SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

After the popularity of my 'school wars' thread I thought there'd be a few people out there who also remembered the after school activities in the late 70's /early 80's - ie Youth Clubs and Disco's. A few spring to mind -St Chads church hall disco--in the scout hut next to St Chads church. This was a legendary 'once a monther' for North Leeds Mods around 80-81. Very few 'long hairs' ventured here.Roundabout club at Lawnswood school--this was a weekly youth club on a Thursday(?) night. This was the haunt of rockers, hippies and used to stink of petuli oil and joss sticks. I once got a good kicking outside for wearing my parka.(some of those 80's hippies didnt adhere to the love and peace message!)There was also a youth club downstairs at Ralph Thoreseby I think. I remember one night a well known ex Lawnswood pupil (LW) led a mob who attacked both the Ralph Thoresby and Lawnswood youth clubs. I remember a couple of Lawnswood teachers sporting the bruises they sustained manning the doors!There was a disco at Moortown which I knew as 'Maccy Arts', but now guess it was a church disco linked to Immaculate Heart church. Only went a couple of times and can't really remember much about it (strongbow...)Tiffany's-Monday night. Good place to meet girls from exotic , far off places like Beeston and Cross Gates but always too many skinheads for my liking--dodgy wearing your boating blazer there.Stainbeck church disco--even more skins. no place for a mod like me...I'm sure there were a lot more which have disappeared into my teenage cider addled memory, but I have some good (and bad!) memories of all the above..

Lol, forgot about Maccy Heart went there a few times as I went to St. Andrews school in the same grounds 79 ish I think. It always seemed to have all the kids from Street Lane and Chapel Allerton, so not many of us from Harehills frequented the place........snobs

St Mary's hall in Whitkirk (opp the Brown Cow) held a 'disco' every Friday evening.

I went to Lawnswood and was a mod throughout the mid 80s, not the early 80s as I'm obviously slightly younger then you!However, I do remember the weekly youth club after school at Lawnswood. But it was mostly skinheads by the time I went there - no fun at all for a teenage mod!!!!

Remember maccy art well - 78-79ish. So many different groups of people, rockers, teds, mods, punks, ska, disco, bowie fans. Records I remember particularly from the maccy art are Skids - Into the Valley, Spizz Energy - Soldier, Soldier, Bowie - Jean Jeanie, Danny and the Juniors - At the hop, Eddie Cochran - Something Else along with the pop of the day.Remember paying in - getting a stamp on the hand to go out again and go up to the offy on Street Lane - the one who looked the eldest going in and getting a bottle or two of woodpecker cider. Trying to act sober as you went back in past the priest on the door - he must have known:-)Lads fighting at hometime - if they wanted to avoid a beating had to remember who was fighting who - was it punks/mods versus teds/rockers or punks/ rockers versus mods/ bowie fans - allegiances seemed to change every time.ps There were quite a few of us from Harehills - used to walk back along Gledhow Valley Road - quite spooky at night particularly as it was the Ripper years but there was always a big group of us.

LS13 wrote: St Chads church hall disco--in the scout hut next to St Chads church. This was a legendary 'once a monther' for North Leeds Mods around 80-81. Very few 'long hairs' ventured here. I used to go there but I'm not sure if it was this mods night. We knew it as MUGS club - not sure what that stood for though. I remember seeing the notorious Clandestine Root there once.Also occasionally used to go to a youth club / disco at some church hall in Cookridge and on Thursday nights at Moor Grange School. Otherwise is was Cross Green school youth club or Osmondthorpe YMCA or Miggy Hall. Not sure when I found time to do my homework.