Last weekend saw what many described as the busiest Otley Run ever, with Halloween revellers pouring into Leeds pubs.
“It was definitely the busiest I’ve ever seen it,” said Izzy, who has lived in Headingley for 4 years, “it’s always busy round Christmas and Halloween but this year was something else.”
Despite the crowds, Izzy sees the positives in the pub crawl, “I think for the businesses it’s great. It brings people from all over the UK into Leeds which is great for trade.”
When asked about potential issues, Izzy said, “You know you can’t go to the local on a Saturday afternoon because of the queues.”
She also emphasised that “it does get quite loud” which may cause Leeds City Council to step in with measures to reduce noise in residential areas.
“Elderly people might benefit from noise measures being brought in, but for the majority of Headingley residents I think it’s exciting, especially seeing what everyones dressed up as.”
In spite of the noise, Izzy insisted that “it’s a really good thing for the city, it brings a lot of money to Leeds and a lot of people here too, so yeah I think it’s a good thing.”
A right of passage for many Leeds based students, the Otley Run has been ongoing since 1964 and continues to prosper to this day. Although businesses are massive beneficiaries of the run, Leeds City Council are often left to deal with complaints from residents and shopkeepers around Leeds about weekly impacts on their businesses and lives.
It remains to be seen as to whether action will be taken, but for now the Otley Run continues to attract thousands of people every weekend.
You must be logged in to post a comment.