Leicester is built upon the work of the innovators, entrepreneurs and pioneers of past centuries. Henry Walker looked for a meat substitute during rationing after the Second World War and created the world-famous potato crisp brand. Another local man, Henry Curry, used metalworking skills acquired maintaining steam engines to construct bicycles, and his business would later become Curry’s PC World. In this book, author Stephen Butt celebrates the heritage, culture and identity of the city....

Leicester History Tour is a unique insight into the illustrious history of this East Midlands city. Local author Stephen Butt guides us through the streets and alleyways, showing how its famous landmarks used to look and how they’ve changed over the years, as well as exploring its lesser-known places and hidden corners. With the help of a handy location map, readers are invited to follow a timeline of events and discover for themselves the changing face of Leicester.

The 1970s was a decade of change. Supermarkets began to take over from traditional stores, high-rise office blocks appeared on the skyline, and Leicester’s first shopping centre replaced familiar Victorian shops and hotels. It was a time of industrial unrest. The lights went out as coal stocks diminished. Pay packets were depleted as Leicester’s workers faced a three-day week, prices in the shops began to soar, and we all shivered during the ‘winter of discontent’. It was a turning point i...

The famous seaside resort of Weston-Super-Mare has long been a popular destination for holidaying families. Ever since Isambard Kingdom Brunel's railway was opened in 1841, visitors have flocked to the town from Bristol, the Midlands and further afield, while mining families from South Wales crossed the Bristol Channel by paddle steamer to enjoy the resort's numerous attractions. Through the reproduction of many old photographs, readers are invited to share in those memories, from the arch...

Weston-super-Mare History Touris a unique insight into the illustrious history of this famous old seaside resort and shows just how much it has changed during the course of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Readers are invited to follow author Stephen Butt as he guides them through its streets and alleyways, pointing out the well-known and lesser-known landmarks along the way.

Leicester is proud of its industrial heritage. The eighteenth and nineteenth centuries saw the city’s population grow rapidly with the construction of the Grand Union Canal and the arrival of the railway, which not only provided a supply of coal to the town from nearby collieries but also linked the town to the national network. These developments encouraged and accompanied a process of industrialisation that intensified throughout the Victorian era; hosiery, textiles, and footwear became ...

Nineteenth century visitors to Ashby entered a world of make-believe, thanks to Sir Walter Scott's romantic hero, Ivanhoe. They flocked to the town in their thousands to bathe in the spa waters which were brought in by train and canal, and to relax in the shadow of the impressive castle ruins. A thriving market town in the heart of the National Forest, Ashby is still a place for history and heritage. Georgian frontages line the ancient Market Street, and all around are reminders of the bui...

From its origins as a major Roman settlement to its current status as one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the UK, Leicester has a proud and distinctive identity. This extraordinary history is embodied in the buildings that have shaped the city. Leicester in 50 Buildings explores the history of this rich and vibrant community through a selection of its greatest architectural treasures. From the ancient Jewry Wall to the shiny and modern National Space Centre, this unique study cele...

There is a history of Leicester that is hidden from view, or simply not recognised today because it is so familiar. There are Norman and medieval arches below landmark buildings, mosaics beneath the Central Ring Road and the remains of the town's first railway station just minutes away from a major hotel. 'Secret Leicester' goes behind the facades of the familiar to discover the lesser-known artefacts of Leicester's fascinating past, brought to life through revealing images of the past and...

For the people of Leicester, the 1960s was a decade of great social and economic change. It was to see a revolution in social attitudes reflected in the popular music of the time, in fashion, and in the print and broadcast media. Life changed for everyone. Railway stations closed as the motor vehicle grew in popularity. National Service ended, the pirate radio stations were scuppered, colour television became available, and the fashion garments manufactured by Leicester’s giant textile com...

Famous for pork pies and Stilton cheese, and its magnificent cathedrallike parish church, the wider and older history and heritage of Melton Mowbray is illustrated in this book. The lost medieval stone crosses, the town's connections with the little Saxon and Danish villages clustered along the valley of the River Wreake, and Melton's ancient markets that date from before Domesday but are still thriving today in the bustling streets of the old town are all recorded here.Set in the heart of...

Leicester’s pubs have always been more than mere watering holes. They are where businesses were created, battle plans drawn up and where murderers once faced up to their crimes. Richard III spent his final night in Leicester at the Blue Boar in Highcross Street. Nathaniel Corah began his textile manufacturing empire, which employed thousands of Leicester people, at the Globe on Silver Street in 1815. Condemned prisoners on the way to the gallows at Red Hill were allowed a final drink at th...