SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

One of the main reasons I used to go into Leeds town centre as a youthful person was to buy record, vinyl and since I wasn't exactly rich, this meant haunting the record shops that sold second hand or ex-juke box, but that didn't stop me going into places like Boots to browse all the lp covers.So here are a couple of my hauntsKennedys at the side of the market - you used to see adverts inside buses for them. They used to be really good for ex-juke box, they must have had the biggest turnover in Leeds as it was always heaving since their prices for new stuff was lower than anyone else's.Scene and Heard - never bought anything from them but there were always lots of trendy scruffy dressed folk in there, so it must have had something going for it. Good for LPs, .Merrion Centre Superstore - It always seemd to be a misnomer, it never seemed 'super' to me, but in the indoor market place there used to be a secondhand record dealer that was great for getting hold of older stuff, and since it was close to my school I used to go in there a lot.There used to be a good few secondhand shops down North St back in the derelict days of the mid 1980's and they were good for a few bargains, but you had to dig through a huge amount of junk, like 'Peters and Lee' LPs and 'The World of the Bachelors' to find it, and it was very often scuffed and without the sleeves, but occasionally something like Eddie Cochrans 'Somethin' else' would turn up - it used to pass an idle afternoon.I know there were loads of other outlets, such as in Vallances, one in Boots when it was in one of the arcades off Lands Lane, I've just maned a few to get started.I wonder how many can recall the Mill Hill shop, wasn't there long but the guy running it would go to loads of trouble to get stuff for you.

That brings back a few memories.Scene and Heard was on Kirkgate,next to the Precinct,it's a travel agent now.The original Virgin shop was on King Edward Street,3 different floors if I remember rightlyand the 'aromatic' exhalations became stronger towards the top floor.Top price places included Boots,Barkers and Vallances.Even the late,great Lewis's had a record dept.I've been to a few second-hand record fairs held in places like the Griffin, Corn Exchange and bought Led Zeppelins 'Blueberry Hill' at the Astoria.    

Wasn't Virgin first on Queen Victoria Street, when it was a proper street? Same side as Bodleam used to be. Upstairs in Virgin they had a large seated area by the window with comfy cushions and headphones so you could listen to lps.Vallances had an unusual selection downstairs and had listening booths from the 60s.I also used to go to Project Records in Harehills where they sold second hand records. There was a 2nd hand place in the Grand Arcade halfway up on the left - anyone remember its name? Boots used to have a good bargain rack.

Here's a picture of The Batchelors at Vallences in 1964, courtesy of Leodis.As for Scene & Heard. A great shop. As well as lps, I used to get my concert tickets from them. Mott The Hoople at Leeds Town Hall in summer 1972, followed by Deep Purple about 2 weeks later (although I didn't pay for that one - got in using 'pass outs' at the interval). Richie Blackmore playing endless solos (before he became a wizard)....

oldleedsman wrote: Here's a picture of The Batchelors at Vallences in 1964, courtesy of Leodis.As for Scene & Heard. A great shop. As well as lps, I used to get my concert tickets from them. Mott The Hoople at Leeds Town Hall in summer 1972, followed by Deep Purple about 2 weeks later (although I didn't pay for that one - got in using 'pass outs' at the interval). Richie Blackmore playing endless solos (before he became a wizard).... I hate you oldleedsman,you were old enough to see Deep Purple in their Mk2 heyday,i was only born in 66 and didnt get into the Man in Black til 80.I was not taken seriously for going onto study History (even though i love the subject)for my exams because when the teacher set us a task of writing about what period of time/event we would go to if we had a time machine i said i would have gone back to see Purple between 69 and 72,and at a pinch then the Burn tour of '74.Luckily,in addition to the Granada TV footage on DVD,there is now footage of Purple at this time on youtube,tv studio material etc.They look awesome,clearly one of the best live bands ever.So i finally got my time machine!The teacher was not too pleased,probably thought i should have said something loke going back to the 18th century to see a f****** Spiining Jennie in operation or some other boring agricultural twaddle.There was a second hand record shop near the Grand Theatre,where the taxi firm is now.Upstairs fro trendies,downstairs for us Rock Grebos.Cant remember the name though.    

I'm sure Scene and heard were "green" before anyone really knew what "green" was. I am sure their bags were bio-degradable, and I am talking late 80's.Other than them and Jumbo I can only really remember chain stores. Our Price took over WH Smiths location on Commercial Street when they moved to the current location. HMV were next to the back entrance of M&S and was the first Virgin at the top of Briggate just below the Headrow.As mentioned Boots had a much larger record department than now. There was also a record department in the Co-op at the bottom of Albion Street, in Lewis's and of course there was Vallances on the Headrow and Vicar Lane (although they were more of an independent)

oldleedsman wrote: Wasn't Virgin first on Queen Victoria Street, when it was a proper street? Same side as Bodleam used to be. Upstairs in Virgin they had a large seated area by the window with comfy cushions and headphones so you could listen to lps.Vallances had an unusual selection downstairs and had listening booths from the 60s.I also used to go to Project Records in Harehills where they sold second hand records. There was a 2nd hand place in the Grand Arcade halfway up on the left - anyone remember its name? Boots used to have a good bargain rack. You're proberbly right oldleedsman,I find it difficult to imagine Queen Victoria Street as anything other than an upmarket arcade.I walked down King Edward St.yesterday and was trying to picture where Virgin used to be but I couldn't.

stevief wrote: oldleedsman wrote: Wasn't Virgin first on Queen Victoria Street, when it was a proper street? Same side as Bodleam used to be. Upstairs in Virgin they had a large seated area by the window with comfy cushions and headphones so you could listen to lps.Vallances had an unusual selection downstairs and had listening booths from the 60s.I also used to go to Project Records in Harehills where they sold second hand records. There was a 2nd hand place in the Grand Arcade halfway up on the left - anyone remember its name? Boots used to have a good bargain rack. You're proberbly right oldleedsman,I find it difficult to imagine Queen Victoria Street as anything other than an upmarket arcade.I walked down King Edward St.yesterday and was trying to picture where Virgin used to be but I couldn't. I reckon it was just to the right of this photo, stevie.

"Boodle Am" Didn't they used to sell a lot of hippy gear??

Boodle Am still sells hippy gear and is still in the same location. I was surprised to see it was so old!Record shops tend to be pretty ephemeral apart from the big chains. I remember a good second hand vinyl shop on New Briggate. Amazing Records, I think it was called. Singles upstairs, albums downstairs. Rare Frank Zappa records and the like up on the wall for £20. And there was also Bostocks in the Merrion Centre, which sold cheap albums. ‘Old Bosty’s’ was where most of my mates got the foundation of their metal collections. I think (although I'm willing to be corrected) that the shop in the Merrion Market was called Gerol's.Virgin also had a shop near the bottom of Briggate. It was where the ‘Free Spirit’ clothes shop is now. In the late 80s it moved up the street to what’s currently Borders.