City of Leicester & Leicestershire - The Good and Historical Stuff

[davieG]

https://leicesterurbanobservatory.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/new-850mm-x-550mm-panels-copy1.pdf?fbclid=IwAR2Yb50C5aKjuRUl4ZlXTQr-BWWRdbYW_j7hlwApdZtNJk3zDFae-rZCwL8

 

History of Leicester Town planning.

[davieG]

http://www.gcrleicester.info/html/leicester_demolition_1.html?fbclid=IwAR3YwETX46Dj0CVnlT9p-JvDHBwpT-7R_1dOWk3Sez8Nrgni9fN_ai9TIgs

 

A selection of photographs of Great Central Railway buildings and bridges south through Leicester to the Central Station around the time of demolition.

[davieG]

looks like they've always been busy.

 

[Parafox]

1 hour ago, davieG said:

looks like they've always been busy.

 

I wonder if they called an ambulance.

[PAULCFC]

8 hours ago, davieG said:

http://www.gcrleicester.info/html/leicester_demolition_1.html?fbclid=IwAR3YwETX46Dj0CVnlT9p-JvDHBwpT-7R_1dOWk3Sez8Nrgni9fN_ai9TIgs

 

A selection of photographs of Great Central Railway buildings and bridges south through Leicester to the Central Station around the time of demolition.

I still remember the Northgate Bridge.As a kid(must have been late 70's and i would have been about 8/9).The pigeon crap was spellbinding to me!Didn't Tommy Wadsworth have his shop down there and there was a carpet shop on the corner.

[Free Falling Foxes]

4 hours ago, davieG said:

looks like they've always been busy.

 

That young lad was stoned.

Edited 17 August 2021 by Free Falling Foxes

[Free Falling Foxes]

11 hours ago, davieG said:

http://www.gcrleicester.info/html/leicester_demolition_1.html?fbclid=IwAR3YwETX46Dj0CVnlT9p-JvDHBwpT-7R_1dOWk3Sez8Nrgni9fN_ai9TIgs

 

A selection of photographs of Great Central Railway buildings and bridges south through Leicester to the Central Station around the time of demolition.

Some engineering went into the Great Central Railway in the city. It looks like all the lines entered on viaducts and the like.

[davieG]

9 minutes ago, Free Falling Foxes said:

Some engineering went into the Great Central Railway in the city. It looks like all the lines entered on viaducts and the like.

It was the last big line to be built and was the flattest in terms of gradients and would have provided the perfect base for the HST.

[Free Falling Foxes]

15 minutes ago, davieG said:

It was the last big line to be built and was the flattest in terms of gradients and would have provided the perfect base for the HST.

Wasn't it also built to some superior continental specs at the time?

[Free Falling Foxes]

11 hours ago, davieG said:

looks like they've always been busy.

 

No data protection in those days.

 

'Hi, Leicester Mercury here. Can you give me the names, addresses and reason for visit to LRI today?'

'Sure. There you go'

 

Despite this,  non of them would have received a telegram:

Hello There. Our records show you've been in an accident that wasn't your fault. You maybe entitled to compensation............

[davieG]

9 hours ago, Free Falling Foxes said:

Wasn't it also built to some superior continental specs at the time?

Could be I know it was built to very high standards

[Stadt]

On 17/08/2021 at 11:39, davieG said:

http://www.gcrleicester.info/html/leicester_demolition_1.html?fbclid=IwAR3YwETX46Dj0CVnlT9p-JvDHBwpT-7R_1dOWk3Sez8Nrgni9fN_ai9TIgs

 

A selection of photographs of Great Central Railway buildings and bridges south through Leicester to the Central Station around the time of demolition.

Beeching is one of the worst ever Britons

[davieG]

 

 

 

 

Now a housing estate off Parker Drive.

 

Wiki

Origins & Opening
In 1923 the site chosen for Leicester Stadium was an area of land in north Leicester near the Blackbird Road. The exact location was on the north side of where the Parkers Drive met Somerset Avenue.[1] Greyhound racing became extremely popular in the county of Leicestershire with tracks at Aylestone Road in south Leicester and the nearby town of Coalville already hosting tracks that had opened in 1927.

Leicester Stadium opened on Saturday 26 May 1928 with six heats of the Quorn Open sweepstakes and a hurdle race completing the seven race card. Eleven thousand spectators (including the Mayor Alderman J.Thomas) attended and watched Barley Leader become the first ever winner over 525 yards at odds of 4-7f. Trainers King, Hulme, Glover and Barton all picked up winners on that first night at the venue that was known at the time as 'The Stadium'.[2][3] Speedway soon followed costing £30,000 to construct the dirt track inside the greyhound circuit[4] and the first speedway meeting on 6 September 1928, with sidecar racing also staged that year.[4][5]

History
Despite competition from further tracks opening in Leicestershire (Syston 1931, Hinckley 1936 and Melton Mowbray 1946) business remained strong with totalisator turnover in 1946 an impressive £1,605,830.[6] The stadium was bought by Alan and Hilda Sanderson, owners of the two Coventry stadiums (Lythalls Lane) and (Brandon) in 1950 which resulted in a new company name of Midland Sports given to all of the tracks. Charles Ochiltree who had some shares in the company was made General Manager and racing was held on Thursday and Saturday evenings at 7.00pm. The hare was an 'Inside Sumner' with a track circumference of 467 yards. Facilities included a small self-service restaurant, three buffet bars and three licensed bars.[7]

In 1959 Harold Richards replaced O’Leary as Racing Manager before Dan McCormick and former trainer John Rowe were brought in as General and Racing Manager's respectively. Resident trainers in 1965 consisted of Peverell, McNally, Wales and Lea but it was the appointment of leading trainer Geoff DeMulder joined the track as a trainer that brought success to the track in 1967 after he won the Derby Consolation with Daybreak Again. A significant event called the Midland Grand Prix was inaugurated at the track and in 1973 George McKay who had been a Racing Manager died. Mick Wheble formerly of Harringay and Catford was made chief Racing Manager at Leicester and Coventry before Ochiltree received offers to sell the track.[8]

 

Stock car racing
Stock car racing was first held in 1954 through to 1956, then held in 1962 and 1963. Racing finally returned in 1974 until the stadium closed in 1984.[10]

 

Speedway
The stadium lent its name to the speedway team, known as 'Leicester Stadium', which competed in the English Dirt Track League in 1929 and the Southern League from 1930.[4] The speedway track was relaid before the 1932 season, but speedway only operated intermittently in the years that followed. Speedway returned to the stadium in 1949 with the Leicester Hunters who continued there until 1962, after which the speedway promotion of the day moved to Long Eaton due to low attendances.[4] A few meetings were staged in 1963, including the 'Pride of the Midlands' individual competition won by Ove Fundin, but regular speedway did not return until 1968 when the Long Eaton operation transferred to Leicester, beginning the first era of the Leicester Lions.[4]

Closure
In November 1983 it was announced that Midland Sports Stadiums Ltd had accepted a conditional offer for the Blackbird Road Stadium. Despite a failed bid in 1978 a second bid from Barratts Homes was accepted. The last meeting took place on 15 September 1984 with a greyhound called Spinning Top being the last winner.[11][12]

 

[Paninistickers]

Looks like hs2 eastern spur has been shelved...meaning no upheaval now in nw Leicestershire for the singular benefit of Nottingham and Derby. 

 

Great news!

[Voll Blau]

Went to see Richard III's grave, the Guildhall and the RIII visitor centre yesterday, followed by a few drinks round St Martin's/Old Town (love that a few places round there are calling that area 'Old Town' these days) and a pleasant stroll up New Walk for a curry on London Road to finish. Bumped into some tourists from South Wales at the Guildhall who were having a grand old time.

 

Lovely. People who enjoy doing the city down are fvcking idiots.

[Parafox]

2 hours ago, Voll Blau said:

Went to see Richard III's grave, the Guildhall and the RIII visitor centre yesterday, followed by a few drinks round St Martin's/Old Town (love that a few places round there are calling that area 'Old Town' these days) and a pleasant stroll up New Walk for a curry on London Road to finish. Bumped into some tourists from South Wales at the Guildhall who were having a grand old time.

 

Lovely. People who enjoy doing the city down are fvcking idiots.

A bit unfair. Some people have different experiences. I agree St Martins is a nicer part of the city and New Walk is OK. Maybe a walk up Granby St or Humberstone Gate would have been less pleasant.

[Voll Blau]

9 minutes ago, Parafox said:

A bit unfair. Some people have different experiences. I agree St Martins is a nicer part of the city and New Walk is OK. Maybe a walk up Granby St or Humberstone Gate would have been less pleasant.

Well yeah, obviously. My point is some people seem desperate to ignore the fact that parts of the city are actually quite nice?

[davieG]

Belvoir St. looking at Granby St. Post War.

 

The buildings are still there, the Midland Bank is on the left, the Turkey Cafe is just out of shot next to Kendall. What was Freeman, Hardy and Willis is now Haart Estate Agents.

 

 

[Parafox]

19 hours ago, davieG said:

Belvoir St. looking at Granby St. Post War.

 

The buildings are still there, the Midland Bank is on the left, the Turkey Cafe is just out of shot next to Kendall. What was Freeman, Hardy and Willis is now Haart Estate Agents.

 

 

I think that's the Bishop St junction with Granby St. If it was Belvoir St, it would a crossroads.

[davieG]

6 minutes ago, Parafox said:

I think that's the Bishop St junction with Granby St. If it was Belvoir St, it would a crossroads.

I agree, Copied it but didn't check it.

[Wolfox]

Shame this isn’t still running (not since 1949)

 

would be nice if they did something with it?

 

I do like all these little history posters you get dotted around…. Learned loads of interesting nuggets from reading them…

Edited 26 August 2021 by Wolfox

[The People's Hero]

27 minutes ago, Wolfox said:

Shame this isn’t still running (not since 1949)

 

would be nice if they did something with it?

 

I do like all these little history posters yiu get dotted around…. Learned loads of interesting nuggets from reading them…

Someone would probably make it in to flats, if they didn't now have a pretty much limitless supply of office blocks to spin.

 

 

[Greg2607]

On 21/08/2021 at 21:50, Paninistickers said:

Looks like hs2 eastern spur has been shelved...meaning no upheaval now in nw Leicestershire for the singular benefit of Nottingham and Derby. 

 

Great news!

depends which way you look at it.... no doubt there will be a knock on effect for the potential Ivanhoe line re-opening..... 

 

there was rumours of an HS2 AND Ivanhoe Line station in Ashby at the point where the lines would intersect. obviously, this doesn't happen now.... so ALL of the funding for the station would need to come from CRIL. 

[Free Falling Foxes]

1 hour ago, Wolfox said:

Shame this isn’t still running (not since 1949)

 

would be nice if they did something with it?

 

I do like all these little history posters yiu get dotted around…. Learned loads of interesting nuggets from reading them…

I worked at that end of London Road for 7 odd years and never realised what that building used to be. In fact I don't think I gave it a second look. As you say, those information boards really help.

 

It's a wonder the University don't now own it. As you walk around that area, every street seems to have several buildings that are now owned/used by them.

Edited 26 August 2021 by Free Falling Foxes

[Wolfox]

22 minutes ago, Free Falling Foxes said:

I worked at that end of London Road for 7 odd years and never realised what that building used to be. In fact I don't think I gave it a second look. As you say, those information boards really help.

 

It's a wonder the University don't now own it. As you walk around that area, every street seems to have several buildings that are now owned/used by them.

I lived no more than 150m away from it as a kid…. I remember them being bogs, but, I don’t ever recall taking much notice of what is clearly a large handsome building 

 

maybe some form of courtyard garden or something would be nice?  Could be a great cafe too!