Part ten of a series exploring the history of Leeds, using books and other stock resources held in the Leeds Libraries collections. For all the entries in this series, see our dedicated page.
Our last entry in this series took a brief look at the life and times of Maud Dightam, pioneering political activist and local councillor. The Central Library has been fortunate enough to receive information and materials relating to Maud and her descendants from her grandson, Peter – materials which have added to our knowledge of 20th-century Leeds.
Also included in our Dightam collection is Peter’s childhood autograph book, which features the signatures of the Leeds United team from the 1948/49 season. This is far from the only autograph record we have of the city’s only professional football club, whose success in the 1960s and 70s was arguably the defining symbol of the name of Leeds in the latter half of the twentieth-century.
Our collections at the Central Library include other autographs of legendary players such as Billy Bremner and Allan Clarke. Most impressive of all, however, is the Lord Mayor’s Reception Book for 1966-67. This book captures a civic ceremony for those Leeds United players and coaching staff who had formed part of England’s victorious 1966 World Cup winning team – including Les Cocker, Eddie Gray, Norman Hunter and Jack Charlton.
The Lord Mayor at the time of the Leeds United contingent’s visit in August of 1966 was the man we see holding Jack Charlton’s hand in the photo below – Alderman Joshua Walsh, the second Jewish Lord Mayor of Leeds: a symbolic marker of the Leeds Jewish community’s journey from poverty and discrimination in the late 19th-century, to the city’s middle-class elite.
The Secret Library | Leeds Libraries Heritage Blog 
Leeds has been – and still is an important centre for trade and communications – but the early developments were through the wool trade for woven cloth. The growth left its’ early mark from the river crossing up through Briggate with the Merchants grand houses spreading ever further out with facilities for the Owners Carriage and stables. Sadly the Area along Woodhouse Lane was demolished to make way for new Roadworks. Those houses had had the ground floor converted into shops. However just adjacent to where the BBC had their studio there was an entry between two shops that led into a quadrangle space for stables etc. During the War public Air Raid Shelters were needed and the way in was through the old carriage way – the painted sign on the wall declaring “ Public Air Raid Shelter” could still be seen in the 1950/60 period . The actual centre was a the cellar of the House and double sets of stairs with hand rails were dug down to the House foundations the double doors were never locked until the War with Germany was ended. Eventually that cellar became a Workshop for motor cyclists – it was easy to get Machinery down through the big double doors! The nearest Bomb to be dropped in the big raid of 1941 landed in the Harewood Barracks in Fenton Street. The City Museum has a section dealing with that Raid . My Dad took me down to see the results of the Raid – we started off seeing the Entrance to the Hospital crater opposite the Civic Hall. we followed the trail across town as far as the old Museum front ( demolished) . it was difficult for me to get over the big pipes laid out for the fire engines to use – they had rough wooden styles to get over – Okay for Adults – but bad news for kids!!!
My biggest and lasting memory was being evacuated from Blenheim School in 1939 together with my older Sister. Marching in twos down to the station – Gas Mask strap over my shoulder and carrying a small case. Some kids had their stuff in pillow cases – knotted and looped with long string. The train had little individual carriages and we were crammed in with no adult in charge. In almost no time at all the carriage window was wound down – my new cap was blown clean away. Almost there and I got a smut in my eye – finishing up in a school gym where ladies with clipboards were calling out names of people who had come to collect kids. Eventually they were all seen too – just a few of us left. I heard one Lady saying “ Mrs. X” said that she would take two and me and sis were on our way by car. The place we went to had a huge Marshalling Yard protected b masses of Barrage Balloons – but that is another story!,
Being evacuated made us suddenly appreciate our home life!,