City of Leicester & Leicestershire - The Good and Historical Stuff

[kenny]

9 hours ago, Parafox said:

All available dates now fully booked. 

Might be worth an email. Some families didn't show so there are spaces on the tours.

[davieG]

Born and Raised in Leicester
  · 
Amazing photograph sent in by Ian~with thanks x (2020)
Having seen the Lewis's photo earlier it reminded me that I had, somewhere, some photos of it being built. 
These photos were my father's. He worked for Wm Moss Builders who had some involvement in the build. Interesting that I should work there for 10 years when I left school. The photo attached shows the tower being finished and was taken on 2nd December 1935. The tower was used during the war by fire wa

 

[davieG]

[Parafox]

5 hours ago, davieG said:

Do you ever look at these old photos and wonder what the people in them did for a living? Obviously, there's police officers and tram drivers and newspaper sellers.

[davieG]

Ritz Cinema

Blaby Road, South Wigston

c.1980s

[davieG]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yZxNofgrkU

 

Leicester Trams 1904-1949 Produced by Syd Pearman

[Wolfox]

2 hours ago, davieG said:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yZxNofgrkU

 

Leicester Trams 1904-1949 Produced by Syd Pearman

Fascinating… some great footage in there…

 

Modern day politicians must be seething about decisions made post war!

[davieG]

1 minute ago, Wolfox said:

Fascinating… some great footage in there…

 

Modern day politicians must be seething about decisions made post war!

I would be too sure about that as there's plenty of good stuff that's been demolished in the last decade or so and is continually under threat. The council is not even that good at maintaining the registered heritage buildings it owns with many of them at high risk.

[Wolfox]

2 hours ago, davieG said:

I would be too sure about that as there's plenty of good stuff that's been demolished in the last decade or so and is continually under threat. The council is not even that good at maintaining the registered heritage buildings it owns with many of them at high risk.

Very true @davieG!

[davieG]

Humberstone Road~Forest Road Corner 1907

[davieG]

A view across the rear of Friar Lane, taken from the top of the Cathedral spire in 1867. Number 17 Friar Lane is to the middle far-left with 4 long windows at the back.
17 Friar Lane stands on was once part of the Friary of the Franciscans or Grey Friars. After the Friary had been dissolved and demolished, in 1538, the land came into the possession of the Herrick family. Robert Herrick built a house and garden and in 1612 Christopher Wren, the future Dean of Windsor and father of the famous architect, walked with Herrick in the garden and was shown ‘a handsome Stone Pillar, three foot high’, which Herrick had erected and on which was inscribed the legend ‘Here lies the body of Richard III, sometime King of England.’ This was the last recorded location of Richard’s body.

 

https://storyofleicester.info/a-place-to-live/17-friar-lane/

[davieG]

Born and Raised in Leicester

Cumberland Street 1930's

[davieG]

Born and Raised in Leicester

St George Street 1955

 

Memories of Leicester

Leicester Mercury: The St George Street site on 5th August 1964, as work commences on the new building..

 

 

£1.9 million revamp of 'forgotten' city centre street is now complete
St George Street was closed for several months in a revitalisation effort to "put it back on the map"

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/19-million-revamp-forgotten-city-7615282

 

Artist's impression of the major revamp on St George Street (Image: Leicester City Council)

ByCorey Bedford
04:00, 23 SEP 2022UPDATED07:27, 23 SEP 2022

 

Work being done as part of a £1.9 million scheme to bring a "forgotten" Leicester road back into use has finished. St George Street was closed in April 2022 for a major revamp with the intention of putting it "back on the map".

The road used to be well-used when the Leicester Mercury was based there, but since the newspaper's move to New Walk in 2017, it has since fell out of use other than for those looking to go to St George's Church or the nearby trampoline park. Leicester City Council's changes are "to create a more attractive route and people-friendly route" which would link the train station up with the Cultural Quarter and the rest of the city centre.

The changes made on the road include a partial pedestrianisation between Queen Street and the car park on Mercury Place, as well as a series of rainwater gardens and improved paving for pedestrians.

 

 

Deputy city mayor Councillor Adam Clarke, who leads on transport, clean air and climate emergency, said: “The improvements carried out to these two important streets have helped make these important routes safer and much more attractive for pedestrians and cyclists, while having minimal impact on motorists.

“St George Street had become a bit forgotten since the Leicester Mercury left its offices. This new investment has helped to put it back on the map. It has completely transformed the look and feel of the street and made this important route through to the Cultural Quarter more welcoming and obvious for people, especially those arriving by train. It also provides a much more attractive environment for residents and businesses in the area.”

Andy Reed OBE, Co-chair of the LLEP Board, said: "Greener growth is one of our strategic priorities and the work done at St George Street and Granby Street will encourage sustainable movement through the city.

"This will bring economic opportunity, too, as the project forms part of a wider plan to create a high-quality gateway into the city centre, helping to accelerate commercial investment in the key area around the station.”

 

Comment - Not sure why the Merc couldn't come up with a picture of the finished improvements, probably because they live and work in Nottingham.

[davieG]

Story of Leicester

King Street c.1900, image courtesy of Leicester & Leicestershire Record Office.
The area where King Street now stands was originally developed from 1811 for residential use. Evidence of the neighbourhood that was planned can be seen in The Crescent on King Street, built as homes for business and professional people. By the 1850s however hosiery merchants started building factories and warehouses here, transforming it into a busy industrial area that lasted until the 1980s.
Find out more: https://storyofleicester.info/a-working-town/king-street/

[davieG]

The Old Golf Range Pub,Thurmaston  · 
Chris Beswick  · 
 The Range in all it's splendour, probably around 1978 / 1979

 

The Old Golf Range Pub,Thurmaston  · 
Chris Beswick  · 
Overhead of the Range. This was before the last extension / squash courts / function room etc. so must have been 1978 or before. It clearly shows the  target ponds & the 155 yard mound - putting course - pitch & putt- the green workshops - the tractor shed & the caravan on the grass  practice ground.

 

The Old Golf Range Pub,Thurmaston  · 
Chris Beswick  · 
An old one of the range pre 78 before the big extension.

[davieG]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ex - Marconi and BAE Systems Employees, Leicester  · 
Steve Walters  · 

Not Marconi related but may be of interest to ex New Parks people.
Braunstone Aerodrome, Leicester's City Airport opened in 1935 but sadly wasn't supported properly, went into decline and finally closed in 1946.
At its peak, amongst other destinations, it was running 6 flights a day for a 45 minute trip to Skegness! International flights to Portugal ran for a short time.
Amazingly it's turning circle is still there in what is now the RSPCA centre. The modern aerial photo shows Scudamore Road at the top. Reid & Sigrist, aircraft instrument makers, had buildings there before moving down the road and later becoming a Decca factory.
The airfield became an RAF training unit in WW2 but by 1950 it was turned into the industrial estate it is today.

[davieG]

History of Leicestershire in Images
David Smith 
John  William Scotton, my grandfather, died 26 September 1917 on the first  day of the battle of Polygon Wood, near Paaschendale. A private in the  2nd/4th batallion Leicestershire Regiment. This is the only pic I have  of him, taken just after his call up and just before he deployed to  France early in 1917. I don't even have one of him in uniform. Many  members of the Leicestershire Regiment perished at Polygon Wood over the  five days or so of that particular battle

 

[SeCrEt FoX]

1 hour ago, davieG said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ex - Marconi and BAE Systems Employees, Leicester  · 
Steve Walters  · 

Not Marconi related but may be of interest to ex New Parks people.
Braunstone Aerodrome, Leicester's City Airport opened in 1935 but sadly wasn't supported properly, went into decline and finally closed in 1946.
At its peak, amongst other destinations, it was running 6 flights a day for a 45 minute trip to Skegness! International flights to Portugal ran for a short time.
Amazingly it's turning circle is still there in what is now the RSPCA centre. The modern aerial photo shows Scudamore Road at the top. Reid & Sigrist, aircraft instrument makers, had buildings there before moving down the road and later becoming a Decca factory.
The airfield became an RAF training unit in WW2 but by 1950 it was turned into the industrial estate it is today.

I take it this is why the old Airmans pub was called the Airmans. It would of been pretty close the airfield. 

[Free Falling Foxes]

Indeed. It was more or less opposite the entrance road seen at the bottom of the aerial picture.

 

Many older folk in Braunstone and Braunstone Frith, still call what is now Golf Course Lane, Airport Lane - it's original name

Alas, even the current name no longer reflects where the road led to, now the golf course is, sadly, closed.

[davieG]

1 hour ago, Free Falling Foxes said:

Indeed. It was more or less opposite the entrance road seen at the bottom of the aerial picture.

 

Many older folk in Braunstone and Braunstone Frith, still call what is now Golf Course Lane, Airport Lane - it's original name

Alas, even the current name no longer reflects where the road led to, now the golf course is, sadly, closed.

Currently a nature walk and haven for the people of Glenfield soon to be 100s of houses, business units and a travellers site.

[Free Falling Foxes]

34 minutes ago, davieG said:

Currently a nature walk and haven for the people of Glenfield soon to be 100s of houses, business units and a travellers site.

Yes, really sad to see this happening. Surely that area needs a green oasis, especially given excessive industrial and residential development in that area as well as major M and A roads.

[davieG]

34 minutes ago, davieG said:

Currently a nature walk and haven for the people of Glenfield soon to be 100s of houses, business units and a travellers site.

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/battle-ongoing-save-wildlife-haven-6524607

 

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/leicester-expansion-plan-city-eyeing-7586103

 

Despite the efforts of campaigners to save the former golf course from development, it remains in the Local Plan. The almost complete overhaul of the former Western Golf Course would see the council fit in around 466 homes, employment areas, and Gypsy and Traveller pitches.

 

The Government have instructed LCC find space for 39,500 new homes over the next 15 years however most of those will have to be built in the County.

 

I'm not making any political statement just a point of view so whatever your views on immigration it seems clear to me there are too many people chasing too few houses and all the social support that goes with them. The Country needs to start earning some substantial £££££s as soon as possible otherwise we're going to sink under the pressure.

[davieG]

An aerial view of the GE-Thorn Lighting factory site on Melton Road, circa 1980s.
Image credit: Lamptech.co.uk
Originally built in 1939-40 to make aircraft engine parts for the war effort, British Thomson-Houston (BTH) started lamp making here in 1946 as demand for lighting increased after the War. Virtually every kind of light source, including halogen, fluorescent, neon and LED was made in its giant production halls.
Over its 60-year history it became one of the most important lamp factories in Britain, if not the world, and was famous locally for its fabulous Christmas light displays.
An new illustrated heritage panel marks this former factory site, outside Sainsbury's supermarket.
Do you know anyone that used to work at GE-Thorn lighting? Or maybe you remember seeing their dazzling Christmas displays?
#StoryofLeicester #Leicester

[Free Falling Foxes]

16 hours ago, davieG said:

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/battle-ongoing-save-wildlife-haven-6524607

 

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/leicester-expansion-plan-city-eyeing-7586103

 

Despite the efforts of campaigners to save the former golf course from development, it remains in the Local Plan. The almost complete overhaul of the former Western Golf Course would see the council fit in around 466 homes, employment areas, and Gypsy and Traveller pitches.

 

The Government have instructed LCC find space for 39,500 new homes over the next 15 years however most of those will have to be built in the County.

 

I'm not making any political statement just a point of view so whatever your views on immigration it seems clear to me there are too many people chasing too few houses and all the social support that goes with them. The Country needs to start earning some substantial £££££s as soon as possible otherwise we're going to sink under the pressure.

Those Mercury articles mention that some neighbouring authorities have agreed to meet some of Leicester's housing requirements.

Unfortunately, this too works against the former Western Golf Course. Approximately 1/3 of it is located within Blaby district council's area.

For the two councils it's a no brainer to develop the area.

 

When first announced, Soulsby stated a significant area would still be left as open space. The last estimates I saw put this 'significant space' at approx 5% that's all.

 

A very sad day indeed when this quite wonderful area gets 'developed'.

[davieG]

On 23/09/2022 at 09:19, davieG said:

Born and Raised in Leicester

St George Street 1955

 

Memories of Leicester

Leicester Mercury: The St George Street site on 5th August 1964, as work commences on the new building..

 

 

£1.9 million revamp of 'forgotten' city centre street is now complete
St George Street was closed for several months in a revitalisation effort to "put it back on the map"

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/19-million-revamp-forgotten-city-7615282

 

Artist's impression of the major revamp on St George Street (Image: Leicester City Council)

ByCorey Bedford
04:00, 23 SEP 2022UPDATED07:27, 23 SEP 2022

 

Work being done as part of a £1.9 million scheme to bring a "forgotten" Leicester road back into use has finished. St George Street was closed in April 2022 for a major revamp with the intention of putting it "back on the map".

The road used to be well-used when the Leicester Mercury was based there, but since the newspaper's move to New Walk in 2017, it has since fell out of use other than for those looking to go to St George's Church or the nearby trampoline park. Leicester City Council's changes are "to create a more attractive route and people-friendly route" which would link the train station up with the Cultural Quarter and the rest of the city centre.

The changes made on the road include a partial pedestrianisation between Queen Street and the car park on Mercury Place, as well as a series of rainwater gardens and improved paving for pedestrians.

 

 

Deputy city mayor Councillor Adam Clarke, who leads on transport, clean air and climate emergency, said: “The improvements carried out to these two important streets have helped make these important routes safer and much more attractive for pedestrians and cyclists, while having minimal impact on motorists.

“St George Street had become a bit forgotten since the Leicester Mercury left its offices. This new investment has helped to put it back on the map. It has completely transformed the look and feel of the street and made this important route through to the Cultural Quarter more welcoming and obvious for people, especially those arriving by train. It also provides a much more attractive environment for residents and businesses in the area.”

Andy Reed OBE, Co-chair of the LLEP Board, said: "Greener growth is one of our strategic priorities and the work done at St George Street and Granby Street will encourage sustainable movement through the city.

"This will bring economic opportunity, too, as the project forms part of a wider plan to create a high-quality gateway into the city centre, helping to accelerate commercial investment in the key area around the station.”

 

Comment - Not sure why the Merc couldn't come up with a picture of the finished improvements, probably because they live and work in Nottingham.

A look back at St George Street in 1973, including the former Leicester Mercury offices.