Bradford

It does now seem that way. Our home city seems to be quickly disappearing.

It saddened me to hear that the old Mecca ballroom (aka Dollars and Dimes, etc) is to become an Asian wedding venue. That's probably the final bit of my youth obliterated from memory. Maybe it's progress. Who knows. Nothing is permanent.

 

Certainly isn't the City i remember. feel sorry for my lad as he won't get to experience what i did over 20 years but as you say generations change. Bradford has no soul anymore, maybe thats me getting old but if i had the money i'd be out of the place like a shot.

 

Do it. You'll never look back and wish you'd done it sooner.

 

Saddens me, that. We've talked about living elsewhere eventually but it'd be with a heavy heart.

Got family coming over from Leeds for a day on the beer later. We're going into town.

 

I see the Sparrow is joining the Kirkstall Brewery stable of pubs.

 

Don't think so. They do good beer and have 2 'proper' pubs in Leeds. Their ethos seems sound.

I'm meeting Les from t'Sparra later so will quiz him on the plans.

 

Kind of made/makes me sad too. Soon forget it though when you can drive or walk around without shaking your head in disbelief. Also good to see businesses thriving and people being generally nice to each other. It's a different world.

 

Really, it was dead on a Friday night? The Odeon can't come quickly enough for that place. I couldn't get a seat in any bar outside on Greek St today at 2pm and it wasn't even sunny, 90% of the clientele dressed up to the nines and out to spend money.

 

What happened to black culture also? It just went, did it go to Leeds too? Edwardian Club, Palm Cove, Mayflower, Perseverence, Young Lions cafe, club above Jeans Junction, all gone. Black people in Bradford didn't die out all at once, what happened?

 

I bet we all have the same conversations at work! Everybody is leaving Bradford when they retire or the last kid leaves home. My two eldest have gone, they won't return to Bradford, when the youngest goes to uni next year we are selling up and leaving too. I had the misfortune to have to go to Thornbury today, it was like being teleported into an ultra violent Wacky Races episode, I won't have a heavy heart when I leave.

 

Funny you mention that, i was talking to a random black guy about this last week while i was working up Undercliffe. I mentioned the time the police raided the green lane area in big numbers about 1992 time when there was a large West Indian contingent living around that area. I was brought up round that area and knew quite a few. The days of going into the palm cove and the sugar cane are long gone, sad really because they were great times. Young lions cafe was a good place too but was never gonna survive in an area that shows more intolerance as the years go by. Like you, when my lad has gone to study and my parents may not be around i will look to move. I say that with sadness because of the memories i have but Bradford has changed and i have nothing in common with it anymore. I was in North Wales the other month, might look there.

 

Also read this article: moving and depressing at the same.

 

No it was a Thursday night but i remember the days when Thursdays were a great night out, was known as the emergency services night, i'm assuming because of how the shifts worked. It was a shame because the Sunbridge tunnels deserves to be successful, its well done out and has a uniqueness to it. But as i've mentioned far too many times Bradford has absolutely no discerning feature to it for people to come here, just a well populated area at the bottom of a bowl. Well populated by people, most of whom have absolutely nothing in common with each other. Still, you can always watch the Wacky races as they fly through the city centre in their golfs and Audis.

 

I used to love Bradford. After my teens I spent a long time away but always loved it as the train descended towards Bradford station for my occasional weekend at home. The old haunts never seemed to have changed much. The people that I knew were probably doing much the same as the last time I'd visited. It was like being parachuted in. The pubs all had football teams that kicked hell out of each other and then invited each other back for a dodgy chilli or dripping on bread! Getting two pints at 5 to 3 before going home for Sunday lunch then a quick snooze before everybody was back in the pub at half 7 for a game of darts. Most of the pubs and the communities don't exist anymore. I know I'm a sad old git. But like most on here I will be leaving Bradford with a heavy heart in the very near future. It's not my City anymore, not our City anymore. On a brighter note I won £72 on the horses today.

 

Grew up in the Bradford Moor area so know what you mean: pubs shut, schools demolished etc etc. Moved out of Bradford for promotion and by chance ended up where I am now. The move upset me a lot at the time but 34 years on I am very glad I made it.

 

Went to Pollard Park school back in the day so knew the area well. A prime example of a community disappearing.

 

Bradford was a great night out in the late 80s and early 90s. Loads of good pubs, clubs and regular live music.

It is so depressing and sad coming into the city now before the football. The centre is dreadful.

I really hope the new Odeon complex is a success, but @abbomf is right. Without well-paid jobs in the city centre, it will never truly regenerate. It is hard to see how that will happen.

 

Tyersal Infants, Bradford Moor, Lapage Street and Carlton myself.

 

I can't see why others can't see it, maybe they don't want to see it. As times were beginning to change in the late eighties and nineties Bradford and Leeds were of a not too dissimilar economic power. Both had hard times with the decline of industry. But i remember my construction college tutor telling us back then that Leeds would eventually swallow up Bradford and that Leeds had 5x the amount of prime building land than Bradford had. There is no logical reason why any business would relocate here, the transport links are an embarrassment, everything is gridlocked. Our public service facilities are falling to bits, the roads are a disgrace and yet we have a council hell bent on building thousands of houses in an infrastructure already at breaking point. Utterly pointless.