SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

liits wrote: I remember Mr Berry’s shop more than I remember Mr Berry. My Mam always used Hargreaves butcher as she reckoned Berry’s was “mucky” [but Mr Hargreaves had the heaviest elbows in Leeds].To sort of return to the subject of barbers... While having my hair cut last week, my barber, George [a Greek Cypriot], asked me again “where you from. Newcastle?” He asks me this every time and I have to tell him Leeds.He then followed this up with his usual “My brother’s got a chip shop in Leeds”. There being more than a few chippies in Leeds I’ve never quizzed him any further and he’s never said anything else on the matter [well, nothing I could display here].Anyway, this time he continued by saying what a good chippy it was and how it had made him lots of money and that his brother had now retired leaving his son to run the business.I then asked him where it was and he replied“Something to do with a horse something or other”“Horsforth?”“Nah, something near a tank factory”“Austhorpe?”“That’s the boy [or words to that effect]! Silly damn name”At that point he started scraping the back of my neck so I thought I’d leave it. Small world if it’s Greasy Joes aka The Crossgates Fish Bar.... Small world indeed - it has to be Greasy Joes doesn't it?

I bumped into a real blast from the past last night- the daughter of the late, great Pete Boyle. For many years Pete cut hair in the barber's shop more or less opposite the Duck and Drake down Kirkgate. He was also a well respected Leeds musician. On his passing the Y.E.P. headlined him as "The Godfather of Leeds Blues", and repeated the old tale that he was "the man who sacked Mark Knopfler". Pete was best known locally as the leader of the Hot Pot Belly Band, who are still gigging occasionally.    

In my youth I went to Frank Coakley's in Horsforth. He was very much a no nonsense traditional barber and quite frightened me when I was 7 or so! In an earlier posting there is a picture of another barber called Coakley from years before.I assume he was Frank's dad / uncle or such.

Anyone remember TEDS on Markham Avenue?

I had my very first haircut at a lovely art deco fronted, (or at least in my rose tinted dreams it was art deco) barbers on Hopewell View in middleton old village. It used to be one half of what is now the Old Village Chippy. The original chippy being the left half and the barbers the right. Must have been small. Does anyone else remember them?

Hi lucid,My father's name was Norman and he died in 1994.Ian    

Thanks Ian, sorry about your father, I'll remind my dad when i next speak to him tomorrow.

I used to go to Tassy's you thought you look like a Mod, then we would go to the Spinning Wheel in the Arcade of Briggate it would have been around 1965 to 1966    

I've only just come across this threadI used to work with Pete Boyle back in the 70's at Alvin Morris at Clarence Dock his brother also cut Hair and worked with Derek Barnet he was always known as Daz although I think his name was Stephen Derek had a Triumph Herald Convertible top Mod Car along with SpitfiresI remember getting a hair cut at Character used to take all morning in between the dancing and playing the latest records Also One of my mates from school John Broadbent worked for him such a small world

Daz Boyle has been in America for around 40 years, still hairdressing and making a very good living at it - though he might have retired by now. A very fine washboard player!