SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Phill_dvsn wrote: I dunno mate. Me Internet explorer is playing up. I'm using Firefox browser at the mo. I forgot my password and reset it.. I'll have to try get the old me back lol dont tell me they've lost your subterranean homesick blues picheads will roll if they dont bring back the Bobby D lol

chameleon wrote: It does seem strange that such a large site remains unused particularly with the centre undergoing even more refurbishment.I know there was the odd, unusual contract provision with some of the occupants but it doesn't seem to make financial sense to just sit on this. Perhaps there is some restrictive covenant preventing general development of this bit? What is the contract provision? Sounds interesting. It's probably not anything more than a 99 year lease that the current heirs to the Odeon name are sitting on - after all it's a large chunk of prime city centre estate and the back of the Merrion seems to be all in a similar state: someone mentioned the Merrion market in another thread today, which sounds like it's also running down.

simong wrote: chameleon wrote: It does seem strange that such a large site remains unused particularly with the centre undergoing even more refurbishment.I know there was the odd, unusual contract provision with some of the occupants but it doesn't seem to make financial sense to just sit on this. Perhaps there is some restrictive covenant preventing general development of this bit? What is the contract provision? Sounds interesting. It's probably not anything more than a 99 year lease that the current heirs to the Odeon name are sitting on - after all it's a large chunk of prime city centre estate and the back of the Merrion seems to be all in a similar state: someone mentioned the Merrion market in another thread today, which sounds like it's also running down. The Merrion Centre is older than the International Pool and that's to be demolished. Will the Merrion Centre be next? It'll be about 45 years old. I'd just started work and the company I worked for did a lot of work for BISON, who built it. Their tower crane was to bear an illuminated sign with their name in it. This sign consisted of five oblong metal boxes, with fluorescent tubes inside, the letters were on perspex - I know all this because it was me who painted the inside of the boxes white - fame.

Trojan wrote: The Merrion Centre is older than the International Pool and that's to be demolished. Will the Merrion Centre be next? it's reasonably unlikely. the main reason being is that morrison's own the freehold of their shop. and despite it's reasonably small size it's the most profitable morrison's in the country, due to lack of rent and it's general business/turnover.remember the rumour they were going to expand into the 'georgian arcade?' well TCS were asking silly money so morrison's just stuck two fingers up to them. they're more than happy to trade there even in the restricted space due to the above factors.if TCS ever wanted to sell the site they'd have to buy out morrison's first, and they could never afford it. they're over a barrel, basically.

Morrisons underwent a refit recently, which basically meant moving the aisles closer together. presumably to get more stuff in.I sometimes pop up for lunch there. It is heaving all the time. I wouldn't even like to guess what it turns over in a day!    

LS1 wrote: Morrisons underwent a refit recently, which basically meant moving the aisles closer together. presumably to get more stuff in.I sometimes pop up for lunch there. It is heaving all the time. I wouldn't even like to guess what it turns over in a day!     i saw that the other day...i can't believe how few tills they have now! it's going to be chaos at that time of year which i won't mention yet as it's only september...the layout of the store is loads better though, although i think they stock a lot less lines than the bigger morrisons

olli77 wrote: i cant believe i never knew there was a cinema in there, i must have, but just forgot, it closed the year i was born, i think i remember the doors before they put the wall there and i must have just thought it was office space or something anyway it seems tailor made space for a night club, im suprised to hear its been closed up all this time and never renovated, does anyone know why? is there a problem with the space so that no one has ever done anything with it and also forgive my ignorance, but when was that section of the merrion centre covered its always been that way in my life time ( as far as i can remember) so can ayone tell me when the roof was put on Can't put a date on the covering in I'm afraid BUT, when I joined Leeds City Transport in late 1969 there was a feature in the Merrion Centre that nearly everyone hs forgotten. There was an open air one way street (city bound) right through the centre !! At the bottom of Woodhouse Lane we bore left (by the Coburg pub) and into Merrion Way, turning right into the Merrion Centre on a road which is now a row of shops - the road turned 90 degrees right, about where Woolworths is now, and down a steep slope to rejoin Woodhouse Lane (WHEN you could get out). Recognise it now ?? - that was the steep slope which is still there (with public phones etc) leading up to Morrison's. At morning peak periods we had a right job to get round the tight bend, as it was always occupied by bread delivery lorries with their sharp rear flaps raised -still, they had their job to do as we had I suppose.

I think if you look at the old ariel views you can see this. Did it take part of the old course of Rickingham Street?I understand the Georgian Arcade and Morrisons was a later addition along with Morrisons which was finished in the early 1970s

LS1 wrote: I think if you look at the old ariel views you can see this. Did it take part of the old course of Rickingham Street?I understand the Georgian Arcade and Morrisons was a later addition along with Morrisons which was finished in the early 1970s If you have another look at the earlier thread if you remember it, might answer a few questiond for the newer users.http://www.secretleeds.co.uk/forum/Mess ... hLight=1My own earliest memory is a large hole where Morrisons now is. At that age, I don't recall really going to that bit of town very much before then, Lewis's would be the boundry!    

Think I've answered my own question looking at a map from the Jim Soaper books that was posted on the other thread. Just wondered if anyone could confirm for definate who had been there at the time!!