Shops still on the same site in Central Leeds

[uncle mick]

According to Leodis "Nash's Tudor Fish Restaurant has been located at number 17 Merrion Street since 1963"

https://www.leodis.net/viewimage/108298

Marks & Spencer opened in 1951 " Marks and Spencer. The new store was completed by 1940, but was then requisitioned by the Ministry of Works. It was finally opened in 1951"

https://www.leodis.net/viewimage/63793

[tyke bhoy]

Thanks Ian, some interesting thoughts and info

I looked at this topic when it was first posted and I thought of three possibilities, all within a short distance of each other.

The first one was the Jewellers Shop of Myer Waterman (B. 9/7/1892, M. 17/10/1915, D.15/1/1984) at 49 New Briggate, Leeds 2. The shop is shown in the 1940 Leeds Telephone Directory (Leeds 25188) and the 1984 Directory (Leeds 455188). The Leeds Telephone Directories on Ancestry only go from 1940 - 1984. I remember meeting Mr Waterman after a robbery at his shop around 1969. I think that the shop was still a jewellers trading under the name of Waterman until very recently, albeit I think that another firm took over the shop but still used the Waterman name. Myer Waterman (Wasserman) came to Leeds some time during the first world war (he lived in London in 1915). He married at New Briggate Synagogue in 1915 and his daughter, Fanny Waterman, a well known and famous concert pianist, was born in Leeds in 1920 (M. 1944, D. 2020). I suspect that Myer opened his shop around 1930. I rarely visit Leeds, nowadays, so I don’t know what the shop is now. I looked on Google Street View and the shop is still there but it looks to possibly be a phone shop or pawnbroker/money lending shop, I am not sure about the street numbers due to a bus blocking the view. I searched on Google, Companies House, etc., and last week I actually phoned a couple of the phone numbers shown for the premises but without any success (numbers unobtainable), so I gave up.

One down from "Back Merrion Street" is 49. https://goo.gl/maps/Y2gdrFZQ6KUZars99 I don't think it meets Jim's criteria though. Even on StreetViews first pass in 2008, number 49 was a Ramsdens (pawn broker). At the next pass in 2014 it was to Let and maybe advertising Ramsdens had moved to 11 Kirkgate https://goo.gl/maps/H1NbffbnzxX7n93M8 By May 2015 it was Adam's phones and remained so until at least April 2020 (streetview's most recent pass) https://goo.gl/maps/tKDucmGPsZhbEoHN7 You will note it still had the Ramsdens shutter. So even if you count a pawnbroker as jewellers it hasn't been that for more than 9 years and at least 15 if you don't count it as such.

The second one was the newsagents shop at 23 New Briggate, next to St John’s Church. I remember, as a child in the early 1950’s, seeing lots of French, German, Italian and other foreign newspapers in racks outside the shop and it was the only one that I can remember, in Leeds, who sold them. I think that the shop still trades as a newsagents and vape shop in the same premises. It was a newsagents shop as far back as 1937. It has had various names such as Rhodes (1940’s), Groves (1944), Barry’s (1980’s), Williams (1985) and Sid’s (2023).

This one may be in Jim's parameter's. No business is under the same propriertor for ever and although its name has been constant M&S will have had many different controlling interests over the years. So for 23 2008 https://goo.gl/maps/HQeAuhqwPN8FejAb8 From 2014-2019 it was "New Briggate Newsagents"

I too rarely visit central leeds unless passing though so I can't comment on the Grand Arcade pet shop now but I do remember it as a child in the late 60s into the 70s

[Jann]

The pet shop closed down years ago these shops aren’t allowed to sell cats/dogs? It’s a vintage tea room called Just Grand

[Jann]

To Ian Smith of Otley, I used to go in the newsagents at 23 upper Briggate-it’s still a newsagents now, it was Barry’s when I went there-he was quite a character, on same side are a couple of takeaway places and a mobile phone shop called Adams.

[jim]

Thanks to all contributors so far. I would agree with the thought that 23 New Briggate qualifies as a continuing newsagents/sweet shop etc through a succession of owners/managers - but when did it commence in that function? The jewellers and pet shop both seem to have shut down quite a few years ago.

I would also be interested in finding out if Marks and Spencers in Briggate had a presence within the present site prior to the 1940 "new store", as the Ministry of works requisitioning would have been due to WW2 and on the understanding that it would eventually revert to the original owner, so in my book that is effectively continuing ownership.

[tyke bhoy]

Not helped by the Smog impossible to really tell exactly where but it appears to be at least the right side Marks and Spencer at 36 Briggate https://www.leodis.net/viewimage/75379 . Searching on 36 Briggate suggests it is now River Island below Trinity Arcade.

I have a recollection, possibly false, that the first M&S in permanent premises (not the market stall) was on Vicar Lane in the Market frontage.

[tyke bhoy]

Other pictures on Leodis suggest M&S was at 76/7 Briggate in the 30s and this one https://www.leodis.net/viewimage/75379 mentions "before move to present site" . So it looks like the 1951 opening was nearer Leeds Bridge and nopt even overlapping.

[iansmithofotley]

The 1940 Leeds Telephone Directory shows Marks & Spencer Ltd., at 76 Briggate. I seem to remember that the property numbers in Briggate, originally, were consecutive along one side and then down the other, instead of odd numbers on one side and even numbers on the other. I don’t know whether or not the numbering system has changed or remains the same. The current Marks & Spencer store in Briggate is at 47 Briggate, so the system may have changed.

Another thing about Briggate is that it starts at Bridge End/Leeds Bridge and stretches as far as the Headrow, where New Briggate starts and continues to North Street. ‘Loiners’ often refer to the road between Bridge End/Leeds Bridge and Boar Lane as ‘Low Briggate’ or ‘Lower Briggate’ but in fact, although these terms are handy, and useful to use, there has never been a street called ‘Low Briggate’ or ‘Lower Briggate’ in Leeds.

[buffaloskinner]

Two city maps from 1964 which show as Ian says the numbering being consecutive with 76 between Thornton's and Queens Arcades and 46 in todays location. Sadly the map quality is not too good.

[tyke bhoy]

Thanks to all contributors so far. I would agree with the thought that 23 New Briggate qualifies as a continuing newsagents/sweet shop etc through a succession of owners/managers - but when did it commence in that function?

Tobacconist (natural progression to Newsagent) and Sweet Shop as early as 1937 https://www.leodis.net/viewimage/77197