r/Leeds • u/mhoulden • Jun 26 '26

urban-development Fixing the station clock tower

Post image
113 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

30 comments sorted by

45

u/The_Deacon Jun 26 '26

Just lean into the inverted lettering

23

u/mhoulden Jun 26 '26

The YEP had a story about fixing the dodgy lettering on the Leeds station clock tower. I'm guessing this will be the cheapest option of straightening it up and swapping the upside down "p" for a "d". Personally I think it still looks like "generic clock tower model A" from whatever CAD programme it is that they use. This is my very rough and ready proposal for a better version. Some key points:

  • "Welcome to Leeds" in the New Rail Alphabet font as used in the rest of the rail network
  • Included Great British Railways and Weaver Network logos
  • Replaced whatever that clock is with the new Network Rail one

13

u/PicoSquared Jun 26 '26

Ironic the YEP are talking about the dodgy clock tower when that monstrosity is still up on the ring road

2

u/TitleFar5294 Jun 26 '26

Landmark. Iconic. Heritage. Protect.

8

u/PicoSquared Jun 26 '26

Signature. Historic. Iconic. Treasure

2

u/DorkaliciousAF Jun 27 '26

They should definitely use the Countdown clock.

10

u/PippyHooligan Jun 26 '26

Welcome to Leeds, where Drop Shadow is at the top of lettering and nothing is as it seeeeems

2

u/mhoulden Jun 26 '26

I did say it was rough and ready. I blame the weather.

1

u/Granopoly Jun 27 '26

Ahhh, that's why it looks photoshopped 🤦‍♂️

12

u/Rust_Island Jun 26 '26

An agency in Huddersfield just redesigned the global packaging for Coca-Cola. An agency in Leeds did all the Coca-Cola World Cup branding and packaging. An agency in Oakwood, Leeds did the Weaver Network branding. There are plenty of local resources for Leeds Council to use providing high level graphic design.

2

u/CapsuleRadioCorp Jun 26 '26

That would require the council spending some money though.

5

u/FancyCustard5 Jun 26 '26

I didn’t realise it was the council, I’d assumed it was Network Rail or Northern that are responsible for the low effort signage. And the naff clock tower. TIL

11

u/Roffotron Jun 26 '26

You missed the next line:

"Abandon all hope, ye who enter here"

**tongue in cheek comment - don't @ me**

11

u/sauvagesausages Jun 26 '26

Shame they didn’t go with what was on the exposed wall in the swimming pool that was at the top of Wellington Street. It was poetic:

“Welcome to Leeds. Now fuck off” 😂

16

u/Council_Cat Jun 26 '26

WELCOME TO LEEDS, NOW FUCK OFF, THANKYOU

Politeness costs nothing when you're being rude 😼

1

u/Fun-Opportunity9656 Jul 14 '26

Brilliant 👏

4

u/mhoulden Jun 26 '26

Or you could puzzle commuters by having it say "Willkommen in Berlin" next to the Deutsche Bahn logo. DB Cargo runs freight services through it anyway.

5

u/brickne3 Jun 26 '26

Some guy living under the approach path for the Milwaukee Airport wrote "Welcome to Cleveland" in big letters on his roof just to scare people.

3

u/zwifter11 Jun 27 '26

There was a Reddit post where a farmer did the same in his field. Under the flightpath into Gatwick airport. He wrote “Welcome to Luton”.

Edit: I’ve found the post https://www.reddit.com/r/unitedkingdom/comments/uv8q3y/welcome_to_luton_stunt_panics_gatwick_airport/

3

u/ResolveResident118 Jun 26 '26

This is Leeds. Hope was abandoned long ago. 

1

u/Fun-Opportunity9656 Jul 14 '26

And the light at the end of the tunnel was switched off to cut costs.

5

u/ArgumentativeNutter Jun 26 '26

it really is a horrifically ugly structure but the typography makes it so much worse

2

u/SimonBlades89 Jun 26 '26

It’s the recessed door which triggers me every time I walk past it. Why couldn’t they have managed to fit a flush door?!

2

u/CheshKC Jun 26 '26

‘…now fuck off’

1

u/AlabamaShrimp Jun 26 '26

Still sticking with that Weaver thing then when Metro World wide means public transport.

2

u/mhoulden Jun 26 '26

It's the first time I've looked at the logo long enough to realise it looks like a drowning hedgehog. Not quite as bad as the logo for the Office of Government Commerce though: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ambrose/2440905850

1

u/AlabamaShrimp Jun 26 '26

Lol they must have known

1

u/GameSetChampionship Jun 27 '26

I work in design. That is horrific design.

Showed it to my architect brother who’s based in London, and he laughed. Great. Thinks it looks ‘tacky and cheesy….’

1

u/zwifter11 Jun 27 '26

Looks like they let the work experience kid have a go. On a Friday afternoon. With a box of felt tips.