City of Leicester & Leicestershire - The Good and Historical Stuff

[davieG]

On 14/10/2023 at 08:37, davieG said:

[Free Falling Foxes]

On 18/10/2023 at 11:22, davieG said:

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

Oooo, think I prefer the architecture of today..............NOT!

[davieG]

25 minutes ago, Free Falling Foxes said:

Oooo, think I prefer the architecture of today..............NOT!

We're lucky to still have the tower as that was planned to be demolished until people protested. The sad thing is Lewiss was only built in the 30s and seem to be made of big slabs of stone so not just commercial vandalism but environmental vandalism and I'd say would have outlasted anything they've built since the 60s both physically and stylishly. 

 

[davieG]

Born and Raised in Leicester

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Leicester cattle market 1988.

[davieG]

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/live-nation-apply-permission-hold-8847169

 

Live Nation apply for permission to hold 'single day event' on Victoria Park in 2024

 

 

Festival organisers Live Nation may have seen potential in the Victoria Park site after the BBC's successful Radio 2 In the Park weekend last month

ByCorey Bedford
17:03, 20 OCT 2023

An application has been made for a one-day event to take place in Victoria Park in Summer 2024. Live Nation, the events organiser behind Download, Leeds and Reading, and Isle of Wight festivals, has applied for a single one day event premises licence for Victoria Park in early July.

The event would reportedly go ahead on Saturday, July 6, 2024, with the licence being applied for covering the sale of alcohol and regulated entertainment in the form of films, live music, recorded music, and dance performances between the hours of 10am and 10.30pm. While the event itself has not been specified, there is speculation as to whether a day festival or large-scale concert could be on the cards for Leicester next summer.

The event comes just a month after the incredibly successful BBC Radio 2 in the Park weekender, which saw 35,000 people a day attend the festival. Not only that, but the event would be held almost ten years to the day since Kasabian's incredible 50,000 capacity
The notice of application, which was put out by Leicester City Council, says any "responsible authority or person" can comment on the licence application by writing to the Licensing Team at Leicester City Council's office on 91 Granby Street, or by emailing the licensing team directly at [email protected].

BC Radio 2 in the Park was held in Victoria Park in September without causing many problems in the local area - with police praising the community and attendees for a mostly incident-free weekend. While there were some issues with parking and train cancellations due to the weather, the majority of the event went by without problems - with BBC bosses thanking the city for being such good hosts for the festival.

The park has been the centre of a number of big concerts and festivals over the years, including Radio 1's One Big Sunday events in 2001 and 2002, where artists such as Kylie Minogue, Coldplay, Craig David, and Nelly Furtado all played to thousands of attendees. Until this year when it moved to Abbey Park, Victoria Park was also the location for the city's Pride event, as well as being used for cultural festivals such as Eid and the Caribbean Carnival.

 

LeicestershireLive has approached Live Nation for a comment.

[davieG]

Born and Raised in Leicester

  Saffron Lane Cycle track in 1978

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The World Cycling Championship was held here and the Leicester Panthers American Football Team player here.

 

Shame the Council let it deteriorate beyond repair so that it's now a housing estate. 

[davieG]

John Mitchell report on the working men's clubs in Leicester. The city had more clubs per square mile than anywhere else in Britain, but the recession and changing entertainment tastes caused a drop in customers. View of Leicester city centre 1981, Tommy Carton of the Boot and Shoe Committee reading out the latest club dates on local radio. Shots of performers on stage at the LAOB Club in Leicester and views of the audience. Acts include Wally King who plays an electric pick and shovel, comedian Steve Ford and the Billy Walsh Showband. Interview with veteran entertainment secretary Wally Fawlks and Cathy Talbot, the country's first lady concert chairman

[Wymsey]

Fair play to Marks Electrical.

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/old-john-gets-new-lease-8843247

 

[davieG]

The Leicestershire stately home that was burnt down and turned into rubble for the M1
Firefighters even helped to fan the flames

ByIsaac AsheContent Editor
08:08, 22 OCT 2023
In our modern era of planning laws, it's almost unimaginable that a stately home steeped in history would be pulled down. But the focal point of a huge sweeping parkland near Loughborough was the victim of just that back in the 1960s.

Garendon estate - now partly being turned over to a huge 3,200-home housing development - still retains plenty of reminders of its past. The obelisk, the Temple of Venus and the Triumphal Arch are remnants of the past still visible today.

But Garendon Hall, once one of Leicestershire’s finest grand houses, also stood in this parkland between Loughborough and Shepshed. It had an imposing façade with a grand portico of fluted Ionic columns.

Originally the site of one of the earliest Cistercian monasteries, founded in 1133 by the Earl of Leicester, a grand house was built in the 17th century and adapted with architectural features by successive generations of the Phillips de Lisle family.

Garendon’s gradual mish-mash of changing architectural styles, incorporating everything from Palladian, Gothic and French influences, brought it plaudits and brickbats in equal measure. Famous architectural historian Dr Nikolaus Pevsner wrote that the hall was “very fine” but later additions were “really rather horrible”. Yet Victorian Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli described it as being of “the finest style of Christian architecture... of great extent and richly decorated”.

During the Second World War, the house was requisitioned by the Army, which left it in a rather sorry state, unfit for further habitation. It remained empty and forlorn and, with the death of Garendon’s owner, Ambrose Paul Jordan March Phillips de Lisle in September 1963, its downfall was assured.

It was knocked down the following year with members of the fire service even being called in to set fires inside to aid the demolition process, in May 1964.

Photographer Syd Hall who was on hand to capture the scene said: “All was set with a small fire inside and everyone waited, but no major fire seemed likely until the firemen threw stones at the windows, through which the wind soon assisted the fires, to everyone’s relief.”

Rumour has it that rubble from the building was even used as hardcore during the construction of the nearby M1.

 

 

Inside the derelict Garendon Hall before its demolition in 1964

[Parafox]

10 hours ago, davieG said:

The Leicestershire stately home that was burnt down and turned into rubble for the M1
Firefighters even helped to fan the flames

ByIsaac AsheContent Editor
08:08, 22 OCT 2023
In our modern era of planning laws, it's almost unimaginable that a stately home steeped in history would be pulled down. But the focal point of a huge sweeping parkland near Loughborough was the victim of just that back in the 1960s.

Garendon estate - now partly being turned over to a huge 3,200-home housing development - still retains plenty of reminders of its past. The obelisk, the Temple of Venus and the Triumphal Arch are remnants of the past still visible today.

But Garendon Hall, once one of Leicestershire’s finest grand houses, also stood in this parkland between Loughborough and Shepshed. It had an imposing façade with a grand portico of fluted Ionic columns.

Originally the site of one of the earliest Cistercian monasteries, founded in 1133 by the Earl of Leicester, a grand house was built in the 17th century and adapted with architectural features by successive generations of the Phillips de Lisle family.

Garendon’s gradual mish-mash of changing architectural styles, incorporating everything from Palladian, Gothic and French influences, brought it plaudits and brickbats in equal measure. Famous architectural historian Dr Nikolaus Pevsner wrote that the hall was “very fine” but later additions were “really rather horrible”. Yet Victorian Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli described it as being of “the finest style of Christian architecture... of great extent and richly decorated”.

During the Second World War, the house was requisitioned by the Army, which left it in a rather sorry state, unfit for further habitation. It remained empty and forlorn and, with the death of Garendon’s owner, Ambrose Paul Jordan March Phillips de Lisle in September 1963, its downfall was assured.

It was knocked down the following year with members of the fire service even being called in to set fires inside to aid the demolition process, in May 1964.

Photographer Syd Hall who was on hand to capture the scene said: “All was set with a small fire inside and everyone waited, but no major fire seemed likely until the firemen threw stones at the windows, through which the wind soon assisted the fires, to everyone’s relief.”

Rumour has it that rubble from the building was even used as hardcore during the construction of the nearby M1.

 

 

Inside the derelict Garendon Hall before its demolition in 1964

 

It's a shame the National Trust didn't get involved.

 

And the second photo looks like a potential gothic film set.

[davieG]

 

GCR Leicester Central Railway Station

John Davies  · ooSprtedsn9hg4l408t28h889018c7hut9fm2ac94c48a0h902f39m890f64  · 

 

 

Taken off another group.

Not a single house as yet on stadium est as the estate was built just after the war.

just goes to show housing was needed all them years ago close on 100 yrs now and still is needed

Leicester Stadium and Dog Track on Parker Drive 1931 with Abbey Lane goods yard in view.

Top left of this photo is Beaumont leys lane with the train Bridge (now demolished)

Abbey Lane is top right of this photo.

[The Fox Covert]

On 19/10/2023 at 18:43, Free Falling Foxes said:

Oooo, think I prefer the architecture of today..............NOT!

The replacement for the Lewis's building is like a creation from Lego or Minecraft and is much worse than the building it replaced but it is still better than the brick-and-glass monstrosity on the right which looks like one of King Charles' word processors.

[The Fox Covert]

On 22/10/2023 at 09:46, davieG said:

The Leicestershire stately home that was burnt down and turned into rubble for the M1
Firefighters even helped to fan the flames

ByIsaac AsheContent Editor
08:08, 22 OCT 2023
In our modern era of planning laws, it's almost unimaginable that a stately home steeped in history would be pulled down. But the focal point of a huge sweeping parkland near Loughborough was the victim of just that back in the 1960s.

Garendon estate - now partly being turned over to a huge 3,200-home housing development - still retains plenty of reminders of its past. The obelisk, the Temple of Venus and the Triumphal Arch are remnants of the past still visible today.

But Garendon Hall, once one of Leicestershire’s finest grand houses, also stood in this parkland between Loughborough and Shepshed. It had an imposing façade with a grand portico of fluted Ionic columns.

Originally the site of one of the earliest Cistercian monasteries, founded in 1133 by the Earl of Leicester, a grand house was built in the 17th century and adapted with architectural features by successive generations of the Phillips de Lisle family.

Garendon’s gradual mish-mash of changing architectural styles, incorporating everything from Palladian, Gothic and French influences, brought it plaudits and brickbats in equal measure. Famous architectural historian Dr Nikolaus Pevsner wrote that the hall was “very fine” but later additions were “really rather horrible”. Yet Victorian Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli described it as being of “the finest style of Christian architecture... of great extent and richly decorated”.

During the Second World War, the house was requisitioned by the Army, which left it in a rather sorry state, unfit for further habitation. It remained empty and forlorn and, with the death of Garendon’s owner, Ambrose Paul Jordan March Phillips de Lisle in September 1963, its downfall was assured.

It was knocked down the following year with members of the fire service even being called in to set fires inside to aid the demolition process, in May 1964.

Photographer Syd Hall who was on hand to capture the scene said: “All was set with a small fire inside and everyone waited, but no major fire seemed likely until the firemen threw stones at the windows, through which the wind soon assisted the fires, to everyone’s relief.”

Rumour has it that rubble from the building was even used as hardcore during the construction of the nearby M1.

 

 

Inside the derelict Garendon Hall before its demolition in 1964

Interesting post. I disagree with Benjamin Disraeli and agree with Nikolaus Pevsner on this one. 

The windows on the second floor look blank and should have multiple panes. Probably a squat sash with each sash frame divided vertically.

Also the mansard roof on the third floor clashes with the neo-classical facade on the lower two floors. 

The grand staircase in the second shot looks great though. Very nicely proportioned. Thanks for posting.

[davieG]

Born and Raised in Leicester

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Haymarket car park 1974

[davieG]

 

Braunstone History Group  · 

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Molly Storer  ·   · 

 

 

Coal pit lane(now Braunstone lane east) 1914.It was the route the packe horses followed coming into Leicester from the coalfields.Hence Coal pit Lane...They unloaded at Aylestone wharf on the canal/river and the coal barges would unload at Belgrave wharf in the town.The coal was then taken to cole hill to be sold which was near to where the Clocktower stands .Kim Gamble picture.

[davieG]

 

Leicester Old and New  · 

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Rob Murray  ·   · 

 

 

Aylestone Road gas works

[davieG]

 

British roadscene 1955-1995  · 

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John Pizinas  · toenodrsSpeo9f1ir90a 0tlum176a3h3 2u2b88ct2 5:31O0g0ca2ii8u6  · 

Policeman on duty at Gallowtree Gate, Leicester 25th October 1971

[davieG]

Story of Leicester

  · Throwback Thursday and wow what a difference there is between 1968 and today.

Looking across what is now Orton Square towards Rutland Street. The Curve will be built on the right and J & R Army and Navy Store would become The Exchange bar.

Lovely car in the centre of the image as well, looks like that might have been retro even in 1968!

#StoryOfLeicester #Leicester

[jgtuk]

@davieG I just wanted to say thanks for putting all of these posts up here. I don’t use any other social media so really appreciative. I moved away back in 1989 and don’t get back very often as most of my family have spread out across the UK and further afield. My dad is in his 80’s, lives in Switzerland now, but I send him these posts every week or so and we FaceTime to talk. He loves the nostalgia and memories. 
Cheers and thanks 👍

[Free Falling Foxes]

3 hours ago, davieG said:

Story of Leicester

  · Throwback Thursday and wow what a difference there is between 1968 and today.

Looking across what is now Orton Square towards Rutland Street. The Curve will be built on the right and J & R Army and Navy Store would become The Exchange bar.

Lovely car in the centre of the image as well, looks like that might have been retro even in 1968!

#StoryOfLeicester #Leicester

Today.

 

[davieG]

Born and Raised in Leicester

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Fosse Road North in the early 1900's

[davieG]

Born and Raised in Leicester

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A summers day at Abbey park in the 60s

[Wymsey]

5 minutes ago, davieG said:

Born and Raised in Leicester

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A summers day at Abbey park in the 60s

Am sure that no one would dare to put a foot in there now, with not knowing what's lurking in there..

[davieG]

1930s

 

1950s

 

[davieG]

 

 

History of Leicestershire in Images

Charlotte Victoria Hubbard  ·   · 

 

 

Top photo is Sanvey Gate Highcross Street corner in 1948. The other is Uppingham Road near Humberstone station 1950s?