Exiles - what do you miss about Leeds the most?

[Rosiew]

I worked for NCL d0wn Hunslet Lane opposite Tetleys but left Yorkshire in 1974 ... I haven't visited Leeds for about 20 years but have fond memories What do I miss?Late night shoppingSilvios (on Boar Lane)cakes (my fav was chocolate boat)... is the shop still thereThe Market (never found another as good)... and the fish and chip shop near the outside part heading towards the bus stationGoing to the Leeds Unt home gamesI'm sure Leeds will have changed and I probably wouldn't recognise it now

[wiggy]

lufc,market,the freindly people and the fact that the moors were 10 minutes away...i miss the dales.

[Si]

Geordie-exile wrote: Friends and family of course but not much about the city itself. I returned to Leeds for a couple of years in 2005 and then came back to the north east not so long ago. Si - I used to live just down the road from the Five Wand Mill! Leeds has changed so much from the place where I grew up. I don't just mean the built environment - it just seems to have become so impersonal, like it's lost its identity. I dunno - I suppose you could say that about a lot of big cities but it didn't feel so impersonal when I was growing up. I disagree with the comments about Kirkgate Market. I've always disliked it [not the exterior, rather the poor quality goods, the dirt and the smell] and LCC seem hell bent on running down what's left of it. People from here, can you believe, actually go on coach trips to Leeds market. Lord knows what they think when they get inside. And Kirkgate itself is a disgrace.I think [some of] the new developments on the riverside will be slums in 20 years time. Whoever approved that block at the side of the magnificent Corn Exchange wants shooting. The city centre traffic system is notoriously bad. Give me the north east anytime. You want plain speaking? You got it. You want magnificent countryside on your doorstep? You got it. You want fantastic beaches within half an hour's drive or less? You got it. Great pubs? And many with FREE bands? You got it, most nights of the week. Vibrant city centre? Examples of great architecture, iconic structures, strong culture? Yup. And the houses are cheaper. Perhaps I should shut up about it or you'll all want to come. The Five Wand Mill was my local c1979! It served Tetley Imperial at the time. Lived on Rectory Road, and then Woodbine Street. I also remember The Honeysuckle, The Crown and The Azure Blue (Blue Azure?)Nice fresh bagels from Stenhouse bakery of a Sunday morning (is it still there?)I liked the North East very much (me mam is a Geordie) but I still prefer Leeds!Cheers Si    

[exiled in essex]

I've been living in Essex and working in London for the past couple of years and the things I miss the most are:-Proper fish and chips - haddock not cod, beef dripping, not oil. Always have fish and chips when I'm up for a visit. My other half is from the west mids and he also thinks Leeds fish and chips are the best. He even asked for 'three times' in the Skyliner, like I'd taught him to!I miss being able to call a breadcake a breadcake. They're 'rolls' down here which to me makes no sense, a roll is something you put a hot dog in. I miss asking for a bacon and tomato sandwich and getting freshly cooked bacon and a squashed tinned tomato in a decent breadcake. Down here they give you microwaved bacon in two slices of rubbish bread and they don't understand the tinned tomato theory. I miss being greeted with 'hiya love!' (although people DO call you 'love' in Essex). Wilsons pork pies - whenever we visit we come back with a shipping order for various friends who we have introduced to the gastronomic delight of a Wilsons pie. I miss going to work in my car! Impossible here, I work right in the middle of the West End (but I suppose I am doing my bit for 'climate change').I miss decent, down to earth pubs where the tables don't say 'reserved' on them (only in London, rolls eyes!). Don't get me wrong, there are decent down to earth pubs in London but it's finding them. None whatsoever where I live though. Friday night at Headingley, I have to be content with watching it on Sky now (although we are coming up for the cricket in July). I could go on and on.........

[tyke bhoy]

It doesn't appear to have been mentioned on this thread but for anybody who has access to Mr Murdoch's satellite empire you can see both YTV (if you really want to) and BBC Yorkshire. Chrism on the Locks and Quays thread sparked my idea to post on here.Not quite as easy as 9xx whatever BBC Yorkshire is on but you can also add YTV under services as an other channel. Details can be found on how to at www.wildsat.com

[chameleon]

'Wilsons pork pies - whenever we visit we come back with a shipping order for various friends who we have introduced to the gastronomic delight of a Wilsons pie.'No longer actually the Wilson family, but subsists just as it was. Not many shops manage to cram and need so many assistants serving the queue usually stretching out of the door at busy times. And, yes, still pork pies!Was Gran's butcher of choice when I wus little.

[exiled in essex]

I always watch Look North rather than the pretentious London news on the BBC. It's channel 976 for me. Not too bothered about ITV though, but we did have it added to the Sky box before we changed to Sky +Brian Turner (famous Yorkshire chef) serves Wilsons pies with his ploughmans lunches at his restaurant in London!

[Si]

[quotenick="exiled in essex"]I miss going to work in my car! Impossible here, I work right in the middle of the West End (but I suppose I am doing my bit for 'climate change').Hi, Exiled,Where in the West End do you work? I used to work in St. James's Square (I was an unfortunate witness to WPC Yvonne Fletcher's murder, but that's another story.) Our dinner-time locals were The Red Lion (now rubbish) and The Captain's Cabin where they would have regular lock-ins of a night - very unusual for central London. I once fell asleep on the last tube home and awoke in Cockfosters, along with another guy who had done the same. We shared a taxi back, and when I came to pay, found I only had Dutch guilders in my wallet!Cheers,Si.

[bob_sherunkle]

I lived in Bristol now Exeter and I miss the market too! But like an earlier poster said, Leeds centre is just awful! If I'm ever up for weekend I prefer to pop over to Huddersfield for a pint in some great pubs. Leeds Rhinos and, almost forgot - the cheap (very cheap compared to the SW) public transport, thanks to WYMetro!!

[cnosni]

Geordie-exile wrote: Friends and family of course but not much about the city itself. I returned to Leeds for a couple of years in 2005 and then came back to the north east not so long ago. Si - I used to live just down the road from the Five Wand Mill! Leeds has changed so much from the place where I grew up. I don't just mean the built environment - it just seems to have become so impersonal, like it's lost its identity. I dunno - I suppose you could say that about a lot of big cities but it didn't feel so impersonal when I was growing up. I disagree with the comments about Kirkgate Market. I've always disliked it [not the exterior, rather the poor quality goods, the dirt and the smell] and LCC seem hell bent on running down what's left of it. People from here, can you believe, actually go on coach trips to Leeds market. Lord knows what they think when they get inside. And Kirkgate itself is a disgrace.I think [some of] the new developments on the riverside will be slums in 20 years time. Whoever approved that block at the side of the magnificent Corn Exchange wants shooting. The city centre traffic system is notoriously bad. Give me the north east anytime. You want plain speaking? You got it. You want magnificent countryside on your doorstep? You got it. You want fantastic beaches within half an hour's drive or less? You got it. Great pubs? And many with FREE bands? You got it, most nights of the week. Vibrant city centre? Examples of great architecture, iconic structures, strong culture? Yup. And the houses are cheaper. Perhaps I should shut up about it or you'll all want to come. No thanks Geordie Exile,you can have it.The Geordies seem to have this happy go lucky persona about them.well they have within their own environment,but take them out of that and they are a different lot.Miserable,uncommunicative and tight knit.When out of their environment they are desperate to communicate with other Geordies,hence the reason why they wear their Newcastle shirts no matter where they go,so that they can congregate together and feel the sense of community that they desire.Great pubs?,well they only have one beer.They have a good night out,fine,but that does not make a city,theres more to a city than a good night out.Free bands,yeah but when did Geordie Land last poduce a good band,i think it was Dire Straits,and theres plenty of pubs in leeds with bands,and our bands are world class (Kaisers,Pigeon detectives)Architecture? Well b****** me theyve got some bridges.and dont say the Angel of the north because its NOT in Newcastle.And if you do try and count that then we have the Yorkshire Sculpture park.Oh and by the way,have the Geordies got a town hall like ours,one does not think so.Strong Culture? What culture?Greggs?,Newcastle Brown?,fat bleach blond women throwing up bacardi breezers,dressed the middle of in winter whilst wearing nothing but a miniskirt to show off their fake tans,strippers on a sunday lunchtime at the club,betting down the dogger track,yeah real culture.Plain Speaking?No they're not known for that (in fact quite the opposite),its a Yorkshire trait,the Geordie trait that everyone knows is someone who sweats profusely when asked a maths or English question.Beaches,yes but they are not in Geordie land,they are further up the coast.And dont for even one remotest slightest minute compare the landscape in the north east with what we have in Yorkshire,because no matter what you can come up with i can shoot it down with two wordsMalham Cove,or Goredale Scar,Sutton Bank,Forge Valley,okay what about one word,Swaledale,Riveaulx etc etc etc.And,this is a big one,they are the biggest racist bigots i have ever come across.That is probably because of the amount of exposure that Geordies have to meeting anyone from outside their patch. The percentage of immigrants in the North East is only 4%,whereas in Leeds/West Yorkshire it is conservativeley put at 15%-20%.Which goes to show that even some of the most desperate people in the world still have standards when they want to better themselves,and the North East is not one of them.The fog on the Tyne is all yours,and you're welcome to it.