.) 

Fatema: Or keep it local. 

(We see Mason in Kirkstall Abbey, who catches the water bottle thrown in the previous scene by Fatema.) 

Mason: and explore everything you could ever want, right here on your doorstep. 

(We see a couple of shots of the ruins of Kirkstall Abbey, the Cistercian monastery.) 

(A Google map graphic appears on-screen, on top of drone footage showing Leeds City Centre from Kirkstall Road. The map shows the locations of both the city centre and University of Leeds, before plotting a ‘directions to home’ route from the centre to a fictional students house.) 

Aastha: Like anywhere – when you get here, Leeds can feel big and strange, 

(Phoebe appears on-screen and is sat at a table outside Hyde Park Corner with Fatema, Joey and Michal, eating some food.) 

Phoebe: but give yourself a little time to settle in, and it’ll soon feel like home.... for who knows how long.  

(We cut to Aeron, Sherry, Faith and Samantha, stood outside on the terrace at the IF rooftop bar, with the clock tower of the Leeds Town Hall in the background.) 

Aeron: So this is my Leeds. 

How will you make it yours? 

(The footage switches to a final drone shot of Leeds, flying over Knight’s Way Bridge and the River Aire, towards the city centre.) 

The video ends with the message: “Join our student community” and a link to find out more at: www.leeds.ac.uk.)