Old Leeds Firms

[compton]

wiggy wrote: iansmithofotley wrote: Hi fevlad,I think that Rank used to have premises on Harehills Lane (Roundhay Road end) which was called 'Rank Optics'. Ian. THEY DID,YOUR RIGHT,BIG BUILDING,PART OF IT WAS GREEN AND WHITE. I remember it as Kershaws before rank took it over, coincidentally I,ve just been to a bootsale today and was looking at a pair of 6x30 infantry bino,s marked "Kershaws"

[Pashy]

Do the great bike makers J.T. Rodgers--Leeds and Ellis Briggs-Shipley still exist ?Andy

[fevlad]

compton wrote: wiggy wrote: iansmithofotley wrote: Hi fevlad,I think that Rank used to have premises on Harehills Lane (Roundhay Road end) which was called 'Rank Optics'. Ian. THEY DID,YOUR RIGHT,BIG BUILDING,PART OF IT WAS GREEN AND WHITE. I remember it as Kershaws before rank took it over, coincidentally I,ve just been to a bootsale today and was looking at a pair of 6x30 infantry bino,s marked "Kershaws" weren't Kershaws originally the makers of cinema projectors?presumably they went over to making military equipment in ww2 and carried on afterwards.

[Trojan]

fevlad wrote: Si wrote: I think the Swordfish (Stringbag) was responsible for sealing the fate of The Bismarck when it damaged it's rudder with a torpedo.Fairey were also responsible for the Battle, probably Britain's least successful bomber of the war.     the battle was an important link in the modernisation of the RAF, it was a monoplane, had an enclosed cockpit, and a merlin engine. but it was extremely vulnerable in its role and didn't last long in front line service: but was used in training and taarget towing.Incidentally the navy used a version of the battle as a fighter, lasting fairly late into the war as a night fighter.the swordfish was supposed to have been replaced by the albacore, but oddly the swordfish outlasted it.fairey's final efforts in the naval aitrcraft stakes were the successful firefly fighter/recconaissance aircraft, and the less successful barracuda dive/torpedo bomber. The Barracuda ws involved in early attempts to sink the tirpitz. It was inferior to the grumman avenger which supplanted it i service. I remember the Swordfish - the only other Fairey aircraft that rings a bell with me is the Fairey Delta 2 which presumably was a prototype fighter - I remember it breaking the speed record in the fifties when I was a kid.

[fevlad]

Trojan wrote: fevlad wrote: Si wrote: I think the Swordfish (Stringbag) was responsible for sealing the fate of The Bismarck when it damaged it's rudder with a torpedo.Fairey were also responsible for the Battle, probably Britain's least successful bomber of the war.     the battle was an important link in the modernisation of the RAF, it was a monoplane, had an enclosed cockpit, and a merlin engine. but it was extremely vulnerable in its role and didn't last long in front line service: but was used in training and taarget towing.Incidentally the navy used a version of the battle as a fighter, lasting fairly late into the war as a night fighter.the swordfish was supposed to have been replaced by the albacore, but oddly the swordfish outlasted it.fairey's final efforts in the naval aitrcraft stakes were the successful firefly fighter/recconaissance aircraft, and the less successful barracuda dive/torpedo bomber. The Barracuda ws involved in early attempts to sink the tirpitz. It was inferior to the grumman avenger which supplanted it i service. I remember the Swordfish - the only other Fairey aircraft that rings a bell with me is the Fairey Delta 2 which presumably was a prototype fighter - I remember it breaking the speed record in the fifties when I was a kid. the FD2 was a research aircraft into delta wings.it was reassurected as a research plane for the wing form of Concorde and the 'droop snoot'in the 50s test pilits were heroes to young kidsthe FD2 for instance was piloted by Peter Twiss, then there was neville Duke and Roland Beamont.    

[fevlad]

there used to be these really posh shops called Marshall and Snellgrove and mathias Robinson where I think the Victoria quarter now isScheerers music shop was along the same street. I saw my first les paul gold Top in the window: still dream of owning one.vallances was good for records

[Trojan]

fevlad wrote: there used to be these really posh shops called Marshall and Snellgrove and mathias Robinson where I think the Victoria quarter now isScheerers music shop was along the same street. I saw my first les paul gold Top in the window: still dream of owning one.vallances was good for records Mathias Robinson was where Debenhams are, I think Marshall & Snelgrove was at the end of the Headrow. There was a shop on the corner called Peacocks I think - our first bed came from there anyway. There was also a furniture shop next to Kirkgate Market called Benns - our first three piece suite came from there. Forty years in September - you don't get that for murder

[Bramley4woods]

Trojan wrote: fevlad wrote: there used to be these really posh shops called Marshall and Snellgrove and mathias Robinson where I think the Victoria quarter now isScheerers music shop was along the same street. I saw my first les paul gold Top in the window: still dream of owning one.vallances was good for records Mathias Robinson was where Debenhams are, I think Marshall & Snelgrove was at the end of the Headrow. There was a shop on the corner called Peacocks I think - our first bed came from there anyway. There was also a furniture shop next to Kirkgate Market called Benns - our first three piece suite came from there. Forty years in September - you don't get that for murder If I am correct Marshall's and Snelgrove's was where the LLoyds TSB building is now at 6-7 Park Row. The one with the surrealist Black Horse statue. Inside I remember it being a cross between Lewis's, Grace Brothers, and Mr Swindley's drapers shop in Tarnation Street.Outside, according to a lecture I attended in 1964 from somebody at the School of Architecture, it wasn't specially meritorious. An extra room made of glass and timber had been added at roof height that looked from the pavement like a commercial cucumber shed on the roof, about 5 floors up !    

[fevlad]

Bramley4woods wrote: Trojan wrote: fevlad wrote: there used to be these really posh shops called Marshall and Snellgrove and mathias Robinson where I think the Victoria quarter now isScheerers music shop was along the same street. I saw my first les paul gold Top in the window: still dream of owning one.vallances was good for records Mathias Robinson was where Debenhams are, I think Marshall & Snelgrove was at the end of the Headrow. There was a shop on the corner called Peacocks I think - our first bed came from there anyway. There was also a furniture shop next to Kirkgate Market called Benns - our first three piece suite came from there. Forty years in September - you don't get that for murder If I am correct Marshall's and Snelgrove's was where the LLoyds TSB building is now at 6-7 Park Row. The one with the surrealist Black Horse statue. Inside I remember it being a cross between Lewis's, Grace Brothers, and Mr Swindley's drapers shop in Tarnation Street.Outside, according to a lecture I attended in 1964 from somebody at the School of Architecture, it wasn't specially meritorious. An extra room made of glass and timber had been added at roof height that looked from the pavement like a commercial cucumber shed on the roof, about 5 floors up !     aye that was itnever went in marshall and snellgrovesmathias robinson had a very high class of shop assistant. After gazing at the gibson les paul's in scheerers I would then have a wlk round mathis robinson's and do the same. I was only 15.

[Trojan]

[quotenickInside I remember it being a cross between and Mr Swindley's drapers shop in Tarnation Street. Doreen Lostock: I can't find it Mr Swindley Mr Swindley: (Arthur Lowe) There appears to be some stock lost Miss erm Lostock