SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Were there ever (and if so when did they close) shops on the balconies in Leeds Market?Just wandering around it today, I noticed the steps near the flower shop leading up to the balcony and what may have been a cafe at some stage.

Spackler wrote: Were there ever (and if so when did they close) shops on the balconies in Leeds Market?Just wandering around it today, I noticed the steps near the flower shop leading up to the balcony and what may have been a cafe at some stage. There's no shops up on those balconies. Just that upstairs cafe. It's no longer open. Xmas decorations were stored in there the last time i was in.

One side of the balcony is just a plain tiled wall.

The view from that side of the balcony.    

The other side is offices, and storage for the traders.

Viewed from the side of the old Cafe.

Was there a ladies hairdressers onthe balcony years ago??

Cheers Phil, did you just wander up there? When was the cafe last open?Found this on the leeds market website:This beautiful, artist's impression appeared in the Building News in April 1901. Though the basic structure remained unchanged, modifications were made, the most important of which was the abandonment of balcony shops, a feature that had failed in the 1857 Covered Market.

dogduke wrote: Was there a ladies hairdressers onthe balcony years ago?? I seem to think there was something upstairs. In the part where the shop was that sold all those badges. Near the toilets wasn't there? But that was the only part that was open to the public if i recall. The balcony doesn't go all the way around the market either.

I wandered around unchallenged a few months ago. IIRC the cafe was open until recently (10 years?).