Leeds lost pubs

[Si]

Phips wrote: Eeurghh - suspicions now are that Tate's are buying all the adjacent land to amass a site for housing. Yet more loss of character for the town - not to mention employment sites and (worst of all) pubs. Hmmm...houses surrounding an oil and fuel site? The building of Orchard House in 2004 removed the last vestiges of the Orchard Street orchard (and my view of Otley church!) - the new Sainsbury's forever blotting out the ancient burgage plots of Bondgate - the disappearance of Pilkington's shop and The Yeoman - the burning down of the grade II listed former tannery building - Gay Lane has indeed changed a lot in recent years. PS What happened to the plans to build hundreds of houses on Irish Fields (beyond the Cambridge estate?)

[Uno Hoo]

BLAKEY wrote: PROMISING NEWS ABOUT THE NELSONAt a well attended special Samuel Ledgard film show in Horsforth last evening our president announced a special surprise guest. To our astonishment it was the new Indian proprietor of The Nelson. He was a very pleasant mature chap indeed and was well received after agreeing that there would definitely be some tangible reminders of the pub's transport and local history incorporated in the decor. As he is spending around half a million pounds on the refurbishment we felt confident that he is no "get rich quick" fellow and it was very encouraging.     Aw, shucks. I had the SLS film show in my diary for the 13th!!!!!! I couldn't have made last Tuesday anyway. But, at least I won't have to dash back from London on the 13th now.

[45man]

Apolgies if this is the wrong thread,I'm a newbie.Although technically not a pub,the Baja Beach bar on woodhouse lane opposite Morrisons,don't know when it shut,but is currently being refurbished by Wetherspoons to open as a Lloyds No1 bar in a couple of months.

[PC - Dublin]

Remember The Cobourg. I used to go there in the late 70's.

[liits]

45man wrote: Apolgies if this is the wrong thread,I'm a newbie.Although technically not a pub,the Baja Beach bar on woodhouse lane opposite Morrisons,don't know when it shut,but is currently being refurbished by Wetherspoons to open as a Lloyds No1 bar in a couple of months. It was first opened as a "pub" around 1996 by Scottish & Newcastle Retail as part of their Rat & Parrot brand and held the Guinness record for the "pub" with the largest square footage. The Baja Beach concept / brand was something S&N inherited when they bought Greenhall Whitley [along with their Premier Travel Inn and Squares brands] and there was some talk that Squares on Boar Lane [already open and an established brand] was to de-branded and the Rat & Parrot turned into either a Squares -which was a proven brand or either a Long Island or Baja Beach brands [of whcih there were only one of each up and running] Baja Beach was thought to offer a better "strike rate" outside of London so that was what was opted for. I believe it was sold on when S&N were sold to Spirit.

[iansmithofotley]

Hi Si and Chris,Regarding the Bowling Green Pub in Otley, I have just found this nostalgic clip on You Tube, I thought you might like it:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LukVPxvE_7gIan

[BLAKEY]

iansmithofotley wrote: Hi Si and Chris,Regarding the Bowling Green Pub in Otley, I have just found this nostalgic clip on You Tube, I thought you might like it:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LukVPxvE_7gIan Thanks a million Ian - I really like that, especially the landlady's mischievous quips, and the puzzled looks of the folks in the street scenes. When I used to frequent the pub in the 1960s/1970s the landlord was Bob Blemings who has recently sadly passed away.

[Si]

iansmithofotley wrote: Hi Si and Chris,Regarding the Bowling Green Pub in Otley, I have just found this nostalgic clip on You Tube, I thought you might like it:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LukVPxvE_7gIan Thanks Ian. Brings back memories. I think I've mentioned this before, but I was in the Bowling Green many years ago, and a group of Americans were sat at the coffin-lid table. One of them asked Trevor about it, and he pointed out the rest of the coffin, leaning against a wall, complete with lifeless occupant. "It's a woman's skeleton," said Trevor. "How do you know? Is it the number of ribs?" asked one of the Americans. "No," replied Trevor, "It's gob's open!"

[BLAKEY]

I see in today's local papaer that the Woolpack in Otley, which has been for sale for a good while, is now almost certain to be revamped sympathetically as a music and arts and creativity centre. A shame that it won't be a pub again, but at least it seems that it will be an interesting and valuable asset to the town. I remember it well, as being the pub where I had my first ever drink - a half (or gill as we called it then) of Hammonds mild.    I believe that this was a bit of incorrect slang and that a gill was actually a third of a pint, whereas in common parlance we meant and got a half pint.

[Si]

BLAKEY wrote: I see in today's local papaer that the Woolpack in Otley, which has been for sale for a good while, is now almost certain to be revamped sympathetically as a music and arts and creativity centre. A shame that it won't be a pub again, but at least it seems that it will be an interesting and valuable asset to the town. I remember it well, as being the pub where I had my first ever drink - a half (or gill as we called it then) of Hammonds mild.    I believe that this was a bit of incorrect slang and that a gill was actually a third of a pint, whereas in common parlance we meant and got a half pint. Nice to see the pub is to be of use, but Otley's already got an arts centre - the Otley Courthouse, not to mention other venues, such as Korks and the Civic Centre. Is Otley big enough to support two arts centres?