This Is How You Kill A City.
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Made in Britain - • The Last of the Great ...
Episode 13 - Death of the High Street / Leeds
This video has brought me to Leeds. A city which once was super famous for its shopping. It had a huge number of shopping arcades so I was intrigued to see what shape they were in.
I also made a visit to the White Rose centre, a giant out of town shopping mall. It was actually in a lot better shape than I thought. There was one strip of boarded up shops but that was it really.
I talk about rents in this video. How the reluctance to lower rent on property is such a factor in the decline of town centres. Even though we know the buildings don't hold that value any more, they still don't budge.
Driving into Leeds was a night mare and the parking was tricky too, all factors which make places like the White Rose more appealing.
New culprits falling as well, with Matalan going the end of the month. Another empty shop ready to take its place on the high street.
Until next time,
W.T
#Leeds #high #street #urban #decay #shopping #retail #abadoned #shopping #city #explore #explorepage
You should check out my Made in Britain episode here 😀 The Last of the Great Furniture Makers kzhead.info/sun/jLSseNSwgIx4pI0/bejne.html
Great video. Keep up the great work.
Politicians have had plenty of time to (1) address online businesses, like Amazon under cutting shops and (2) address landlords raising rents.!
Made in Britain episode is magic! 🙏
Btw the reason the core is empty and people and closing is cus it’s being knocked down
All the shut green bit in kirkgate market is also brand new I don’t even think you can let them yet
"The buildings aren't worth what they say they are" Never a truer word.
Landlords love to be millionaires on PAPER.
Wad s shoiit whole
Same with houses.
@andrewjames9996 People are millionaires ON PAPER. That's pretty much the definition. As he says, if they lower the rent to fill the premises, they are acknowledging that the building isn't worth as much as they hope. The government does nothing to help fill the shops because of the concomitant drop in commercial property value. A large chunk of the "size" of the UK economy is the "value" of property. Therefore they keep up the illusion of being a "wealthy" country by inflated property prices and all its knock on effects, i.e. high rents and therefore empty high streets.
No building is currently worth anywhere near what they think it is. Average house prices are £120k over market value
Don't think you're being negative. This is top class journalism.
I agree. It's honest reporting on a very negative situation. There are no 'journalists' in the mainstream, just lying propandists.
Exactly. Its not negative or positive when you're just showing reality.
Spot on mate. The longer we remain in denial we long it’s stays ugly.
@@abdaljabbarhusayn610But it isn't reality, Leeds as a city is booming, it's doing better then ever. Shops are closing because people don't go shopping anymore, a lot of the buildings are changing use, that entire empty shopping centre for example is being knocked down and some very nice appartments are being built.
@@Benji567891leeds very busy still, but a lot of places that are unique independant shops, market stalls and shops poorer people went are closing closed, they stuggle with sky high rent.., A lot new places are just fancy high price eateries pushing unhealthy junk food and student accomodation plus booze. Also more public spaces getting fenced of for private places. But they put up lots fancy tat stalls and run many expensive events and fancy lights bubble tea and stuff for those that have a few quid.
2:58 A painted on "Come in, we're open" is quite dystopian 😵💫
In Amsterdam they allow people to set up pop-up shops in the unused retail space. A lot of the time that brings in creative people who bring a lot of culture and novelty to a town. Whatever happens we need to do something to bring back the sense of community and excitement in our towns. Really appreciate you highlighting these problems.
The higher ups don’t want that.
@@ProfileP246you’re both correct 👍🏻
US/UK are too greedy & stupid for that.
Foreign investment firms own most of these buildings and that's the problem. They can sit on these properties for decades because to them they are just collateral.
Yep. That is the unspoken truth about real estate in Europe and the U.S.
They should not allow anyone foreign to own freehold property in the UK.
A lot of retail properties are owned by Hedge funds.
@@Thats_him_with_the_daft_hat As REITs.
@@LawrenceTimmeIt's free development money. Higher land values means a wealthier society.
"You Shall Own Nothing And Be Happy"😢 UK🇬🇧
Owning is the problem. Large scale property portfolios owned by merchant banks that are massively over priced. Fair rents are the best option, not state subsidised 'property ladders' that only serve billionaire investors and buy to let multi millionaires.
no private homes or private farms 2030
@@buy.to.let.britain you have a Value point
@@tentringer4065 owning isn't a problem at all. In fact it is the best option when you plan on staying anywhere for a long time. The problem is when you get people owning who aren't in that area or have not interest in it other than making money.
@@LawrenceTimme investors in the market prefer a shortage of affordable properties. The market, that is ownership investment, incentivises a lack of affordable rented properties and puts mortgages beyond the reach of most working people. This all started when huge quantities of public owned rented homes were sold off.
I personally love your channel. You are creating a legacy library of videos that in future years will be a wonderful resource. You are creating a snapshot of what life is like socially and culturally in real time in the 2020s. I wish more people could see the bigger picture and the value that you bring to social history. Never stop. You are a wonderful presenter and you are authentic and balanced in your viewpoint.
He should literally have his own show on TV
YES!! @@RegiyThornton
This issue of empty shops on high streets is a problem in many parts of the world
Ignore the haters. Your videos are great and quite genuine. Keep up the great work
this looks like a good title for an Indiana Jones movie or children's mystery storybook: "Wondering Turnip and the Lost Shops of Leeds"
V.
Well what do you expect. USA spend 600 billions on war in Iraq and that had to come from somewhere , then spent another 400 billions in Afghanistan and that had to come from somewhere then spend another 200 billions in Ukaine and againg that had to come from somewhere and UK played along like a little USA miniture toy. All that money that was spent on wars abroad including the 40 billion Mrs May gave to greece in one year because the EU said so, this is the effect of it.
or perhaps instead of star wars return of the jedi, it could be shop wars. return of the shopper 😅
lol Harry Potter as well.
HEY !!--I'D GO AND SEE THAT !!-& IN "3D"-TOO !!
Interesting to note that the faux stick-on shops are all in the style of the kind of shop you’d hope to find in your local high street, rather than the glass-fronted mall shops that would be opened in the mall. It’s as if they know they aren’t offering what people really want.
Mind thoughts too.
It's probably the local Business Improvement District that does up the shops. That's what the Harrogate BID does.
For those who have not been to Leeds, don’t let this out you off. Leeds is as good as any city in England and feels really clean.
Leeds still have a football club 😒???
You need to get to Specsavers pal. Leeds city centre is filthy.
@@madwatermelon1316 it seems cleaner than Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle and Glasgow, which I regularly visit! 👍
I like Leeds for the space and the architecture and the amount of stuff there is to do, but 'clean' is not a word I would use to describe it.
@@DMWBN3Haha. Obviously we do.
Problem with Leeds City centre is that they keep on opening new shopping centres and the others die. Now Trinity is *the* shopping centre of Leeds - Merriorn Centre, The Core, The Light, St John's Centre and Victoria Gate - meanwhile there's no green space in the city at all and the riverside is underitilised.
Apparently, Leeds Council wants to knock down the Core to make student flats. Just mental. I’m near University of Leeds and I can’t see all the students who now walk to campus, moving to the Centre and using the bus.
You do a brilliant job……not at all depressing, just truthful and informative. Inspiring scenery, when not in cities! Plus excellent dry stone walls, when the arcades have been left behind! Keep going please!
How dare you show me how depressing the high street is!
@@markcollinson5665 who’s the clown letting his properties sit empty? Why do they do this? Surely they’re losing money?
I love what you do. You are shining a light. It’s not depressing; it’s real. So keep doing what you are doing. We need people like you.
The retail centres are not the main cause of the death of the high street in cities, the local councils caused it, retail centres are the reaction to it, and now the internet is hammering the final nail into the coffin. I stopped going to Sheffield city centre, not because of Meadowhall, but because of car parking prices, traffic mismanagement schemes, and the council utopian dream of forcing motorists out of the city in favour of public transport, I am not driving 9/10ths of the way there to swap to a bus or tram. I don't live in the city, and I have my pick of Derby, Sheffield and Nottingham, but the problems are the same. So the councils chased us motorists away, and with the exorbitant business rates and costs to be on the high street the retailers reacted by moving to the retail parks, followed by the motorists. Then the internet came along, and Covid forced us onto it, we found the ability to compare prices, have it delivered next day, not have to deal with traffic and parking charges, and we got used to that. The retail parks, and the internet have tempted us away from the high street, by offering a better experience, while there spaces on the high street were filled with charity shops, vape shops, Turkish barbers, betting shops et al. Have the city councils tried to tempt us back? no, no they have not, they have continued to increase traffic schemes with camera enforced bus lanes punishing you for making an honest mistake, increased parking charges as they try to maintain the income from fewer visitors, increased costs and business rates for the retailers, it's all stick and no carrot. If the high street is ever to thrive again as it used to be the councils need to give their heads a wobble, and offer us an experience we want to have, they have to wake up and realise they are in competition with retail parks and the internet, they do not deserve our support, they have to earn it. Great video btw - I'll be checking out your other videos.
Been waiting for this one, so thank you! As a Leeds girl born and bred who has lived here all my life, I could write an essay on your 'findings' as I know so much about the history of my city but no one wants to be bored 😂 The Core (the one that was virtually empty) is proposed to become student flats with retail at ground level so they will not be doing anything with it now either way (hence the gym closing); but they destroyed what was the Schofields/Headrow Centre by booting nearly all the retailers out years ago to reconfigure it into the weird, clinical, soulless space it is now, instead of just freshening it up and modernising it a bit. Still miss that food court at the top (Johnny Wong's Chinese outlet was the bomb; iykyk 😜). That row at the side of the market is proposed to become a new Premier Inn, hence partly the reason it remains empty. Shame you didn't get a proper look at the Merrion Centre; think you caught them at a bad time as those alarms were because there was a small fire in the Morrisons store and they had to evacuate the whole centre so were stressed! And finally, yes driving in Leeds has always been a pain in the backside, but the last couple of years it has got especially terrible, particularly in the direction you had to travel in from the White Rose due to ongoing roadworks, pedestrianisation, cycle lanes etc; I was stuck on a bus back from there nearly an hour a couple of months ago, usually takes around 20 minutes. And they wonder why people, if they choose physical retail, go to out of town places 🙄 And there completes the essay I said I wouldn't write. Thanks to anyone who read it all! 🤣
I read it all! I’m a Leeds lass too and thank you for mentioning the Schofield Centre because I couldn’t for the life of me remember what it used to be called! I spent so much time in the HMV there.
Thanks, that was interesting to read even though I live in the South. It's the same story down here, so many towns and cities have lost their character and charm. Just the same generic, homogenised shops everywhere you go - Dullsville.
Am a leeds lad and am sick of student flats there are lots of homeless but no lets house people who come from middle class homes and can live almost anywhere
@@MrKingkz foreign investment.
Johnny Wongs, how many years ago did that shut? A decade? Jesus i feel old. Loved it in there back in the day!
As someone who lives in Leeds, White Rose has been declining for a while now, didn't know they had the strip of boarded up shops though. But yeah, the vast majority of the White Rose is clothes shops, maybe a few other things on top. Driving to Leeds City Centre is a nightmare with almost nowhere to park without paying an arm and a leg. It's madness. What's worse is a lot of spaces that contain retail are being turned into student flats. Multiple buildings have either been set up or are in the process of being converted into student flats, in fact what was recently the House of Fraser is now becoming student flats. The Core is being proposed as a new space for student flats. What's worse is The Core used to be really nice when it used to be known as the Headrow Centre. You can still find pictures of it online when it existed as that. But when it became the Core, it took away all the lovely charm and decor of it and it became a soulless space. The Core also used to have our HMV which was huge, 2 floors with one for music, and another for DVD's, blu-rays and games. Now, that space is half empty, half One Below and the HMV is in a tiny space in the St. Johns Centre.
outer ring road garden centres with craft and farmers markets would suit me. i've lived here five years and never been into town once. it was easier when i lived in the calder valley to get the train into leeds than it is to drive those few miles now.
It was once supposed to be the motorway capital of England.
@@daroniussubdeviant3869 That doesn't surprise me. That's probably true for even some of the outer suburbs of Leeds like Morley, Cottingley etc. as they have train stations. You could literally get a train in and out, but it is a barrier for some to go into the city centre.
yeah
Wait till they start building flats for illegals..
You are the first British person I understand. I am learning English, and I enjoy watching your videos even without subtitles. Thanks a lot! 🥰
Ive watched most of your vlogs..you put passion into them all whether it be the high street,wall building or the coal industry. You are informative interesting knowledgeable and pleasant to watch and listen to..All the best to you
Dude I don't think these vids are depressing at all, it's shining a light on what's going on in reality. Keep it up!
honestly whoever said that probably lives a rich and sheltered life. Reality is anything but friendly.
Have you heard of Louis Rossmann here on youtube? He noted that many landlords in New York are doing the same. They will keep it vacant rather than lower the rent. There is an entire series here on youtube as he goes through the Commercial Real Estate in New York. Mostly during the pandemic - 2020-2021.
He also showed how they would out and out lie about the size of the unit
So what's the long-term point of this strategy? It doesn't seem to make financial sense for the owners unless they know something we don't.
imagine you are an owner of building and the retail space is worth on the market, let's say 20 million. You can go back to bank, and get a mortgage against that retail space worth of 20 million. Now that's all good and dandy if the market is stable. If it is not, and your valuation drops from 20 million down to 5 million. Now the bank is losing money on your mortgage. So nobody wants to come to terms that the properties were overvalued and everybody tries to weather the storm and live in denial as long as they can. @@alihenderson5910
@@alihenderson5910 Seems to me they are just putting off the inevitable as is human nature
@@D_B_Cooper That doesn't make any sense.
Love the channel. Watched many of the videos. You outline the long term issues that is not covered elsewhere
Same thing happening in Munich. A small community restaurant that organized events for seniors (like dancing classes, chess, small concerts etc) could not pay their rent due to Corona closures and instead of reducing the rent, they forced them to close and 4 years later the space is still empty. Who profits from this???
I love this channel, and watch avidly. It seems to be both depressing and hugely entertaining in equal measure.😀👍
Wow, leeds was the place be 10/15 years ago 😳 if an amazing city like leeds can't survive, then there really is no hope for the rest of the uk ! Keep up the good lad 👦 great job .❤
Leeds is still thriving pal! 👍
According to the data, Leeds is still growing and doing much better than the rest of the UK.
@@Brynson87 true fact 💯 leeds is now the shop lifting 🫴 capital of England 🏴
In all fairness. He gave trinity like 10 seconds of footage and it’s one of the biggest shopping centres in Europe
Leeds isn't just surviving, it's booming, the video is pretty misleading.
I love your videos, so informative, thought provoking and interesting, please keep them coming 😊
Nice one! Your doing a great job of documenting and highlighting the changes in our cities & towns. And searching out the reasons why. Its the reality. No way is it a negative depressive wandering, more like wondering and thinking about positive solutions. Keep on👍
I love being taken out and about on these interesting tours with Wandering Turnip! Thank you! 🙏
The corn exchange used to be an alternative shopping centre. The below floor used to be full of alternative shops and rows of black hoodies. It was amazing. Changed so much now.
Used to have all the emos hanging outside back in 2007 ish
The bottom and top floors were empty. Only the main floor had ships on it.
Cyberdog!
Dark Angel, Hippy Potter Mouse, Grin, Cyber Dog, etc... it was a great place to shop.
Your content is absolutely top notch, well informed and well balanced, not just with this video but with every video of yours that I have watched. Your vibrant personality and genuine enthusiasm for what you are doing shines through in every video. Please don't let the occasional whinger in the comments section change your outlook. Do you realise that you are actually documenting the current state of our high streets, with reference to their individual history in such an accurate way that it will be a valuable resource for folk to enjoy learning from for decades to come. You should be proud of yourself. I wish you & your channel every success. Keep on keepin on pal.
Mate I love your channel. You are showing the common frustration of many people in the UK. Also, I love your more positive stuff. Tom is a top-class furniture maker.
Greetings from a rapidly declining Southend. Thank you for the great vids.
I am watching from Colchester and it's the same here.
So sad how it has deteriorated.@@solsticepilgrim
Colchester is starting to look the same as Leeds, a number of closed shops and out-of-town shopping@@mr.13zn83
Same in Hull. I travel around the UK with work, mainly fishing towns and ports, they are all struggling
this news gives me a rapidly declining erection
15 years ago Leeds city centre was the jewel of Yorkshire in my opinion , I'm originally from Sheffield but always prefered Leeds for shopping and drinking not been for about 6 years as I now live in Kent but as this video shows its on the slide such a shame ☹ Great video Dave thanks for the upload👍
Leeds still is, this video absolutely doesn't do it justice.
@@Benji567891 Glad to hear it , like i said not been for a long time just going on this video ❤Leeds 👍
@@Benji567891 A lot of vape shops in city centre
Great video! thank you. Your message and genuine curiosity and care is inspiring. Using those spaces for affordable housing or even local smaller businesses is a brilliant idea and would rebuild communities and culture and trade too.
Enjoyed the video - well presented and a sad but true reflection of reality.
Love this channel!your only showing the disgusting reality of what the corporates and government have done...councils have a lot to answer for too they do not care,push people online so they can track us!keep speaking the truth and showing what's really happening😢
I do wish people would stop saying the Government want to control us. Don t give them ideas
Brexit means brexit. All the Best Frombork Poland.
@@mimi64231this all began long before we left the EU. We haven't even properly left it were still going along with the globalist bullshit. As usual they've sold out the people who voted for it.
Your videos are outstanding! You get it so totally right - perfect balance of first hand investigation, light hearted comments, genuine outrage, balance, smooth delivery, research, imagination when it comes to editing, and a love for our country. Worth repeating - outstanding!
Definitely! 👍
Totally agree, I can't get "Hot milkshakes, what a load of twaddle" out of my head. Though 🤔😅
The *shopping malls are exactly same* in all the areas. Same *shops in Leeds* (Lancashire/ Yorkshire) are the *same carbon copy* as in lewisham (London) Sterile and cold environment. Stay happy everyone
corn exchange was really good at the end of the 90s and early noughties, really loved havin a drink in a bar in the basement bit with yummy chips and balsamic vinegar and drum and bass music
You're doing an amazing job exposing the truth of the high street, hopefully at some point some MPs take notice and actually try and change something, we can but hope...
You not realised yet . They hate you.
😂
Great Video Wandering Turnip, you are not depressing, the TRUTH is depressing, love the way you go back in time and show what a building once was, watching from Alberta.
Another great video. Have you thought about going for a wonder around Wakefield? Some great independent shops and the old shopping centre that has been very quiet for at least 15 years is starting to come back to life.
Just before warhammer the closed up restaurant was actually a really important building historically for retail. That was the original Montague Burtons of Burtons Menswear. Queen even visited! Great video, some of the shops like Patesserie Valerie and Clinton’s only shut in last few weeks. The indoor market also had to have a refurb due to leaking roof and a lot of traders relocated for new fit outs so hopefully those units will soon be filled.
Your videos are honest and truthful. I look forward to your videos. I think that greed is not far away from the death of the high street! People are afraid of change? Excellent video!
i moved from tod to leeds a few years ago. the best parts of leeds are around the edges. there are some grand old victorian builds in the centre. it would be great if the replacement to retail could do them justice. maybe leisure and education are the future of the inner city.
I’m from further up the road and whenever I visit Leeds, it feels like a modern world class city. They always repurpose old buildings in Yorkshire, and it has some of the best architecture in the UK.
Bradford is much worse. I live roughly in-between Bradford and Leeds and I usually go into Leeds centre every weekend.
Loving all your video walks, nice warm voice, friendly and interesting
I have been watching your powerful videos. Just amazing!! Me being a retailer, cant feel less sadness for these fellows losing out to online menace and our selfish politicians. I personally know and spoke to some of those shopowners in Kirkgate , small butchers, fishmongers, bakery, they were almost forced out when they did the regeneration . Many closed ( like the butchers row, in your video) shamefully would have expected a labour run council to be more sympathetic to little people ,sadly no. But hats off to you mate ,doing a great job. Bring those bureaucrats, council bosses to the front. Let them answer whether a denerating city justifies their 3 figure salaries?
Lived in Leeds all my life (34 years) driving into Leeds has been horrific since they bus gated it all. Wasn’t too bad a few years ago. I always get the bus now if I need to go into Leeds city centre. In regards to the White Rose centre I worked in River island for 7 years pre covid. Once that hit it wiped out a chunk of the centre. All of that boarded up section used to be all of the Arcadia shops, Top man etc.
They ruined your indoor and outdoor market. Best in the country. Or it used to be...
Another interesting video. I used to go to Leeds regularly for business - early 2000s. Looks like it still has great shopping
Brilliant episode! Really enjoyed it! 👏 10:50 👏 The 'shouty' rude folk are a thorn in the side of hard working channels like this.. but even negative comments help the algorithm so we'll look on the positive side.. 🌹😄 Looking forward to the next _Made in Britain.._ This channel's going places!
Depressing.. no!Just truthful.. When Turnip's buzzin' it lifts my spirits! 😅
Visiting the UK from Canada - my favourite thing to do is visiting the High Streets. So sad. Leeds is one of my fave cities!
I forgot to add, I am a new sub :)
Thanks for this thought-provoking video! I moved to Leeds over a year ago & a lot of local people complain about the nightmare of driving into the centre (there are constant diversions, road works and new cycle lanes etc). I don’t drive myself but the public transport is extremely unreliable and it’s not unusual to wait for 40 mins or even over an hour to get the bus. It’s apparently the largest city in Europe without a metro or tram system (it used to have a tram network decades ago apparently). I think transport plays a role in the decline of footfall to the city centre in the case of Leeds. I’m definitely interested to watch your other videos too. Keep up the good work!
Corn exchange looks fantastic. Sad that Leeds seems to be struggling just like everywhere else. Another excellent video. I live in Bradford and Warhammer has just moved and upgraded its outlet in Bradford city centre, as you say it has such a loyal shopper base. Online is killing the high street.
It’s not illegal to film but they can (if it’s privately owned) ask you to leave under the laws of trespass and you must comply.
When it’s your phone camera just tell them to f$&k off I’m on an important video call
Trespass is a civil offence not a criminal one.
Great video, as always.The reason why the Core was so empty as, in line with your thinking, the retail units and gym have all had to vacate as it is being re-developed as student accommodation.Hopefully the shops will move into some of the vacant units that you highlighted.
from Leeds, that Halifax closed recently just moved like 3 streets down towards Trinity :D Nice to see others point of view of the city
Your work reporting on the state of towns in Britain is amazing journalism
I think your videos are great mate. It’s sad to see large name shops having to share space as a means to afford an in person sales experience. As a Brit now living in the US your video’s help me when I miss home. I often have a picture painted in my mind of what the UK is, but that is of the UK in 2000 to 2011. I hope there is a way through this decline. Thanks for your great content.
It's great someone cares about the future of the UK, and it is time to talk about this...
Well done, thank you for your work
The changed all the roads in Leeds centre recently and absolutely made it impossible to get where you want to go. Then, you have to take out a second mortgage to be able to afford Qpark. I actively avoid going to Leeds at all now.
Love the videos. There is a massive surge in businesses collapsing locally in 2024 where I am. Many of them have existed for decades but the costs to operate just came excessive. Most are closing voluntarily and orderly because they feel responsibility to customers. Won’t appear on gov insolvency stats thus as they avoided that, but will distort the reality.
This channel is one of the best channels around. Interesting and informative 👍 👌
I always enjoy your videos and descriptions. Please come to Nottingham! You’ll definitely be shocked at the cost of the parking here!
Great video. regarding Leeds market, the shuttered green stalls you showed are new builds & some have now been occupied. On the outside they have closed the units as there are plans to build a hotel on that site.
Leeds is a ok. Isn’t massively dilapidated whatsoever. I love a bit of Leeds. Moved back to Manchester but Leeds a solid city
I go Manc more, but Leeds has something about it. Underrated city imo.
Hard put finger on it. Leeds is rustic and small big city feel all in one. It's friendly. Or friendlier than other northern cities @@GarethSewell1982
@@zzhughesd deffo as good as anywhere in the north mate, good city! 👍
Love this channel. You really bring in home the evolution taking place in our town centres. When I was growing up, the weekend meant heading to the town centre with your mates. It was buzzing day and night. That was in Hull and the centre is in a real mess now. It would be great to see you visit and see what you think. After the war, Hull Council had a architect redesign the town centre for the 'modern' age and it was a radical idea and it worked for years. It has lost that glory, but i think it can be rescued. Centres need to look away from these big organisation, like boots, jd sports etc who get reduced business rates, pay little if any tax and encourage and grow the local, home grown solutions. Encourage and support peoples ideas and creativity and let them share their passion with their community. Give them a year or two rates and rent free. Malcolm X used to encourage people to shop in shops ran by people from the communities beccause a pound spent in the shop stayed in the community wereas a pound spent in Tesco, leaves that community. The Brixton brick is a similar idea. Come and have a stroll around Hull
Big fan of the channel, thanks for visiting Leeds! There im is a huge population increase in the city centre and the core shopping centre is soon to be converted in to residential! The market is getting a hotel and the Kirk gate district is all getting regeneration! The merrion area has been transformed since the student resi towers have been built so I think a return visit in a couple of years will be a real positive one!
A problem that I don't see anyone discussing is that many of the local councils in the UK have the pensions invested in indexes that are mostly hedged into commercial property. Long term prospects required are for higher rents and council taxes; if the price of the property goes down, everything goes down with it, the pensions, therefore the social support, the tax revenues from the businesses, all of it. One or two years rent is nothing compared to all of that; people hold their moves and boards go up while they wait for the market adjustments.
Great content as always, look forward to the next one 👍🏻🇬🇧
I like that you show real life and throw out thought provoking commentary 👏👏the Core in Leeds used to have a fab food court on the top floor...
Well done on another class video pal 👌 If you want a change of scene then maybe try Cardiff which is famous for its many _Victorian_ shopping arcades which are actually decent places to visit with good independent shopping... there's a pretty tidy market too! Although saying that you can of course also find plenty of boarded up shops in the warzone that was formerly known as a city centre 🤦🏾♀️
Used to visit Leeds all the time around 2000 when I was with my ex. It’s changed so much! The corn exchange was a dark and dingy place and now. Wow! Great video. Subbed!
Top man! Your videos are great....never felt them depressing! Informative and honest, just how we like you mate....thanks for another great video ❤
First one I’ve seen. Bit depressing at all, he’s simple shoring what’s happening in realtime to the high street in uk. I live in Hove, nr’ Brighton & same happening here. Church road, the main drag in Hove has Co-op, big Tesco & now a triple shop to be Sainsbury’s. Independent traders don’t stand a chance v’s these three shops. I try to shop local where I can, but the locals are just disappearing.
Fantastic your videos, ignore the haters because you’re showing the realities of in town retail buildings that really should be converted into housing (studios or better) they don’t like it. It’s not illegal it’s a public space.
My neighbour set up a one-room village shop in the middle of no-where to serve the sparse local farming community. It was as much a place for elderly residents to have a natter as it was a shop. The council demanded £3000pa rates. There was no way that little shop could cover that overhead and the wage bill, so it closed down. Now there is no local shop, no informal café, and everyone has to drive all the way to town. So, the community is poorer, as is the council.
Hi Davey 😊 My towns the same and it seems so sad to see its all-over .Heartbreaking !❤😢
Mate I love the videos you do. The stuff you and Wendall do is some of my favourite stuff on KZhead, highlighting the issues we all see in modern Britain. You are a credit to yourself and your nation ❤
The Millennium Wheels were a thing. They were only ever intended to be temporary (few years) structures, yet still going strong.
Yeah and they cost about £10 or more to go round slowly for a couple of minutes. Rip off.
You have such a great way with words, street poetry 👌 Like many places I wonder what the change in total live shops has been, it feels like there is still lots of retail in Leeds but much of it where they've created new units in Trinity. There never appears to be a plan for what will then happen to the old properties that are left behind, whether that be oversized units the larger chains leave when they move to the new centres, or the smaller retailers that end up being unviable once they lose the associated footfall the anchor stores used to generate. Such disjointed plans leave a feeling of rundown centres, where if there could be some way to force a repurpose of old space as part of the projects to build new space, things could potentially be far less depressing and the overall town/city centre left as a far more vibrant and welcoming place to be 😢
Where l live the Coop had a huge complex built in 1903, a department store. It closed in 2002 permanently. It's derelict, and now Debenhams has gone too.
Mate ignore the naysayers you are class, and you are raising awareness to these issues while also taking us on tours around these interesting areas. Our household loves your vids. Keep up the good work mate
Fantastic show, so impressed how well Leeds is doing, compared to a lot of places. Keep up the good work of investigating what is actually happening in our country. 👍 ✌️💚🇬🇧
really thought provoking - i definitely went out of budget when shopping in leedstown centre
I started my working life in Leeds city centre (late 80s early 90s). At the time there were loads of offices in the city centre area. However, since the big insurance companies and their associated businesses closed the captive workforce in the centre has shrunk so the city can't really support all the supporting businesses it once could. Many of the ornate older buildings were banks/building societies. After they went online many chose to take away (close) the counter services. Shame. 36 The Headrow (Halifax Bldg Soc.) was once a Burger King. The shuttered building at 12:14 was the Direct Line Insurance Co. They employed hundreds of young people & made Dortmund Square come alive at lunchtimes and evenings. The Core was previously The Headrow Centre. It started out strong, but has struggled for decades (high rates/rents?). I preferred it when it was the big department store, Schofields. The Boar Lane/Duncan Street area has always struggled, even going back 30+ years. I think if you look at the total number of shops in Leeds city centre, the empty units still only amount to a small %. The Headrow pub was my local for lunchtime "meetings" and the starting point for the regular office pub crawl on a Friday. Shocked me to see it closed when i visited Leeds last year. Thanks for documenting the current state of Leeds city centre. Wish i had done the same all those years ago.
Thanks
Left Leeds a decade ago, the City Centre used to be packed, just a mass of people.
It is packed now, you can't move for people on a weekend
Its full of homless now@tomharris5169
Lots of people is bad , we are designed for small communities
@@luciobrazil007 it's all Muslims and homeless
If you look at other countries that still have a booming centre, you’d soon realise that it’s primarily powered by restaurants. Restaurants is what motivates people to go to the centre. Being able to buy stuff there is an extra. The problem is the UK has an awful culinary industry. Restaurants here offer fairly low quality food for high prices. There is so little value in it, that most people don’t bother eating out. In those other countries, you are barely paying any premium for a meal to be freshly cooked to a more than adequate standard than trying to make it yourself at home.
Most British restaurants are "posh microwave meals" controlled by the Establishment and offering sh1te. They don;'t even ask you "how is your meal" nowadays. It's the same everywhere and makes people think "why bother|. All chains, no individual character.
It's the people also, so many seeming downcast unhappy people. Keep it up, you're covering an important aspect of urban decay that has greed and landlords and online shopping as major problems.
Wow Wow, well done David keep the content coming we need more guys like you and Wendall really opening peoples eyes and minds to the way sadly things have become. saying that I like the alternative angle you have taken highlighting the small business that are going from strength to strength your vids can only help like a free advertising for them.
Bravo Two Zero - Love the Partridge reference
Thank you for making such an insightful video into the current state of retail. I’ve also watched some of your other videos on cheap houses for sale and it has really shone a light on how much under-use of existing buildings there currently is. So much could be done if our govt/local councils had the £££ to invest in revitalizing these spaces. Hopefully with more funding these spaces could be put to better use!
Ah love it when they chase you out of shopping centres🏃📵🏃♀️🏃♂️💨...surprised they haven't got NO WONDERING TURNIPS ALLOWED signs up yet!!😊 Everytime you wonder around Hebden I get nostalgia for the start of my student days and going on a peaceful walk to find my favourite 🌲 ...love to meet you for a pint if I ever move back north🍻. Great work!
I must admit, I thoroughly enjoy your videos, David. I certainly do not find them depressing, just interesting and factual. It is sad that our shopping habits are changing, but who knows? As you say, things might suddenly change again. In our town (Leamington Spa) we do pretty well and shops that do become vacant are generally soon rented out again. Keep up your marvellous trips and comments! All the best.
Queens Hotel used to have a drop off / pick up outside front , removed for bus lane !
All part of the removal of our ability to travel freely.
@@artif1ed Sadly, this seems to be the case. Depressing.
Hi Dave love your video. Have you thought of trying a park and ride. Me and my son do it all the when we go to a place that has one. You can check the price and time on line. Keep it going