Old Leeds Firms

Brunel · Post by **Brunel** » Sun 06 Dec, 2009 1:27 pm

"Delivered free to nearest railway station"

Trojan · Post by **Trojan** » Sun 06 Dec, 2009 2:19 pm

Brunel wrote: "Delivered free to nearest railway station" I remember Lewis's delivery vans, they were black and green, they were based at a warehouse on Gelderd Road.

Uno Hoo · Post by **Uno Hoo** » Mon 07 Dec, 2009 12:15 am

alanlad wrote: Think Vallences were previously called Vallance & Davison on the corner of Market Street Arcade and Briggate. I remember the Odeon (now Primark) being the Paramount. Higher up was the Assembly Rooms picture house. There once was a guy playing piano non stop there to break a world record. I also remember before Jimmy Saville was the manager, there used to be a guy called Bruno Forte. I think the bandleader was a guy called Syd Pearce. Later, Derek Sinclair. I remember the piano player. It would be 1960-62 period, as it was during my first job. The cinema was called the Plaza by that time - I never knew it as The Assembly Rooms. Unless, of course, you're describing an earlier event.

Uno Hoo · Post by **Uno Hoo** » Mon 07 Dec, 2009 12:19 am

Trojan wrote: Brunel wrote: "Delivered free to nearest railway station" I remember Lewis's delivery vans, they were black and green, they were based at a warehouse on Gelderd Road. I've lived in three places where Lewis's Stores had a presence; Leicester, Leeds, & Hanley. The layouts were instantly recognisable, and the food halls each had the same ambience and smell. 'Twas a sad day when they closed.

String o' beads · Post by **String o' beads** » Mon 07 Dec, 2009 12:47 am

I went into the former Lewis's today, the TK Maxx bit. It was weird descending into an area where I would have expected to see lots of boxes of cutlery and glassware and seeing racks of tatty 'designer' clothing.

dogduke · Post by **dogduke** » Mon 07 Dec, 2009 12:58 am

Uno Hoo wrote: Trojan wrote: Brunel wrote: "Delivered free to nearest railway station" I remember Lewis's delivery vans, they were black and green, they were based at a warehouse on Gelderd Road. I've lived in three places where Lewis's Stores had a presence; Leicester, Leeds, & Hanley. The layouts were instantly recognisable, and the food halls each had the same ambience and smell. 'Twas a sad day when they closed. ..Talking to an old kid tonight in the local,every shop had it's own smell-there is a thread- but Lewis's Food Hall as you came in at the top end was a world apart.As ayoung lad rowing up in ost war Enland I doubt if I would have liked any of it,still conservative with food today.

Trojan · Post by **Trojan** » Mon 07 Dec, 2009 1:08 am

dogduke wrote: Uno Hoo wrote: Trojan wrote: Brunel wrote: "Delivered free to nearest railway station" I remember Lewis's delivery vans, they were black and green, they were based at a warehouse on Gelderd Road. I've lived in three places where Lewis's Stores had a presence; Leicester, Leeds, & Hanley. The layouts were instantly recognisable, and the food halls each had the same ambience and smell. 'Twas a sad day when they closed. ..Talking to an old kid tonight in the local,every shop had it's own smell-there is a thread- but Lewis's Food Hall as you came in at the top end was a world apart.As ayoung lad rowing up in ost war Enland I doubt if I would have liked any of it,still conservative with food today. The first popadums I ever saw were in Lewis's food hall. They used to stock a lot of unusual things. Plus of course goods for Leeds's large Jewish community like matzos.

chemimike · Post by **chemimike** » Mon 07 Dec, 2009 1:48 am

Matzos used to be made in leeds i think. Certainly Rackusens, one of the main brands were on the right going out of town just before you got onto Chapeltown Road

Johnny39 · Post by **Johnny39** » Mon 07 Dec, 2009 3:14 pm

In the 50's, although we weren't Jewish, we used to eat things like Matzos, Bagels, Kunzl cakes etc., all foods with Jewish associations. Anyone know if they still make Kunzl cakes by the way?

Trojan · Post by **Trojan** » Mon 07 Dec, 2009 3:24 pm

Johnny39 wrote: In the 50's, although we weren't Jewish, we used to eat things like Matzos, Bagels, Kunzl cakes etc., all foods with Jewish associations. Anyone know if they still make Kunzl cakes by the way? Were Kunzl cakes Jewish or German. Are they the really chocolatey buns? Or has my memory let me down?