Whats your Leeds secret?

Leodian · Post by **Leodian** » Wed 21 Aug, 2013 2:05 pm

cnosni wrote: Leodian wrote: Ah, Radio Luxemburg 208. That's a number many of us will always remember, just like our Co-op divi number! I occasionally like to look at YouTube of Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, etc (and my first love Doris Day ). Nostalgic memories. Oh, as to secrets I also did the kicking gas lamps to make them light up. I also used to put bangers in a compartment at the base of what must have been electric lamps (hopefully not gas lamps!) and hearing the very loud bang they made! Well thats just shattered my admiration of you Leo,what a miscreant Not a secret as such but it's interesting what we remember (and no doubt conveniently forget!). I have always been small but even so I was never prepared to be bullied (and lots of that went on when I was in school). In junior school (early 1950s) I got into a 'fight' with a taller lad because I would not join his 'gang'. As a result we both had to be seen by a teacher who, using a heavy wooden pencil case, hit our knuckles hard as punishment. I was determined not to do so and I did not cry, but the other lad cried like a baby (my first realisation no doubt that bullies don't like anything hurting them).

shutthatdoor · Post by **shutthatdoor** » Wed 21 Aug, 2013 2:57 pm

Stealing Apples. In the 70s we had a well rehearsed route that included all the known gardens within a mile radius that had apple trees. It wasn't so much the apples, it was the thrill of the possibility of being caught. There were one or two apple tree owners who were wise to all this and waited until we had got over the fence into the garden before shouting at us, no doubt wetting themselves with laughter watching us all try to get back over the fence in a panicking heap. ha.Oh the good old days, scabby knees and belly ache.

Jogon · Post by **Jogon** » Sat 24 Aug, 2013 2:05 pm

shutthatdoor wrote: Stealing Apples. In the 70s we had a well rehearsed route that included all the known gardens within a mile radius that had apple trees. It wasn't so much the apples, it was the thrill of the possibility of being caught. There were one or two apple tree owners who were wise to all this and waited until we had got over the fence into the garden before shouting at us, no doubt wetting themselves with laughter watching us all try to get back over the fence in a panicking heap. ha.Oh the good old days, scabby knees and belly ache. Sounds familiar shutthatdoor...Ah yes, unable to run for laughing whilst appreciating the high risk ofa) being caught b) being punchedC)parents finding out and d)them also hitting you for misdeeds--------------------------------------------------------------------------Not really a secretbut I recall a French-speaking Canadian working in Leeds late 70's and he was intrigued by seeing buses who's destination was Belle Isle (Beautiful Island).Eventually he had a free afternoon and treated himself to a trip there.He'd not appreciated it was just housing, but had a top-deck tour

Johnny39 · Post by **Johnny39** » Sat 24 Aug, 2013 2:26 pm

Just digressing slightly, we always called stealing apples as "apple knocking". Anyone else use the term?

jonleeds · Post by **jonleeds** » Sat 24 Aug, 2013 7:45 pm

No we used to call pinching apples 'scrumping', a bit like 'chumping' which was only done in the few weeks prior to bonfire night when we ripped up fences and the like to build our bonfire.

Loiner in Cyprus · Post by **Loiner in Cyprus** » Sat 24 Aug, 2013 10:00 pm

Johnny39 wrote: Just digressing slightly, we always called stealing apples as "apple knocking". Anyone else use the term? We used to call it 'Apple kipping'

shutthatdoor · Post by **shutthatdoor** » Sun 25 Aug, 2013 1:07 pm

For some reason we referred to it as "apple kipping". Don't know where it came from though.

jdbythesea · Post by **jdbythesea** » Sun 25 Aug, 2013 6:45 pm

When I was at Central High School in the early 60s I had a pal whose grandma lived in the Harrison Almshouses at the rear of St. John's Church. I remember the occasional lunchtime sortie to see her and she'd supply us with pop and cakes/biscuits. I think within a year or so the properties were no more.Sadly, I can recall neither the lad's name nor his grandma's.

Johnny39 · Post by **Johnny39** » Sun 25 Aug, 2013 7:50 pm

shutthatdoor wrote: For some reason we referred to it as "apple kipping". Don't know where it came from though. Never heard that one "shutthatdoor". We did call collecting blackberries "blackbegging".

Caron · Post by **Caron** » Sun 25 Aug, 2013 11:02 pm

I've always loved to sing and was always in a school choir. In the late 60's a good few school choirs in Leeds were brought together for a Christmas Carol performance which was held in Leeds Town Hall. It was fantastic. Either YTV or the BBC filmed the concert and some of it was shown on television. There was also an LP made, "The Magnificent 700" named because 700 of us were singing. Not a secret really but a fantastic experience.A proper "Secret" was that some friends and I used to spy on a guy in his 30's who washed naked in front of his kitchen sink. Typical man.....did not pull the curtains to overlap in the middle so we were left with a good view.....