Our system detected that your browser is blocking advertisements on our site. Please help support FoxesTalk by disabling any kind of ad blocker while browsing this site. Thank you.
Jump to content
davieG

City of Leicester & Leicestershire - The Good and Historical Stuff

Recommended Posts

Leas being demolished with the back of the Bell Hotel next to go with Lewis's in the background

 

Image may contain: sky and outdoor

 

 

Same location a few years later Lewis's gone as well.

 

Image may contain: sky and outdoor

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Inside Shakup Records - new record shop being opened by city musician who played with Stevie Wonder
A launch party is happening this weekend

 

0_DSC_0443JPG.jpg

 

 

A new record shop is set to open this weekend in Clarendon Park.

Shakup Records is being launched by Leicester musician Nick Murphy, together with his two sons, who are also involved in the music industry.

Based in Montague Road, the new business is described as "Leicester's grooviest new vinyl store and music hub".

Shakup Records will hold a launch party on Saturday, August 15 - but we were invited in early, to bring you a sneak peek of the new city business.

 

The shop will stock new and used vinyl ranging from funk and soul to hip-hop, jungle to punk rock, and everything else in between.

There is also be a live room downstairs, where a wide range of music lessons will be provided, such as drumming, DJing (digital and vinyl), music production and recording.

The space will also be used to showcase local talent on a bi-weekly basis.

Take a virtual tour in our gallery below


First look inside new Leicester record shop Shakup Records

View gallery  - https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/inside-shakup-records-new-record-4416572


Nick has had a long career in music, which in 1984 included playing on a record, Feel It, with the legendary Stevie Wonder, when Nick was in the Leicester-based group Feelabeelia.

He then fronted the band Ska-Boom and has played in bands ever since, before deciding to start this new chapter in his life.

He has teamed up with his sons, Sonny and Finn, who are house music producers and DJs and go under the alias Murphy's Law.

They are full-time musicians and promoters, running an event in Leicester called Full House and performing all over Europe.


Saturday's launch event at Shakup Records will run from 12pm until 5pm and promises live music, drinks, special guests and good vibes.

The team will be doing their best to ensure that social distancing measures are followed, and will be providing sanitiser to customers at the door.

Opening hours will be 10.30am to 5.30pm Tuesday to Saturday, 10.30am to 2.30pm Sunday, closed on Monday.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bowling operator Lane7 reveals when huge new alley will open in former Leicester Central station
It will feature bowling, crazy golf, arcades, gaming tables, a street food court and more


ByBecky JonesWhat's On Writer
19:00, 17 AUG 2020

Lane7 is coming to Leicester
Lane7 is coming to Leicester

Bowling operator Lane7 has revealed when its new Leicester site will open - and there's not long to wait!

As we revealed last year, it will open in the former Leicester Central railway station, in Great Central Street, off the inner ring road.

According to Lane7, the attraction will transform Leicester’s entertainment scene.

Bowling is the company's trademark feature, but the venue is set to offer much more.

We've launched a food and drink newsletter!

It will give you regular email updates on the latest from restaurants and bars in Leicestershire.

Our newsletter has been timed to coincide with businesses starting to reopen - as well as to describe delivery and takeaway offers. Click here to sign up!

Leicester’s iconic central station will soon be home to multi-entertainment options including crazy golf, arcades, gaming tables, a street food court, late night cocktail bar, beer hall and event space.

Children will be welcome at the venue until 7pm daily.

The 30,000 sq ft development was due to open earlier in the year but suffered building setbacks due to Covid-19.

It is now set to open in early October.

 


The former “Goods Yard” area has been reimagined to become Leicester’s first permanent street food court, with independent traders taking up residency in incubator shipping container kitchens.

From 'epic' burgers to handmade bao, there will be plenty of food options available all through the day and night.

The Leicester Central railway station was opened in 1899 by the Great Central Railway, and in its heyday, the quarter-of-a-mile-long, six-platform station had hosted the likes of the Master Cutler, South Yorkshire and Bournemouth, and Oxford and York expresses.

The last ever passenger train left the station on May 3, 1969.

Lane7 already operates venues in cities across the UK, including Birmingham, Sheffield, Liverpool and Newcastle, and describes itself as "the UK’s leading leisure and nightlife destination."

 

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/bowling-operator-lane7-reveals-huge-4433527?fbclid=IwAR2Wqsb3U6fqsy-5PsBd2cmNAEEGy-LhzF1BvAjuC24qnzHsBxHTAiVkAYk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Stadt said:

Looking forward to that all being open. Hopefully some of the arches get utilised as bars or retail too. It’s a prime area for development and it still semi-industrial.

Possibly akin to the street food/bar outlets in Camden Town, hopefully.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, Parafox said:

Possibly akin to the street food/bar outlets in Camden Town, hopefully.

I hope it’s not too derivative but it’s a start. Hopefully Frog Island starts getting new gaffs popping up all over the oche 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 hours ago, Stadt said:

Looking forward to that all being open. Hopefully some of the arches get utilised as bars or retail too. It’s a prime area for development and it still semi-industrial.

Totally agree. That area could do with some TLC, it's been a sh*thole for years.

 

Most of the buildings along Great Central St. are still vacant and / or in a state of disrepair after being just left following the developments along the ring road. 

 

The old station building is still in decent nick from the outside it seems. Surprised it's taken this long for someone to come in and make use of it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, RoboFox said:

 

This is supposed to be the "Good and Historical" thread, but I find it more depressing than the "Is the City of Leicester a Dump?" thread. 

History can be sad,  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

See inside new LEGO Brick City exhibition at Leicester Museum - which you can visit for free


It features iconic buildings including The Colosseum in Rome and London St Pancras Station

 

0_DSC_0663JPG.jpg

 

 

0_DSC_0752JPG.jpg

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/see-inside-new-lego-brick-4437878

Link to comment
Share on other sites

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/leicester-named-third-best-city-4441162

 

Leicester named as third best city in the UK for students
It has ranked highly in the Student Living Index 2020


ByMaia Snow
10:51, 20 AUG 2020

Leicester has been named as one of the best places to be a student in the UK, according to the Student Living Index 2020.

The index has been put together by NatWest, and it ranks Leicester in the top three student cities, just behind Manchester and Cambridge.

The final ranking was based of interviews with more than 2,800 students in June this year.

Leicester earns its high ranking based on how much it costs students for food, rent and socialising.

The cost of accommodation, the weekly shop and nights out in Leicester combined was far cheaper than Birmingham (placed eighth), Coventry (at number 20) and neighbouring Nottingham (at number 21).

According to the index, students in Leicester only spend an average of £18 a month on alcohol, which is less than anywhere else in the country.

They also spend an average of 98.9 hours a month studying, compared to 23.8 hours socialising, and many students juggle their studies with part-time work.


The survey also found the average rent in Leicester was £342 a month, compared to £383 in Sheffield, £435 in Coventry, £436 in Nottingham and £469 in Birmingham.

It is also a wallet-friendly city, as when students go out, they pay on average £3.40 a pint – compared to Cambridge, where it cost £5.

NatWest combines the cost of rent, food and socialising and divides it by monthly income, made up of student loans, wages from part-time work and any bursaries or scholarships to put together its annual index.

Tierney Morris, who has just graduated in International Business at De Montfort University, said: "I really like Leicester.

"It's small enough to walk everywhere and it’s close to campus, people are friendly, and there are lots of things happening, good bars.

"It is a good city to be a student in."


The Index was developed by PwC and the think tank Demos.

Leicester was ranked not just against economic factors, but against measures which the public vote as most important such as health, work-life balance, the environment and jobs.

Diya Rattanpaul, equality and diversity executive on De Montfort Students' Union, said: "I love how multicultural it is.

"Everyone is so welcoming and friendly in Leicester – and I really love Narborough Road."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, davieG said:

According to the index, students in Leicester only spend an average of £18 a month on alcohol, which is less than anywhere else in the country.

Because Leicester students don’t drink, not because it’s cheap 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/multi-million-pound-plans-former-4447905

 

Multi-million pound plans for the former Last Plantagenet in Leicester
New plans have been drawn up for the disused watering hole


ByDan MartinPolitics Reporter
11:49, 22 AUG 2020


2_last-plantagenet.jpg

Artist's impression of what the old The Last Plantagenet will look like (Image: supplied)

A new pub could open as part of multi-million pound plans to revamp the building that was home to Leicester’s Last Plantagenet pub.

The former Wetherspoon’s venue, in Granby Street, has been boarded up since it served its last pints in September last year.

Previously the pub chain had intended to develop a 38 bedroom hotel above the bar but those proposals were shelved and in June the building, the former Maples department store was put on the market for £3.5 million.

Now Friends Taverns Ltd Leicester have drawn up plans for the 1950s building which could see the ground floor re-open as a pub while 57 student flats would be created in the upper storeys.

 

The developer says the building’s condition and appearance is deteriorating and that its scheme would refurbish the property and provide student accommodation it says is needed in the city.

In documents submitted to Leicester City Council, Friends Taverns said: “The proposal seeks to re-purpose the redundant upper floors of an iconic former furniture store in Leicester City Centre to form 57 self-contained studio apartments, together with communal lounges, a gym and service facilities.

“The development aims to comply with both the relevant local and national planning policies and help reinforce the revitalisation of the High Street following the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Leicester is recognised as one of the premier university cities in the United Kingdom with a reputation for research and development, attracting the best students from across the country and overseas."

3_IMG-5790.jpg
The Last Plantagenet closed on September 8 and has been boarded up since
The developer added: “Helping to ensure their experience as a student and their experience of Leicester is as enriching as possible forms a key component for this proposal. The building’s location on Granby Street in the city centre is a strong attribute helping to establish a more integrated relationship between residents and surrounding leisure offers.

“The scheme represents a very high-quality addition to the student accommodation sector in Leicester.

“The scheme is particularly designed to help support local businesses by establishing relationships that enable greater resident interaction to take place within surrounding facilities.”

City council planning officers are considering the application.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, it's great for the economy etc seeing the high number of students living in Leicester - but just feel like the 'student flats' ideas in recent times for old/disused Leicester buildings has been banged on the drum many times.

 

Why not just rebuild it as flats for the 'normal' working people etc?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Proposal submitted to convert derelict hotel in city centre into more than 400 student flats
The hotel is an eyesore in the city


ByMaia Snow
12:32, 23 AUG 2020UPDATED12:33, 23 AUG 2020
NEWS

The hotel now has scaffolding around it (Image: Leicester Mercury)
1_DSC_7967JPG.jpg
A planning application has been submitted to convert a derelict hotel in Leicester into more than 400 student flats.

The International Hotel, in Wimbledon Street, has lain empty since 2009 and has become an eyesore in the city centre and has had many issues over the years.

The hotel was boarded up in 2018 after Leicester City Council, with the support of Leicestershire Police, secured a court order following complaints of drug abuse, rough sleeping, vandalism and other anti-social behaviour.

It is now set to be given a new lease of life, with plans submitted for student flats with space for 475 students. The plans are for 425 studio flats and 10 five bed flats.


Plans for the building also include a gym, a cafe and a 'creative work space' or office, as well as 'associated landscaping' and the creation of a loading bay to Humberstone Gate.

The building will also see the creation of 10 news jobs - five full-time and five part-time. The cafe has proposed opening hours of 8am to 8pm from Monday to Saturday, and 10am to 4pm on Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays.

There will also the creation of 34 car parking spaces, as well as two disabled spaces and 250 cycle spaces.

Earlier this year the building, owned by Land Invest Ltd, was encased in scaffolding and notices went up announcing plans to convert it into a block of student flats.

The project is being led by student accommodation provider True Student Ltd which has other similar developments in other British cities such as Glasgow, Birmingham, Newcastle and Salford.

In March this year, a spokeswoman for the parent company Bricks Capital said: "True Leicester will be one of the company’s biggest developments to date, bringing around 470 fantastic new student bedrooms, serving the city’s two universities.

"True Student has already commenced work on the historic but derelict site, formerly the grand headquarters of shoe manufacturer, Freeman Hardy & Willis, and subject to significant damage during Second World War bombing raids before post-war reconstruction."

She added: "Contractors RG Group have been appointed to the project, which is due for completion in time for the start of the 2021 academic year and, as is typical with all True Student sites, the all-inclusive accommodation will be fitted out to an exceptional specification - providing amenities such as the fabulous festival zone, private cinema and state-of-the-art gym, complete with personal training."

Ben Morley, managing director of True Student Ltd, believes the redevelopment will bring vibrancy to the area and provide "high-end" student accommodation for students from both De Montfort University and the University of Leicester.


“We’re very excited to be bringing our award-winning offer to Leicester," he said. "Our new scheme is located in the heart of the city and will live up to the industry-leading standards we’ve established.”

He said the project will be "partnering closely with the local community and businesses" while providing an "unparalleled student experience".

"Each week, we offer a range of activities, such as photography workshops, power brunches, nutritional support, day trips, and team challenges,” he added.

A £40 million scheme to replace the former hotel with 428 flats, including a 21-storey tower, was refused by city councillors back in 2017 after the planning committee heard some of the proposed homes would have been smaller than the cages required by law to house wombats.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/plan-create-59-student-flats-4451078

 

Plan to create 59 student flats in development in Leicester's Welford Road
The scheme would see some of the current buildings demolished

 

0_Welford-road-frontJPG.jpg

The front of the proposed development for 59 student appartments on Welford Road (Image: Google Maps)

 

 

A planning application has been submitted which could see 59 student "apartments" created in the city centre.

The location for the proposed new development, put forward by Prosol Enterprises LLP, is 100 Welford Road.

The front of the existing property looks out onto Welford Road, with several other buildings facing Regent Road.

If approved, the scheme would see four of the current buildings demolished, with a three-storey, a four-storey and a five-storey building erected in their place.Two of the current buildings would be converted rather than demolished.

 

The application states that the development would create studio apartments primarily for students.

 

Also on site would be a gym, a launderette, a communal area a storage area and two courtyards, the application states.

No on-site parking would be provided.

The site has previously been used as offices, a light engineering premises, a car dealership, a coal merchant's, a builder's and carpenter's workshop, a sawmill and needle manufacturers.

However, it has not been in use since it was a metal fabrication business in 2016.

"The dilapidated cond

ition of the buildings on the site detracts from the character and appearance of the New Walk conservation area," the planning statement adds.

0_Welford-road-buildingJPG.jpg
A visualisation of how the development on Welford Road would look from Regent Road. (Image: Leicester City Council Planning Portal)

The planning statement adds that the materials which would be used used for the new development are red facing brickwork, dark grey cladding panels, timber cladding, light grey powder-coated aluminium window and door units and black metal balustrades.

The target date for a decision on the plan is November 2.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/gallery/inside-lane7-takes-shape-former-4456488

 

0_DSC_0952JPG.jpg

 

See inside new attraction Lane7 as it takes shape inside former Leicester Central railway station
The huge new venue is due to open in October - and will create more than 50 jobs


ByBecky JonesWhat's On Writer
16:18, 25 AUG 2020
 

CLICK TO PLAY
FIRST LOOK:WORK WELL UNDERWAY AT LEICESTER CENTRAL DEVELOPMENT
me.
Leicester is set to welcome a new attraction in the coming weeks, as Lane7 opens in the former Leicester Central railway station.

The historic building, in Great Central Street, off the inner ring road, is currently being transformed into what the bowling operator describes as a 'leisure and nighttime destination'.

Although Lane7 is known as a bowling operator, the Leicester venue - the brand's biggest site yet - will offer much, much more.

As well as bowling, visitors can look forward to entertainment options including mini golf, UV ping pong, arcade games, and gaming tables, as well as a street food court and a variety of themed bars.

Take a virtual tour of the building with works taking place below

 

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/lane7-opening-new-leicester-bowling-3067776?fbclid=IwAR1vS027oqoAXIo1iSKphaCP6DC2NfoCOuqhwfbL3Bqs0DO_kzvw3RmqpOY

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

https://www.archiuk.com/cgi-bin/build_nls_historic_map.pl?map_location= Leicester LEICESTER City of Leicester&search_location=Leicester%2C City of Leicester%2C SK5804%2C SK 58 04&os_series=1&is_sub=&pwd=freesearch%40freesearch.com&latitude=52.630664&longitude=-1.144498&postcode=&fbclid=IwAR1LQ5yzh6uU3egvjveVYJcWTZIYbH9vF-twj_vE9YORKp0Aotk7EWBqpz8

 

Interesting Victorian Map based on Leicester. You can enlarge and move around the country and go back to an Old Victorian Ordnance Survey 6 inch to 1 mile Old Map (1888-1913) of Leicester, City of Leicester, SK5804, SK 58 04, United Kingdom

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...