SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

As I remember there were quite a few in the city centre.~Plews ? Herbert Sutcliffe and on Leeds Bridge was Wainwrights.My Dad passed on a snooker cue from Wainwrights and it's a gem compared to todays offerings.The only thing on Leodis is a 1904 view where Samuel Wainwright iss aid to be a cricket bat manufacturer so working with wood to produce cues is probably a natural progression.

Sutcliffes was run by my school mates' Dad, a Mr Bastow of Rothwell in the 90's. Wainwrights? Did this become Sports Spree? I understood that Terry Cooper had something to do with this when it opened. Target Sports was a great shop when it first opened also MC Sports which sold all the latest football terrace fashions such as Fila and Tacchini tracksuit tops.There was a time when you would struggle to buy a cricket ball in town after Rawcliffes shut down but I have to say that Sports Direct is a fantastic shop if you ignore the overstocking of cheap fashion clothes. You can get everything from golf clubs to table tennis bats and it's dirt cheap too. Mike Ashley certainly knows how to run a sports shop if not a football club.    

There was Savages on Crossgates Rd, [now part of a carpet shop]. They sold any and everything. On York Rd, at the junction with Crossgates Avenue was J.T Rogers I’m not sure if this counts as a sports shop as they only sold fishing tackle and cycling things. Actually, thinking about it, I think that they made and sold their own racing cycles.

Arthur Clues, the former Australian international Rugby League player (Leeds R.L. & Hunslet R.L.), had a sports shop in Merrion Street. I think he had another shop in Leeds but I'm not sure where. He could have taken over Sutcliffe's when it changed hands but I'm not certain. Terry Cooper had one near Leeds Bridge.

liits wrote: There was Savages on Crossgates Rd, [now part of a carpet shop]. They sold any and everything. On York Rd, at the junction with Crossgates Avenue was J.T Rogers I’m not sure if this counts as a sports shop as they only sold fishing tackle and cycling things. Actually, thinking about it, I think that they made and sold their own racing cycles. Indeed they did - and I still have my track bike!

There was centresport at the Woodhouse Lane entrance to the Merrion Centre. Sold lots of ski gear, which I alway thought was an odd thing to sell in Leeds, perhaps folk used to slide down the slag heaps over at Glasshoughton.

I know some of the bike shops, but not many normal sports shops (bar Radcliffes)'Two Wheels Good' (was on Call Lane - bought several bikes from here)'Freewheel' (corner of Duncan Street/Lower Briggate. Opened as an enlargement/franchise by the 'TWG' owners)'Watson & Cairns' (eulogised elsewhere)'Bob Jacksons' (formely of Harehills Lane, now in Bramley)'Woodrups' (Kirkstall Road)'Mel Bentleys' (long gone, was on Knowle Terrace; off Burley Road)'Stif' (Otley Road, intially opened on Granby Street, by Paul Morphet a friend of Lester Noble - of Orange windsurfing)'CycleSport' (in the mills of Coal Hill Lane?,Rodley. Owned by the mother of ex-professional rider; Jonny Clay)'Maverick Cyles' (Dave Laverick, near 'Dawsons Corner', Pudsey)'Centresport' (corner of New Briggate/Merrion Street. sold windsurfers, skis & Orange mountain bikes)

RichT wrote: I know some of the bike shops, but not many normal sports shops (bar Radcliffes)'Two Wheels Good' (was on Call Lane - bought several bikes from here)'Freewheel' (corner of Duncan Street/Lower Briggate. Opened as an enlargement/franchise by the 'TWG' owners)'Watson & Cairns' (eulogised elsewhere)'Bob Jacksons' (formely of Harehills Lane, now in Bramley)'Woodrups' (Kirkstall Road)'Mel Bentleys' (long gone, was on Knowle Terrace; off Burley Road)'Stif' (Otley Road, intially opened on Granby Street, by Paul Morphet a friend of Lester Noble - of Orange windsurfing)'CycleSport' (in the mills of Coal Hill Lane?,Rodley. Owned by the mother of ex-professional rider; Jonny Clay)'Maverick Cyles' (Dave Laverick, near 'Dawsons Corner', Pudsey)'Centresport' (corner of New Briggate/Merrion Street. sold windsurfers, skis & Orange mountain bikes) Bob Jackson was on Hyde Park Road before Harehills Lane Rich - about the time you were born I reckon! The Harehills Lane shop was taken over by Drakes who had a smaller shop more towards Compton Road - and is still going and is I think still a familly concern, unlike Bob Jackson these days.It was Maurice Woodrup who built JT Rodgers frames. (Edit: Just looked at Woodrup's site and seen the going rate for a new frame - think I need an extra lock on the garage!)

There was a sports shop on Roundhay Road in the late 80's, carnt remember its name?????

Woodrups had a place o North Lane for years.Wasn't there a really small sports shop over the road from the three shoes on Otley Road? Might still be there, google....