The Old Seacroft Shopping Centre

raveydavey · Post by **raveydavey** » Sat 24 Jul, 2010 4:40 pm

keyholekate wrote: chameleon wrote: raveydavey wrote: Bert wrote: I'm sure that's all true Chameleon, but my gut tells me that Seacroft Centre didn't go to hell because it's buildings rotted; its buildings rotted because it went to hell. There is probably a lot of truth in that. I can remember going there as a kid in the 70's and early 80's and the place was rammed full, especially on a Saturday. By the late 80's it was getting run down and it died a slow lingering death by the late 90's.So what went wrong? There was ample free parking, fantastic public transport links, a good selection of shops for all pockets and tastes Apart from a change in clientel, the advent of the early larger supermarkets in part I suspect. Im not sure what you mean by a change in clientel but in 1980 when I first moved near to Centre as we called it then it was a very busy place,especially Friday and Saturday I could walk over from the multi storey twelfth floor flat I lived in with my husband and new baby in his Silver Cross big pram with a big shopping tray underneath.All my shopping used to fit under there as well as a big bag of spuds and a party seven for the husband lol.I used to have a dreadful perm at Keith and Co,call in the YEB for my electric rebate,pay the tv rental (we had the latest push button tv with a teak surround on wheels too) I loved the market downstairs,especially Mr Spences stall,from there I used to buy oven cakes and lovely ham and usually a cake too.The fruit and veg stalls were great full of lovely spring cabbages and caulies and the like.There was a stall selling Marks and Spencer seconds and another to get your bras and undercrackers.The curtain shop was handy for getting the nets though why I had nets in a twelth floor flat I dont know,must have been cos I was in the curtain club there.I can still remember the chap in Marlene Joyce(we are back upstairs now),he looked like Mike Reid the DJ. . Think his name was Roger. . . .he used to let you put clothes away and pay weekly,by the time you got them the kids had grown another size up.There was a shoe shop ,I though it was called Curtises at one time but could be wrong,I bought my baby boy his Jumping Jack shoes from there.Back downstairs to the wool shop owned by a husband and wife I could get some wool and if I got stuck with the pattern the lady would put me right,I liked knitting on an evening ,crikey I sound a right proper wife dont I? Millers carpets was the place to go,he also used to let you pay weekly,I dont think many people had a credit card then and my husband used to get his wage in a packet every week so I quite managed the housekeeping well,lived to my means as it were. By now I had two boys and took them to see a Mr T lookalike on that stage ,they had a photo took with him lol. At Easter there was always some church parading through and singing hymns.Shopping at the Centre was great in those days,we used to sit on a concrete bench and have a cig and a chat with many friends who we bumped in to,all asking if we were off in Seacroft club tonight and we usually would be.Pubs were not open all day then so you werent out that long.Are we really better off now?The computer has been a great thing for me,I love it I really do but this has got to be one thing thats changed how we live hasnt it?I do everything on it,all I need is a commode and I wont have to move off it. I also think the Cross Gates centre is going down the nick too. . how many card shops and pound shops and cash converters shops do we need?Times really have changed. I wonder if that is the same MR Spence that now have a deli / sandwich shop on Barwick Road opposite Netto? I had probably the worst bacon sandwich ever from that shop. It was shockingly bad, more rind than bacon.

keyholekate · Post by **keyholekate** » Sat 24 Jul, 2010 5:35 pm

Yes it is the same Mr Spence that was in Seacroft Centre. . .see even the sandwiches are not the same any more. And thank you Bert for the compliment,I cant half reminisce sometimes .Im off to Opera in the Park now ,just preparing my liquid picnic lol.

raveydavey · Post by **raveydavey** » Sat 24 Jul, 2010 5:48 pm

keyholekate wrote: Yes it is the same Mr Spence that was in Seacroft Centre. . .see even the sandwiches are not the same any more. And thank you Bert for the compliment,I cant half reminisce sometimes .Im off to Opera in the Park now ,just preparing my liquid picnic lol. Have fun at the Opera.I agree with your earlier comments about Crossgates - it's definitely plunging downmarket and 70p (minimum) to park too!

Bert · Post by **Bert** » Tue 31 Aug, 2010 8:59 pm

There's a story in The Times today about how Tesco secretly bought a shopping centre in Linwood, Renfrewshire through a front company called Balmore Properties, then deliberately let it become derelict with one shop after another closing and being boarded up and the vandals moving in, so Tesco could then come riding over the hill like rescuing cavalry and make a proposal for a lucrative regeneration scheme for which the by-then-desperate local council was only too happy to grant planning permission. Ring any bells? Anyone know who owned the Seacroft Centre as it went to the dogs?

Post by **chameleon** » Tue 31 Aug, 2010 9:47 pm

Bert wrote: There's a story in The Times today about how Tesco secretly bought a shopping centre in Linwood, Renfrewshire through a front company called Balmore Properties, then deliberately let it become derelict with one shop after another closing and being boarded up and the vandals moving in, so Tesco could then come riding over the hill like rescuing cavalry and make a proposal for a lucrative regeneration scheme for which the by-then-desperate local council was only too happy to grant planning permission. Ring any bells? Anyone know who owned the Seacroft Centre as it went to the dogs? Think you'll find the free-hold was and still is LCC

Bert · Post by **Bert** » Tue 31 Aug, 2010 10:01 pm

Dang. There goes a great conspiracy story.

keyholekate · Post by **keyholekate** » Tue 31 Aug, 2010 10:07 pm

Bert wrote: There's a story in The Times today about how Tesco secretly bought a shopping centre in Linwood, Renfrewshire through a front company called Balmore Properties, then deliberately let it become derelict with one shop after another closing and being boarded up and the vandals moving in, so Tesco could then come riding over the hill like rescuing cavalry and make a proposal for a lucrative regeneration scheme for which the by-then-desperate local council was only too happy to grant planning permission. Ring any bells? Anyone know who owned the Seacroft Centre as it went to the dogs? If you look at page 2 on here I put a photo on. . it shows the architects info and " A unique developement brought to you by Leeds City Council. "The construction company was Richard Costain Limited111,Westminster Bridge Road,London SE1. I wonder what was there before the Secroft Centre?

Post by **chameleon** » Tue 31 Aug, 2010 11:30 pm

keyholekate wrote: Bert wrote: There's a story in The Times today about how Tesco secretly bought a shopping centre in Linwood, Renfrewshire through a front company called Balmore Properties, then deliberately let it become derelict with one shop after another closing and being boarded up and the vandals moving in, so Tesco could then come riding over the hill like rescuing cavalry and make a proposal for a lucrative regeneration scheme for which the by-then-desperate local council was only too happy to grant planning permission. Ring any bells? Anyone know who owned the Seacroft Centre as it went to the dogs? If you look at page 2 on here I put a photo on. . it shows the architects info and " A unique developement brought to you by Leeds City Council. "The construction company was Richard Costain Limited111,Westminster Bridge Road,London SE1. I wonder what was there before the Secroft Centre? We've got pictures of it from Leodis on here somewhere kate - fields and farms beyond the Grange and Green

springhay · Post by **springhay** » Thu 12 Jul, 2012 3:14 am

Oh what memories!! I am older than most and can actually remember the start of it being built!! Wont repeat everything but yes, Gloria Gees hairdressers (original one) and same family had Gerry Gees clothing on the middle floor. Nice working class families. And what about the bowling alley everyone!! Or am I the only one old enough to remember? I spent my entire school holidays there and nearly every evening. Then half of it became a nightclub - didnt Shirley Bassey even appear??? I moved away in my twenties and could not believe its demise and so rapidly! Each return visit (many months apart) saw it slip into poverty and sink estate status. What the hell happened?? The youth club, the library, the fair which pulled onto the green -=- oh doesnt do to reminisce too much. Feel it was all another persons life at times.....

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Thu 12 Jul, 2012 9:07 am

Don't forget also the tidy little bus station on the lower level of the old Centre - I wish I could go back to those days, and driving on one of my favourite routes the 45 (and later a slight diversion as a 64) which ran from Stanks (Kelmscott Green) to Wortley and was great to work on.