SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

I bought this book in Otley yesterday and I’m somewhat puzzled by the picture on the front. The picture credit reads as follows “Meeting Place by Haywood Magee, from the magazine Picture Post, 5th February 1949. The Happy couple are Sheila Young and Terry Duff, meeting at the stone circle on the pavement of the Victoria Arcade outside Schofields. The Picture Post caption was “You meet everyone in the arcades”. Schofields was a leading department store in Leeds, known for its exclusivity. It has been closed for many years. (Photo courtesy of Getty Images)”.Well, I think it’s wrong on many levels. Victoria Arcade is, I believe, an alternative name for Cross Arcade. You would think then, that the picture would be taken from beside the entrance to the Mecca looking diagonally across the arcade at the corner of Cross Arcade. If that were so, the girl would be standing on the ornate brass manhole cover. Those manhole covers were there when I was a kid and are still there.I know that the shop-fronts have all been returned to their original style so the difference in styles in the photo would be understandable but the first floor terracotta ornamentation that you see now was always there - it’s just been cleaned up. On the photo, there is no ornamentation. The Iron work of the roof structure is also completely different. I also get the impression that the roof in the photo is a [glass] pitched roof as opposed to a curved roof.Lastly, neither do I think that the photo was taken in the Grand Arcade [with its little stub leading out onto Merrion Street]. I don’t get the impression that the photo is looking “uphill” and again, the first floor architecture is different. Does anybody have any suggestions?

Looks like we're back to "Click the red X to see the photo" again.

Victoria Arcade AKA Schofield's Arcade.http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... ifier=5191

I never even knew that there had been such a place!My brother, who was with me when I bought the book and is old enough to have known this, was none the wiser, either!Thanks for the prompt reply.

liits wrote: I never even knew that there had been such a place!My brother, who was with me when I bought the book and is old enough to have known this, was none the wiser, either!Thanks for the prompt reply. Looks a most interesting book liits - what is the title please ??Incidentally I believe that David Thornton was a nephew of a family friend of mine long ago, and was a frequent writer/illustrator about Leeds in many formats.

The book's title is "Great Leeds Stores" and from what I've read so far, it's not bad. The Author's blurb states that he's written extensively about Leeds, so it could well be the same chap.

liits wrote: The book's title is "Great Leeds Stores" and from what I've read so far, it's not bad. The Author's blurb states that he's written extensively about Leeds, so it could well be the same chap. Many thanks liits - it seems like just the book for me as I think almost daily of the great stores which were so much a part of the fascination of "the real old Leeds."    Do you remember M.C.Hitchen and Sons, junction of Kirkgate and Briggate, which was later demolished and replaced by a new "Littlewoods." ?? I'm sure that the idea for "Are you being served" was based on Hitchens because it was just such an old family firm and on a lesser scale than the giant Schofield's and Marshall & Snelgrove etc.    Happy times, and I have to confess that the modern chains and outlets leave me with an empty feeling.

I seem to remember a large haberdashery type store called Scarr's on Kirkgate.

Is one able to purchase a copy of the book in Mouncey's? I hope so!    

Although I only bought the book yesterday, it was in a second hand bookshop in Otley. The publish date is 2005.