City of Leicester & Leicestershire - The Good and Historical Stuff

[Webbo]

3 hours ago, Webbo said:

My missus was born in a shop on the green in syston (1970) . She'll love to see that.

Just an update. My wife was born in the one on the left. It's a Chinese restaurant now 

[Parafox]

 

@Raj Wow! Who knew?

[Parafox]

On 14/04/2022 at 08:19, davieG said:

One of many lost pubs.

Yeah, but it's Banks's beer. 

[Raj]

16 minutes ago, Parafox said:

 

@Raj Wow! Who knew?

Manjit  Singh.

Yep proper boyhood hero of most of us indian lads growing up.

Think he was abit of a freak of nature as yo look at him you wouldnt think he could pull of such feets of strength.

[kenny]

On 14/04/2022 at 08:19, davieG said:

One of many lost pubs.

Hideous place. Doesn't look right without the rottweilers on the flat roof

[davieG]

Wot no Traffic!? Pictures from a gentler age when cars didn't rule the road

 

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/gallery/wot-no-traffic-pictures-gentler-6943152

[davieG]

 

Broughton Astley railway station

[Kinowe Soorie]

58 minutes ago, davieG said:

 

Broughton Astley railway station

Is it just me? Or is that beautiful? 

[davieG]

[davieG]

Corner of Belvoir Street & Market Street 1955.

[davieG]

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/gallery/leicester-1960-dip-archive-brings-6936185

 

Leicester in 1960: 33 of our archive photos show city entering a tumultuous decade

 

 

Freemen's Common. 1960

 

I used to walk/bike down here from Welford Road opposite the cemetery to Aylestone Rd to go to the football.

 

Paid a penny to park the bike in the ally way of a nearby terraced house on Burnmoor St.

[Parafox]

7 hours ago, Kinowe Soorie said:

Is it just me? Or is that beautiful? 

It is. Mainly because you can't see today's Broughton Astley.

[kushiro]

17 hours ago, davieG said:

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/gallery/leicester-1960-dip-archive-brings-6936185

 

Leicester in 1960: 33 of our archive photos show city entering a tumultuous decade

 

 

 

That is such a great photo.

 

I've tried to mark roughly where it was taken on this aerial shot from a decade earlier:

 

 

 

And also had a bit of fun imagining the woman traveling forward in time about 60 years:

 

 

 

Edited 18 April 2022 by kushiro

[davieG]

Leicester Borough Police Band in the court yard of the Guildhall 1865.

[davieG]

Granby Street, Leicester.

[davieG]

Braunstone Gate 1905

 

[davieG]

West Bridge 1900.

[davieG]

David Halliwell (British) - Going to Work, The Grand Union Canal, Leicester in the 1960’s (West Houghton Art Group)

[davieG]

Leicester, looking from the Clock Tower, a view of Humberstone Gate. Showing from the left, The Stag and Pheasant, The Admiral Nelson, The Plough, The Craven Arms Hotel & lastly The Bell Hotel. Definitely no shortage of drinking places ! Photo c1900

[davieG]

4 hours ago, davieG said:

Leicester, looking from the Clock Tower, a view of Humberstone Gate. Showing from the left, The Stag and Pheasant, The Admiral Nelson, The Plough, The Craven Arms Hotel & lastly The Bell Hotel. Definitely no shortage of drinking places ! Photo c1900

Haymarket under construction 1972.

 

[davieG]

 

Evington road 1948

[davieG]

Barrow upon Soar, Beveridge Street. Photo taken c1960.

[davieG]

Kibworth,the High Street. Early 1900s.

[Free Falling Foxes]

9 hours ago, davieG said:

Barrow upon Soar, Beveridge Street. Photo taken c1960.

Not too different today

[davieG]

One of Leicester's greatest ever sportsmen.

 

 

 

Roger Lovell

nSpsortmu9lu0485g6a9tmu580h2t  · 

RIP Bert Harris. 125 years ago today.

A Cycling Champion Stopped Dead In His Tracks.

A crowd of almost thirty thousand packed Birmingham’s Aston sports ground on Easter Monday 1897 to watch the opening races on their new cycle track. Among the riders would be crowd favourite Bert Harris of Leicester who was making his return to the English scene after a triumphant season racing in Australia.

Unbeknown to the crowd, Harris had almost withdrawn from the event due to whispers among fellow professional men of attempts to stop him from winning. Bert was having premonitions of his death whilst racing. Not everyone was pleased to see him back.

Although only 23 years old, the diminutive Bert enjoyed huge success in his short racing career, including becoming the Professional Champion of England at his first attempt in 1894. His dominance of the 1896 season in Australia led to it being known retrospectively as ‘Harris Year’.

Adored by the crowds, loved by the media and well paid by his sponsors, ‘The Kid’ as he was affectionately known was a sporting superstar across the world. But alongside his success came the jealousy of others. In early 1895, during a race at Cardiff, Bert was deliberately forced into the trackside barrier at full speed leaving him unconscious and suffering injuries from which he would never fully recover.

Having withdrawn from an Easter Sunday event in Bolton whilst travelling by train to the venue, Bert returned home to ‘clear his head’. After a sleepless night, he boarded the train to Birmingham, but not before saying a ‘last goodbye’ to all his friends and family. He didn’t believe he would return.

Minutes before his first qualifying race Bert was found sitting in the dressing room staring into space; his shoes unlaced. Despite numerous calls, the race was delayed whilst he was fetched to the start line. He won easily “without much effort” said one report.

After Harris had fitted a borrowed front wheel to replace his own punctured one, the feature race, a distance of 10 miles covering thirty laps of the circuit, set off on time. The riders were soon bunched together and lapping at over twenty-five miles per hour; their tyres hissing on the new cement surface.

At around half distance and with Bert comfortably placed mid-pack, he was seen to be suddenly and violently thrown over the front of his machine; bringing down the following rider who was unable to avoid him. Officials ran to their aid but found Bert unconscious with a pool of blood spreading beneath his head.

Bicycling News reported "A sharp shout of apprehension and horror ascended from that immense throng," followed by a "huge sob of sympathy and shock which welled up from thousands of throats when the writhing form of Harris was recognised".

There would be no more racing that day.

With no proper medical facilities at the grounds, a horse-drawn ambulance eventually arrived and carried him to a local hospital. He briefly regained consciousness when his best friend, Will Jordan, chided him gently: "Pull yourself together Bert!" to which he murmured "Oh Will, this time I am beat".

Bert died a few hours later, two days after his accident. As news of his death was being reported in newspapers around the world, accusations of foul play were being voiced.

The official verdict was an accident but the incident remains one of the most controversial in cycle racing history. The question remains. Did he fall or was he pushed?