Leeds Then And Now evolves
It is scarcely two years since my book about the buildings of my home city, Leeds Then And Now was published by Pavilion but Leeds city centre is continuing to develop and evolve.
Just on the left of this 1928 image of Kirkgate is the department store Matthias Robinson, which was opened in Leeds in 1914. The Hartlepool-based business built a new store with Art Deco details on the site in 1936. The store is seen here in 1968.
Matthias Robinson was acquired by Debenhams in 1962 and the store was renamed Debenhams in 1972. Last year Debenhams collapsed and the Leeds store, seen here in 2019 in a photo by David North, was closed along with all the rest.
Permission has now been given to convert the building into student accommodation. Some retailing units may be retained on the ground floor. Let’s hope the lovely details of the 1928 building are maintained and protected.
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