Memories of the Arndale Centre in Headingley

The Arndale Centre in Headingley was constructed in 1964 and boasted a parade of covered shops off Otley Road between Alma Road and Wood Lane. When the centre originally opened it contained, amongst other businesses, a Post Office and a branch of Lloyds Bank. Headingley was home to one of 23 Arndale's have been built in the UK with three in Australia. Its name came from ARNold Hagenbach and Sam ChippenDALE. Mr Hagenbach was born in Wakefield and went to Silcoates School before finishing his education in Switzerland where his family originated. He married Betty Sloan, whose family ran the Sloan & Davidson foundry business at Swinnow in west Leeds. In the 1940s the couple lived at Adel in north-west Leeds. Today the shopping centre is known as Headingley Central. These 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: Memories of Arndale Centre in Cross Gates LOVE LEEDS? LOVE NOSTALGIA? Join Leeds Retro on facebook