Leeds in West Yorkshire is located on the River Aire and has a population of 450,000.

A market town since Anglo-Saxon times, it grew rapidly in the industrial revolution, and with good canal and rail connections at one time half of all England's exports passed through Leeds.

Leeds was recently voted Britain's Best City for Business and is regarded as the fastest growing city in the UK. Leeds is the largest financial centre outside the capital and nearly 100,000 people work in financial and business services - about a quarter of the workforce. New tertiary industries such as retail, call centres, offices and media have contributed to a diverse economy.

Shopping in Leeds city centre is a treat with everything from individual one-off boutiques to large department stores, including Harvey Nichols, Debenhams and House of Fraser. The Victoria Quarter contains several delightful Victorian arcades and the Corn Exchange and Kirkgate Markets are well worth seeing.

Leeds City train station is particularly well served with direct mainline connections to all Britain's major cities. The nearest airport is Leeds Bradford International to the north-west of the city.