City of Leicester
Leicester city centre, looking towards the Clock Tower
Location within England
Coordinates: 52°38′06″N 1°08′06″W / 52.635, -1.135
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Constituent country	England
Region	East Midlands
Ceremonial county	Leicestershire
Admin HQ	Leicester
Founded	AD 50 as Ratae Corieltauvorum by the Romans
City Status	"restored" 1919
Government
- Type	Unitary authority, City
- Governing body
- Leadership	Leader & Cabinet
Area
- Total	28. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Constituent country is a phrase used often by official institutions in contexts in which a country makes up a part of a larger entity or grouping England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The East Midlands is one of the Regions of England and consists of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. The ceremonial counties are areas of England that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as the Counties for the purposes of the Lieutenancies Leicestershire (ˈlɛstəʃə(r or ˈlɛstəʃɪə(r abbreviation Leics Ratae Corieltauvorum was a town in the Roman province of Britannia. See also Independent city A unitary authority is a type of Local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all Local government functions The pattern of local government in England is complex with the distribution of functions varying according to the local arrangements Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. 3 sq mi (73. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. 32 km²)
Population (2006 est. To help compare sizes of different geographic regions we list here Areas between 10 km² (1000 Hectares and 100 km² (10000 hectares )
- Total	289,700 (Ranked 20th)
- Ethnicity (United Kingdom Census 2005 Estimate)[1]	62. The figures are mid-year estimates for 2007 from the Office for National Statistics. 6% White 29. 3% S. Asian 4. 3% Black 2. 5% Mixed 1. 3% Chinese and other
Time zone	Greenwich Mean Time (UTC+0)
Grid Ref.	SK584044
ONS code	00FN
ISO 3166-2	GB-LCE
NUTS 3	UKF21
Website: http://www.leicester.gov.uk/

Leicester (pronounced /ˈlɛstə/) listen (help·info) is the largest city and unitary authority area in the East Midlands of England, and is the traditional county town of Leicestershire. Greenwich Mean Time ( GMT) is a term originally referring to mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London Coordinated Universal Time, the basis for the world's civil time frequently referred to by the name of its predecessor Greenwich Mean Time Western The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using Latitude and Longitude The Office for National Statistics coding system is a hierarchical code used in the United Kingdom for tabulating Census and other statistical data ISO 3166-2GB is an ISO standard which defines Geocodes it is the subset of ISO 3166-2 which applies to the United Kingdom. The Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics, ( NUTS) for the French nomenclature d'unités territoriales statistiques, is a Geocode See also Independent city A unitary authority is a type of Local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all Local government functions The East Midlands is one of the Regions of England and consists of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland A county town is the 'capital' of a County in the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland. Leicestershire (ˈlɛstəʃə(r or ˈlɛstəʃɪə(r abbreviation Leics

Leicester lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the English National Forest. The River Soar is a Tributary of the River Trent in the English East Midlands. The National Forest, is an area of 520 km² (200 square miles of Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire, in England. In 2004, the population of the city proper was estimated at 285,100, with 441,213 living in the urban area. The Leicester Urban Area is a Conurbation based around the city of Leicester in Leicestershire, England. It is currently, by population, the 10th largest city in England and the 13th largest in the UK.

The urban area extends beyond the boundaries of the city proper to include the satellite towns of Oadby, Wigston, Braunstone Town, Birstall, Glenfield, Blaby, Thurmaston, Syston and Leicester Forest East. The modern City Centre of Leicester is roughly delineated by Leicester's inner ring-road designated the A594. Oadby is a town within the borough of Oadby and Wigston, in Leicestershire, England. Great Wigston or Wigston Magna (see also Wigston Parva) is a town within Leicestershire, England just to the south of Leicester Braunstone is a Civil parish and is the largest parish within the district of Blaby in Leicestershire, England, now known as the Town of Birstall is a large village north of Leicester in Leicestershire, England. Glenfield is a satellite town and suburb of Leicester, England. Blaby is a Village in central Leicestershire, England, some five miles south of Leicester city centre and with a population of around 6240 Thurmaston is a village and Civil parish within the Charnwood district of Leicestershire, England. This article is on Syston in Leicestershire There is also a Syston in Lincolnshire &mdash see Syston Lincolnshire Syston Leicester Forest East or LFE is a settlement in Leicestershire, England, west of Leicester, straddling the M1 motorway. A number of these towns are in fact closely integrated suburbs of the city itself, especially Glenfield and Braunstone. For areas within the city, see Areas of Leicester. In terms of population within the city limits it is the largest in the East Midlands.

General

The city is close to the M1 motorway, and is on the Midland Main Line from London St Pancras International to Sheffield, Nottingham and Leeds. The M1 is a major south – north Motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where The Midland Main Line is a major railway line in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system. St Pancras railway station is a major railway station situated in the St Pancras area of Central London between the British Library and King's Cross Sheffield ( is a city and Metropolitan borough in South Yorkshire, England Nottingham ( is a city in the Ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire, England. Leeds ( is located on the River Aire in West Yorkshire, England High-speed trains operated by East Midlands Trains can reach London in just over an hour. East Midlands Trains ( EMT) is a train operating company operating in the United Kingdom. It is also served by rail lines to Birmingham via Nuneaton, and to Cambridge via Peterborough. Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um Nuneaton is the largest town in the English county of Warwickshire, and the borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth. The city of Cambridge (ˈkeɪmbrɪdʒ is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England History Early history Present-day Peterborough is the latest in a series of settlements which have at one time or other benefited from its situation where the Nene

Major industries in Leicester today include food processing, hosiery, knitwear, engineering, electronics, printing and plastics.

The city centre is mainly Victorian with some later developments, which have usually been integrated in smoothly. The modern City Centre of Leicester is roughly delineated by Leicester's inner ring-road designated the A594. Culture The Victorian fascination with novelty resulted in a deep interest in the relationship between modernity and cultural continuities The heart of the city centre is the Clock Tower, which is at the intersection of five routes into the city - High Street, Churchgate, Belgrave Gate, Humberstone Gate, and Gallowtree Gate. Today, the latter two are pedestrianised, and vehicles are restricted on the others, with the High Street currently being pedestrianised.

The clock tower

Leicester City Centre is home to The Haymarket and The Shires (soon to be renamed Highcross Leicester) shopping centres, both of which face the Clock Tower. The Haymarket Memorial Clock Tower is a major landmark and popular meeting point in the Leicester city centre. The modern City Centre of Leicester is roughly delineated by Leicester's inner ring-road designated the A594. The Haymarket is a Shopping centre in the city centre of Leicester, England. Leicester Market, Europe's largest covered market, is nearby. Leicester Market is a large market in The City of Leicester, England, on Market Place just south of the clock tower. The historic core of the city lies slightly to the west, and monuments here include the Castle, the Anglican cathedral of St Martin, the medieval churches of St Mary de Castro and St. Nicholas, the Guildhall and the Jewry Wall. Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs This article is about the history and organisation of the cathedral Leicester Cathedral, or the Cathedral Church of St Martin Leicester is a Church of England Cathedral in the English city of Leicester St Mary de Castro (meaning St Mary of the Castle is an ancient church in Leicester, England, near to Leicester Castle. St Nicholas' Church is an Anglican parish church and the oldest place of worship in Leicester, England. Leicester 's Guildhall is a Grade I listed Timber framed building with the earliest part dating from c1390 The Jewry Wall in Leicester, England is the remaining wall of the public baths of Roman Leicester along with foundations of the baths

There are a number of major developments on the horizon implemented by the Leicester Regeneration Company including the £60 million Curve Theatre, Leicester designed by Rafael Viñoly. Rafael Viñoly (b 1944) is an Uruguayan-born Architect living in the United States

In 1990, Leicester was designated the UK's first Environment City, and won the European Sustainable City Award in 1996. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located

Leicester has a large ethnic minority population, mainly from the Indian subcontinent. This article deals with the geophysical region in Asia For geopolitical treatments see South Asia. There are many Hindu mandirs, Sikh gurdwaras and Muslim mosques around the city, mostly converted from existing buildings. A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical A Hindu temple or Mandir ( Sanskrit: मंदिर is a house of worship for Hindus followers of Hinduism. Sikh (English or; ਸਿੱਖ sikkh, IPA) is the title and name given to an adherent of Sikhism. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion A "mosque" in English refers to all types of buildings dedicated for Islamic worship although there is a distinction in Arabic between the smaller privately owned mosque and the larger The Jain Temple in Leicester is near the city centre (The Jain Centre). Jainism, traditionally known as Jain Dharma / Shraman Dharma (जैन धर्म is an ancient religion of India. The area around Belgrave Road is known as the Golden Mile, and contains many Indian restaurants, jewellery shops, and other shops catering to the large Indian community in the neighbourhood. The Golden Mile is a name given to a stretch of the Belgrave Road in Leicester, United Kingdom. Many people travel to the area specifically for the restaurants, which serve authentic Indian cuisine. The annual Diwali celebrations are also held here and at the nearby Abbey Park, and are the biggest outside of India. Diwali, or Deepavali, (also called Tihar and Swanti in Nepal (Markiscarali is a major Indian and Nepalese festival and a significant Abbey Park is a public park in Leicester, England, owned and managed by Leicester City Council through which the River Soar flows India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country There are also many of Afro-Caribbean descent (mainly from Antigua & Barbuda, Montserrat and Jamaica), the community being centred around Highfields to the south-east of the city centre, and Leicester plays host to the second largest Caribbean Carnival in the UK after Notting Hill. Antigua and Barbuda ( Spanish for "Ancient" and "Bearded" is an Island nation located on the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea Montserrat (ˌmɒntsəˈræt is British overseas territory located in the Leeward Islands, part of the chain of islands called the Lesser Antilles Jamaica (ˈdʒəˈmeɪkə} is an Island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length and as much as in width situated in the Caribbean Sea. Highfields is an inner city area of Leicester, England. As the name suggests it is one of the highest areas in the city on high ground southeast of the city Leicester Caribbean Carnival is an annual event held in early August in Leicester, England. Notting Hill is an area in West London, England close to the north-western corner of Hyde Park, and lying within the Royal Borough of Kensington and

History

According to Geoffrey of Monmouth, a mythical king of the Britons King Leir founded the city of Kaerleir ('Leir's chester' – i. Geoffrey of Monmouth ( Gruffudd ap Arthur or Sieffre o Fynwy) (c King Leir is an anonymous Elizabethan play published in 1605 but believed to have been written c e. fortified town). Even today the name of the city in the Welsh language is Caerlŷr. Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic He was supposedly buried by Queen Cordelia in a chamber beneath the River Soar near the city dedicated to the Roman god Janus, and every year people celebrated his feast-day near Leir's tomb. Queen Cordelia was a legendary Queen of the Britons as accounted by Geoffrey of Monmouth. The River Soar is a Tributary of the River Trent in the English East Midlands. ^[2] William Shakespeare's King Lear is loosely based on this story and there is a statue of Lear in Watermead Country Park. William Shakespeare ( baptised King Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1603 and 1606 and is considered one of his greatest works The Watermead Country Park is a network of artificial lakes in the valley of the River Soar and the Grand Union Canal (old, to the north of Leicester

Roman

The remains of the Roman baths at Jewry Wall

Main article: Ratae Corieltauvorum

Leicester is one of the oldest cities in England, with a history going back 2000 years. The Jewry Wall in Leicester, England is the remaining wall of the public baths of Roman Leicester along with foundations of the baths Ratae Corieltauvorum was a town in the Roman province of Britannia. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The city of Leicester was first known as Ratae Coritanorum and was inhabited by the Corieltauvi tribe. The Corieltauvi (formerly thought to be called the Coritani) were a tribe of people living in Britain prior to the Roman conquest, and thereafter a The Corieltauvi were a Celtic tribe and Leicester was the capital of a territory of what is now known as the East Midlands. Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts

The Roman city of Ratae Corieltauvorum was founded around AD 50 as a military settlement upon the Fosse Way Roman road. The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial Ratae Corieltauvorum was a town in the Roman province of Britannia. Year 50 was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. The Fosse Way was a Roman road in England that linked Exeter ( Isca Dumnoniorum) in South West England to Lincoln The Roman Roads were essential for the growth of the Roman Empire, by enabling the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate news After the military departure, Ratae Corieltauvorum grew into an important trading and one of the largest towns in Roman Britain. Roman Britain refers to those parts of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire between AD 43 and 410 The remains of the baths of Roman Leicester can be seen at the Jewry Wall and other Roman artefacts are displayed in the Jewry Wall Museum adjacent to the site. This page is on buildings used for Roman bathing For the activity in general see Ancient Roman bathing. The Jewry Wall in Leicester, England is the remaining wall of the public baths of Roman Leicester along with foundations of the baths

Saxon and Viking

Knowledge of the town in the 5th century is very patchy. Certainly there is some continuation of occupation of the town, though on a much reduced scale in the 5th and 6th centuries. Leicester was chosen as the centre of a bishopric (and therefore a city) in 679/80 which survived until the 9th century, when Leicester was captured by the Danes (Vikings) and became one of the five boroughs (fortified towns) of Danelaw, although this position was short lived. A Viking is one of the Norse ( Scandinavian Explorers Warriors Merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas The Five Burghs or more usually The Five Boroughs or The Five Boroughs of the Danelaw were the five main towns of Danish Mercia The Danelaw, as recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (also known as the Danelagh; Old English: Dena lagu; Danish: The Saxon Bishop of Leicester fled to Dorchester-on-Thames and Leicester was not to become a bishopric again until the 20th century. The Bishop of Leicester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Leicester in the Province of Canterbury

It is believed the name "Leicester" is derived from the words castra (camp) of the Ligore, meaning dwellers on the 'River Legro' (an early name for the River Soar). The River Soar is a Tributary of the River Trent in the English East Midlands. In the early 10th century it was recorded as Ligeraceaster = "the town of the Ligor people". The Domesday Book later recorded it as Ledecestre. The Domesday Book (ˈduːmzdeɪ bʊk also known as Domesday, or Book of Winchester) was the record of the great survey

Medieval

Leicester became a town of considerable importance by Medieval times. It was mentioned in the Domesday Book as 'civitas' (city), but Leicester lost its city status in the 11th century owing to power struggles between the Church and the aristocracy. The Domesday Book (ˈduːmzdeɪ bʊk also known as Domesday, or Book of Winchester) was the record of the great survey This is a list of cities in the United Kingdom, as of 2008 Cities which have held such status since Time immemorial are indicated with TI in the column headed It was eventually re-made a city in 1919, and the Church of St Martin became Leicester Cathedral in 1927. Leicester Cathedral, or the Cathedral Church of St Martin Leicester is a Church of England Cathedral in the English city of Leicester The tomb of King Richard III is located in the central nave of the church although he is not actually buried there. Richard III ( 2 October 1452 &ndash 22 August 1485) was King of England from 1483 until his death He was originally buried in the Greyfriars Church in Leicester, but there is a legend that his corpse was exhumed under orders from Henry VII and cast into the River Soar, although there is no evidence for this and some historians believe that his tomb and bones were destroyed with the dissolution of the church. The River Soar is a Tributary of the River Trent in the English East Midlands.

Leicester played a significant role in the history of England, when, in 1265, Simon de Montfort forced King Henry III to hold the first Parliament of England at the now-ruined Leicester Castle. Simon de Montfort 6th Earl of Leicester (1208 – August 4, 1265) was the principal leader of the Baronial opposition to King Henry III of England Henry III (1 October 1207 &ndash 16 November 1272 was the son and successor of John "Lackland" as King of England, reigning for fifty-six years from 1216 The Parliament of England was the Legislature of the Kingdom of England. Leicester Castle is located in Leicester, England. The complex is situated in the west of the city centre, between Saint Nicholas Circle to the north and This was not the only time parliament was held in Leicester, see Parliament of Bats. The Parliament of Bats was a Parliament of England that was held in 1426 in Leicester.

Lady Jane Grey, (1536/7 — 12 February 1554), a great-granddaughter of Henry VII of England, reigned as uncrowned Queen Regnant of the Kingdom of England for nine days in July 1553, and for that reason is called "The Nine Days Queen"^[3] was born at Bradgate Park near Leicester. Events 1429 - English Forces under Sir John Fastolf defend a supply convoy carrying rations to the army besieging Orleans from attack by the List of current queens regnant A queen regnant (plural "queens regnant" is qualifying reference to a female Monarch possessing and exercising all of the monarchal The Kingdom of England was a State (927-1707 located in Western Europe dating from the ninth or tenth century to the early eighteenth century when it was legally Bradgate Park is a public park in Charnwood Forest, in Leicestershire, England, just northwest of Leicester.

Tudor

Leicester Abbey ruins, now part of Abbey Park.

On 4 November 1530, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey was arrested on charges of treason and taken from York Place. Events 1333 - Flood of the Arno River, causing massive damage in Florence as recorded by the Florentine chronicler Giovanni Villani Thomas Cardinal Wolsey (c1470–1471 – November 28 or November 29 1530 who was born in Ipswich Suffolk England was an English Statesman and a cardinal The Palace of Whitehall was the main residence of the English monarchs in London from 1530 until 1698 when all except Inigo Jones 's 1622 On his way south to face dubious justice at the Tower of London, he fell ill. Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London (and historically as The Tower) is a historic monument in central London The group escorting him was concerned enough to stop at Leicester. There, Wolsey's condition quickly worsened and he died on 29 November 1530 and was buried at Leicester Abbey, now Abbey Park. Events 1777 - San Jose California, is founded as el Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe Leicester Abbey, the Abbey of Saint Mary de Pratis ("St Mary of the Meadows" standing about a mile (2 km north of the city of Leicester in the riverside Abbey Park is a public park in Leicester, England, owned and managed by Leicester City Council through which the River Soar flows

Civil War

Leicester was a Parliamentarian stronghold during the English Civil War. The English Civil War (1642-1651 was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists. In 1645, Prince Rupert decided to attack the city to draw the New Model Army away from the Royalist headquarters of Oxford. Rupert Count Palatine of the Rhine Duke of Bavaria (German Ruprecht Pfalzgraf bei Rhein Herzog von Bayern) commonly called Prince Rupert of the Rhine, (17 The New Model Army was formed in 1645 by the Parliamentarians in the English Civil War. Royalist guns were set up on Raw Dykes and after an unsatisfactory response to a demand for surrender, the Newarke was stormed and the city was sacked on 30 May. Although hundreds of people were killed by Rupert's cavalry, reports of the severity of the sacking were exaggerated by the Parliamentary press in London. ^[4]

18th and 19th centuries

With the construction of the Grand Union Canal in the 1790s linking Leicester to London and Birmingham, Leicester began rapid industrialisation. The Grand Union Canal in England is part of the British canal system. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um is a process of social and economic change whereby a human group is transformed from a Pre-industrial society into an industrial one The main industries being hosiery, footwear and, especially in the 20th century, engineering. Hosiery is knitted coverings for the legs and feet Also referred to as legwear hosiery describes garments worn directly on the feet and Legs The term Footwear consists of Garments worn on the feet, for protection against the environment and Adornment. Engineering is the Discipline and Profession of applying technical and scientific Knowledge and All are, however, in decline now.

By 1832, railways had arrived in Leicester with the opening of the Leicester and Swannington Railway, which provided a supply of coal to the town from nearby collieries. "Railroad" and "Railway" both redirect here For other uses see Railroad (disambiguation. The Leicester and Swannington Railway (L&S was one of England's first railways being opened on July 17 1832 to bring Coal from pits in west Leicestershire By 1840 the Midland Counties Railway had linked Leicester to the national railway network, which further boosted industrial growth. The Midland Counties Railway (MCR was a railway company in the United Kingdom which existed between 1832 and 1844 connecting Nottingham, Leicester By the 1860s, Leicester had gained a direct rail link to London (St Pancras) with the completion of the Midland Main Line. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. St Pancras railway station is a major railway station situated in the St Pancras area of Central London between the British Library and King's Cross The Midland Main Line is a major railway line in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system. The Great Central Railway arrived in 1900, providing an alternative route to London. The Great Central Railway ( GCR) was a railway company in England which came into being when the Manchester Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed However, this closed in 1966.

The borough expanded throughout the 19th century, most notably in 1892 annexing Belgrave, Aylestone, Knighton and North Evington. Belgrave is an area in northern Leicester, England. The old Belgrave Village is on the Loughborough Road to the west of the A46, known at that point as Aylestone is a Suburb of Leicester, England at. It is south-west of the city centre, but to the east of the River Soar. Knighton is an area of Leicester, situated roughly between Clarendon Park to the north Stoneygate and South Knighton to the east North Evington is an area of the city of Leicester, England which is an inclusion of Highfields. The city obtained its current boundaries in 1935, with the annexation of the remainder of Evington, Humberstone, Beaumont Leys, along with part of Braunstone. Evington is a area in eastern Leicester, England. It used to be a small village centred around Main Street and the Anglican church of St Denys but was Humberstone is an urban Village in Leicester, England. It is in the east of the city and grew in the Industrial revolution outside the Braunstone is a suburb of the City of Leicester, England, to the south-west of the City Centre parts of which were built on the grounds of Braunstone Hall It became a county borough when these were established in 1889, but, as with all county boroughs, was abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in 1974, becoming an ordinary district of Leicestershire. County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (excluding Scotland) to refer to a Borough or a City The Local Government Act 1972 (1972 c 70 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom, that reformed local government in England and Wales Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially ' shire districts', are a type of local government district in England. It regained its unitary status in 1997.

Post World War II

In the decades since World War II, Leicester has experienced large scale immigration from across the world. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Immigrant groups today make up around 40% of Leicester's population, making Leicester one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Many Polish servicemen were prevented from returning to their homeland after the war by the communist regime, and they established a small community in Leicester. Economic migrants from Ireland continued to arrive throughout the post war period. Immigrants from the Indian sub-continent began to arrive in the 1960s, their numbers boosted by Indians arriving from Kenya and Uganda in the early 1970s. The Demographics of India are overall remarkably diverse India's population of approximately 1 The Republic of Kenya is a country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the north Somalia to the northeast Tanzania to the south The Republic of Uganda is a Landlocked country in East Africa. In the 1990s a group of Dutch citizens of Somali origin, settled in the city, apparently drawn by its free and easy atmosphere and by the number of mosques. Somalis ( Soomaaliyeed, الصوماليون are an ethnic group located in the Horn of Africa, also known as the Somali Peninsula. Since the 2004 enlargement of the European Union a significant number of eastern European migrants have settled in the city. Enlargement of the European Union is the process of expanding the European Union (EU through the accession of new member states. While some wards in the north-east of the city are more than 70% Asian, wards in the west and south are all over 70% white. The Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) had estimated that by 2011 Leicester would have approximately a 50% ethnic minority population, making it the first city in Britain not to have a white British majority. The Commission for Racial Equality (CRE was a Non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom which aimed to tackle Racial discrimination and promote ^[5] This prediction was based on the growth of the ethnic minority populations between 1991 (Census 1991 28% ethnic minority) and 2001 (Census 2001 - 36% ethnic minority). However Professor Ludi Simpson at the University of Manchester School of Social Sciences said in September 2007 that the CRE had "made unsubstantiated claims and ignored government statistics" and that Leicester would become a plural city by approximately 2019. ^[6][7] The Leicester Multicultural Advisory Group was a forum set up in 2001 by the editor of the Leicester Mercury to coordinate community relations, with members representing the council, police, schools, community and faith groups, and the media. The Leicester Mercury is a British regional Newspaper, owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust, for the city of Leicester and the

Coat of arms

The Corporation of Leicester's coat of arms was first granted to the city at the Heraldic Visitation of 1619, and is based on the arms of the first Earl of Leicester, Robert Beaumont. A coat of arms or armorial bearings (often just arms for short in European tradition is a design belonging to a particular person (or group of people Lord Leicester redirects here You may be looking for Lord Leycester, the name of several things in and around Warwick, United Kingdom The field is a white cinquefoil on a red background, and this emblem is used by the City Council. "Cinquefoil" redirects here For the heraldic charge see charge (heraldry and Quatrefoil.

After Leicester became a city again in 1919, the city council applied to add to the arms, permission for which was granted in 1929, when the supporting lions, from the Lancastrian Earls of Leicester, were added.

The motto "Semper Eadem" was the motto of Queen Elizabeth I, who granted a royal charter to the city. It means "always the same". The crest on top of the arms is a white or silver legless wyvern with red and white wounds showing, on a wreath of red and white. A wyvern or wivern (derived from the Anglo-Saxon word for serpent and ˈwɪvən is a legendary winged reptilian creature often found in Mediaeval The supporting lions are wearing coronets in the form of collars, with the white cinquefoil hanging from them.

Demography

The United Kingdom Census 2001 showed a total resident population for Leicester of 279,921, a 0. A nationwide Census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday 29 April 2001 5% decrease from the 1991 census. ^[9] Approximately 62,000 were aged under 16, 199,000 were aged 16–74, and 19,000 aged 75 and over. ^[9] 76. 9% of Leicester's population claim they have been born in the UK, according to the 2001 UK Census. Mid-year estimates for 2006 indicate that the population of the City of Leicester stood at 289,700 making Leicester the most populous city in East Midlands. The East Midlands is one of the Regions of England and consists of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. ^[10]

The population density is 3,814 inhabitants per square kilometre (9,878. 2/sq mi)^[11] and for every 100 females, there were 92. 9 males. Of those aged 16–74 in Leicester, 38. 5% had no academic qualifications, significantly higher than 28. Education in England is the responsibility of the Department for Children Schools and Families and the Department for Innovation Universities and Skills of the 9% in all of England. ^[12] 23. 0% of Leicester’s residents were born outside of the United Kingdom, higher than the English average of 9. 2%. ^[13]

In terms of districts by ethnic diversity, the City of Leicester is ranked 11th in England. This is a list of Districts of England in order of ethnic diversity ( 2001 UK census) In 2001, 60. 5% of residents identified themselves as white British, 29. " White British " was a racially -based classification used by the 2001 census. 9% Asian or Asian British, 3. British Asians are British citizens who are immigrants or descendants of immigrants from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka 1% black or black British, 2. See also British African-Caribbean community, Caribbean British Black British is a term which has had different meanings and uses as a racial and political 3% mixed race and 0. 8% Chinese or other ethnic group. ^[14]

Population change

Economy

Engineering

Engineering is an important part of the economy of Leicester. Population growth is the change in Population over time and can be quantified as the change in the number of individuals in a population using "per unit time" for Companies include Jones & Shipman (machine tools and control systems), Richards Engineering (foundry equipment), Transmon Engineering (materials handling equipment) and Trelleborg (suspension components for rail, marine, and industrial applications). Local commitment to nurturing the upcoming cadre of British engineers includes apprenticeship schemes with local companies, and academic-industrial connections with the engineering departments at Leicester University, De Montfort University, and Loughborough University. The University of Leicester is a research led university based in Leicester, England, with approximately 19000 registered students - about 12000 of them full-time De Montfort University ( DMU) is a British university situated in Leicester, England. Loughborough University is a Campus university located in the Market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, in the East Midlands

Food and drink

Everards the famous Leicestershire brewery.

Henry Walker was a successful pork butcher who moved from Mansfield to Leicester in the 1880s to take over an established business in the high street. The business prospered, moving to Cheapside in 1912, and later established a sausage factory in Cobden Street. After World War Two meat rationing saw Walker & Sons factory output drop dramatically. The company looked at alternatives to make better use of its premises and workforce and began to manufacture potato crisps. A potato chip or crisp is a thin slice of Potato, deep fried or baked until Crisp. The first Walkers production line was in the empty upper storey of Walker's Oxford Street factory in Leicester. In the early days the potatoes were sliced up by hand and cooked in an ordinary fish and chip fryer. In 1971 the Walkers crisps business was sold to Standard Brands, an American firm, who sold on the company to Frito-Lay. For the chips synonymous with the company see Fritos and Lay's. Walkers crisps currently makes 10 million bags of crisps per day at two factories in Beaumont Leys, and is the UK's largest grocery brand. ^[15] Meanwhile the sausage and pie business was bought out by Samworth Brothers in 1986. Production outgrew the Cobden Street site and sausages and pork pies are now manufactured at a meat processing factory and bakery in Beaumont Leys, coincidentally situated near the separately owned crisp factories. Sold under the Walkers name and under UK retailers own brands such as Tesco's Finest, over three million hot and cold pies are made each week. ^[16] Henry Walker's butcher shop at 4-6 Cheapside is still in business, selling Walkers sausages and pork pies, and is currently trading under the ownership of Scottish company Fife Fine Foods which bought up the Walkers butchers stores chain from Dewhursts in 2006.

Some 15 major Indian food manufacturers are based in Leicester including Mayur Foods, Cofresh Snack Foods Ltd, Farsan, Apni Roti, and Spice n Tice. The 'Mithai' Indian sweet market is catered for by award winning Indian restaurants - for instance the vegetable samosas approved by the Vegetarian Society sold at The Sharmilee on Belgrave Road. In May 2007 Leicester was voted 'Curry Capital of Britain 2007' by Menu Magazine after a campaign led by restaurateur Kaycee Patel of Ek Maya restaurant.

Leicester Market is the largest outdoor covered marketplace in Europe and among the products on sale are fruit and vegetables sold by enthusiastic market stallholders who shout out their prices, and fresh fish and meat in the Indoor Market. Leicester Market is a large market in The City of Leicester, England, on Market Place just south of the clock tower.

Everards is the largest Leicester brewery. Everards is a British Regional brewery founded in 1849 by William Everard and Thomas Hull in Leicester when they bought the Wilmot brewery

Blackfriars bakery produces cakes and flapjacks.

A safe pubs and clubs scheme Leicester Best Bar None has accredited 50 venues in the city that meet public safety and crime prevention standards.

Leicester City Council publishes food safety reports about food establishments in Leicester under their SmileSafe scheme.

Clothing

Leicester and Leicestershire have had a traditional industry of knitwear, hosiery and footwear; in the latter it equalled Northamptonshire's idiosyncratic footwear history. "Knit" redirects here See also KNIT and Knitted fabric. Hosiery is knitted coverings for the legs and feet Also referred to as legwear hosiery describes garments worn directly on the feet and Legs The term Footwear consists of Garments worn on the feet, for protection against the environment and Adornment. The sheep on the county's coat of arms is recognition of this. The local manufacturing industry only survived through protection of the Multi Fibre Arrangement, which came to an end in 2004. The Multi Fibre Arrangement (MFA also known as the Agreement on Textile and Clothing (ATC governed the world trade in Textiles and garments from 1974 through 2004 imposing However the creative side lives on as De Montfort University has, in the form of its Fashion and Contour Design course, a leading design department for female underwear. De Montfort University ( DMU) is a British university situated in Leicester, England. It also has the only UK University courses in Footwear Design, with the likes of Nike visiting the university to employ students. Nike Inc ('naɪki ( is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The head office for Next (clothing) is based in nearby Enderby. Next plc ( is a British clothes Retailer, with its headquarters in Enderby, Leicester. The headquarters of Freeman Hardy Willis - owned by the British Shoe Corporation (before 1996) used to be in Leicester, and those of Shoefayre (based in South Wigston and owned by the Co-op) and Stead and Simpson (based in Syston, Charnwood) are still in Leicestershire. Freeman Hardy and Willis was a major chain of footwear retailers in the United Kingdom. South Wigston is a suburb of Leicester in England. It is outside of the city boundary forming part of the Oadby and Wigston district of The Co-operative or The Co-op is a common branding used by a variety of co-operatives based in the United Kingdom. This article is on Syston in Leicestershire There is also a Syston in Lincolnshire &mdash see Syston Lincolnshire Syston Shoe Zone (originally known as Benson Shoe) is based on Humberstone Road in the city of Leicester, and took over the Oliver Group in 2000, which included Timpson's former retail division and was actually based just inside the City of Leicester on the Braunstone Frith industrial estate - next to the old plant of the British Shoe Corporation. Shoe Zone is a footwear retailer in the United Kingdom and Ireland which sells shoes at low prices Leicester (ˈlɛstə is the largest city and Unitary authority area in the East Midlands of England, and is the traditional

Financial and business services

Financial and business service companies with operations in Leicestershire include Alliance & Leicester, Royal Bank of Scotland, State Bank of India, HSBC, and PriceWaterhouseCoopers. Alliance & Leicester is a British Bank and former Building society. The Royal Bank of Scotland plc ( Scottish Gaelic: Banca Rìoghail na h-Alba) is one of the retail banking subsidiaries of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group State Bank of India (SBI ( is the largest Bank in India. It is also measured by the number of branch offices and employees the second largest bank in the HSBC Holdings plc ( (,,,) is a Public limited company incorporated in England and Wales, headquartered in London. PricewaterhouseCoopers (or PwC is one of the world's largest Professional services firms Companies that have their head office based in the area include Next (clothing) Mattel UK, and British Gas Business. Next plc ( is a British clothes Retailer, with its headquarters in Enderby, Leicester.

Invest Leicestershire provides information to businesses looking to relocate to the city or county, or to established local companies wanting to develop. Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce is another good source for business advice.

Creative industries

Leicester Creative Business Depot was established to house creative and arts businesses, and puts on exhibitions. Businesses in Leicester include Haley Sharpe Design, Checkland Kindleysides, printers Printmate in Kirby Flirth, Taylor Bloxham Ltd in Beaumont Leys, sister company C & R Printing Services in Enderby and Channel 2020.

Healthcare

In the public sector, University Hospitals Leicester NHS Trust is one of the larger employers in the city, with over 12,000 employees working for the Trust. The Trust of the University Hospitals of Leicester was created in April 2000 with the merger of the Leicester General Hospital, Glenfield Hospital and Leicester Leicester City Primary Care Trust employs over 1,000 full and part time staff providing healthcare services in the city. Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust employs 3,000 staff providing mental health and learning disability services in the city and county.

In the private sector are Nuffield Hospital Leicester and Bupa Hospital Leicester.

Statistics

This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Leicester at current basic prices published (pp. 240-253) by Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling.

Business awards

The Leicestershire Business Awards has categories including Investing in Leicestershire, Contribution to the Community, and Entrepreneur of the Year.

Recent Leicestershire winners of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise are listed on the Lord Lieutenant's website.

Politics

Leicester Town Hall. Leicester Town Hall in the City centre of Leicester, England Built between 1874 and 1876 by Francis Hames it was built on the former cattle market

On April 1, 1997, Leicester City Council became a unitary authority, local government up until then having been a two-tier system with the city and county councils being responsible for different aspects of local government services (a system which is still in place in the rest of Leicestershire). Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Leicester City Council is a Unitary authority responsible for local government in the city of Leicester, England. See also Independent city A unitary authority is a type of Local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all Local government functions Leicestershire County Council retained its headquarters at County Hall in Glenfield, just outside the city boundary but within the urban area. Leicestershire County Council is the County council for the English Non-metropolitan county of Leicestershire. Glenfield is a satellite town and suburb of Leicester, England. The administrative offices of Leicester City Council are in the centre of the city at the New Walk Centre and other office buildings near Welford Place. Some services (particularly the police and the ambulance service) still cover the whole of the city and county, but for the most part the two councils are independent.

After a long period of Labour administration (since 1979), the city council from May 2003 was run by a Liberal Democrat/Conservative coalition under Roger Blackmore, which collapsed in November 2004. The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal Political party in the United Kingdom, formed in 1988 by merging the The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Roger Blackmore (born 1941 was the Liberal Democrat leader of Leicester 's City Council from 2003 to 2004 and 2005 to 2007] The minority Labour group ran the city until May 2005, under Ross Willmott, when the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives formed a new coalition, again under the leadership of Roger Blackmore.

In the local government elections of May 3rd 2007, Leicester’s Labour Party once again took control of the council in what can be described as a landslide victory. Gaining 18 new councillors, Labour polled on the day 38 councillors, creating a governing majority of +20. Significantly however, the Green Party gained its first councillors in the Castle Ward, after losing on the drawing of lots in 2003. The Conservative Party saw a decrease in their representation, whilst the Liberal Democrat Party was the major loser, dropping from 25 councillors in 2003 to only 6 in 2007.

Leicester is divided into three Parliamentary constituencies. Leicester East and Leicester West are represented by Keith Vaz and Patricia Hewitt respectively - both members of the Labour Party. Leicester East is a Borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Leicester West is a Borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Nigel Keith Anthony Standish Vaz, known simply as Keith Vaz (born 26 November 1956 is a British Labour Party Politician and Member of Patricia Hope Hewitt (born 2 December 1948) is a British Politician. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the The third seat, Leicester South, became vacant in May 2004 on the death of Labour politician Jim Marshall. Leicester South is a Borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. James Marshall ( 13 March 1941, Sheffield &ndash 27 May 2004, Leicester was a British Labour Party politician A by-election was held on July 15, and was won by Parmjit Singh Gill of the Liberal Democrats, with a 21% swing. A By-election was held in Leicester South on July 15, the same day as the Birmingham Hodge Hill by-election. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Christian soldiers take the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after the final Parmjit Singh Gill (born 20 December 1966, Leicester) is a British Liberal Democrat The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal Political party in the United Kingdom, formed in 1988 by merging the This by-election saw almost 4,000 votes go to a Respect Party candidate, who opposed the Iraq war. Respect – The Unity Coalition is a Left wing political party in England and Wales founded on 25 January, 2004 in London. However, in the 2005 general election, Labour's unsuccessful by-election candidate and former Council Leader Sir Peter Soulsby won Leicester South back for the party, and Vaz and Hewitt retained their seats. Results Overview For events leading up to the date of the election see article Pre-election day events of the United Kingdom general Sir Peter Alfred Soulsby (b December 27, 1948, Bishop Auckland) is a British Labour Party politician

Transport

Railway

Leicester railway station lies on the eastern side of the city centre on the A6 London Road. Leicester railway station serves the City of Leicester in Leicestershire, England.

The rail network is of growing importance in Leicester, and with the start of Eurostar international services from London St Pancras International in November 2007 giving Leicester almost direct links to the continent, this growth is sure to continue. Eurostar is a High-speed train service in Western Europe connecting London and Kent in the United Kingdom, with Paris St Pancras railway station is a major railway station situated in the St Pancras area of Central London between the British Library and King's Cross

East Midlands Trains are the InterCity operator running 'fast' and 'semi-fast' services to and from London to northern England, and provide local services throughout the East Midlands, regional services to the West Midlands and East Anglia are provided by Cross Country. East Midlands Trains ( EMT) is a train operating company operating in the United Kingdom. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The East Midlands is one of the Regions of England and consists of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. The West Midlands is an official Region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. East Anglia is often used as a shorthand for the Kingdom of the East Angles. Cross Country running is a Sport of running Compete to complete a course over open or rough terrain faster than other teams

Rail routes run north–south through Leicester along the route known as the Midland Main Line, going south to Bedford, Luton and London; and north to Lincoln, Sheffield, Leeds and York. The Midland Main Line is a major railway line in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system. Bedford is the County town of Bedfordshire, England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the Bedford borough Luton ( is a large town in the east of England, 32 miles (51 kilometres north of London. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Lincoln (ˈlɪŋkən is a Cathedral city and County town of Lincolnshire, England. Sheffield ( is a city and Metropolitan borough in South Yorkshire, England Leeds ( is located on the River Aire in West Yorkshire, England York ( is an historic Walled city sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. Junctions north and south of the station link the east–west cross country route, going east to Cambridge and Stansted Airport; and west to Nuneaton and Birmingham. The city of Cambridge (ˈkeɪmbrɪdʒ is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England London Stansted Airport is a passenger Airport located in the Uttlesford District of the English County of Essex about 38 miles (61 Nuneaton is the largest town in the English county of Warwickshire, and the borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth. Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um Leicester is 99 miles from London on the Midland Main Line, the fastest trains taking 1 hour and 11 minutes. Journeys to Sheffield take around 1 hour, Leeds and York are approximately a 2 hour journey. Sheffield ( is a city and Metropolitan borough in South Yorkshire, England Birmingham and Peterborough are around 1 hour away.

Passengers using the railway station can include a PlusBus ticket with their train ticket which gives unlimited bus travel in a designated area. PLUSBUS is an add-on ticket which can be purchased with rail tickets in the UK.

Network Rail has plans afoot to re-develop the station incorporating the city council's plans for the surrounding area. Network Rail is a British "not for dividend" Company limited by guarantee whose principal asset is Network Rail Infrastructure Limited a company limited

Great Central Railway

Main article: Great Central Railway (preserved)

Leicester was also on a competing line from London to the North, built by the Great Central Railway in the late 1890s. Not to be confused with the modern day train operating company Grand Central Railway see Great Central Main Line for full route of original railway Closed as a through route in the late 1960s, a section from the recently opened Leicester North station to Loughborough is now a heritage steam railway.

Motorways

Leicester is close to the heart of the M1 motorway at Junction 21, this section considered to be the busiest part in the country. The M1 is a major south – north Motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where The M69 motorway also starts near Leicester, and runs to the M6 Motorway and is contiguous with Coventry's eastern bypass. The M69 is a Motorway in Leicestershire and Warwickshire, England connecting Leicester and Coventry, completed in This article concerns the M6 motorway in England There are also M6 motorways in Russia (see Caspian Highway) Hungary (see M6 motorway

Airport

East Midlands Airport is near Castle Donington which is in North West Leicestershire. East Midlands Airport is an Airport in the East Midlands of England, near Castle Donington in Leicestershire. Castle Donington is a large Village almost considered a town with a population of around 7000 in the North West of Leicestershire, close to Derby Leicestershire (ˈlɛstəʃə(r or ˈlɛstəʃɪə(r abbreviation Leics Served by low-cost international airlines, makes the city easily accessible from other parts of the world providing daily services to many principal European destinations such as Paris, Frankfurt, Berlin, and Amsterdam, internal flights to Edinburgh and Belfast and limited services to trans-continental destinations such as Barbados, Mexico, Sanford and Florida. An airline provides air transport services for Passengers or Freight, generally with a recognized operating certificate or license Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. Amsterdam (pronounced) is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland in the west Edinburgh ( ˈɛdɪnb(ərə Dùn Èideann) is the Capital of Scotland and is its second largest city after Glasgow. Belfast ( is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of government in Northern Ireland. Barbados ( Portuguese word for bearded-ones, bɑrˈbeɪdoʊz -dɒs situated just east of the Caribbean Sea, is an independent Island nation The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the

Leicester's other local airport is Leicester Airport at Stoughton, Leicestershire, which is more for the benefit of enthusiasts than a transport hub. Leicester Airport is a small Aerodrome in Stoughton, Leicestershire, 4 Nautical miles (7 Stoughton is a small village and Civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire.

Buses and coaches

An Arriva Midlands Dennis Dart arriving at St. Margaret's Bus Station, Leicester. St Margarets Bus Station is located on Gravel Street to the north of Leicester City Centre, England.

St. Margaret's Bus Station is the main interchange for coach services in Leicester, while local bus services are split between St. St Margarets Bus Station is located on Gravel Street to the north of Leicester City Centre, England. Margaret's and the Haymarket Bus Station. Leicester currently has one permanent Park and Ride site at Meynells Gorse with busses operating at least every fifteen minutes, a site is also under construction at Enderby, there is a weekend operation from County Hall, Glenfield. Park and ride (or incentive parking) facilities are Public transport stations that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into

Passengers using the railway station can include a PlusBus ticket with their train ticket which gives unlimited bus travel in a designated area. PLUSBUS is an add-on ticket which can be purchased with rail tickets in the UK.

• National Express operate long distance services. National Express Group plc ( is a UK -based Transport group with headquarters in London that operates Bus, coach, rail
• Stagecoach Group operate a mixture of mid to long distance bus and coach services including Megabus. Stagecoach Group plc ( is a leading international transport group operating Bus, Train, Tram, express coach and Ferry operations Megabus can refer to Megabus (United Kingdom - a low-cost bus service in Great Britain owned by Stagecoach Group and organized as an intercity bus network
• Skylink buses operate hourly during the day and two hourly at night to East Midlands Airport.
• First Group are the parent company of First Leicester who operate mainly high frequency local bus routes. FirstGroup plc ( is a Scottish Transport company operating in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Canada, USA First Leicester is the trading name of Leicester Citybus Ltd, a Bus company owned by the First Group.
• Arriva Group are the parent company of Arriva Midlands who operate a mixture of local and rural bus services throughout Leicestershire. Arriva plc ( is a British -based international public transport operator headquartered in Sunderland. Arriva Midlands is a division of Arriva. It operates bus services around the Midlands area of England and is made up of various previous bus operators Leicestershire (ˈlɛstəʃə(r or ˈlɛstəʃɪə(r abbreviation Leics
• Centrebus operate budget local services mainly between local authority estates. Centrebus is a privately owned company that operate a number of services around Leicester and Leicestershire, Grantham, Hertfordshire and
• A number of coach operators run excursions from the station including Woods Coaches.

National Cycle Network

Many of the country's National Cycle Network pass through Leicestershire. The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom. In Leicester City Centre you will find the Leicester Bike Park. The Leicester Bike Park is a bicycle parking facility in Leicester Town Hall, Great Britain. The city is also home to Cyclemagic, the UK's leading community cycling organisation with probably the widest range of bikes and pedal powered machines in the world.

Education

University of Leicester seen from Victoria Park - Left to right: the Department of Engineering, the Attenborough Tower, the Charles Wilson Building. The University of Leicester is a research led university based in Leicester, England, with approximately 19000 registered students - about 12000 of them full-time Victoria Park in Leicester, England is a public park of 69 acres (279000 m² The Attenborough Building is the tallest building on the campus of the University of Leicester, and houses Arts and Humanities departments.

The National Space Centre in Leicester

Leicester is home to two universities, the University of Leicester, which attained its Royal Charter in 1957, and the De Montfort University, which opened in 1969 as Leicester Polytechnic and adopted its current name in 1992. The National Space Centre is one of the United Kingdom 's leading Visitor attractions devoted to space science and Astronomy. The University of Leicester is a research led university based in Leicester, England, with approximately 19000 registered students - about 12000 of them full-time A Royal Charter is a Charter granted by the Sovereign on the advice of the Privy council to legitimize an incorporated body such as a city company Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) De Montfort University ( DMU) is a British university situated in Leicester, England. Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. De Montfort University ( DMU) is a British university situated in Leicester, England.

It is also home to the National Space Centre, due in part to the University of Leicester being one of the few universities in the UK to specialise in space sciences. The National Space Centre is one of the United Kingdom 's leading Visitor attractions devoted to space science and Astronomy.

Leicester City Local Education Authority initially had a troubled history when formed in 1997 as part of the local government reorganisation - a 1999 Ofsted inspection found "few strengths and many weaknesses", although there has been considerable improvement since then. While many state schools provide a good standard of education, there have been problems with one or two of the large community colleges, in particular New College. However, recent changes of leadership at New College have seen a turnaround in the school's prospects.

Current plans to improve the city's education system include the opening of The Samworth Enterprise Academy a city academy whose catchment area will draw in children from the Saffron and Eyres Monsell estates, co-sponsored by the Church of England and David Samworth, chairman of Samworth Brothers. City Academy is a stage school in London. The school's founder and Principal is Anna Fiorentini. The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican State school status has been granted to the Leicester Islamic Academy. The city's special schools are currently undergoing reorganisation.

Under the "Building Schools for the Future" project, Leicester City Council has contracted with developers Miller Consortium for £315 million to rebuild Beaumont Leys School, Judgemeadow Community College in Evington, and Soar Valley College in Rushey Mead, and to refurbish Fullhurst Community College in Braunstone. ^[21]

Leicester City Council underwent a major reorganisation of children's services in 2006, creating a new Children & Young People's Services department.

Education Links

• All Education
• County Schools
• Schools in Leicester & the Wider Area

The Arts

The city hosts an annual Pride Parade (Leicester Pride), a Caribbean Carnival (the largest in the UK outside London), the largest Diwali celebrations outside of India and the largest comedy festival in the UK Leicester Comedy Festival. The following is a partial list of currently operating Schools in the East Midlands region of England. Leicester Pride is an annual Gay pride event in Victoria Park in Leicester, England. Leicester Caribbean Carnival is an annual event held in early August in Leicester, England. Diwali, or Deepavali, (also called Tihar and Swanti in Nepal (Markiscarali is a major Indian and Nepalese festival and a significant India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The Leicester Comedy Festival is an annual comedy festival held in a number of venues across Leicester, England early in the year

Arts venues in the city include:

• The Phoenix Arts Centre. The Phoenix Arts Centre is a Theatre in the city centre of Leicester, England. Former name "Phoenix Theatre".
• The De Montfort Hall. De Montfort Hall is a music and performance venue in Leicester, England.
• The Little Theatre. The Little Theatre is a small Theatre in Leicester, England with a main auditorium of 349 seats along with an additional studio space for performances
• The City Gallery (one of the regions leading contemporary art galleries)
• The Peepul Centre
• The Haymarket Theatre : (Now closed, the Leicester Theatre Trust await relocation to the new Curve venue). for the gallery in Thailand, see City Gallery Bangkok City Gallery is a Contemporary art gallery in The Haymarket Theatre was a Theatre in Leicester, England, based in the Haymarket Centre on Belgrave Gate in Leicester City Centre
• Curve : New purpose designed performing arts centre, designed by Rafael Vinoly, Scheduled to open in Autumn 2008. Rafael Viñoly (b 1944) is an Uruguayan-born Architect living in the United States ^[22]

Music

While Leicester has often been neglected as a centre for popular music it has had a vibrant history that has thrown up a large number of notable, as well as forgettable, artists. Current venues for music include

• The Charlotte: live music venue
• The Musician: live music venue
• Firebug : live music venue
• The Shed : live music venue

1960s

Leicester's main small venue for pop and rock was the Il Rondo on Silver Street. The Charlotte is a live music venue in Leicester, England. It is on the edge of the City Centre, on Oxford Street, opposite De Montfort The roll call of bands who played at the Il Rondo runs like a Who's Who of early/mid sixties pop and rock. The Yardbirds and The Animals played there before passing into rock history along with less well remembered groups like the Graham Bond Organisation. The Yardbirds are an English rock band noted for starting the careers of three of rock's most famous Guitarists Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck The Animals were an English music group of the 1960s known in the United States as part of the British Invasion. The Beatles also came to De Montfort Hall. The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England formed in 1960

Colin Hyde (East Midlands Oral History Archive) carried out a range of interviews about growing up in Leicester in the 1950s and 1960s and begun to map where all of the venues of the day were. ^[23] He identified a number of clubs, pubs, and coffee bars like the Chameleon, run by Pete Joseph, the El Casa, or the El Paso - cafes which stayed open after the pubs closed. Among others, people also remembered the Blue Beat club on Conduit Street, run by Alex Barrows who later started the House of Happiness on Campbell Street. Night clubs such as the Burlesque or the Night Owl became more popular as the 1960s progressed, and they opened up the opportunity to dance all night.

A local beat band called The Foresights were signed to EMI. They were notable for all wearing glasses.

1970s

The seventies saw the emergence of the well known cabaret band showaddywaddy from the city. Showaddywaddy are a 1970s pop group from Leicester, England. They specialised in revivals of hit Songs from the 1950s

1980s

The eighties saw the emergence of the infamous grebo band Gaye Bykers on Acid. Gaye Bykers On Acid (GBOA were an English psychedelic rock band and one of the founder members of the Grebo music scene

1990s

The early nineties were marked in the cities music scene by a period of muted reflection. The band Prolapse, was formed by a group of Leicester University and Polytechnic students in 1992. Prolapse were a musical group formed in Leicester, England active from c . The band rose in popularity, and quickly gained a record deal with cherry red records, recorded a number of John Peel sessions for Radio 1, and toured with Sonic Youth, Stereolab and Pulp. 1992 also saw the formation in Leicester of Cornershop, an anglo-Asian agit pop band, who became most famous for the 1997 Number 1 single, Brimful of Asha. Perfume & Delicatessen both also rose to critical acclaim),

Post-2000

Since 2000 the city has once more seen a notable upsurge in the success of the local music scene. Perfume were a British indie group from Leicester, active between 1993 and 1997 Delicatessen were an Indie-rock group formed in Leicester, England in the early 1990s Several Leicester musicians and/or acts have received considerable media attention in their fields since 2003-2004. Kasabian, followed by The Displacements,^[24] The Dirty Backbeats,^[25] The Dirty Backbeats,^[26] Kyte^[27] and Don's Mobile Barbers^[28] and Don's Mobile Barbers^[29] all rose from the city to national attention. Kasabian are an English rock band from Leicester, formed by Tom Meighan (vocals Sergio Pizzorno (guitar and vocals Chris Edwards (bass The Displacements are a British rock band from Leicestershire, formed by Andy Stone (guitar and vocals Nick Eversfield (bass and vocals Joe Wilson (guitar and Other local bands including Herra Hidro and The Legion have also recently been signed to local labels 'RobotNeedsHome Records' and 'ForTheSakeOfTheSong' Respectably. The Go! Team were first signed to local label Pickled Egg Records, and Leicester musicians feature in such bands as Fun Lovin' Criminals, The Happy Mondays, The Holloways, Envy & Other Sins, and A Hawk and a Hacksaw. The Go! Team are an English, Brighton -based six piece band (with two Drummers whose songs are a mixture of action theme songs, cheerleader Pickled Egg Records is a UK Independent record label founded in Leicester in 1998 by Nigel Turner The Fun Lovin' Criminals (often referred to by their initials FLC) are an American Alternative rap / Alternative rock group from New York City Happy Mondays are an English Alternative rock band from Salford, Greater Manchester. The Holloways are a four-piece indie-rock band from North London. Envy & Other Sins are a four piece band from Birmingham, England, who came to fame by winning Channel 4 's nation-wide talent show MobileAct unsigned A Hawk and a Hacksaw (often abbreviated to AHAAH) is a folk band from Albuquerque New Mexico.

The development of the award-winning music festival Summer Sundae with connecting Summer Sundae Fringe festival (run by the local arts collective Pineapster) as well as other music festivals focused on blues and folk music may well provide the city with more of a focus for its local bands to break out nationally. Summer Sundae (also called the Summer Sundae Weekender) is an annual Music festival held in Leicester, England which focuses on indie Pineapster is a web site online community and arts collective whose purpose is to promote independent music in the East Midlands region of the UK. 2006 saw the closure of The Attik, a venue that for over 20 years had played host to hundreds of bands.

Leicester has a thriving underground heavy metal scene with local deathcore/progressive band Silent Torment (Thirty Days Of Night Records) at the forefront of it.

Sport

The Sports Statue on Gallowtree Gate

Sports teams include Leicester City F.C. (football), Leicester Tigers (rugby union), Leicester Riders (basketball), Leicester Coritanian A. PLEASE NOTE This section is the introduction Please do not add too much detail here Leicester Football Club (nicknamed Leicester Tigers) is an English Rugby union club that plays in the Guinness Premiership. The Leicester Riders, officially known as the Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders for sponsorship reasons is a British professional Basketball team C. (Athletics), and the Leicestershire County Cricket Club. Leicestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English domestic Cricket structure representing the historic

Leicester racecourse is located to the south of the city in Oadby. Leicester Racecourse is a horse-racing course in Oadby, Leicestershire, England.

After a period of success for the football, cricket and rugby teams around the turn of the millennium, Leicester was for some time dubbed (by the local press and local inhabitants at least) the sporting capital of the UK, and a statue commemorating this period was erected in the town centre.

Leicester Tigers are one of the most successful rugby union teams in Britain. Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short Leicester City have also enjoyed a fair degree of success. They have been Football League Cup winners three times, Football League Second Division (pre-1992) champions six times, FA Cup runners-up four times, and Division One playoff winners twice. The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition From 1892 until 1992 the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football. The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football League First Division was the highest division of The Football League between 1993 and 2004 and the highest division of English football overall between They have also played in European competitions on several occasions, the most recent in the 2000-01 season.

Motorcycle speedway racing was staged in Leicester. In the pioneer days speedway was staged at a track known as Leicester Super situated in Melton Road and at 'The Stadium' in Blackbird Road. Post war the Leicester Hunters joined the National League Division Three in 1949 and operated at various levels until closure at the end of 1962. Leicester Lions may refer to Leicester Lions RFC, rugby union club Leicester Lions (speedway Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The sport was revived for a spell from 1968 before the sale and subsequent redevelopment of the site ended the Leicester Lions era. Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Leicester Lions may refer to Leicester Lions RFC, rugby union club Leicester Lions (speedway The history of Leicester's Speedways is well documented in three books by Allan Jones.

The city also hosted British and World track cycling and Road Racing championships at its Saffron Lane velodrome in August 1970. Track cycling is a Bicycle racing Sport usually held on specially-built banked tracks or Velodromes (but many events are held at older velodromes where the Saffron Lane sports centre is a large 8 lane (9 lane straight 400 metre synthetic floodlight lit athletics track which includes a steeplechase water jump in A velodrome is an arena for Track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights The cycle track was improved specially for the event which was televised all over the world. Another first meant that sponsors were allowed to buy sections of the track to utilise for advertising purposes. This was also the first time that a public road - the A46 - was closed in the UK to allow the Road Race to take place.

In 1989, the city hosted the British Special Olympics, and will do so again in 2009. The Special Olympics Great Britain take place in Britain every two years alternating between summer and winter games ^[30]

Leicester is also the 2008 European City of Sport. ^[31]

Recent titles won by local teams

Walkers stadium from the Grand Union canal

• 1996 County Cricket Championship
• 1997 Coca Cola League Cup, Pilkington Cup
• 1998 County Cricket Championship,
• 1999 Allied Dunbar Premiership
• 2000 Worthington League Cup, Allied Dunbar Premiership
• 2001 Allied Dunbar Premiership, Zurich Championship, Heineken Cup
• 2002 Zurich Premiership, Heineken Cup
• 2004 Twenty20 Cup
• 2006 Twenty20 Cup
• 2007 EDF Energy cup, Guinness Premiership

To celebrate the successes of 1997-98, the Leicester Mercury organised the placement of a statue portraying a cricketer, a footballer, and a rugby-player on Gallowtree Gate, not far from the Clock Tower at the heart of the city. The County Championship is the domestic first class Cricket competition in England and Wales. The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition The EDF Energy Cup (also known as the Anglo-Welsh Cup) is an English and Welsh Rugby union knock-out cup competition featuring the The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition The European Rugby Cup (known as the Heineken Cup because of the tournament's sponsorship by Heineken) is an annual Rugby union competition involving leading The English Premiership (known as the Guinness Premiership because of the league's sponsorship by Guinness) is a professional league competition for Rugby The European Rugby Cup (known as the Heineken Cup because of the tournament's sponsorship by Heineken) is an annual Rugby union competition involving leading The English Premiership (known as the Guinness Premiership because of the league's sponsorship by Guinness) is a professional league competition for Rugby The Leicester Mercury is a British regional Newspaper, owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust, for the city of Leicester and the

Leicestershire County Cricket Club are the only team that have won the Twenty20 Cup twice. Leicestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English domestic Cricket structure representing the historic

Leicester City played the last Football League Cup Final at the Old Wembley Stadium beating Tranmere 2-1. PLEASE NOTE This section is the introduction Please do not add too much detail here The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition original Wembley Stadium was a football Stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the Tranmere Rovers Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League One and based at Prenton Park, Tranmere

Leicester Tigers are the only side to have retained the Heineken Cup, and also hold the record for most English Championships won (7). Leicester Football Club (nicknamed Leicester Tigers) is an English Rugby union club that plays in the Guinness Premiership. The European Rugby Cup (known as the Heineken Cup because of the tournament's sponsorship by Heineken) is an annual Rugby union competition involving leading

Areas

Snow in Leicester, taken in Spinney Hills Park

• Aylestone
• Beaumont Leys,Abbey Ward, Bede Island, Belgrave, Blackfriars, Braunstone Estate, Braunstone Frith
• Charnwood, City Centre, Clarendon Park, Crown Hills
• Dane Hills
• Eyres Monsell, Evington, Evington Valley
• Frog Island
• Gilmorton Estate,Goodwood
• Hamilton
• Highfields
• Horston Hill, Humberstone, Humberstone Garden City
• Knighton
• Mowmacre Hill
• Nether Hall, New Humberstone, New Parks, Newfoundpool, North Evington, Northfields
• Rowley Fields, Rushey Mead
• Saffron Lane Estate, Southfields, South Knighton, South Wigston, Spinney Hills, St Peters, St Matthew's, Stoneygate
• Thurnby Lodge
• Westcotes, Wigston, West End, West Knighton, Western Park, Woodgate

Places of interest and landmarks

The inside of Leicester Cathedral

Architecture: Leicester University Engineering Building by James Stirling and James Gowan. Aylestone is a Suburb of Leicester, England at. It is south-west of the city centre, but to the east of the River Soar. Bede Island is an area of Leicester, England close to the city centre with the River Soar to the west and Grand Union Canal to the east Belgrave is an area in northern Leicester, England. The old Belgrave Village is on the Loughborough Road to the west of the A46, known at that point as Braunstone is a suburb of the City of Leicester, England, to the south-west of the City Centre parts of which were built on the grounds of Braunstone Hall Leicester (ˈlɛstə is the largest city and Unitary authority area in the East Midlands of England, and is the traditional The modern City Centre of Leicester is roughly delineated by Leicester's inner ring-road designated the A594. Clarendon Park is an area in the south of the city of Leicester. Crown Hills is an area of eastern side of the English city of Leicester, bounded by Humberstone to the north Evington to the south-east and Dane Hills is a large area on the western side of the English city of Leicester,consisting of the Smaller Areas of Newfoundpool, Eyres Monsell is a former council estate in the southern suburbs of Leicester, UK. Evington is a area in eastern Leicester, England. It used to be a small village centred around Main Street and the Anglican church of St Denys but was Evington Valley is an area in Leicester, England. It is roughly bounded by East Park Road to the west (west of which is Highfields) Chesterfield/Ethel Frog Island is an inner city area of Leicester, England, so named because it lies between the River Soar and the Grand Union Canal. Goodwood is an area on the eastern side of the English city of Leicester, centred on Goodwood Road Hamilton is an area of Leicester, England. Hamilton was originally the name of a Deserted medieval village just outside the modern city boundary to the Highfields is an inner city area of Leicester, England. As the name suggests it is one of the highest areas in the city on high ground southeast of the city Humberstone is an urban Village in Leicester, England. It is in the east of the city and grew in the Industrial revolution outside the Knighton is an area of Leicester, situated roughly between Clarendon Park to the north Stoneygate and South Knighton to the east New Parks is an area in the city of Leicester, England. It is in the west of the city close by the county border (west of which is Glenfield. Newfoundpool is an area of Leicester lying south of the former Leicester-Swannington railway North Evington is an area of the city of Leicester, England which is an inclusion of Highfields. Rushey Mead is an area of northern Leicester. Originally part of the Thurmaston parish it was annexed to the city in 1935. The Southfields of Leicester, England consisted of Common land south of the city and now refers to the mostly-developed area immediately south of the South Wigston is a suburb of Leicester in England. It is outside of the city boundary forming part of the Oadby and Wigston district of The St Matthew's estate is an area of inner city Leicester. It lies immediately to the North-East of the city centre and is bounded by the A594 ring road to the South-West Stoneygate is an area of Leicester, England. Situated towards the south side of Leicester Stoneygate is characterised by large detached houses and wide leafy Thurnby Lodge is an estate in eastern Leicester, England. Roughly it consists of the area inside the city boundary which is north of the Uppingham Road Westcotes is an area to the west of the city of Leicester. It is also know as the West End. The West End of Leicester, England is an Inner city area just west of the city centre, on the opposite side of the River Soar (past West Knighton is an area boundaried by Knighton Lane East to the North and Welford Road to the Eastand the railway line to the West and Leicester City boundary to the South (a line Western Park is a Park located in the western suburbs of Leicester and encompasses the area surrounding it Woodgate is an area in Leicester. It lies next to the River Soar and is an important entrance to the city leading on to Frog Island

Tourist: Discover Leicester Tour is an open top tour bus linking many of the Leicestershire tourist sites in and around the city. Leicestershire (ˈlɛstəʃə(r or ˈlɛstəʃɪə(r abbreviation Leics See [1].

Parks: Abbey Park, Botanic Garden, Victoria Park, Gorse Hill City Farm, Castle Gardens, Grand Union Canal, River Soar, Watermead Country Park. Abbey Park could be Abbey Park Leicestershire, a park Abbey Park Nottinghamshire, a suburb See also The University of Leicester Harold Martin Botanic Garden is a Botanic Garden close to the Halls of residence for the University of Leicester in Oadby Victoria Park in Leicester, England is a public park of 69 acres (279000 m² Gorse Hill City Farm is a City farm and community project practising humane farming based in Leicester. This article is about the original Grand Union Canal For the modern canal of that name of which the old Grand Union forms part see Grand Union Canal. The River Soar is a Tributary of the River Trent in the English East Midlands. The Watermead Country Park is a network of artificial lakes in the valley of the River Soar and the Grand Union Canal (old, to the north of Leicester

Industry: Abbey Pumping Station, National Space Centre, Great Central Railway. The Abbey Pumping Station is a museum in Leicester, England, on Corporation Road opposite the National Space Centre. The National Space Centre is one of the United Kingdom 's leading Visitor attractions devoted to space science and Astronomy. Not to be confused with the modern day train operating company Grand Central Railway see Great Central Main Line for full route of original railway

Places of Worship: Shree Jalaram Prarthana Mandal (Hindu temple)[2], Jain Centre [3], Leicester Cathedral, Masjid Umar (Mosque)[4] Guru Nanak Gurudwara (Sikh)

Historic Buildings: Town Hall, Leicester Guildhall, Belgrave Hall, Jewry Wall, Leicester Secular Hall, Leicester Abbey, Leicester Castle, St Mary de Castro, Assembly Rooms, Newarke Magazine Gateway. Shree Jalaram Prarthana Mandal is a Hindu Mandir on Narborough Road in the West End of Leicester, England. Jainism, traditionally known as Jain Dharma / Shraman Dharma (जैन धर्म is an ancient religion of India. Leicester Cathedral, or the Cathedral Church of St Martin Leicester is a Church of England Cathedral in the English city of Leicester Leicester Town Hall in the City centre of Leicester, England Built between 1874 and 1876 by Francis Hames it was built on the former cattle market Leicester 's Guildhall is a Grade I listed Timber framed building with the earliest part dating from c1390 Belgrave Hall is a Queen Anne-style house built in 1709 in the midst of two acres of walled gardens in Belgrave Leicester. The Jewry Wall in Leicester, England is the remaining wall of the public baths of Roman Leicester along with foundations of the baths Leicester Secular Hall is a Grade II Listed Building built in 1881 for Leicester Secular Society by The Leicester Secular Hall Co Leicester Abbey, the Abbey of Saint Mary de Pratis ("St Mary of the Meadows" standing about a mile (2 km north of the city of Leicester in the riverside Leicester Castle is located in Leicester, England. The complex is situated in the west of the city centre, between Saint Nicholas Circle to the north and The Magazine Gateway (aka The Magazine) is Grade 1 listed building in Leicester; built circa 1410 and which was once a gate in the city walls

Shopping: Haymarket Centre, The Shires, Leicester Market, Golden Mile, Fosse Park, St Martin's Square, Silver Arcade . The Haymarket is a Shopping centre in the city centre of Leicester, England. Leicester Market is a large market in The City of Leicester, England, on Market Place just south of the clock tower. The Golden Mile is a name given to a stretch of the Belgrave Road in Leicester, United Kingdom. Fosse Park is one of Britain's biggest out-of-town shopping parks and is situated near Leicester, England.

Sport: Walkers Stadium – Leicester City FC, Welford Road – Leicester Tigers RUFC, Grace Road – Leicestershire County Cricket Club, John Sanford Sports Centre, Saffron Lane sports centre - Leicester Coritanian Athletics Club. The Walkers Stadium is a football stadium which hosts home matches of English football team Leicester City F PLEASE NOTE This section is the introduction Please do not add too much detail here Welford Road is a Stadium in Leicester, England and is home to one of England's traditional rugby union powers Leicester Tigers. Leicester Football Club (nicknamed Leicester Tigers) is an English Rugby union club that plays in the Guinness Premiership. Grace Road is a Cricket ground, in Leicester, England, home to Leicestershire County Cricket Club. Leicestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English domestic Cricket structure representing the historic Saffron Lane sports centre is a large 8 lane (9 lane straight 400 metre synthetic floodlight lit athletics track which includes a steeplechase water jump in

Famous Leicesterians

A Leicesterian is somebody who comes from the city of Leicester, England. A list of famous people born in Leicester, educated there, or otherwise associated with the city can be found here. Notable people from Leicester. A Leicesterian is somebody who comes from the city of Leicester, England

Leicester firsts

• First BBC local radio station. Launched on 8 November 1967 with the first local radio jingle. A jingle is a memorable Slogan, set to an engaging Melody, mainly broadcast on Radio and sometimes on Television commercials.
• First Space Shuttle Simulator outside USA which is at the National Space and Science Centre
• First automatic multi-storey car park in Europe which included the largest supermarket in the UK at the time which was a Tesco
• First Tesco outside of London
• First European Environment City

• First criminal conviction using Genetic Fingerprint as evidence
• First place to have traffic wardens
• First city in the UK to have traffic lights and is supposed to have more traffic lights than any other UK city
• First Halfords store opened in the city on Halford Street
• First Jongleurs club to be opened outside London, in 1997. NASA 's Space Shuttle, officially called the Space Transportation System ( STS) is the Spacecraft currently used by the United States Tesco plc is a British -based international grocery and general merchandising retail chain Colin Pitchfork (born 1961 Bristol, England) was the first criminal convicted for murder based on DNA fingerprinting evidence and the first to be Halfords Group plc ( is a leading retailer of car parts car enhancements and Bicycles operating in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Czech

Twinning

Leicester is twinned with:

City flag

Leicester's city flag was designed by local graphic designer, Jamie Bott in April 2007 in accordance with BBC Radio Leicester. Chongqing ( Postal map spelling: Chungking; Wade-Giles: Ch'ung-ch'ing) is the largest and most populous of the People's Republic of China China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National History The origins of the town were in Roman times when the legions founded the military camp of Gelduba (today the borough of Gellep Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Masaya, called the City of Flowers is the capital city of the Masaya department of Nicaragua. Nicaragua (ˌnɪkəˈrɑgwə officially the Republic of Nicaragua () is a representative democratic republic and the largest nation in Central America Rajkot (રાજકોટ राजकोट Rājkot) is the 4th largest city in the state of Gujarat, India. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Strasbourg (Strasbourg stʁazbuʁ Alsatian: Strossburi,; Straßburg) is the capital and principal City of the Alsace région This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Haskovo (Хасково is the name of a town and administrative centre of the province of the same name in southern Bulgaria, not far from the borders with The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian Sialkot ( Urdu / Punjabi:) the capital of Sialkot District, is a city situated in the north-east of the Punjab province in Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and [5]

Local media

Leicester is home to the Leicester Mercury newspaper, and the MATV (Midlands Asian Television) cable channel which can also be viewed on normal analogue TV and is known as MATV Channel 6. The Leicester Mercury is a British regional Newspaper, owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust, for the city of Leicester and the MATV (Midlands Asian Television is a specialist Asian content TV channel based at 7 Woodyboy St Leicester, England featuring Indian

BBC Radio Leicester was the first BBC local radio station. Other analogue FM radio stations are Leicester Sound, Takeover Radio and Hindu Sanskar Radio, which only broadcasts during Hindu religious festivals. Leicester Sound is an Independent Local Radio station in Leicester, England, that was launched on 7 September 1984 Takeover Radio is a community radio station broadcasting on FM to Leicester and on the world wide web specialising in helping 'kids' gain experience and direct participative Hindu Sanskar Radio (also known as Asian Plus on DAB Digital Radio) is a Hindu teachings based Radio station broadcast from Leicester. BBC Asian Network and Sabras Radio broadcast on AM. Sabras Radio is a commercial radio station in Leicester, England specialising in South Asian music and culture

The local DAB multiplex has the following stations:

• BBC Radio Leicester
• Leicester Sound
• Sabras Radio
• Galaxy Digital
• Highways Agency Traffic Radio
• XFM
• Classic Gold GEM
• Heart 106
• Asian Plus - also known as Hindu Sanskar Radio
• Takeover Radio

The local Hospital Radio stations is Hospital Radio Fox. Digital Audio Broadcasting ( DAB) also known as Eureka 147, is a Digital radio technology for Broadcasting Radio stations used in Leicester Sound is an Independent Local Radio station in Leicester, England, that was launched on 7 September 1984 Sabras Radio is a commercial radio station in Leicester, England specialising in South Asian music and culture Galaxy Digital is a Radio station broadcasting through the digital platform across the United Kingdom and is owned by Global Radio which bought Chrysalis Radio Xfm is a brand of Commercial radio stations focused on Alternative music, primarily indie, and owned by GCap Media in the United Kingdom Classic Gold GEM was a United Kingdom radio station broadcasting to much of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland Heart 106 is a regional Radio station broadcasting to the East Midlands. Hindu Sanskar Radio (also known as Asian Plus on DAB Digital Radio) is a Hindu teachings based Radio station broadcast from Leicester. Hindu Sanskar Radio (also known as Asian Plus on DAB Digital Radio) is a Hindu teachings based Radio station broadcast from Leicester. Takeover Radio is a community radio station broadcasting on FM to Leicester and on the world wide web specialising in helping 'kids' gain experience and direct participative Hospital radio is a form of audio Broadcasting produced specifically for the in-patients of Hospitals It is primarily found in the United Kingdom. Hospital Radio Fox is the Hospital radio station for the Royal Infirmary and the Glenfield Hospital in Leicester, England.

External links

• Leicester Tourist Guide
• One Leicester
• What's on in Leicester
• Leicestershire TV
• History of Leicester
• BBC Leicester
• Leicester City Council
• Leicester regeneration discussion forums on skyscrapercity.com
• Images and Slideshows of Leicester City

References

• [6] Polish Community Website Leicester