The end of September I went on a short hop trip to Leeds, in the UK. It’s a part of England, and sits sort of in the middle of England. The weather couldn’t have been better – and the company of the Jovial Miss J and her family was brilliant. I’m in debited to them for sharing their home with me and showing me a little bit of their world. I had a great time going to Synagogue, enjoyed Schul immensely, and having the chance to participate in Yom Kippur from the Orthodox perspective was grand.
After the holiday celebrations, J and I took some time out to head into Leeds proper and have some girly time shopping. One of the things that she kept telling me about were the beautiful Victorian buildings that the center of Leeds has. She wasn’t lying. There are a series of Arcades (Victorian indoor shopping malls used to protect shoppers from the elements) which are basically city streets connected by stained glass awnings over them. They are amazing and a feast for the eyes. The most famous of all of these is the Victoria Arcade.
The Victoria Arcade itself has two “long streets” connected by a middle “street” and plaza area. The shops are mostly 2 stories with a promenade style balcony along the top windows.
Nearby is the local Kirkgate Market building, which is carved yellow sandstone from the outside.
Inside, it’s about 3 stories high, with steel and lots of small kiosks. Here, they used to sell all the market wares (meat, fish, fruit, veg, etc. ). Today, it’s a variety of shops selling everything from hair accessories, to underwear, to arts and crafts goodies, and live flowers. There’s also plenty of fruits, veg, and meats available too.
Finally, there’s the lovely Corn Exchange. This was built in the 1860’s and today is a shopping mall. From the outside it looks perfectly round but in reality it’s an oval. The roof is an open plan structure and the inside has shops all the way around the outside of the oval.
I like how the round arches on the doors and windows inside echo the shape of the building, and the detail on the stairs and railings.
And the end cap? The tiny little medallian… that ties it all together like a sun out from which radiates the arches that make the roof.
