Barnbow

biggee99 · Post by **biggee99** » Sun 28 Dec, 2008 3:43 pm

I know this place inside out its contaminated they had some people there from the government early on this year taking samplesdid you know that the old barnbow site where vicars is now when they knocked it downthey opened up the old mine shafts and all the asbestos went down it at the week ends. the list goes on but i will keep quite now for this thread will close, you can't tell the truth any more.

Post by **chameleon** » Sun 28 Dec, 2008 4:02 pm

biggee99 wrote: I know this place inside out its contaminated they had some people there from the government early on this year taking samplesdid you know that the old barnbow site where vicars is now when they knocked it downthey opened up the old mine shafts and all the asbestos went down it at the week ends. the list goes on but i will keep quite now for this thread will close, you can't tell the truth any more. My memory of the old factory is of it starting just inside the old Gatehouse by the bridge on Austhorpe Lane and its menacing black ened structure stretching back along, parallel with Maston Lane, Strange cone topped cowls on top of the many ventitator along the roof, the requirement that you did not loitre or dare to enter being quite over-whelming.It's no surprise that materials were disposed of in this way, indeed there are many examples of asbestos in particular turning up in land-fill, having been deposited there legitimately before even white chsyotile was outlawed with the realisation that this too was to be avoided.I don't think you need have any worries about posting such things here biggee, all that matters is that the facts are correct - nobody can then argue with that and it probably ranks amongst information which can be demanded anyway. There was recently a dig completed around the area though I've yet to see the results reported - what what they came accross aside from what they expected?Do tell us more

Bert · Post by **Bert** » Sun 28 Dec, 2008 11:09 pm

Only just discovered this thread. Just wanted to say I'm in shock to learn that Barnbow has gone. Lived in Crossgates from 1952 to 1962 and spent a lot of my childhood watching the tanks on the test track of the old ROF and playing in the streams and craters nearby (there always seemed to be a load of old WW2 gas masks scattered among them and we kids assumed them to be WW2 bomb craters - but maybe we were wrong). I also vaguely remember a circular cycle race track being erected on the tank track for a major tournament of some kind. Sometimes we'd stop in Manston Park on the way for a quick game of crown bowls or a scratch game of soccer or cricket, or just to chase after girls; and sometimes we'd divert down Marshall Street on the way home just to enjoy the delicious aromas from its two fish and chip shops barely fifty yards apart, one in the middle on the left as you went down and one at the bottom end on the right next to the bookies and near the entrance to the high footpath that ran along the railway embankment and past the gasometer down to Crossgates Station. If one of us was flush we might even buy three penneth of chips with scraps on from one of them. Once briefly had a lovely girlfriend called, I think, Maureen (or was it Margaret, or Marion, or Marilyn?) who lived in the house right next to the middle one.

Post by **chameleon** » Mon 29 Dec, 2008 12:27 am

Bert wrote: Only just discovered this thread. Just wanted to say I'm in shock to learn that Barnbow has gone. Lived in Crossgates from 1952 to 1962 and spent a lot of my childhood watching the tanks on the test track of the old ROF and playing in the streams and craters nearby (there always seemed to be a load of old WW2 gas masks scattered among them and we kids assumed them to be WW2 bomb craters - but maybe we were wrong). I also vaguely remember a circular cycle race track being erected on the tank track for a major tournament of some kind. Sometimes we'd stop in Manston Park on the way for a quick game of crown bowls or a scratch game of soccer or cricket, or just to chase after girls; and sometimes we'd divert down Marshall Street on the way home just to enjoy the delicious aromas from its two fish and chip shops barely fifty yards apart, one in the middle on the left as you went down and one at the bottom end on the right next to the bookies and near the entrance to the high footpath that ran along the railway embankment and past the gasometer down to Crossgates Station. If one of us was flush we might even buy three penneth of chips with scraps on from one of them. Once briefly had a lovely girlfriend called, I think, Maureen (or was it Marion or Marilyn?) who lived in the house right next to the middle one. You've been away too long Bert! Barnbow as you will read above moved through being ROF with tank production coming under the private arm of Vicars complete with new factory, followed seemingly quite soon by the downturn in demand and ultimate demise of Vicars and the tank (You'll remember them being hauled down Austhorpe Road on low loaders).Little left save the mostly deserted, large new factory being offered for storage use. The Cricket Ground is very much still there just over the bridge.For long enough there was a tank left on display on the mound of the test track. Been there untouched for years. The story goes that when the time came to remove it, there were several failed attempts to tow it away, snapped chains, trucks digging into the ground, until someone arrived with fresh batteries, fitted them, pressed 'go' and the thing fired up straight away and was driven off!Chippie on the left of Marshall Street survived until fairly recently I think though I've no memory of another one but the bottom of the street, both sides is Marshall Street Motors, sales and repairs.If you download Live Search Maps you will be able to see, nigh on first hand using the Bird's Eye feature (Thanks agin to Brandy for this one ) how this have altered.

Bert · Post by **Bert** » Mon 29 Dec, 2008 12:11 pm

Thanks Chameleon. 46 years to be precise. Not surprised the lower chippie is long gone. It was pretty much a shack even in its heydey! Also just remembered there was a newsagents on Austhorpe Road halfway between the Travellers Rest and Manston Park called Cockerham's which gave me my first job as a paperboy. I resigned in disgust when the owner docked my wages to recover the cost of a torch someone nicked off my bike while I was up a garden path delivering a paper - went to work instead for Arthur Taylor at his green wooden kiosk at the tram terminus in front of the Regal and never regretted it - a lovely man and his wife Marion was a lovely woman. You can see the kiosk in the pic above. (Later Arthur moved into the shop attached to the Regal)

Post by **chameleon** » Mon 29 Dec, 2008 12:28 pm

Bert wrote: Thanks Chameleon. 46 years to be precise. Not surprised the lower chippie is long gone. It was pretty much a shack even in its heydey! Also just remembered there was a newsagents on Austhorpe Road halfway between the Travellers Rest and Manston Park called Cockerham's which gave me my first job as a paperboy. I resigned in disgust when the owner docked my wages to recover the cost of a torch someone nicked off my bike while I was up a garden path delivering a paper - went to work instead for Arthur Taylor at his green wooden kiosk at the tram terminus in front of the Regal (later he moved into the shop attached to the Regal) and never regretted it - a lovely man and his wife Marion was a lovely woman. Small world - I did a stint of morning deliveries for Arthur for a while when he took over the rounds abandoned by the local post office.I doubt you would recognise much of the place now - the old Travellers Rest you mention on the corner of Austhorpe Road went and was replaced by the first 'Super Market', Fine Fare, opened by the PG Tips Chimps.The Travellers was rebuilt accross Cross Gates Lane from what was the Regal and now that has been renamed the Red Lion, some sort of Chinese Restaurant, after a rather chequered history in recent times.

Bert · Post by **Bert** » Mon 29 Dec, 2008 9:43 pm

That's amazing Chameleon. Small world indeed. The old Traveller's had already gone and been replaced by the new one when I left Leeds - in fact I did a lot of my first drinking and darts playing in the public bar of the new one. I've been having a dialogue about this on the Lost Pubs thread and attaching a few photos, which you might be interested to see.

Bert · Post by **Bert** » Mon 05 Jan, 2009 3:20 pm

Now added photo of Arthur's kiosk above and amended my text accordingly.

Post by **chameleon** » Wed 07 Jan, 2009 7:54 pm

Bert wrote: Thanks Chameleon. 46 years to be precise. Not surprised the lower chippie is long gone. It was pretty much a shack even in its heydey! Also just remembered there was a newsagents on Austhorpe Road halfway between the Travellers Rest and Manston Park called Cockerham's which gave me my first job as a paperboy. I resigned in disgust when the owner docked my wages to recover the cost of a torch someone nicked off my bike while I was up a garden path delivering a paper - went to work instead for Arthur Taylor at his green wooden kiosk at the tram terminus in front of the Regal and never regretted it - a lovely man and his wife Marion was a lovely woman. You can see the kiosk in the pic above. (Later Arthur moved into the shop attached to the Regal) The Regal! And a gas lamp and I'm guessing no Traveler's Rest - and a Tram at the terminus??

Croggy · Post by **Croggy** » Wed 07 Jan, 2009 9:42 pm

I vaguely remember that there was a chippy at the bottom of Marshall Street, either that or a building next to it became a barbers and then a double glazing outfit I think, and is now part of the abbatoire offices.Slight correction, chameleon, as far as I know the garage at the bottom opposite Marshall St Motors is owned by a different person (or was).