Chinatown

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Fri 26 Feb, 2010 11:59 pm

It wasn't just the transport system in the 1930's Leeds was trying to fool itself with, we had aspirations of New York style skyscapers. The Grand plan never to materialise is herehttp://snipurl.com/ujc7yCriterion place and Lumiere Towers Dejavu Only this time were not left with a lump of grassed soil, were left with a big bloody hole in the ground.Hows that saying go? 'A fool and his money are soon parted' lol

Cardiarms · Post by **Cardiarms** » Sat 27 Feb, 2010 12:38 am

Have you ever seen the episode of the Simpsons about the monorail and Detroit. The greatest quotes was something like:"For failing city nothing proves its desparaton like a monorail plan"

Post by **tyke bhoy** » Sat 27 Feb, 2010 10:28 am

Phill_dvsn wrote: The Grand plan never to materialise is herehttp://snipurl.com/ujc7y Hard to say where it is on Briggate but I assume we are looking south west. In which case it did materialise about 30 years later a couple of hundred yards further back as West Riding House.

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Sat 27 Feb, 2010 10:50 am

tyke bhoy wrote: Phill_dvsn wrote: The Grand plan never to materialise is herehttp://snipurl.com/ujc7y Hard to say where it is on Briggate but I assume we are looking south west. In which case it did materialise about 30 years later a couple of hundred yards further back as West Riding House. This is what the plans description say about it.''In 1938, an art deco skyscraper was proposed for Briggate but never built due to the outbreak of the Second World War. The tower would have been around 25 storeys high and had a large art deco motif on top. There were never any plans to resurrect the scheme''

Post by **chameleon** » Sat 27 Feb, 2010 11:30 am

Phill_dvsn wrote: tyke bhoy wrote: Phill_dvsn wrote: The Grand plan never to materialise is herehttp://snipurl.com/ujc7y Hard to say where it is on Briggate but I assume we are looking south west. In which case it did materialise about 30 years later a couple of hundred yards further back as West Riding House. This is what the plans description say about it.''In 1938, an art deco skyscraper was proposed for Briggate but never built due to the outbreak of the Second World War. The tower would have been around 25 storeys high and had a large art deco motif on top. There were never any plans to resurrect the scheme'' Bet they wanted to call it something like The Lumière Tower

raveydavey · Post by **raveydavey** » Sat 27 Feb, 2010 2:20 pm

tyke bhoy wrote: Phill_dvsn wrote: The Grand plan never to materialise is herehttp://snipurl.com/ujc7y Hard to say where it is on Briggate but I assume we are looking south west. In which case it did materialise about 30 years later a couple of hundred yards further back as West Riding House. Looking at the pic, I'd say it looks like it was planned for roughly where Principles was, opposite the current Debenhams, so possibly right over the top of the Pack Horse?It's good to see that even past plans for the future manage to incorporate trams - it must be some sort of civic obsession I'm sure I remember seeing something about plans for another skyscraper on Boar Lane (around where the Marriot is now), which also fell foul of the outbreak of the war. If I remember correctly that was an even more overtly art deco design, something similar to the Chrysler Building in New York.Just think, if it wasn't for that pesky Hitler, Leeds could have been the Manhattan of the North...

Johnny39 · Post by **Johnny39** » Sat 27 Feb, 2010 5:53 pm

tilly wrote: Crazy Jane wrote: "The Chinese quarter has effectively moved up towards Vicar Lane, with the supermarkets, restaurants and the travel agent up there now. "Not so much a quarter, maybe more of an eighth, sixteenth or thirtysecond!I miss not having a decent chinatown in Leeds The Jumbo Chinese Restaurant has been on Vicar lane for has long as i can remember.I would say the Chinese were on Vicar Lane long before they started to open supermarkets further down.Just like to add Newcastle has a good China Town. Hi Crazy JaneThe first Chinese restaurant I can remember opening in Leeds was Minh Sin in Templar Street around 57/58. We used it at dinnertimes as you could get a three course dinner for 4/- old money, you got a choice of three main meals for that as well. By the time the 60s came along there were three or four Chinese restaurants around the area of Upper Briggate/Vicar Lane all giving great value dinners. Working as we did on Bank Holidays if someone gave them a ring and told them how many to expect they would open up specially at dinnertime for us. In those days, unless you had spent time in the Far East, I can't describe how exotic Chinese food was to us.

Trojan · Post by **Trojan** » Sat 27 Feb, 2010 7:19 pm

tilly wrote: Crazy Jane wrote: "The Chinese quarter has effectively moved up towards Vicar Lane, with the supermarkets, restaurants and the travel agent up there now. "Not so much a quarter, maybe more of an eighth, sixteenth or thirtysecond!I miss not having a decent chinatown in Leeds The Jumbo Chinese Restaurant has been on Vicar lane for has long as i can remember.I would say the Chinese were on Vicar Lane long before they started to open supermarkets further down.Just like to add Newcastle has a good China Town. Iin the sixties the Jumbo was on White Horse Street near White Horse Buildings.

Trojan · Post by **Trojan** » Sat 27 Feb, 2010 7:20 pm

Johnny39 wrote: Hi Crazy JaneThe first Chinese restaurant I can remember opening in Leeds was Minh Sin in Templar Street around 57/58. We used it at dinnertimes as you could get a three course dinner for 4/- old money, you got a choice of three main meals for that as well. By the time the 60s came along there were three or four Chinese restaurants around the area of Upper Briggate/Vicar Lane all giving great value dinners. Working as we did on Bank Holidays if someone gave them a ring and told them how many to expect they would open up specially at dinnertime for us. In those days, unless you had spent time in the Far East, I can't describe how exotic Chinese food was to us. The first Chinese meal I ever had was Boxing Day 1964 at the Golden Ring, which was above the arcade between the Tower Cinema and the Grand

Pol · Post by **Pol** » Thu 19 Dec, 2024 10:02 am

I’m an adoptee, trying to find out more about Leeds’s Chinese community 50s,60s. Perhaps someone can help me paint a picture!

My birth father, who I’ve never met, Pang Wah, from HK, apparently worked at the Minh Sin restaurant, along with an uncle.

For whatever reason (?!) their relationship wasn’t viable, so my birth mother (also ex HK) declined his offer to take care of her and me, and I was relinquished for adoption 1965. She has since passed away.

Does anyone recall anything?!

Thanks!!

SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Chinatown

Re: Chinatown