Seacroft Town Centre
One dull, cold, foggy day in October 1965, I can still remember the Queen coming to open the new Seacroft Centre. I lived on Kentmere Avenue at the time and we knew that the Queen was to visit one of the houses in our road. The road was lined with people and their children, all dressed up in their best clothes, with their little Union Jacks, waiting to wave to the Queen. I had a baby at the time, so didn’t go out, but watched from the bedroom window. I was so impressed by the two policemen who were standing near my garden gate, with their best uniforms and white gloves on, they made a splendid sight!.
The Queen went for a cup of tea at a house across the road from me, so we were all able to get a good look at her when she stepped out of the car. More than most people got, as I heard from others later, that they were a bit fed up that after a couple of hours standing in the cold and damp waiting the Royal car had swept past so fast that all they saw was the Royal gloved hand doing its famous wave. Now, whenever I visit the new Seacroft Centre, which is so heavily Tesco dominated, I remember with regret, how wonderful the ‘old’ Seacroft Civic Centre was when it was first built. Up until then, we only had small shops and supermarkets and had to go into Leeds town centre or Crossgates if the local shops didn’t have what we needed. The new centre was like the current ‘out of town’ shopping centres that we have now and was advertised as having everything we needed. At the time, Swarcliffe, Stanks and Whinmoor were also being built and extended and the new Centre was to be their main shopping centre as well.
The centre proved very popular in the beginning. There was no Sunday opening in those days, so on Fridays and Saturdays the place was heaving with shoppers, especially as the indoor market was open on those days. When the centre first opened, it was open to the elements but eventually roofed over, though this made it quite noisy. I remember the market being on the outside, above the bus station, but it proved to be too cold and windy up there, so it moved quite quickly downstairs into what I think was the loading bay for the delivery wagons. The vacated area became another car park but I seem to remember there were concrete blocks scattered around and people were always reversing into them. The centre had plenty of free parking but the underground car park, which we got to through the back of the bus station (I think), was rather damp and dismal and we were always glad to get out – we came out next to a garage, on Seacroft Crescent, opposite what is now Social Services. There were so many shops and other amenities. On the outside, on North Parkway, we had four or five banks, Yorkshire Bank, TSB, NatWest, can’t remember what the others were but they were always busy. No ‘holes in walls’ at that time and very few debit cards, so everyone paid by cheque or cash and if you hadn’t been paid cash by your
employer, in a little brown envelope, you had to queue in the bank to cash your cheque. Now we have to go to Crossgates to visit the bank, apart from Yorkshire Bank which has reopened in the new Tesco Centre. Of course, we now have the convenience of paying by debit/credit card in the supermarket, so we don’t have to visit the bank quite so often.
Some of the shops, to the right of the main entrance, on North Parkway had flats built above them, which you got to by stone steps at the end of the row, next to the bookies. It must have been great just to walk down the steps and you were at the shops. As far as I can remember, on the outside, there was the bookies, Alison James the optician, a dentist, a doctors, a chemist, the Crown Post Office where you stood forever waiting to be served, an off-licence, Forbuoys newsagents and I think TSB was in that block. Also there was the Skyliner restaurant, which then became the Seafarer and eventually just a fish and chip shop. To the left of the entrance were all the banks, then round the corner to the housing office where we stood for hours , or so it seemed, trying to control little ones, waiting to see someone about repairs or the chance to move to different property. No bidding in those days, you just moved slowly up a waiting list.
Next, the bus station, where you could catch a bus to almost anywhere, then round the back of the centre, where there were offices, including Social Services, a laundrette and Sandroys, the fancy dress shop. Separate, but nearby, was the library, which is still open, a youth club, which my children attended, and which also provided a play scheme in the school holidays but closed due to vandalism, Gala Bingo and a bowling alley. The flats opposite the back of the centre, named Queen’s View after the Queen’s visit, had a bridge across into the Centre; the entrance to the YMAS ambulance station was underneath the bridge, in the base of the Centre, secure behind steel gates. Round into Seacroft Crescent and there was a garage, where the mechanics were so helpful, the exit to the underground car park and the delivery bay for the shops. I also seem to remember a side entrance which was used by the people living in the flats above the shops.
And that was just the outside. On the inside were two levels. Every shop you could imagine was there. I suppose in Tesco you only queue once, whereas it was queuing in each individual shop.
On the top floor, I seem to remember a ladies’ hairdresser, was that Keith and Co?, a wallpaper shop, Jack Fulton’s freezer shop, McColl’s newsagents, Thurston’s bakers (now Greggs), definitely YEB where we went to pay our bills and could buy electrical goods, and Romart’s in the corner. Romart’s sold everything and very cheaply but the aisles were very close together, and you were always tripping over piles of boxes. They were always very suspicious of people stealing and there was always someone following you about. The kids loved it as they could buy cheap toys and ‘tat’ there. Farther round, opposite YEB, was a cafe with tables outside, then a shoe shop, was it Curtis’s or Freeman, Hardy and Willis? Then I think there was a butchers, but definitely a wet fish
shop, also a travel agents and a pet shop where we could go in and look at the fish and small animals, Marlene Joyce who sold children’s clothes very cheaply and Craggs the cobblers who always made an attempt at mending leather goods for you. These have both moved to Crossgates. I’m sure there were more but can’t think, was there a furniture shop?
You then went down a huge ramp, overlooked by a large mosaic on the end wall, to the lower level. The lower level was dominated by the stage in the central area. Originally it was an indoor pond, which could be covered over to use as a stage, but there must have been problems with the pond, as the stage became a permanent fixture. I can remember concerts on the stage, majorettes, Crossgates Youth Band, brass bands, pop groups, Santa Claus, children’s concerts etc At the bottom of the ramp were the two major supermarkets opposite each other. One was Woolworth’s, which became the Coop and opposite that was Savemore, originally Lipton’s, where my daughter had her Saturday job. The Gas Board was there, tucked away in a corner, next to LB’s café which eventually became a Wimpy bar. There was a toyshop, which repaired bikes, I think it became Patel’s which was also a toy shop and sold bikes and models upstairs. Then there was a DIY shop and a soft furnishing shop, I think we all belonged to their curtain club at some point, I know I’ve still got some towels bought at the time – made things to last then: also there was a cooked meats/pie shop – think it was Dewhirsts.
Also downstairs was the wool shop, where they let you put wool away and buy it as needed. There was Miller’s carpets, a DIY shop where you could purchase bottled gas, a furniture store and Ali’s clothing shop and RV Smiths, the butcher, who always had special offers on; there was also the café in the corner. Halford’s was next to Woolworths when the centre opened but closed and became firstly a gents’ outfitters called Tony’s, I think, and then finally the Coop chemist. The Sovereign Pub, named for the Queen, was at the end.
There wasn’t much in the way of women’s clothing, apart from Ali’s, but on a Friday and Saturday the market was open and there was a whole corner given over to women’s clothing, with a wide variety of clothing and fashion and also a huge second hand clothes stall There was also a butcher’s, rows of fruit and vegetables, a shoe stall, a fabulous loose sweet stall, the stall that sold broken biscuits and chocolate tea cakes and the record stall where all the local teenagers hung out on a Saturday. Yes, Seacroft had it all, and it does make you wonder as to why the council allowed the building to deteriorate so much that its only option was to be pulled down. Was it badly constructed, was it vandals and skateboarders?
What was a town centre with a community feel is now Tesco supermarket with a few added shops.
The Queen went for a cup of tea at a house across the road from me, so we were all able to get a good look at her when she stepped out of the car. More than most people got, as I heard from others later, that they were a bit fed up that after a couple of hours standing in the cold and damp waiting the Royal car had swept past so fast that all they saw was the Royal gloved hand doing its famous wave. Now, whenever I visit the new Seacroft Centre, which is so heavily Tesco dominated, I remember with regret, how wonderful the ‘old’ Seacroft Civic Centre was when it was first built. Up until then, we only had small shops and supermarkets and had to go into Leeds town centre or Crossgates if the local shops didn’t have what we needed. The new centre was like the current ‘out of town’ shopping centres that we have now and was advertised as having everything we needed. At the time, Swarcliffe, Stanks and Whinmoor were also being built and extended and the new Centre was to be their main shopping centre as well.
The centre proved very popular in the beginning. There was no Sunday opening in those days, so on Fridays and Saturdays the place was heaving with shoppers, especially as the indoor market was open on those days. When the centre first opened, it was open to the elements but eventually roofed over, though this made it quite noisy. I remember the market being on the outside, above the bus station, but it proved to be too cold and windy up there, so it moved quite quickly downstairs into what I think was the loading bay for the delivery wagons. The vacated area became another car park but I seem to remember there were concrete blocks scattered around and people were always reversing into them. The centre had plenty of free parking but the underground car park, which we got to through the back of the bus station (I think), was rather damp and dismal and we were always glad to get out – we came out next to a garage, on Seacroft Crescent, opposite what is now Social Services. There were so many shops and other amenities. On the outside, on North Parkway, we had four or five banks, Yorkshire Bank, TSB, NatWest, can’t remember what the others were but they were always busy. No ‘holes in walls’ at that time and very few debit cards, so everyone paid by cheque or cash and if you hadn’t been paid cash by your
employer, in a little brown envelope, you had to queue in the bank to cash your cheque. Now we have to go to Crossgates to visit the bank, apart from Yorkshire Bank which has reopened in the new Tesco Centre. Of course, we now have the convenience of paying by debit/credit card in the supermarket, so we don’t have to visit the bank quite so often.
Some of the shops, to the right of the main entrance, on North Parkway had flats built above them, which you got to by stone steps at the end of the row, next to the bookies. It must have been great just to walk down the steps and you were at the shops. As far as I can remember, on the outside, there was the bookies, Alison James the optician, a dentist, a doctors, a chemist, the Crown Post Office where you stood forever waiting to be served, an off-licence, Forbuoys newsagents and I think TSB was in that block. Also there was the Skyliner restaurant, which then became the Seafarer and eventually just a fish and chip shop. To the left of the entrance were all the banks, then round the corner to the housing office where we stood for hours , or so it seemed, trying to control little ones, waiting to see someone about repairs or the chance to move to different property. No bidding in those days, you just moved slowly up a waiting list.
Next, the bus station, where you could catch a bus to almost anywhere, then round the back of the centre, where there were offices, including Social Services, a laundrette and Sandroys, the fancy dress shop. Separate, but nearby, was the library, which is still open, a youth club, which my children attended, and which also provided a play scheme in the school holidays but closed due to vandalism, Gala Bingo and a bowling alley. The flats opposite the back of the centre, named Queen’s View after the Queen’s visit, had a bridge across into the Centre; the entrance to the YMAS ambulance station was underneath the bridge, in the base of the Centre, secure behind steel gates. Round into Seacroft Crescent and there was a garage, where the mechanics were so helpful, the exit to the underground car park and the delivery bay for the shops. I also seem to remember a side entrance which was used by the people living in the flats above the shops.
And that was just the outside. On the inside were two levels. Every shop you could imagine was there. I suppose in Tesco you only queue once, whereas it was queuing in each individual shop.
On the top floor, I seem to remember a ladies’ hairdresser, was that Keith and Co?, a wallpaper shop, Jack Fulton’s freezer shop, McColl’s newsagents, Thurston’s bakers (now Greggs), definitely YEB where we went to pay our bills and could buy electrical goods, and Romart’s in the corner. Romart’s sold everything and very cheaply but the aisles were very close together, and you were always tripping over piles of boxes. They were always very suspicious of people stealing and there was always someone following you about. The kids loved it as they could buy cheap toys and ‘tat’ there. Farther round, opposite YEB, was a cafe with tables outside, then a shoe shop, was it Curtis’s or Freeman, Hardy and Willis? Then I think there was a butchers, but definitely a wet fish
shop, also a travel agents and a pet shop where we could go in and look at the fish and small animals, Marlene Joyce who sold children’s clothes very cheaply and Craggs the cobblers who always made an attempt at mending leather goods for you. These have both moved to Crossgates. I’m sure there were more but can’t think, was there a furniture shop?
You then went down a huge ramp, overlooked by a large mosaic on the end wall, to the lower level. The lower level was dominated by the stage in the central area. Originally it was an indoor pond, which could be covered over to use as a stage, but there must have been problems with the pond, as the stage became a permanent fixture. I can remember concerts on the stage, majorettes, Crossgates Youth Band, brass bands, pop groups, Santa Claus, children’s concerts etc At the bottom of the ramp were the two major supermarkets opposite each other. One was Woolworth’s, which became the Coop and opposite that was Savemore, originally Lipton’s, where my daughter had her Saturday job. The Gas Board was there, tucked away in a corner, next to LB’s café which eventually became a Wimpy bar. There was a toyshop, which repaired bikes, I think it became Patel’s which was also a toy shop and sold bikes and models upstairs. Then there was a DIY shop and a soft furnishing shop, I think we all belonged to their curtain club at some point, I know I’ve still got some towels bought at the time – made things to last then: also there was a cooked meats/pie shop – think it was Dewhirsts.
Also downstairs was the wool shop, where they let you put wool away and buy it as needed. There was Miller’s carpets, a DIY shop where you could purchase bottled gas, a furniture store and Ali’s clothing shop and RV Smiths, the butcher, who always had special offers on; there was also the café in the corner. Halford’s was next to Woolworths when the centre opened but closed and became firstly a gents’ outfitters called Tony’s, I think, and then finally the Coop chemist. The Sovereign Pub, named for the Queen, was at the end.
There wasn’t much in the way of women’s clothing, apart from Ali’s, but on a Friday and Saturday the market was open and there was a whole corner given over to women’s clothing, with a wide variety of clothing and fashion and also a huge second hand clothes stall There was also a butcher’s, rows of fruit and vegetables, a shoe stall, a fabulous loose sweet stall, the stall that sold broken biscuits and chocolate tea cakes and the record stall where all the local teenagers hung out on a Saturday. Yes, Seacroft had it all, and it does make you wonder as to why the council allowed the building to deteriorate so much that its only option was to be pulled down. Was it badly constructed, was it vandals and skateboarders?
What was a town centre with a community feel is now Tesco supermarket with a few added shops.
The Butcher
"Hello, my name is Phil Stead. From 1969 to 1998 I worked in Seacroft Centre for R.V. Smith Butchers Ltd, which was in the lower precinct next door to what was Malcolm’s the Bakers. Shops in the Lower Precinct included mark Andrews a boy and girls shop for school wear, LBs café where people would meet for a snack and a chat. There was a DIY store selling everything you could think of, and a card and record store. Also, on the lower floor we’re a carpet store, a greengrocer, a drycleaners, a gas showroom, Myers the jewellers, sportswear store and the Sovereign pub, two supermarkets and a pharmacy.
In the later years the market came in from the cold, the Centre was run by Leeds City Council. The man in charge of the Seacroft Centre was a gentleman called Fred Linfoot. He would oversee day-to-day problems. Fred eventually retired. In the early days many people thought the Seacroft Centre would be a white elephant, but a lot of people used to love to come and shop and have a chat to one another. Those were the days for the people and traders of Seacroft."
"Hello, my name is Phil Stead. From 1969 to 1998 I worked in Seacroft Centre for R.V. Smith Butchers Ltd, which was in the lower precinct next door to what was Malcolm’s the Bakers. Shops in the Lower Precinct included mark Andrews a boy and girls shop for school wear, LBs café where people would meet for a snack and a chat. There was a DIY store selling everything you could think of, and a card and record store. Also, on the lower floor we’re a carpet store, a greengrocer, a drycleaners, a gas showroom, Myers the jewellers, sportswear store and the Sovereign pub, two supermarkets and a pharmacy.
In the later years the market came in from the cold, the Centre was run by Leeds City Council. The man in charge of the Seacroft Centre was a gentleman called Fred Linfoot. He would oversee day-to-day problems. Fred eventually retired. In the early days many people thought the Seacroft Centre would be a white elephant, but a lot of people used to love to come and shop and have a chat to one another. Those were the days for the people and traders of Seacroft."
Skyliner Fish and Chips
"I particularly remember the Skyliner Fish and Chip shop in Seacroft Town Centre. It was a big shop with a restaurant type area if I remember correctly. One day when I was a young lad, an apprentice I believe, I was short of money so I just ordered a bag of chips. Mrs Doreen Learoyd eyed me shrewdly. ‘Lost your appetite today love?’.
I admitted that I could only afford the chips that day. She said something about taking her break soon and parcelled up two lots of chips, casually throwing a fish on just one of them. One parcel went on the fryer for her break and the other went over the counter to me. I was not totally surprised when I got round the corner to see my chips accompanied by the biggest fish you’ve ever seen. I couldn’t take it back, so I ate it of course.
It is a lot of years ago but I still remember Doreen’s kindness that day."
"I particularly remember the Skyliner Fish and Chip shop in Seacroft Town Centre. It was a big shop with a restaurant type area if I remember correctly. One day when I was a young lad, an apprentice I believe, I was short of money so I just ordered a bag of chips. Mrs Doreen Learoyd eyed me shrewdly. ‘Lost your appetite today love?’.
I admitted that I could only afford the chips that day. She said something about taking her break soon and parcelled up two lots of chips, casually throwing a fish on just one of them. One parcel went on the fryer for her break and the other went over the counter to me. I was not totally surprised when I got round the corner to see my chips accompanied by the biggest fish you’ve ever seen. I couldn’t take it back, so I ate it of course.
It is a lot of years ago but I still remember Doreen’s kindness that day."