SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

(Click the photo for the full size)Someone just messaged me with a photo of a plaque that's been found in some rubble at Hunslet. It's dated 1939 and they say 'they think it's made out of slate' It looks the right colour for slate anyway.The actual plaque saysFlowers for Leeds.The street trophy 1939. I hadn't heard of this before and it doesn't seem to have been mentioned on Secret Leeds either. I've had a quick look on google and found a set of 1951 'Flowers for Leeds' competition photos on Leodis here.http://tinyurl.com/kezwv4bIt appears to have been an annual competition. I wonder the history of it and when it finished?        

1951. Image shows the Championship Garden at Seacroft Estate, entered into the annual Flowers for Leeds Competition. A cameraman is filming from a platform on board a truck to record the winning garden. Several residents can be seen watching the action, bottom right-hand corner.Courtesy of Leodis here http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... SPLAY=FULL

There was one of these on armley, wonder if they've lost it.

Cardiarms wrote: There was one of these on armley, wonder if they've lost it. I don't know much about it myself apart from what I've added here. I can find out a bit more tomorrow I think. I've actually found a bit more info about when the flower competition started on this photo below. It says 1951 was the 15th year the competition had run. Which would make the 1939 plaque the first year (Well 17 actually, but it all depends on how the person who wrote the text worked it out)1951. Image shows the garden of Mr. J.L. Sampson of number 19 Oak Tree Walk who won a second prize of £2 in the Municipal Estates Section, Class 10, of the Flowers for Leeds Competition in 1951. The photograph was taken by Mr. Sam Chadwick of Leeds Camera Club. This was the 15th year of the annual competition and the committee was chaired by Mr. Robert Barr, President of the Leeds Paxton Society.

It seems they had different categories from big posh houses, estate gardens, back to backs, and even window boxes for people with no gardens. 1951. Image shows Mrs. I. Preece as she leans out of the window to tend her prize-winning windowbox with 'nothing more than a table fork.' Mrs. Preece won a first prize of £3 in the Window Box Class (Class 21) for the colourful display at her home at 45 Queen's Place, Camp Road. The Flowers For Leeds Competition was held annually and running costs and prize money were funded by the Yorkshire Evening Post.1951. Image shows the Chairman of the Flowers for Leeds Competition, 1951, Mr. Robert Barr, presenting 1st prize to the winner of Class 17 of the Municipal Estates section, Mr. H.S. Newborn. This class was open to people who lived on the pre-fab housing estates that were built after the war on slum-cleared sites. Mr. Newborn was awarded a special certificate and £3 for his garden at number 1 Whitfield Street, Low Road. Mr. G.H. Blane, of 21 St. Mark's Street, Woodhouse, was awarded a 2nd prize. The Yorkshire Evening Post met the costs of the admin and organisation for the competition and funded the certificate and prize money to the value of £125.All photos copyright Leodishttp://www.leodis.net/default.aspx    

Moorfield crescent I think. If anyone up that way could check May be SL can save the day. I'm sure it was 1939. Maybe wrong.

Phill_dvsn wrote: It seems they had different categories from big posh houses, estate gardens, back to backs and even window boxes for people with no gardens. ....... 1951, Mr. Robert Barr, presenting 1st prize to the winner of Class 17 of the Municipal Estates section, Mr. H.S. Newborn. This class was open to people who lived on the pre-fab housing estates that were built after the war on slum-cleared sites. Mr. Newborn was awarded a special certificate and £3 for his garden at number 1 Whitfield Street, Low Road. Mr. G.H. Blane, of 21 St. Mark's Street, Woodhouse, was awarded a 2nd prize. The Yorkshire Evening Post met the costs of the admin and organisation for the competition and funded the certificate and prize money to the value of £125.All photos copyright Leodishttp://www.leodis.net/default.aspx Hi Phill,Whitfield St off Low Rd in Hunslet,is the same street the Garden Gate public house is located on.

Here's some good quality film footage of the competition in 1953http://tinyurl.com/ohoyad9It seems to cover most of Leeds on it. The Church Garden of St Peters at Hunslet around 06.15 into the film is great to see the street scenes with trams on.        

Phill_dvsn wrote: Here's some good quality film footage of the competition in 1953http://tinyurl.com/ohoyad9It seems to cover most of Leeds on it. The Church Garden of St Peters at Hunslet around 06.15 into the film is great to see the street scenes with trams on.         Cheers Phill,brilliant link.The scene is just at the bottom of Dewsbury Rd.where the old Junction pub used to be opposite the old cop shop.Great to see the massive difference in the location back then compared to today.All those houses.....all gone.Was also good to see the previous clip from the Iveson's(prefabs ?) where all the gardens were spotless and very colourful.A vision of a time gone by perhaps where people took great pride in their garden's appearance.

somme1916 wrote: A vision of a time gone by perhaps where people took great pride in their garden's appearance. I was just thinking the same thing how clean Leeds looked, and how much pride people had where they lived in those days. Even if money was always tight. A lot of Leeds residents today in comparison are only fit for composting really!Slightly off topic, but here's another Leeds colour film about the 1953 Coronation celebrations from the same website.http://tinyurl.com/ossmvr2