SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

What are your favourite places in Leeds that even most of us locals dont know about?Mine is the shop which sells oysters and crab sandwiches in the market, the bottom of the fish aisle. Gordon Brown visited it a couple of months back so I can't claim it's totally unknown !

i dont go in Leeds city centre much, but our local butcher on Dixon Lane is a Gem, cheap but quality meat, Bones etc for dogs. and also does sandwhiches. i dont think you see many family butchers around these days on local streets now. sorry but been thinking for a few hours for Leeds, but couldnt come up with any

Sadly i have to agree with weenie. Over the years our city has gradually lost much of its appealing quirkyness. The lack of dusty second hand bookshops. The death of the indipendent record outlet.Where are the greasy spoons? The tragic demise of my spiritual home the Tatler cinema club,and don't even get me going about the lost pubs. Now i know most of you will think i'm a moaning old sop trapped in a world of reminicence viewed through splintered rose tinted spectacles but in my opinion Leeds has lost much of what made it so special. The dark corners,the grimness and the foul air. The looming broodiness of the old city.

franco wrote: Sadly i have to agree with weenie. Over the years our city has gradually lost much of its appealing quirkyness. The lack of dusty second hand bookshops. The death of the indipendent record outlet.Where are the greasy spoons? The tragic demise of my spiritual home the Tatler cinema club,and don't even get me going about the lost pubs. Now i know most of you will think i'm a moaning old sop trapped in a world of reminicence viewed through splintered rose tinted spectacles but in my opinion Leeds has lost much of what made it so special. The dark corners,the grimness and the foul air. The looming broodiness of the old city. never a truer word spoken.

When i look at the old photos on Leodis i can't help feeling it was a more interesting place. I don't think the demise of quirky independence is restricted to Leeds, the country is full of identikit town centres, high streets and shopping malls; new development is governed by universal guidelines and regulations and people are scared of 'different'.My hidden gem - that Turkish place (effes?) down in Bishopgate. they do a grilled spicy sausage in a flat bread with salad and a pomegranite dressing (sounds weird tastes great), takeaway for about £3.50. Cheaper and better than a burger from BK.

Right on the edge of Leeds, I know, but when I was a kid my favourite place was "t'valley", the area on the nearside of Pudsey Beck, opposite Black Carr Woods, near Smalewell railway tunnel. Nowadays, it's very overgrown, probably because kids don't go chumpin' down there anymore, but in the 60s a whole bunch of us (aged about 4 to 10) spent hours "laikin'" down there - messing about, tadpoling and paddling in the (polluted!) beck. As teenagers, my brother and I kept our motorbikes in the garage behind The Fox and Grapes, and would practice our trials skills going up and down the "black-track." Great memories.

Si wrote: Right on the edge of Leeds, I know, but when I was a kid my favourite place was "t'valley", the area on the nearside of Pudsey Beck, opposite Black Carr Woods, near Smalewell railway tunnel. Nowadays, it's very overgrown, probably because kids don't go chumpin' down there anymore, but in the 60s a whole bunch of us (aged about 4 to 10) spent hours "laikin'" down there - messing about, tadpoling and paddling in the (polluted!) beck. As teenagers, my brother and I kept our motorbikes in the garage behind The Fox and Grapes, and would practice our trials skills going up and down the "black-track." Great memories. We use to go to Post Hill messing about in beck there, use to have races up Roman Hill and then see who fell down first getting back down t'bottom!! we all end up been wet walking home, and calling in Charlie Browns at back of Wickes on Pudsey Road to get a free cup of hot chocoloate pretending to look at stuff for our bikes. before heading towards Greenthorpes having a look in the old garden centre thats now the Cornmill for some reason. great times

Franco - I'm with you there with the greasy spoons. Best type of caff there is The only ones I can think of still going are the Helenic on Vicar Lane (where I am a regular) and the one near the RSPCA shop across from the market, can't think what that one is called. Cheap tasty honest grub.I did used to love the Ivy Leaf - much missed.

purplezulu wrote: Franco - I'm with you there with the greasy spoons. Best type of caff there is The only ones I can think of still going are the Helenic on Vicar Lane (where I am a regular) and the one near the RSPCA shop across from the market, can't think what that one is called. Cheap tasty honest grub.I did used to love the Ivy Leaf - much missed. do you mean the Olympic cafe nr RSPCA we always go in there if i go into town (which has been very scarse these past few years its where we all use to meet up before shopping, great food, atmosphere and from what i remember same owners for many years. they also do beer downstairs too

Olympic - thats the one. I did not know that about the beer! Thanks Weenie You learn so much on this site - I feel like a tourist in me own city