SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Hello, SecretLeeds. I'm Mayuko Kai, currently studying BA Art&Design in Leeds.I have been exploring the notion of 'Space' and focusing on gay bars, those people who work there, and decided to feature Viaduct Showbar and a drag queen who performs there. And then, I heard that Viaduct Showbar used to be the pub where football fans used to go and socialise, and was known to be quite rough. I thought it would be interesting to highlight the transefomation of the space and the their space within the society as 'football fans' and 'drag queens'.But I've been having so much trouble finding the infomation about the pub that Viaduct used to be, I can't even find the name of it, and of course so much more trouble finding people who used to go there. I would very very appreciate it if anyone could indicate me where would be good to find any information, if anyone knows about this pub, or used to go there (or knows someone who used to go there..). It would be a huge help for my project.Thank you

I sometimes went in there in the 80's, and in those days it wasn't really a gay bar like it's known now. It was just one of the down to earth pubs (and a bit rough) like the Duncan and White Swan. It wasn't a Leeds United fan pub in those days either, you'd more likely find it full of old Irishmen off the building sites. It was always frequented by a group of butch lesbians, it was the same ones. You'd see about 10 of them, but that's as far as the gay thing went. They're wasn't any gay blokes, it always seemed to be the New Penny for them. Now most of that bottom part area of Leeds seems to be the gay area. It was a bit different in the 80's to how it is now, you still had a degree of puff bashing and homophobia going on, so they kept to their own places and stayed out of the rough pubs. In those days straight blokes wouldn't even go in a bar with any reputation of it being gay, it wasn't a place to say you'd been either. Gays and straights just didn't mix. Today it seems very different indeed. The area around the Viaduct pub in the 80's is mentioned here on Secret Leedshttp://www.secretleeds.co.uk/forum/Messages.as ... dID=4152As far as I know it was always called the Viaduct pub.            

I'm not sure that its ever been called anything but The Viaduct and so named for obvious reasons. I think I have only ever been in twice both within the last 10 years, after Rugby matches, and before its reincarnation. Yes it was a football pub but only in as much that along with the Adlephi and Scarborough and other pubs on the southern edge of the City Centre they were all football pubs along with those en route to Elland Road "when Sarturday comes".I am surprised that it doesn't come up in a search of Leodis. Maybe LUFC fan/supporters club sites will have some images.    

Leeds United superfan Gary Edwards painted a mural on the beer garden wall I remember. I'm surprised I can't find a photo of it because I thought it was on this site I'd read about it. However, here's the bit in his book where he talks about it [followed by a rather unsavoury incident which I will not repeat ]http://tinyurl.com/9puod88There was apparently much anger when Gary's mural was painted over.

"Now most of that bottom part area of Leeds seems to be the gay area."I can't help thinking you might have phrased that better Phill!!

drapesy wrote: "Now most of that bottom part area of Leeds seems to be the gay area."I can't help thinking you might have phrased that better Phill!! It did cross my mind, but hey-ho as Larry Grayson used to say

Phill_dvsn wrote: drapesy wrote: "Now most of that bottom part area of Leeds seems to be the gay area."I can't help thinking you might have phrased that better Phill!! It did cross my mind, but hey-ho as Larry Grayson used to say It is now known as The Gay Quarter.

It became a football lads pub in the mid 00's due to the landlord at the time. As mentioned above, there was a mural on the wall outside (didnt know GE painted it), and also the plaque to commemorate the two lads who died in Istanbul was sited there. I believe its now been moved to a pub in East Leeds. There are a few pictures in the Service Crew book of lads outside the viaduct, though it incorrectly says its outside the Adelphi.

I’m not sure when the premises first becomes a Public House but it does not appear on the 1847 or 1851 map because it had been a Beer House, which wouldn’t have been marked anyway. It is mentioned by name in the Leeds Mercury of 21st December 1850 because of “Another violent attack on the police by the Irish”.It appears in the 1857 Licensing Register as a Public House, the licensee being Benjamin Halliwell. At this time the premises were un-named and continued to be so until the name of The Viaduct was officially added to the Licensing Register on 12th June 1896 when Walter W Richardson took over as licensee.Although “One of Tetley’s Houses” for many, many years, Tetley’s were only the lessee. The free-holder of premises was Henry Crowbrough [not Crowborough] who owned several pubs around the city, probably the most famous being The Peel on Boar Lane.Maybe one of our railway experts can give an exact date when the railway bridge / viaduct was built and this would put a date to the name. I’m surprised it was known as the Viaduct as early as 1850 [as the Leeds Mercury indicates].

That I think answers your question Liits!