Corn Exchange

Your favourite days out round Leeds
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chameleon
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Post by chameleon »

'No Takers for Leeds Corn Exchange'This is the heading for a lead article in the Yorkshire Evening Post today.Discussions here questioned the likely result of throwing-out the existing tenants almost a year ago in favour of traders in a rather narrow market, and asked how the £1.5 million cost of the refurbishment would be recouped. It didn't take much thought to work that one out and now we know. The speculating owners certainly seem to have misjudged the prospective traders if not the market too. The resounding cry seems to be the extremely high rents!Let's hope the old place is rescued soon and returned to the vibrant centre it once was, encouraging people to enjoy the splendour of this old and spledid building.http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/n ... 4481038.jp    

Awol Wakefield
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Post by Awol Wakefield »

Leeds Lass wrote: Yes, a suspended plane does ring a bell! Think it was from the ceiling. I love the way the building looks round from the outside, bu is in fact eye shaped inside and looks like the inside hull of a huge wooden boat!!! Call me sad if you like!! Sad if you like "There i said it lol"

Awol Wakefield
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Post by Awol Wakefield »

cnosni wrote: Damn double post!!!     Good pic of Mr Blackmore there buddy "Sorry for going off subject"

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cnosni
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Post by cnosni »

Awol Wakefield wrote: cnosni wrote: Damn double post!!!     Good pic of Mr Blackmore there buddy "Sorry for going off subject" You are clearly a man of great taste and knowledge.Took the pic myself....................NOT!
Don't get me started!!My Flickr photos-http://www.flickr.com/photos/cnosni/Secret Leeds [email protected]

simong
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Post by simong »

sundowner wrote: What i dont understand is how come London does not go the same way as Leeds the rates must be very high but they dont talk about pulling down old buildings that are part of there citys history to make way for so called progress. What they do build in Leeds will be pulled down in the next twenty or thirty years if there past record is any thing to go by. That isn't entirely true: one thing that can be said about London is that it will look great when it's finished. Buildings are being built and replaced all the time, and there are buildings that have suffered from overpricing or economic downturns or both frequently. I worked for the World Corporate Games in London in 1992 (yes, the ones that passed, barely noticed, through Leeds a couple of months ago) and we had offices in Chelsea Harbour and did the games admin in the then brand new 1 Jermyn Street building on Piccadilly Circus because it had an empty floor.There is an occasional tendency in London (and other places) for buildings to 'go on fire', to use the Glaswegian term, if the development company doesn't get its way or get its customers. I lived in the East End of London in the 90s and remember that happening to the old Spitalfields fruit and veg market in 1994: the market had been moved to Leytonstone and the building was all ready to be part of the regeneration of the area by, inevitably, being turned into flats. However, the City refused permission for the developers' plan as it required too much modification to the listed building. The building burned down not long after, was demolished and the new building was what the developers wanted. That isn't an uncommon occurrence at all *coughFleetwoodpiercough*. I think that Leeds has something of a lack of sentimentality about its past, and I also think that it's to do with the Yorkshire attitude to 'brass' but on the other hand, the City Museum has given a new lease of life to the Mechanics Institute and the Electric Press building was a sympathetic restoration job which should be on a par with Manchester's Printworks. I also think that what has happened at the Corn Exchange stinks and it has a much to do with the low view that our municipal leaders take of 'alternative' culture as it does to do with the brass. Affleck's Palace in Manchester is an excellent example of doing it properly: despite it being regularly threatened when its lease comes up for renewal it manages to survive and is an major attraction in the city.

sundowner
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Post by sundowner »

simong wrote: sundowner wrote: What i dont understand is how come London does not go the same way as Leeds the rates must be very high but they dont talk about pulling down old buildings that are part of there citys history to make way for so called progress. What they do build in Leeds will be pulled down in the next twenty or thirty years if there past record is any thing to go by. That isn't entirely true: one thing that can be said about London is that it will look great when it's finished. Buildings are being built and replaced all the time, and there are buildings that have suffered from overpricing or economic downturns or both frequently. I worked for the World Corporate Games in London in 1992 (yes, the ones that passed, barely noticed, through Leeds a couple of months ago) and we had offices in Chelsea Harbour and did the games admin in the then brand new 1 Jermyn Street building on Piccadilly Circus because it had an empty floor.There is an occasional tendency in London (and other places) for buildings to 'go on fire', to use the Glaswegian term, if the development company doesn't get its way or get its customers. I lived in the East End of London in the 90s and remember that happening to the old Spitalfields fruit and veg market in 1994: the market had been moved to Leytonstone and the building was all ready to be part of the regeneration of the area by, inevitably, being turned into flats. However, the City refused permission for the developers' plan as it required too much modification to the listed building. The building burned down not long after, was demolished and the new building was what the developers wanted. That isn't an uncommon occurrence at all *coughFleetwoodpiercough*. I think that Leeds has something of a lack of sentimentality about its past, and I also think that it's to do with the Yorkshire attitude to 'brass' but on the other hand, the City Museum has given a new lease of life to the Mechanics Institute and the Electric Press building was a sympathetic restoration job which should be on a par with Manchester's Printworks. I also think that what has happened at the Corn Exchange stinks and it has a much to do with the low view that our municipal leaders take of 'alternative' culture as it does to do with the brass. Affleck's Palace in Manchester is an excellent example of doing it properly: despite it being regularly threatened when its lease comes up for renewal it manages to survive and is an major attraction in the city. Hi simong Iwill give credit were its due the developers have done a great job with the waterside development thats in keeping with the surrounding properties.As for some of the other buildings they dont do the city any favours in fact they dont fit in at all. To me a new building should merge in with its surroundings not so with a lot of the new developments. Little boxes made of ticky tacky springs to mind .

simong
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Post by simong »

sundowner wrote: Hi simong Iwill give credit were its due the developers have done a great job with the waterside development thats in keeping with the surrounding properties.As for some of the other buildings they dont do the city any favours in fact they dont fit in at all. To me a new building should merge in with its surroundings not so with a lot of the new developments. Little boxes made of ticky tacky springs to mind . Generally it's the same everywhere. I think Leeds might have been a little late to the development party but it caught up just in time for the credit crunch. I mentioned the trend for things to go on fire because I am worried that that might be the Corn Exchange's fate if things get worse. The Corn Exchange thrived and the area around it did as well, which is what Zurich didn't seem to get. It's always about brass, and maybe this place thinks too much about brass and not enough about culture.

sundowner
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Post by sundowner »

simong wrote: sundowner wrote: Hi simong Iwill give credit were its due the developers have done a great job with the waterside development thats in keeping with the surrounding properties.As for some of the other buildings they dont do the city any favours in fact they dont fit in at all. To me a new building should merge in with its surroundings not so with a lot of the new developments. Little boxes made of ticky tacky springs to mind . Generally it's the same everywhere. I think Leeds might have been a little late to the development party but it caught up just in time for the credit crunch. I mentioned the trend for things to go on fire because I am worried that that might be the Corn Exchange's fate if things get worse. The Corn Exchange thrived and the area around it did as well, which is what Zurich didn't seem to get. It's always about brass, and maybe this place thinks too much about brass and not enough about culture. Im with you all the way on this one.Sometimes a site is looked on as a blank canvas no matter that an important building is there. What can they get in its place is all that matters, If there are a couple of 18th cent buildings in there so what. Bit of a problem but nothing that money cant sort out.My point about new buildings fitting in what on earth is that building made of brick near the old Leeds Pool it looks to me like Cell Block H. I think a lot of the new buildings built of brick look good the new courts fit in with the surrounding area. Even though they are next to the Town Hall they do not look out of place to me.But then who am i just a lad from south of the river.

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chameleon
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Post by chameleon »

sundowner wrote: simong wrote: sundowner wrote: Hi simong Iwill give credit were its due the developers have done a great job with the waterside development thats in keeping with the surrounding properties.As for some of the other buildings they dont do the city any favours in fact they dont fit in at all. To me a new building should merge in with its surroundings not so with a lot of the new developments. Little boxes made of ticky tacky springs to mind . Generally it's the same everywhere. I think Leeds might have been a little late to the development party but it caught up just in time for the credit crunch. I mentioned the trend for things to go on fire because I am worried that that might be the Corn Exchange's fate if things get worse. The Corn Exchange thrived and the area around it did as well, which is what Zurich didn't seem to get. It's always about brass, and maybe this place thinks too much about brass and not enough about culture. Im with you all the way on this one.Sometimes a site is looked on as a blank canvas no matter that an important building is there. What can they get in its place is all that matters, If there are a couple of 18th cent buildings in there so what. Bit of a problem but nothing that money cant sort out.My point about new buildings fitting in what on earth is that building made of brick near the old Leeds Pool it looks to me like Cell Block H. I think a lot of the new buildings built of brick look good the new courts fit in with the surrounding area. Even though they are next to the Town Hall they do not look out of place to me.But then who am i just a lad from south of the river. That big, tall red brick building opposite the old pool is far worse than cell block H sundowner, the scourge of many a poor soul....

Reginal Perrin
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Post by Reginal Perrin »

Sthenno wrote: Latest news seems to be that this redevelopment is definitely going ahead. While on the surface it doesn't necessarily seem a bad idea, through things friends have mentioned to me I've done some research and the whole situation seems absolutely appalling. It's clear that Zurich plan to turn the Corn Exchange into an upmarket restaurant and deli outlet, effectively restricting access to this beautiful building to the elite few who will be able to afford to dine there. This, accompanied by the proposed gentrification of Kirkgate Market, will in my view be a real blow to the diversity of Leeds city centre. Yes, the Corn Exhange might not be to everyone's taste and many might even dislike the throngs of 'goths' that hang around outside, but who wants a city centre designed purely with the well-paid executive in mind. Leeds City Council obviously does, hence leasing the property to Zurich with no stipulation as to future use. On top of this, stallholders preparing for the Christmas trading period, which makes up a huge chunk of their income, were told only last week that they won't be allowed to trade in the Corn Exchange over December, leaving many in financial crisis. I realise that the financial viability of the building as an 'alternative' shopping centre has rapidly gone downhill, but the general consensus among traders seems to be that this has been largely due to severe mismanagement on behalf of Zurich. Clearly, they had this redevelopment in mind all along when they began renovations - it reminds me of when I was a student at Bretton Hall. Much fuss was made of the new 'theatre' being built while I was there... upon completion, it looked suspiciously like a conference centre... no prizes for guessing what it is now.Apologies for the long post, but this is a situation which has really got me wound up. At 2pm this Saturday (1st December) there will be a protest against this development, and the proposed development of Kirkgate Market into a similar venture, outside the Corn Exchange, and I hope that some of you might consider coming along to show your support. Hi, were you a student at Bretton Hall when Comedian and activist Mark Thomas was there? he used to perform at The Red Shed in Wakefield.
Ravioli, ravioli followed by ravioli. I happen to like ravioli.

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