City of Leicester & Leicestershire - The Good and Historical Stuff

[davieG]

 

Made In Leicester

Rob Hubble 

The Swan & Rushes looking cosy. This is dated 1902.

Now the Sapphire.

[davieG]

 

Made In Leicester

Rob Hubble ·

London Road 1972.

[davieG]

 

Made In Leicester

Rob Hubble ·

Granby Street 1965.

With the Barley Mow just in the picture.

 

 

 

[davieG]

History of Leicestershire in Images

Anne Lee ·

Some photos of pages from the Saturday Hospital Society in 1938, where they are asking : If you’re earning more than £2 a week they should help Leicester Royal Infirmary!

 

[davieG]

Made In Leicester

Leicestershire History magazine 

Looking through some old postcards for an article in issue 2 and came across this great shot of Humberstone Gate from the Clock Tower end. Taken during the final Humberstone Gate Fair in 1904.

[davieG]

 

History of Leicestershire in Images

Graham Hulme

An old postcard view of Eastgates and the Clock Tower, looking from High Street, early 1900s. The Grand Clothing Hall, seen on the left, was a retail outlet of the Leicester clothing manufacturers Hart & Levy. The company had been founded in 1859 with the opening of a factory in Wharf Street and about 1870 a new large factory and warehouse was built in Wimbledon Street and Southampton Street. Thousands of people were employed by Hart & Levy and by late Victorian times the company had expanded enough to build a number of other factories outside of Leicester. They also moved into the retail business for their products, trading under the name of The Grand Clothing Hall and had at least eighteen shops around the country. Their new flagship store, seen here, was designed by the Leicester architect Stockdale Harrison (1846-1914) and was opened on 25th February 1905. One of the founders of Hart & Levy was Sir Israel Hart (1835-1911) who took a prominent role in Leicester's public affairs. When High Bailiff of the Borough in 1879 he gifted the fountain which stands in Town Hall Square. He was made an Alderman and was four times Mayor of Leicester. He also gave generously towards the building of a new synagogue in Highfield Street in 1897-98, designed by Arthur Wakerley. Israel Hart was knighted by Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle on 27th February 1895 just after his last term as mayor had ended. The firm of Hart & Levy continued until the 1960s. The old High Street building is now the Urban Outfitters store.

[davieG]

Who knew - not me. Probably changed when the Royals changed to Windsor from Saxe-Coburg

 

 

History of Leicestershire in Images

Stuart Marbrook

Battenberg Avenue (Now Carisbrooke Road). Picture is likely pre WW1.

Possibly taken relating to the GPO installing their network of telegraph poles(posts?) at the time. An early form of surveying/planning I am assuming.

The photo's do relate to poles/numbers being marked on them - and a pencil reference to 'GPO' on the rear of a page.

[davieG]

11 hours ago, davieG said:

Who knew - not me. Probably changed when the Royals changed to Windsor from Saxe-Coburg

 

 

History of Leicestershire in Images

Stuart Marbrook

Battenberg Avenue (Now Carisbrooke Road). Picture is likely pre WW1.

Possibly taken relating to the GPO installing their network of telegraph poles(posts?) at the time. An early form of surveying/planning I am assuming.

The photo's do relate to poles/numbers being marked on them - and a pencil reference to 'GPO' on the rear of a page.

We've still got Battenberg cake, would it sell as well if it was known as the Carisbrooke Cake 

 

 

• Royal Connection:

  The most common theory links the cake's creation to the marriage of Princess Victoria (Queen Victoria's granddaughter) to Prince Louis of Battenberg in 1884. 

   

   

[kushiro]

12 hours ago, davieG said:

Who knew - not me. Probably changed when the Royals changed to Windsor from Saxe-Coburg

 

 

History of Leicestershire in Images

Stuart Marbrook

Battenberg Avenue (Now Carisbrooke Road). Picture is likely pre WW1.

Possibly taken relating to the GPO installing their network of telegraph poles(posts?) at the time. An early form of surveying/planning I am assuming.

The photo's do relate to poles/numbers being marked on them - and a pencil reference to 'GPO' on the rear of a page.

 

Here's a map from about 1910 where you can see Battenberg Avenue:

 

 

 

 

 

And a letter to the Leicester Mail from March 1918:

 

[davieG]

12 minutes ago, kushiro said:

 

Here's a map from about 1910 where you can see Battenberg Avenue:

 

 

 

 

 

And a letter to the Leicester Mail from March 1918:

 

Now I'm wondering if any other roads were renamed also where does Carisbrooke come from?

[kushiro]

The ones I know are

 

Saxe-Coburg Street          became          Saxby Street

Mecklenburg Street          became          Fortescue Street  (a former vicar of St.George’s)

Gotha Street                       became         Gotham Street

Hanover Street                   became         Andover Street

 

It was decided later that Mecklenburg Street should be an extension of Severn Street.

 

But I never knew about Battenburg Avenue until your post. I wonder too - any others?

 

Carisbrooke was a title in the family of the first Lord Mountbatten (who was formerly known as Battenberg - berg = mountain in German)

[davieG]

2 hours ago, kushiro said:

The ones I know are

 

Saxe-Coburg Street          became          Saxby Street

Mecklenburg Street          became          Fortescue Street  (a former vicar of St.George’s)

Gotha Street                       became         Gotham Street

Hanover Street                   became         Andover Street

 

It was decided later that Mecklenburg Street should be an extension of Severn Street.

 

But I never knew about Battenburg Avenue until your post. I wonder too - any others?

 

Carisbrooke was a title in the family of the first Lord Mountbatten (who was formerly known as Battenberg - berg = mountain in German)

Now you've mentioned them I knew a couple of those Saxby and Andover.

[davieG]

History of Leicestershire in Images

Stuart Marbrook ·

An interesting view of a now busy road. Picture is likely pre WW1. Only the house on the right could give the scene away! Do you recognise it?

Possibly taken relating to the GPO installing their network of telegraph poles(posts?) at the time. An early form of surveying/planning I am assuming.

The photo's do relate to poles/numbers being marked on them - and a pencil reference to 'GPO' on the rear of a page.

Edit; Location map added in the comments below.

 

 

[kushiro]

As suggested above, the photos relate to the placing of poles supporting overhead telegraph wires. 

 

In 1913, Leicester County Court was the scene of a case bewtween the Post Master General and Leicester Corporation.  PMG said people in the Knighton area (including Battenberg Avenue and Welford Road) wanted telephone lines installed, but the corporation wanted them to lay the wires underground. PMG gave the relative costs:

 

 

 

The verdict in the case was held over to a later date, which I can't find. Presumably the overhead lines were given the go-ahead,

[davieG]

3 hours ago, kushiro said:

As suggested above, the photos relate to the placing of poles supporting overhead telegraph wires. 

 

In 1913, Leicester County Court was the scene of a case bewtween the Post Master General and Leicester Corporation.  PMG said people in the Knighton area (including Battenberg Avenue and Welford Road) wanted telephone lines installed, but the corporation wanted them to lay the wires underground. PMG gave the relative costs:

 

 

 

The verdict in the case was held over to a later date, which I can't find. Presumably the overhead lines were given the go-ahead,

If phones are moving to the internet they’ll not be wanted at all I assume. 

[davieG]

 

Made In Leicester

Rob Hubble 

London Road 1961.

[Foxdiamond]

1 hour ago, davieG said:

 

Made In Leicester

Rob Hubble 

London Road 1961.

Not much evidence of health and safety with those blokes riding on back of the lorry

[davieG]

22 minutes ago, Foxdiamond said:

Not much evidence of health and safety with those blokes riding on back of the lorry

There wasn't any H&S re vehicles back then rust boxes, no seat belts, no air bags and hand signals, people can't be bothered to flick a switch these days so using your arm through an open window with a handle winder, if you were lucky - no chance.

 

My first vehicle was an Austin A35 Van and the passenger seat was held down by two tiny brackets my mate ended up in the back when I accelerated then braked approaching an island.

[Foxdiamond]

11 minutes ago, davieG said:

There wasn't any H&S re vehicles back then rust boxes, no seat belts, no air bags and hand signals, people can't be bothered to flick a switch these days so using your arm through an open window with a handle winder, if you were lucky - no chance.

 

My first vehicle was an Austin A35 Van and the passenger seat was held down by two tiny brackets my mate ended up in the back when I accelerated then braked approaching an island.

Ah yes I remember the A35. My uncle's mate had one. I think we can be thankful for modern safety despite our fondness for the looking at the past.

[davieG]

 

History of Leicestershire in Images

Stuart Marbrook ·

 

Kimberley Road junction with St Phillips Road looking towards Holmfield Road. Picture is likely pre WW1.

Taken relating to the GPO installing their network of telegraph poles(posts?) at the time. An early form of surveying/planning I am assuming.

As you can see, the photo's relate to poles/numbers being marked on them and you can just see the spots marked on by the road. I checked earlier and there are still telegraph poles in these places.

A pencil reference to 'GPO' is on the rear of a page.

I haven't been able to find out anything so far about the GPO installations around the city.

[davieG]

 

Made In Leicester

John Nelson

Midland Fox FoxCabs M903DHP | M914DHP| M908DHP Carbodies FX4 Fairway Taxi - Southgates bus depot, Leicester. 1994.

#fx4 #fx4taxi #fairwayfx4 #londontaxi #blackcabs #carbodiesfx4 #carbodies #foxcabs #swiftfoxcabs #midlandfox #leicester

https://www.flickr.com/photos/megabreadvan/54061642093

[davieG]

History of Leicestershire in Images

Mervin Wallace ·1h ·

The old and the new in zebra crossings in Granby Street, pictured in June 1958. Photo Leicester Mercury.

[davieG]

 

History of Leicestershire in Images

Mervin Wallace 

 

BLABY STATION

Blaby railway station was set on fire by suffragettes Kitty Marion, Ellen Sheriff, and Elizabeth Frisby on the 12th July 1914. Causing £500 worth of damage, the suffragettes used wood shavings soaked in creosote, and an axe to gain entry to the wooden station. The station was closed in 1968, and a unsuccessful campaign to try to re-open the station was launched in 2008.

[davieG]

History of Leicestershire in Images

Mervin Wallace 

A very busy Leicester Clock Tower in March 1955, and other views of Leicester's 'focal point' - (Leicester Mercury Photos)

 

[davieG]

Leicester Memories

Mervin Wallace 

Leicester Great Central Station 1950s