Setting up house shopping in Leeds: how times change

[String o' beads]

For reasons I won't bore you with, I was reminded today of when I was buying 'my first house' stuff in Leeds, and how my experience differed from that of my parents.

I grew up in a council flat and a lot of our stuff was bought on HP. The telly was from Wigfalls, also I believe the carpet [not fitted] and three piece suite was from there. Would that be right? I recall going with my Mam to Wigfalls on Boar Lane for the weekly payments. Later I think we had a new three piece and sideboard from Dale's. Sideboard! Eventually we got a record player from Vallance's. Get us.

Anyhoo, when I was buying, we had a cooker and a fire from the gas showrooms on Eastgate, a coffee table from Schofield's [posh eh?], a bed from Lewis's and a carpet from that place next to the Duck & Drake. We had the parents' old suite as a wedding present and they got a new one. We paid YEB for the electric and NEGAS for the gas.

Just checked on Google, the gas showroom shop is still there, though no doubt in private hands rather than NEGAS.

Where did you get your first house stuff from?

[liits]

My Mum & Dad were married in 1947 and must have had quite a bit of "Austerity" furniture. Some of it was still there when we cleared the house after they had died, as evidenced by the double C mark.

A dressing table made up of two three draw cabinets divided by a full length mirror - which, in later years was split to make two bedside cabinets with the mirror hanging in the hallway, a wardrobe and a tallboy and an iron framed single bed.
The wardrobe was broken up sometime in the early 70's but the other bits Mam kept until her death. The bed was the very devil to take apart.
Dad had kept his razor and shaving brush [complete with leather case] and boot brushes from when he was in the RAF - all bearing the Government Issue "Broad Arrow". The razor weighed a ton but was very well made, the shaving brush - made by Culmak, by this time having not much more bristle on it than my chin. The boot brushes my brother still has and uses.

[Cardiarms]

I've got a bill from when a previous occupier moved into the house with his new bride after the war. From a place on Albion street. I'll try to find it. It's full of household goods a chattels. Fantastic stuff.

[j.c.d.]

My Mum & Dad were married in 1947 and must have had quite a bit of "Austerity" furniture. Some of it was still there when we cleared the house after they had died, as evidenced by the double C mark.

A dressing table made up of two three draw cabinets divided by a full length mirror - which, in later years was split to make two bedside cabinets with the mirror hanging in the hallway, a wardrobe and a tallboy and an iron framed single bed.
The wardrobe was broken up sometime in the early 70's but the other bits Mam kept until her death. The bed was the very devil to take apart.
Dad had kept his razor and shaving brush [complete with leather case] and boot brushes from when he was in the RAF - all bearing the Government Issue "Broad Arrow". The razor weighed a ton but was very well made, the shaving brush - made by Culmak, by this time having not much more bristle on it than my chin. The boot brushes my brother still has and uses.

Excellent.. I still use my R.A. F. issue shoe brushes from 1954 could you ask your brother for the number stamped on the brushes, just curious.

[j.c.d.]

[quote="Geordie-exile"]For reasons I won't bore you with, I was reminded today of when I was buying 'my first house' stuff in Leeds, and how my experience differed from that of my parents.

I grew up in a council flat and a lot of our stuff was bought on HP. The telly was from Wigfalls, also I believe the carpet [not fitted] and three piece suite was from there. Would that be right? I recall going with my Mam to Wigfalls on Boar Lane for the weekly payments. Later I think we had a new three piece and sideboard from Dale's. Sideboard! Eventually we got a record player from Vallance's. Get us.

and a carpet from that place next to the Duck & Drake. quote]


That was Modern Floorcovering Co, where I worked and the Drake was the Broughams Arms (a real dump then)

[tyke bhoy]

That was Modern Floorcovering Co, where I worked and the Drake was the Broughams Arms (a real dump then)

Its not changed much then. The "tap room", the smaller of the two, is usually full of "nutters" and the concert room is not much better whenever I visit. It's one redeeming feature is it is one of a very few pubs in Leeds that has almost always had at least half a dozen hand pumps on whenever I have visited in the last 30 or so years(although it was closed for about a year) and one of those hand pulleds is always Theakstons OP. Come to think of it that might be why most of the clientele appear to be nutters if they have imbibed a couple or more of Theakston's "loopy juice"

[String o' beads]

For reasons I won't bore you with, I was reminded today of when I was buying 'my first house' stuff in Leeds, and how my experience differed from that of my parents.

I grew up in a council flat and a lot of our stuff was bought on HP. The telly was from Wigfalls, also I believe the carpet [not fitted] and three piece suite was from there. Would that be right? I recall going with my Mam to Wigfalls on Boar Lane for the weekly payments. Later I think we had a new three piece and sideboard from Dale's. Sideboard! Eventually we got a record player from Vallance's. Get us.

and a carpet from that place next to the Duck & Drake. quote]


That was Modern Floorcovering Co, where I worked and the Drake was the Broughams Arms (a real dump then)

It was indeed Modern Floorcovering.

I still heart the Duck & Drake, nutters notwithstanding.

[tyke bhoy]

I still heart the Duck & Drake, nutters notwithstanding.

Just avoid eye contact with anyone other than those you went in with and the bar staff if trying to get served

[buffaloskinner]

That was Modern Floorcovering Co, where I worked and the Drake was the Broughams Arms (a real dump then)

Its not changed much then. The "tap room", the smaller of the two, is usually full of "nutters" and the concert room is not much better whenever I visit. It's one redeeming feature is it is one of a very few pubs in Leeds that has almost always had at least half a dozen hand pumps on whenever I have visited in the last 30 or so years(although it was closed for about a year) and one of those hand pulleds is always Theakstons OP. Come to think of it that might be why most of the clientele appear to be nutters if they have imbibed a couple or more of Theakston's "loopy juice"

Never ever entered that place if ill repute (Mucky Duck) always was a Whip or Viaduct man myself

[Leodian]

Mention is made in Liits earlier post of "Government Issue "Broad Arrow". Just as an aside to this thread I bought a then still unused wood and bristle clothes brush many years ago (it will be well over 30) that on one side has stamped in 'Warranted All-Bristle' which is followed by upside down stampings of a small arrow and faint marks that may be 45 M (the 5 is very faint and may not be a 5) and further along it has a larger arrow that may be the broad arrow mentioned. On the other edge of the brush it states 'John Sanders (Brushes Ltd)' and further along it states 1940.

The brush has had regular use (mainly to brush away dried mud off my clothes and shoes when I've been out walking) and is still in excellent condition. Things were made to last then!