23 nostalgic photos show you life in Leeds in 1989

It was the year more than 100 years of frying tonight history ended at a city centre restaurant. The doors closed for the last time after tea at Youngman’s off Briggate in February 1989. “It is a sad day for us all,” said William Bettison, whose wife Sylvia was the grand-daughter of Robert Youngman who founded the business in 1885. George Cooke and his wife Ivy, who were due to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary in the July, used to go to Youngman’s when they were courting and were among the last customers. “It’s a shock for us. We shan’t know where to go instead.” The story is one of 23 photo memories which chart life around Leeds city centre in 1989. It was also a 12 months which the unveiling of an intriguing brick design on an approach road into Leeds which had left motorists scratching their heads for weeks. All was revealed in June 1989 when council chiefs officially presented to the city the 25ft design - which read ‘Welcome to Leeds’ - in a ceremony marking the completion of a £30,000 scheme to brighten up the city’s southern gateway. More than 7,000 multi-coloured bricks were used to make up the words in the design, which today still stands proud on a steep banking near Parkfield Street. Leeds City Council’s parks staff added a splash of colour with hundreds of summer bedding plants. The images are a mix from the YEP archive and others published courtesy of photographic archive Leodis, which is run by Leeds Library & Information Service. They also run heritage blog The Secret Library Leeds, which provides a behind the scenes look at the Central Library and highlights from its special collections, including rare books hidden away in the stacks. READ MORE: Lost city centre landmarks - The Leeds Skywalk LOVE LEEDS? LOVE NOSTALGIA? Join Leeds Retro on facebook YEP RETRO NEWSLETTER: Sign up for our free monthly email digest of Leeds nostalgia