Great to see you back. More like this please. I think you don't appreciate your home city as much when you live there. Leeds may be prettier than when I was a kid, but I would go back to the 70's and 80's in a heart beat if I could. It doesn't "feel" the same anymore.
I remember when Briggate was _really_ busy. Uncle B was teaching Aunt R to drive, and he warned her of the congestion at the Headrow traffic lights; there was a queue of three cars ahead. That was about 1959. I remember going to a model railway exhibition in the Corn Exchange in the early '60s. My memory of Kirkgate Market is the stink of fish! Grandad always called the Turk's Head by its old name; my generation called it _Whitelocks_ , but it was always pronounced _Wittlocks_ . In my day the City Varieties was famed for a certain kind of performance, with part-revealing photographs at the main entrance (was that by the _Whore and Strumpet_ ?) I must visit my hometown soon, especially to visit the David Oluwale memorials. Perhaps a video on him might be fitting, to show the darker side of the modern history of Leeds.
The market has not been the same since the fire. The fire happened at the worst possible time for the market, with the growth of supermarkets foot traffic was syphoned off to the suburbs. The stalls that replaced those lost in the fire were tacky in the goods they sold. It will be interesting to see how it fares with the new hotel that is planned for George Street.
@@thefrecklepuny I’ve always thought for decades with the still immaculate facade of Leeds Market wouldn’t it have been amazing for M&S to have completely rebuilt it all into something similar to what happened with the John Lewis Store & Victoria Quarter , with a dedicated retro market area still for a 100 or more original sellers in there, with no rent increases along with a incorporated Head office business complex for M&S and its many offshoots running their U.K. operations from there … seeing as it was its original birth place 🤓
Super informative that brings back lots of my memory’s of Leeds. Having stated that I am now only 70 miles away from my birth town now living in Bridlington. Many thanks for your incredible work bringing this information to our attention. ..
Another excellent video, welcome back. Can you do one on Kirkstall Road area, where I grew up. When I left school and started work, I walked up Milford Place crossing the River Aire on the foot bridge, then up Canal Road to get the bus up to Turners at Bramley. I often wonder about the history of the factories I passed particularly the mills in the area. Keep up the good work, thank you.
Thank you for commenting. It is much appreciated. Funnily enough, I have been invited to do a video about one of those mills. Watch this space! I also have ideas about a video on Kirkstall Road in the future…
I'm a Loiner, who returned back to Leeds earlier this year after 20 years or so away. It's depressing what's happened to Leeds centre, compared to how it once was. But I suppose the same thing has happened to every town and city in the UK.
Although it would be very expensive, it would be nice if the rest of the city centre could be covered over like the Trinity. When you walk down the arcades you have to wonder would the Victorians who built them, with the technology we have today have already carried out the work. One thing I would like to see in the centre (although I would doubt it would ever happen) would be a series of gondolas linking the railway station to the bus station. Running at what is currently street light level they would give people not only a transportation route but also allow people to see and appreciate the fine architecture of many of the buildings that is currently hard to really appreciate without a pair of binoculars.
Following on some of the comments on this video instead of these modern trams like in Manchester Sheffield, wouldn’t it be great if they could put their in a tram system utilising all the existing rail lines that lead out of the centre of the city, in most directions with trams using the same gauge as the railway & also junctioning them out of the rail lines into all Leeds various suburbs and why not make the trams obviously modern but like from their haydays or similar to those in San Francisco, Also give the River Aire a almighty clean up & upgrade as far either side as possible, surly again with modern technologies they could be fit incorporating modern water turbine all along that path which could for example power the whole new tram system or the cities street lighting !!! The expensive of all this would eventually pay for itself,with the electricity generated. 🤓
It's difficult to describe in words but like others have said the current and future Leeds City Centre has lost its essence and vibrance that it had in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.
Great to see you back. More like this please. I think you don't appreciate your home city as much when you live there. Leeds may be prettier than when I was a kid, but I would go back to the 70's and 80's in a heart beat if I could. It doesn't "feel" the same anymore.
I remember when Briggate was _really_ busy. Uncle B was teaching Aunt R to drive, and he warned her of the congestion at the Headrow traffic lights; there was a queue of three cars ahead. That was about 1959.
I remember going to a model railway exhibition in the Corn Exchange in the early '60s.
My memory of Kirkgate Market is the stink of fish!
Grandad always called the Turk's Head by its old name; my generation called it _Whitelocks_ , but it was always pronounced _Wittlocks_ .
In my day the City Varieties was famed for a certain kind of performance, with part-revealing photographs at the main entrance (was that by the _Whore and Strumpet_ ?)
I must visit my hometown soon, especially to visit the David Oluwale memorials. Perhaps a video on him might be fitting, to show the darker side of the modern history of Leeds.
Nice video. Esp for a Leeds lad like myself. Sadly, Leeds Kirkgate Market is but a shadow of its former self.
The market has not been the same since the fire. The fire happened at the worst possible time for the market, with the growth of supermarkets foot traffic was syphoned off to the suburbs. The stalls that replaced those lost in the fire were tacky in the goods they sold. It will be interesting to see how it fares with the new hotel that is planned for George Street.
@@thefrecklepuny I’ve always thought for decades with the still immaculate facade of Leeds Market wouldn’t it have been amazing for M&S to have completely rebuilt it all into something similar to what happened with the John Lewis Store & Victoria Quarter , with a dedicated retro market area still for a 100 or more original sellers in there, with no rent increases along with a incorporated Head office business complex for M&S and its many offshoots running their U.K. operations from there … seeing as it was its original birth place 🤓
Super informative that brings back lots of my memory’s of Leeds. Having stated that I am now only 70 miles away from my birth town now living in Bridlington. Many thanks for your incredible work bringing this information to our attention. ..
Thank you Karen
A great showcase for visitors and Leodiensians alike.
Thank you Trevor
please excuse the spelling.
2:10 He had some pretty good popular music songs across the U.K.back in the 70’s also. 🤓🎶
As usual brilliantly made video
Thank you Stephen
Another excellent video, welcome back. Can you do one on Kirkstall Road area, where I grew up. When I left school and started work, I walked up Milford Place crossing the River Aire on the foot bridge, then up Canal Road to get the bus up to Turners at Bramley. I often wonder about the history of the factories I passed particularly the mills in the area.
Keep up the good work, thank you.
Thank you for commenting. It is much appreciated. Funnily enough, I have been invited to do a video about one of those mills. Watch this space!
I also have ideas about a video on Kirkstall Road in the future…
Great look forward to them
That guy at 7:47 walking with his girlfriend is well hot
I'm a Loiner, who returned back to Leeds earlier this year after 20 years or so away. It's depressing what's happened to Leeds centre, compared to how it once was. But I suppose the same thing has happened to every town and city in the UK.
As somebody who has lived his whole life in Leeds (68) I think your memory of what the city was like 20 years ago is a little clouded.
First came here in 1979, commuting at first and lived here since 1986. Early to mid 1980’s Leeds was dire.
@@MartinE63 many just seem to forget what things used to be like.
Although it would be very expensive, it would be nice if the rest of the city centre could be covered over like the Trinity. When you walk down the arcades you have to wonder would the Victorians who built them, with the technology we have today have already carried out the work.
One thing I would like to see in the centre (although I would doubt it would ever happen) would be a series of gondolas linking the railway station to the bus station. Running at what is currently street light level they would give people not only a transportation route but also allow people to see and appreciate the fine architecture of many of the buildings that is currently hard to really appreciate without a pair of binoculars.
There was plans to cover up the bottom end of the Headrow a few years ago. I think Covid stopped it. The John Lewis end.
Following on some of the comments on this video instead of these modern trams like in Manchester Sheffield, wouldn’t it be great if they could put their in a tram system utilising all the existing rail lines that lead out of the centre of the city, in most directions with trams using the same gauge as the railway & also junctioning them out of the rail lines into all Leeds various suburbs and why not make the trams obviously modern but like from their haydays or similar to those in San Francisco, Also give the River Aire a almighty clean up & upgrade as far either side as possible, surly again with modern technologies they could be fit incorporating modern water turbine all along that path which could for example power the whole new tram system or the cities street lighting !!! The expensive of all this would eventually pay for itself,with the electricity generated. 🤓
I now think Leeds is more beautiful than York.
It's difficult to describe in words but like others have said the current and future Leeds City Centre has lost its essence and vibrance that it had in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.