The Primrose, Meanwood Road

[Jogon]

Not at all Mark, we're all novices of varying experience.

[book]

It's a very interesting point why it's remained viable. It's location was never good, a fair walk from WoodHouse, Meanwood, Scothall or Little London, no good parking space and never renowned for food. There has always been a bit of heavy industry around there and scrap yards. A Ronker community who may have used it in the 70s but I remember it having a sign in the window saying No Travellers. Industry all the way up Meanwood Road in the 70s may have helped it stay open. Can't see how it survives in today's climate, but then again I can't see what attraction it would be to investors.

[Jogon]

Hello BookSorry to sound thick, but what's " a Ronker" community? Never heard it I was surprised it's never shut, heard say it has live music.Think it's luck is probably in. With the demise of industry and slum clearance, the whole area was derelict for a long period.Now on the Student housing corridor and for students closer/quicker to Leeds Met/Uni than you'd realise.Carr Mills and Sugarwell Court are 2 nearby high density housing, and over the road the former Greco's Biscuits / Perseverence Mills another.It's almost a straight line Melville Pl>Craven Rd>Shay St>St Mark's Rd and you're therehttp://goo.gl/maps/XbGeF    

[mark1978]

Throughout the 2000s it certainly survived mostly on live music. There were gigs 3 or 4 nights a week and a weekly open mic session too I think. From personal experience it was a great place to play - very intimate, surprisingly good sound (I think they'd had some sort of lottery grant for the PA) and a million miles away from the trendy elitism of some other small Leeds venues of the time.Anyway, all that came to an abrupt end about 3 years ago when thelong-standing landlords were unceremoniously booted out by the dodgy little company that sub-lets it (ultimately from the Wellington estate I believe, although they have no direct involvement). Since then it's been run by a string of short term caretaker types. The live music is gone and the building is in a poor state of repair because they're given no money to maintain it.I guess the closure of the Skinners and the Londoner in recent years (and going back a little further the Globe, the Becketts and the Meanwood) means it has a steady trickle of clientele. Still, it seems like a missed opportunity - there are three massive student halls nearby that could make the place into a goldmine for someone. Despite not being from the pub trade I'd love to get my hands on the place - smarten it up a bit (whilst retaining the original character of course), bring back the live music, start doing food, lunchtime burgers and jackets for people off the industrial estate, all-day breakfasts on a weekend for hungover students. They don't even have any ale on, despite being 2 minutes from Ridgeside Brewery - they could practically roll a barrel up the street! Ah, pipe dreams...

[book]

Jogon wrote: Hello BookSorry to sound thick, but what's " a Ronker" community? Never heard it I was surprised it's never shut, heard say it has live music.Think it's luck is probably in. With the demise of industry and slum clearance, the whole area was derelict for a long period.Now on the Student housing corridor and for students closer/quicker to Leeds Met/Uni than you'd realise.Carr Mills and Sugarwell Court are 2 nearby high density housing, and over the road the former Greco's Biscuits / Perseverence Mills another.It's almost a straight line Melville Pl>Craven Rd>Shay St>St Mark's Rd and you're therehttp://goo.gl/maps/XbGeF     Ronkers were travellers and the rag and bone men were ronkers. This was the term used to describe them in the 60s 70s , we also called fair ground people ronkers

[Catweazle]

First I heard of the change in this pub was when someone I know told me it was "a bit rough" and full of "dodgy characters" which surprised me as when I went in a few times in about 2003 it was known as a student/hippy/alternative-type place which obviously was connected with its reputation for live music.My ex-missus was into that type of scene herself hence our going in occasionally.I can't believe the powers that be decided to get rid of the live music which I thought was the only reason it kept going - especially as a very large proportion of the population round there are students - and instead replace the rock fans with the dubious flotsam and jetsam who now obviously use it.If they don't get the students/alternative crowd back in I should imagine its days are numbered.    

[mark1978]

The Primmy changed hands again last month and the new tenants appear to be doing some work on the exterior - coat of paint (still yellow!) and some long overdue work on the roof. The resilience of the place continues to baffle!