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

Bunkers, shelters and other buildings
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Cardiarms
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Post by Cardiarms »

The land was offered for sale and bought a while back, someone paid for a lot of decontamination prior to redevelopment and then the crunch.....

raveydavey
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Post by raveydavey »

I hope no-one minds, but this is (very loosely) related...A friend emailed me a link to a YouTube video about an American photo reconnaissance pilot who, amongst other things, flew an unarmed Spitfire to Berlin on one mission.http://youtu.be/ie3SrjLlcUYIt's an amazing story and it gives a flavour of what the pilots had been doing during the war, including incredibly rare 16mm footage, leading up to the peacetime photo missions Phill has posted.
Speaking the Truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act – George Orwell

Phill_dvsn
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Post by Phill_dvsn »

raveydavey wrote: I hope no-one minds, but this is (very loosely) related...A friend emailed me a link to a YouTube video about an American photo reconnaissance pilot who, amongst other things, flew an unarmed Spitfire to Berlin on one mission.http://youtu.be/ie3SrjLlcUYIt's an amazing story and it gives a flavour of what the pilots had been doing during the war, including incredibly rare 16mm footage, leading up to the peacetime photo missions Phill has posted. Really interesting that Ravey, and all possible thanks to the internet 63 years later. Thanks for posting the link
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!

geoffb
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Post by geoffb »

Cardiarms wrote: The land was offered for sale and bought a while back, someone paid for a lot of decontamination prior to redevelopment and then the crunch..... The property arm of now National Grid have decontaminated many old gas works including MeadowLane and Tingley then sold the sites to developers, but many remain contaminated such as New Wortley where British Gas still occupy As mhoulden says there are some nasties there underground cyanides phenols benzines to name a few

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tilly
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Post by tilly »

geoffb wrote: Cardiarms wrote: The land was offered for sale and bought a while back, someone paid for a lot of decontamination prior to redevelopment and then the crunch..... The property arm of now National Grid have decontaminated many old gas works including MeadowLane and Tingley then sold the sites to developers, but many remain contaminated such as New Wortley where British Gas still occupy As mhoulden says there are some nasties there underground cyanides phenols benzines to name a few I was working at Meadow Lane Gas Works at the time they took the gas holder down.I remember the bottom section below ground level had wood cross members and was full of a black liquid that reeked, the wood was impregnated with this I would have thought the wood had to be burnt. I wonder if the wood was oak or some other hard wood if so you are talking about thousands of pounds going up in smoke.
No matter were i end my days im an Hunslet lad with Hunslet ways.

Phill_dvsn
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Post by Phill_dvsn »

tilly wrote: I was working at Meadow Lane Gas Works at the time they took the gas holder down.I remember the bottom section below ground level had wood cross members and was full of a black liquid that reeked, the wood was impregnated with this I would have thought the wood had to be burnt. I wonder if the wood was oak or some other hard wood if so you are talking about thousands of pounds going up in smoke. Tar or Creosote Tilly?A bit here about contaminated timbers, myths and facts.http://www.railwaysleeper.com/railway%2 ... tments.htm    
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!

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tilly
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Post by tilly »

Phill_dvsn wrote: tilly wrote: I was working at Meadow Lane Gas Works at the time they took the gas holder down.I remember the bottom section below ground level had wood cross members and was full of a black liquid that reeked, the wood was impregnated with this I would have thought the wood had to be burnt. I wonder if the wood was oak or some other hard wood if so you are talking about thousands of pounds going up in smoke. Tar or Creosote Tilly?A bit here about contaminated timbers, myths and facts.http://www.railwaysleeper.com/railway%2 ... tments.htm    lHi Phill if that's the case then that timber will last for years thanks for your answer.
No matter were i end my days im an Hunslet lad with Hunslet ways.

geoffb
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Post by geoffb »

tilly wrote: geoffb wrote: Cardiarms wrote: The land was offered for sale and bought a while back, someone paid for a lot of decontamination prior to redevelopment and then the crunch..... The property arm of now National Grid have decontaminated many old gas works including MeadowLane and Tingley then sold the sites to developers, but many remain contaminated such as New Wortley where British Gas still occupy As mhoulden says there are some nasties there underground cyanides phenols benzines to name a few I was working at Meadow Lane Gas Works at the time they took the gas holder down.I remember the bottom section below ground level had wood cross members and was full of a black liquid that reeked, the wood was impregnated with this I would have thought the wood had to be burnt. I wonder if the wood was oak or some other hard wood if so you are talking about thousands of pounds going up in smoke. That holder Tilly was leaking water and all the other [edited for content] that was dissolved in it at a rate of 500,000 gallons a month into the local ground water more or less adjacent to Tetleys well. They reconTetleys bitter was never the same when they decommissioned it in the 70,s

Leedslad31
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Post by Leedslad31 »

Firstly,can I add my sincere thanks to those already recorded for taking the time to share these fantastic pics,Phill...much appreciated - they are fascinating!I grew up on Spen Lane in the 1970s/80s and found photo 21,flight line 1 really interesting as it's very close to home. My Dad used to tell me about a Prisoner of War camp somewhere around the Spen Lane/Butcher Hill area and I wonder if the remains of it are captured(!) in this photo? In the top right hand corner there is a cluster of dark,domed structures...could these be Nissen huts? The area around the "huts" does seem to be part of a disused/demolished complex,surrounded by a tall fence. I believe there was also an anti-aircraft gun/searchlight stationed in the area during the war years - could the "huts" have been part of a military encampment?For many years,the letters POW could be seen painted on the railway bridge crossing Spen Lane,near to where the Hark To Rover once stood,but I'm not sure if it's still visible (it was on the Kirkstall side of the bridge).Once again,many thanks for sharing these super pics,and thanks to all for the amazing information added since.Very best wishes,Gary.
I'm interested in lots of stuff!

Phill_dvsn
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Post by Phill_dvsn »

Ki Gary.Is there anything on these images of any use to you?I've gone back to the original scan and included the areas I'd left off for greater quality.I'll go through the photos again, there are 2 or 3 I never scanned because there was little to see but fields. But I hadn't realised the zoom quality to see far into the distance. I'll check the photos and add any bits of interest I'd left off later.Full size photo herehttp://tinyurl.com/q7bgsdvFull size photo herehttp://tinyurl.com/obqhjobI think those photos should interest Blakey. I believe he has his penthouse in Busman Towers around here somewhere     
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!

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