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Posted: Sun 04 Jul, 2010 8:32 pm
by Leeds Hippo
I often drive past this old sign at the lights on the York road in Seacroft near the supermarket. Does anyone know what the origin of this is?

Posted: Tue 06 Jul, 2010 1:19 am
by DEE
I have a friend who lives on the housing estate near the sign.(Sutton Housing Estate) I once asked him what exactly was Paddys crossing. He told me that Paddy was a resident who lived on the estate. He was very well respected by his neighbours owing to his community work to improve the estate. He said that one of Paddys aims was to get a crossing for the residents so they could cross York Road safely, and that he put a lot of effort into campaigning for this. When Paddy died, the residents successfully carried on his campaign and a crossing was finally installed. The residents named it Paddys Crossing as a tribute to Paddy and his work.

Posted: Tue 06 Jul, 2010 8:54 am
by Leeds Hippo
DEE wrote: I have a friend who lives on the housing estate near the sign.(Sutton Housing Estate) I once asked him what exactly was Paddys crossing. He told me that Paddy was a resident who lived on the estate. He was very well respected by his neighbours owing to his community work to improve the estate. He said that one of Paddys aims was to get a crossing for the residents so they could cross York Road safely, and that he put a lot of effort into campaigning for this. When Paddy died, the residents successfully carried on his campaign and a crossing was finally installed. The residents named it Paddys Crossing as a tribute to Paddy and his work. Many thanks - I've been intrigued by the sign for years - I'm surprised the sign does not mention who Paddy was (apologies for spelling mistake in title - can't seem to edit it)

Posted: Tue 06 Jul, 2010 9:00 pm
by raveydavey
You have me intrigued now - I drive up and down York Road most days and have never noticed this sign. Where is it exactly?

Posted: Tue 06 Jul, 2010 9:53 pm
by Leeds Hippo
raveydavey wrote: You have me intrigued now - I drive up and down York Road most days and have never noticed this sign. Where is it exactly? Heading towards Leeds on the York road - on your left on a grass bank I think at the lights at the entrance to the Supermarket.From Google Streetviewhttp://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=leeds&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=36.536367,29.311523&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Leeds,+United+Kingdom&ll=53.804662,-1.478181&spn=0,0.005611&z=18&layer=c&cbll=53.804616,-1.478344&panoid=8BeXICviOsVmobEEuVtBjw&cbp=12,204.95,,0,5.34Can't make out sign though

Posted: Fri 06 Aug, 2010 5:12 pm
by rochford
Hello everybody,I'm pleased to see my grandfather's plaque is still of interest to people. Joseph 'Patrick' Rochford was the Superintendant of the Sutton Estate, in fact my grandmother still lives there to this day. He did indeed campaign tirelessly to get that crossing. I have some of the letters he wrote to various news organisations. My dad witnessed a few very nasty accidents when he was living there as a young man and was telling me how necessary a crossing was.Paddy, as he liked to be known had a very interesting life, he served in the Coldstream Guards as an R.S.M and was stationed for much of his later career (including during WW2) in Eqypt where my Dad and one of my Aunts were born. He was the son of an Irish man who'd been in the trenches in WW1. He actually wrote a book when he was alive, but didn't live to finish it. Thankfully the manuscript survives, and his story of being a small boy in Dublin whose parents sent him to join the army as an 8 year old right through to how he came to live in Leeds (and campaign for the crossing) is currently being edited and hopefully turned into a published title at some point, but who knows, it's a very long job, my wife and I are undertaking this task ourselves.Thanks for your interest once again, he'd be very proud and humbled.Michael Rochford

Posted: Fri 06 Aug, 2010 8:04 pm
by chameleon
rochford wrote: Hello everybody,I'm pleased to see my grandfather's plaque is still of interest to people. Joseph 'Patrick' Rochford was the Superintendant of the Sutton Estate, in fact my grandmother still lives there to this day. He did indeed campaign tirelessly to get that crossing. I have some of the letters he wrote to various news organisations. My dad witnessed a few very nasty accidents when he was living there as a young man and was telling me how necessary a crossing was.Paddy, as he liked to be known had a very interesting life, he served in the Coldstream Guards as an R.S.M and was stationed for much of his later career (including during WW2) in Eqypt where my Dad and one of my Aunts were born. He was the son of an Irish man who'd been in the trenches in WW1. He actually wrote a book when he was alive, but didn't live to finish it. Thankfully the manuscript survives, and his story of being a small boy in Dublin whose parents sent him to join the army as an 8 year old right through to how he came to live in Leeds (and campaign for the crossing) is currently being edited and hopefully turned into a published title at some point, but who knows, it's a very long job, my wife and I are undertaking this task ourselves.Thanks for your interest once again, he'd be very proud and humbled.Michael Rochford I remember this well but often thing it may be less beneficial than it should be - in their wisdom, those who designed the retail park constructed the pedestrian access on to York Road half way between this and the second controled crossing adjacent to Killingbeck drive.Whilst it serves the Bustop eastbound quite well, it is understanable I suppose, that many people find it a chore to walk one way or the other to one of these crossings only to then have to walk back again to access the park. The reasons for not using the crossings will be varied but in the end, those trying to cross a total of six lanes of traffic face a seriou risk of coming to grief

Posted: Fri 06 Aug, 2010 10:01 pm
by Leeds Hippo
rochford wrote: Hello everybody,I'm pleased to see my grandfather's plaque is still of interest to people. Joseph 'Patrick' Rochford was the Superintendant of the Sutton Estate, in fact my grandmother still lives there to this day. He did indeed campaign tirelessly to get that crossing. I have some of the letters he wrote to various news organisations. My dad witnessed a few very nasty accidents when he was living there as a young man and was telling me how necessary a crossing was.Paddy, as he liked to be known had a very interesting life, he served in the Coldstream Guards as an R.S.M and was stationed for much of his later career (including during WW2) in Eqypt where my Dad and one of my Aunts were born. He was the son of an Irish man who'd been in the trenches in WW1. He actually wrote a book when he was alive, but didn't live to finish it. Thankfully the manuscript survives, and his story of being a small boy in Dublin whose parents sent him to join the army as an 8 year old right through to how he came to live in Leeds (and campaign for the crossing) is currently being edited and hopefully turned into a published title at some point, but who knows, it's a very long job, my wife and I are undertaking this task ourselves.Thanks for your interest once again, he'd be very proud and humbled.Michael Rochford Hello MichaelIt's great to have a reply from the grandson of the great man - the information is fascinating and I'm sure it will interest people for years to come - good luck with the book!

Posted: Sat 07 Aug, 2010 9:18 am
by raveydavey
rochford wrote: Hello everybody,I'm pleased to see my grandfather's plaque is still of interest to people. Joseph 'Patrick' Rochford was the Superintendant of the Sutton Estate, in fact my grandmother still lives there to this day. He did indeed campaign tirelessly to get that crossing. I have some of the letters he wrote to various news organisations. My dad witnessed a few very nasty accidents when he was living there as a young man and was telling me how necessary a crossing was.Paddy, as he liked to be known had a very interesting life, he served in the Coldstream Guards as an R.S.M and was stationed for much of his later career (including during WW2) in Eqypt where my Dad and one of my Aunts were born. He was the son of an Irish man who'd been in the trenches in WW1. He actually wrote a book when he was alive, but didn't live to finish it. Thankfully the manuscript survives, and his story of being a small boy in Dublin whose parents sent him to join the army as an 8 year old right through to how he came to live in Leeds (and campaign for the crossing) is currently being edited and hopefully turned into a published title at some point, but who knows, it's a very long job, my wife and I are undertaking this task ourselves.Thanks for your interest once again, he'd be very proud and humbled.Michael Rochford Hi Michael - it's nice to hear from a relative of the man himself.Your grandfather sounds like quite a man.