Sports shops in Leeds.

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Cardiarms
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Post by Cardiarms »

Not any more.

magic
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Post by magic »

Cardiarms wrote: 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.... Was it Combat Sports????

iansmithofotley
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Post by iansmithofotley »

Johnny39 wrote: 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. Hi Johnny39,In the 1950's, Arthur Clues's shop was situated in Woodhouse Lane in the 'Blenheim' area, not far from the BBC. It was later relocated to Merrion Street, opposite Nash's Fish and Chip Restaurant. The Merrion Street shop was managed in the 1970's by Bill Cartwright (around 6' 6" tall, totally bald head) who played in the second Row for Headingley R.U.F.C. for many years. I saw him in the Fox and Hounds at Bramhope last year.Ian.

iansmithofotley
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Post by iansmithofotley »

chameleon wrote: 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!) Hi RichT, Chameleon and Cardiarms,So far as relates to Bob Jackson, John Robert Jackson started off as JRJ Racing Cycles. I don’t know exactly when they started selling frames but in the 1950’s they had a shop at Hyde Park Road near to Alexandra Road and Burley Lodge Road near to Wainwright’s Fishing Tackle Shop. The frames were originally made, a short distance away in some workshop premises further up Hyde Park Road. I don’t know who originally made the frames, but in the 1960’s, they were built by Bob McLean, who I believe, worked for JRJ, in the Hyde Park Road workshop. Also in the 1960’s, a JRJ frame could be bought bearing the stickers JRJ or Bob Jackson. Later, the same frames could also be bought with stickers bearing the name Merlin. In the early 1960’s, JRJ moved to premises on Harehills Road where they remained for a long time before moving to the premises in Harehills Lane. I think that they later occupied premises in an old mill in the Dewsbury Road/Holbeck area in the 1990’s. I have lost track of where they are now.At some time, somebody must have used a JRJ frame in the Olympic Games as JRJ used the logo ‘JRJ Olympic Cycles’, but I do not know who it might have been.So far as relates to Stephen Maurice Woodrup, in the 1950’s he had a shop at 111 Burley Lodge Road Leeds 4. Maurice, his wife Jean and son Stephen lived behind the shop. He started to sell his own frames in about 1960. As far as I am aware, the Woodrup frames were also built by Bob McLean and not by Maurice himself. The first five Woodrup frames were owned by (No. 1) Maurice (Yorkshire Clarion C.C.), (No. 2) Jean (Yorkshire Clarion C.C.), (No. 3) Pete Fryer (South Leeds R.C.) who later got killed during a road race, (No. 4) John Clay (Leeds Coureurs R.C.) who is the father of Jonathan Clay the Olympic track cyclist and (No. 5) myself (Yorkshire Century R.C.). I have no knowledge of Woodrup’s making frames for J.T. Rodgers.Just as a matter of interest, when I bought my road racing frame from Maurice, around 1960, it was £17 17s. 0d. It was built with Reynolds 531 tubing, Nervex Italian lugs, Campagnolo drop outs and fittings. I also had a JRJ track bike, which I bought from them. I later had it resprayed by Maurice and S.M. Woodrup stickers put on it. I used it for racing on the grass track arena at Roundhay Park on Tuesday nights. Also, in those days, people used ‘fixed wheels’ for time trialling, before close ratio blocks became the norm, so I also used it for a few time trials as well.Bob McLean (Leeds Coureurs R.C.) also sold frames under his own name. I think that he traded with his brother as McLean Cycles.So far as relates to the shop at North Lane, this shop was managed by Jean Woodrup. Maurice ran the Burley Lodge Road shop which later re-located to Kirkstall Road and was eventually owned by Stephen.There was another cycle shop on Headingley Lane near to St Anne’s Road (not very far from where Stif is presently located). It was a ‘cycle shop’ as opposed to a ‘racing cycle shop’. I don’t remember the name but for decades there was a bicycle displayed high up on a gantry. Recently, the premises have been re-developed.Ian.

Richard A Thackeray
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Post by Richard A Thackeray »

iansmithofotley wrote: So far as relates to Bob Jackson, John Robert Jackson started off as JRJ Racing Cycles. I don’t know exactly when they started selling frames but in the 1950’s they had a shop at Hyde Park Road near (No. 4) John Clay (Leeds Coureurs R.C.) who is the father of Jonathan Clay the Olympic track cyclist and (No. 5) myself (Yorkshire Century R.C.). I have no knowledge of Woodrup’s making frames for J.T. Rodgers. Thanks for that Ian, that's very in depth!As for the Clays, I'm not sure if they still have that shop in the mills at Rodley?Not sure I know anyone in your Club.My racing is mainly confined to cyclo-cross 'for' Featherstone Road Club, with previous forays into road-racing & MTB racinghttp://www.featherstoneroadclub.co.uk/news.php

LS1
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Post by LS1 »

Is Drakes cycles still there on Harehills Lane?

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chameleon
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Post by chameleon »

LS1 wrote: Is Drakes cycles still there on Harehills Lane? Yes and no - as above, they had a small shop below the traffic lights near Ashley Road and later took-over the larger shop towards the Fforde Green when Bob Jackson moved out. They are still there, been in a few times in recent yeears, though I believe Mr Drake Snr has been retired for some time now.

iansmithofotley
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Post by iansmithofotley »

Hi RichT,Nowadays I am out of touch with 'grass roots' cycle racing. I stopped cycling in 1965 because of my job, as I had to work earlies, lates, nights and only had one weekend off in four. I never got back into it and I had other hobbies such as playing rugby, fishing, sailing, windsurfing, caravanning. etc., etc.I still love to follow the big races on Sky Eurosport TV and I am looking forward to watching Lance in the Giro at the weekend and later in the Tour in July. Although I am keen to watch the big races I am totally sickened off with the drugs problems in the sport (and other sports too). I can't see it stopping until all sportsmen/women are banned for life for either testing positive for prohibited drugs or missing a test. Suspensions are a complete waste of time and are no deterrent.I started off with the C.T.C., then Yorkshire Century R.C. and then Leeds Westfield C.C. I also used to go out with the Chain Gang at 7pm on Tuesday, Wenesday and Thursday nights from Shaw Lane at Headingley to Skipton or Gargrave and then back to Otley. Sometimes there were over a hundred of us, racing all the way and sprinting for all the town signs, 30mph signs, etc. Obviously, traffic was much lighter in those days and there were less hazards. Some of the chain gang came from your area such as Barry Hoban, Albert Hitchen and Bernard Burns. Even Beryl Burton turned up occasionally.I think it is John Clay's (ex) wife, Pam, that has the shop at Rodley/Farsley. When I knew them in the 1960's, they lived in St Annes's Road at Headingley.Ian.    

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chameleon
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Post by chameleon »

[quotenick="iansmithofotley"] chameleon wrote: RichT wrote: I know some of the bike shops, but not many normal sports shops (bar Radcliffes) Hi RichT, Chameleon and Cardiarms,So far as relates to Bob Jackson, John Robert Jackson started off as JRJ Racing Cycles. I don’t know exactly when they started selling frames but in the 1950’s they had a shop at Hyde Park Road near to Alexandra Road and Burley Lodge Road near to Wainwright’s Fishing Tackle Shop. The frames were originally made, a short distance away in some workshop premises further up Hyde Park Road. I don’t know who originally made the frames, but in the 1960’s, they were built by Bob McLean, who I believe, worked for JRJ, in the Hyde Park Road workshop. Also in the 1960’s, a JRJ frame could be bought bearing the stickers JRJ or Bob Jackson. Later, the same frames could also be bought with stickers bearing the name Merlin. In the early 1960’s, JRJ moved to premises on Harehills Road where they remained for a long time before moving to the premises in Harehills Lane. I think that they later occupied premises in an old mill in the Dewsbury Road/Holbeck area in the 1990’s. I have lost track of where they are now.At some time, somebody must have used a JRJ frame in the Olympic Games as JRJ used the logo ‘JRJ Olympic Cycles’, but I do not know who it might have been.So far as relates to Stephen Maurice Woodrup, in the 1950’s he had a shop at 111 Burley Lodge Road Leeds 4. Maurice, his wife Jean and son Stephen lived behind the shop. He started to sell his own frames in about 1960. As far as I am aware, the Woodrup frames were also built by Bob McLean and not by Maurice himself. The first five Woodrup frames were owned by (No. 1) Maurice (Yorkshire Clarion C.C.), (No. 2) Jean (Yorkshire Clarion C.C.), (No. 3) Pete Fryer (South Leeds R.C.) who later got killed during a road race, (No. 4) John Clay (Leeds Coureurs R.C.) who is the father of Jonathan Clay the Olympic track cyclist and (No. 5) myself (Yorkshire Century R.C.). I have no knowledge of Woodrup’s making frames for J.T. Rodgers.Just as a matter of interest, when I bought my road racing frame from Maurice, around 1960, it was £17 17s. 0d. It was built with Reynolds 531 tubing, Nervex Italian lugs, Campagnolo drop outs and fittings. I also had a JRJ track bike, which I bought from them. I later had it resprayed by Maurice and S.M. Woodrup stickers put on it. I used it for racing on the grass track arena at Roundhay Park on Tuesday nights. Also, in those days, people used ‘fixed wheels’ for time trialling, before close ratio blocks became the norm, so I also used it for a few time trials as well.Bob McLean (Leeds Coureurs R.C.) also sold frames under his own name. I think that he traded with his brother as McLean Cycles.So far as relates to the shop at North Lane, this shop was managed by Jean Woodrup. Maurice ran the Burley Lodge Road shop which later re-located to Kirkstall Road and was eventually owned by Stephen.There was another cycle shop on Headingley Lane near to St Anne’s Road (not very far from where Stif is presently located). It was a ‘cycle shop’ as opposed to a ‘racing cycle shop’. I don’t remember the name but for decades there was a bicycle displayed high up on a gantry. Recently, the premises have been re-developed.Ian. That stirs a lot of memories for me - Rodger's frames certainly came via Woodrups, mine is the rather odd parallelagram custom frame, with the seat stays parallel to the down-tube - very rigid - and the presigeous 531 sticker of course.Rodgers also had shops in Featherstone and King Edward Street at one time.Bob Jackson did sponsor a team in the 60's, I had some photos but can't remember the names I'm afraid.I'd forgotten about Bob McLean (somehow) and Merlin - was it these which Woodrups made with the 'curly stays'?And Tuesday nights - West Riding Track League! Do you remember the arena had a much tighter radius at the bottom end, those unfamiliar with it and breaking for the sprint early would go sailing off into the Maze and appear back down the side of the old Pavillion? Days of joy and inocence eh?     

iansmithofotley
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Post by iansmithofotley »

Hi Chameleon,It was Hetchins that made frames with the curly stays:http://www.hetchins.com/mo-ultra-01.htmIan.

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