City of Leicester & Leicestershire - The Good and Historical Stuff

[davieG]

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/bus-rides-cheaper-easier-underground-5553561

 

Leicester bus rides 'cheaper and easier' with London Underground-style payment system
'Tap on Tap off' means people only pay for the distance they travel

ByTom MackSenior Reporter
10:03, 21 JUN 2021UPDATED11:45, 21 JUN 2021

First Leicester buses are introducing London Underground-style payments where people simply put their phone or cash card against a payment machine when they get on and off.

Not only is it designed to make travel easier, the bus company is promising that passengers will never pay more than the lowest possible ticket, calculated automatically for them.

For example, if someone takes a large number of rides in one week, they will pay no more than the cost of a discounted seven-day ticket.

The system will eventually be introduced for all Leicester buses, along with a ticket cap to keep travel costs low.

First Leicester is working in partnership with Leicester city council on the initiative with cash from the Department for Transport's Transforming Cities fund to purchase the ticket machine readers and for the instillation of the equipment on its 92 vehicles.

First is also benefiting from the ongoing rebuilding project at St Margaret's Bus Station in the city centre.

Bus rides 'cheaper and easier' with Underground-style payment system

Nigel Eggleton, managing director at First Leicester said: ”Ticketing technology has taken a major step forward with the introduction of the Tap on Tap off function.

"Simplification of ticketing is a key ingredient in our plan to welcome back existing customers and encourage people who don’t presently choose to use buses to give them a try.

“With the Tap on Tap off function it couldn’t be easier as a customer can now have the peace of mind knowing that the best value fare will be charged for a single journey or multiple journeys over a full day."

Leicester City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: “It’s great to see First Leicester buses launching this new ticketing scheme, which will ensure passengers get the best fare available on the day, and will reduce the amount of time it takes to board the bus.

“This is the first stage to having a capped fare across all bus operators in the city, who will also be installing this technology, which means there will be much more flexibility for bus passengers.

“The scheme is one of a number of initiatives we are working on with bus operators through the Leicester Bus Partnership, and along with our new fleet of electric park and ride vehicles and building of a brand new bus station, will hopefully encourage many more people to use this form of transport.”

[davieG]

Belgrave Gate Upgrade.

 

 

 

 

 

[Free Falling Foxes]

1 hour ago, davieG said:

Belgrave Gate Upgrade.

 

 

 

 

 

Mmmm,  just wait until there is litter everywhere, drunks, whiff of cannabis in the air, buses at stops with their engine still running, people asking for money, the new pedestrian area being dug up for some reason or another,  street preachers, street musicians (with their hideously destorted backing music blaring out), etc. etc.

 

Perhaps one for the 'Is Leicester a dump?' Thread?

[davieG]

21 minutes ago, Free Falling Foxes said:

Mmmm,  just wait until there is litter everywhere, drunks, whiff of cannabis in the air, buses at stops with their engine still running, people asking for money, the new pedestrian area being dug up for some reason or another,  street preachers, street musicians (with their hideously destorted backing music blaring out), etc. etc.

 

Perhaps one for the 'Is Leicester a dump?' Thread?

Give it time, you missed out chewing gum. Although on the plus side buses wont ne down Belgrave Gate now they've opened the new road where the Cinema (ABC / Savoy ) used to be.

 

 

[davieG]

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/day-leicester-invaded-army-376-5561725

 

The day Leicester was invaded by an army - 376 years ago amid the brutality of civil war
The Royalists stormed the city during the English Civil War

ByTom MackSenior Reporter
06:00, 4 JUL 2021


An illustration of the Battle of Naseby from an 1886 antique book British Ballads Old and New by George Barnett Smith (Image: Getty)

In the chaos of the English Civil War 376 years ago, Leicester became a battleground between the two sides.

In a fascinating new essay about the clash, historian Robert Hodkinson has shed light on the battle, which is probably not known about by many people in the city today.

It was back in 1645, three years into the war between King Charles I's Royalists and the 'roundhead' army of the Parliamentarians, who would eventually win, taking victory at the Battle of Naseby, to the south of Leicester, the following month.

But the the attack on Leicester was a victory for the Royalists, who brutally overcame the city's defences, forcing the roundheads to surrender.

In his history of the battle, Mr Hodkinson, said: "Although the attack on Leicester in May 1645 barely registers as footnote in the history of the English Civil War, this brief action was seized on by Leicestershire parliamentarians at the time as undeniable proof of the King's bloody treatment of his subjects and was used as evidence against him at his trial in 1649."

The roundheads had about 500 troops holding Leicester but a large army of Royalists - numbering 10,000 to 12,000 men - were marching north from Oxford towards Newark via Leicester.

The Royalists already had their own garrisons in Ashby and at Belvoir Castle, so taking Leicester would help secure the whole of Leicestershire for them.

And Leicester wasn't totally prepared for an invasion.

Mr Hodkinson, who lives in Derby, said: "Fortifying Leicester had been a long-standing contention between military commanders and Leicester's civilian authorities.

"The town corporation had been reluctant to dig defences and raise earthworks, possibly for fear of lowering the value of their property.

An attack on The Newarke on the west side of the city was unsuccessful, with civilians helping repair the walls (Image: Google)
"As a consequence, Leicester's defences were rather modest."

He said another error may have been that a 350-strong roundhead force at Coleorton, near Ashby, with valuable artillery, "made no move as the Royalist army swept by them".

There were plans to arm 900 civilians but only 400 were enlisted, probably due to a shortage of weapons, Mr Hodkinson said. But unarmed locals, including women, helped shore up the city's walls, repairing it as cannon fire damaged it.

There were military reinforcements for the roundheads from Kirby Bellars and elsewhere - getting the total number up to about 1,000 soldiers and 750 on horseback - who managed to get to Leicester by the time the Royalist cavalry appeared on May 28.

Twenty-three-year-old Colonel Robert Pye took overall command of the defence of Leicester as the Royalists, led by the king's nephew Prince Rupert, approached from the north and the south at the same time.

On May 30 two cannon shots were fired at the city and a trumpeter was sent into Leicester to demand a surrender.

Mr Hodkinson said: "Before they had delivered their answer, Royalist batteries began firing on the town's southern defences. In three hours a large breach had been made in the Newarke's unprotected walls.

"Impatient to have begun firing on the town that afternoon, Rupert was equally impatient to storm the defences."

The first attempts to storm the city via The Newarke were ineffective but on the other side of the city the Royalists scaled the town's earth ramparts with ladders, throwing “hand-granadoes” and breaching the defences.

The Royalist foot soldiers opened the gates to the city and let the cavalry in.

Colonel Pye lead a cavalry charge up the High Street, but the parliamentarians were overwhelmed and Pye was captured.

About 80 Royalists were killed in the attack and between 120 and 300 defenders.

Mr Hodkinson said: "The London paper Mercurius Civicus referred to the action as 'The bloudy massacre' of Leicester, although reports of atrocities following the town's surrender, such as the wholesale seizure and hanging of the town's committee, were subsequently accepted to have been fabrications."

To read the whole story, visit https://lordgreys.weebly.com/articles-and-features

[davieG]

The good old days?

Safe to play outside?

 

To be fair Slum Clearance had clearly started.

 

A collection of photographs that were taken by the Daily Mirror in October 1963. - "Wharf Street Area"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[davieG]

 

Gallowtree Gate in 1980.   Werff, Alexandre, Stead & Simpson, Herbert Wolf, Halfords, Dixons and Mates?

 

 

[davieG]

Early 60's - Lee Circle Tesco and multi-storey car park

 

There was a 36 lane Bowling Alley around the back the largest single floor one in the UK.

 

 

[The Syrup]

3 hours ago, davieG said:

Early 60's - Lee Circle Tesco and multi-storey car park

 

There was a 36 lane Bowling Alley around the back the largest single floor one in the UK.

 

 

Opened by Carry On legend Sid James..

 

[davieG]

 

The Who 
· 
50 YEARS OF THE WHO
5 March 1965 and The Who are second on the bill at the Rag Rave at Leicester's Granby Halls. The Rag Rave was part of Leicester University's Rag Week celebrations. Top of the bill were Manfred Mann followed by The Who, Mike Berry & The Le Roys, More Than Five, the Beatniks and The Contacts. The singer in The Contacts was Chris Morphet who at the time was studying photography at Leicester College of Art. He and Pete became good friends and Chris photographed The Who on many occasions. Those shots of Pete in his home studio in Twickenham in 1972 when he was composing Quadrophenia were all taken by Chris.

[davieG]

A Rag Mag

 

[davieG]

 

Advert from the NME on 17th February 1968. Now this would have one amazing night with all this talent especially Eyes of Blue!

[davieG]

This building on the corner into the market

 

 

Was replaced by this.....

 

..

and sticks out further.

 

They also wanted to demolish this just around the corner  in Horsfair St. but a campaign to stop the demolition manage to at least save the frontage of this one.

[davieG]

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/history/gallery/feature-presentation-27-archive-images-5597694

 

27 archive images of Leicestershire's long lost cinemas sure to bring back wonderful memories

[PaddyS]

1 hour ago, davieG said:

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/history/gallery/feature-presentation-27-archive-images-5597694

 

27 archive images of Leicestershire's long lost cinemas sure to bring back wonderful memories

 

Can't believe how small the Magna was! I remember going to see Jaws there when it first came out. Our family of 6 must have taken half the seats.

[davieG]

 

Narborough Road South, Braunstone, at The Kingsway corner, on August 31, 1958,.

 

Now

 

 

 

Same Road 1960s

 

[davieG]

Post House Hotel Narborough Road 1970

[Buce]

 

Where do you find all these old photos @davieG?

[davieG]

Just now, Buce said:

 

Where do you find all these old photos @davieG?

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1378279269165597/

 

A group on Facebook

[davieG]

Anyone missing a letter or parcel?

 

Probably not the correct thread but.....

Royal Mail van and three cars damaged in Fosse Park fire

 

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/royal-mail-van-three-cars-5717861

[davieG]

On 29/07/2021 at 19:22, davieG said:

 

Narborough Road South, Braunstone, at The Kingsway corner, on August 31, 1958,.

 

Now

 

 

 

Same Road 1960s

 

 

 

Another 50's view.

 

Yes, this really is Narborough Road South, Leicester, seen here in the 1950s, before the front gardens were bulldozed and it was widened to eight lanes to cater for the extra traffic.

 

 

Don't think they'd get away with bulldozing loads of people's gardens today.

[davieG]

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/gallery/34-archive-pictures-leicesters-victoria-5717136

 

34 archive pictures of Leicester's Victoria Park which used to be a racecourse

[Wolfox]

Grizzly yet interesting 

 

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/bronze-artefact-reveals-lions-roared-in-for-the-kill-in-roman-leicester-zssvfp6k6

 

Bronze artefact reveals lions roared in for the kill in Roman Leicester

A key handle excavated in the city shows a big cat fighting a barbarian, and suggests lions were used to execute captives
 

The grisly spectacle of exotic animals fighting humans to the death in the Colosseum came to symbolise the decadence and moral decay that led to the collapse of the Roman Empire.

But nobody thought it had happened in Britain — until now.
 

The first evidence has emerged that the punishment was also used for public entertainment in Roman Britain, with starving lions unleashed on captives in Leicester around 200AD.

Excavations conducted before the construction of a Novotel near the city centre have found a carved bronze key handle depicting an unarmed barbarian grappling with a lion, while four naked young men cower in fear. It is 120mm long — about 4½ inches — and weighs just over 300g.

Dr John Pearce, senior lecturer in archaeology

 

[davieG]

 

Belgrave Gate before the Haymarket 1965. Looking towards St Marks Church.

[Wolfox]

1 hour ago, davieG said:

 

Belgrave Gate before the Haymarket 1965. Looking towards St Marks Church.

Survived the Luftwaffe but not town planning 

 

such a shame