Radar: Leaf’s first birthday

Can it be a year since Leaf set up residence on Bold Street? The place seems like such a landmark now; it’s hard to believe it hasn’t always been there.

The arrival of Leaf coincided with something of a renaissance of cafes and small restaurants on Bold Street, and the cobbled hill now seems a much healthier, reasonably ‘independent’ part of town.

Serving good food and drink: putting on gigs, DJs and knitting; hosting events like BarCamp and Ignite Liverpool; vintage fairs, cinema, scrabble, Spotify, puddings, erm, tea.

It’s fair to say that Leaf that has become the hub for Liverpool’s creative community – you can scarcely move without someone taking your picture, uploading it to Flickr, sharing it on Twitter, discussed it on Quora and blogging about the experience later on. OK, we exaggerate, but not much.

So, Leaf made it to its first birthday in its new premises – and is celebrating with a suitable knees-up this Friday. Expect music from no less than a nine-piece New Orleans-esque brass band, Brassroots. That’s different.

Also different is an appearance from superstar DJ manqué MJ Cole. We once conducted what was perhaps the most excruciating interview ever seen with MJ at Creamfields a decade or so again, so it will be fun to renew that acquaintance.

In all seriousness, we expect Liverpool’s creatives to descend on Leaf this Friday like bloggers on a Flowering Red Amaranth tea. We’ll be there for tea and debauchery.

The event is free but ticketed. Ask in Leaf for an invitation.

Leaf first birthday
Leaf
Bold Street
8pm (free); 10.30pm (open as usual)