# Leeds Kirkgate Market to be redeveloped?



## Orang Utan (Apr 3, 2013)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/the-northerner/2013/apr/03/leeds-kirkgate-market-at-a-crossroads

Looks like it's on the verge of becoming like Brixton Village!

It's a lovely old place and I have many early memories of it, especially eating brandy snaps from the sweet shop.
But redevelopment seems inevitable.


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## joustmaster (Apr 3, 2013)

It really doesn't need it. Its one of the best markets I have shopped at. I used to do my weekly  shop there.

As you say, they seem to want to make it in to something completely different. A shame.


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## Orang Utan (Apr 3, 2013)

It's a bit big to sustain a posh market full of foie gras stalls though.
It's way bigger than Borough which serves a city of several million people.
They would have to do other stuff with it as well.


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## joustmaster (Apr 3, 2013)

Orang Utan said:


> It's a bit big to sustain a posh market full of foie gras stalls though.
> It's way bigger than Borough which serves a city of several million people.
> They would have to do other stuff with it as well.


They'll slowly turn it in to the corn exchange.


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## Fez909 (Apr 3, 2013)

I don't see how many more of these big shopping areas Leeds can sustain.

The one with Holland and Barrett in it is still mostly empty,  there's the Merrion Market which had to shut down a bit ago,  and the bottom end of Kirkgate market is pretty empty as well. 

By spending more on it they'll surely put rents up and even fewer traders will be able to afford it? 

Add to that the new shopping centre being planned now and the lack of growth predicted in the next few years in the UK as a whole, where do they think the shoppers are going to come from? 

Oh, and this at a time when internet shopping is making meat space irrelevant!


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## Orang Utan (Apr 3, 2013)

Do you mean the Merrion Superstore, fez909? I was wondering if that was still going


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## machine cat (Apr 3, 2013)

I think that Trinity shopping centre has opened with all the same shops that are in the city centre already. And also, bizarrely, a One Direction shop


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## Fez909 (Apr 3, 2013)

Orang Utan said:


> Do you mean the Merrion Superstore, fez909? I was wondering if that was still going



I always knew it as market but it could be the same thing. Under the Merrion centre and was mostly empty apart from a few West Indian shops (I remember a record shop selling reggae vinyl, a hair dressers and a general store type thing). 

As far as I know it's all closed down now though I found a 2009 article saying that it would be turned into bars?


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## pennimania (Apr 3, 2013)

I used to lovel the market and used it for all my shopping when I was a student.

But these days it's a travesty of its old self. Though there is still a brilliant haberdashery stall inside. I hope that dosent disappear but I suppose it will 

I love the dragons along the balconies at the top, I would post a picture of them ( I have quite a few) but I don't know how to do it on the iPad 

The corn exchange is pants in my opinion.


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## pennimania (Apr 3, 2013)

I remember the sweet stalls! They used to sell hard gelatine discs which I crave to this very day.

But you can't get them any more.


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## Fez909 (Apr 3, 2013)

machine cat said:


> I think that Trinity shopping centre has opened with all the same shops that are in the city centre already. And also, bizarrely, a One Direction shop


The one direction shop is only there for a week.  Quite a clever bit of marketing that,  I reckon: Get loads of teenage girls down to show them where they 'should' now be heading,  and the rest takes care of itself.


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## joustmaster (Apr 3, 2013)

machine cat said:


> I think that Trinity shopping centre has opened with all the same shops that are in the city centre already. And also, bizarrely, a One Direction shop


A friend was back up there at the weekend. She said that the Trinity shopping centre was busier than she had ever seen Oxford street, down here.


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## Orang Utan (Apr 3, 2013)

BTW I've been looking at some old pics of Leeds on the FB page here: 
http://www.leedsbackintheday.co.uk/
It's ace!


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## pennimania (Apr 3, 2013)

I'm going to see if I can post those pics, if I can work out how to do it.


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## machine cat (Apr 3, 2013)

joustmaster said:


> A friend was back up there at the weekend. She said that the Trinity shopping centre was busier than she had ever seen Oxford street, down here.


Well it's new so I guess people are curious as to what's inside.  From the website it looks like the exact same shops as on Commercial Street / Briggate


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## joustmaster (Apr 3, 2013)

machine cat said:


> Well it's new so I guess people are curious as to what's inside. From the website it looks like the exact same shops as on Commercial Street / Briggate


I think leeds centre has 3 H&M's with in 500m of each other now


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## _angel_ (Apr 3, 2013)

joustmaster said:


> They'll slowly turn it in to the corn exchange.





Sadly I think this has long been the intention of the council. Bit by bit they've eradicated Leeds for anyone who's not a student or middle class or young.
For example my parents go shopping in York now.


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## Biddlybee (Apr 3, 2013)

joustmaster said:


> They'll slowly turn it in to the corn exchange.


no 

Will make sure I go when I'm next up there (the market not corn exchange)


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## machine cat (Apr 3, 2013)

joustmaster said:


> I think leeds centre has 3 H&M's with in 500m of each other now


You could say the same about Sainsbury's, Greggs, Tesco, William Hill...

In the meantime lots of places in the market have closed. The charity shops too. 


Even Fatso's on the Headrow closed


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## seeformiles (Apr 4, 2013)

I think LCC should have learned after fucking up the Corn Exchange good and proper that they should leave this one alone. I've been a regular there every saturday for the last 25 years - meat, veg and cheese at prices that can't be beat.


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## joustmaster (Apr 4, 2013)

seeformiles said:


> I think LCC should have learned after fucking up the Corn Exchange good and proper that they should leave this one alone. I've been a regular there every saturday for the last 25 years - meat, veg and cheese at prices that can't be beat.


And fish!


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## seeformiles (Apr 4, 2013)

joustmaster said:


> And fish!


 
Sorry - forgot about the fish! Some great fish stalls there too - esp that one with the 19th Century stuffed Pike above the counter.


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## seeformiles (Apr 4, 2013)

Orang Utan said:


> BTW I've been looking at some old pics of Leeds on the FB page here:
> http://www.leedsbackintheday.co.uk/
> It's ace!


Have seen this one as well - you can search by postcode or street name:

http://www.leodis.net/


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