SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

In the 'Retro' section covering February 1975 on page 13 of today's YEP it reports "The scuplture of a horse outside Lloyds Bank just off City Square, was put up amid a flurry of controversy - the 13ft-tall metal creation was described by one Loiner as "very unrestful", while another said it was a distasteful clash with the existing statue of the Black Prince".It has surprised me that it was put up as long ago as 37 years back. I like the Lloyds (now Lloyds TSB) metal horse. For interest this link should bring up the current Google Strret view of the horse. http://www.google.com/maps?q=PARK+ROW,+ ... 8,,0,-7.95    

Leodian wrote: In the 'Retro' section covering February 1975 on page 13 of today's YEP it reports "The scuplture of a horse outside Lloyds Bank just off City Square, was put up amid a flurry of controversy - the 13ft-tall metal creation was described by one Loiner as "very unrestful", while another said it was a distasteful clash with the existing statue of the Black Prince".It has surprised me that it was put up as long ago as 37 years back. I like the Lloyds (now Lloyds TSB) metal horse. For interest this link should bring up the current Google Strret view of the horse. http://www.google.com/maps?q=PARK+ROW,+ ... 8,,0,-7.95     I'm with you Leodian: I like the metal horse too and I'd forgotten how long it had been there as well.I can remember the bank being built on the site of Marshall and Snelgrove's store. A lot of folk were saddened when they closed the doors for the last time in the early 70s - the end of an era.There must have been a few years between the shop closing and the bank being built but I can't recall how the site looked during that time.

Purely for a bit of fun I like this Google Street view (link below) that shows the Lloyds TSB horse apparently on top of a bus! http://www.google.com/maps?q=PARK+ROW,+ ... ,6.58&z=16

Blimey where did those 37 years go!?Not a fan, of the building or horse but at least it isn't 'Leeds Brick'.South Parade has some fine buildings http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1396927in a 'Chicago' sort of way, though many are blighted as offices by the ducted smell of ground floor retail food.

I quite like the horse,without sounding like some arty type its does actually make me look every time i go by.I seem to remember it getting daubed in paint a few years back during some demo against the banks,well before the current climate

Perhaps the designer of the play "War Horse" got his inspiration from it?

Si wrote: Perhaps the designer of the play "War Horse" got his inspiration from it? Not a million miles off

I've had an idea for a book and a movie, called 'War Cat' the touching story of (etc..ad nauseum..), then there's 'Slumdog Billionnaire', see - quite different and a bigger budget.

I recall years ago my friends and I on several occasions 'rode' the metal horse as part of our Friday night festivities. Its got quite a springyness to it!

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