R.A.F aerial photography over Leeds in 1951.

Bunkers, shelters and other buildings
Phill_dvsn
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Post by Phill_dvsn »

TASMAN wrote: Points of interest regarding Flight 2 Photo1 Thanks for all those snippets of info Tasman. I'll use some of those when I get back to updating a bit more.Cheers On a related note I've just watched a program on B.B.C4 called 'World War One from above'It's really interesting, and too good not to share on here. It's the advent of aerial photography, and the huge archives that weren't destroyed. The trench scars still visible today, and the tunneling to plant landmines under the enemy. The mines were so big they blasted huge craters in the earth, and the explosions could be felt in London. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dvm80mb__JEEnjoy         
My flickr pictures are herehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/phill_dvsn/Because lunacy was the influence for an album. It goes without saying that an album about lunacy will breed a lunatics obsessions with an album - The Dark side of the moon!

BLAKEY
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Post by BLAKEY »

Phill it really is a brilliant programme and I've seen it a couple of times - and I have it stored somewhere in the electronic wizardy. As a regular visitor to Ypres in Belgium I'm pretty sure that the opening minutes show the devastated town and its present day reconstructed beauty in colour straight afterwards. I think one of the most moving parts of the documentary is where the photographer's elderly descendant sheds a tear when she's seen him in the film.    
There's nothing like keeping the past alive - it makes us relieved to reflect that any bad times have gone, and happy to relive all the joyful and fascinating experiences of our own and other folks' earlier days.

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cnosni
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Post by cnosni »

BLAKEY wrote: Phill it really is a brilliant programme and I've seen it a couple of times - and I have it stored somewhere in the electronic wizardy. As a regular visitor to Ypres in Belgium I'm pretty sure that the opening minutes show the devastated town and its present day reconstructed beauty in colour straight afterwards. I think one of the most moving parts of the documentary is where the photographer's elderly descendant sheds a tear when she's seen him in the film.     You are right Blakey,it is Wipers (Ypres)Ive seen that documentary a few times now and it never ceases to move me.Going there next April,as well as The Somme,Verdun and the Pas de Calais.
Don't get me started!!My Flickr photos-http://www.flickr.com/photos/cnosni/Secret Leeds [email protected]

Phill_dvsn
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Post by Phill_dvsn »

Thanks Blakey and Chris. I found the program really interesting and thought others would appreciate it too. When you see the vast collection of surviving aerial photos at the London Imperial War museum.You can see why the R.A.F had to sort out their vast collection. The museum curator said there 150.000 photo plates saved, there was originally half a million. I'm not sure if that particular museum collection was just world war one stuff, or all the wars like one, two, Burma, and Korea e.t.c. I suspect it wasn't. So it's nice to think these Leeds and Bradford photos are a very small piece of that history saved too.
My flickr pictures are herehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/phill_dvsn/Because lunacy was the influence for an album. It goes without saying that an album about lunacy will breed a lunatics obsessions with an album - The Dark side of the moon!

stutterdog
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Post by stutterdog »

Cardiarms wrote: mhoulden wrote: Interesting stuff there, especially along Kirkstall Road and York Road. Leodis has lots of photos of houses taken just before they were torn down for slum clearances, but there aren't many photos taken halfway through, like the alphabet streets between Burley Road and Kirkstall Rd on flight line 5. It's also interesting seeing Kirkstall power station and the rows of houses on the site of what's now Cardigan Fields. Again, Leodis has a fair few street level photos but there aren't many aerial views that give it some sort of context of just how many there were. Holbeck is pretty unrecognisable because it's changed so many times and it'll be interesting sitting down with Old Maps to see how it compares. IIRC the council condemned the alphabet streets in the 30s and started clearing them just before the war. Conflict and austerity meant that the job wasn't completed for 15 years. Most of the clearances were originally scheduled to be done in the 1940s and 50s. There must be a book about somewhere.. When you look at most of these photos and see the enormous amount of industry in the Leeds area, do you wonder where it all went? When I were a lad you could walk into any factory in Leeds and get a job! Try that now and see where you get! One of the photos shows Canal Rd ,Armley,a gap in the railway wall where a little engine would pull wagons across the road into the gas works.I well remember those days and loved to see the loco which we kids named CLARKY.I think it was an 0-4-0 engine. I imagine the name came from the manufacturers name on the loco, Hudswell -Clark although I will stand corrected if it's not the case!I can remember also pushing an old pram down to the gasworks and having to wait in a queue near a large smoking pile of cinders from the furnaces.2 sacks in the pram would be filled with cinders for not a lot of money and I would push the pram home up Armley Rd. I hated this chore. I don't think we had much money in those days but not many of my neighbours had to resort to this! Thanks for the photos Phil.They bring back many memories. Some of them not so good,but there you are! On another point ,has anyone heard from 'arry 'awk as I haven't seen any posts from him for quite a while? I know he was ill for a while some time back.
ex-Armley lad

Arry Awk
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Post by Arry Awk »

Hi Stutterdog!Still Kickin' mate! Thanks for your concern. Just getting a bit 'Past it'(focusing on print,I DID go to Specsavers!!!) so, content to keep up the interest as a spectator thesedays!( Poor ow'd Sod!). Yes I do remember the little Clarkie engine crossing Wellingtonroad from the sidings to the Gashouse! I think the coal was processed into good oldTown Gas and stored in the Gasometer (Holder) close by. The cinders you used tocart home was (were?)coke,I believe? You mentioned Canal Road but I think it wasCanal Street which joined 'Welly' Road! Canal road joins Viaduct Rd between KirkstallRoad and the beginning of Stanningley Rd.(or it did when I were a lad!)You were taking a risk pushing a pramload of fresh steaming coke and breathing the fumes in! My Grandad worked at the gashouse and died very young aged 54 fromemphysema and associated complaints. Cheerful? sorry!By the way, nobody has mentioned the demise of dear old Max the GAP cat? it wasin the YMP Friday,I think. Lovely friendly moggie.will be missed.All for now, Nodding off!Cheers!'Arry

Dalehelms
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Post by Dalehelms »

Great to see that you are still posting 'Arry. By the way, I think there was mention of Max's passing on another thread.

Arry Awk
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Post by Arry Awk »

Thanks DH! I'll have a skim thru.(Where's me magnifying goggles gone ?lol)

Arry Awk
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Post by Arry Awk »

Found it,Dalehelms! Thanks! Didn't see the GAP bit yesterday!Cheers. Arry

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cnosni
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Post by cnosni »

'Arry 'Awk wrote: Found it,Dalehelms! Thanks! Didn't see the GAP bit yesterday!Cheers. Arry Arry its good to see you come back every now and again.Sometimes it gets so po faced on here that we lose sight of how friendley things used to be.Keep coming back!!
Don't get me started!!My Flickr photos-http://www.flickr.com/photos/cnosni/Secret Leeds [email protected]

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