Rise and Fall of 60's Leeds

[bramleybull]

That sculpter at 0:35 is still alive and well though it has been relocated. Great vid, thanks for posting.

[regentv980]

Superb music from the legend Mr Brian Wilson

wonderful slice of Leeds from the 60s

do you have any cine film of Leeds in the 60s

[DPFIREBIRD]

Last photo is the Parade at Saxton Gardens flats.I used to deliever the Evening Post from the newsagents from around 79' to 86' (The Garth and Flax Place was my 'round') the owners were Brian and Audrey Holbert at the time (sadly Audrey passed on and Brian didn't have the shop long after if i remember rightly)...Also the fish & chip shop that was being opened by Pat Phoenix was at Lincoln Green in the shopping square,my mum worked at the chippy for years as well...

Great video thx for posting.

[bramleybull]

Thanks for posting this vid. I love looking at how places used to be. The swimming pool at 1:47 was pulled down not so long back. I am now trying to spot all the Wetherpoons pubs (as they were back then).

[sfaragher]

wasnt the swimming pool a couple of inches short of a full pool and as a cnsequence the timings of the races were all dismissed?

[Bignadim]

Has the Marriot Arcade gone and the 60`s Odeon

[Jacobus180670]

@Bignadim As far as I'm aware all the original structure is there, but the interior has been altered.

[Jacobus180670]

@Bignadim As far as I'm aware all the original structure is there, but the interior has been altered. The Cinema's been gutted

[bunnyguiness]

Why can't they rehabilitate these 50 year old structures back to they're original aesthetics. I am from Los Angeles and these photos remind me of the way the Century City, Sherman Oaks, and the Topanga malls looked up until the early 90s. Then they started adding square footage and covering them up with roofs.

I say take the roofs off, and bring back those 60s lines and fresh air. Why must we

always reinvent the wheel when it comes to urban planning. Restore.rehab. and maintain. thats all.

[TheEyeOfJustice]

I wish you could do Google earth for thirty years ago.

[paul43073]

lol those blocks of flats at 1.25 is were i live now. they was bult in the 60s

poplar mount block 1 and block 2

[360flipjames]

assholes\mmmmm

[PSNMrGarry2u]

I was born in 86... Leeds was nice in the early nineties but it's become not so nice after about 1995.

[trippy119]

@PSNMrGarry2u thats very true, too many people! its overcrowded, and too many idle youths on drugs! the city has lost its soul, its all about buisness now, yuppies and posers!

[erictheviking871]

is that music from the beach boys pet sounds im not from leeds but i think its a great place iv had some good old piss ups there from the 80s to now great city and u cant beat leeds girls

[RADDA77]

thanks for putting these pics on im a 70's child but i remeber Leeds looking some what like that.

[trippy119]

would you believe at one stage during the regeneration of leeds, the leeds city council were planning to demolish the whole of boar lane!!! (IMBECILES!) thank heaven they put a stop to that! otherwise boar lane today would probably look like the merrion centre! what a thought!

[bettyvirago]

Well at least the Merrion Centre hasn't changed.

[fnslr308]

Did I dream it or, as a kid, wasn't there steps down and an underpass lower Briggate before it was pedestrian.

1960's promised so much - we felt we were foals destined to be thoroughbreds

[dazzelknight]

remember the bandstand downstairs in the seacroft centre

[connachtlandrovers]

Yeah, I remember the bandstand, but do you remember before the bandstand, it use to be a grey brick square with things inside it. Seeing them pics bring so many memorys back. Lived in Seacroft most my life until I moved away 18 yrs ago. Seacroft Shopping centre was a big part of life back then.... Ohhh I feel old....

[trippy119]

ha ha yeh the seacroft shopping centre! i remember going shopping on saturdays with my mum in the1970's.. all pebble dashed communist concrete! on a grey day it was pretty grim. .never saw no gangs of dick heads though

[yorkie556]

I love it. My favourite 60s building is the International Pool. Shame to see it go.We used to say we were going to the olympics for a swim!

[banner4141]

like the rothwell pic...precinct, just been knocked down

[DylanOB]

i rember knocing ound seacroft centre in late 70;s on the bandstand and the wimpy bloody hell i'm getting old

[tetroukuser]

Wow, i actually remember all those places...i suddenly feel like Sam Tyler ;)

Although i did notice, or maybe missed, pictures of pre St. Johns Centre when it was all like buildings....

Great sideshow though

[fnslr308]

yeah - there was a road between "Lewis's" and "Valances" (tv, radio and record shop) on the headrow and old buildings as you walked up to Merrion Centre.

Took our cycling proficiency on Merrion Car Park

[MCSmifftah]

jesus has it changed. leeds born n bred.

L double E D S and wot.

[Jacobus180670]

Thanks everyone for commenting. Best wishes to all - James

[indiewithhisstrat]

That really brought back some memories. I cant remember the seacroft centre before they put the roof on though and i was born in 1970. I know the centre was looking a wreck for years but it was still good to to see some photos. I remember the ramps leading down to the lower level and the band stand outside the soverign pub. Romarts,radio rentals,thurstons,man for all seasons and the original sandroys fancy dress hire , god i sound like my Dad reminising.

[Jacobus180670]

I was born in 1970 myself and I end up reminisicing about it too! - you're in good company :)

Cheers

J

[fnslr308]

Stoppit. 1959. Gledhow County Primary School, next to the then new Brackenwood Estate.

School trips to Arndale Centre Cross Gates with it's futuristic "stairway to heaven" up to a Wimpy Burger Bar.

Wow we were so hip.

[RulleBrittania]

leeds

live it

love it

[dipenatwar]

i love my leeds and yorkshire....proubd to be a yorkish

[ThisIsLiloMania]

Avid Merrion would like this

[Derventio74]

Thanks for this video - I love Leeds - the friendliness of its people 'make' the city for me. Morley is great, too - a well planned and attractive town..

[84211805]

Its an interesting document of Leeds. Usually you could say all those concrete buidings were souless, but have a walk round the city centre now and you could be in any large uk city, all the shops are the same and the majority of the pubs have gone.

Were due to get a massive John Lewiss 'centre, with 200 shops, built over the Eastgate / templar street area. I can hardly wait.

[Jacobus180670]

Many don't realise but this slideshow is meant to be a warning from the distant past as to what happened to Leeds the last time round. I'm glad of course to receive your positive comments even though it wasn't quite as huge an effort on my part this time :(

Don't hold your breath though with regards to yet another shopping centre. The most movement I've seen from the cranes in the last few days is when they are swaying in the wind!

[84211805]

Hi

I got your point right away. The area behind Eastgate is quite scruffy, its been allowed to decline for years. There are a few worthy buildings left, and this was the nucleus of a Chinese quarter, which might have been interesting.

I think the last thing the city centre needs is another drab shopping mall, I think it will finish of whats left of the centre shopping area, making Leeds even duller.

[fnslr308]

Plans were afoot for a huge development from what I'd call the ABC cinema / new york road - right across to Markets.

Also ideas that the Headrow ought to be like la ramblas in Barcelona...

[fnslr308]

Quite amazing that tower block flats were recently thrown up from Whitehall Road all the way through to East End Park.

Yes they've added some colourful style cues from europe but it looks like 60's high rise to me, perhaps less durable too

[philldavison]

Nice one! Only got round to seeing it now.. Glad you included Seacroft centre, my old stomping ground! cheers!

[Jacobus180670]

cheers Sam - I saw them and thought.......bet the LHES will like these :)

[samhirst87]

As ackers sais... very good use of photos and the music is great. I loved the pics of the international pool!

[Jacobus180670]

Thanks Tom - can't beat a bit of nostalgia sometimes.........even if we didn't live through it /0

[fnslr308]

The Film Billy Liar is also a bit of a time capsule.

I seem to remember Milk Bars were all the rage.

[ackers72]

Very Good use of very good pics,from a very good website, with very good music too!!!!!