1942 featured a week long morale boosting event aimed at acting as a distraction for children growing up as well as an astonishing city wide fundraising effort spurred on by pride and fury. Youth Week featured exhibitions, a parade and finished with a grand finale in Roundhay Park. And Ark Royal Week was launched to help build a new ship after the previous one was sunk in combat. It was also a 12 months which saw a number of British Restaurants, a cheap public eating place, spring up across the city. Enjoy these 14 photos, a mix from the YEP archive and others published courtesy of photographic archive Leodis, which is run by Leeds Library & Information Service, charting a year in the life of your city. READ MORE: 41 of the finest photos take you back to Leeds city centre in the 1940s LOVE LEEDS? LOVE NOSTALGIA? Join Leeds Retro on facebook YEP RETRO NEWSLETTER: Sign up for our free monthly email digest of Leeds nostalgia
7. Leeds in 1942
City Museum in January 1942. An air raid in 1941 caused severe damage to the hall losing the whole frontage on Park Row. The museum re-opened with a concrete rendering and included a miniature coal mine. The museum closed in 1965 with the building being demolished in 1966. | Leeds Libraries, www.leodis.net Photo: Leeds Libraries, www.leodis.net
8. Leeds in 1942
HRH George, Duke of Kent is pictured at Leeds Civic Hall in January 1942 with members of Leeds ATC. | YPN Photo: YPN
9. Leeds in 1942
City Square shows the Standard Life Assurance buildings on the corner of Park Row and Boar Lane in July 1942. Offices for British General Insurance and Norwich Union are inside. A statue and part of the General Post Office are visible on the left. | Leeds Libraries, www.leodis.net Photo: Leeds Libraries, www.leodis.net
10. Leeds 1942
Rows of diners at the opening of the British Restaurant, also called the Civic and the Central, in the Crypt of Leeds Town Hall. | YPN Photo: YPN
11. Leeds in 1942
Marks and Spencer on Briggate with a brick wall in the centre, formerly the site of the Rialto Cinema. The new store was completed by 1940, but was then requisitioned by the Ministry of Works. It was finally opened in 1951. | Leeds Libraries, www.leodis.net Photo: Leeds Libraries, www.leodis.net
12. Leeds in 1942
Marks and Spencer on Briggate in June 1942. With a bricked up front, the shop had been built but not opened to the public by 1940. It was requisitioned by the Ministry of Works. At this time there were public air-raid shelter facilities. The entrance can be seen on the right, posters advertising the film 'Next Of Kin' can be seen, it was showing at the Scala and Odeon Cinemas. | Leeds Libraries, www.leodis.net Photo: Leeds Libraries, www.leodis.net