Skeleton or stormtrooper?

Great night out with the family (unfortunately minus my nephew, who isn't really bothered about such things since they don't involve a console and shooting people and who is fortunately - for him and us since he doesn't have to forced to attend - old enough to be left home alone).

We met up in the Town Hall Tavern which had been thoroughly researched by my brother on Tripadvisor. It is apparently the 18th best restaurant in Leeds (of 1,292) so we were expecting great things. Well, I was just expecting some nice food, but (as I think I've mentioned before) they're a foodie family so I suspect they were more disappointed than me. Don't get me wrong, it was nice, but I don't think any of us would have rated it above any other (I guess non 2-for-£10) pub grub.

We moved on, via a quick drink in Nation of Shopkeepers (that's the one with the window display that I loved to the main event - comedy night at Jongleurs. I've never been before, so was really looking forward to it. It's a bit shabby really - cheap scarred tables and a stage which is small and doesn't exactly look sturdy! The room was half filled with stag and hen do's, one of which had a giant inflatable willy... Comics on the night were Danny Ward, Ian Moore and Jimmy McGhie, and the evening was compared by a very funny Sam Avery. Jimmy McGhie was the headline act, and therefore on last. He had a bit of a tough gig - by now, the middle aged stag do at the other side of the stage were well oiled and seemed to think that shouting abuse and booing him would be more amusing for the rest of us than actually listening to his act. Tossers. Still, despite them, it was a really good night and I laughed like a drain for a lot of it. Took me back to my student days - The Empire was just down the road and the comedy nights were legendary. It's where Patrick Kielty (or Paddy as he was known then) started off, and he was a whole lot funnier then...

We walked down through town then - good lord there are some sights in Leeds on a Saturday night (I wear more to bed than that!) - to The Botanist, which is a new bar and part of the Trinity complex. It was heaving and it took ages to get served, but I thought it was lovely. They had a fabulous huge chandelier which was made up of seemingly random bottles, vases and glasses and a great outside space. They also do mocktails which was nice for me as I was driving and sometimes lemonade gets just a bit boring!

All in all it was a really good night - I need more of those!!

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