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Brills: Roundhay outfitters closes after 80 years SLIDESHOW
It once dressed superstars – but a famous Roundhay outfitters has shut down after 80 years.
Brills on Street Lane closed its doors for the final time on Thursday.
The shop – which sold designer labels such as Boss, Paul Smith and Armani – dated back to 1929.
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Its superstar clients included Sean Connery and Bruce Forsyth. Staff also dressed Sir Harry Secombe, boxer Floyd Patterson, entertainer Max Bygraves and comedian Max Wall.
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Loyal customer Brian Statam, who shopped at Brills for more than 40 years, said it was "very, very sad".
The loss meant there was now no menswear shop in the Roundhay area, he added.
"I live in Harrogate and work in Leeds, but I have always liked shopping here. I don't like the parking problems you get in Leeds city centre, and Brills stocked all the makes I like. Now I will have to go to quite a few different shops to find them."
Last year, coffee chain Starbucks took over the ground floor of the shop.
Owner Peter Bell said then he felt a Starbucks in Street Lane would increase the number of potential customers for all the area's businesses.
Mr Statam said the loss of Brills meant Leeds was waving goodbye to another one of its famous names.
He added: "Once they are gone, they never come back. Sadly, it is a sign of the times we are living in."
The Bell family are former owners of Bells Stores, a chain of 54 north-eastern based convenience stores sold to Sainsbury's in February 2004.
They bought out the previous owners of Brills in 2005. The Leeds closure leaves the Bells with shops in Harrogate, Northallerton, and Yarm, Teesside.
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Monday 21 May 2012
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