The building is doomed i say DOOMED!

roundhegian · Post by **roundhegian** » Mon 15 Oct, 2007 11:28 pm

Phill_d wrote: Well thanks very much Brandy, Roundhegian & Hazman. Glad you liked the film, It really is (was) a fine building thankfully way ahead of it's time with (concrete) fire proof floors (no doubt saved it up to now) It is a real shame the public has lost this building from use thats we were a bit concerned about doing this film because of that, We don't want to knock the council as i suppose everything is run as business these days, if the library was seen as un-viable in those days then these things happen. That was in the 1980's. i guess times have changed so things most probably would be different today. The building has been bought a long time & has had 2 planning applications turned down. It's a grade 2 listed building & i'm afraid the developer is stuck with a building he can't do anything with as you have to retain, restore everything in there, Sadly the cost is a factor & the building looks like it's been left to rot. I've some more pics here if you want a better lookhttp://flickr.com/photos/phill_dvsn/sets/72157600013743632/ You're a lot more forgiving of politicians than I am Phill !

Phill_d · Post by **Phill_d** » Mon 15 Oct, 2007 11:37 pm

Ha.. You don't know me Roundhegian i can get on my soap box far too often, i too have very strong feelings about this place, but i have to show a bit of tact considering it's a council run & payed for web site so it's best to not rock the old boat too much. When the library shut down i think people in those days moaned about these things but accepted them. We live in a different world these days were it's all to easy to send off ranting e-mails to M.P's. We've seen how times have changed. look no further than the the Roundhay park mansion episode, Public pressure, campaigns & news stories will play a big part in whats (planned,going to happen) to it. The library's future now lies with the developer. we've done our best to secure it for them 'yet again'

Geordi · Post by **Geordi** » Tue 16 Oct, 2007 1:40 pm

Nice vid. Saw your report on 28DL and thought will an other video be appearing in the collection!!!

Phill_d · Post by **Phill_d** » Tue 16 Oct, 2007 2:30 pm

Cheers Geordi.Yes our thinking heads are always on. We did a night time deserted mansion shoot a while ago but we never made the film as all the footage was too dark. Pity as i had all the music ready for it, Exorcist & return of michael Myers. We did get some good footage i'll use on an L.H.E.S out takes when one of my mates fell overs a big pile of bricks ( who the put them there) not quite how he phrased it We've lots of these funny moments getting saved up. Just to keep us going we might do a Pudsey Greenside video as it's got some good views from the overbridge with a pub both ends of the tunnel

Si · Post by Si » Tue 16 Oct, 2007 2:56 pm

Pudsey Greenside would be great! I used to play (laik?) down the "valley" as a kid. I thought the tunnel had been bricked up, though? There was an old quarry down there, too. I remember a big rock with a chain through a hole in it, and the remains of an old vaulted cellar. I remember the Royal (or did you mean the White Cross?) and the Fox and Grapes, an'all!!!CheersSi

Phill_d · Post by **Phill_d** » Tue 16 Oct, 2007 3:14 pm

No Greenside hasn't been bricked up, There's talk of landfill been dumped in the Carlisle road end but there's strong opposition to it & times running out fast for the approval date for work to begin. It looks safe for now. The pub i mean is at the side of the path you go down to reach the Smalewell end & of course the pub on the corner of Carlise road/station road. Doesn't it have a railway related name if i remember rightly. The station or northern or something?

Si · Post by Si » Tue 16 Oct, 2007 4:26 pm

Hi PhillGlad to hear it hasn't been blocked. Many happy memories "chumping" down there. The pub at the Smalewell end is the Fox & Grapes (used to be Duttons/Whitbread) - I lived on Smalewell Drive til 1966 - and the pub at t'other end is the Royal. The White Cross is nearby as well. There is a Railway pub, but that's on Littlemoor Road. The other railway named pub was the Great Northern on Richard Shaw Lane, now called summat else.Our kid tells me there used to be a bell mounted on the wall inside the tunnel (Carlisle Road end) on the left, about 100 yd in. I wonder if it's still there? Also, beware fallen debris from when they knocked down the 2 "pepper-pots" (ventilation shaft towers above.)Happy hunting!Cheers Si

Phill_d · Post by **Phill_d** » Tue 16 Oct, 2007 4:30 pm

I've a Greenside set here Si if you want to have another look down there!http://flickr.com/photos/phill_dvsn/set ... 155996303/

stevief · Post by **stevief** » Tue 16 Oct, 2007 10:42 pm

Another winner phill.It's a tragedy such a magnificent building is left to rot.I've always admired the library system where anyone with a card has a world of knowledge at their finger-tips.You could say we all have that now with the internet but libraries still have a place in the modern world,if only for the peace and quiet they offer!Keep up the good work.

Phill_d · Post by **Phill_d** » Tue 16 Oct, 2007 10:54 pm

Thanks Stevie. I wonder if it had been on the other side of the road things might have been different, Not many fear to tread through those subways to get on that side!