New developments sprang up as post-war housing was torn down, the disco and punk era was replaced by a fresh wave of post-punk and alternative bands, and people ditched their flares for power suits and statement shoulder pads.
These photos capture a Leeds in flux during the early 80s, when the Sony Walkman became the latest must-have gadget, and E.T. and Raiders of the Lost Ark delivered the biggest box office thrills.
They show sights around the city between 1980 and 1983, including some of the most popular shops, pubs and restaurants of the time.
This trip down memory lane takes you through an eerily quiet Leeds City Station, inside Leeds Market while it was recovering from a brutal battering, along school corridors and into the heart of a captivated crowd at Roundhay Park enjoying a seminal performance by the Rolling Stones.
These nostalgic images capture shops ranging from the much-missed Woolworths, famed for its pick ‘n’ mix, to independent stores around Leeds, at a time when Sunday trading was still banned.
They offer a glimpse inside Leeds General Infirmary as it looked then, they show dancers gracefully cavorting across the floor of a legendary ballroom, they capture the thrill of the carnival, and they feature a TV crew in town to shoot a children’s show.
Do these photos bring back any happy 80s memories for you, and what do you miss most about Leeds as it was back then?
17. Free School
Teacher Ian Paul with pupils, Mark, 15, left, and Richard, 12, at Leeds Free School in October 1980 | YPN
18. Train strike
A very quiet Leeds City Station on the morning of July 5, 1982, during a train strike, with limited services running | YPN
20. White Cloth Hall
Renovation of the historic White Cloth Hall, on Kirkgate, Leeds, in January 1983 | YPN