Sam Barrett of Welcome Skate Store, Don’t Mess With Yorkshire and newly opened Tomorrow tells us his favourite places in Leeds. From the city centre to the suburbs, he takes you on a whistle-stop tour from his youth to the present.

Hyde Park is at the heart of my Leeds life. The first wooden version of the skate park there was built not long after I moved to Leeds and I couldn’t begin to count the amount of hours I’ve spent there over the past 22 years, the pure fun that’s been had, the friends I’ve made because of that place and the world of experiences that have opened up because of those people.

It’s a true community and I’m proud to have been a part of it, it welcomes all comers and I know that good things will continue to come from the people who meet there. It’s a good skate park too… councils might get it wrong some of the time but there was a proper user consultation for the current park so it’s stood the test of time.

I’m sure Welcome, Tomorrow and Don’t Mess With Yorkshire wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for that place. These days however I definitely spend more hours in the Brudenell Social Club than at the skate park; it suits my aching body more, plus it is the best venue and the best bands play there… but you already knew that.

Crash Records is another place that’s important to me, and also owe a massive debt to – it was Ian (the owner) who generously gave us a home for Welcome when we started out and we’ll be forever grateful. Being an independent retailer is tough and without Ian’s help I don’t think we would have had a chance.

Crash is a perfect example of a what makes independent stores great – it’s more than just retail, it’s a community and a personal touch that gives itself to a level of service you don’t get in other places.

Thorntons Arcade was where we always wanted to be with Welcome, there’s a long history of great independent retail in there including a skate shop twenty years ago (in the space we’ve just taken on for Tomorrow, next door to Village). A couple of years after opening below Crash we were fortunate to be in a position to move there and call OK Comics, Open Lifestyle, Hip and Chimp our neighbours.

Sadly, many of those stores no longer exist or have moved on to different iterations of themselves, along with several others that have come and gone in that time. I guess that just highlights the precarious nature of independent retail; support your local!

Meanwood is now the area I call home. The park itself is my favourite in Leeds, there’s a little bit of everything there, some open space, the beck and some otherworldly rugged terrain, plus the cafe and play park.

There’s also a steadily growing community of great independents in the area, Tandem for the daytime and Alfred for the evening (or vice versa every now and again) plus there will hopefully be a Meanwood brewery and tap room by the time you read this. It’s also not too far from Hyde Park!