lost chippies of leeds

[Troll]

Don't know if this chip shop has been mentioned, but in the 1980's when I worked in the Armley area there was one run by a oriental looking person. The chips were in a crinkle cut style and both the fish and chips were very nice.
I think the shop was on Armley Lodge Road, or somewhere in that area.
I have not been in that part of Armley for a long time, so I don't know if there is even a fish and chip shop still there.
The other chip shops we as a family went too were the Hole in the Wall at Oakwood (as we called it) and the one at Dibb Lane.

[blackprince]

My childhood chippy in the 1950s was on the corner of Clifton Avenue ( or possibly Grove ) with Sutherland Rd , Harehills. I expect it has long gone. I remember the owner peeling his spuds in a machine outside in the yard. Anyone else remember this chippy?
A peculiarity of buying fish and chips elsewhere in the country is that the salt and vinegar tends to be kept on the server's side of the counter and when they ask if you want salt and vinegar they sprinkle it themselves. In Yorkshire I always sprinkled my own salt & vinegar before the server wrapped it, in newspaper in the good old days!

[volvojack]

My Pal John Rafferty lived on Sutherland Road and if I was in the area during the day I would have fish and chips at what I am pretty certain is the one you mention. They were regarded as the best Fish and Chips in Harehills.
You are right concerning the salt and vinegar routine outside of Yorks. If we have that meal down here I ask them not to put any on at all and do it my self when we get home.

Still remember the pleasure of getting the Traditional Fish and Chips, putting lashings of salt and vinegar on and walking home eating them from the paper.

[buffaloskinner]

It is still the norm in Redcar to put your own salt and vinegar on the lovely fresh fish and chips, but then again Redcar used to be part of Yorkshire before it was pinched off us with boundary changes.

[volvojack]

In the 1950s there must have been at least ten Fish and chip shops in the top part of Beeston and the one at the end of our street was on Theodore Street "Knight's. think all shops in those days were family owned and run Mr. Knight who never appeared behind the counter, he seemed to always be in the cellar chopping chip and you could hear the rumble of the potato peeler..
There was an Off Licence a couple of hundred yards away and as we played in the Street we would see him come up to the shop carrying a large jug. this Offy sold Tetley's draught beer and he would come out with this jug ( about two pints ) and stand in the recess of the shop and drink it down, repeat this again and finally go back to the shop with it replenished again. So I would think he had about six pints every night .certainly did not affect the quality of their Fish and Dirkins.

[blackprince]

"Fish and Dirkins"
I still call them "Fish 'n dirks" silently in my head because nobody else would understand me.
Seeing this I have tried looking up the meaning of "dirks" on t'internet and not got an answer.
The federation of fish fryers magazine came up with
Fish and nerks – fish and chips in Leeds,
sometimes also referred to as fish and
derks

I have never heard "nerks" used. Still no meaning found for "derks" either.
Derks as a name can mean thighs apparently. Could it be that traditional cut chips look like daggers or "dirks"?
More research required methinks.

[volvojack]

"Now't To Be Proud Of"
When I was about sixteen there was a fish shop on the corner of Barkley Parade shops. this was a short way up from the Broadway Pub and was called "Tats" one summer evening four of us went in for fish and chips and decided to have them in the café they had. we were the only ones in there and at the end of the meal with still no one around and the windows open one lad Mick suggested "Legging it" think the meal was under 5/- in those days. as the ground outside was a couple of feet below we were off and scooted across Myers Leather Works land, out through the exit onto Barlky Road and home. Needless to say we steered well clear of that area and if we had fish and chips it certainly was not there.
Time passed and I joined the Royal Air Force, one night home on leave quite a long time after my pal and I had two lasses out and took them in the New Inn on Dewsbury Road. Later walking them home to the Street near the Forgrove factory near Tommy Wass pub. they fancied fish and chips so into "Tats" we went. being Saturday night it was busy and we were in the queue for sometime. Suddenly a Sgt. and Constable came in and the woman behind the counter shouted "That's Him" The Bobbies asked me to go somewhere quiet and as there was only the café in we went. Of course I strenuously denied the whole thing whilst she wanted them to lock me up. Finally I was let go minus the supper, the girls were not impressed and the whole evening sort of went down the pan.
Needless to say when I was home on leave I once again found myself a new Chippy.

[Leodian]

Regarding fish 'n dirks (and the derivatives) this SL thread has mentions:- http://secretleeds.com/viewtopic.php?t=659&start=840

As for me I don't recall ever hearing the intriguing name for the chips. I now though fancy some fish and chips with scraps .

[Bruno]

A former colleague and friend of mine who I worked with at Grattan in Ingleby Road, Bradford, in the early 1990s, was born in 1950 and brought up in urban Bradford and later moved to Queensbury. He ate fish and chips every day for lunch, and two evenings a week when he got home, and he always called them "fish and dirks". So it may be more widespread than just a Leeds expression.

[dogduke]

"Now't To Be Proud Of"
When I was about sixteen there was a fish shop on the corner of Barkley Parade shops. this was a short way up from the Broadway Pub and was called "Tats" one summer evening four of us went in for fish and chips and decided to have them in the café they had. we were the only ones in there and at the end of the meal with still no one around and the windows open one lad Mick suggested "Legging it" think the meal was under 5/- in those days. as the ground outside was a couple of feet below we were off and scooted across Myers Leather Works land, out through the exit onto Barlky Road and home. Needless to say we steered well clear of that area and if we had fish and chips it certainly was not there.
Time passed and I joined the Royal Air Force, one night home on leave quite a long time after my pal and I had two lasses out and took them in the New Inn on Dewsbury Road. Later walking them home to the Street near the Forgrove factory near Tommy Wass pub. they fancied fish and chips so into "Tats" we went. being Saturday night it was busy and we were in the queue for sometime. Suddenly a Sgt. and Constable came in and the woman behind the counter shouted "That's Him" The Bobbies asked me to go somewhere quiet and as there was only the café in we went. Of course I strenuously denied the whole thing whilst she wanted them to lock me up. Finally I was let go minus the supper, the girls were not impressed and the whole evening sort of went down the pan.
Needless to say when I was home on leave I once again found myself a new Chippy.

Tats had a fish shop on Robson St in New town,they were excellent.
The shop was part of the slum clearance so the moved to Dewsbury Road.
There is a good pic on Leodis of their original shop.