John Waddingtons Thwaite Gate

Bunkers, shelters and other buildings
Reginal Perrin
Posts: 670
Joined: Fri 23 Feb, 2007 10:52 am

Post by Reginal Perrin »

Anyone else amazed they were allowed to knock this facade down? Surely it was in some way protected? The neon lights were a real landmark and the red brick building worthuy in itself. Was it First Direct money that allowed this to be torn down?
Ravioli, ravioli followed by ravioli. I happen to like ravioli.

zip55
Posts: 293
Joined: Thu 15 Nov, 2007 7:17 pm

Post by zip55 »

I went for a job interview there in the early 70's and lived in the Belmonts in Thwaite Gate in the late 50's and early 60's.I dare say if I went down Low Road now I wouldn't recognise anything ...

Reginal Perrin
Posts: 670
Joined: Fri 23 Feb, 2007 10:52 am

Post by Reginal Perrin »

You wouldn't mate. I was born in the Skeltons and they went int he early 70's. The Red Lion was flatened about 10 years ago, Ableson's Sheds went about the ame time. The Liberal Club and Gabby's Bar both flattened. Huge Industrial estate opposite the Richmonds now.Also the whole place smells of Knostrop.
Ravioli, ravioli followed by ravioli. I happen to like ravioli.

weenie
Posts: 432
Joined: Tue 24 Jun, 2008 4:01 pm

Post by weenie »

it still smells of Knostrop or it did in 2004 when i worked at scientific games on the new site opp first direct. hated it spec in summer months the smell was disgusting

FLOJO
Posts: 160
Joined: Sun 01 Jun, 2008 6:46 am

Post by FLOJO »

zip55 wrote: I went for a job interview there in the early 70's and lived in the Belmonts in Thwaite Gate in the late 50's and early 60's.I dare say if I went down Low Road now I wouldn't recognise anything ... Can anyone tell me when Waddingtons closed down on Wakefield Road? and did they reopen any where else? I worked there from 65 to 75 and can remember on the other side of the road there was plastona,we had a great canteen,social club and able to go to the Queens on a Friday lunch.
Ex Leeds Lass

skippy
Posts: 72
Joined: Sun 12 Aug, 2007 12:12 pm

Post by skippy »

hi ex-leeds lass, my cousin worked at plastona, her name is margaret gasser, she has been left for the past 7 yrs, but because it closed down, that i dont know, i was brought up on low rd, just below the wellington pub, and went to low rd school, used to love living in hunslet, but they knocked all the houses down, and to me that was the end of hunslet
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Steve Jones
Posts: 1516
Joined: Fri 18 Jan, 2008 2:41 pm
Location: Wakefield

Post by Steve Jones »

Not only did Waddingtons at Thwaite gate get demolished, but their factory at Stanley which was just across the fields from my house was also demolished.Waddingtons took over the old munitions factory at stanley after the second world war and it was in fact AFAIK the main factory not Leeds.The site is now covered by an industrial estate which has sprung up there in the last 5 years.
Steve JonesI don't know everything, I just like to give that impression!

stevief
Posts: 701
Joined: Wed 04 Apr, 2007 4:26 pm

Post by stevief »

FLOJO wrote: zip55 wrote: I went for a job interview there in the early 70's and lived in the Belmonts in Thwaite Gate in the late 50's and early 60's.I dare say if I went down Low Road now I wouldn't recognise anything ... Can anyone tell me when Waddingtons closed down on Wakefield Road? and did they reopen any where else? I worked there from 65 to 75 and can remember on the other side of the road there was plastona,we had a great canteen,social club and able to go to the Queens on a Friday lunch. Waddingtons had a factory in Kirkstall in the '70s.Situated roughly where the goods access road starts(for Boots,Dunns etc.) and running down as far as the petrol station.The original entrance was down a ramp,over the goit and was directly opposite the Royal Sovereign.    

ceejaylufc
Posts: 41
Joined: Wed 02 Apr, 2008 7:29 am

Post by ceejaylufc »

Waddy's carton factory moved to Middleton - very close to south leeds stadium, plastona and the other factories I have no idea unfortunately , I worked at John Waddingtons at Thwaite gate for nearly 10 years (1980-1989) in production planning, fantastic place, really looked after their staff. We (well, at least 3 of us in the office) always decamped to the Queens for Friday lunch). I loved working there and was very sad to leave Chris

FLOJO
Posts: 160
Joined: Sun 01 Jun, 2008 6:46 am

Post by FLOJO »

skippy wrote: hi ex-leeds lass, my cousin worked at plastona, her name is margaret gasser, she has been left for the past 7 yrs, but because it closed down, that i dont know, i was brought up on low rd, just below the wellington pub, and went to low rd school, used to love living in hunslet, but they knocked all the houses down, and to me that was the end of hunslet hi Skippy, What have they built on the Wakefield Road site? We have looked on Google Earth but cannot quite make out what is there.
Ex Leeds Lass

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