City of Leicester & Leicestershire - The Good and Historical Stuff

[davieG]

Born and Raised in Leicester  · 

Very old glass plate photo of the Clock Towe

[davieG]

Born and Raised in Leicester  · 

8 Lower Churchgate, between Sanvey Gate and Friday Street, to the right is the Malt Shovel pub 1911

[davieG]

Story of Leicester  · 

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oorndsteSpuu9102h9g2l1lthhg48t39au16384u3ughu47fmutctm1f02i2  · 

 

 

#ThrowbackThursday to Blackbird Road leading to Parker Drive, photo dated 1968. Notice the filled in tram tacks? The old Great Central Railway bridge? Maybe some of you remember when it used looked this way...

#StoryofLeicester

[davieG]

No longer with us.

[davieG]

Born and Raised in Leicester  · 

Spinney Hill Park

[davieG]

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/local-news/270m-battery-storage-facility-capable-9030795

 

£270m battery storage facility capable of powering 235,000 homes given go-ahead
The 19 acre site will serve the UK's National Grid

ByTess Rushin
04:00, 15 JAN 2024

Normanton Energy Reserve
The facility will be one of the largest ever in the UK

A new battery site capable of providing two hours back-up power to 235,000 homes has been given the go-ahead by Blaby District Council. Green energy specialist Exagen will be developing a 19-acre site in the countryside near Earl Shilton.

The site will be one of the largest battery storage projects to be granted planning permission in the UK, around 10 times larger than most battery projects currently providing storage for the grid. It will be used to hold spare green energy and release it when demand outstrips supply – for instance when the sun stops shining on solar farms or when wind turbines stop spinning.

The £270 million project will be directly connected to the National Grid at a new substation. Batteries help reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and enabling more low-cost renewable energy sources to be integrated into the network.

 

Called the Normanton Energy Reserve, Exagen said the plant will be essential in helping the UK to transition to net zero while connecting enough home-grown energy to power our homes and businesses in a safe and sustainable way.

The company said plans will also see 45 per cent of the land used to improve biodiversity. Ahead of the main site construction, some landscaping works and planting will take place, and given the chance to establish and grow. Normanton Millennium Wood will be extended and there will be new wildflower meadows and land for beekeeping, along with new hedgerows and perimeter tree planting. This will be followed by pre-construction activity, including service and equipment procurement, with an ambition to partner with local businesses as much as possible.

There are plans to establish around a £4 million community fund to spend on improvements in the local area. Residents will be consulted on how the money is used.

Exagen said they will take ownership of the land, so will have a long-term vested interest in the local community and stewardship of the site. The start of construction will see £250,000 made available for local projects and groups and, once operational, £50,000 will be added each year of the project’s operational life of up to 40 years.

Jeremy Littman, CEO at Exagen Development said: “For the UK to achieve its 2050 net zero target at the lowest possible cost, there needs to be an increase in electricity storage capacity to balance renewable energy generation. As more renewables are deployed, larger battery projects like Normanton will be required.

"It is vital that they are developed sensitively and in partnership with the local communities that host them. We’ve been guided by our local stakeholders to achieve consent for a significant infrastructure project that is unobtrusive and balances national needs with local benefit.

"We’ll work now to deliver this project into operation in that same spirit of partnership, and as an active and useful member of the local community."

[davieG]

A city centre street first closed to traffic during the pandemic will now be permanently pedestrianised. Work to widen footpaths and create more room for people on a stretch of Granby Street, between its junctions with Dover Street and Chatham Street, will begin on Monday, January 22.

The scheme will permanently close the junction of Dover Street and Granby Street to vehicles, Leicester City Council has said. The authority also plans to create new turning on Dover Street which it said will allow for general traffic to reach nearby businesses and attractions, including The Little Theatre.

 

The former pay-and-display parking bays along Granby Street – which have been out of use for more than three years – are to be converted into “wider, high-quality footpaths” with outdoor-café seating areas, the council added. Additional on-street parking bays will be created on Chatham Street, York Street and Dover Street instead.

READ MORE: 'Serious' concerns over Leicester bar with history of noise issues seeking to stay open later

 

The work is expected to take up to 10 weeks. During this time, Granby Street will be closed to traffic also the stretch between Dover Street and Chatham Street. A “short” diversion will be in place and will be “well signposted”, the council added.

Leicester City Council said this scheme is the latest in a series of ongoing investments to improve Granby Street, which it describes as a “busy shopping street and important gateway into Leicester city centre”. This includes the refurbishment of the landmark Grand Hotel buildings and restoration of its historic shopfronts.

[Stadt]

2 hours ago, davieG said:

A city centre street first closed to traffic during the pandemic will now be permanently pedestrianised. Work to widen footpaths and create more room for people on a stretch of Granby Street, between its junctions with Dover Street and Chatham Street, will begin on Monday, January 22.

The scheme will permanently close the junction of Dover Street and Granby Street to vehicles, Leicester City Council has said. The authority also plans to create new turning on Dover Street which it said will allow for general traffic to reach nearby businesses and attractions, including The Little Theatre.

 

The former pay-and-display parking bays along Granby Street – which have been out of use for more than three years – are to be converted into “wider, high-quality footpaths” with outdoor-café seating areas, the council added. Additional on-street parking bays will be created on Chatham Street, York Street and Dover Street instead.

READ MORE: 'Serious' concerns over Leicester bar with history of noise issues seeking to stay open later

 

The work is expected to take up to 10 weeks. During this time, Granby Street will be closed to traffic also the stretch between Dover Street and Chatham Street. A “short” diversion will be in place and will be “well signposted”, the council added.

Leicester City Council said this scheme is the latest in a series of ongoing investments to improve Granby Street, which it describes as a “busy shopping street and important gateway into Leicester city centre”. This includes the refurbishment of the landmark Grand Hotel buildings and restoration of its historic shopfronts.

It'll look great until the utilities companies have to dig something up months after completion, then just tarmac over it

[davieG]

Story of Leicester  · 

A view down Highcross Street in 1957, before the ring-road was built and long before the Highcross Shopping Centre.

See this photo alongside many other stunning archive photographs and artworks of past Leicester, in the exhibition: https://www.leicestermuseums.org/LeicesterVistas

[davieG]

https://leicester50yearsago.co.uk/

 

Leicester 50 years ago

Live music in Leicester 50 years ago.

 

[davieG]

 

 

Braunstone History Group  · 

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· Nigel Tilley  ·  

Apologies if this has already been shared with the group.

This picture was, apparently, taken by the Luftwaffe in 1940 as a reconnaissance photo of Braunstone and the surrounding area, most probably checking out possible targets such as the Jones and Shipman (Lockheed) factory, etc. I've annotated the photo, picking out a few landmarks ..... 1. Park keepers house, Braunstone Park. 2. Shakespeare pub (Ashleigh farm back then). 3. Avon Rd. Note that it doesn't meet up with Shakespeare drive yet! 4. End of Shakespeare Drive. 5. Junction of Ravenhurst Rd / Welcombe Ave. 6. Wilnicott Rd - note how few houses are on it!. 7. The approx future sight of Winstanley school.

[davieG]

Born and Raised in Leicester  · 

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Belgrave Gate & Charles Street island 1953

[Free Falling Foxes]

9 hours ago, davieG said:

 

 

Braunstone History Group  · 

Join

 

· Nigel Tilley  ·  

Apologies if this has already been shared with the group.

This picture was, apparently, taken by the Luftwaffe in 1940 as a reconnaissance photo of Braunstone and the surrounding area, most probably checking out possible targets such as the Jones and Shipman (Lockheed) factory, etc. I've annotated the photo, picking out a few landmarks ..... 1. Park keepers house, Braunstone Park. 2. Shakespeare pub (Ashleigh farm back then). 3. Avon Rd. Note that it doesn't meet up with Shakespeare drive yet! 4. End of Shakespeare Drive. 5. Junction of Ravenhurst Rd / Welcombe Ave. 6. Wilnicott Rd - note how few houses are on it!. 7. The approx future sight of Winstanley school.

.....and now.

 

[davieG]

Born and Raised in Leicester  · 

Prefab City

The prefabs that stood in Hinckley Road opposite Hockley Farm Road, not far from the turn into Ratby Lane.

The picture was taken in July 1970 at the corner of Selwyn Close and Bradnock Road to accompany a feature about the prefabs, which were under threat of demolition.

At that time, the city's housing committee had asked the housing manager and the city architect to prepare a report about the future of the prefabs, otherwise known as the "little wooden huts".

In the feature it states that "although the bungalows are not particularly attractive from the outside, if the report recommends that the demolition gangs should move in, it will probably unleash a storm of protest from the hundreds of couples who are delighted with their accommodation".

The prefabs were built in 1946 to ease the post-war housing problem and were designed to last just 10 yearS.

The three main areas where they were erected were Hinckley Road, off Aikman Avenue in New Parks, and Ambassador Road, in Rowlatt's Hill. There were a few more in Hughenden Drive in Eyres Monsell. The prefabs were factory made and had two bedrooms and a spacious sitting room, kitchen and bathroom. They also had good-sized gardens.

According to the report, the rent in 1970 was just £2 a week.

When asked, the occupants of the prefabs seemed delighted with them.

One resident said, "I know a lot of people say they look like shacks, but if they saw inside, they would see how nice they are. I have no complaints. I am very happy here and I should hate to leave. Mine is a lovely little house – it has all the amenities you could want. Most people round here feel as I do about the prefabs and are happy with them."

Another occupant, who had been in her prefab for just six months, said: "I think these places are ideal. They are like private bungalows, as they are not joined together and you can't annoy your neighbours with noise."

The report concludes by saying that "Leicester Corporation admit that the prefabs are popular and whenever the homes become vacant people on the housing list seldom turn down the bungalows. The main problem with them, however, is that maintenance costs are continually rising."

Sadly, for many of those who lived there, the prefabs were eventually demolished to make way for "better housing".

[davieG]

 

Leicester Old and New  · 

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 Rob Murray  ·   · 

Tank visit 1918

 

Terry Jones

Probably "Old Bill"....

It was one of the Tanks which toured Britain raising money for the National War Bonds, and following ' Old Bill's ' visit, Leicester raised over 2 million quid for National War Bonds. 

 

 

[davieG]

How a speech 140 years ago kickstarted Leicester's socialist movement
'Events on that night 140 years ago kickstarted a robust socialist movement in the city that still endures'.

 

On 21 January 1884, the great Victorian polymath and social campaigner William Morris arrived at the Secular Hall in Leicester to deliver an important speech on 'Art and Socialism'. 140 years ago, his words that evening struck a chord with an appreciative local audience. Some of those present would be crucial in establishing Leicester's first socialist movement less than a year later. 

 

Continues here - https://www.greatcentralgazette.org/how-a-speech-140-years-ago-kickstarted-leicesters-socialist-movement/?fbclid=IwAR15vv7qwQP2qpvmutyOnhYzohylKEZcPd6oLNinOrHqnbDC6qUfZYPlfSI

 

Extracts

In his speech on art and socialism, Morris decried the excessive consumerism creeping into Victorian society. He urged wealthy middle-class people, like himself, to spurn the inferior quality goods often produced on factory production lines and rid themselves of unnecessary possessions in favour of "simple and decent lives". Only by doing that, Morris argued, would society be freed "from the slavery of capitalist commerce", allowing factory workers to be treated more humanely. 

Morris concluded with the following powerful mission statement regarding the objectives, as he saw it, of the emerging British socialist movement:

"In a properly ordered state of Society every man willing to work should be ensured: First, Honourable and fitting work; Second, A healthy and beautiful house; Third, Full leisure for rest of mind and body".

 

 

[Free Falling Foxes]

23 hours ago, davieG said:

Born and Raised in Leicester  · 

Prefab City

The prefabs that stood in Hinckley Road opposite Hockley Farm Road, not far from the turn into Ratby Lane.

The picture was taken in July 1970 at the corner of Selwyn Close and Bradnock Road to accompany a feature about the prefabs, which were under threat of demolition.

At that time, the city's housing committee had asked the housing manager and the city architect to prepare a report about the future of the prefabs, otherwise known as the "little wooden huts".

In the feature it states that "although the bungalows are not particularly attractive from the outside, if the report recommends that the demolition gangs should move in, it will probably unleash a storm of protest from the hundreds of couples who are delighted with their accommodation".

The prefabs were built in 1946 to ease the post-war housing problem and were designed to last just 10 yearS.

The three main areas where they were erected were Hinckley Road, off Aikman Avenue in New Parks, and Ambassador Road, in Rowlatt's Hill. There were a few more in Hughenden Drive in Eyres Monsell. The prefabs were factory made and had two bedrooms and a spacious sitting room, kitchen and bathroom. They also had good-sized gardens.

According to the report, the rent in 1970 was just £2 a week.

When asked, the occupants of the prefabs seemed delighted with them.

One resident said, "I know a lot of people say they look like shacks, but if they saw inside, they would see how nice they are. I have no complaints. I am very happy here and I should hate to leave. Mine is a lovely little house – it has all the amenities you could want. Most people round here feel as I do about the prefabs and are happy with them."

Another occupant, who had been in her prefab for just six months, said: "I think these places are ideal. They are like private bungalows, as they are not joined together and you can't annoy your neighbours with noise."

The report concludes by saying that "Leicester Corporation admit that the prefabs are popular and whenever the homes become vacant people on the housing list seldom turn down the bungalows. The main problem with them, however, is that maintenance costs are continually rising."

Sadly, for many of those who lived there, the prefabs were eventually demolished to make way for "better housing".

My mam and dad moved into one of those prefabs in the photograph when they were married in 1947, they remained there for 7 years.

Another 'mod con' the prefabs had, was a fridge in the kitchen - luxury.

[davieG]

Born and Raised in Leicester  · 

 

Kirby Muxloe Castle,

[Wolfox]

I learned something new today, as you see a lot of Wyverns around Leicester and found out about it…. 
 

The Wyvern was the crest of Thomas Crouchback, more commonly referred to as Thomas of Lancaster, who lived in the early fourteenth century and was a powerful earl of five cities including Leicester. You can see the Wyvern all over Leicester on roof tops, carved into walls, on weather vanes, and atop wrought iron gates
 

I walked past this house on East Avenue Clarendon Park

 

 

 

[davieG]

46 minutes ago, Wolfox said:

I learned something new today, as you see a lot of Wyverns around Leicester and found out about it…. 
 

The Wyvern was the crest of Thomas Crouchback, more commonly referred to as Thomas of Lancaster, who lived in the early fourteenth century and was a powerful earl of five cities including Leicester. You can see the Wyvern all over Leicester on roof tops, carved into walls, on weather vanes, and atop wrought iron gates
 

I walked past this house on East Avenue Clarendon Park

 

 

 

Memories of Leicester - London Road Old Wyvern Hotel 1951

[Parafox]

1 hour ago, davieG said:

Memories of Leicester - London Road Old Wyvern Hotel 1951

 

 

I went to Wyvern Primary school in the early 60's. That photo isn't the school. It's the pub the teachers went to. 

Edited 28 January by Parafox

[The Syrup]

The time when nuclear weapons were based in Leicestershire during the late 50s and early 60s. RAF Melton Mowbray hosted 3 flights of the Thor missile system as part of Project Emily.

https://historyfare.co.uk/military-history/20-raf-melton-mowbray-nuclear-missile-base/

https://www.militaryhistories.co.uk/emily/base/melton

 

RAF Melton Mowbray closed many years ago, now the Airfield industrial estate just to the south of the town. The runways made a good place to learn to drive back when I was learning in the early 90s.

[Wolfox]

1 hour ago, davieG said:

Memories of Leicester - London Road Old Wyvern Hotel 1951

I thought I didn’t recognise it…. Torn down in ‘74

 

Criminal 

[davieG]

Born and Raised in Leicester  · 

 

What an amazing photograph, I have never seen this one before..

Thank you for sharing it with us David

Belgrave Gate 1913

 

 

Terry Jones

William Stabler Supposedly 1913...Looks more 1920s but definitely Pre 1932..Thats when Charles St was pushed all the way through to Belgrave Gate and the stuff on the right of the main pic was demolished...This was the building that would have been there...Nowadays its the junction of Belgrave Gate and Charles St.....In this pic the red dot is on Belgrave Gate pretty much where the main photo was taken.The road to the right is Bedford St... 

 

[davieG]

Born and Raised in Leicester  · 

 

The Leicester Mercury Transport Fleet in the 1920s..