Old Hunslet and my Father's shop.

Bill Nelson · **Joined:** Sun Apr 03, 2005 4:40 pm **Posts:** 8465

Those of you who have read volume one of my autobiography will perhaps have read about my boyhood experience of travelling by tram from the centre of Leeds, after a day's shopping with my mother, to meet my father as he finished his day's work at Broughton's radio and television shop in Waterloo Road, in the Hunslet area of Leeds. My father was manager of the shop in the latter part of the '50s and into the '60s before his retirement due to ill health.

When I put volume one of 'Painted From Memory' together I didn't have access to any photographs of Broughton's shop or Waterloo Road. Nor could I go and take any as the shop and Waterloo Road had been demolished in the '70s and the area is today unrecognisable as the place it once was. I also didn't include in my autobiography the photograph of my father's 'R. Broughton And Son' pencil that was more recently posted in one of my diary entries.

Anyway, last week, after driving past the end of what was once busy and thriving Waterloo Road, (now just a late '70s housing estate with no sign of the bustling shops and tram lines that I remember from my childhood,) I decided to search the internet to see if I could find any reference to the area as it was in the 1950s. I stumbled upon a site titled 'Hunslet Remembered' which has been created by Chris Tebutt who grew up in the area.

To my surprise, Chris' site had a couple of photographs of the shop my father managed, though these were taken in the early '70s after the shop had closed and just prior to the demolition of Waterloo Road itself. But the shop, though empty and boarded up in the photo's, still had the dark red and yellow colour scheme and lettering I remembered from my boyhood years. The site also has a couple of photographs of 'Swan Junction' which was the entrance to Waterloo Road. One of these photographs shows a tram in the 1950s, right at the spot where my mother and I would disembark before walking up the road a short distance to meet my father at Broughtons shop.

I was so pleased to find these images and archived memories of Broughton's that I emailed Chris to tell him of my own warm memories of the area and those times. He then asked me if it was ok to publish, on his site, my recollections of 1950s Hunslet and my father's employment at Broughton's shop. Of course, I was more than happy to give my permission.
Chris has now added my recollections to his site and you can read my piece and see the photograph of my father's Broughton and Son pencil, plus the photograph of the shop itself, (albeit in a state of decay after closing down,) at:

http://www.hunslet.org/

Scroll down the home page to a box which is headed 'What's new on the site' and within that you'll find my name with a reference to Broughton's shop. Click on the word 'Broughton's' and you will be taken to the page which deals with Waterloo Road and the shop itself. My memories are printed there with the photo' of the shop after it closed down.

There are lots of nostalgic memories from others too and the history of the area is very interesting. (Peter O'Toole was brought up there and Keith Waterhouse wrote about his life there too.) Do click on the link and have a look. It's a nice compliment to the section of my autobiography that deals with that particular time and place. :wink:

felixt1 · **Posted:** Sat Feb 18, 2012 12:20 pm

That was a joy to read Bill

I do enjoy your fond memories of your childhood and of your father in particular. Walter Nelson was clearly a wonderful father and weren't you a lucky boy to get all those treats

Fantastic stuff..........it's all there in the music of course :wink:

alec · **Posted:** Sat Feb 18, 2012 5:08 pm

Bill Nelson wrote:

There are lots of nostalgic memories from others too and the history of the area is very interesting. (Peter O'Toole was brought up there and Keith Waterhouse wrote about his life there too.) Do click on the link and have a look. It's a nice compliment to the section of my autobiography that deals with that particular time and place. :wink:

felixt1 wrote:

Fantastic stuff..........it's all there in the music of course :wink:

So true.

Although depressing to see it boarded up like that, what an excellent find.

Truly a magical land was R. Broughton & Son, on Waterloo Road, Hunslet.

Walter Nelson was rather like Father Christmas of Exceptionally Cool Items!!!

Without question Dinky Toys, Hornby Trains, Meccano and Tri-Ang were [and still are] works of art!

The fact that R. Broughton and Son was both an electrical and cycle shop brings to mind the magic of radio, television and two-wheel transportation and how those all seem to flow to the intriguing garden shed, at No 28 Coniston Crescent, Wakefield, converted to a radio room by Walter and then to a club house by Bill and gang.

I also like how visible the name of "R. Broughton & Son" is on the perfectly preserved pencil.

Every Friday night must have also been magical time to look forward to as a young boy with its selection of weekly comics, Dandy, Beano, Beezer,Topper, Eagle, etc, which Walter bought from Hunslet newsagent located at the Swan Junction end of Waterloo Road.

It is truly inspiring to learn ever more about the roots of the Nelsonian connection with Cosmic Coolness Forever.

Sue · **Joined:** Tue Nov 01, 2005 10:26 am **Posts:** 3934

So glad you found that site Bill and were able to record your own memories for others to read. That's just priceless. I still work on the fringes of Hunslet, on Water Lane. The city center of Leeds is creeping ever further to the outskirts of Hunslet and Holbeck and I'm sure in a few years time it won't be apparent where one stops and the other begins.

Bill Nelson · **Joined:** Sun Apr 03, 2005 4:40 pm **Posts:** 8465

Thanks, Sue...With you being a Leeds girl, I thought that you might find an affectionate connection with those memories of Leeds as it used to be in less intense times.

ladesco · **Posted:** Sun Feb 19, 2012 6:20 am

bill, you needed an excuse to respond to that avatar... :mrgreen:

get back to work! emi's coming with that rolling pin...

Telecat · **Posted:** Sun Feb 19, 2012 6:07 pm

Well Well, Back in the 60's my one and only Bike came from Broughton's. I remember having to cross the Busy Road, (at that time) to get to the "Annex" and pick what I wanted. At the time I had a choice between a motor bike "replica" and a "Golden Eagle" Push bike in Gold and Red. I went with the Eagle and spent many Hours on it in Belle Isle. I think the demolition with the building of the Short lived and badly thought out "Leek Street" flats really killed the area.

martin jordan · **Posted:** Sun Feb 19, 2012 10:12 pm

I remember going to a party in the leek street flats - grim,very grim.!!! Leeds was still a place of great character in the 70's but a lot of the character has now been lost.When I visit now I just find the place very very depressing :cry:

Bill Nelson · **Joined:** Sun Apr 03, 2005 4:40 pm **Posts:** 8465

Telecat wrote:

Back in the 60's my one and only Bike came from Broughton's. I remember having to cross the Busy Road, (at that time) to get to the "Annex" and pick what I wanted. At the time I had a choice between a motor bike "replica" and a "Golden Eagle" Push bike in Gold and Red. I went with the Eagle and spent many Hours on it in Belle Isle.

Very pleased to read that, Telecat!
My own first two-wheeler was a Dawes 'Realm Rider,' in a beautiful deep red colour with gold trim. But, long before that, I had a 'Gresham Flyer' trike, also in red n' gold! The trike had a little boot, (or 'trunk' for our USA cousins,) between the rear wheels.
But I'm thrilled to know that a fan of my music also knew of the shop that my dad managed!

By the way, I totally agree about the way that the area has been destroyed in the name of 'progress.'

alec · **Posted:** Sun Feb 19, 2012 11:04 pm

Bill Nelson wrote:

My own first two-wheeler was a Dawes 'Realm Rider,' in a beautiful deep red colour with gold trim.

Did it have this cool logo?

Source: http://bikecult.com/works/archive/04bic ... sRTML.html

Bill Nelson wrote:

But, long before that, I had a 'Gresham Flyer' trike, also in red n' gold!The trike had a little boot

One red-'n'gold-with-boot:

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/36519276@N ... 919428190/

www.billnelson.com

Old Hunslet and my Father's shop.

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