SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Looking for some help understanding the history of our shop.
I know, by our sack hoist, potato chute and the Victorian counter layout, it was indeed an end of terrace COOP.
Ward street and Leathley street are now blocked off, but it used to lead to the gates to Fowlers engine works.
As a young teenager, I remember walking through the wrought iron gates and seeing lots of VERY large gas axed wragg bolts
where the old machinery used to be.
Photography was different,and quite rare in the seventies,but I hope someone can help me fill in the gaps.
Graham (Startright Motorcycles)

https://tinyurl.com/4wwd4p42 : GOOGLE STREET VIEW,

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by ... =ESRIWorld : SIDE BY SIDE VIEW 1888-1915

I can remember you moving there in the 70's from Water Lane. Behind was Fowlers and then a new building, Crabtree's printing machinery which later became Crabtree Vickers
I worked over Leathley Road (Alf Cookes) from 79 to 87

This is Marcus from Leeds MAG wearing one of my other hats. Here's a few bits and piece I've found from various places.

In the 1908 Kelly's Directory Leeds Industrial Co-Op Society was based at 144 Hunslet Road and Dr Frank Laird lived at 146.

Between 1936 - 52 the area was "slum" cleared. A stopping up order for Leathley Lane, Dresser Street and Ward St was issued on 22 Apr 1941 (https://www.catalogue.wyjs.org.uk/Recor ... 6%2f3%2f93). Dresser St was where the single storey bit of Startright is now: https://maps.nls.uk/view/210665155#zoom ... &layers=BT

In 1976 Rex Wilshaw put in an outline planning application to demolish the two buildings that make up Startright's and build new ones. It was refused. The planning reference is H20/105/76/. Leeds planning department should still have a paper copy of this in their files.

Leeds Industrial Co-op's archives are probably either held at the West Yorkshire Archive Service (https://www.wyjs.org.uk/archive-service/) or the Co-op's own archives at https://www.co-operativeheritage.coop/s ... he-archive