Description and History of Site:-
Thomas Waide and Sons began as a collaboration between Alfred Harrison and Thomas Waide in 1878 when they set up a small printing operation in the cellars of a building on Bridge End, Leeds. Kelly's directory of 1881 described the business as "Harrison & Waide, printers, stationers, bookbinders, lithographers & account book manufacturers". As the business expanded the company moved briefly to a location nearby in Hunslet Lane, and then to the Alexandra Works (Darlington Street, Kirkstall Road, previously a clothing factory) in 1889. At some point it seems likely that the association between Waide and Harrison was dissolved since Kelly's directory of 1916 refers to "Waide Thomas & Sons, printers" while still at the Alexandra works. In 1934, the company bought the former Kirkstall Tanneries (for £8,351) and were able to move the machinery (800 tons) and other stock (300 tons) from the old to new sites in less than 7 days. For the next sixty years the firm seems to have prospered producing packaging as well as general printing, and developed something of a specialism in manufacturing labels and packages for the pharmaceutical industry. The company was still operating in 1998, but went into receivership in March 2000. The Kirkstall Hill works were still extant in 2003 but had been demolished and the site cleared by 2006. At the present time (early 2022) the site is being redeveloped.

Further Reading and References:-
Waite's 100 years 1878-1978, Ewart Waide Clay, Privately Published, Leeds, 1978.

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Key Words :- printers

Viewing the Site :- Site (now demolished) visible from Kirkstall Hill road

Address :- Kirkstall Hill, Kirkstall, Kirkstall, West Yorkshire, LS5 3JZ
Grid Ref :- SE 265 356
Co-ordinates :- Lat 53.816011 , Long -1.598992
Local Authority :- Leeds Council
Site Status :- Site demolished or no longer extant
Site Condition :- Site cleared - no above ground remains visible
Site Dates :- 1934 - ca. 2004
Record Date :- 9 March 2022

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