LeisureWorld, Belfast (1989-1994)

Footage from LeisureWorld, Queen Street, Belfast, 1989-1994.
Digitised as part of the UTV Archive Partnership Project - ITV, Northern Ireland Screen and PRONI.

[@DeckyStrikesBack]

This video is a real treasure. Leisureworld was heaven as a kid. I remember hearing Paul McCartneys Wonderful Christmas Time in there and to this day it reminds me of leisureworld. I had more imagination than my parents had money, but I always came out of there with a treat. Thank you for uploading this.

[@JohnMcMahon.]

Who remembers the Model shop next door with all the radio controlled cars, planes and boats. I loved the big model cars but they were too expensive for us but Leisure World was good enough for me. 👍 Wonder if that Model shop is still there? There was an Easons down the street as well, used to get my school stuff in there.

[@jimsimpson1006]

Model Shop and Easons both long gone I'm afraid.

[@craigkirk6800]

My childhood loved the place couldn’t get enough of he man and the masters of the universe toys. Belfast definitely not the same without it.

[@vindicari]

sad day when it closed, I loved the model section. Airfix, Tamiya etc.

[@footballgeorgiebest]

As a young teen I would go there to look at the Santa Cruz decks. I saved up and bought a Rob Roskopp Face deck.

[@Jumpmaster337]

I worked there as Christmas staff in 96. Great company to work for. Paul Wright, the manager, fired me (deservedly) on Christmas Eve. I got off lightly. I’d like to apologise to him but also thank him if anyone knows him.

[@skimmingstoness]

What a shit doing that

[@pollypineapple28]

The memories! I loved the barbie section! And I’m still devastated they tore it down, for a car park, which is an ugly eye sore! Best shop ever! We went every Saturday, first we went to Billy’s for lunch a few doors down, and I was always blackmailed to eat all my chips or I wouldn’t get to go to leisure world! Wish this shop still existed

[@butchreed213]

I only have flash memories of videogames.

[@nickybutt9733]

Happiest place ever as a kid

[@EBfast]

Brilliant footage. So many memories going up those stairs to the Star Wars and Action Man figures…….good days!

[@butchreed213]

Did this place have a trainset?

[@EBfast]

@@butchreed213 it did, that went around the ceiling

[@carsieplg]

Best shop Belfast ever had i got a matchbox car every week for tears out of it and free pickamix too

[@frizzyred1292]

I remember every Saturday morning going into town with my mum, once inside, straight up those steps turn left and round to the batman toys lol! Aw, great memories.

[@sofarout2840]

I bought my first games console, Sony Mega Drive 16 Bit, next door in the Model Shop. Missed that place. I did also by models from years before, until they turned it into a parking lot.

[@Fatman31]

*Core memory unlocked* thank you so much for this :D

[@asl19999]

The memories. Thank you for uploading

[@RandomnessTube.]

Amazing footage in my mid 30s now but this place was part of my early life every saturday top floor for the games consoles what i would do to go back and walk in there one last time with my mum thanks for uploading.

[@TheTrueKailash]

loved going here but didn't get to go that often. model world next door was just as fascinating

[@jostevi5844]

Brings back great memories of my children

[@JJMCB26]

I have an aunt that works in Belfast (who is godmother over me) and she always gifted me with Lego sets bought from this store for my birthday and Xmas presents when I was a kid back in the '90s 🙂

[@gerv55]

And now it's a car park :(

[@josephhanley668]

My dream store how belfast really miss the fantastic store and its friendly staff is

[@katiepersons6575]

It was a damn good camera for the 80's that took this footage!

[@jimsimpson1006]

I think this was professional video.

[@walker6772]

Fantastic footage..loved that shop. One in Lisburn was great as well. Happy memories 😊

[@TheArtGearGuide]

We had a Leisureworld in Lisburn and when I used to live in Newtownards in Woolco they had one but at Christmas time we always used to visit the Bangor shop and they had the most amazing Star Wars store front. I used to remember saving my pocket money abs every few weeks had enough to buy a new Star Wars figure. So many amazing memories in Leisureworld

[@davecunningham6103]

I miss this place!

[@pellmara5045]

One of my fondest memories is playing Diddy Kong Racing on the Nintendo 64 demo kiosk on the 2nd floor during the lead up to Christmas - the first time I ever saw 3D computer game graphics, blew my 6 year old mind!

[@carlogambino1979]

Was in it once in the 1980s when I was a boy, it was heaven all the great toys. But then one day I got caught up in a bombing nearby and that left me too terrified to set foot in Belfast til the mid 1990s.

[@JohnMcMahon.]

Used to love this shop.. Remember trying to coax my Ma or Da in there on the way home from the town. If you went home with a Leisure World bag, you went home with a smile on your face. 😁 Great memories, my Da always got me a new Football or a Matchbox Car or a toy gun. My Ma always told me to hide the bag before going into the house because she never got my brothers anything. 😂 They got their turn too though, I wasn’t the blue eye. 😉

[@equinoxeparabellum6776]

My father was CoOp manager for toys , Frank Hamill so most of my toys were from the CoOp in the 1970s. I do remember getting a remote control car which I believe was from leisure world. Thanks for posting. Happy times.

[@JohnMcMahon.]

Model World was next door to Leisure World, that’s probably where you got your RC Car. 😉

[@Ramacfc78]

With technology we have went backwards. Belfast City Centre used to have so many great shops and a lot of character about it. It's absolutely pathetic now and has no soul whatsoever. Very disappointing. Anderson Mcauley around the corner from leisure world also had a superb set up around Christmas time

[@butchreed213]

When they were doing a similar video in hmv or virgin megastore, I was filmed at age 12 checking out all the playboy and softcore films. When and why did it close, I only remember it cos i was getting into gaming. Toys r us had a good wee store back in 95 on boucher rd!

[@Ramacfc78]

@@butchreed213 haha brilliant

[@bertiebassett84]

Top floor with the games consoles and right on vehicles. This video almost killed me with the nostalgia.

[@gaggymott9159]

Ahhhh yes. Remember when we HAD toy shops to dander round at Christmas? Nowadays it's all no-touch, online shopping. Boring as fuck! 🙁

[@jonathanallen654]

Much missed. Would wander in the odd time during lunch break release from miserable Ulster Bank. Met one of the UB Advances Managers in there one day - a short guy, he was in the Action Man section looking for a new suit!

[@oml81mm]

This place was a dance hall originally, complete with spring floor. Not sure of the name though, Romano's maybe.

[@fantasybuilds3d45]

Not sure where you got your info from but leisureworld was open in the 70s ,NOT in 1989 as stated in your description

[@skimmingstoness]

It actually closed in 1998 because I remember buying a Tamagotchi in about 1996 or 1997

[@marcustrelle4898]

You can download everything from the Digital Film Archive with Vimeo private downloader for Chrome.

[@yootchoobe]

Judging by the Mariah Carey song All I Want For Christmas playing in the background, this can't be any earlier than 1994 😊

[@jd0604]

Got me Atari here

[@raymonddoyle591]

Does anyone have footage or video of the old star wars dioramas Leisureworld had back around 1983 I think it was or maybe a little earlier.

[@fantasybuilds3d45]

Why would it have a star wars display when the description states it opened in 1989 🤣🤣🤣

[@frankieocco4751]

@@fantasybuilds3d45 It opened in 1976 and closed in 1998.

[@Rick_Cleland]

🥺🥺🥺😭😭😭

[@carolhamilton2512]

Always wonder why it went christmas club was great in it

[@kenday4812]

My Two Sister in Laws Was Born in Belfast.

[@ffspablo8739]

I used to spend the whole day on the beak in this shop late 80s early 90s and sometimes came home with the school bag filled lol

[@MrCharlesWidmore]

Ah Jaysus, remember the big blue and white plastic carrier begs.....

[@jamestoni]

got my first rangers kit in here around 1985

[@bryanstevenson3063]

Simpler times

[@ruairijoseph]

How the f*uk would a shop owner organise all of that before the internet...

[@mariemackey5121]

Some store ...

[@stevenroddy7013]

i remember prukin out of here when my da would spend the child welfare in the 147 across the road, good times.

[@thepenetrator2006]

My dad used to manage here