Things you didn't know about... Leeds

East, West—Leeds is best
In recent years the city of Leeds has won a clutch of awards and accolades: The UK's Favourite City, Britain's Best City for Business, Visitor City of the Year, Best Place in Britain to Live, Best UK University Destination, and Number One City for Clubbing. Travel guide Lonely Planet has dubbed it "The Knightsbridge of the North".

Longest, bar (almost) none
Leeds University has always been famous for having the longest bar in Britain, or even Europe. However, there are at least six other bars that claim this...

Going up in the world
There are 16 skyscrapers planned for Leeds, all of them higher than the current highest building.

Life's a pitch in Leeds
Leeds is a stronghold for three major sports. Leeds United Football Club play at Elland Road in the south of the city. Yorkshire County Cricket Club play at Headingley (scene of Ian Botham's thrilling exploits in 1981). Not to mention Leeds Rhinos Rugby League Club.

A History Boy is born in Leeds
The area of Leeds called Armley is home to a Victorian prison and two famous writers. One is butcher's son Alan Bennett, famous for The Madness of King George III and The History Boys. The other is Barbara Taylor Bradford, whose novel A Woman of Substance has sold 30 million copies.

Leeds leads for rock
1960s (and 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and now Noughties...) rock band The Who recorded their seminal album Live at Leeds in the refectory of Leeds Student Union. More recently. the Kaiser Chiefs' 2005 album Employment sold 3 million copies. The band are named after the South African football team Kaizer Chiefs FC— former Chiefs player Lucas Radebe captained Leeds United, whom the band all support.

Moore the merrier
Though not born in Leeds, the name of sculptor Henry Moore is very much bound up with the city. He attended Leeds School of Art, and set up the Henry Moore Institute to showcase sculpture in the city. Many of his monumental creations can be seen at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park in nearby Wakefield.

Diversely Leeds
Between them, the people of Leeds people speak 70 languages. The city's Chapeltown Carnival is the longest running Carribean carnival in Europe.