Leeds city centre: 12 vibrant photos take you back to Vicar Lane in the 1990s

Brannigans, ABC Cinema, New Jumbo Chinese restaurant, The Templar Hotel and Grand Arcade in focus

It was the city centre street which revellers came together for 'eating, dancing and cavorting' in the 1990s. Brannigans on Vicar Lane will be remembered by a generation of people who were living for the weekend during the decade. This wonderful collection of photos captures life along Vicar Lane during the 1990s and with it a number of landmarks including ABC Cinema, New Jumbo Chinese restaurant, The Templar Hotel and Grand Arcade and the old Red Bus Station. 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: Leeds city centre memories - What remains of Vicar Lane Bus Station LOVE LEEDS? LOVE NOSTALGIA? Join Leeds Retro on facebook YEP RETRO NEWSLETTER: Sign up for our free monthly email digest of Leeds nostalgia

Celebrating 135 years of telling Leeds' stories
Follow us
© 2026 Iconic Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice