SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Does anyone remember the Avenues. My address was 45 Second Avenue. A back to back house facing north where the sun never shone. 1947. I attended Green Lane school. The playground was on the roof. I remember Armley Jail and used to play near there. Such a depressing place. Sometimes we would wait outside at 9 am if there was a hanging taking place. Which seemed quite often. Ken.

Hi JKP,

I remember the Avenues in Armley, they were numbered First Avenue to Eighteenth Avenue. They were situated at the bottom of Tong Road near to Green Lane and also near to the Beech Pub, the Crown Pub and the City Pub. As a young Police Constable stationed at Upper Wortley Police Station from 1965 to 1967, I used to patrol this area on foot and on a 'noddy bike'. Every week there were drunken brawls inside or outside of these pubs which mainly involved the gypsy fraternity, including the so-called 'king of the gypsies' Thomas O'Docherty. Many of the participants, although 'gypsies', lived in the Avenues and some of their relatives who lived in the Gelderd Road area in the Danubes and Oswalds.

Ian

Green Lane School in 1986 from Leodis
http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... SPLAY=FULL Other Leodis entris suggest it was demolished in 1994

iansmithofotley wrote:Hi JKP,

I remember the Avenues in Armley, they were numbered First Avenue to Eighteenth Avenue. They were situated at the bottom of Tong Road near to Green Lane and also near to the Beech Pub, the Crown Pub and the City Pub. As a young Police Constable stationed at Upper Wortley Police Station from 1965 to 1967, I used to patrol this area on foot and on a 'noddy bike'. Every week there were drunken brawls inside or outside of these pubs which mainly involved the gypsy fraternity, including the so-called 'king of the gypsies' Thomas O'Docherty. Many of the participants, although 'gypsies', lived in the Avenues and some of their relatives who lived in the Gelderd Road area in the Danubes and Oswalds.

Ian

Hi Ian, being a Beeston lad Tong road was not my area but in when my pal Stan Dodds, ex Leeds Rugby player took The Beech I began to have drink in there and soon discovered Tommy Doc. that was when Gypsies were barred from Pubs but I think Doddsy let him in just to keep the others from trying especially when there was a Gypsy funeral in the area.
I would think you earned your money on that patch and maybe Dewsbury Road Nick and are was a bit more "Refined"

Not a world I would want to go back to. Every house had an open fire. The Gas works and the railway. It's a wonder anyone survived the dirt and the smoke. It really was hell on earth as I remember it. (Sorry a bit before your time though) Leeds now is just about my favourite City though I live now in Norfolk. I even go to Leeds on holiday !! JKP.......( Ken )