SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

I know a lot of regulars have already posted unknown and long forgotten stories, but for a bit of fun and to liven things up a bit during the traditionally quiet summer period I thought it might be fun to throw this one out to everyone...What is your Leeds secret?It doesn't have to be anything groundbreaking, in fact the more obscure the better.It's a bit of fun, so no major criminal confessions or other tales that will get you in bother with the constabulary.Remember it's a family audience, so post accordingly....Here's one from me to get us started.Growing up I was fascinated by the number 9 bus that (at the time) went all the way around the Ring Road, completing a circuit of our city. As a youngster it seemed like such a long way to go, passing exotic far flung places such as Horsforth and Swillington. So I decided to set out on a voyage of adventure and paid my 15p (maximum fare in those days) and did the 'ring - non stop, full circuit, just to see what it was like. It took blooming ages!

When I was about 6 at school I managed to get a stub of wax crayon wedged up one nostril(don't ask....) A teacher drove me to the dispensary on north street where a district nurse removed it with a pair of fine tweezers!.

In my much younger days I used to listen to Radio Luxembourg on a transisitor radio under the bedcovers

Too many to mention.One that springs to mind was deliberately telling new school bus drivers the wrong way. It's straight up the Coal Road, you don't turn down here mate.. One of them called me rent a gob, that was when he to detour miles back down the Ring Road. I hated school that much lol

buffaloskinner wrote: In my much younger days I used to listen to Radio Luxembourg on a transisitor radio under the bedcovers Could that have been Jimmy Saviles " under the bedclothes club" the mind shudders

When we were kids, just after the war, we developed the ability of being able to light up gas lamps, no matter what time of day, by kicking the lamp-post. This was no mean feat considering we mostly wore sandals.

when I was about 12, back in the day, I entered a competition in the evening post to win tickets to see superman 2 premiere in leeds. I was one of the lucky winners I was treated like a vip, there was four or five of us iirc, we got to meet Roy Alon who did some of the stunt work. The next day, I wrote a letter to say thankyou, and how much I'd enjoyed it. A few weeks later there was a knock at the door, when mum opened it Roy Alon was stood there!! He said I was the only one who'd wrote to say thankyou, he gave me some signed pics and told us about the new film he'd been doing stunts for, think it was called green ice, he'd burned his face a little and was telling me how dangerous stunt work was. Such a nice man, it's always stayed in my mind. wish I could find the pic of us all in evening post though.

Johnny39 wrote: When we were kids, just after the war, we developed the ability of being able to light up gas lamps, no matter what time of day, by kicking the lamp-post. This was no mean feat considering we mostly wore sandals. I can remember doing that too! Also if the lamp was near a wall as some were,we'd challenge each other to jump off the wall onto the bar that stuck out for the lamplighter to rest his ladder on. One of our number missed and broke his arm! Some of bars were quite bent due to kids swinging on them!

jane666 wrote: when I was about 12, back in the day, I entered a competition in the evening post to win tickets to see superman 2 premiere in leeds. I was one of the lucky winners I was treated like a vip, there was four or five of us iirc, we got to meet Roy Alon who did some of the stunt work. The next day, I wrote a letter to say thankyou, and how much I'd enjoyed it. A few weeks later there was a knock at the door, when mum opened it Roy Alon was stood there!! He said I was the only one who'd wrote to say thankyou, he gave me some signed pics and told us about the new film he'd been doing stunts for, think it was called green ice, he'd burned his face a little and was telling me how dangerous stunt work was. Such a nice man, it's always stayed in my mind. wish I could find the pic of us all in evening post though. If you have a couple of hours to spare all the YEP's are stored on micro-film in the main library in town. Superman II was 1980 so if you can remember the month you could scan through the YEP's till you find it. You can then print off the page/picture for a few pence.

stutterdog wrote: Johnny39 wrote: When we were kids, just after the war, we developed the ability of being able to light up gas lamps, no matter what time of day, by kicking the lamp-post. This was no mean feat considering we mostly wore sandals. I can remember doing that too! Also if the lamp was near a wall as some were,we'd challenge each other to jump off the wall onto the bar that stuck out for the lamplighter to rest his ladder on. One of our number missed and broke his arm! Some of bars were quite bent due to kids swinging on them! They sure were stutterdog and usually had either a rope attached to them, with which you could swing round the lamp-post or a bicycle tyre to do things of a similar nature. Happy days.