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Posted: Sun 25 May, 2008 11:40 am
by Trojan
BLAKEY wrote: Reginal Perrin wrote: Something has definately been lost when the likes of Lewis' and Schofields closed. We have 5 shopping malls int he city centre at present and all of them are pretty grim and sadly the Merrion Centre is probably the best behind Victoria Quarter / County Arcade.Harvey Nicholls food floor is pretty good but certianly not for those with a light pocket. I couldn't sgree more - I quite often go in the Victoria Quarter and I just can't credit why anyone would pay nigh on £5 for a bowl of soup - to be consumed behind scant glass screens with all the passers by "gawping" over the top.Just to divert sllightly from Leeds, but by way of illustration, I was in Doncaster yesterday and looked around the new Frenchgate Centre.The place is immaculately clean and well maintained BUT quite simply "bitty" and "disconnected" and entirely without an iota of atmosphere or character - just row after row of the familiar High street names which we see everywhere. At least to be fair most of the major Leeds malls do have an integrated feel about them if nothing else.      It was said some time ago that Britain's town centres are becoming clones, a McDonalds, a Burger King, a KFC, apparently the least cloned town in England is Hebden Bridge. Morley town centre these days seems to consist mainly of charity shops, building societies, and travel agents. It's ages since we shopped in central Leeds (apart from the Market) but I think places like Lewis's (which TBH is long gone anyway) and Schofields had an atmosphere you don't get today.

Posted: Sun 25 May, 2008 11:58 am
by BLAKEY
TROJAN WROTE :-"It was said some time ago that Britain's town centres are becoming clones, a McDonalds, a Burger King, a KFC, apparently the least cloned town in England is Hebden Bridge. Morley town centre these days seems to consist mainly of charity shops, building societies, and travel agents. It's ages since we shopped in central Leeds (apart from the Market) but I think places like Lewis's (which TBH is long gone anyway) and Schofields had an atmosphere you don't get today. The slave trade: investors in people. " Too true Trojan - in fact just to rub it in at Doncaster all the fast food joints are in one continuous row can you believe ?? - each with their own jealously guarded "alfresco" tables and chairs on the frontage. The most unappetising scene you could possibly imagine. As far as central Leeds goes, we must be grateful for small mercies in that the beautiful exteriors of Lewiss's and the Odeon have been very commendably preservrd and respected by the developers to be fair. Lewiss's (Broadgate at Leeds) is approaching completion and all the lovely white Portland stone is being refurbished and extended so top marks to them for that.There is a website at www.broadgateleeds.co.uk.I don't know what the founders of Schofields, Hitchens, Marshall and Snelgrove and the rest would say though to the claim that Lweiss's was built in 1932 (correct) as "Leeds's first department store - a bit naughty, but probably not intentionally deceitful

Posted: Sun 25 May, 2008 8:58 pm
by vini
I have been interested with the 60s Schofield since as many of you, my family dragged me around it in the 70s. The building itself is of interest as there is a sister of it in oxford street London. Debenhams! as main face on Headrow. Going by memory i think HMV was down the stairs on the lands lane side. I am i right in saying redevelopment is on going on lands lane where the bridge use to be?

Posted: Tue 27 May, 2008 4:57 pm
by arry_awk
Schofield's mebbe?

Posted: Tue 27 May, 2008 4:57 pm
by arry_awk
Schofield's mebbe?

Posted: Tue 27 May, 2008 4:57 pm
by arry_awk
Mebbe not!

Posted: Tue 27 May, 2008 5:20 pm
by arry_awk
After much chopping,resizing,short back and sides,I finally came up with Schofield's magnificent(Almost)balcony in 1930! (see previous post!)Never had all that trouble before.By the way,the pic was from 'A History of Cafes andRestaurants in Leeds' Up to July 1988, byKind permission of Donald Tate

Posted: Tue 27 May, 2008 6:41 pm
by Brandy
arry awk wrote: After much chopping,resizing,short back and sides,I finally came up with Schofield's magnificent(Almost)balcony in 1930! (see previous post!)Never had all that trouble before.By the way,the pic was from 'A History of Cafes andRestaurants in Leeds' Up to July 1988, byKind permission of Donald Tate CONGRATULATIONS ARRY you got there in the end me old pal!!

Posted: Wed 28 May, 2008 12:46 pm
by Starbuck
My Nan worked as a waitress in the restaurant until she retired in the late 70s. She used to have a book produced by the firm that told its history - where is it now. When we went to town on saturday when I was small in the 60's we always went for lunch - nan served us. She wore a blue uniform with a starched white apron. The lady in black who "received" you was called Mrs Gilbert I think. My nan had a good supply of Schofields crockery which they sold off cheaply every so often including a small rea pot. It all had a unique pattern on it.She always told how "old man Schofield" was pleased to get the Theatre Royal so that he could build his new store extension but was always thwarted in his attempts to buy the King Charles Pub.Later Tetleys sold the King Charles and a grotty "recently demolished" grey concrete building was put in its place - then this renmained the only un redeveloped bit when the stores were pulled down to make way for the Schofields (now Headrow soon to be something else) centre.Schofields as I remember was always considered a class above Lewis's

Posted: Fri 30 May, 2008 1:42 am
by Samson
My grandfather was an employee at Schofields before he retired. He was a cabinet maker by trade and he made the picture frame for the portrait of Snowdon Schofield(?) that hung in the store. It seems that employees were given a booklet about Snowden Schofield. On my uncle's death I inherited a copy. I will try to post the relevant detailsFirstly page 1 of the information