ICM - Leeds Design Agency

I first moved to Yorkshire at the age of 18 to study Graphic Design and decided after my studies that I liked it so much I didn’t want to leave.

I was brought up in a small town called Chatteris in the East Anglian Fens, with limited assess to public transport and the city choices to visit were Peterborough (27 miles away) or Cambridge (25 miles away). As lovely as these Cities are they are not exactly bustling metropolis. I remember my first visit to Leeds city centre. It was busy, so many people and just a sea of heads, the train station was huge and confusing, and all of the buildings were so tall and imposing. I was slightly intimidated but ultimately impressed having spent very little time in large cities before. Leeds is the third biggest city in the UK after London and Birmingham. I still find Leeds a beautiful and fascinating city even after being here for 16 years next month (please feel free to do the maths for my current age). At this stage in my life I can never see why I would want to leave. Leeds is my first love of Yorkshire but it has so much to offer, from the stunning North Yorkshire Dales, to the East Coast and the beautiful cities.

This post is to encourage anyone that may have been brought up in Leeds, or who may have just become a little ‘shop blind’ (Leeds has come to be known as the Knightsbridge of the North as it has the largest ranges of shops in the UK.) to look up and notice some of the architecture that makes this city so visually stunning. Whether you prefer the very modern buildings, of which Leeds has excellent examples of many, or something more historic.

The Leeds building that is the closest to my heart is Leeds Town Hall as I was married there in May 2008. I will always connect that with the best day on my life, getting married in the centre of a city I love and to a true ‘Loiner’.

So next time you’re in Leeds just take a minute to look up. You may be surprised what you may have missed before, no matter how many years you have been visiting.