Mundane pictures of the North
- Thread starter Fez909
- Start date
What's happened there then - or, rather, why?
Fez909
toilet expert
Last three.
One of the worst facades I have ever seen. Is this a fire damaged building or something?
And to end of a positive note - I found a working business in Chinatown! An unbelievably good-looking Asian women came out of this shop. If that's the effect Chinese medicine has then I might have to investigate
One of the worst facades I have ever seen. Is this a fire damaged building or something?
And to end of a positive note - I found a working business in Chinatown! An unbelievably good-looking Asian women came out of this shop. If that's the effect Chinese medicine has then I might have to investigate
Fez909
toilet expert
I don't know if it was deliberate but they're planning to build a big shopping centre in that area, so they were probably priced out by the landlords who knew they could get more from Next, Topshop and John Lewis than they can from Mr and Mrs Li
Of course, I'm speculating, though, so there may be another reason?
farmerbarleymow
I'm Petee's spirit animal
I don't know if it was deliberate but they're planning to build a big shopping centre in that area, so they were probably priced out by the landlords who knew they could get more from Next, Topshop and John Lewis than they can from Mr and Mrs Li
Of course, I'm speculating, though, so there may be another reason?
Haven't they just opened a new shopping centre in Leeds recently? Shame about the China Town vanishing and hope it reappears soon somewhere else. The one here is doing fine - will look to see if it's expanding as there might be an exodus across the hills.
I always hated the playhouse when I walked past it each day - like a branch of Tesco.
I think 'cue' would be a snooker place - there's lots of them about in weird locations.
I don't know if it was deliberate but they're planning to build a big shopping centre in that area, so they were probably priced out by the landlords who knew they could get more from Next, Topshop and John Lewis than they can from Mr and Mrs Li
Of course, I'm speculating, though, so there may be another reason?
That sounds all too plausible. Silly, really, building a new shopping centre at a time when high street retail looks set to contract for the foreseeable future, but that's developers for you...
Meanwhile, my walk down Wincolmlee at the weekend didn't happen and won't now for a while since I'm going away for a few days, so here's a few miscellaneous bits from my camera:
From a train on the Selby branch waiting to join the East Coast Main Line, a southbound HST speeds past Eggborough power station.
Cottingham Road, looking across to the university campus. The tall, ugly building behind the trees is the library. On a clear day you get a great view from the top floor.
Dennison Centre, opposite the university.
Student letting agents on Cottingham Road, making their target market very clear...
Looking up Liberty Lane towards Lowgate. The shop on the other side of the road is Cooke and Son, instrument maker, seller of various clocks, barometers, navigational instruments etc.
View up the Land of Green Ginger, looking towards Manor Street. The white building on the left is a rather nice old pub that's recently reopened, and also been exorcised. Some say it's the most haunted building in Hull. It also has reputedly the smallest window in Britain.
neonwilderness
What would Badgers do?
Thanks for the detailed answer, Miss Caphat. It's ironic that you've lived further North than most people posting here and I'm asking for your views as a foreigner
It was in a different country so it doesn't count though
I don't know if it was deliberate but they're planning to build a big shopping centre in that area, so they were probably priced out by the landlords who knew they could get more from Next, Topshop and John Lewis than they can from Mr and Mrs Li
Of course, I'm speculating, though, so there may be another reason?
One of my dad's friends opened a place up in Newcastle and had Chinese gangsters come around demanding protection money from him! It was quite a problem for a few years around the centre of toon - something I never knew about.
Private Storm
Smell The Glove
Thanks for that. The George? I was distinctly underwhelmed by the smallest window. It was errr....really small
Remember going upstairs for a special lunch as it was my gran's birthday. They had live lobster. Freaked me right out.
Thanks for that. The George? I was distinctly underwhelmed by the smallest window. It was errr....really small
Remember going upstairs for a special lunch as it was my gran's birthday. They had live lobster. Freaked me right out.
Yes, it's The George. Went through a run of bad landlords, the last of whom tried to turn it into part of the whole Old Town vertical drinking thing. It didn't work, and it shut down a year or so ago. It's been refurbished and it reopened last week under new owners, who are trying to turn it back into a real ale and food pub. Good luck to them IMO. I've not been in yet, but if it works it could be a nice addition to the real ale venues in that part of town.
farmerbarleymow
I'm Petee's spirit animal
Do you normally drink lying down in Hull then? I'm confused what vertical drinking is supposed to be?
Do you normally drink lying down in Hull then? I'm confused what vertical drinking is supposed to be?
Oh I mean standing-up, loud music, townie sort of places. Turning an old real-ale joint like The George, which is one of the oldest pubs in the city, into that was never going to go well.
farmerbarleymow
I'm Petee's spirit animal
Ah - that makes sense! Me being dim, as usual.
Fez909
toilet expert
Yep, a new shopping centre opened about 3 months ago. It's weird. They've given up on certain shopping areas, like parts of Kirkgate Market (apparently due to be 'done up' soon) and the Merrion Market. Then there are still empty shops in the excitingly named Shopping Plaza (although this is now part of the new centre so perhaps they have been filled now? I haven't been in so don't know). I know shopping is one of Leeds' biggest draws, but I don't know how many more identikit branches of 'High Street' shops we can sustain.
I guess the town planners know what's best for us
Fez909
toilet expert
My neighbour had a run in with Chinese gangsters in Middlesbrough and before that, I hadn't heard of them either. He was in the Chinese takeaway and was drunk and mouthing out about something. I think he refused to pay for his food, but my memory is hazy so can't be sure.
Anyway, he gets in a taxi and they're driving down the road and after about a mile the taxi is forced to stop by some dodgy looking cars. Then lots of Chinese men get out with knives and stuff. Said it was like something out of a film!
He shit himself, paid up and apologised profusely.
farmerbarleymow
I'm Petee's spirit animal
Yep, a new shopping centre opened about 3 months ago. It's weird. They've given up on certain shopping areas, like parts of Kirkgate Market (apparently due to be 'done up' soon) and the Merrion Market. Then there are still empty shops in the excitingly named Shopping Plaza (although this is now part of the new centre so perhaps they have been filled now? I haven't been in so don't know). I know shopping is one of Leeds' biggest draws, but I don't know how many more identikit branches of 'High Street' shops we can sustain.
I guess the town planners know what's best for us
Leeds doesn't have a massive out of town centre does it? (as far as I know anyway). That might be why they are really focusing on shopping in the centre. In Manchester we've obviously got the hideous Trafford Centre, which is vile, but obviously limits the number of shoppers who come into town (but not noticeably, but I can't imagine more large retail developments being built anytime soon).
Fez909
toilet expert
Big Trouble in Little China. Good film. Classic.
Kick-started my preference for green-eyed women, that film
I've just done some research on Chinatown and apparently it's now 'moved' to Vicar Lane. Now, there are a lot of Chinese shops up there, but I hadn't really considered it as Chinatown before. Still don't know why they moved, though. Especially as it isn't very far at all.
Fez909
toilet expert
There's the White Rose, but it's shite. It's like the Trafford Centre but with nowhere near as many shops.
but one extra circle of hell, for some reason
farmerbarleymow
I'm Petee's spirit animal
I think I remember passing a forlorn looking couple of sheds by the motorway once, so that must have been it.
It didn't look very impressive - but then neither does the Trafford Centre - a very large monstrosity surrounded by endless traffic from the outside, and truly and unspeakably hideous from the inside. And not far from some lovely sewage works to add to the ambience.
Full of ugly shoppers too - the least they could do would be to ensure there was some talent in there to distract you from the horror of the place.
farmerbarleymow
I'm Petee's spirit animal
One restaurant? Is that it?
Fez909
toilet expert
One restaurant? Is that it?
It was never big, but no, there was more to it, as seen in my pics! That pic above is the only one I can find, though.
I'm still researching what happened (no clue why the move yet), but Leeds City Council were given an imperial Chinese gate by Hangzhou so it could sit at the 'entrance' to the zone, similar to that which Manc and elsewhere have. But the council never put the gate up and they've never mentioned it since.
The old Chinatown will become Eastgate Quarters which, along with the site of the old police station (which will also be part of it), is a substantial bit of the city. They claim it will "rival" the Trafford Centre in scale.
farmerbarleymow
I'm Petee's spirit animal
It was never big, but no, there was more to it, as seen in my pics! That pic above is the only one I can find, though.
I'm still researching what happened (no clue why the move yet), but Leeds City Council were given an imperial Chinese gate by Hangzhou so it could sit at the 'entrance' to the zone, similar to that which Manc and elsewhere have. But the council never put the gate up and they've never mentioned it since.
The old Chinatown will become Eastgate Quarters which, along with the site of the old police station (which will also be part of it), is a substantial bit of the city. They claim it will "rival" the Trafford Centre in scale.
It's a bold claim saying it will rival the TC, as that really is a huge site, and I just can't see it being physically possible to squeeze that amount of retail floorspace into the area in Leeds city centre (the TC has, according to wiki, approaching 200,000 square metres of retail space). Presumably the site in Leeds is quite constrained given existing building stock - from memory the overall envelope must span Eastgate? Do they plan to knock down the existing buildings on Eastgate or incorporate them? Could be interesting, especially if you factor in the need for a huge number of car park spaces for such a massive amount of retail space.
To see a sample of the horror of such large centres, here is the wiki page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trafford_Centre
Edit to add:
Right, I can't sleep, am hot and bored, so I've been wasting my life looking at shopping centre retail space, as you do.
So in Manchester there are two main centres in terms of large size:
TC (out of town) around 200,000 square metres;
Arndale Centre (city centre) 148,000 square metres.
Leeds:
Trinity Leeds 93,000 square metres;
Proposed Eastgate Quarters 102,000 square metres (over 8 floors - makes it more squeezable into the site).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastgate_Quarters
Ignoring the little centres like the Merrion Centre which don't count, that gives a lot of floorspace in the centre (the total of the two would roughly equal the TC), so it begs the question how would they accommodate the extra traffic as Leeds is a relatively small city centre.
The proposed new car park spaces are 2,700, compared to 11,500 for the TC, when they plan on more than doubling the retail floor space in a city centre environment. So could be fun with the ensuing traffic chaos if they don't plan for exactly how all those extra shoppers from the wider region will actually get there.
There is only so much money in a given city so plonking a huge amount of new floorspace necessarily depends on attracting shoppers from further afield so how to get them there. I suppose there must be a limit to how much capacity there is on public transport.
The White Rose Centre has 63,000 square metres of retail space, and 4,800 car park spaces in comparison.
It was surprising to read that the Arndale here has the highest number of annual shoppers in the country, curious for what is a boring old centre.
And why am I finding all of this interesting.
Fez909
toilet expert
It's a bold claim saying it will rival the TC, as that really is a huge site, and I just can't see it being physically possible to squeeze that amount of retail floorspace into the area in Leeds city centre (the TC has, according to wiki, approaching 200,000 square metres or retail space). Presumably the site in Leeds is quite constrained given existing building stock - from memory the overall envelope must span Eastgate? Do they plan to knock down the existing buildings on Eastgate or incorporate them? Could be interesting, especially if you factor in the need for a huge number of car park spaces for such a massive amount of retail space.
To see a sample of the horror of such large centres, here is the wiki page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trafford_Centre
I'm well aware of the Trafford centre! I lived really close to it for about 5 years.
The numbers are interesting though. Apprently the new Leeds thing will be 102,000 square metres, so just over 50% of the size. Still pretty hefty!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastgate_Quarters
It's says on the Wiki page there are fears for the existing old buildings. It'd be a massive mistake to knock any of Eastgate's buildings down!
These are the buildings which would likely go (not my pic, although not too dissimilar to one I posted earlier)
farmerbarleymow
I'm Petee's spirit animal
I agree it would be a crying shame if they knocked the Eastgate buildings down - that is something I always liked about Leeds, it having a central spine of nice older buildings.
not hoagys!I'm well aware of the Trafford centre! I lived really close to it for about 5 years.
The numbers are interesting though. Apprently the new Leeds thing will be 102,000 square metres, so just over 50% of the size. Still pretty hefty!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastgate_Quarters
It's says on the Wiki page there are fears for the existing old buildings. It'd be a massive mistake to knock any of Eastgate's buildings down!
These are the buildings which would likely go (not my pic, although not too dissimilar to one I posted earlier)
Fez909
toilet expert
genuinely please don't call me that. ever.
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