SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Who was Joe Kealin ,were in Leeds did he have is business and what was is business thats the question 23.46 good luck.

STICKS wrote: Who was Joe Kealin ,were in Leeds did he have is business and what was is business thats the question 23.46 good luck. Hi there - Hope I'm not wrong but that sounds like a spelling mistake and do you you mean Joe Keeling ?? If so he was in business for years under the railway viaduct in Kirkstall Road, near Willow Road and Canal Road.    He dealt in every possible kind of surplus furniture and ex Government household equipment and so forth. He also ran a coach hire operation in very modest way with aged second hand vehicles - some troop contracts to the South were involved as well as other trips. I have a friend who worked for Joe for many winters when not operating his own fairground rides. Hope this helps.    

Well done BLAKEY you get the top price, my dad use to take me there many many times kick me when you whant to meet .    

Does anybody know whether Joe Keeling has any relatives still alive, I am trying to trace my family ancestry. My mum who has sadly passed, was called Diane Keeling was from the Kirkstall area, she was given up for adoption when she was young, but she had memories of her grandfather owning a salvage yard or garage near the viaduct on Kirkstall Road, I'm just wondering whether there could be a connection. I have researched and know Joe had two daughters Joyce and Edna also a son called David.
If anybody has any information it would be greatly appreciated.

I can't help with the query about family members but I remember the Army surplus place very well from when we lived in Armley just after the war till 1954.

My father used to visit somebody who sold tropical fish on or near Willow Road and his brother, my Uncle Ernest lived on Newton Street. My Auntie Jessie lived on Ventnor Street. There was a lot more army surplus about in those days and I remember him taking me in there a couple of times when he was hoping to buy a field telephone.

There are a few pics on leodis. The first below has some memories of the Keeling family

http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... SPLAY=FULL

http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... SPLAY=FULL

http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... SPLAY=FULL

http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... SPLAY=FULL

I think Tony Grattan who was the Landlord of the the Bridgefield Pub who then later bought a rugby club in Bramley married one of the Keeling girls, i do not recall her name

Hi Jack – There was a William A Grattan who married a Joyce Keeling in or about April 1962 at Leeds. He was possibly born in 1935 (at Leeds) and possibly married a Christine A Finister in 1986 (at Leeds). He died on 2nd July 2020. I used to go in the Bridgefield in the late 1960’s/early 1970’s but I don’t remember him. Ian

Good Afternoon Ian,
I also went into the Bridgefield on Mon, Tues and Wed lunchtimes as at that time i had a very good Fruit and Veg business in Morley Market and as the Wholesale Fruit Market on Pontefract Lane some salesmen from there would go in for a drink after work. It was good to go in the Pub at that time as
you could pick up tips whether prices were going to fluctuate before the weekend
Tony Gratton was a chubby faced quite affable sort of lad and i had the impression that this was his first pub as a Landlord. I am pretty certain that he was married to one of the Keeling daughters (There was a strong rumour that she or her family put up the money for the Bond to get the Pub)
Ian, maybe the "A" in the midle of the name was Anthony and later shortened to "Tony" He certainly had a good trade at that time considering the competition around there Pubs, Clubs etc.
Regards Jack Daly

Hi Dazza

Joyce Keeling was married to my Uncle Tony Grattan(William Anthony Grattan) as was suggested above. Joe Keeling had a yard under the viaduct at Kirkstall Road.

Feel free to contact me if you want to ask any more questions Dazza