City of Leicester & Leicestershire - The Good and Historical Stuff

[davieG]

Victoria Park Pavilion. Originally part of the common land known as South Fields, the park was used as a racecourse from 1806 to 1883 and opened as a park in 1882. The racecourse featured a purpose-built grandstand that would later become the Pavilion. When the racecourse was relocated Victoria Park became a public park. Behind the Pavilion was an avenue that led to the main entrance and which later became the approach to the war memorial. The Pavilion was partly destroyed by a German bomb in 1940 and demolished the same year

(Image: Copyright, Amberley Publishing, All Rights Reserved')

 

Campbell Street Station. The first station on the site opened on 5 May 1840 as a single-platform station built by Midland Counties Railway. It was originally known simply as Leicester, becoming Leicester Campbell Street on 1 June 1867, and Leicester London Road from 12 June 1892. It was from here that Thomas Cook launched his first rail excursion, taking fifty-seven passengers north to Loughborough in 1840.

(Image: Copyright, Amberley Publishing, All Rights Reserved')

 

London Road Station. The Midland Railway completely rebuilt the station between 1892 and 1894 to a design by the architect Charles Trubshaw. The new booking office was opened by the mayor in June 1892 when it was renamed Leicester London Road. Besides London Road and Central, the city of Leicester was served by Belgrave Road, Humberstone Road and West Bridge railway stations.

(Image: Copyright, Amberley Publishing, All Rights Reserved')

 

Market Place Approach. This image taken looking west from the junction of Horsefair Street, to the left, and Gallowtree Gate, to the right. Granby Street and Halford Street are in the foreground. The grey coloured building is the Corn Exchange within the market.

(Image: Copyright, Amberley Publishing, All Rights Reserved')

 

Belgrave Road. This image is taken in Belgrave Road looking south towards and along Belgrave Gate with St Mark’s Church spire visible in the background. The Great Northern railway station is seen on the left of the image.

(Image: Copyright, Amberley Publishing, All Rights Reserved')

 

Great Northern Railway Station. The station opened on 2 October 1882 but it never saw much traffic or justified its four main platforms. Its maximum regular service consisted of about seven trains each way daily, plus a few seasonal holiday trains on Saturdays during the summer months. The station closed to the public on 7 December 1953 but there was one train each way daily for workmen until 29 April 1957 and also during the summer a weekend service to Skegness continued to 9 September 1962.

 

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/history/gallery/more-historic-postcards-sending-greetings-7106314?fbclid=IwAR3eIT1o3MbejlqevcRb2UgKVd0XMoJtILbFQXLJcQomCH1x1mAdF_qhTvc

[davieG]

[davieG]

Made In Leicester
Rob Hubble  · 
Biddulph Street 1962.

[davieG]

Wigston In Photos 1953-1988 added a new photo to the album Lost Wigston.
Bell Street, Wigston
1963

[davieG]

Born and Raised in Leicester
  · 
OFF TO WAR: 
Leicestershire troops bound for France, marching up Newarke Street to the railway station in late 1914
 

[davieG]

1953

[davieG]

Loughborough Market Place 1927.

[Free Falling Foxes]

3 hours ago, davieG said:

1953

Then.

Now

 

[davieG]

Saffron Lane

[davieG]

Rob Hubble  ·  
The Master Clock (Gents) kept inside Leicester's Clock Tower.

 

[Wolfox]

1 hour ago, davieG said:

Rob Hubble  ·  
The Master Clock (Gents) kept inside Leicester's Clock Tower.

 

I worked (and sort of continue to work) for Gent…. Very sadly they closed down the factory last year…. They’d been manufacturing in Leicester for 150+ years…. Left a great legacy of clocks found in train stations all over the world 

 

There is a great little display at the poo museum (next to space centre), just as you enter on the right 

 

They are now a massive global brand in fire alarms…. Doing some quite complex stuff…. The brand lives on, but, it’s a shame we don’t still make stuff here in Leicester 

Edited 26 May 2022 by Wolfox

[Foxdiamond]

On 24/05/2022 at 13:55, davieG said:

Born and Raised in Leicester
  · 
OFF TO WAR: 
Leicestershire troops bound for France, marching up Newarke Street to the railway station in late 1914
 

Wonder how many of these blokes came home in one piece.

[davieG]

52 minutes ago, Wolfox said:

I worked (and sort of continue to work) for Gent…. Very sadly they closed down the factory last year…. They’d been manufacturing in Leicester for 150+ years…. Left a great legacy of clocks found in train stations all over the world 

 

There is a great little display at the poo museum (next to space centre), just as you enter on the right 

 

They are now a massive global brand in fire alarms…. Doing some quite complex stuff…. The brand lives on, but, it’s a shame we don’t still make stuff here in Leicester 

[Stadt]

1 hour ago, Wolfox said:

I worked (and sort of continue to work) for Gent…. Very sadly they closed down the factory last year…. They’d been manufacturing in Leicester for 150+ years…. Left a great legacy of clocks found in train stations all over the world 

 

There is a great little display at the poo museum (next to space centre), just as you enter on the right 

 

They are now a massive global brand in fire alarms…. Doing some quite complex stuff…. The brand lives on, but, it’s a shame we don’t still make stuff here in Leicester 

Honeywell?

 

 

I bought a Gents clock last year, it's not the most ornate clock in the world but owning something built a few miles away is a nice memento of Leicester once being a powerhouse.

[Wolfox]

39 minutes ago, Stadt said:

Honeywell?

 

 

I bought a Gents clock last year, it's not the most ornate clock in the world but owning something built a few miles away is a nice memento of Leicester once being a powerhouse.

Yeah…. That’s it

 

i would love a Gent clock!  One old boy who’d been there for 50 odd years fixed and electronic Smiths clock I had…. He actually worked on clock lines back in the day

 

Lots of master slave systems…. Keeping time synchronised around hospitals/ train stations and offices…. Class change for schools…. Many still live on and are used

 

it was a small jump from bells to fire alarm systems and when quartz happened the clock part of the business died overnight…

 

They now develop class leading fire sensors and systems…

 

i design, develop and patent commercial fire alarm systems for Honeywell…. And we are testing the worlds first self testing fire alarm sensors… we have big R&D labs and many gifted engineers up in Carlton Park near Fosse Park…

 

So at least we design and develop even if we don’t manufacture 

[lcfc278]

1 hour ago, davieG said:

This was how it looked on Google Maps in 2020, such a shame these kind of places aren't protected.

[Foxdiamond]

Remember many a station clock by Gents Of Leicester. They pop up from time to time on TV Salvage Hunters. Good to know they are worth having.

[davieG]

17 minutes ago, Wolfox said:

Yeah…. That’s it

 

i would love a Gent clock!  One old boy who’d been there for 50 odd years fixed and electronic Smiths clock I had…. He actually worked on clock lines back in the day

 

Lots of master slave systems…. Keeping time synchronised around hospitals/ train stations and offices…. Class change for schools…. Many still live on and are used

 

it was a small jump from bells to fire alarm systems and when quartz happened the clock part of the business died overnight…

 

They now develop class leading fire sensors and systems…

 

i design, develop and patent commercial fire alarm systems for Honeywell…. And we are testing the worlds first self testing fire alarm sensors… we have big R&D labs and many gifted engineers up in Carlton Park near Fosse Park…

 

So at least we design and develop even if we don’t manufacture 

I worked there for a number of years at the St Saviours and Hamilton. I've got this book on the history written by my first boss.

 

 

[Stadt]

39 minutes ago, Wolfox said:

Yeah…. That’s it

 

i would love a Gent clock!  One old boy who’d been there for 50 odd years fixed and electronic Smiths clock I had…. He actually worked on clock lines back in the day

 

Lots of master slave systems…. Keeping time synchronised around hospitals/ train stations and offices…. Class change for schools…. Many still live on and are used

 

it was a small jump from bells to fire alarm systems and when quartz happened the clock part of the business died overnight…

 

They now develop class leading fire sensors and systems…

 

i design, develop and patent commercial fire alarm systems for Honeywell…. And we are testing the worlds first self testing fire alarm sensors… we have big R&D labs and many gifted engineers up in Carlton Park near Fosse Park…

 

So at least we design and develop even if we don’t manufacture 

It was about £70 iirc.

 

There's a few on Ebay for reasonable prices

[Wolfox]

36 minutes ago, davieG said:

I worked there for a number of years at the St Saviours and Hamilton. I've got this book on the history written by my first boss.

 

 

They gave me the exact same book when I started in 2013…. We probably know some of the same people…. There are/ were lots of long serving people there…. They had a quarter century club too who meet for dinner occasionally 

 

its not the same as it was even in the short time I’ve been there…. We’ve been consumed by the global Honeywell beast to a degree…

[davieG]

1 minute ago, Wolfox said:

They had a quarter century club too who meet for dinner occasionally 

I'm a member but I haven't been to the dinners for about 5 years.

[davieG]

 

If you’re interested in local archeology, this talk might appeal.....Non members very welcome. Email [email protected] to reserve a place.

[Wolfox]

18 minutes ago, davieG said:

 

If you’re interested in local archeology, this talk might appeal.....Non members very welcome. Email [email protected] to reserve a place.

I know Peter…. Our sons were in the same football team…. He’s a great guy…. Loved chatting history on sideline with him!

 

May well turn up!

 

EDIT…. Spoke to my mate and we are going…. Will give you a wave!

 

Also booked to see Michael Wood give a talk about Aethelfled 

Edited 26 May 2022 by Wolfox

[Foxdiamond]

I've worked out how we managed to finally win the F A Cup. The local buses were Maroon or cream and maroon for years. As soon as the team wears maroon shirts then bingo we win it.

[davieG]