SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

I back in the 90s when I lived around the university area of Leeds there used to be a 'secret' underground bar used by broadcasters / journalists of the BBC's broadcasting house on Woodhouse Lane. Although I never went in the place it was definetely there, at the time I knew a guy who'd worked in there behind the bar and he told me about it. I used to live on Blandford Grove, just off Back Blenheim Terrace and everyday I'd pass the entrance to the place. The totally nondescript entrance / doorway is still there to this day, you can see it on your left as you walk up Blackman Lane, its an unmarked wooden door at the bottom left hand corner of a hoarding, right opposite the entrance to the Blenheim Baptist Church.Did anyone from this forum ever have a drink in there? I always thought it was strange seen as how The Fenton was right opposite that the BBC would have its own drinking den, but there goes your licence fee I suppose! - Apparently the drinks were ultra-cheap and it was not uncommon for the likes of Harry Gration and Richard Whiteley to come to blows in there after a hard drinking session.

I knew of it but never went. Never saw anyone coming or going either.

Oh I used to regularly see folk from the BBC across the road nipping in and out on a lunchtime and in the evening. Sometimes the door would be left open and I can remember it went straight down a flight of steep stairs into a basement but I never went through the door. I wonder whats down there now? Perhaps its still all laid out like it used to be? From the looks of the doorway today it seems its no longer in use.

jonleeds wrote: I back in the 90s when I lived around the university area of Leeds there used to be a 'secret' underground bar used by broadcasters / journalists of the BBC's broadcasting house on Woodhouse Lane. Although I never went in the place it was definetely there, at the time I knew a guy who'd worked in there behind the bar and he told me about it. I used to live on Blandford Grove, just off Back Blenheim Terrace and everyday I'd pass the entrance to the place. The totally nondescript entrance / doorway is still there to this day, you can see it on your left as you walk up Blackman Lane, its an unmarked wooden door at the bottom left hand corner of a hoarding, right opposite the entrance to the Blenheim Baptist Church.Did anyone from this forum ever have a drink in there? I always thought it was strange seen as how The Fenton was right opposite that the BBC would have its own drinking den, but there goes your licence fee I suppose! - Apparently the drinks were ultra-cheap and it was not uncommon for the likes of Harry Gration and Richard Whiteley to come to blows in there after a hard drinking session. Was Alan Partridge with them? (Richard Whiteley worked for YTV anyway,so what was he doing there?? Maybe thats what started the trouble- "OY Whiteley you tart! get back to Kirkstall Road, we dont like your sort in 'ere!" "Leave it Harry, he's not worth it" pipes up Christa Ackroyd, whilst looking daggers in Carol Vorderman's direction)    

jonleeds wrote: I back in the 90s when I lived around the university area of Leeds there used to be a 'secret' underground bar used by broadcasters / journalists of the BBC's broadcasting house on Woodhouse Lane. Although I never went in the place it was definetely there, at the time I knew a guy who'd worked in there behind the bar and he told me about it. I used to live on Blandford Grove, just off Back Blenheim Terrace and everyday I'd pass the entrance to the place. The totally nondescript entrance / doorway is still there to this day, you can see it on your left as you walk up Blackman Lane, its an unmarked wooden door at the bottom left hand corner of a hoarding, right opposite the entrance to the Blenheim Baptist Church.Did anyone from this forum ever have a drink in there? I always thought it was strange seen as how The Fenton was right opposite that the BBC would have its own drinking den, but there goes your licence fee I suppose! - Apparently the drinks were ultra-cheap and it was not uncommon for the likes of Harry Gration and Richard Whiteley to come to blows in there after a hard drinking session. reIt will have been "The BBC Club", in fact a perfectly ordinary works social club. I was a member of the club when I worked at T.V. Centre.Drinks were not subsidised, that would have been against the BBC charter, although "The Corp" provided the premises and furnishings at their own expense. Because of this the Club did not have the expense of the repayment of a loan from the brewery or alternatively somebody pocketing a profit which has previously always been the case at other clubs where I've been a member. The drinks might have been "Ultra Cheap" but only in the same sense that Wetherspoons is "Ultra Cheap".Being a private club visitors such as artists and writers could be invited in to discuss ideas for programmes etc. in confidence.

I prefer drapesy's version.    

Right, so you actually went in the place then Bramley4Woods? Tell me more! Was it just like a small bar, how many rooms were there? Did you ever see Harry Gration half-cut on a Friday lunchtime?

I suppose I'd be predictable if I posted some youtube footage of Carol Vorderman or Whiteley on Countdown.So here's vintage Roy Walkerhttp://youtu.be/GJQdEY82zs0    

jonleeds wrote: Right, so you actually went in the place then Bramley4Woods? Tell me more! Was it just like a small bar, how many rooms were there? Did you ever see Harry Gration half-cut on a Friday lunchtime? Nope..At any one time I was either working in London or Training in Evesham. I never encountered any drunk celebrities. Bear in mind current affairs studios had a green room where politicians and "artists" could "Relax" before appearing in programmes, this being how the likes of Oliver Reed etc. got as intoxicated as a proverbial newt.In Leeds there's also a certain favourite restaurant in Headingley

Regarding Headingley I've heard local folklore about Geoff Boycott, Botham an that lot all having a post-match 'special' in Brett's salubrious restaraunt, then again there is always Salvo's which is so posh I've never been in there. I do have it on good authority that my late old chum Joe Cooper, author of 'The Case of the Cottingley Fairies' and other parapsychology tomes sunk many an alcoholic beverage with none other than Peter O'Toole in the bar at Haley's Hotel on Shire Oak Road, probably in its better days...