Woodhouse Feast / Armley Feast etc.

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blackprince
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Re: Woodhouse Feast / Armley Feast etc.

Post by blackprince »

Two small feasts I remember used to visit Harehills in the mid to late 50's. One site was on the waste ground (hollows) just off Compton Road between the big pub ( Compton Arms?) and the library . The other was on waste ground at the junction of Lupton Avenue and Nowell Lane. Both these were within a few minutes walk of where we lived at the time so I used to go every year.
Does anyone else remember these?
Incidentally there are a couple of good photos of the Hilltop cinema and the Shaftsbury in the recent additions on Leodis.
It used to be said that the statue of the Black Prince had been placed in City Square , near the station, pointing South to tell all the southerners who've just got off the train to b****r off back down south!

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buffaloskinner
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Re: Woodhouse Feast / Armley Feast etc.

Post by buffaloskinner »

Is this the end of the story ...or the beginning of a legend?

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blackprince
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Re: Woodhouse Feast / Armley Feast etc.

Post by blackprince »

blackprince wrote:Two small feasts I remember used to visit Harehills in the mid to late 50's. One site was on the waste ground (hollows) just off Compton Road between the big pub ( Compton Arms?) and the library . The other was on waste ground at the junction of Lupton Avenue and Nowell Lane. Both these were within a few minutes walk of where we lived at the time so I used to go every year.
Does anyone else remember these?
Incidentally there are a couple of good photos of the Hilltop cinema and the Shaftsbury in the recent additions on Leodis.
Of course I meant to say Hillcrest Cinema - it must be past my bedtime!
It used to be said that the statue of the Black Prince had been placed in City Square , near the station, pointing South to tell all the southerners who've just got off the train to b****r off back down south!

volvojack
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Re: Woodhouse Feast / Armley Feast etc.

Post by volvojack »

Hi Black Prince,
If you lived nearby you are more likely to be correct.
As a kid my Brother and i could not wait each evening to go up to Harehills Feast. From what i recall it seemed to be just behind the Shaftesbury Parade of shops / Buidings on waste ground off Harhills Lane, then there were the Pit hills ( high piles of Slate) before the Torre Estate where one ventured very carefully. As this was about 70 years ago i do now tend to sometimes get areas out of context
As for the Boxing Booth mentioned earlier, "Professor Boscoe" was the Showman and whilst he juggled three large chrome hoops, then asking someone in the crowd to untangle them he would bring out muscle men flexing to show off their shape. Finally bringing on stage "The Great Mario Majesti" a big ugly brute who had a couple of teeth missing and would snarl at everyone.He also had two fingers missing which the Prof. told everyone that he had them bitten off wrestling in the Middle East. ( My dad said he lost them at the Hunslet Engine Co.) The Professor would send off for two pork pies and Mario would only eat the meat and throw away the crust ( we kids were amazed as this was a time when food was rationed. ) Finally it was "If anyone can wrestle for three rounds with him they win £5." There were very few takers who would risk a week off work if injured etc. but finally a weedy looking man used to volunteer They gave him the name of "Battling Blondie" and for Two and a Half rounds he survived very well,j ust the crowd watching the big clock over the ring and counting down, "Blondie" was floored and finally submitted. After a Cheer a man with a bucket would go round for a collection for "The Gallant Loser".
It seems that the same man would come out of the crowd, same action and same result at each Feast where this £5 stake was offered.

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blackprince
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Re: Woodhouse Feast / Armley Feast etc.

Post by blackprince »

volvojack wrote:Hi Black Prince,
If you lived nearby you are more likely to be correct.
As a kid my Brother and i could not wait each evening to go up to Harehills Feast. From what i recall it seemed to be just behind the Shaftesbury Parade of shops / Buidings on waste ground off Harhills Lane, then there were the Pit hills ( high piles of Slate) before the Torre Estate where one ventured very carefully. As this was about 70 years ago i do now tend to sometimes get areas out of context ........................................
.
Hi Volvojack,
I think we remember the same feast ground which I first went to about 1955. It was on a reasonably flat area of waste ground , which I used to play on a lot. The site was bounded by the pit hills , the Nowells and Lupton Avenue. You could walk to it from the back of the Shaftsbury or from Harehills Lane by walking through the Nowells. I would always approach it from Sutherland Ave/ Hudson Rd side.

Later on in 1958/59 -ish the feast was off Compton road- a larger area of land.

The Torre estate you mention was a no go area for us when we were kids. No idea why; it was just somewhere we stayed clear of. Maybe the area where I lived, nearthe original Brownhills school, was a no go area for the Torre kids too :) .
It used to be said that the statue of the Black Prince had been placed in City Square , near the station, pointing South to tell all the southerners who've just got off the train to b****r off back down south!

volvojack
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Re: Woodhouse Feast / Armley Feast etc.

Post by volvojack »

York Road / Harehills Lane Area.
Those "Pit Hills" were quite large, some were red slate / shale and others were a dirty grey. what was actually this residue from ?.

warringtonrhino
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Re: Woodhouse Feast / Armley Feast etc.

Post by warringtonrhino »

I think the hills were made from the clay, sandstone fire clay and shale the colliers had to dig down through to get to the various beds of coal.

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blackprince
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Re: Woodhouse Feast / Armley Feast etc.

Post by blackprince »

warringtonrhino wrote:I think the hills were made from the clay, sandstone fire clay and shale the colliers had to dig down through to get to the various beds of coal.
I have a distinct childhood memory that in the early 50's the red shale pit hill was still in operation , in that there was an aerial ropeway, (which looked like a ski lift), dropping bucket loads of spoil onto the hill. I could be mistaken , the memory plays funny tricks , but can anyone else remember seeing this.
The second question is where did the red shale come from?
It used to be said that the statue of the Black Prince had been placed in City Square , near the station, pointing South to tell all the southerners who've just got off the train to b****r off back down south!

Loiner in Cyprus
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Re: Woodhouse Feast / Armley Feast etc.

Post by Loiner in Cyprus »

The red shale is usually the result of a slag heap, made up of fire clay and other spoil from the pit, catching fire by spontaneous combustion and turning the spoil red ie burnt.

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buffaloskinner
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Re: Woodhouse Feast / Armley Feast etc.

Post by buffaloskinner »

:idea:

My guess is that it would come from Osmondthorpe Pit

:arrow:
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Is this the end of the story ...or the beginning of a legend?

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