Kirkgate Market, can it survive?

[chameleon]

Let's not forget there were some pretty heavy proposals made back in 2008, discussed here -http://www.secretleeds.co.uk/forum/Mess ... ighLight=1    

[Reginal Perrin]

Yeah, not sure there is a need for an outside market if the indoor one can't be filled. They could sell off an develop the outdoor area if it guarantss the indoor one surviving. They could also put in a mezzanine level as there is 30 ft of roof space sitting doing nowt. People will march in the street if hey close that down. It belongs to us not the council, they are supposed to act for us. We want to keep it at pretty much whatever cost.

[Bert]

Please God let it survive. As a lad in the 1950s I walked through it most days going to and from Leeds Central High. I found it riveting. It would be a tragic loss for Leeds' heritage if it went, and probably for its economy as well - surely its a bigger crowd-puller for Leeds than anything else they could put there? I used to love the fast-talking sales pitches by some of the stall holders in the open-air market too: "These'd cost yer ten in the shops but I'll not ask yer for that; I'll not ask yer for five; I'll not even ask yer for two pound ten; two quid a pair - there yer go my darlin..." ... and people would swarm forward to buy armfuls of things for a quid that were probably only worth a quid anyway. It was as much entertainment as retailing, and that's the atmosphere they need to maintain in the indoor market, with the stalls crammed with traditional northern speciality stuff you don't get much in the supermarkets. And surely there must be more scope for Yorkshire farmers to get in there with their own produce and grab back some of the margins the supermarkets have been throttling out of them?

[Cardiarms]

It was very quiet down there today.

[weenie]

It should be saved, i have very fond memories of kirkgate, When i was a child in 80's my mum use to take me a my younger brother, and 2 older sisters in every saturday without fail, We would go in at the top end, nr the crossing, go down and mam would get dads paper at the newsagents, we would then go to the little jewellers nr the sweet stand, then to the sweet stand to get some quarters of spice. then onto the various clothes shops, down to 4 different butchers as mum said oh there beefs better than theres, they do there pies differnt. We would then have something to eat at Birkbecks where dad would meet us, then we would go meet my other older sister at Tobins and get new shoes if needed, i would look at all the bags that had the women with the big beehive hair. We would go around every stall just about and then we would go back to a few we had already been to, coz mam had decided to get what ever she wanted from there. we would then go outside, mam would stick us on the merrygo thround whilst she had a cuppa from the burgar stand. do a bit more shopping and then go through the market yet agains , and if we were lucky was able to buy a toy from the 50p stall, then we went up the fish isle to buy the fresh fish. We knew it was time to go home when we went to get the fish. Mum always insisted we had to buy the fish last!. we would walk over to get the bus just outside the old cloth hall to go home, me mam and 4 kids and tons of bags.

[raveydavey]

Bert wrote: Please God let it survive. As a lad in the 1950s I walked through it most days going to and from Leeds Central High. I found it riveting. It would be a tragic loss for Leeds' heritage if it went, and probably for its economy as well - surely its a bigger crowd-puller for Leeds than anything else they could put there? I used to love the fast-talking sales pitches by some of the stall holders in the open-air market too: "These'd cost yer ten in the shops but I'll not ask yer for that; I'll not ask yer for five; I'll not even ask yer for two pound ten; two quid a pair - there yer go my darlin..." ... and people would swarm forward to buy armfuls of things for a quid that were probably only worth a quid anyway. It was as much entertainment as retailing, and that's the atmosphere they need to maintain in the indoor market, with the stalls crammed with traditional northern speciality stuff you don't get much in the supermarkets. And surely there must be more scope for Yorkshire farmers to get in there with their own produce and grab back some of the margins the supermarkets have been throttling out of them? It was reported a couple of years ago that the market management were trying to stop stallholders shouting out their wares and offers as it 'lowered the tone'. What rubbish - it's an integral part of the market, the banter to attract customers to the stall adds to the ambience. If I wanted silence I'd go to a library, and middle of the road piped muzak can be found at any supermarket. Cardiarms wrote: It was very quiet down there today. It seems quiet everywhere today - don't know why...?

[Leodian]

Everything must be done to preserve it. Structurally it looks fine so there should be no problem there. From what I've read though the traders do have to pay a lot of rent and I'm surprised that many survive. The number of butcher and of fishmonger shops are however nothing like what there used to be. My own fond memory was the pets section where you could get such as budgies, and also dry food for the hens which my mum used to keep in the 1950s. An unfond memory was the gent’s toilet just inside the market at the Call Lane/New York Street/Kirkgate junction entrance. With its steep steps down and spooky feel I never liked it as a child and I probably never used it as an adult. It was closed some years back now but I wonder if it is still preserved intact?

[raveydavey]

Leodian wrote: Everything must be done to preserve it. Structurally it looks fine so there should be no problem there. From what I've read though the traders do have to pay a lot of rent and I'm surprised that many survive. The number of butcher and of fishmonger shops are however nothing like what there used to be. My own fond memory was the pets section where you could get such as budgies, and also dry food for the hens which my mum used to keep in the 1950s. An unfond memory was the gent’s toilet just inside the market at the Call Lane/New York Street/Kirkgate junction entrance. With its steep steps down and spooky feel I never liked it as a child and I probably never used it as an adult. It was closed some years back now but I wonder if it is still preserved intact? I'd imagine it probably is - along with the barbers shop that was down there with it..?

[Leodian]

raveydavey wrote: Leodian wrote: Everything must be done to preserve it. Structurally it looks fine so there should be no problem there. From what I've read though the traders do have to pay a lot of rent and I'm surprised that many survive. The number of butcher and of fishmonger shops are however nothing like what there used to be. My own fond memory was the pets section where you could get such as budgies, and also dry food for the hens which my mum used to keep in the 1950s. An unfond memory was the gent’s toilet just inside the market at the Call Lane/New York Street/Kirkgate junction entrance. With its steep steps down and spooky feel I never liked it as a child and I probably never used it as an adult. It was closed some years back now but I wonder if it is still preserved intact? I'd imagine it probably is - along with the barbers shop that was down there with it..? I'd forgotten the barbers. I seem to recall a barber shops pole at the entry/exit of the steps.

[keyholekate]

I really dont think the market will survive .Its such a shame as I too have lovely memories of trips there in the seventies with my Mum.In those days my Mum went weekly,many times twice .When I think back to those days I can see her unravelling her hair rollers , a spray of laquer and her best coat on and her shopping bag .She looked lovely with some pan stick and her lipstick,she would buy almost everything there.The meat for the Sunday dinner,nice breadcakes,ham,tongue,spare ribs,tripe,a bag of fruit and veg,broken biscuits,double yolker eggs,bacon,butter wrapped in greaseproof paper,a lettuce wrapped in newspaper,her newspapers,Sweet Afton cigarettes,cig papers ,a crab,finney haddock.In summer she would buy a fine salad ,she always bought radishes and everything you could want on a salad,it was real good stuff.She always had a rummage on Annes stall,all the clothes were jumbled up and she often bought something that needed a new zip ,she could get that no problem from the shop at the top. There was a stall selling her favourite American tan tights,these were seconds so we had to run our hands down them to make sure there was no ladders in them,if she found there was later she put a blob of clear varnish on to stop it running further lol.All our curtains came from there,especially the nets.From Stringers she got her books and mags and comics for us,come August she would start with the school uniforms and the trutex blouses and P.E.stuff and pumps and stuff.Christmas time was the best,there was always an air of excitement and the stallholders used to shout and bawl to buy from them(this is no longer allowed).The christmas cards were lovely ,just simple ones with glitter or an image of coach and horses The butchers on Butchers row used to have a nobble with the ladies and ask what the husband was having for the tea etc.She always saw someone she knew in the market and would stand talking for ages having a cig and a natter . There was a real feeling of seasonal goodwill in those times,mistletoe everywhere ,lights,real trees,it seemed everyone really did wish you a very Merry Christmas and the best time to go was Christmas Eve,the butchers were almost giving turkeys away.I know the old days always seem the best and I sometimes go in the Market now and its so flat and empty and no one really cares about one another.A lot of stalls are selling the same old plastic junk ,the stall staff are not allowed to shout or trim up.Plus England is not as one now,there are so many different cultures now and maybe they are not catering for the right demand. Something really needs to be done,I think I would cry if it closed down.