SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Hello First post and all ~ I am trying to find out some more info on the building I think is called the Lyons Works or was called that years back. There are a few mentions of it on here but nothing on Leodis. I drive past it most days and i'm either seeing things but are there statues on the roof?!? Someone has posted a picture on here and it does look like a statue peeking over the roof...... its fascinating.thanks ~ Gez

You don't mean Saxon House on Edward Street do you? There are strangely shaped chimneys or air vents which are quite scary at night, looming against the night sky. They remind me of stooping monks.http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... SPLAY=FULL    

Hi GezWelcome. I've not heard of that one, yet.Going to have to google map Templar Ln too.

Thank you both ~ I think I have confused matters by getting the street name wrong! Its Edward Street. I still can't find much info on Leodis or even google....... I have found another site that refers to Lyons Garment Factory and a few other things. Guess my imagination runs riot but yes they do look like stooping monks. Weird

It used to be a tailoring firm at one point. Maensons, I think. Don't know why the vents are on the roof though. Could have been to extract dust from raw cloth or whatever the building was used for prior to tailoring.

GezThere is some discussion in this threadhttp://www.secretleeds.com/forum/Messages.aspx ... hLightIt's funny that Geordie-exile should refer to the roof structures as stooping monks; they used to remind me of nuns or The Madonna when I looked up and glimpsed them against the night sky on my late night walk home from work down New York Road in the 80s and 90s. No matter how often I saw them, they always gave me a momentary thrill of pure terror before I realised what they were.As to the building itself, I'm fairly sure that I used to go to the Alexandres' tailoring children's Christmas parties there in the late 1960s; both of my dad's parents worked for Alexandres at the end of their working lives. The parties always involved games, jelly and ice cream, and cine presentations of cartoons such as Tom & Jerry, and Woody Woodpecker.In the 80s (and quite possibly well beyond), the ground floor of the building housed the Supa Snooker club, if I remember correctly.Private Members' Clubs excepted, I think this was probably the only 24 hour opening place in Leeds at the time, though I'm quite happy to be corrected on that. We used to go in there after the Casino under the Markets closed at 4am.    

Cheers. I have found more info on Maensons (Joseph May & Sons) who had a few clothing factories in Leeds ~ one of their other factories on Springwell Street is shown on Leodis and seems to have one of those vent/statue things on the roof. Its a shame it is all derelict around there, some lovely buildings.thanks ~ Gez

Thanks Bruno.. A casino under the Market! Am intrigued. Going to look for that next. And possibly take a walk up to the old Alexandre's / Saxon House building and have a closer look. Not at night though...thanks ~ Gez

Before you go off on a wild goose chase under the market, the casino was accessed through a door in the bottom of the last building at the lower end of New York Street, so I suppose it was in their basement rather than below the Market itself. It was near where the vehicle exit to the Market multi storey car park is now - facing the (former casino) door, you have Harper Street over to your left and the Market to your right, indoor market right and forward of you, outdoor market right and aft of you.I think the Casino later became a nightclub of some kind, I'm embarassed to admit I can't remember the name of the casino (of which I was a member!) or the club. Someone on here will soon furnish both names I'm sure.

Hi ~ I know exactly where you mean now, I used to work at the Travel Agents above the goth shop on one street and the Royal Oak (?) pub on the other side ~ the pub is in the currently process of being refurbished into something else. The club was called Primo's when I was younger ~ we used to go in after Ritzy's. Then it went onto be something else and it was well rough, can't remember the name though. I think its empty now. Too old to be frequenting nightclubs now!