10 things to inspire you this week in Leeds

This is 'Meat Free Week' so we've picked out some great veggie fayre, classic literature comes to the stage, you can drink a cocktail up a clock tower and we hope to inspire you get some fresh air. It's your week in Leeds.

Go veggie
Did you know that we Brits eat more than double the amount of meat than the world average? That's a lot of meat! Over a billion chickens get eaten here every year, most factory farmed, and such high consumption has lead to increased concerns for animal welfare. Compassion in World Farming has therefore declared this as Meat Free Week, highlighting both the moral and economic issues with eating so much meat, and the health ones too. Leeds has some brilliant veggie restaurants, so take a look at our list of the best vegetarian places to eat in Leeds and where to get good green food to eat at home.

Brendan Cole, Leeds Grand Theatre, Tue Mar 24, £20.50 – £38 
The 'Strictly Come Dancing' favourite is on tour with his 'A Night To Remember' show. 

To Kill a Mockingbird, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Tue Mar 24 - Sat Apr 4, £12-£28
The stage version of Harper Lee's classic is no less powerful with the passage of time or its elevation to greatness, and this is very timely, given her announcement of an upcoming sequel.

Mermaid, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Wed Mar 25 - Sat Mar 28, £12-£28
Also showing at WYP this week, the Hans Christian Andersen tale of a mermaid who leaves her idyllic watery world to enter our much harsher one. A chorus of local women create the ethereal score. 

John Bishop, City Varieties Music Hall, Wed Mar 25, £26.60
The Supersonic tour reaches Leeds as the Scouse comic with the brightest set of knashers on the telly brings his broad brand of comedy to our beautiful old music hall.

Dara Ó Briain, Leeds Grand Theatre, Wed Mar 25 - Fri Mar 27, £24-£28
The affable Irish man and and host of more TV these days than Dermot O'Leary, and that's a lot, with three nights of his Crowd Tickler show packing them in at the Grand.

Cocktails in the City, Leeds Town Hall, Thu Mar 26, £10
20 of the best bars in Leeds are coming together in the Town Hall to show what the classiest drinks in Leeds are, but there's also a chance to taste them in some of the hidden nooks and crannies of the building itself, like in the clock tower. Mind those stairs!

Brandon Street Night Market, Canal Mills, Fri Mar 27, Free 
The best street traders in Leeds come together with bands and artists to create a fantastic night market complete with pop up bars. It's a perfect Friday night out.

The Hollies, Leeds Grand Theatre, Sat Mar 28, £29-£32.50
The legends who formed in 1962 and had more chart success than almost any other band in history are back. ‘He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother’ remains a tremendous song and there are plenty more where that came from.

Enjoy a spring walk on the Moors
So Spring is here. At last. Maybe it's time to take a walk in the country. Remind yourself of how beautiful the Yorkshire Moors can be with our gallery of stunning images, and maybe they'll inspire you to get your walking boots out of the cupboard.