SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Phill_dvsn wrote: Yes that's the Gents loo on the right.I remember well shifty characters lined up against the wall on the left looking out for obliging 'nice boys' to go in there in the early 80's.It was notorious for it, no doubt why it got closed.     I remember one of those 'shifty characters' getting dealt with after he propositioned a friend of ours down there.

Chrism wrote: Phill_dvsn wrote: Yes that's the Gents loo on the right.I remember well shifty characters lined up against the wall on the left looking out for obliging 'nice boys' to go in there in the early 80's.It was notorious for it, no doubt why it got closed.     I remember one of those 'shifty characters' getting dealt with after he propositioned a friend of ours down there. Serves him right There to blame for us having no public loos in town at all.It reminds me of a funny story my mate at work told me. He was a bit of a Rocker in his teens in the 80's, he used some Cafe, or bar around the Merrion the other rockers used (I forget where he said) Anyway he said there was this guy, where ever he was, he saw him. Round the market, bus station, everywhere around town. He used this same place as well, one day he just asked him if he wanted a game of pool... Well errrrr.. yeah ok says he thinking nothing of it. Next thing he's bending over playing his shot, he gets the pool cue prodded up his backside, he nearly had a heartache in panic, turned round and this guys winks at him and says 'hey wanna come back to mine' (Pansy voice required there)I bloody well don't, as he made his quick escape lol There was some real shady places around town in those days, the all night cafes. The Klondike cafe, and amusement arcades, Starlight bar, and Mill Hill kind of haunts.

I used to find it fascinating the whole idea of the outdoor escalator at that location (even though it never worked when I was there in the late 1970's). Something else that springs to mind is that it was not possible in those days to cross the road to go from the Merrion Centre to the Coburg Pub across the road without using the underpass. The use of pedestrian barriers prevented you from crossing the road. PS.. The Coburg was a favourite haunt of mine!!

used to find it fascinating the whole idea of the outdoor escalator at that location (even though it never worked when I was there in the late 1970's). Steady on lad, my late father fitted this when he worked for Pickerings Lifts! He did play hell about it though. I don't know what the problem was with it but he was a regular there with his tool box.

grumpybloke wrote: used to find it fascinating the whole idea of the outdoor escalator at that location (even though it never worked when I was there in the late 1970's). There was one of those in Wakefield too!When the ASDA was on Kirkgate (now where the bottom entrance to the Ridings Shopping Centre is), it ran up the side to (roughly) the back of the multi-story car-park (back of boots/Almshouse Lane)

"Starlight bar, and Mill Hill kind of haunts"prob. spent far longer than was healthy hanging around the old Starlight Rooms and Mill Hill Amusements cira 1980 and don't recall seeing anyone that shifty, but it's quite likely I was too young to realise what was going on.then again, I never twigged what went on with those toilets under the corn exchange either O_o, least not until a long time later.

Phill_dvsn wrote: Chrism wrote: Phill_dvsn wrote: Yes that's the Gents loo on the right.I remember well shifty characters lined up against the wall on the left looking out for obliging 'nice boys' to go in there in the early 80's.It was notorious for it, no doubt why it got closed.     I remember one of those 'shifty characters' getting dealt with after he propositioned a friend of ours down there. Serves him right There to blame for us having no public loos in town at all.It reminds me of a funny story my mate at work told me. He was a bit of a Rocker in his teens in the 80's, he used some Cafe, or bar around the Merrion the other rockers used (I forget where he said) Anyway he said there was this guy, where ever he was, he saw him. Round the market, bus station, everywhere around town. He used this same place as well, one day he just asked him if he wanted a game of pool... Well errrrr.. yeah ok says he thinking nothing of it. Next thing he's bending over playing his shot, he gets the pool cue prodded up his backside, he nearly had a heartache in panic, turned round and this guys winks at him and says 'hey wanna come back to mine' (Pansy voice required there)I bloody well don't, as he made his quick escape lol There was some real shady places around town in those days, the all night cafes. The Klondike cafe, and amusement arcades, Starlight bar, and Mill Hill kind of haunts. hi Phill the cafe was jeans cafe in the merrion market where the rockers used to meet up

PC - Dublin wrote: I used to find it fascinating the whole idea of the outdoor escalator at that location (even though it never worked when I was there in the late 1970's). There was one in Sheffield down to t'hole in't road which usually under repair, which is probably why you don't see them these days (not to mention that the hole, with its fish tank and subway shops, was filled in).

Sheffield's been filled in? Excellent.

drapesy wrote: The Subway entrance at the top of Portland Crescent I miss those escalators.