39 Wortley Lane Leeds (Book Shop) 1930/40's

Jools · Post by **Jools** » Tue 20 Apr, 2010 10:02 pm

HiJust noticed it was Frederick Large in 1908 so that would fit in with Fred Lyon in 1916, serves me right for having the wrong glasses on.Jools

Cardiarms · Post by **Cardiarms** » Tue 20 Apr, 2010 11:45 pm

On WikiLeeds escaped the worst of The Blitz, due perhaps to its inland location and it not having any significant industrial targets. On the night of the 14 March and early hours of 15 March 1941, Leeds received its worst night of Luftwaffe bombing. Beeston had more bombs dropped on it then any other district of the city, yet escaped with the least damage. Flaxton Terrace was the only street to be damaged during the night time air raid, with nearly all the other bombs landing on Cross Flatts Park. In his 2005 poem 'Shrapnel' poet Tony Harrison, who was in Beeston on the night of the raid, speculates whether this was an act of heroism by the Luftwaffe pilot, a theory that has been explored ever since the raid.[8] Significant damage was also caused in Holbeck and Headingley,[citation needed] while the Eastern side of the Town Hall was damaged.

Cardiarms · Post by **Cardiarms** » Tue 20 Apr, 2010 11:49 pm

John Green entry refers to bombs in Holbeck and Copley Hill:http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/leeds/low/p ... 283477.stm

Jools · Post by **Jools** » Wed 21 Apr, 2010 9:54 am

Hi CardiarmsMany thanks for the extra information. My Uncle was born in 1939 that's why I have limited information on my Grandparents and Great Grandparents during the 1930s/40s and WW2. I lost my Mum in 1996 and I grew up in East Leeds so I don't really know a lot about the Holbeck/Wortley and Armley areas. I would have loved to have visited the streets where my Mum's family grew up (they moved around a few times before and after Walter ran his bookshop) but from what I've seen of South Leeds on Google and whenever I've been on a train coming into Leeds most of South Leeds seems to have been rebuilt after the war.Jools

Si · Post by Si » Wed 21 Apr, 2010 10:34 am

Speaking of WWII bomb damage, there's a programme on Monday nights at nine o'clock (Channel 4?) called Blitz Street, presented by Baldr...Tony Robinson.They've built a street of brick terraced houses on a bomb-range somewhere, and are gradually blowing them to bits with similar explosives to Luftwaffe bombs to record the effects, and get some inkling as to what it was like to live through. The most interesting bit is the anecdotal evidence given by survivors of the blitz, but the pyrotechnics make it a more "interesting" programme, I guess.

Cardiarms · Post by **Cardiarms** » Wed 21 Apr, 2010 10:38 am

Jools - there's a display in the museum about leeds and the war and they've got a display where you press a button and it lights up where bombs fell. It's pretty basic and not very accurate but maybe tthe staff can point you in the direction of any reports or specific details.

Jools · Post by **Jools** » Wed 21 Apr, 2010 3:21 pm

Hi Si and CardiarmsI'm sure I remember Tony Robinson's Blitz Street series being on tv before, where the stories from the people who lived in the original houses are told and then the mock up of the original street is subjected to a re enactment of a bomb landing outside the house at the end.I've only been to the Leeds City Museum once since it reopened probably not a good idea to go on the opening weekend, will be going back with the kids in the summer hols, hopefully it will be quieter and we can have a good look round this time, will check out the bombing display. I did try to get a look at the WW1 display as Walter was in the Prince of Wales /Kings Own Regiment but I couldn't find any info on his batallion.Jools