Famous Sons of Leeds

Off-topic discussions, musings and chat
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volvojack
Posts: 1471
Joined: Tue 26 Jan, 2016 11:57 am

Re: Famous Sons of Leeds

Post by volvojack »

Have posted this before.
The Actor Peter O'Tooles family moved into Mario Street just off of Dewsbury Road when Peter was a baby, My Mother and father lived opposite them. Someone mentioned the area was approx. opposite was is the Social Club behind the Junction Pub. that was correct.
Last edited by volvojack on Sun 19 Feb, 2017 9:42 am, edited 1 time in total.

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tilly
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Joined: Mon 11 Jan, 2010 2:32 pm

Re: Famous Sons of Leeds

Post by tilly »

Dont forget Sir Len Hutton born Fulneck Pudsey.
No matter were i end my days im an Hunslet lad with Hunslet ways.

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blackprince
Posts: 878
Joined: Tue 04 Sep, 2007 2:10 pm

Re: Famous Sons of Leeds

Post by blackprince »

The recent obituary of Sir Harry Ognall, criminal QC then High Court judge who played decisive roles in sensational cases of his era is well worth reading,

Here are a few extracts highlighting his connections with Leeds, high profile cases, and some anecdotes reminiscent of Rumpole of the Bailey

Sir Harry Ognall, who has died aged 87, was a prominent QC and High Court judge, and played a critical part in two of the most high-profile murder cases of his time. Ognall brilliantly interrogated a defence expert during the trial of Peter Sutcliffe, and was the judge in the Rachel Nickell murder trial.

One of three children, Harry Henry Ognall was born to middle-class Jewish parents in Salford on January 9 1934. His father, Leo, wrote detective fiction, publishing nearly 100 novels under the pseudonyms Hartley Howard and Harry Carmichael; his mother, Cecilia, was the child of Polish immigrants who had fled the pogroms and settled in Leeds.

Harry was educated at Leeds Grammar School. When he was 17 he and his father saw the headmaster to assess his chances of getting to Oxbridge. The headmaster said: “The reports I have suggest that your son has not learned a great deal, but that he has a talent amounting almost to genius for making what little he knows seem a good deal more.” Harry’s father concluded that this pointed to a career at the Bar.

Ognall was called to the Bar at Gray’s Inn in 1958. He did his pupillage at Vince’s chambers in Leeds and became a member of the North-Eastern Circuit, later recalling a divorce case in which the petition stated: “We were married on March 1 1961 and we separated on March 4 1961. During that time we gradually drifted apart.” On another occasion he represented a young man who was denying paternity of his girlfriend’s child. When the man admitted having sex with her on the sitting-room sofa after her parents had gone upstairs to bed, Ognall asked: “Did you take precautions?” “Yes, of course,” his client replied. “What precautions did you take?” “I wedged a chair under the sitting-room door-knob.”

His forte, however, would prove to be criminal work, and in the early 1960s he moved to chambers at 37 Park Square, Leeds, appearing for both prosecution and defence in many high-profile cases in the north-east.

Read the full obituary at
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/ ... decisive/
It used to be said that the statue of the Black Prince had been placed in City Square , near the station, pointing South to tell all the southerners who've just got off the train to b****r off back down south!

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blackprince
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Joined: Tue 04 Sep, 2007 2:10 pm

Re: Famous Sons of Leeds

Post by blackprince »

The comedy writer and comedian Barry Cryer passed away yesterday. He was such a national treasure that his passing was reported on national TV & Radio news. Very few people in the UK will not have laughed at his jokes, even if they don't recognise the name, because he wrote shows for all the comedy greats of the last 50 years, including "The Two Ronnies" and "Morecambe and Wise" at the height of their fame.

I know him mainly from Radio 4's " I'm sorry I haven't a clue" but I must confess I never knew, until yesterday, that he came from Leeds. ( although he was namechecked in one of the earliest posts in this thread).
He went to Leeds Grammar School, spent a year at Leeds University and dropped out to be a comedian at the City Varieties. He also worked at the Empire before moving to the Windmill in London.

We could all use a good laugh at the moment, and you can have several courtesy of Barry
https://www.newschainonline.com/news/ba ... ars-249770

Let Barry have the last word: from the Uxbridge English Dictionary (of alternative meanings for common words):
Gladiator - unrepentant cannibal

RIP
It used to be said that the statue of the Black Prince had been placed in City Square , near the station, pointing South to tell all the southerners who've just got off the train to b****r off back down south!

jma
Posts: 499
Joined: Fri 05 Aug, 2016 3:38 pm

Re: Famous Sons of Leeds

Post by jma »

Is this a suitable place to record that in spite of his iconic statue in City Square, the Black Prince is not a "Famous Son of Leeds" having no connection at all? Like most Leeds Loiners I took him for granted without much thought but I discovered the reality when removing statues was in the news. It seems a benefactor decided City Square needed an impressive statue and decided that the BP would be just the job.

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tilly
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Joined: Mon 11 Jan, 2010 2:32 pm

Re: Famous Sons of Leeds

Post by tilly »

Hi jma the benefactor was Colonel Harding of Harding and Rhodes Water Lane i worked there in the sixties.Talking about photographs i wish i could have one day back in my old Hunslet with my Nikon DSLR we could not afford a camera back then.
No matter were i end my days im an Hunslet lad with Hunslet ways.

tomq
Posts: 61
Joined: Thu 25 Feb, 2010 8:30 am

Re: Famous Sons of Leeds

Post by tomq »

Surprised there has been no mention of Tom Pidcock winning the The World Cyclocross championship yesterday in America to add to his Olympic Gold. A young man with a tremendous future in cycling and a Leeds lad.
Tom

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