Signs and symbols feed

Paddy's Crossing Seacroft by raveydavey

raveydavey — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 06:18:24 GMT

rochford wrote:

Hello everybody,

I'm pleased to see my grandfather's plaque is still of interest to people. Joseph 'Patrick' Rochford was the Superintendant of the Sutton Estate, in fact my grandmother still lives there to this day. He did indeed campaign tirelessly to get that crossing. I have some of the letters he wrote to various news organisations. My dad witnessed a few very nasty accidents when he was living there as a young man and was telling me how necessary a crossing was.

Paddy, as he liked to be known had a very interesting life, he served in the Coldstream Guards as an R.S.M and was stationed for much of his later career (including during WW2) in Eqypt where my Dad and one of my Aunts were born. He was the son of an Irish man who'd been in the trenches in WW1. He actually wrote a book when he was alive, but didn't live to finish it. Thankfully the manuscript survives, and his story of being a small boy in Dublin whose parents sent him to join the army as an 8 year old right through to how he came to live in Leeds (and campaign for the crossing) is currently being edited and hopefully turned into a published title at some point, but who knows, it's a very long job, my wife and I are undertaking this task ourselves.

Thanks for your interest once again, he'd be very proud and humbled.

Michael Rochford

Hi Michael - it's nice to hear from a relative of the man himself.

Your grandfather sounds like quite a man.

Paddy's Crossing Seacroft by Leeds Hippo

Leeds Hippo — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 19:01:59 GMT

rochford wrote:

Hello Michael

It's great to have a reply from the grandson of the great man - the information is fascinating and I'm sure it will interest people for years to come - good luck with the book!

Paddy's Crossing Seacroft by chameleon

chameleon — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 17:04:12 GMT

rochford wrote:

I remember this well but often thing it may be less beneficial than it should be - in their wisdom, those who designed the retail park constructed the pedestrian access on to York Road half way between this and the second controled crossing adjacent to Killingbeck drive.

Whilst it serves the Bustop eastbound quite well, it is understanable I suppose, that many people find it a chore to walk one way or the other to one of these crossings only to then have to walk back again to access the park. The reasons for not using the crossings will be varied but in the end, those trying to cross a total of six lanes of traffic face a seriou risk of coming to grief

Paddy's Crossing Seacroft by rochford

rochford — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 14:12:03 GMT

The Monk Bridge Owls and other owls by PC - Dublin

PC - Dublin — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 19:45:43 GMT

Yes indeed it was a most enjoyable morning and thanks Jim for all your help. Here's just one taken at Kirkgate Market. I'll post more at another time.

City of Culture by cnosni

cnosni — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 18:39:55 GMT

Johnny39 wrote:

Is it me being paranoid or is Sheffield getting more than its fair share of airtime on Look North and Calendar these days?

Yeah but its all about crime though.

The Monk Bridge Owls and other owls by Leeds Hippo

Leeds Hippo — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 18:22:15 GMT

And another

City of Culture by chameleon

chameleon — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 18:21:56 GMT

If a City, or anything else, is nominated for an award, then surely it has already demonstrated its worthiness - so why does money have to be spent? An award would surely be made on the basis of what is readily demonstrated without effort being needed to promote it.

The Monk Bridge Owls and other owls by Leeds Hippo

Leeds Hippo — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 18:19:11 GMT

Photo of Monk Bridge Owls from Leodis - c. 1937

Wonder what happened to the plaque

The Monk Bridge Owls and other owls by jim

jim — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:44:55 GMT

Hi Simonq, I don't think they are all civic owls ( although the majority are ). The St Anne's Cathedral, Fountain House, Yorkshire Penny Bank, and Quebec Owls don't seem to qualify under that definition, and the Leeds Civic Trust Owl only qualifies on the basis of the title of its owners!

I particularly enjoyed the bird-scarer high up on the window ledge of Fountain House, "bonus" to the one at head height in the railings.