Musings.

The Doggers · Post by **The Doggers** » Mon 14 Jan, 2008 1:12 am

This is a strange one to answer really. I feel a lot of pride when I am in the city and I look around. But the things I really feel are mine are the things that were put there naturally like the river and the like. I love to stand and look at a good view of the aire and that sort of thing. Yes I am probably a bit weird lol. The skyscrapers and the like, I am proud of them. But I don't feel for them in the same way.

Phill_d · Post by **Phill_d** » Mon 14 Jan, 2008 1:43 am

I think there are far too many out of bounds places to joe public. Occasionally some of Leeds hidden jems are opened to the public maybe every 3 or 4 years perhaps on a heritage day for a whistle stop tour. I can vouch from the amount of correspondence i get that there is a real thirst to see in these places, It never seems to be met with any enthusiasm for new ideas how to promote Leeds. Thats just my point of view but i feel the civic trust & authority's really need a breath of fresh air in how they go about things. I just feel there is too much of Leeds that we are never able to see to say it belongs to me or us.

Loz123 · Post by **Loz123** » Mon 14 Jan, 2008 1:46 am

I have to say i am very proud of Leeds and what has been achieved to make the City stand out... we all know when you go down south they think any city outside of London is [edited for content], and if they think of leeds they think of emmerdale farm and sheep.... it's true someone actually said that to me... but i am glad to say leeds is proving them all wrong and is nothing like what they think with the latest surge in new buildings and redevelopment its better then ever... New trendy places, bars, restaurants etc etc.... then theirs the older places that everyone still thinks are cool such as the market etc... people think they are cool as they are all still good and look good.... all the buildings are beautiful...Milleneum square is an area where all the local people can get together and enjoy it yeah for many different reasons, ice rink, concerts etc... but you have to see the idea behind it.... it's a place for everyone... it's a place for everyone to enjoy in Leeds, you might not all like the look of it... but love the idea... it seems everyone wants a bit of leeds thats why i am proud to say i was born here... plenty of people want to move here, work here party here... we are becoming very popular been a multi cultural city...I love leeds i love the historic parts the news parts... their is so much to discover as this site proves... whatever or whoever thinks they do own it... i say who cares... i do belive we all own it as we invest our time and money into it everyday... it will get better and better... if we all love it...

munki · Post by **munki** » Mon 14 Jan, 2008 2:00 pm

Blimey Loz123, I think we might have to ban you from the site for not showing the necessary level of cynicism & world weariness! Nice positive words to read on a Monday morning. Thanks!

Post by **chameleon** » Mon 14 Jan, 2008 11:55 pm

Phill_d wrote: I think there are far too many out of bounds places to joe public. Occasionally some of Leeds hidden jems are opened to the public maybe every 3 or 4 years perhaps on a heritage day for a whistle stop tour. I can vouch from the amount of correspondence i get that there is a real thirst to see in these places, It never seems to be met with any enthusiasm for new ideas how to promote Leeds. Thats just my point of view but i feel the civic trust & authority's really need a breath of fresh air in how they go about things. I just feel there is too much of Leeds that we are never able to see to say it belongs to me or us. You are right Phill of course, and you expand the feeling I aired in an earlier message. One reason of course must be the fear of misadventure and the liability this can bring from people wandering through places perhaps not as well maintained as they might be (!!!) under the guise of course of the inevitable Health & Safety law.Private money poured into some of these places can be beneficial but similarly serve to exclude the public at large, with control over access leaving the community and passing to the new owner. I'm afraid we will see more and more of this happening in the newer developments as well as the old.

Phill_d · Post by **Phill_d** » Tue 15 Jan, 2008 12:23 am

Yeah your right Chamaleon. What i was trying to say is the need to be able to document these places. Often the Y.E,P are allowed in there... then they bang 2 or 3 grainy pictures in the evening paper and thats all we have to call posteriety. But then again when someone else tries for the same access then H&S or some other excuse is given or your simply ignored. When the A.B.C cinema was torn down on Vicar lane in Leeds the owner was most helpful to a guy i know & listened sympathetically to his request to document the place. Infact he was so helpful he was sent on a H&S safety course provided for by the contractors who were pulling it down.

jf · Post by jf » Tue 15 Jan, 2008 1:22 am

Regarding the Merrion centre - the redevelopment will see the centre shut off at night, so no more sheltered walks home from town. I think the redeveloped Bond St arcades will be similar - more privatised thoroughfares, dark at night, not really part of a 24hr city.I think the Merrion centre has partly suffered from the fact that many of today's impoverished students own and operate cars, and rather than in my days at university (a mere decade and a bit ago) where such a thing was a rarity, this provides opportunities to drive to out-of-town supermarkets and shopping centres, rather than a walk/cycle/bus journey to the Merrion. Add to this the appearance of a shiny new and superior Morrisons in Kirkstall and other recognisable convenience stores dotted around the student ghetto (Tesco express, Jacksons et al) and it's not hard to see why the old city centre store might be losing trade (though it always seems rammed when I go through)I heard a long time ago that Morrisons was going to expand into the 'georgian arcade' bit hence it being run down - I think it may actually have grown into some units on the west side many years back but my memory is fuzzy.

simonm · Post by **simonm** » Tue 15 Jan, 2008 12:44 pm

My only concern is that public places, the market for one, is gradually been priced out of existence so that ONLY the major retailers will be able to afford the rent set by LCC. they tried it many years ago, only to be met with MASSIVE public outcry. However, majority of the city doesn't give a toss anymore, they'd rather shop at Meadowhell, tw*tford centre, White Rose etc than go into the market. The lack of decent parking, and NOT the rip off mechants like NCP, but good LCC funded area's AND the lack of any real decent infrastructure is killing the city centre and the idea of a 24 hour city, like the one LCC wants is decades away!! As to what "southerners" think of Leeds, who cares? Not me. Let them think what they like of Leeds. WE ALL know what it's like and are proud to be Loiners, well I am!!

kierentc · Post by **kierentc** » Tue 15 Jan, 2008 5:29 pm

jf wrote: I heard a long time ago that Morrisons was going to expand into the 'georgian arcade' bit hence it being run down - I think it may actually have grown into some units on the west side many years back but my memory is fuzzy. theres a bit of a stand off between morrison and town centre securities there. it was set to happen and at one point most of the shops were shut in anticipationTCS are seemingly a bit narked that morrisons own that store not lease it...so any redevelopment that involves demolition wouldn't happen without buying them outso instead they asked silly money for that bit of the centre...but morrisons told them to shove it. and nothing has happened since...

Post by **chameleon** » Tue 15 Jan, 2008 11:23 pm

jf wrote: Regarding the Merrion centre - the redevelopment will see the centre shut off at night, so no more sheltered walks home from town. I think the redeveloped Bond St arcades will be similar - more privatised thoroughfares, dark at night, not really part of a 24hr city.I think the Merrion centre has partly suffered from the fact that many of today's impoverished students own and operate cars, and rather than in my days at university (a mere decade and a bit ago) where such a thing was a rarity, this provides opportunities to drive to out-of-town supermarkets and shopping centres, rather than a walk/cycle/bus journey to the Merrion. Add to this the appearance of a shiny new and superior Morrisons in Kirkstall and other recognisable convenience stores dotted around the student ghetto (Tesco express, Jacksons et al) and it's not hard to see why the old city centre store might be losing trade (though it always seems rammed when I go through)I heard a long time ago that Morrisons was going to expand into the 'georgian arcade' bit hence it being run down - I think it may actually have grown into some units on the west side many years back but my memory is fuzzy. That's what will happen jf, notice that the night club is now accessed from the outside rather than up the stairs in days past?This was a point I was making earlier in the thread - we are only allowed to go where developers want and when they wish to let us.Mentioning Tesco Extra sets me thinking. There is now a Sainsbury's equivalent of this on the front of the centre isn't there?The big supermarkets are regularly taunted and blamed for the demise of the 'corner shop' with people frequently saying how they miss these local and practical convenience shops as they are driven out of existence. Looks to me as though these mini-markets are making a further take over bid filling the gap their larger stores have created - won't help the small trader in the corner shop any!