Nostalgic Memories

Briggate 1951
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This pictures evokes such wonderful nostalgic memories that I have it framed and it hangs on my wall. My mother originated from Leeds and as a child I spent a number of happy times there, sometimes with a distant relative in the Burghley area, but others at Parker's (another distant relative) Commercial Hotel opposite the Grand theatre in Briggate, just beyond the distance of this picture. I used to lay awake listening to the wonderful trams whining round the bend. A lovely city that throbbed with commerce, an abundancce of cinemas, theatres and shops, such as Lewis' and the lovely Victorian arcades. City Square its trams throbbed with excitement. Such character!. Matthias Robinsons had a restaurant where a three course meal cost only two shillings and ninepence (Schofields was a little more expensive at three and six!) We used to travel on the tram to the wonderful Roundhay Park, returning by a different route.

I was in Leeds in 1951, a little later than this picture. In the September I was travelling to Otley every day to the GPO Engineering training school. Spare time saw me in Leeds City centre taking in the sights and sounds. I have not had the opportunity to visit for some years, but feel it has lost a lot of its character and that my mother would be very sad. But this picture still stirs up feelings of happy days for me.