City of Leicester & Leicestershire - The Good and Historical Stuff

[davieG]

On 22/02/2024 at 18:51, Paninistickers said:

Give or take where the college is then, which makes sense as that way goes down to countesthorpe 

 

Would be hugely advantageous to Leicester economy if that line to Rugby (and then off to Northampton)  were re introduced. Ditto Coventry link. Ditto Ivanhoe line. But, alas, Leicester basically never ever gets central government funding. 

 

The new east west link at Bedford would be useful too, but you can imagine the trains will run anywhere but Leicester 

Wigston South Station

British Railways Steam Locomotive

November 4th 1961

(Photo by Mike Mitchell)

[davieG]

Story of Leicester  · 

 

Do you know the grand, half-timbered building on the corner of Wellington Street and King Street which can be seen as you walk down Market Street? It looks very old, like it's been there for 100s of years - well it hasn't!

Called 'The Original Four Building' it was in fact built in 1930 by architects G. P. K. Young and was originally an insurance office for General Accident.

See here in the early 1910s when it was Castle's Motors.

[davieG]

[davieG]

Leicester Old and New  · 
 Nigel Tout  · 
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Stock car race at Blackbird Road Stadium in Summer 1984. My picture is an amalgamation of two photographs stitched together.

[Free Falling Foxes]

9 minutes ago, davieG said:

Would that be the station on Belgrave Road, around where B&M is now?

[davieG]

9 minutes ago, Free Falling Foxes said:

Would that be the station on Belgrave Road, around where B&M is now?

Belgrave Road, yes don't know about where the B&M is.

[davieG]

 

Leicester Old and New  · 

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Belgrave Gate

[boots60]

Alfred Lentons at the top of High St. has closed after 51 years of trading.

Only ever went in a couple of times. 

Not many people went in at all but the shop continued through somehow selling books, rail memorabilia, meccano, & any manner of bits & bobs.

The last example of a Leicester shop from a different time to disappear.

[Free Falling Foxes]

1 hour ago, boots60 said:

Alfred Lentons at the top of High St. has closed after 51 years of trading.

Only ever went in a couple of times. 

Not many people went in at all but the shop continued through somehow selling books, rail memorabilia, meccano, & any manner of bits & bobs.

The last example of a Leicester shop from a different time to disappear.

Sorry to see it close for the reasons you mentioned.

The shop has always been there for as long as I can remember and seemed a cosy reminder of the past.

I started a thread some years ago about the shop and I recall a poster adding that the owner occasionally popped into their store on the High St, he would sometimes say he had only taken a pound all week!

Perhaps surprising he kept it going as long as he did.

Edited 25 February by Free Falling Foxes

[davieG]

 

History of Leicestershire in Images

Steve Anderson  ·   · 

 

 

Belvoir Street 1949

[davieG]

 

History of Leicestershire in Images

Steve Anderson  ·   · 

Late 50s / Early 60s ?

New Parks Social Club

[PAULCFC]

12 hours ago, boots60 said:

Alfred Lentons at the top of High St. has closed after 51 years of trading.

Only ever went in a couple of times. 

Not many people went in at all but the shop continued through somehow selling books, rail memorabilia, meccano, & any manner of bits & bobs.

The last example of a Leicester shop from a different time to disappear.

https://www.change.org/p/save-the-iconic-alfred-lenton-shop-front-and-building

[davieG]

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/local-news/game-changing-400m-transport-boost-9125209

 

'Game changing' £400m transport boost for Leicester and Leicestershire announced
Money from scrapped HS2 phase 2 could now improve Leicestershire's roads and ease congestion

ByJulia BreensLocal Democracy Reporter
16:11, 26 FEB 2024

The government says the money could be used for a range of transport improvements. (Image: Leicester Mercury / Chris Gordon)

Leicestershire’s roads and public transport are set to get a "game changing" £400million boost after the government announced it would divvy up cash from the scrapped northern leg of High Speed 2 (HS2) and give it to local councils. Leicestershire County Council will receive more than £238m while Leicester City Council will be given almost £160m as part of the Local Transport Fund for councils in the Midlands and the North, announced this morning by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Transport Minister Mark Harper.

The money – which includes a total of £1 billion for smaller cities, towns and rural areas across the East Midlands – could go towards building new roads and improving junctions, highway maintenance, tackling congestion, adding charging points for electric cars, refurbishing bus and train stations and/or road safety. The funding will be available from 2025 up until 2032, with the government claiming it represents nine times the regular transport funding for local councils.

Both Leicester City and Leicestershire County Councils told LeicestershireLive they needed to wait for further guidance promised by the government before they could begin to make decisions on how to spend the money. However, there are several transport issues in the city and county which could be targeted for improvement. Last year, LeicestershireLive revealed potholes have cost the city council £32,000 in payments to drivers with damaged cars, while residents of rural areas have seen their bus services cancelled or reduced.

 

 

The total £4.7 billion announced for the Local Transport Fund was originally destined for the now-scrapped leg of the controversial high speed rail scheme. When Mr Sunak announced the cancellation at the Conservative party conference in October, Labour mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham accused the government of "disrespecting people across the whole of the North", while Conservative West Midlands mayor Andy Street said it amounted to "cancelling the future".

Councillor Ozzy O’Shea, the county council’s cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “Roads and transport enable our residents to go about their everyday lives, connecting people with work, shops and health facilities so any extra funding is very welcome." But he added: “What we really need to help us put in a place a long-term, joined up approach is Government confirmation of the yearly funding, and the money available for road maintenance and buses. This is what enables us to put a sustainable plan in place and do the most to help our residents. We now need to work through the detail to see how we can make the most of the money.”

 

Deputy city mayor Councillor Adam Clarke also welcomed the news, saying: “It’s good that Leicester has been allocated additional investment for transport from next year, particularly given the wider funding challenges local government is currently facing. Whilst we await the detail, the new allocation of funds appears to be an endorsement of the improvements we have carried out throughout the city and its neighbourhoods in recent years, and reassures us that there is support for us to continue with them.”

 

Bosworth MP Dr Luke Evans said he and other Leicestershire MPs had been lobbying government for more transport cash and that he was pleased by the news. He added: "This is on top of an above-inflation uplift to Leicestershire County Council finances of more than seven per cent, £3m to fix potholes across Leicestershire and £1.78m for a bus service improvement plan in our county."

Announcing the scheme this morning, Mr Sunak said: "We have a clear plan to level up our country with greater transport links that people need and deliver the right long term change for a brighter future. Through reallocating HS2 funding, we’re not only investing billions of pounds directly back into our smaller cities, towns and rural areas across the North and Midlands, but we are also empowering their local leaders to invest in the transport projects that matter most to their communities."

 

Transport Secretary Mark Harper added: "Today’s £4.7bn investment is truly game-changing for the smaller cities, towns, and rural communities across the North and the Midlands and is only possible because this government has a plan to improve local transport and is willing to take tough decisions like reallocating funding from the second phase of HS2.

"This funding boost will make a real difference to millions of people, empowering local authorities to drive economic growth, transform communities, and improve the daily transport connections that people rely on for years to come."

Have your say: tell us in the comments what you think are the biggest transport issues facing the city and county, and what you think the money needs to be spent on.

 

[The Fox Covert]

On 24/02/2024 at 11:57, davieG said:

Wigston South Station

British Railways Steam Locomotive

November 4th 1961

(Photo by Mike Mitchell)

In 1961 there were two railways from Leicester to Rugby. Despite this being a link from a major city to the West Coast Main Line both this line and the Great Central were closed. Leicestershire has the lowest percentage of public transport use for travel to work in the UK and the lowest investment in public transport per head. There are just seven railway stations in the county. None of the lines are electrified, and only the line to Birmingham has anything like a suburban stopping service, with stations at Wigston South, Narborough and Hinckley.

[davieG]

 

History of Leicestershire in Images

Steve Anderson  · 29 m  · 

 

 

New Street Now and Then.

[davieG]

 

History of Leicestershire in Images

Steve Anderson  ·   · 

 

 

Victoria Road East 

[davieG]

 

History of Leicestershire in Images

Steve Anderson  ·   · 

 

 

King Richards Road.

[davieG]

The Savoy Cinema on Belgrave Gate, when it was known as the ABC back in 1982.

The new Art Deco style Savoy Cinema was opened at 42 Belgrave Gate on 4 June 1937. Part of the Associated British Cinemas (ABC) group, it was the largest cinema in Leicester, with 2,414 seats. The “futuristic” interior had chrome, concealed lighting, an illuminated arch over the screen and the latest “high fidelity” sound. As well as a cinema screen the Savoy had a Compton music organ and a small stage for variety shows.

Learn more at: https://storyofleicester.info/leisure.../savoy-cinema/

[davieG]

 

History of Leicestershire in Images

Steve Anderson  ·   · 

 

 

Waterloo Street.

[davieG]

 

Leicester Old and New  · 

Join

 

 

Everard”s Southgates Brewery. William Everard brewed his first pint of ale in 1849 corner of southgate street and castle street

[davieG]

9 minutes ago, davieG said:

The Savoy Cinema on Belgrave Gate, when it was known as the ABC back in 1982.

The new Art Deco style Savoy Cinema was opened at 42 Belgrave Gate on 4 June 1937. Part of the Associated British Cinemas (ABC) group, it was the largest cinema in Leicester, with 2,414 seats. The “futuristic” interior had chrome, concealed lighting, an illuminated arch over the screen and the latest “high fidelity” sound. As well as a cinema screen the Savoy had a Compton music organ and a small stage for variety shows.

Learn more at: https://storyofleicester.info/leisure.../savoy-cinema/

Just down from there

 

[Paninistickers]

3 hours ago, davieG said:

The Savoy Cinema on Belgrave Gate, when it was known as the ABC back in 1982.

The new Art Deco style Savoy Cinema was opened at 42 Belgrave Gate on 4 June 1937. Part of the Associated British Cinemas (ABC) group, it was the largest cinema in Leicester, with 2,414 seats. The “futuristic” interior had chrome, concealed lighting, an illuminated arch over the screen and the latest “high fidelity” sound. As well as a cinema screen the Savoy had a Compton music organ and a small stage for variety shows.

Learn more at: https://storyofleicester.info/leisure.../savoy-cinema/

My childhood it seemed to be permanently showing The Elephant Man, Scanners and the Exterminator. 

[davieG]

 

[davieG]

[Lillehamring]

14 hours ago, davieG said:

The Savoy Cinema on Belgrave Gate, when it was known as the ABC back in 1982.

The new Art Deco style Savoy Cinema was opened at 42 Belgrave Gate on 4 June 1937. Part of the Associated British Cinemas (ABC) group, it was the largest cinema in Leicester, with 2,414 seats. The “futuristic” interior had chrome, concealed lighting, an illuminated arch over the screen and the latest “high fidelity” sound. As well as a cinema screen the Savoy had a Compton music organ and a small stage for variety shows.

Learn more at: https://storyofleicester.info/leisure.../savoy-cinema/

Home of the immortal lines (when asked how old youngest son is) - "Oh, he's 15 next week"  

 

When you have to lie but you just can't quite get over the line