SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

This message is just a bit of kite flying on my part, please don't take it too seriously. I happened to be watching "Look North" today and the person being interviewed, Ed Balls, was against a window which overlooked the bus station and buildings which I remembered from years ago as the slaughter house and the market. Not having lived in Leeds for many a long year I was impressed by the new, to me, skyline. Now to my point. I thought the Parish Church could do with a clean, its blackness stuck out like a sore thumb. Am I alone in this or are there others on SL who would agree? As I said at the beginning, please don't take my question too seriously it's only my opinion and I know some wouldn't have the Parish Church any other colour but black.

I'm of reverse view.As a 1960's kid Leeds buildings were a reassuring deep matt soot black - like this:- The 'stone' was not visible.The Parish Church 'was' soot black and was cleaned (I think). Looks clean to me.I would guess-timate the cost of sandblasting the church with scaffolding, vehicles, man time etc at £64,500. Maybe on the low side, anyone?Best not spent.    

Jogon wrote: I'm of reverse view.As a 1960's kid Leeds buildings were a reassuring deep matt soot black - like this:- The 'stone' was not visible.The Parish Church 'was' soot black and was cleaned (I think). Looks clean to me.I would guess-timate the cost of sandblasting the church with scaffolding, vehicles, man time etc at £64,500. Maybe on the low side, anyone?Best not spent.     Thanks for the input Jogon. I was beginning to think I'd set a no-interest question. I think you are correct in what you say that it was cleaned but I can't remember when, as I left Leeds in '79, that's 19 not 18 it is sometime ago. As you say some people prefer "our", yes I still consider Leeds as home, civic buildings and important edifices sooty black. I was never one. To each his own.    

If it wasn't so expensive to have buildings sand blasted then I would say, "Clean them all". I have commented on a thread before that as a very young child of the 60's I found Leeds very dark and menacing. I hated going into Leeds centre with my mam. I also like to see buildings how they looked when they were first built, the transformation is incredible. There certainly must have been a lot of muck in Leeds but despite all I love and miss the place.    

Many soot clad buildings were cleaned as the benefits of the smoke control orders of the late 50s took effect and a whole new Leeds emerged - many of those are showing signs of blackening once more, carbon particulates from the greater number of combustion engines perhaps?

chameleon wrote: Many soot clad buildings were cleaned as the benefits of the smoke control orders of the late 50s took effect and a whole new Leeds emerged - many of those are showing signs of blackening once more, carbon particulates from the greater number of combustion engines perhaps? Tiny diesel particulates, wee enough to enter the body and cause a stroke, or lodge deep in the lungs