Fish and Chip shops

Yum yum, Prof. Must have been giving them away free that day.

I rarely disagree with you, Dreamtime, but I must point out that Fishy Moores never needed to give anything away! Their "fish’n’six-pennorth" was worth queuing up - and paying for!

They liked the word 'new'. In Well Street the buildings were New Rents, 1830/40s.

I used to love being taken to Fishy Moores when I was a lad. Their fish and chips were wonderful, and it was there where I got a lifetime taste for proper mushy peas. It was always the restaurant rather than the takeaway too. That is what people were queueing for in the photo, as queues were often like that at busy times. It appears to have been a more temporary building, I recall that there was an overspill area of tables at the back which was opened when it was busy. They had very pleasant uniformed waitresses who would deliver your food to the table very quickly. They always seemed busy and turnover was quite quick. One memory I do have is the constant scraping of the wooden chairs on the tiled floor as people came and went. When I was at KHVIII it was possible to get there and back in the lunch break and I was allowed to go once a week with my school pal. Certainly better than school dinners!

Yes D-Di. I was at Tech, later Woodlands, and used to cycle to Pattisons café in Hertford St in the lunch break.

Fishy Moores - was that in Spon End near the Plaza cinema? I remember one there in a very old timber framed building but I don't think it was there. When at Leeds U we all patronised Harry Ramsdens in Guisley when we really needed a blow out (also Bryants close to Alan Bennett's father’s butchers shop, and Sweaty Betties close to the University). I did enjoy my fish and chips in those days! Cheers Dr Phil

When I attended Cov Tech we used a place in Spon End called (IIRC) Goofy's. Faggot and pea batches with a generous portion of chips. Then we'd retire to a hostelry (usually The Shakespeare) to wash it down.

Hi Dr. Phil, you said "Fishy Moores - was that in Spon End near the Plaza cinema? I remember one there in a very old timber framed building but I don't think it was there." I know the one you refer to, but forget the name. 'Fishy Moore's' was never in Spon End, always, (as I remember), in the vicinity of Fairfax Street, the old Shop and new.

No, Fishy Moores was in New Buildings, which was behind where Sainsbury's is now. That's where the photo was taken. It was close to the Alhambra pub. When I posted, it was in a thread called 'New Buildings', which was the point, but some inappropriate tinkering seems to have taken place to cause the confusion. Once the New Buildings premises was demolished the business moved to Fairfax Street, but somehow it was never quite the same.

MisterD-Di said: When I posted, it was in a thread called 'New Buildings', which was the point, but some inappropriate tinkering seems to have taken place to cause the confusion. Perhaps - but as the predominant subject is Fishy Moores, in various locations, it seems appropriate for the conversation to continue in this Fish & Chips shops thread, where more folk are likely to see and respond to it. I, for instance, only remember Fishy Moores from Fairfax Street, near to Payne's music shop, and not in New Buildings.

Rob: The picture WAS New Buildings, which is where most of us will remember it, not - as you call it - 'various locations'. If you only remember it in its subsequent location in Fairfax Street then you are considerably younger than me. I suspect most of us remember its original location very well, along with those legendary queues outside. I did make the point that moving to Fairfax Street was the start of its decline. It was controversial at the time as the New Buildings restaurant was a much-loved location, its replacement was certainly not. I believe the Moore family sold up eventually.

About 1850ish, the Moores, father and two sons, sold fish. The sons were known as 'Jammie Moore’ and 'Dancing Tommy'. It is said the father always called 'stinking fish' when on his rounds, and could not be persuaded to alter his cry. Fish selling in those days included pickled salmon.

There is a thread relating to the Moore family on the forum here

I remember both locations, couldn't remember the name of the original so I put it collectively as around Fairfax St.

(c) Tony Lay on FB - Fishy Moores. Rose Moore with long queues at the New Buildings premises that closed in 1969.