Kirkgate Market, can it survive?

Bert · Post by **Bert** » Tue 21 Sep, 2010 10:27 pm

Isn't this the birthplace of M&S? I wonder if anyone's tried to interest them in coming up with ideas and money to pump some life back into it? Could be a nice piece of PR for them at the heart of one of the biggest connurbations in the country.

raveydavey · Post by **raveydavey** » Sat 09 Oct, 2010 6:22 pm

Another possible nail in the markets coffin is covered on this mornings YEP letters page. Park in the adjacent NCP for half an hour while you nip to the market and it'll cost you a fiver! That is because the minimum charge is now "up to 2 hours". Make sure that you don't stay any longer as the next band is "up to four hours" and that'll cost you just shy of a tenner! These rates are nothing short of scandalous.I can't imagine many folk will want to pay that sort of cash when every supermarket in the city has a free car park outside - and of course the car parks on / around Union Street will go once the Eastgate Quarter gets started (to be replaced by a privately run multi-storey). Of course the NCP is built where there used to be a large open air council run car park, who charged nothing like those sort of rates.

Cardiarms · Post by **Cardiarms** » Sat 09 Oct, 2010 7:34 pm

Playhouse, for now, is cheapest. £1.60 for an hour.

raveydavey · Post by **raveydavey** » Sat 09 Oct, 2010 8:45 pm

Cardiarms wrote: Playhouse, for now, is cheapest. £1.60 for an hour. As you say, for now - aren't there plans to squeeze yet more buildings on there?

Post by **chameleon** » Sat 09 Oct, 2010 8:55 pm

raveydavey wrote: Cardiarms wrote: Playhouse, for now, is cheapest. £1.60 for an hour. As you say, for now - aren't there plans to squeeze yet more buildings on there? Very unkempt and looks as much a building site still as at the commencement of Quarry House. Not sure how much of the surrounds are in Council control and how much in the hands of the occcupiers. Which ever, it's a mess.

Post by **cnosni** » Sun 10 Oct, 2010 1:01 pm

raveydavey wrote: Cardiarms wrote: Playhouse, for now, is cheapest. £1.60 for an hour. As you say, for now - aren't there plans to squeeze yet more buildings on there? There are plans=http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost. ... 367whether or not they come off is a different thing

keyholekate · Post by **keyholekate** » Fri 03 Dec, 2010 3:03 pm

Been to Kirkgate Market this morning with my husband.Its very rare that we would be in town together but as he had a hospital appointment I said "shall we go and have a look round the market".Its years since hes been there and he was quite shocked at the change,he has lots of memories of shopping there when he was a kid(hes a 60's lad).Obviously we were there on what must be the coldest day of the year so there were very few people milling around,it was even colder in the Market too. I bought some nice bacon and sausage and some fab breadcakes ,also some potatoes and a spring cabbage ,a swede and some carrots. . .all good and very cheap.Hubby asked me where "Woodys " was. . .I said its shut down ,he even asked me where Cornell's had gone!We walked down the egg row and got some double yolkers.I can see why shopping there years ago was something not to be missed.We called on hubbys friend,he has a couple of shops on Butchers row. . . how all those butchers make a living I dont know.The butchers are quite upset that there is now a hairdressers on Butchers Row. . . .a hairdresses yes. . .such a historic change there and theres resentment over it too. Down at the bottom of the Market,same side as the poultry row there was a cafe doing Samosa and Chips for £2.80,hubby was aghast at this but I said well you shouldnt be. . you should get out shopping more. . times are achanging. Then the funniest thing happened. . .I said lets get some papers and I need some cigs so we went to the paper stall near the front doors . . it was an asian chap and he was very friendly (what was that ice cream stall called before we couldnt remember) Anyway ,I asked for twenty sterling menthol ,he gave me a pack with the horrible picture of that poor mans throat,I said can I have a pack with a better pic and he grinned and asked me why ,I said I just wont buy them with that pic on and I thought if he's funny about it he wont get a penny off me. . .he gave me the same pack back with a sticker covering the throat man up. . .my cigs now have a sticker saying "Stroppy Cow" on! Obviously theres not only me that wont buy cigs with that pic on.Hubby said that he wont be going to the Market again,it costs near ten quid for us to get the bus there and back too.I still think its a shame if it does close though

Dalehelms · Post by **Dalehelms** » Fri 15 Apr, 2011 7:48 pm

There's a good video clip of Kirkgate Market, by Martin Wainwright. on the Guardian Leeds Blog today. I'm not clever enough to get a link to it on SL, but some kind person might be able to do it for me. I enjoyed the tour. I hope others will as well.

Leeds Hippo · Post by **Leeds Hippo** » Fri 15 Apr, 2011 9:10 pm

Dalehelms wrote: There's a good video clip of Kirkgate Market, by Martin Wainwright. on the Guardian Leeds Blog today. I'm not clever enough to get a link to it on SL, but some kind person might be able to do it for me. I enjoyed the tour. I hope others will as well. There you go Delehelms - great spothttp://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/video/2011/ap ... -yorkshire

raveydavey · Post by **raveydavey** » Sat 16 Apr, 2011 9:07 am

There was another piece on the market in t'YEP earlier this week (or was it last?) reporting on a survey that has been carried out.Perhaps unsurprisingly one of the main concerns was the lack of affordable parking - no shock there then when you consider the parking charges nearby. Sadly the parking charges are only going to go up if / when the Eastgate Quarter is finally built and the parking on and around Union Street is lost.It's also worth considering the scandalous fares that Worst charge to get a bus into town won't be helping either. The thick end of £10 for a family of four to go in and out of town on the bus (off peak) is daylight robbery.