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Joanne Vigor-Mungovin - Author Hidden Leicester · Follow On a cold 28 November 1912, the celebrated aviator Gustav Hamel arrived in Leicester to put on a personal air display for the townspeople. He was welcomed to the Old County Cricket Ground in Aylestone by Mayor McCall and the Lady Mayoress, as well as a great number of deeply interested spectators. He has flown across the English Channel a total of eleven times, and, at twenty-three years of age, he held the world altitude record to a height of 13,000 feet. The first flight of the day was scheduled for 2.37 pm. His monoplane, which was being displayed in front of the pavilion for public view, was wheeled across to the west side of the ground. Gustav was well wrapped in an overcoat and a muffler. He took his seat, and as the engine was started, the propellor whirled rapidly and created a deafening noise. The plane barely grazed the ground for fifty yards, before soaring effortlessly into the air. Over and over again, Gustav circled around, showing off an impressive variety of tricks. He occasionally acknowledged the crowd by waving his hand, who would return the gesture with a salute. After four minutes of flying, he glided down with ease and landed perfectly in the centre of the ground. He reached a maximum height of six-hundred to seven-hundred feet. Gustav made two more flights after that, both of which were successful. The first lasted seven minutes, and the second lasted eight minutes. The last flight he headed off over the town, and was out of sight for some time before rising to a greater height. To most spectators, who had only previously had a vague understanding of what was possible with monoplanes, his daring flights, swoops, dives and other feats must have been a startling revelation of what these aircraft were capable of. Although a few people were not surprised by his accomplishments, given the limitations of telegraph wires and trees, his performance still evoked loud cheers and amazed the delighted spectators. On the following Saturday, 30 November 1912 at 10am, Gustav took off from the Old County Cricket Ground in Aylestone, Leicester in a Bleriot monoplane, and distributed copies of the Leicester Daily Post to the villages of Birstall, Mountsorrel and Quorn before landing in Loughborough. In 1910, Gustav carried parcels of the ‘Pall Mall Gazette' by air, but Saturday 30 November 1912 marks the first time an aeroplane had distributed newspapers in England. Even though Gustav flew in the Circuit of Britain race and had to land once in Melton Mowbray for repairs, and further on in Harrogate he had to descend again, Gustav said his flight to Loughborough was one of the most difficult he had ever undergone. It was a cold, wintry day, with a biting wind and patches of fog, which made it difficult to locate topographical landmarks, and made travelling quite treacherous. His French mechanic M.Teullard tried to persuade Gustav to postpone his flight, but the airman had already decided to fly, and was not going to be stopped by "the mist or Winter's bitter pang". By 11.10am, the monoplane was prepped and ready for its 12-mile journey through the frigid winter air. On each side of the plane, a Daily Post banner was securely tied down. Gustav sat down and was given a stack of the Leicester Daily Posts, each with the words "Ariel edition" printed on them. A group of men pushed the plane across the frost-bitten ground to the Hawksbury Roadside of the ground. The mechanic started the fifty horse power Gnome motor, while half a dozen men held the back of the monoplane with the steel apparatus attached. The mechanic twirled the propeller to set the engine going, and, as he did so, the motor let out a 'Pft-Pft-Pft' sound. “I need you to be prepared to jump up as soon as I raise my arm,” said Gustav, as he made sure his hat and goggles were secure. The propellor started spinning rapidly, and the engine made a sputtering noise as it revolved at two thousand revolutions a minute. The distributed air cut the faces of the men like whips. Gustav's arm went up into the air, and the dozen men standing at the back leapt backwards with the speed and grace of young gazelles. The monoplane glided across the turf for approximately fifty yards, and then slowly and effortlessly rose into the air, as if it were a bird. The plane gradually climbed up to a height of two-hundred feet. The monoplane gracefully glided in a half circle around the ground, before setting a course for Old Aylestone en route to Loughborough. Gustav waved his arm, and the crowd cheered, and the aeroplane gradually diminished in size as it flew onwards, looking like a big gad-fly in the distance with the copper coloured wintry sun shining behind it, until it was just a small speck in the sky. Gustav's secretary, Mr Guy Carey, was responsible for making all the arrangements for his arrival in Loughborough. The Excelsior Football Club enclosure on Ashby Road wasn't the perfect ground for the purpose, but it was the best that could be found on such short notice. When M.Teullard visited the site last Friday, there was a strong northern wind blowing. Fortunately, by Saturday morning, the wind had moderated considerably from its earlier strength. White sheets were spread out on the ground to indicate the spot Gustav had selected for his landing, and by 10am everything was set up and ready for his arrival. The town clerk, Mr Perkins, and Councillor James Cartwright represented the Loughborough Civic Authority. It was a bitterly cold morning, and fog threatened to spread thickly and blanket the whole area. Given Gustav was planning to follow the main Leicester to Loughborough Road, there was good reason to be concerned that the fog would be even denser along that route. The public had lined the route, eager and excited to pick up the new modern day 'Daily Post Ariel Edition'. The fog had given Gustav a lot of trouble, making it difficult for him to see where he was going. It had been very foggy over Leicester, and again halfway to Loughborough, the dense fog set in. The fog affected the engine's ability to run properly. After leaving Aylestone, Gustav became disoriented from the thick air. After take-off, he circled the area twice before he could get his bearings. Additionally, shortly after take-off, his engine began behaving badly and giving him trouble. As he started the journey towards Loughborough, but before he had left Leicester, the engine had stopped altogether. Gustav turned the plane back towards the cricket ground, hoping to land back there or at a closer, more suitable location. However, after a few minutes, the engine started up again. Gustav, who had marked his course on a map for Belgrave Cemetery, picked up the main road. The fog was so thick he had to fly low to see the ground, and even then it was difficult to make out anything. At his lowest point, he was only 100 feet from the ground. Once the skies had cleared, he found himself over the village of Birstall and threw out the Daily Posts as quickly as possible. The journey was significantly more difficult, as there was a strong 30-mile wind blowing against him the whole way. He was only doing 35 miles an hour when he should have been doing 60. The air was so cold and bitter that he was almost frozen. As Gustav flew towards Loughborough, the little Bleriot plane appeared in the sky above Emmanuel Church. As Gustav approached, he could see the white sheet landmarks directly in front of him. He then took a terrific spiral, which caused the spectators to gasp in amazement. Gustav turned towards Burleigh Hall and then swooped around again before he landed beautifully in the field. Although Gustav said it was the worst flight he had ever experienced, he quickly recovered once the plane landed. He was seen walking through Loughborough, amusing himself and occasionally stopping passers-by to ask them “If the flying man had arrived yet!” In the afternoon, Gustav gave two more flight exhibitions from the football ground to the delight of the gathered crowds. Although the wind was blowing from the north, it was very light. After the exhibition, Gustav left for Leicester by car to return to London. Once his aeroplane was dismantled, it was safely stored away in Loughborough. Gustav Wilhelm Hamel was born on June 25, 1889, in Hamburg, Germany. He was the only son of Gustav Hugo Hamel, who served as the Royal Physician to King Edward VII, and Caroline Magdalena Elise Hamel. He had three younger sisters, Magdalena Augusta Hilda Hamel Dorothea Minna Hamel and Anna Elise Bertha Hamel. His family moved from their home country to England in or around 1899, settling in the town of Kingston-upon-Thames. In or around 1910, they went through the process of naturalisation and became British citizens. Gustav was educated at Westminster School in London, England between 1901 and 1907. On 21 May 1914, Gustav announced his intentions to fly across the Atlantic that summer in a Martinsyde monoplane The original plan was for the flight to take approximately twenty hours from Newfoundpool. The plane was supposed to have its first test flight at the end of June. but never happened. On May 23, 1914, just two days after an announcement, he vanished over the English Channel while flying back from Villacoublay in France in a new 80 hp Gnome Monosoupape engine Morane-Saulnier monoplane. He had just collected the plane and was supposed to compete with it in the Aerial Derby that same day. On Sunday, June 7th, 1914, the crew of the General Steam Navigation Company's steamer Gannet observed a man's body floating on the surface of the water while passing the Prince's Channel light vessel off Margate. The body was found off the coast of Margate and reported to authorities upon the Gannet's arrival in Themes on Tuesday, June 12th. The body was clothed in a brown boiler suit and appeared to have something tied around the waist. Unfortunately, it did not even cross the look-out's mind that the body in the water could have been Gustav Hamel, so he was not recovered. On 24 June, a memorial service was held at Grosvenor Chapel, South Audley Street in London in memory of Gustav. The service was attended by Winston Churchill, who was the First Lord of the Admiralty at the time, and his wife Clementine. At a time when the world experienced unprecedented levels of international tension, there was widespread speculation that he might have been the victim of deliberate sabotage. However, as no wreckage or other trace of the aircraft was ever found, the story gradually faded along with his memory. Even though he tragically passed away, his contributions to the field of aviation did not come to a complete halt. A book he co-authored, 'Flying; some practical experiences,' was published posthumously and is considered a highly influential work by many.

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/leicester-city-another-gem-calls-10675130 Leicester City may have another gem as calls for deal follow 'phenomenal' performance Jayden Joseph helped set up a 96th-minute winner for Tranmere Rovers on Thursday evening, with the teenage wing-back showing his strengths in attack and defence Sport Jordan Blackwell 12:08, 28 Nov 2025 Leicester City may have another gem in their ranks with full-back Jayden Joseph “phenomenal” for loan club Tranmere Rovers on Thursday night. The 19-year-old City wide-man, playing as a right-sided wing-back, was praised for his defensive and attacking work by Tranmere fans as their team claimed a 2-1 win at Grimsby in League Two. Joseph was up against Grimsby’s Charles Vernam, who leads League Two for combined goals and assists this season, but he managed to keep the winger quiet. Then, in the 96th minute, it was Joseph’s cross that caused chaos in the Grimsby box and allowed Kristian Dennis to prod in a winner. While it won’t go down as an official assist, it’s another attacking contribution from Joseph, who set up goals in each of Tranmere’s previous two games too. The teenager, who featured for City’s first team in pre-season, is only on loan at Prenton Park until January and Tranmere supporters are hoping that is extended, especially after his display on Thursday night. Here’s what a selection of Tranmere fans said about the City loanee on X, formerly Twitter. KBizz1e: “Jayden Joseph brilliant again. Need to keep him beyond Jan.” Alexron_19: “Jayden Joseph is class for 19. Defensively superb against one of the best wingers in the league. He’ll go far in his career.” Dan_M0718: “Jayden Joseph is genuinely so good at football, it’s unreal.” WilloTRFC: “Jayden Joseph was absolutely fantastic against Vernam.” KaruAlfaris: “Can we extend Jayden Joseph until end of season as well?” EthanHoijord3: “New owners around Christmas time, or so it has been said. Their first task: keeping Jayden Joseph past Jan. What a player. He has been phenomenal on the right, defensively and going forwards. jack_jones067: “Jayden Joseph is one hell of a footballer.” fanfooty24: “Jayden Joseph has been fantastic against their main goal threat.” RicciTRFC: “The only little bit of joy they are getting is down our left, Joseph has been outstanding so far tonight, best player on the pitch.” lennyb1983: “Defensively, Joseph has been superb.”

Yeah I said a few months ago it was all self inflicted. For sure they tried to keep up with the 6 but failed to see when it was time to realise you can't compete non-stop you have to take a breather and refresh maintaining a mid table position before trying again. We got success relatively easily and we became blasé thinking we'd made it taking eye off the ball.

https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/leicester-city-vicious-trap-4067277?ITO=newsnow Leicester City are caught in a vicious trap Ten years on from their Premier League fairytale, Leicester face the prospect of a bleak future. The Foxes are paying the price for outright terrible mismanagement Article thumbnail image Leicester only have themselves to blame for their current predicament (Photo: Getty) Avatar for Daniel Storey Daniel Storey is The i Paper's chief football writer, covering the Premier League, EFL, England national team and the European game. November 28, 2025 6:00 am Watching Leicester City win at home is an odd experience these days, not least because it doesn’t happen very often. The usual upbeat pre-match rigmarole quickly gives way to a tepid murmur. After five minutes, a low-key chant of “We want Rudkin out” is issued towards the director of football, but last season they were far more vociferous. There is joy in the moment of course; that will always happen and a surprise win over Stoke City was both necessary and welcome, but it never exactly feels like goodwill is being accrued and banked to generate momentum. It’s like everyone gave up a while ago on this team being dependable. You see their point. Between 3 December 2024 and last Saturday, Leicester won four home league games: Ipswich Town, Southampton, Birmingham City, Sheffield Wednesday. Three of those sides are now above Leicester and the other has minus points. Here’s another fun fact: before Stoke and Stephy Mavididi, the only Leicester player to score more than once in a match in the last two and a half years was James Justin. I was at the King Power to hear him booed by his own supporters last season and he’s since left for the Premier League. It doesn’t suggest that the environment is entirely indicative to anyone – players, managers, supporters, owners – having much fun. This might have been different had they sought an alternative manager; Marti Cifuentes is below old club Queens Park Rangers and he will lose his job if there are more repeated setbacks and the home wins remain infrequent. But then Leicester aren’t great at managerial recruitment: Steve Cooper was not liked by fans from the start and Ruud van Nistelrooy was an extraordinarily foolish gamble. The pressure is increasing on Marti Cifuentes with every passing week (Photo: Getty) Beyond losing too many games, Cifuentes’s crime appears to be replicating the frustrating elements that caused Brendan Rodgers’s eventual decline: nothing much good really happening. Leicester rank fifth in the Championship for possession and first for short passes, but 12th for touches in the opposition box and 16th for expected goals. There is an accented two-word phrase you hear at multiple East Midlands stadiums: “Gerrit forward”. Were we being generous, this is a cautionary tale of an ambitious club that achieves a miracle and then repeats it to lesser degrees – Premier League, Europe, FA Cup – before English football’s hardwired hierarchy bites back. Perhaps that would be easier to stomach for supporters. Beware how the machine grinds you down in the end. Look out, provincial clubs, the giants are stomping their feet again. There’s certainly an argument there: the spending to maintain fifth-placed finishes and the Champions League dream; the overspend on wages to retain key players and keep a manager happy. What chance did Leicester have when they had already done what nobody else could nor likely will again? But really, the lies blame squarely at their own feet. There were chances to write a different story, when they sold Harry Maguire, Wesley Fofana, Ben Chilwell, Harvey Barnes and James Maddison for almost £300m. There were more opportunities to rebuild rather than hanging onto Wes Morgan, Jamie Vardy, Shinji Okazaki, Ayoze Perez, Caglar Soyuncu, Jonny Evans, Christian Fuchs and Youri Tielemans, all mentioned because they left the King Power on free transfers. And there was a chance to make do in summer 2024, when Leicester must have known that they were sailing close to the wind. They spent £80m on new players, most of whom barely featured positively in the Premier League and most of whom are still contracted because their value has dropped so significantly. Add in the profitability and sustainability rules issues and probable points deduction and you have no firm platform to go again. Look at Ipswich and Southampton for the contrast, who also bungled Premier League seasons and who hardly started brightly back in the Championship (although are quickly improving now). They sold players for a combined £185m in the summer and spent £100m on their rebuilds. Leicester made around £45m and signed three loanees and a 38-year-old free transfer. They are caught in the trap that they set for themselves. Three days after the Stoke win, Leicester lost 3-0 at Southampton. It was nothing new – since the aforementioned 3 December 2024, when they beat West Ham at home in the top-flight, Leicester have conceded twice or more in a league game 24 times in less than a year. That’s why there was no joy on Saturday: there’s always a fist waiting just around the corner to punch you in the gut. Three-and-a-half years ago Leicester were drawing at home to Roma in a European semi-final, now they’re here. That has become the weight around their neck because it provokes repeated optimism from those in charge about the steps to recovery, even when they look unrealistic. For too long, the reasonable complaint from supporters was a lack of communication that warped from symptom of the disease to one of its causes. All the while, everything became more difficult as Leicester proved themselves incapable of addressing the malaise quickly or emphatically enough. Promotion back to the Premier League wasn’t an escape – it was a journey onto a stage where their systemic flaws would be further exposed. The second time down was always going to be doubly difficult. You can debate the minutiae all night, individual players, transfers, managers, signings, employees who simply aren’t doing or did not do enough. But from a wider angle, Leicester’s problem is the need to keep looking further and further back, and higher and higher up the food chain, to find the nucleus. Mistakes get piled upon mistakes. A club chases its tail. Recent history shapes your short-term future and that becomes a repeated cycle.

Wigston In Photos 1945-2005 added a photo to the album: Wigston Cinemas The Magna Cinema Long Street, Wigston "Demolition work" c.1990s (Photo by Gerry Broughton, previously posted on "The Greater Wigston Historical Society")

The World in Maps is in Europe. · Follow Map shows a fascinating look at how Europe’s time zones would appear without Daylight Saving Time (DST). Instead of shifting clocks twice a year, each country would remain on a fixed time that aligns more closely with natural solar time. Under this proposal, Europe would be divided into five zones, from UTC-1 in the Azores and Iceland, to UTC+3 in western Russia. The idea comes from the @timeuseinitiative, which argues that adopting permanent, solar-based time zones would benefit public health, education, safety, and even the economy. Their plan calls for ending seasonal clock changes and introducing stable time zones across the EU, with flexibility for regions that straddle different natural time bands. If implemented, this would mean living permanently in “winter time.” Evenings would be a little darker in summer, mornings slightly darker in winter but the system would be simpler, healthier, and more consistent across Europe.

That's part of the reason I gave up my ST with all the evening and 8pm KOs the bus was so unreliably.

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/inside-king-power-stadium-marti-10673410 Sportopinion Jordan Blackwell 15:19, 27 Nov 2025 Updated 16:01, 27 Nov 2025 Leicester City intend to appoint a technical director to support director of football Jon Rudkin While Marti Cifuentes focuses on getting the team back on track against Sheffield United, here’s what else is going on around the club. Cifuentes on technical director arrival Marti Cifuentes said he’s been able to give his feedback on the club’s planned appointment of a new technical director, but otherwise remains tight-lipped on how the restructure might help City. It’s understood that, as well as bringing in a new chief executive following Susan Whelan’s exit, City intend to appoint a technical director who will take over some of director of football Jon Rudkin’s duties on transfers and contracts. This new arrival will have to have a strong working relationship with manager Cifuentes, and the Spaniard said he has offered his thoughts. “I have a very positive relationship with the club in terms of all the plans they’ve got,” Cifuentes said on plans to bring in a technical director. “They gave me clear feedback on what their ideas were, and I gave my feedback as well. I’m pretty aware what the thinking is. “Any change or new structure that helps the club to be better in and out of the pitch, I will always support that. “The club will explain more in detail when it’s time to do it about what will be the role of the technical director. “What I know is at the moment I have a good communication with all of the departments in the club and I’m sure any new addition will not change that.”

I'm not a fan of sponsors on shirts but i've noticed other teams in the EFL seem to have quite a few we don't utilise you'd have thought we would and could get few more £s in that way The EFL follows general FA and FIFA regulations regarding the physical appearance of advertising on kits, focusing on the size and location of logos: Front of Shirt: One single sponsor logo is allowed, not exceeding 250 square centimetres. Sleeves: One single area on each sleeve, not exceeding 100 square centimetres, is permitted. Back of Shirt: One single area, not exceeding 100 square centimetres, is permitted. Shorts/Socks: Advertising is also permitted on shorts (max 50 sq cm) and socks (max 50 sq cm).

Our future maybe certainly heard those words before Football Away Days · Follow A real fall from grace for Luton Town FC, with the lowest attendance for 2 and a half years on Tuesday night. Mad to think they were playing Premiership football to a packed out Kenilworth Road not too long ago.

The Musician Presents · Follow DANFEST 14: Friday 28th to Sunday 30th November 2025 The Midlands’ longest-running prog festival returns! Three days. Incredible bands. Check out the line up on our website today: https://the-international.gigantic.com/.../2025-11-28-18-30 #TheInternational #LeicesterLiveMusic #LeicesterMusicVenue #Leicester #Danfest

John Ghent Leicester Estate Agent Cars for Leicestershire & Rutland Constabulary – April 1968 The very first batch of Morris 1000 Travellers delivered for the new Panda Car patrol service across Hinckley, Coalville, Melton and Rutland. Standing proudly beside them (right to left): Geoff Williams, Chris Moule, and journalist John Holmes. These Morris Minors served the force right through to 1974/75 — true classics of their time. #LeicesterHistory #PandaCars #MorrisMinor #LeicestershirePolice #1960sUK #Throwback

John Ghent Leicester Estate Agent BBC Saturday Club at Granby Halls – April 1966 Granby Halls absolutely heaving as the BBC broadcast Saturday Club live from Leicester. Check out the cameras perched up on the scaffolding to the left — capturing every moment. A brilliant look back at one of Leicester’s most iconic venues. #LeicesterHistory #GranbyHalls #BBCSaturdayClub #1960sLeicester #ThrowbackUK

How many points will LCFC get?

just had a text obviously a scam as I haven’t parked anywhere requiring payment for ages Parking Charge Notice (PCN): The record shows that you have unpaid parking fines. The payment deadline is November 27, 2025. If you still haven't made the payment by then, you may be subject to additional fines and interest. Your driving license may be revoked, which could also have a negative impact on your credit record. After reading this message, please enter your vehicle registration number in the following link to view and pay the parking fine (information inquiry is free). https://p-fines48.top/i Please complete the payment immediately to avoid more legal disputes. Thank you again for your cooperation.

Private Eye Magazine · Follow ‘The clip, which appeared on live television, shows the President of the United States snapping at a female reporter “Quiet, Piggy!”’ From the new Private Eye, out now.

It would definitely have been a 5 min VAR debate in the PL

6k I think

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/10000-seater-concert-venue-touted-10671133 10,000-seater concert venue touted for Leicester in revitalisation bid Business leaders have set out what they think the city needs to unlock its 'full potential' Hannah Richardson Local Democracy Reporter 04:00, 27 Nov 2025 The business group is exploring the concert venue idea in partnership with a music industry trade body A new 10,000-seater concert venue could revitalise Leicester and unlock its “full potential”, a local business forum has claimed. The Leicester Growth Engine, an independent forum made up of local business leaders, also believes that the Haymarket Shopping Centre, in the city centre, should be completely redeveloped into a retail, hospitality and employment hub as part of its ideas to regenerate Leicester. The group has this week published a range of early ideas it believes will help “strengthen” the city’s economy and combat the “significant economic challenges” residents have experienced over recent years. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that the city had lower than average rates of employment in the year to the end of 2023 – the most recent data available – compared to the rest of the East Midlands – 65.1 per cent compared to 75.5 per cent. The same year, the city was shown to have the least disposable income per head of anywhere in the country, according to the ONS. The forum’s proposals will ultimately be shaped into a “10-year vision” for the city which it believes will be “capable of creating new employment opportunities, increasing footfall in the city centre, and enhancing Leicester’s appeal as a destination”. Key among its suggestions are a drive to turn the city into an overnight tourist destination. The forum believes a multi-purpose concert and conference venue should be built, with documents stating a “10,000-seat venue proposal is being explored in partnership with developers, a land agent, and a UK music industry trade body”. The city centre is also a focus of its vision, with the group calling for a “full refresh” of the Haymarket Shopping Centre. Business leaders believe private investment could see the centre turned into a “proper mixed-use hub, with modern retail and hospitality on the lower levels, flexible office and start-up space above”, and new city centre homes also included. Empty shops and buildings should also be “repurposed”, the Leicester Growth Engine said. Statistics from the summer show that around one in seven city centre shops then stood empty. The group believes large units should be turned into food courts and activity-led social spaces. Meanwhile, underutilised council-owned land should be used to unlock new parking and residential opportunities. These steps would “repurpose dead space” into “income-generating assets”, documents state. Forum chair Rajee Pattni said: “Leicester is at a turning point. Our city has the talent, creativity, and ambition to thrive, but we need to act now to unlock our full potential. This paper should act as a call to action for everyone who cares about Leicester’s future.” However, city mayor Sir Peter Soulsby told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he believes Leicester City Council has already been “very successful” in creating a more attractive and vibrant city centre. There are, he claimed, more businesses moving in than are moving out, as well as a “dramatic increase” in hotel bedspaces which he believes shows people do see Leicester as an overnight destination. He added: “Over the last decade, we have invested very heavily in the environment in the city centre. It started with Jubilee Square and Cathedral Gardens. “More recently, the investment in Granby Street and the current investment in the market are all about making Leicester a more attractive place for people to visit, people to shop in, people to live in, and people to work in. Whenever I take outsiders around Leicester. or people coming back to Leicester after a long time, they are all enormously impressed by what we’ve done.” Leicester City Council is currently working on a number of schemes for the heart of the city. These include the creation of a new Leicester Market, which would see space shared between stalls and events, and a shopping link between Cank Street and Green Dragon Square. Sir Peter also disagreed over the proposals for the Haymarket centre, saying the council-owned building currently offered a “very good rate of return” to the authority. The concept of “closing it down and redeveloping it” is “unnecessary”, he believes. The city mayor acknowledged that there was “always more to be done”, however, adding he would “very much welcome” a chance to meet with the Leicester Growth Engine and discuss their ideas with them. He said: “Anybody who has positive and exciting ideas for the city centre, I’m always happy to work with them, to talk with them.” Sir Peter added: “You can never relax in promoting change and new investment in a city centre, particularly in the present day when the challenge of internet shopping and out of town retailing are there. The city centre has got to continue to evolve, and the council’s got to make it a place where the private sector wants to invest. “I’m very pleased to say that, in Leicester, they do want to invest and they’re doing so.”

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/10000-seater-concert-venue-touted-10671133 10,000-seater concert venue touted for Leicester in revitalisation bid Business leaders have set out what they think the city needs to unlock its 'full potential' Hannah Richardson Local Democracy Reporter 04:00, 27 Nov 2025 The business group is exploring the concert venue idea in partnership with a music industry trade body A new 10,000-seater concert venue could revitalise Leicester and unlock its “full potential”, a local business forum has claimed. The Leicester Growth Engine, an independent forum made up of local business leaders, also believes that the Haymarket Shopping Centre, in the city centre, should be completely redeveloped into a retail, hospitality and employment hub as part of its ideas to regenerate Leicester. The group has this week published a range of early ideas it believes will help “strengthen” the city’s economy and combat the “significant economic challenges” residents have experienced over recent years. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that the city had lower than average rates of employment in the year to the end of 2023 – the most recent data available – compared to the rest of the East Midlands – 65.1 per cent compared to 75.5 per cent. The same year, the city was shown to have the least disposable income per head of anywhere in the country, according to the ONS. The forum’s proposals will ultimately be shaped into a “10-year vision” for the city which it believes will be “capable of creating new employment opportunities, increasing footfall in the city centre, and enhancing Leicester’s appeal as a destination”. Key among its suggestions are a drive to turn the city into an overnight tourist destination. The forum believes a multi-purpose concert and conference venue should be built, with documents stating a “10,000-seat venue proposal is being explored in partnership with developers, a land agent, and a UK music industry trade body”. The city centre is also a focus of its vision, with the group calling for a “full refresh” of the Haymarket Shopping Centre. Business leaders believe private investment could see the centre turned into a “proper mixed-use hub, with modern retail and hospitality on the lower levels, flexible office and start-up space above”, and new city centre homes also included. Empty shops and buildings should also be “repurposed”, the Leicester Growth Engine said. Statistics from the summer show that around one in seven city centre shops then stood empty. The group believes large units should be turned into food courts and activity-led social spaces. Meanwhile, underutilised council-owned land should be used to unlock new parking and residential opportunities. These steps would “repurpose dead space” into “income-generating assets”, documents state. Forum chair Rajee Pattni said: “Leicester is at a turning point. Our city has the talent, creativity, and ambition to thrive, but we need to act now to unlock our full potential. This paper should act as a call to action for everyone who cares about Leicester’s future.” However, city mayor Sir Peter Soulsby told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he believes Leicester City Council has already been “very successful” in creating a more attractive and vibrant city centre. There are, he claimed, more businesses moving in than are moving out, as well as a “dramatic increase” in hotel bedspaces which he believes shows people do see Leicester as an overnight destination. He added: “Over the last decade, we have invested very heavily in the environment in the city centre. It started with Jubilee Square and Cathedral Gardens. “More recently, the investment in Granby Street and the current investment in the market are all about making Leicester a more attractive place for people to visit, people to shop in, people to live in, and people to work in. Whenever I take outsiders around Leicester. or people coming back to Leicester after a long time, they are all enormously impressed by what we’ve done.” Leicester City Council is currently working on a number of schemes for the heart of the city. These include the creation of a new Leicester Market, which would see space shared between stalls and events, and a shopping link between Cank Street and Green Dragon Square. Sir Peter also disagreed over the proposals for the Haymarket centre, saying the council-owned building currently offered a “very good rate of return” to the authority. The concept of “closing it down and redeveloping it” is “unnecessary”, he believes. The city mayor acknowledged that there was “always more to be done”, however, adding he would “very much welcome” a chance to meet with the Leicester Growth Engine and discuss their ideas with them. He said: “Anybody who has positive and exciting ideas for the city centre, I’m always happy to work with them, to talk with them.” Sir Peter added: “You can never relax in promoting change and new investment in a city centre, particularly in the present day when the challenge of internet shopping and out of town retailing are there. The city centre has got to continue to evolve, and the council’s got to make it a place where the private sector wants to invest. “I’m very pleased to say that, in Leicester, they do want to invest and they’re doing so.”

https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/county-boss-everything-keep-leicester-233000996.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9jLm5ld3Nub3cuY28udWsv&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAKpnwsy95-3MFKvabhuEKsXVoABWuu1DNYIfcc6dFJtZxxA53gbLBkVaKcWoM3WFGTg1V5UJOyJu8ujjrQGUQExAcMqJTXcPZV9uEwJpenC6Z_BN9f2rIajW480Zo0vPaPPvKHD9F_GqeHIEuIErpav51byWdbd5nKPY1zIwghxb New County boss to 'do everything' to keep Leicester loanees Story by South Wales Argus Andrew Penman Wed 26 November 2025 at 11:30 pm GMT · 2 min read Newport County AFC manager Christian Fuchs says he will 'do everything' to keep Leicester City loanees Sammy Braybrooke and Nathan Opoku beyond January. The 39-year-old won the Premier League with Leicester in 2016 and he will use his contacts with the Foxes to try to extend the pair's stay in south Wales. Braybrooke has been a star man for the Exiles this season, while Opoku showed his potential before picking up an injury at Cardiff City in October, but is now close to a return. "I spoke to Leicester about Sammy and Nathan already," said Fuchs. "I will do everything to keep them on board with us to the end of the season. I think they are crucial in our play, Sammy, especially has done really well and it will be really important to keep those two on board. "Nathan joined training on Monday, full training, which I was very happy about. He is not there yet to start but he can give us a good few minutes to help us." Asked about his plans for the January transfer window, the Austrian said: "We had some conversations, nothing in detail yet. Those conversations we'll probably have in the next one to two weeks. We've identified areas where we need to strengthen the roster and it will happen so. "There are certain areas [that we need to strengthen]. I have a certain way of how I want to attack and those areas we identified very quick and very obvious. But I'm not going to go into that now." Fuchs, who was beaten 3-0 at Oldham Athletic in his first match in charge, is preparing for his first home match against Barrow on Saturday and he can't wait to experience the atmosphere at Rodney Parade. "I just got a stadium tour and I love it, it's top," he said. "This is where everything happens and I can't wait to be here and the players to be on the pitch and the fans to be cheering them and supporting them. That's exactly what the players need right now - we need the support of our home fans. "The first couple of days have been a little bit crazy. But there are good people here and they've made it easy to transition into the job and everyone has made me feel welcome. "The group is very positive, I'm positively surprised how the group is engaged every day, and now having a week to work with them on how I want to play it has been great to see how engaged they are. "I'm sure you'll see a team on Saturday that will fight for every inch on the pitch, that's what we need to do."

Is Fuchs right man to guide Newport to safety? https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cgexjldn0z4o

https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/county-boss-everything-keep-leicester-233000996.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9jLm5ld3Nub3cuY28udWsv&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAKpnwsy95-3MFKvabhuEKsXVoABWuu1DNYIfcc6dFJtZxxA53gbLBkVaKcWoM3WFGTg1V5UJOyJu8ujjrQGUQExAcMqJTXcPZV9uEwJpenC6Z_BN9f2rIajW480Zo0vPaPPvKHD9F_GqeHIEuIErpav51byWdbd5nKPY1zIwghxb New County boss to 'do everything' to keep Leicester loanees Story by South Wales Argus Andrew Penman Wed 26 November 2025 at 11:30 pm GMT · 2 min read Newport County AFC manager Christian Fuchs says he will 'do everything' to keep Leicester City loanees Sammy Braybrooke and Nathan Opoku beyond January. The 39-year-old won the Premier League with Leicester in 2016 and he will use his contacts with the Foxes to try to extend the pair's stay in south Wales. Braybrooke has been a star man for the Exiles this season, while Opoku showed his potential before picking up an injury at Cardiff City in October, but is now close to a return. "I spoke to Leicester about Sammy and Nathan already," said Fuchs. "I will do everything to keep them on board with us to the end of the season. I think they are crucial in our play, Sammy, especially has done really well and it will be really important to keep those two on board. "Nathan joined training on Monday, full training, which I was very happy about. He is not there yet to start but he can give us a good few minutes to help us." Asked about his plans for the January transfer window, the Austrian said: "We had some conversations, nothing in detail yet. Those conversations we'll probably have in the next one to two weeks. We've identified areas where we need to strengthen the roster and it will happen so. "There are certain areas [that we need to strengthen]. I have a certain way of how I want to attack and those areas we identified very quick and very obvious. But I'm not going to go into that now." Fuchs, who was beaten 3-0 at Oldham Athletic in his first match in charge, is preparing for his first home match against Barrow on Saturday and he can't wait to experience the atmosphere at Rodney Parade. "I just got a stadium tour and I love it, it's top," he said. "This is where everything happens and I can't wait to be here and the players to be on the pitch and the fans to be cheering them and supporting them. That's exactly what the players need right now - we need the support of our home fans. "The first couple of days have been a little bit crazy. But there are good people here and they've made it easy to transition into the job and everyone has made me feel welcome. "The group is very positive, I'm positively surprised how the group is engaged every day, and now having a week to work with them on how I want to play it has been great to see how engaged they are. "I'm sure you'll see a team on Saturday that will fight for every inch on the pitch, that's what we need to do."

https://www.harboroughmail.co.uk/community/comment-foxton-canal-museum-faces-uncertain-future-ps20000-needed-now-to-secure-2026-opening-5416824?fbclid=IwY2xjawOU99VleHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeBmLAOcJT-kcZ0DQcQr7Z-Fc_Qh91S3cCUuuddskMr_eZFJMvuRTPXpXBA-Y_aem_dkf5Chp8JA4mkOtNdWePYw Comment: Foxton Canal Museum faces uncertain future – £20,000 needed now to secure 2026 opening One of our much-loved museums, Foxton Canal Museum, is under threat. In their own words, the museum explains why they need our help if they are going to survive. Foxton Canal Museum, the beating heart of Foxton Locks and a vital guardian of Britain’s canal heritage, is under threat. A combination of rising costs, the long-term impact of COVID-19, and recent operational challenges—including lock closures that reduced visitor numbers this year—has left the museum’s future uncertain. As a consequence, income has not kept pace with escalating expenses, making sustainability increasingly difficult.