Leeds nostalgia: October 1989: Memories of Harry Ramsden's

It was the most famous fish n' chip restaurant in the world and was started by Harry Ramsden when he bought a wooden shed in 1928, serving his first fish supper in December of that year.
Guiseley, Harry Ramsden's 30th October 1989

Waitresses wait for fish and chips.Guiseley, Harry Ramsden's 30th October 1989

Waitresses wait for fish and chips.
Guiseley, Harry Ramsden's 30th October 1989 Waitresses wait for fish and chips.

Our photographer captured this image of waitresses at the Guiseley headquarters in October 1989. The restaurant served millions of customers throughout its long history, including the likes of former prime minister Margaret Thatcher.

However, 1989 was also a significant year because it was also the year when the Wetherby Whaler began and that business would end up taking over the famous Guiseley restaurant in 2012.

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Ramsden (1888-1963) was a superb entrepreneur, arranging all sorts of amusements to draw people in, including brass bands and even golf.

The interior of his restaurant was lavishly decorated for the time, with wall-to-wall carpets and chandeliers. When he marked 21 years in business, he rolled prices back to those of 1912, when his father sold fish n’ chips, selling them for 1d and 1/2d.