| Title | High Street |
| Date | 1930 to 1959 |
| Location | Yeadon |
| Photo ID | A098 |
| Comment | See below… |
1930 – On the left edge is Ben Brown’s greengrocers, goods are displayed outside the shop a delivery bicycle is also outside.
On the wall facing a notice lists the advantages of Yeadon Picture House, amongst them are “courtesy, comfort, cosiness, cheerfulness and cleanliness”.
The Picture House is the building with the white frontage, it opened on 3rd August 1925.
The first film to be shown was “The Man Who Came Back”, starring George O’ Brian and Dorothy MacKaill.
It was a silent film, music was played during the screening by the Melody Quartet. Admission prices were 4d and 6d for the stalls and 9d for the balcony.
It became a bingo hall and is now converted into the Aviator public house.
On the right edge is Lucas’s stores, licensed grocers also selling sweets and tobacco, the shop sign advises “Try our County Ale in a Bottle”
D090 – High Street, 1930s.
High Street – 1930s
Bottom of the High Street with Ivegate on the left, the shop on the left is now the “Great Outdoors”.
Town Street (the Steep) is to the right of the shop.
To the right is Silver Lane, the High Street is at the right edge.
FB196 – High Street, 1939.
High Street – 1939
Taken at the outbreak of the second world war. On the left is Gallon’s grocers shop, there is a lamp post which has white stripes painted on the bottom, this was to help people pick out obstacles during the blackout.
On the right, outside the newsagents shop are two boys, Henry Ives is standing and Sam Kilburn is perched on the window ledge.
Donated by Sam Kilburn.
J983 – High Street, 1940.
High Street – 1940
On the left is the business of Joe Lee & Son, once it was a furniture shop by the time of this image the property was partly utilized as a snack bar and ice-cream parlor.
Next is a branch of Gallons Ltd, once a well known chain of grocery shops.
Moving right the first shop with a window blind is M H Rigg, butchers who also had a shop at Rawdon, then Wilkinsons now Goodall & Hudson butchers.
The van is parked outside Birdsalls shoe shop which also has a canopy blind.
On the right, where the sign for “Players Please” cigarettes projects from the wall is Crofts newsagents.
A255 – High Street, 1947.
High Street – 1947
Yeadon High Street under snow, this section of the High Street is viewed from just below the White Swan public house.
The winter of 1947 was one of the coldest of the 20th Century in Britain.
Heavy snowfalls persisted from January until March.
The harsh weather conditions were made worse by shortages of fuel and rationing in the immediate post-war years.
G264 – High Street, 1940s.
High Street – 1940s
A branch of the Rawdon Co-operative Society at the corner with Marshall Street which is on the left.
The store eventually came under the umbrella of the Leeds Co-op until it closed some time after 1983.
It was then a video rental store and is at present (2014) a frozen food outlet, the upper floors were converted into a restaurant which has had various themes and is now ‘il Sogno’, Italian Restaurant.
G083 – High Street, 1940s.
High Street – 1940s
The property on the left belonged to J Berry, moving right were N Wilkinson, grocer, Grimshaw’s drapers and Langley’s shop which sold stationery, fancy goods, newspapers and also offered picture framing.
The board outside the shop has details of events in that days newspapers, notably that it was the beginning of the football season.
F214 – High Street, 1950s.
High Street – 1950s
Possibly 1950s. Abraham Altham’s shop at the corner with Marshall Street (left), to the right is the Lecture Hall.
J972 – High Street, 1950s.
High Street – 1950s
Queen Street is on the left, Yeadon Picture House is the white building. On the right edge is the Lecture Hall with a new entrance.
Past the shop with the blind is the junction with Marshall Street.
J973 – High Street, 1952.
High Street – 1952
A busy scene on the High Street, to the left is Ben Brown’s greengrocers. Moving right is J Bradbury & Sons pork butchers, the shop behind the back of the Sammy Ledgard’s bus is H R McDermid.
The two shops in the new block with the flat roof are Wood’s chemist and Zip dry cleaners.
On the right edge is the Co-operative store.
FB017 – High Street, 1955.
High Street – 1955
Bottom of the High Street, looking towards Town Hall Square. On the left is the Post Office, now closed and the service relocated to the top end of the High Street adjacent to Morrisons.
Next, a branch of Gallons grocers, facing onto Town Hall Square is the Leeds Co-op store (now Library).
A concrete bus shelter stands at the edge of the square, this type of shelter was common in Aireborough. On the right is Martin’s dry cleaners, until very recently this was still a dry cleaners but not trading as Martins.
FB023 – High Street, 1955.
High Street – 1955
The crossroads where High Street meets Harrogate Road (left), Victoria Avenue (right) and Bayton Lane (right foreground).
In the bottom left corner is a “Shell” sign for a garage, on the right side of the High Street is Moorfield Mill, business of William Murgatroyd.
A fish restaurant bearing his name is now on this site.
Donated by Dennis Court.
FB048 – High Street, c1955.
High Street – c1955
On the left buses are travelling in both directions up and down the High Street which is now one way only. Towards the right Leeds Industrial Co-op store is still trading, this is now Yeadon Library. A lamp standard at the bottom of the entrance steps to the Town Hall is also to the right.
G046 – High Street, 1955.
High Street – 1955
This property had been acquired by Aireborough Urban District Council under the 1949 Housing Act, for improvement and renovation. In view is a cast iron range with an open fire and side oven, to the right is a shallow stone sink with a cupboard underneath.
A flexible pipe on the side would have supplied gas for a gas ring used to cook on. The floor is stone flagged.
It is a 2 storey stone cottage , the back faces the High Street and it fronts onto Grange Road.
After improvements the kitchen had a ceramic “Belfast” sink installed which was re-sited under the window with a wooden draining board to each side plus a hot water supply, also a gas cooker and an electric wash boiler.
The house was completely renovated with the addition of a bathroom. For a time it was used as a show house until the first tenants were given the keys with some ceremony by local Councillors, Mr James Carnochan and Mrs Phyllis Carnochan were the first to occupy the house.
J984 – High Street, 1956.
High Street – 1956
On the left is Yeadon Picture House, the film showing was “Simba” released in 1955 and starring Dirk Bogarde, Donald Sinden
and Virginia McKenna.
The cinema is now The Aviator public house. On the right edge is the Silver Library, this was a commercial library where books could be
borrowed for a small fee or subscription.
K129 – High Street, 1959.
High Street – 1959
Colour tinted view of the High Street, the junction with Marshall Street, is on the right.
Donated by Edith and Roger Pratt.
Previous Comments:
Re FB023
Teleg
The Hut to the right is where the home guard picket hut used to be during the war.
25 June 2013.
Re FB023
Roadtramp
My Wife’s father Jim Wellman, was night watchman at Murgatroyd’s Mill.
18 August 2014.
Re J984
Deano
I remember standing outside the picture house with my mates in the sixties an hour and a half before they opened because if you were in the first twelve you got in for 9d instead of a shilling (5p).
18 August 2013.
Facebook Comments:
Sue Hutchison. Anyone remember going to afternoon pictures? Pantos in the Town Hall?
Christine Hathaway Phillips. The Photographers is on the left, it’s got the Kodax sign outside. I remember having a photograph taken in there with my Sister.
Elizabeth Ludley Grimshaw. Quite a bustling little town! Was this before Morrison’s supermarket when we all shopped at the little local shops?
Colleen M. Boulton. My mums cousin was the manager of birchalls shoe shop, I remember I got a lovely pair of red sandals from there!
Christine Holmes. Wow, that is a fantastic photo. A stroll down memory lane.
David Ascough. On the right it looks like Marshall Beech, The pork shop and Paramount stores.
Kevin Dove. All those people spending their money in local shops instead of pouring it into the coffers of W. M. Morrisons. Things don’t always change for the better!
Bilox Malcolm. Remember Yeadon VERY well, spent many youthful hours there, playing snooker at the Lib Club, Feast week with the fair, 2 Picture houses, anyone remember the Bug Hole bottom of the Steep . . . Happy Days.
Anne Russell. I remember when Yeadon was like that, everytime you went down Yeadon in the fifty’s and sixties you saw everybody you knew and it was the same on a night in the great pubs.
Pamela Slater Bagnall. There was the fent shop at the top of the steep.
Theresa O’Neiil. What was the hardware shop at the bottom called?
Pauline Halliday. David’s Timber.
Theresa O’Neiil. THAT’ S it!!! Thank you, I’ve been wracking my brain for years!!! I can remember going in as a small child with my parents when they either ordered or bought various tools, fittings and wood. The men used to wear brown coats and the shop had two levels I think as it was on the hill. Thank you!
Julie Martin Zooming in on this the lady at the end of the group to the right has a very distinct resemblance to my Mum but alas I guess we will never know.
Sandra Stokes. Wow I remember Riggs butchers. I worked at Ralph Cuthberts chemist further up for 13 years.
Jean Walker. I loved the smell of Riggs butchers. Their pork pies were gorgeous. I used to get my feet measured and bought my shoes from Birchalls. I now have my hair done there.
Perry Hewitt. Does anyone remember the sweet shop at the top of the road, in an old shed as I recall
Martin Holt. And cars still going the wrong way up it!
Carol Moran. Childrens matinee at the cinema. I think it was on Saturdays.
Alison Lewis. Riggs butchers growler’s (pork pies) were the best around. My childhood home of the 60/70’s. I loved it back then. Still do but not as much as then… They were happy days.
Ian Durkin. Love how busy it seemed then. …A big contrast to how it is now.
