City of Leicester & Leicestershire - The Good and Historical Stuff

[davieG]

24 minutes ago, Footballwipe said:

I don't know if anyone has come across this before, apologies if it's within the 78 pages of this thread, but I was nerding out to try and find more about LFE the other day and came across this page: http://www.andrewwilshere.com/jeow/ and specifically for what I wanted a document about LFE/LFW to about 1974. It also has loads of other documents about Leicester/Leicestershire history.

 

http://www.andrewwilshere.com/jeow/JEOW_LFE.pdf

 

There's a great map in there, and info about the main roads around that area. Also this shot of the Red Cow:

 

 

 

Not seen it before.

[Cadno'r Cymoedd]

5 hours ago, davieG said:

There was a pub called the Churchill on Silver St, where I met MrsG that change  it's name to Winstons could it have been that, I think it's now called Spencers.  All names related to Winston Churchill

Thanks for that. Will do some more digging around. 

[davieG]

Following a ‘typical’ day in the life of Police Constable Jack Edwards, the film shows his ‘typical’ duties over an eight-hour shift. The film portrayal of PC Edwards as a guardian of law and order in 1950s Britain, understandably looks dated, when compared to today’s modern Police Service. Most public information films were made for domestic consumption, publicising initiatives or campaigns; but not all were. This portrait of a British Policeman was commissioned by the Colonial Office to promote Britain’s Police Service to the colonies and Commonwealth states. Released in 1959, this film upholds one of the Central Office of Information’s (COI) founding principles and the reason for its commitment to producing Public Information Films. In December 1945 the incumbent Prime Minister Clement Attlee stated it was important “a true and adequate picture of British institutions and the British way of life should be presented overseas” through such films. The anonymous British city appears to be Leicester.

 

[Parafox]

Huge new £286 million HMP Fosse Way prison in Leicestershire officially opens with pledge to put rehabilitation at its core - Leicestershire Live (leicestermercury.co.uk)

 

Is this positive? I hope so.

[davieG]

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/upgrade-look-feel-one-leicesters-8816607

 

Improvements to the ‘look and feel’ of one of Leicester’s most historic streets begins today as part of £1million investment
Grey Friars will be closed during the work which is expected to take nine weeks.

ByBen Carr
13:19, 9 OCT 2023

Work has begun today (Monday 9 October) to improve the ‘look and feel’ of one of Leicester’s most historic streets. Grey Friars, located in Leicester’s Old Town, will be closed to traffic as access for pedestrians is improved with widened footpaths and a raised carriageway.

The city council is set to dedicate over £1million toward the improvements, which will also give St Martins and Hotel Street a facelift in the new year, as pedestrian areas in the city centre are extended. It is hoped that the changes will bring the streets up to the standard of nearby Peacock Lane and neighbouring streets in the Old Town area.

Grey Friars will be closed to all traffic during the nine weeks it is expected to take to complete the work. Diversions will be in place and access to shops, businesses and homes will be maintained, say Leicester City Council. Work will pause for the busy Christmas period, before improvements begin on St Martins and Hotel Street early in the new year.

Read More: Concern as sinkhole opens up close to major Leicestershire attractions

This will see the main carriageway of St Martins resurfaced in high-quality porphyry stone to match streets in the Cathedral precinct. Hotel Street will be improved with a raised carriageway to improve pedestrian access and connections to Leicester Market.

Deputy city mayor, Councillor Adam Clarke, said: “St Martins and the nearby lanes are home to a great many brilliant independent businesses. It is vital that we continue to support local businesses like these by investing in high quality, people-friendly streets and spaces.

"These historic streets, at the heart of the city’s Old Town, close to the market, cathedral and Richard III Visitor Centre are also an important and popular destination for visitors to the city. By investing in these improvements, we will create a much safer and more attractive environment and encourage more people to walk, wheel or cycle to, in and around the city centre.

“We know that creating healthy streets like this can increase retail spend by as much as 30%, as well as provide cleaner air that’s good for people's health and good for the planet.”

All three streets were originally made traffic-free in summer 2020, to help businesses bounce back from COVID restrictions. In August 2022 the city council received legal permission to make these measures permanent after consultations with visitors and businesses in the area.

The existing temporary extension of the city centre pedestrian zone to include the whole of Grey Friars was incorporated into the city centre pedestrian zone. This means access for loading only is available between 5am and 11 am from Sunday to Friday, and between 5am and 9am on Saturdays.

[davieG]

 

 

[davieG]

 

 

[Daggers]

On this day back in 2023 Leicester said goodbye to the second News thread. The sad occasion was marked with an outpouring of grief. 
 

Please take a minute to remember the joy it used to bring. 
 

RIP the news. 

[davieG]

[davieG]

Braunstone Gate goods yard G.C.R.

[Parafox]

4 hours ago, davieG said:

Braunstone Gate goods yard G.C.R.

 

Back in the day before all the fences and barriers around the railways, you could sneak into places like this and have a very enjoyable wander around the place.

 

Probably only if you liked trains, though.

[Parafox]

 

I remember queuing with my dad at about 7 am on a Sunday to get a coach to go on a mystery tour from Southgates bus station. I was always thrilled when a decent looking bus pulled out of the garage.

 

There was another coach company who's depot was on Uppingham Road/St Saviours Road and they had royal blue livery on all their coaches and they used to do day trips to various places throughout the year. Does anyone recall the name?

[Woollett's Wellies]

It wasn’t Brown’s Blue was it? I seem to remember they were based out Ibstock way though. 

[davieG]

Born and Raised in Leicester

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Lutterworth Road Aylestone Garage (A426) Postcard Date Unknown.

[davieG]

Born and Raised in Leicester

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A busy Humberstone Gate 1992

[Stuntman_Mike]

17 hours ago, davieG said:

Braunstone Gate goods yard G.C.R.

I'm struggling to work out where this is on Braunstone Gate. Where is that bridge? 

[SpacedX]

13 hours ago, Parafox said:

 

I remember queuing with my dad at about 7 am on a Sunday to get a coach to go on a mystery tour from Southgates bus station. I was always thrilled when a decent looking bus pulled out of the garage.

 

There was another coach company who's depot was on Uppingham Road/St Saviours Road and they had royal blue livery on all their coaches and they used to do day trips to various places throughout the year. Does anyone recall the name?

It wasn't Brown's Blue was it?

 

Kinch had blue buses and were a Mountsorrel company I think. 

[SpacedX]

13 hours ago, Woollett's Wellies said:

It wasn’t Brown’s Blue was it? I seem to remember they were based out Ibstock way though. 

Sorry, just wrote precisely the same - didn't see your post.

[Woollett's Wellies]

18 hours ago, davieG said:

Braunstone Gate goods yard G.C.R.

I suspect the photo is taken from Upperton road bridge looking towards the GCR Goods shed and the location that became Frank Berry’s scrap yard. 
 

The river Soar was re-aligned slightly to pass under the bridge that is in the foreground and join the straight, canal section to the right. The King Power stadium would be off in your 4 o’clock position where the river and canal meet at the weir by the West stand.

 

It’s pretty hard to interpret from  a combination of Google maps and a plan of the old GCR formation from the archive. https://www.railwayarchive.org.uk/track-plans?doc=20 so if I’m incorrect I standby to be corrected…..
 

 

[Parafox]

3 hours ago, SpacedX said:

It wasn't Brown's Blue was it?

 

Kinch had blue buses and were a Mountsorrel company I think. 

 

No, not that I remember. Imperial seems to ring a bell but I'm going back over 50 years ago, now.

[The Fox Covert]

On 15/10/2023 at 09:01, Stuntman_Mike said:

I'm struggling to work out where this is on Braunstone Gate. Where is that bridge? 

Just done a little bit of lunchtime research. The bridges in the foreground do not actually cross Braunstone Gate. I did not think they looked quite right, and my memory did not fail me. I have found a picture of the Braunstone Gate bowstring girder bridge viewed from street level. The map tells all. The location of the black and white photo is from the sidings just south of the twin bridges across the River Soar. The attached map shows the railway and the buildings in the correct place. I do remember the large square goods shed. You can also see the spire of St Margarets in the right background. I have also zoomed out on the map to show the edges of the urban development of Leicester. I think the map was probably dated about 1920 as the Braunstone estate had not yet been built, nor had the early council houses on Welford Road near the junction with Knighton Lane. I think the railway photo was probably 1950s as the open wagon in the foreground is all fabricated steel - earlier wagons were made of wood.

I also zoomed in on Filbo. The Main stand and the Kop, both I believe built in the 1920s are not there. The only stand is a shallow curved affair where the Main stand was later built. The other three sides were probably open terraces.

A bit of a shout out to the National Library of Scotland website, which is a fantastic resource if you want old maps.

[fuchsntf]

On 14/10/2023 at 20:40, Parafox said:

 

I remember queuing with my dad at about 7 am on a Sunday to get a coach to go on a mystery tour from Southgates bus station. I was always thrilled when a decent looking bus pulled out of the garage.

 

There was another coach company who's depot was on Uppingham Road/St Saviours Road and they had royal blue livery on all their coaches and they used to do day trips to various places throughout the year. Does anyone recall the name?

Browns-blue..line finished 1963-65

& Stanton-Bardons busses.

 

God I loved those mystery tours,and fixed tours,from various depots,even Sunday kiosks at humberstone gate also.

Bus depots.train stations,like pubs on a corner…Blackpool illuminations,Isle of white

Leicestershire-Northants,remote Pubs children’s rooms( mystery tour)

[Parafox]

1 hour ago, fuchsntf said:

Browns-blue..line finished 1963-65

& Stanton-Bardons busses.

 

God I loved those mystery tours,and fixed tours,from various depots,even Sunday kiosks at humberstone gate also.

Bus depots.train stations,like pubs on a corner…Blackpool illuminations,Isle of white

Leicestershire-Northants,remote Pubs children’s rooms( mystery tour)

 

Oh yes. All the above. Made a huge impact on my childhood as I now love travelling, even within a relatively small radius of where I live.

 

Travelling by coach has always seemed a magical part of growing up.  My dad would always let me have a window seat and if I was really lucky I got to sit behind the driver or in the front seats opposite and have a clear forward view of the trip.

 

It was extra exciting to just rock up at Humberstone Gate with my dad and join a queue for a trip without any idea of where you might end up.

 

(I have to bear in mind that my dad was a Romanian conscript displaced to the UK after WW2 and because of that, he loved exploring the UK)

 

A coach was a level above a "bus" and felt like a real luxury when I was 12.

 

I imagine it would be quite different now, though.

Edited 17 October 2023 by Parafox

[davieG]

Before the Haymarket and Lewis's vandalism and when the Council had money to spend on flowers.

[davieG]

Born and Raised in Leicester

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Leicester's first fire station Bowling Green Street.