- published: 10 Oct 2010
- views: 194849
- author: 1mtzz
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- 106.6 Smooth Radio
- A Hawk and a Hacksaw
- Abbey Rise
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Aberdeen
Coordinates: 57°09′09″N 2°06′36″W / 57.1526°N 2.1100°W / 57.1526; -2.1100
Aberdeen
i/æbərˈdiːn/ (Scots: Aiberdeen 
listen (help·info); Scottish Gaelic: Obar Dheathain [ˈopər ˈʝɛhɪn]) is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 29th most populous city, with an official population estimate of 220,420.
Nicknames include the Granite City, the Grey City and the Silver City with the Golden Sands. During the mid-18th to mid-20th centuries, Aberdeen's buildings incorporated locally quarried grey granite, whose mica deposits sparkle like silver. The city has a long, sandy coastline. Since the discovery of North Sea oil in the 1970s, other nicknames have been the Oil Capital of Europe or the Energy Capital of Europe. The area around Aberdeen has been settled since at least 8,000 years ago, when prehistoric villages lay around the mouths of the rivers Dee and Don.
Aberdeen received Royal Burgh status from King David I (1124–53), transforming the city economically. The city's two universities, the University of Aberdeen, founded in 1495, and The Robert Gordon University, which was awarded university status in 1992, make Aberdeen the educational centre of the north-east. The traditional industries of fishing, paper-making, shipbuilding, and textiles have been overtaken by the oil industry and Aberdeen's seaport. Aberdeen Heliport is one of the busiest commercial heliports in the world and the seaport is the largest in the north-east of Scotland.
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Amber Valley
Amber Valley is a local government district and borough in Derbyshire, England. It takes its name from the River Amber and covers a semi-rural area with a number of small towns formerly based around coal mining and engineering. The parliamentary constituency of Amber Valley covers a similar area.
The village of Crich and the Amber Valley area were the setting for the ITV drama series Peak Practice.
Elections to the borough council are held in three out of every four years, with one third of the 45 seats on the council being elected at each election. The council has been controlled by the Conservative party since they gained control from the Labour party at the 2000 election. As of the 2011 election the council is composed of the following councillors:-
The district was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the urban districts of Alfreton, Belper, Heanor and Ripley Rural District and Belper Rural District. The district was granted borough status in 1988.
Coordinates: 53°00′N 1°24′W / 53.00°N 1.40°W / 53.00; -1.40
wn.com/Amber_Valley -
Amsterdam
Amsterdam (English /ˈæmstərdæm/; Dutch: [ˌɑmstərˈdɑm] (
listen)) is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The city's status as the capital of the nation is governed by the constitution. Amsterdam has a population of 790,654 within city limits, an urban population of 1,209,419 and a metropolitan population of 2,289,762. The city is located in the province of North Holland in the west of the country. It comprises the northern part of the Randstad, one of the larger conurbations in Europe, with a population of approximately 7 million.
Amsterdam's name is derived from Amstelredamme, indicative of the city's origin: a dam in the river Amstel. Settled as a small fishing village in the late 12th century, Amsterdam became one of the most important ports in the world during the Dutch Golden Age, a result of its innovative developments in trade. During that time, the city was the leading center for finance and diamonds. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the city expanded, and many new neighborhoods and suburbs were formed. The 17th-century canals of Amsterdam (in Dutch: 'Grachtengordel'), located in the heart of Amsterdam, were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in July 2010.
wn.com/Amsterdam -
Armagh
Coordinates: 54°21′00″N 6°39′17″W / 54.3499°N 6.6546°W / 54.3499; -6.6546
Armagh ( /ɑrˈmɑː/ ar-MAH; from Irish: Ard Mhacha meaning "Macha's height" [aɾˠd̪ˠ ˈwaxə]) is a large settlement in Northern Ireland, and the county town of County Armagh. It is a site of historical importance for both Celtic paganism and Christianity and is the seat, for both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland, of the Archbishop of Armagh. In 1995, Armagh city was twinned with Razgrad, Bulgaria.
Although classed as a medium-sized town, Armagh was granted city status by Queen Elizabeth II in 1994. Its population of 14,590 (2001 Census) makes it the least-populated city in both Northern Ireland and on the island of Ireland and the fourth smallest in the United Kingdom.
Eamhain Mhacha (or Navan Fort) at the city's edge, is believed to have been used as an ancient pagan ritual or ceremonial site. According to Irish mythology it was once the capital of Ulster, until it was abandoned during the 1st century. The site was named after the goddess Macha, and as the settlement grew on the hills nearby, it was also named after the goddess — Ard Mhacha means "Macha's height". This name was later anglicised as Ardmagh, which eventually became Armagh.
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Ashfield
Ashfield is a local government district in western Nottinghamshire, England. According to the 2001 UK census, it has a population of 111,387. The district is mostly urban and contains parts of both the Nottingham Urban Area and the Mansfield Urban Area. The area has a tradition of coal mining. There are three towns in the district; the largest being Sutton-in-Ashfield. Settlements in the district include the following:
The district was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, by the merger of urban districts of Hucknall, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, and Sutton-in-Ashfield and parts of Basford Rural District namely the parishes of Annesley, Felley and Selston.
In spring 1986, all departments, except for Direct Works, moved into purpose-built office accommodation in the centre of Kirkby-in-Ashfield. These offices provide civic accommodation for members, together with a Council Chamber and two Committee Rooms. District Offices have been maintained at Watnall Road, Hucknall, and Fox Street, Sutton-in-Ashfield, to cater for housing matters and cash receipts on a local basis.
wn.com/Ashfield -
Attenborough Tower
Coordinates: 52°37′16.5″N 1°7′26.4″W / 52.62125°N 1.124°W / 52.62125; -1.124
The Attenborough Building is the tallest building on the campus of the University of Leicester, and houses arts and humanities departments.
The building comprises three distinct elements: an 18-storey towerblock containing 270 offices and tutorial rooms; a low-rise building, known within the University as the Attenborough Seminar Block, containing seminar rooms and computing facilities; and an underground area housing two large lecture theatres and the University Film Theatre.
It was designed by Arup Associates and constructed 1968–70 with Ove Arup as the chief engineers. The university's development plan at the time called for two other similar towers, but these were never built.
The building was named after Frederick Attenborough, who was principal of the then University College 1931–1951, and father of Richard and David Attenborough. At the time of the opening ceremony, Frederick was old and frail, so the building was opened on his behalf by his youngest son John. Until the renovations of 2005, a portrait of Frederick hung in the foyer.
wn.com/Attenborough_Tower -
Aylestone
Aylestone is a suburb of Leicester, England at grid reference SK572008. It is south-west of the city centre, but to the east of the River Soar.
It was formerly a separate village, but the growth of the city has meant that it is now part of the urban area, largely surrounded by 20th century housing. However, the area around the parish church of St Andrew retains much of the former village character. Aylestone Hall has recently been restored, it was the home of Dorothy Vernon, who is related to the Dukes of Rutland, (see Belvoir Castle). Aylestone Park is not a park but an area of housing half-a-mile square, which grew between the city and the village and which has housing generally built between 1875 and 1920.
Aylestone Meadows is a large area of playing fields and water-meadow nearby, and contributes to the semi-rural character of the suburb.
Plans by Leicester City Council to bulldoze an area within the Aylestone Meadows to make way for (an artificial sports pitch, single storey club house with associated 4.5 metre fencing, 16metre high floodlights, car parking and landscaping), were defeated on 21 March 2011 when the Planning Committee rejected the plans. Many groups including Aylestone Meadows Appreciation Society, Leicester Friends of the Earth, Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust, The Leicester Civic Society and The Campaign for Rural England all helped rally support against the plans. It was the first time that an E-Petition on Leicester City Council's website had ever been used.
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Bangor, Gwynedd
Coordinates: 53°13′41″N 4°07′41″W / 53.228°N 4.128°W / 53.228; -4.128
Bangor is a city in Gwynedd unitary authority, north west Wales, and one of the smallest cities in Britain. It is a university city with a population of 13,725 at the 2001 census, not including around 10,000 students at Bangor University. It is one of only six places classed as a city in Wales, although it is only the 36th largest urban area by population. According to the 2001 census, 46.6% of the non-student resident population speak Welsh, which is low for Gwynedd but despite this, the language keeps a high profile in town. Bangor has been called "The Athens of Wales".
The origins of the city date back to the founding of a monastic establishment on the site of Bangor Cathedral by the Celtic saint Deiniol in the early 6th century AD. The name 'Bangor' itself is an old Welsh word for a type of fenced-in enclosure, such as was originally surrounded the cathedral site. The present cathedral is a somewhat more recent building and has been extensively modified throughout the centuries.
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Bassetlaw
Bassetlaw is the northernmost district of Nottinghamshire, England, with a population according to the 2001 UK census of 107,713. The borough is predominantly rural, with two towns: Worksop, site of the borough offices, and Retford. The district was formed on April 1, 1974 by the merger of the boroughs of Worksop and East Retford and most of Worksop Rural District and most of East Retford Rural District. It is named for the historic Bassetlaw wapentake of Nottinghamshire.
The two main settlements in Bassetlaw are Worksop and Retford. Smaller settlements include: Askham, Babworth, Beckingham, Bevercotes, Bircotes, Blyth, Bole, Bothamsall, Carburton, Carlton-in-Lindrick, Clarborough, Clayworth, Cotes, Cottam, Cuckney, Darlton, Dunham on Trent, East Drayton, East Markham, Eaton, Elkesley, Everton, Gamston, Gringley-on-the-Hill, Grove, Harwell, Harworth, Hayton, Headon, Langold, Lound, Low Marnham, Markham Moor, Marnham, Mattersey, Milton, Misson, Misterton, Normanton-on-Trent, North Leverton-with-Habblesthorpe, North Wheatley, Oldcotes, Ragnall, Rampton, Ranby, Ranskill, Rhodesia, Rockley, Saundby, Scrooby, Shireoaks, South Leverton, Sutton cum Lound, Sturton le Steeple, Torworth, Treswell, Tuxford, Walkeringham, West Drayton, West Markham, West Stockwith, Woodbeck
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Bath, Somerset
Coordinates: 51°23′N 2°22′W / 51.38°N 2.36°W / 51.38; -2.36
Bath ( /ˈbɑːθ/ or /ˈbæθ/) is a city in the ceremonial county of Somerset in the south west of England. It is situated 97 miles (156 km) west of London and 13 miles (21 km) south-east of Bristol. The population of the city is 83,992. It was granted city status by Royal Charter by Queen Elizabeth I in 1590, and was made a county borough in 1889 which gave it administrative independence from its county, Somerset. The city became part of Avon when that county was created in 1974. Since 1996, when Avon was abolished, Bath has been the principal centre of the unitary authority of Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES).
The city was first established as a spa with the Latin name, Aquae Sulis ("the waters of Sulis") by the Romans in AD 43, although verbal tradition suggests that Bath was known before then. They built baths and a temple on the surrounding hills of Bath in the valley of the River Avon around hot springs.Edgar was crowned king of England at Bath Abbey in 973. Much later, it became popular as a spa town during the Georgian era, which led to a major expansion that left a heritage of exemplary Georgian architecture crafted from Bath Stone.
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Beaumont Leys
Coordinates: 52°39′58″N 1°09′14″W / 52.666°N 1.154°W / 52.666; -1.154
Beaumont Leys is an electoral ward and administrative division of the city of Leicester, England, comprising the north-western Leicester suburb of Beaumont Leys. Locally, Beaumont Leys is usually used in reference to the large housing estate, built within the administrative division, centered around Strasbourg Drive.
Beaumont Leys is located within the city boundary of Leicester, although the Office for National Statistics treats Beaumont Leys as an environ of Leicester. Beaumont Leys is bordered by the wards of Abbey to the east, Fosse to the south-east and New Parks to the south. North and west of the area are the Leicestershire villages of Anstey and Glenfield.
The area was largely developed from the 1970s onwards, and continues to expand into the surrounding countryside. It includes several large housing estates, industrial areas (including the main factory for Walkers) and a large area of modern housing (some of it known as "Anstey Heights").
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Bede Island
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. For many years Bede Island South was a run down area of brownfield land home to Vic Berry's locomotive scrapyard but in the 1990s urban regeneration sought to improve housing, employment opportunities and the environment in the area. The programme was successful in developing the waterfront of Leicester, a key part of the overall transformation of the city. A square includes a small Sainsburys and a Tesco Metro, formerly "The Quay" bar and diner. Local streets are named after herbs and spices,these are Sage Road, Tarragon Road, Coriander Road, Mint Road and Thyme Close. Office blocks were built on the former site of the Kirby and West dairy, which was relocated to Richard III Road.
Coordinates: 52°37′44″N 1°08′42″W / 52.629°N 1.145°W / 52.629; -1.145
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Belfast
Coordinates: 54°35′49″N 5°55′48″W / 54.597°N 5.930°W / 54.597; -5.930
Belfast (from Irish: Béal Feirste, meaning "mouth of the shoal") is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the fourteenth largest city in the United Kingdom and second largest on the island of Ireland. It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly. The city of Belfast has a population of 267,500 and lies at the heart of the Belfast urban area, which has a population of 579,276. The Larger Urban Zone, as defined by the European Union, has a total population 641,638. Belfast was granted city status in 1888.
Historically, Belfast has been a centre for the Irish linen industry (earning the nickname "Linenopolis"), tobacco production, rope-making and shipbuilding: the city's main shipbuilders, Harland and Wolff, which built the well-known RMS Titanic, propelled Belfast on to the global stage in the early 20th century as the biggest and most productive shipyard in the world. Belfast played a key role in the Industrial Revolution, establishing its place as a global industrial centre until the latter half of the 20th century. Industrialisation and the inward migration it brought made Belfast, if briefly, the biggest city in Ireland at the turn of the 20th century and the city's industrial and economic success was cited by Ulster unionist opponents of Home Rule as a reason why Ireland should shun devolution and later why Ulster in particular would fight to resist it.
wn.com/Belfast -
Belgrave Hall
Belgrave Hall is a Queen Anne-style house built for Edmund Cradock in 1709 in the midst of 2 acres (8,100 m2) of walled gardens in Belgrave, Leicester. It is a Grade II* listed building. Between 1767-1844 it was the home of the Vann family who in about 1776 built the nearby Belgrave House.
Following its sale to the local authority the Hall was opened to the public in 1936 as a museum. Today, Belgrave Hall shows the contrasting lifestyles of an upper middle class family and domestic servants in Victorian society.
In 1999, Belgrave Hall became famous across the world when two ghostly figures were recorded on security cameras outside the Hall. The site is still of interest to ghost hunters. The ISPR (International Society for Paranormal Research) examined the footage and decided the image was environmental in nature rather than paranormal. They also noted the apparition would have had to be over 10 ft (3.0 m) tall. The team from Ghost Hunters International concluded it was most likely people with reflective jackets walking around.
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Belgrave, Leicester
Coordinates: 52°39′24″N 1°07′35″W / 52.65660°N 1.12625°W / 52.65660; -1.12625
Belgrave is an electoral ward and administrative division of the city of Leicester, England, consisting of the Leicester suburb of Belgrave in its entirety.
The old Belgrave Village is on the Loughborough Road, to the west of the A46, known at that point as 'Melton Road'.
Belgrave is bounded by the wards of Rushey Mead to the north, Latimer to the south, Charnwood to the east and Abbey to the west.
The settlement has been meant in Domesday Book as Merdegrave (from Old English mearð ‘marten’ + grāf ‘grove’). However, after the Norman Conquest the first part of the name merde was taken to be Old French ‘dung’ or ‘shit’, hence the people changed it to Old French beu, bel ‘fair’, ‘lovely’, in order to remove that unpleasant association.
One of the earliest mentions of this place is in the Domesday book where it is listed amongst the lands given to Hugh de Grandmesnil by the King. The land consisted of a mill, 24 acres (97,000 m2) of meadow and land for 6 ploughs.
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Birmingham
Birmingham (i/ˈbɜrmɪŋəm/ BUR-ming-əm, locally /ˈbɜrmɪŋɡəm/ BUR-ming-gəm) is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 (2010 estimate), and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a population of 2,284,093 (2001 census). Birmingham's metropolitan area is also the United Kingdom's second most populous with a population of 3,683,000.
A medium-sized market town during the medieval period, Birmingham grew to international prominence in the 18th century at the heart of the Midlands Enlightenment and subsequent Industrial Revolution, which saw the town at the forefront of worldwide developments in science, technology and economic organisation, producing a series of innovations that laid many of the foundations of modern industrial society. By 1791 it was being hailed as "the first manufacturing town in the world". Birmingham's distinctive economic profile, with thousands of small workshops practising a wide variety of specialised and highly-skilled trades, encouraged exceptional levels of creativity and innovation and provided a diverse and resilient economic base for industrial prosperity that was to last into the final quarter of the 20th century. Its resulting high level of social mobility also fostered a culture of broad-based political radicalism, that under leaders from Thomas Attwood to Joseph Chamberlain was to give it a political influence unparalleled in Britain outside London and a pivotal role in the development of British democracy.
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Blaby (district)
Blaby is a local government district in Leicestershire, England.
The district is named after the village of Blaby. It covers the civil parish of Blaby and 23 others. Among these are Cosby, Countesthorpe, Enderby, Huncote, Narborough (the location of the main district council offices), Sapcote, Stoney Stanton, and Wigston Parva. Much of the district is part of the Leicester urban area: this applies especially to the parishes of Braunstone Town (including the commuter housing development of Thorpe Astley); Glenfield (the location of the headquarters of Leicestershire County Council); Kirby Muxloe; Leicester Forest East; and Glen Parva. There are plans to extend this urban area significantly through a large scale housing development, in the rural parish of Lubbesthorpe, and expansion of the industrial area in the neighbouring parish of Enderby.
Blaby was represented in Parliament by the former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Nigel Lawson, between 1974 and 1992.
The district traces its origins to the Blaby Poor Law Union, which was founded in 1834. It became a rural district of Leicestershire in 1894. Oadby was removed in 1913 to form an urban district. 1935 saw parts being transferred to Leicester, whilst it took in part of the abolished Hinckley Rural District. In 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, the area was reconstituted as a non-metropolitan district.
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Blackpool
Blackpooli/ˈblækpuːl/ is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, 17.5 miles (28.2 km) northwest of Preston, 27 miles (43 km) north of Liverpool, 30 miles (48 km) northwest of Bolton and 40 miles (64 km) northwest of Manchester. It has an estimated population of 140,000, making it the third most populous settlement in North West England after Manchester and Liverpool, and a population density that makes it the fourth most densely populated borough of England and Wales outside Greater London.
Throughout the Middle Ages and Early Modern period, Blackpool was a coastal hamlet in Lancashire's Hundred of Amounderness, and remained such until the mid-18th century when it became fashionable in England to travel to the coast during the summer to bathe in sea water to improve well-being. In 1781, visitors attracted to Blackpool's 7-mile (11 km) sandy beach were able to use a newly built private road, built by Thomas Clifton and Sir Henry Hoghton. Stagecoaches began running to Blackpool from Manchester in the same year, and from Halifax in 1782. In the early 19th century, Henry Banks and his son-in-law John Cocker erected new buildings in Blackpool such that its population grew from less than 500 in 1801 to over 2,500 in 1851. St John's Church in Blackpool was consecrated in 1821.
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Borough of Halton
Halton is a local government district in North West England, with borough status and administered by a unitary authority. It was created in 1974 as a district of Cheshire, and became a unitary authority area on 1 April 1998. It consists of the towns of Widnes and Runcorn and the civil parishes of Hale, Daresbury, Moore, Preston Brook, Halebank and Sandymoor. The district borders Merseyside, Warrington and Cheshire West and Chester. The borough straddles the River Mersey - the area to the north (including Widnes) is historically part of Lancashire, that to the south (including Runcorn) part of Cheshire.
Although Halton dates back to the 12th century (and beyond) when land on both sides of the river belonged to the Barony of Halton, the origin of the District Council was the outcome of the local government commission's suggested reforms of England, in 1969, the Redcliffe-Maud Report. This proposed to create metropolitan counties constituted of Metropolitan District Councils in the most urbanised parts of England. The model was that of the London Boroughs and Greater London Council formed in 1964. South Lancashire and North Cheshire were two of these and two new Metropolitan Counties were to be formed around Liverpool (as 'Merseyside' county) and Manchester/Salford (as 'Greater Manchester' county.) however, the towns of Widnes and Runcorn (and the County Borough of Warrington) which lay between these were reluctant to join either. The Commission agreed that the Halton group and Warrington were to become District Councils within Cheshire, as they were detached from Lancashire by the two new Metropolitan Counties controlling the territory to the north. However, the Metropolitan Counties ceased as local government units (along with the GLC) in 1984 and any remaining powers were devolved to the constituent Metropolitan Districts which cooperated over joint police authorities and fire services.
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Boston (borough)
The Borough of Boston is a local government district with borough status in Lincolnshire, England. Its council is based in the town of Boston. It lies around N53°0'0" W0°0'0".
Boston borough borders East Lindsey to the north, The Wash to the east, South Holland to the south, and North Kesteven to the west.
Post codes used in the district are: in Boston town, PE21 and elsewhere, PE20 and PE22.
The borough was formed on April 1, 1974 by the merger of the former borough of Boston with Boston Rural District.
Until 1974, Lincolnshire comprised three parts, like the ridings of Yorkshire. In Lincolnshire, "parts" was the formal designation. They were Lindsey, Kesteven and Holland. In their final form, they were each, in effect, a county. The 1974 changes divided the Parts of Holland into two districts; the Borough of Boston is the northern one.
The current political composition of the council is as follows:
The council is controlled by the Conservatives as of May 2011.
For full election results see: Boston local elections.
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Bracknell Forest
Coordinates: 51°25′01″N 0°44′49″W / 51.417°N 0.7469°W / 51.417; -0.7469
Bracknell Forest is one of six unitary authorities within Berkshire in southern England. It covers the two towns of Bracknell and Sandhurst as well as surrounding villages including Crowthorne and Binfield. It also includes the areas of North Ascot, Warfield and Winkfield. Parts of the borough border neighbouring boroughs such as Wokingham Borough Council and the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead. The south of the borough also borders onto Hampshire and Surrey.
Bracknell Forest was formed on 1 April 1974, as the non-metropolitan district of Bracknell. The district took on the territory of the former Easthampstead Rural District (in which the Bracknell new town had been developed). It changed its name in May 1988, at the same time as it was granted borough status.
On 1 April 1998, Berkshire County Council was abolished, as a consequence of the Banham Review, and Bracknell Forest Borough Council became a unitary authority. From 2008, references to 'borough' were phased out in favour of simply Bracknell Forest Council.
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Bradford
Coordinates: 53°48′00″N 1°45′07″W / 53.8000°N 1.75206°W / 53.8000; -1.75206
Bradford (i/ˈbrædfəd/) lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, 8.6 miles (13.8 km) west of Leeds, and 16 miles (25.7 km) northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897. Following local government reform in 1974, city status was bestowed upon the wider metropolitan borough.
Bradford has a population of 293,717, making it the fourteenth-most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. Bradford forms part of the West Yorkshire Urban Area conurbation which in 2001 had a population of 1.5 million and is part of the Leeds-Bradford Larger Urban Zone (LUZ), the third largest in the UK after London and Manchester, with an estimated population in the 2004 Urban Audit of 2.4 million.
Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, Bradford rose to prominence during the 19th century as an international centre of textile manufacture, particularly wool. It was a boomtown of the Industrial Revolution, and amongst the earliest industrialised settlements, rapidly becoming the "wool capital of the world". The area's access to a supply of coal, iron ore and soft water facilitated the growth of Bradford's manufacturing base, which, as textile manufacture grew, led to an explosion in population and was a stimulus to civic investment; Bradford has fine Victorian architecture including the grand Italianate City Hall.
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Braunstone Town
Braunstone is a civil parish and is the largest parish within the district of Blaby in Leicestershire, England, now known as the Town of Braunstone or more commonly, Braunstone Town. At 2007 the population is around 15,000. There are around 7,500 households including Thorpe Astley.
Braunstone is mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086. The village remained a small settlement (population 238 in 1921) until 1925 when the Leicester Corporation compulsorily purchased the bulk of the Winstanly Braunstone Hall estate.
It is just outside the city boundary of Leicester, and the part of the old civil parish now inside the city boundary is also called Braunstone. This part of the parish, which contains a large council estate was detached in 1935 from the Blaby district and Braunstone Parish to become part of the county borough of Leicester, hence the present split. The use of the name Braunstone Town is more recent, and is an attempt by Braunstone Town Council to distinguish their village from the modern council estate of the same name.
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Brighton and Hove
Brighton and Hove is a unitary authority area and city on the south coast of England. It is England's most populous seaside resort. The major part of the city consists of Brighton, with around 155,000 people of the total population of 251,000. Consequently, people usually refer to the city as just "Brighton". Brighton and Hove's urban area has a population of over 450,000 people. The city is famous for its history as a seaside town, and more recently for its reputation of having a large gay community. The city is also famous for its football team, Brighton & Hove Albion FC (commonly known as just "Brighton" or "Albion"). They currently play in the Football League Championship at the Amex Stadium, opened in 2011.
In 1997, the two large towns of Brighton and Hove were joined to form the unitary authority of Brighton and Hove, which was granted city status by Queen Elizabeth II as part of the millennium celebrations in 2000.
Brighton and Hove forms part of the Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton conurbation, the 12th largest conurbation in the United Kingdom. Along this area of the south coast, there is little or no gap of countryside between these large towns and city. Directly to the west is Southwick and then Shoreham-by-Sea, and a short distance to the east are Peacehaven and Newhaven. The city, district and urban areas of Brighton and Hove have the biggest populations in the South East England region.
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Bristol
Bristoli/ˈbrɪstəl/ is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone (LUZ) with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007. It is England's sixth and the United Kingdom's eighth most populous city, one of the group of English Core Cities and the most populous city in South West England.
Historically within Gloucestershire, the city received a Royal Charter in 1155 and was granted County status in 1373. From the 13th century, for half a millennium, it ranked amongst the top three English cities after London, alongside York and Norwich, on the basis of tax receipts, until the rapid rise of Liverpool, Birmingham and Manchester during the Industrial Revolution in the latter part of the 18th century. It borders the counties of Somerset and Gloucestershire, and is also located near the historic cities of Bath to the south east and Gloucester to the north. The city is built around the River Avon, and it also has a short coastline on the Severn Estuary, which flows into the Bristol Channel.
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Broxtowe
Broxtowe is a local government district with borough status in Nottinghamshire, England, west of the City of Nottingham. It is part of the Greater Nottingham metropolitan area. Broxtowe's neighbour to the west is the borough of Erewash, which is in Derbyshire.
Settlements include Beeston — where the council is based — Attenborough, Awsworth, Bramcote, Brinsley, Chilwell, Cossall, Eastwood, Giltbrook, Greasley, Kimberley, Moorgreen, Newthorpe, Nuthall, Stapleford, Strelley, Swingate, Toton, Trowell, and Watnall. Additionally a small part of Wollaton falls within Broxtowe.
The Broxtowe Estate is not within the borough, but is instead within the boundaries of the City of Nottingham.
Broxtowe has ten civil parishes of which three (Eastwood, Kimberley and Stapleford) have town councils. The unparished area of the borough covers the town of Beeston and the neighbouring places of Chilwell, Toton, Attenborough and Bramcote — this is the area of the former Beeston and Stapleford Urban District, minus Stapleford which was parished in 1987.
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Bulgaria
Coordinates: 42°45′N 25°30′E / 42.75°N 25.5°E / 42.75; 25.5
Bulgariai/bʌlˈɡɛəriə/ (Bulgarian: България, IPA: [bɤ̞ɫˈɡarijɐ]), is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and the Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south and the Black Sea to the east. With a territory of 110,994 square kilometres (42,855 sq mi), Bulgaria is Europe's 14th-largest country. Its location has made it a historical crossroad for various civilisations and as such it is the home of some of the earliest metalworking, religious and other cultural artifacts in the world.
Prehistoric cultures began developing on Bulgarian lands during the Neolithic period. Its ancient history was marked by the presence of the Thracians, and later by the Greeks and Romans. The emergence of a unified Bulgarian ethnicity and state dates back to the First Bulgarian Empire, which dominated most of the Balkans and functioned as a cultural hub for Slavic peoples during the Middle Ages. With the downfall of the Second Bulgarian Empire in 1396, its territories came under Ottoman rule for nearly five hundred years. The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 resulted in the Third Bulgarian State, recognised in 1908. The following years saw several conflicts with its neighbours, which prompted Bulgaria to align with Germany in both World Wars. In 1946 it became a Communist republic with a single-party system until 1989, when the Communist Party allowed multi-party elections. After 1990 Bulgaria transitioned to democracy and a market-based economy.
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Cambridge
The city of Cambridge (i/ˈkeɪmbrɪdʒ/ KAYM-brij) is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia, on the River Cam, about 50 miles (80 km) north of London. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001, its population was 108,863 (including 22,153 students), and was estimated to be 125,717 in mid-2010. There is archaeological evidence of settlement in the area in bronze age and Roman times, and under Viking rule Cambridge became an important trading centre. The first town charters were granted in the 12th century, although city status was not conferred until 1951.
Cambridge is most widely known as the home of the University of Cambridge, founded in 1209 and consistently ranked one of the top five universities in the world. The university includes the renowned Cavendish Laboratory, King's College Chapel, and the Cambridge University Library. The Cambridge skyline is dominated by the last two buildings, along with the chimney of Addenbrooke's Hospital in the far south of the city and St John's College Chapel tower.
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Cardiff
Cardiff (i/ˈkɑrdɪf/; Welsh: Caerdydd (info) Welsh pronunciation: [kairˈdiːð, kaˑɨrˈdɨːð]) is the capital and largest city in Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for Wales. The unitary authority area's mid 2010 population was estimated to be 341,054, while the population of the Larger Urban Zone was estimated at 861,400 in 2009. Cardiff is a significant tourism centre and the most popular visitor destination in Wales with 18.3 million visitors in 2010. In 2011, Cardiff was ranked 6th in the world in National Geographic's alternative tourist destinations.
The city of Cardiff is the county town of the historic county of Glamorgan (and later South Glamorgan). Cardiff is part of the Eurocities network of the largest European cities. The Cardiff Urban Area covers a slightly larger area outside of the county boundary, and includes the towns of Dinas Powys and Penarth. A small town until the early 19th century, its prominence as a major port for the transport of coal following the arrival of industry in the region contributed to its rise as a major city.
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Castle Donington
Coordinates: 52°50′40″N 1°20′16″W / 52.844422°N 1.337693°W / 52.844422; -1.337693
Castle Donington is a village, with a population of around 7000 in the North West of Leicestershire, part of the Derby postcode area and on the edge of the National Forest. It is the closest town to East Midlands Airport.
Castle Donington stands on the former Nottingham to Birmingham trunk road. The town is a mix of the old and new, with modern shops mixed with dignified Georgian and Regency houses. Several timber framed houses dating from the 17th century and earlier survive along the main road.
Although there is no rail station in the town, East Midlands Parkway opened early in 2008 at Ratcliffe-on-Soar providing links on the Midland Main Line.
Castle Donington railway station on the northern edge of the town, was opened by the Midland railway company in 1868. It was closed to regular passenger traffic in 1930, and closed completely, and pulled down in 1968. The access driveway still exists though for foot traffic only, and is the start of a footpath to Hemington, running past the site of the old goods yard, now a scrap yard.
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Central Bedfordshire
Central Bedfordshire is a unitary authority in the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire, England. It was created from the merger of Bedfordshire County Council, Mid Bedfordshire and South Bedfordshire on 1 April 2009. The unitary council provides over a hundred services to 120,000 homes and over a quarter of a million people.
Since 1974, Bedfordshire had been governed as a shire county, mostly under the control of Bedfordshire County Council. It was divided into three local government districts, Bedford Borough, Mid Bedfordshire, and South Bedfordshire. Luton Borough became a unitary authority in 1997.
In 2006 the Department for Communities and Local Government considered reorganising Bedfordshire's administrative structure as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England. The four proposals considered were:
On 6 March 2008 the DCLG decided to implement Proposal 2. This meant that from 1 April 2009 there would be three unitary authorities in Bedfordshire: Bedford, Luton and the new Central Bedfordshire. Bedfordshire County Council initially challenged this decision in the High Court, but on 4 April 2008 it was announced the Judicial Review in the High Court had been unsuccessful, and the County Council declared they would not be appealing the decision.
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Charnwood (borough)
The Borough of Charnwood is a borough of northern Leicestershire, England. It is named after Charnwood Forest, which it contains. Loughborough is the largest town in the district and serves as the borough's administrative and commercial centre.
The district of Charnwood was formed on 1 April 1974 as a merger of the municipal borough of Loughborough, the Shepshed urban district and the Barrow upon Soar Rural District. It was then granted borough status on 15 May 1974.
The symbol of Charnwood Borough Council is the fox, historically linked with Leicestershire, and this is also the symbol used by Leicestershire County Council. However Charnwood contains Quorn, which is believed[by whom?] to be the birthplace of fox-hunting.
To the south it borders the City of Leicester, about 20 km away from Loughborough. There is a moderately urbanised A6 corridor between the towns and close to the River Soar, including Quorn, Barrow-on-Soar, Mountsorrel, Birstall, Thurmaston, Syston and East Goscote. Shepshed, to the west of Loughborough, is the other major town in the district.
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Chester
Coordinates: 53°11′33″N 2°53′30″W / 53.1926°N 2.8918°W / 53.1926; -2.8918
Chester ( /ˈtʃɛstər/ CHESS-tər), is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 80,121 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the 2001 Census. Chester was granted city status in 1541.
Chester was founded as a "castrum" or Roman fort with the name Deva Victrix in the year 79 by the Roman Legio II Adiutrix during the reign of the Emperor Vespasian. Chester's four main roads, Eastgate, Northgate, Watergate and Bridge, follow routes laid out at this time – almost 2,000 years ago. One of the three main Roman army bases, Deva later became a major settlement in the Roman province of Britannia. After the Romans left in the 5th century, the Saxons fortified the town against the Danes and gave Chester its name. The patron saint of Chester, Werburgh, is buried in Chester Cathedral.
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Chesterfield
Chesterfield is a market town and a borough of Derbyshire, England. It lies 24 miles (39 km) north of Derby, on a confluence of the rivers Rother and Hipper. Its population is 70,260 (2001), making it Derbyshire's largest town (the larger Derby being a city). It is located on the A61, 6 miles (9.7 km) from the M1, and forms part of the Sheffield City Region.
Chesterfield received its market charter in the year 1204, and is currently home to one of the largest open air markets in Britain. The area around the town sits over a large coalfield, which was mined from many surrounding collieries until the 1980s. Little evidence of the mining industry remains today, and the town's economy has moved towards the tertiary sector. The town's most famous landmark, which is visible from many viewpoints outside the town, is the distinctive 'crooked' spire of its predominantly 14th century church.
The town received its market charter in the year 1204 from King John and around 250 stalls can still be found in the town centre every Monday, Friday and Saturday. The charter constituted the town as a free borough, granting the burgesses of Chesterfield the same privileges as those of Nottingham.
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Chichester
Coordinates: 50°50′11″N 0°46′45″W / 50.83652°N 0.77918°W / 50.83652; -0.77918
Chichester ( /ˈtʃɪtʃɨstə/; Sussex dialect: Chiddester /ˈtʃɪdɨstə/) is a cathedral city in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, South-East England. It has a long history as a settlement; its Roman past and its subsequent importance in Anglo-Saxon times are only its beginnings. It is the seat of a bishopric, with a 12th century cathedral, and is home to some of the oldest churches and buildings in Great Britain.
Chichester today is a local government stronghold, with three levels of government being administered there. It is also a transport hub, and the centre for culture in the region, with a Festival theatre and two art galleries. Nearby Chichester Harbour, together with the South Downs and the city walls, provide opportunities for outdoor pursuits.
The area around Chichester is believed to have played significant part during the Roman Invasion of A.D 43, as confirmed by evidence of military storage structures in the area of the nearby Fishbourne Roman Palace. The city centre stands on the foundations of the Romano-British city of Noviomagus Reginorum, capital of the Civitas Reginorum. The Roman road of Stane Street, connecting the city with London, started at the east gate, while the Chichester to Silchester road started from the north gate. The plan of the city is inherited from the Romans: the North, South, East and West shopping streets radiate from the central market cross dating from medieval times.
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China
China (i/ˈtʃaɪnə/; Chinese: 中国; pinyin: Zhōngguó; see also Names of China), officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is the world's most-populous country, with a population of over 1.3 billion. Covering approximately 9.6 million square kilometres, the East Asian state is the world's second-largest country by land area, and the third- or fourth-largest in total area, depending on the definition of total area.
The People's Republic of China is a single-party state governed by the Communist Party of China. It exercises jurisdiction over 22 provinces, five autonomous regions, four directly controlled municipalities (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Chongqing), and two mostly self-governing special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau). Its capital city is Beijing. The PRC also claims Taiwan—which is controlled by the Republic of China (ROC), a separate political entity—as its 23rd province, a claim controversial due to the complex political status of Taiwan and the unresolved Chinese Civil War. The PRC government denies the legitimacy of the ROC.
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City Gallery
City Gallery is a contemporary art gallery in Leicester, England. The gallery exhibits arts and crafts including international work but also local work reflecting the city's cultural diversity making the gallery an important venue for artists to showcase their work. The gallery has links with local schools and colleges holding events and workshops for young people. Admission to the gallery is free.
Coordinates: 52°37′58″N 1°07′42″W / 52.6328°N 1.1284°W / 52.6328; -1.1284
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City of Lancaster
The City of Lancaster ( /ˈlæŋkəstər/), is a local government district of Lancashire, England, with the status of a city and non-metropolitan district. It is named after its largest settlement, Lancaster, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Morecambe, Heysham, and Carnforth, as well as outlying villages, farms and rural hinterland. The city has a population of 133,914, and an area of 222 square miles (575 km2).
The current city boundaries were set as part of the provisions of the Local Government Act 1972, and cover an amalgamation of five former local government districts—the municipal boroughs of Lancaster and Morecambe and Heysham, together with the Carnforth Urban District and rural districts of Lancaster and Lunesdale, all from the administrative county of Lancashire.
The higher tier of local government is Lancashire County Council. At a lower level, there are many parish councils. There is a List of civil parishes in the district.
The district comprises two parliamentary constituencies: Lancaster and Fleetwood and Morecambe and Lunesdale. In the 2010 General Election both seats were won by the Conservatives.
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City of Leeds
Coordinates: 53°47′59″N 1°32′57″W / 53.79972°N 1.54917°W / 53.79972; -1.54917 The City of Leeds is a local government district of West Yorkshire, England, governed by Leeds City Council, with the status of a city and metropolitan borough. The metropolitan district includes Leeds and the towns of Farsley, Garforth, Guiseley, Horsforth, Morley, Otley, Pudsey, Rothwell, Wetherby and Yeadon. It has a population of 798,800 (2010 est.) and is the second largest local government district in England by population; and the second largest metropolitan district by area.
The current city boundaries were set on 1 April 1974 by the provisions of the Local Government Act 1972, as part a reform of local government in England. The city is a merger of eleven former local government districts; the unitary City and County Borough of Leeds combined with the municipal boroughs of Morley and Pudsey, the urban districts of Aireborough, Garforth, Horsforth, Otley and Rothwell, and parts of the rural districts of Tadcaster, Wharfedale and Wetherby from the West Riding of Yorkshire.
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City of London
The City of London is an area in central London, England. In the medieval period it constituted most of London, but the conurbation has grown far beyond it. As the City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, it is now only a tiny part of the metropolis, though it remains a notable part of central London, holds city status in its own right, and is a separate ceremonial county.
It is often referred to as the City (often written on maps as "City") or the Square Mile, as it is just over one square mile (1.12 sq mi/2.90 km2) in area. These terms are also often used as metonyms for the United Kingdom's financial services industry, which continues a notable history of being based in the City.
The term London now refers to a much larger conurbation roughly corresponding to Greater London, a local government area which includes 32 London boroughs including the City of Westminster as well as the City of London. The local authority for the City, the City of London Corporation, is unique in the United Kingdom, and has some unusual responsibilities for a local authority in Britain, such as being the police authority for the City. It also has responsibilities and ownerships beyond the City's boundaries. The Corporation is headed by the Lord Mayor of the City of London, an office separate from (and much older than) the Mayor of London.
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City of St Albans
The City of St Albans /sɨnt ˈɔːlbənz/, also known as the City and District of St Albans or District of St Albans, is a local government district, in Hertfordshire, England. It was created in 1974 and since then has held the status of non-metropolitan district and city. The local authority is St Albans City Council. It has routes to the M1 motorway via the A414 road (formerly the M10 motorway), and rail routes to London St Pancras and Watford via St Albans City railway station and St Albans Abbey railway station respectively.
The district includes St Albans (population c. 58,000), Harpenden (population c. 27,600), the parishes of Colney Heath, Harpenden Rural, London Colney, Redbourn, St Michael's, St Stephen's (including the villages of Chiswell Green and Bricket Wood), Sandridge and Wheathampstead. Nearby places outside the district include Hatfield to the east, Welwyn Garden City to the northeast, Luton and Dunstable to the northwest, Hemel Hempstead to the west, Watford to the southwest and Borehamwood to the south.
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City of Westminster
The City of Westminsteri/ˈwɛstmɪnstə/ is a London borough occupying much of the central area of London, England, including most of the West End. It is located to the west of and adjoining the ancient City of London, directly to the east of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and its southern boundary is the River Thames. It is an Inner London borough and was created in 1965 when Greater London was established. At its creation Westminster was awarded city status, which had been previously held by the smaller Metropolitan Borough of Westminster. Aside from a number of large parks and open spaces, the population density of the district is high. Many sites commonly associated with London are located in the borough, including Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament, and 10 Downing Street. The borough is divided into a number of localities including the ancient political district of Westminster around the Palace of Westminster; the shopping areas around Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Bond Street; and the night time entertainment district of Soho. Much of the borough is residential, and in 2008 it was estimated to have a population of 236,000. The local authority is Westminster City Council.
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City of Winchester
Winchester ( /ˈwɪntʃɨstər/) is a local government district in Hampshire, England, with city status. It covers an area of central Hampshire including the city of Winchester itself, and neighbouring towns and villages including New Alresford, Colden Common and Bishops Waltham.
The current city boundaries were set on 1 April 1974 when the City of Winchester merged with Droxford Rural District and part of Winchester Rural District.
Other than Gosport and Eastleigh, Winchester is the only non Unitary Authority, council District in Hampshire not to border another county and is the only one that neither borders another county nor the coast. The two Unitary Authorities in Hampshire that don't border another county are Portsmouth and Southampton, Portsmouth and Southampton are the only Unitary Authorities in Hampshire.
Elections to the council are held in three out of every four years, with one third of the seats on the council being elected at each election. From 1995 to the 2004 election the Liberal Democrats had a majority on the council, but after 2 years when no party held a majority the 2006 election saw the Conservative party gain control. The elections on 6 May 2010 saw the Liberal Democrats re take control of the council.
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Coalville
Coordinates: 52°43′01″N 1°22′12″W / 52.717°N 1.370°W / 52.717; -1.370
Coalville is a town in North West Leicestershire, England, with a population estimated in 2003 to be almost 33,000. It is situated on the A511 trunk road between Leicester and Burton upon Trent, close to junction 22 of the M1 motorway where the A511 meets the A50 between Ashby-de-la-Zouch and Leicester. Coalville is the administrative centre for North West Leicestershire District Council and a market town for the district; it borders the upland area of Charnwood Forest which lies to the town's east. It is twinned with Romans-sur-Isère in South East France.
As the name indicates, Coalville is a former coal mining town, with name coming from the name of the house of the owner of Whitwick Colliery, Coalville House. Coal has been mined in the area since medieval times and mine workings from these times can be found on the Hough Mill site at Swannington near the Califat Colliery site. A life-sized horse gin has been built on the Hough Mill site and craters can be seen in the ground, where the medieval villagers dug out their allocation of coal. The seam is at ground level in Swannington, but gradually gets deeper between Swannington and the deepest reserves at Bagworth, so consequentially, it was not until mining technology advanced that shafts were sunk in Coalville. A disused colliery at Snibston has been regenerated into Snibston Discovery Park, a museum focused on transport, mining and engineering.
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Corby
Corby is borough located in the county of Northamptonshire. Corby Town is 23 miles north-east of the county town, Northampton. The borough had a population of 53,174 at the 2001 Census; the town on its own accounted for 49,222 of this figure. Figures released in March 2010 revealed that Corby has the fastest growing population in both Northamptonshire and the whole of England. The Borough of Corby borders onto the Borough of Kettering, the District of East Northamptonshire, the District of Harborough and the unitary authority county of Rutland. The town was at one time known locally as "Little Scotland" due to the large number of Scottish migrant workers who came to Corby for its steelworks.
The Borough of Corby consists of the town of Corby, as well as the villages of Weldon, Rockingham, Gretton, Cottingham, Middleton, East Carlton, Stanion, and Little Stanion.
Mesolithic and Neolithic artefacts have been found in the area surrounding Corby and human remains dating to the Bronze Age were found in 1970 at Cowthick. The first evidence of permanent settlement comes from the 8th century when Danish invaders arrived and the settlement became known as "Kori's by" – Kori's settlement. The settlement was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Corbei". Corby's emblem, the raven, derives from an alternative meaning of this word. These Danish roots were recognised in the naming of the most southern of the town's housing estates, Danesholme, around which one of the Danish settlements was located.
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Cornwall
Cornwall ( /ˈkɔrnwɔːl/ or /ˈkɔrnwəl/;Cornish: Kernow [ˈkɛrnɔʊ]; Latin: Cornubia or Cornuvia) is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of 537,400 and covers an area of 3,563 km2 (1,376 sq mi). The administrative centre and only city is Truro.
The area now known as Cornwall was first inhabited in the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic periods. It continued to be occupied by Neolithic and then Bronze Age peoples, and later (in the Iron Age) by Brythons with distinctive cultural relations to neighbouring Wales and Brittany. There is little evidence that Roman rule was effective west of Exeter and few Roman remains have been found. Cornwall was a division of the Dumnonii tribe—whose tribal centre was in the modern county of Devon—known as the Cornovii, separated from Wales after the Battle of Deorham, often coming into conflict with the expanding English kingdom of Wessex before King Athelstan in AD 936 set the boundary between English and Cornish at the Tamar. From the early Middle Ages, British language and culture was apparently shared by Brythons trading across both sides of the Channel, evidenced by the corresponding high medieval Breton kingdoms of Domnonee and Cornouaille and the Celtic Christianity common to both territories.
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Coventry
Coventry (i/ˈkɒvəntri/) is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although Stoke-on-Trent, Leicester and Nottingham have larger urban areas. The population of Coventry had risen to 315,800 as of 2010, according to the Office of National Statistics.
Historically within Warwickshire, Coventry is situated 95 miles (153 km) northwest of central London and 19 miles (31 km) east-southeast of Birmingham, and is further from the coast than any other city in Britain. Although harbouring a population of almost a third of a million inhabitants, Coventry is not amongst the English Core Cities Group due to its proximity to Birmingham.
Coventry was the world's first twin city when it formed a twinning relationship with the Russian city of Stalingrad (now Volgograd) during World War II. The relationship developed through ordinary people in Coventry who wanted to show their support for the Soviet Red Army during the Battle of Stalingrad. The city is now also twinned with Dresden, Lidice and 23 other cities around the world.
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Crown Hills
Coordinates: 52°38′10″N 1°05′35″W / 52.636°N 1.093°W / 52.636; -1.093
Coleman is an electoral ward and administrative division of the city of Leicester, England, consisting of the Leicester suburbs of Crown Hills and North Evington.
Coleman is bounded by the wards of Charnwood to the west and north, Humberstone & Hamilton to the north-east, Evington to the east and Spinney Hills to the south.
North Evington was originally in the parish of Evington, disconnected from the village itself. The areas in between have been infilled later on. It has been absorbed by the urban district of Highfields which is predominantly a working class area with rows of Victorian terraces to satisfy the needs of workers.
The area was designed and constructed as a suburb, by Arthur Wakerley from the 1880s onwards. By the First World War the area was entirely developed. The area, which was originally outside the borough boundary, was annexed to the borough of Leicester in 1892.
Coleman has a local secondary school, Crown Hills Community College, located in the Crown Hills area.
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Curve (theatre)
Curve is a theatre in Leicester, England, based in the Cultural quarter in Leicester City Centre. Before being named Curve, it was referred to as Leicester Performing Arts Centre. It is adjacent to the Leicester Athena conference and banqueting centre.
Leicester's state of the art theatre, designed by world renowned architect Rafael Viñoly is based in the heart of what the City Council calls the new "Cultural Quarter" on Rutland Street. Curve features two auditoria, one with 750 fixed seats while a 350 seat auditorium provides a versatile smaller space with its own power flying system. When the 32 tonne steel walls separating the stage and the foyer are lifted, the stage is visible from street level. The glass façade encloses an open plan foyer with views onto the café, bars, backstage area, and across the stage.
The theatre was built by a partnership of Leicester City Council, Arts Council England (with funds from The National Lottery), East Midlands Development Agency, Leicester Shire Economic Partnership, with the project part-financed by the European Union (ERDF), in partnership with Leicester Theatre Trust and in association with Phoenix Arts Centre. The project was blighted by huge cost increases that have more the doubled from the initial estimates.
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Dane Hills
Dane Hills is a large area on the western side of the English city of Leicester,consisting of the smaller areas of Newfoundpool, Western Park, and New Parks, which is bounded by Glenfield to the west. A cave in this area was known as Black Annis's Bower, the cave being reputed to be the lair of a witch or hag of that name.
London, Folk Lore Society
Coordinates: 52°38′24″N 1°10′05″W / 52.640°N 1.168°W / 52.640; -1.168
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Danelaw
The Danelaw, as recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (also known as the Danelagh; Old English: Dena lagu; Danish: Danelagen), is a historical name given to the part of England in which the laws of the "Danes" held sway and dominated those of the Anglo-Saxons. It is contrasted with "West Saxon law" and "Mercian law". The term has been extended by modern historians to be geographical. The areas that comprised the Danelaw are in northern and eastern England. The origins of the Danelaw arose from the Viking expansion of the 9th century, although the term was not used to describe a geographic area until the 11th century. With the increase in population and productivity in Scandinavia, Viking warriors, having sought treasure and glory in the nearby British Isles, "proceeded to plough and support themselves", in the words of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, for the year 876.
Danelaw is also used to describe the set of legal terms and definitions created in the treaties between the English king, Alfred the Great, and the Danish warlord, Guthrum, written following Guthrum's defeat at the Battle of Edington in 878. In 886, the Treaty of Alfred and Guthrum was formalised, defining the boundaries of their kingdoms, with provisions for peaceful relations between the English and the Vikings.
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Daventry (district)
The Daventry district is the largest local government district of western Northamptonshire, England. The district is named after the town of Daventry which is the administrative headquarters and largest town. The district is predominantly rural, other significant settlements include Brixworth, Long Buckby and Weedon Bec.
The Daventry district was created on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, by a merger of the historic municipal borough of Daventry, with the Daventry Rural District and most of the Brixworth Rural District. The town of Daventry became an unparished area with Charter Trustees and remained so until 2003 when a civil parish was created, roughly corresponding with the boundaries of the former borough, so allowing Daventry to have its own town council.
In May 2006, a report commissioned by British Gas showed that housing in the district of Daventy produced the 7th highest average carbon emissions in the country at 7,276 kg of carbon dioxide per dwelling.
Coordinates: 52°18′N 1°03′W / 52.30°N 1.05°W / 52.30; -1.05
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De Montfort Hall
De Montfort Hall is a music and performance venue in Leicester, England. It is situated adjacent to Victoria Park and is named after Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester.
The Hall was built by the Corporation of Leicester in the early 20th century, and was finished in 1913 costing £21,000. The architect was Shirley Harrison (1876–1961) son of Stockdale Harrison, architect of Vaughan College.
Its indoor auditorium seating capacity is approximately 2000, and the hall contains a recently restored pipe organ believed to be the only surviving example of a large concert organ constructed by the Leicester organ builders, Stephen Taylor & Son Ltd. The organ is a particularly fine example, attracting many distinguished organists to play recitals.
The hall features in Grey Owl (film) in a real life reenactment of director Richard Attenborough's boyhood attendance of a wildlife lecture.
Most of the Hall's events take place in the indoor auditorium where the programme of events ranges from jazz, ballet, comedy and opera, to world and roots music, West End musicals and classical music, featuring the world famous Philharmonia Orchestra, which was set up by EMI and has been resident at the hall since 1997. The hall is said by the orchestra to be one of the best spaces in which to play music in England.
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Derby
Derby (i/ˈdɑːbi/ DAR-bi), is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407. According to the 2001 census, Derby was at that time the 18th largest settlement in England, measured by urban area.
The city has Roman, Saxon and Viking origins.
The Roman camp of 'Derventio' was probably at Little Chester/Chester Green (grid reference SK353375); The site of the old Roman fort is at Chester Green. Later the town was one of the 'Five Boroughs' (fortified towns) of the Danelaw.
Djúra-bý, recorded in Anglo-Saxon as Deoraby "Village of the Deer". This popular belief is asserted by Tim Lambert who states, "The name Derby is derived from the Danish words deor by meaning deer settlement" without reference or proof. However some[who?] assert that it is a corruption of the original Roman name 'Derventio'. The proven origin of the name "Derby" would seem to be elusive.
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Derbyshire
Coordinates: 53°8′N 1°36′W / 53.133°N 1.6°W / 53.133; -1.6
Derbyshire (i/ˈdɑrbɨʃə/ DAR-bi-shər or /ˈdɑrbɪʃɪər/ DAR-bi-sheer; abbreviated Derbys. or Derbs.) is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The southern extremity of the Pennine range of hills extends into the north of the county. The county contains within its boundary of approximately 225 miles part of the National Forest. It borders on Greater Manchester to the northwest, West Yorkshire to the north, South Yorkshire to the northeast, Nottinghamshire to the east, Leicestershire to the southeast, Staffordshire to the west and southwest and Cheshire also to the west. In 2003 the Ordnance Survey placed Church Flatts farm, near Coton in the Elms, as the furthest point from the sea in Great Britain.
The city of Derby is now a unitary authority area, but remains part of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. The non-metropolitan county contains 30 towns with between 10,000 and 100,000 inhabitants. There is a large amount of sparsely populated agricultural upland: 75% of the population live in 25% of the area.[citation needed]
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Derbyshire Dales
Derbyshire Dales is a local government district in Derbyshire, England. Much of the district is situated in the Peak District, although most of its population lies along the River Derwent.
The borough borders the districts of High Peak, Amber Valley, North East Derbyshire and South Derbyshire in Derbyshire and also Sheffield in South Yorkshire.
The district offices are in Matlock. It was formed on 1 April 1974, originally under the name of West Derbyshire. The district adopted its current name in 1988. The district was a merger of Ashbourne, Bakewell, Matlock and Wirksworth urban districts along with Ashbourne Rural District and Bakewell Rural District.
Following their review of parliamentary representation in Derbyshire, the Boundary Commission for England has formed a new constituency called Derbyshire Dales.
Derbyshire Dales District Council is elected every four years, with currently 39 councillors being elected at each election. The Conservative party has had a majority on the council since 1976, apart from a four year period between 1995 and the 1999 election when no party had a majority. As of July 2011 and after the 2011 election the council is composed of the following councillors:-
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Derry
Coordinates: 54°59′45″N 7°18′27″W / 54.9958°N 7.3074°W / 54.9958; -7.3074
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille, (Old Irish "Dhoire") meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille". In 1613, the city was granted a Royal Charter by King James I and the "London" prefix was added, changing the name of the city to Londonderry. While the city is more usually known as Derry, Londonderry is also used and remains the legal name.
The old walled city lies on the west bank of the River Foyle, which is spanned by two road bridges and one footbridge. The city now covers both banks (Cityside on the west and Waterside on the east). The city district also extends to rural areas to the southeast. The population of the city proper (the area defined by its 17th century charter) was 83,652 in the 2001 Census, while the Derry Urban Area had a population of 90,663. The Derry City Council area had a population of 107,300 as of June 2006. The district is administered by Derry City Council and contains both Londonderry Port and City of Derry Airport.
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Dorchester-on-Thames
Coordinates: 51°38′38″N 1°09′58″W / 51.644°N 1.166°W / 51.644; -1.166
Dorchester-on-Thames is a village and civil parish on the River Thame in Oxfordshire, about 3 miles (5 km) northwest of Wallingford and 8 miles (13 km) southeast of Oxford. Despite its name, Dorchester is not on the River Thames, but just above the Thame's confluence with it. Historically the Thames was only so-named downstream of the village; upstream it is named the Isis, and Ordnance Survey maps continue to label the river as "River Thames or Isis" until Dorchester. Practically, however, this distinction is rarely used outside of the City of Oxford.
The area has been inhabited since at least the Neolithic. In the north of the parish there was a Neolithic sacred site, now largely destroyed by gravel pits. On one of the Sinodun hills on the opposite side of the River Thames, a ramparted settlement was inhabited during the Bronze Age and Iron Age. Two of the Sinodun hills bear distinctive landmarks of mature trees called Wittenham Clumps. Adjacent to the village are Dyke Hills which are also the remains of an Iron Age hill fort.
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Dudley
Coordinates: 52°30′43″N 2°05′45″W / 52.5119°N 2.0957°W / 52.5119; -2.0957
Dudley (i/ˈdʌdli/ DUD-lee) is a large town in the West Midlands county of England, and the administrative centre of the wider Metropolitan Borough of Dudley. At the 2001 census (according to the Office of National Statistics), the Dudley Urban Sub Area had a population of 194,919, making it the one of the largest settlements in England, the second largest town in the United Kingdom behind Reading, and the largest settlement in the UK without its own university.
Dudley is part of the West Midlands conurbation, and is located south of the city of Wolverhampton. It is the largest town in the Black Country region of England, and for many years the town (but not the castle, which was classed as part of Staffordshire) formed part of an exclave of the county of Worcestershire. Despite the more recent changes in county borders, the town still remains part of the Anglican Diocese of Worcester.
Dudley unsuccessfully bid to receive city status in 2012, losing out to Chelmsford, Perth and St. Asaph.
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Dundee
Coordinates: 56°27′50″N 2°58′12″W / 56.464°N 2.970°W / 56.464; -2.970
Dundeei/dʌnˈdiː/ (Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Dè) is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 38th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea. Under the name of Dundee City, it forms one of the 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland.
The town developed into a burgh in Medieval times, and expanded rapidly in the 19th century largely due to the jute industry. This, along with its other major industries gave Dundee its epithet as the city of "jute, jam and journalism".
In mid-2008, the population of the City of Dundee was estimated to be 152,320. Dundee's recorded population reached a peak of 182,204 at the time of the 1971 census, but has since declined.
Today, Dundee is promoted as 'One City, Many Discoveries' in honour of Dundee's history of scientific activities and of the RRS Discovery, Robert Falcon Scott's Antarctic exploration vessel, which was built in Dundee and is now berthed in the city harbour. Biomedical and technological industries have arrived since the 1980s, and the city now accounts for 10% of the United Kingdom's digital-entertainment industry. Dundee has two universities—the University of Dundee and the University of Abertay Dundee. A £1,000,000,000 master plan to regenerate and to reconnect the Waterfront to the city centre which started in 2001 is expected to be completed within a 30 year period, with the Dundee Victoria & Albert Museum opening within 5.
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Durham
Coordinates: 54°46′34″N 1°34′24″W / 54.7761°N 1.5733°W / 54.7761; -1.5733
Durham ( /ˈdʌrəm/, locally /ˈdɜrəm/) is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county. It lies to the south of Newcastle upon Tyne, Chester-le-Street and Sunderland and to the north of Darlington.
Durham is well known for its Norman cathedral and 11th-century castle, both designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986. The castle has been the home of Durham University since 1832. HM Prison Durham is also located close to the city centre.
The name "Durham" comes from the Old English "dun", meaning hill, and the Old Norse "holme", which translates to island. The Lord Bishop of Durham takes a Latin variation of the city's name in his official signature, which is signed "N. Dunelm." Some attribute the city's name to the legend of the Dun Cow and the milkmaid who in legend guided the monks of Lindisfarne carrying the body of Saint Cuthbert to the site of the present city in 995 AD. Dun Cow Lane is said to be one of the first streets in Durham, being directly to the east of Durham Cathedral and taking its name from a depiction of the city's founding etched in masonry on the south side of the cathedral. The city has been known by a number of names throughout history. The original Nordic Dun Holm was changed to Duresme by the Normans and was known in Latin as Dunelm. The modern form Durham came into use later in the city's history. The north eastern historian, Robert Surtees chronicled the name changes in his History and Antiquities of the County Palatine of Durham but states that it is an "impossibility" to tell when the city's modern name came into being.
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Earl Shilton
Coordinates: 52°34′40″N 1°18′18″W / 52.57777°N 1.30491°W / 52.57777; -1.30491
Earl Shilton is a small town in Leicestershire, England, some 5 miles (8 km) from Hinckley and about 10 miles (16 km) from Leicester, with a population of around 9,000 (as of 2005).
For the Ancient and Medieval History of Earl Shilton: see Ancient and Medieval Earl Shilton
Between the 19th and late 20th centuries, Earl Shilton was a busy industrial village with numerous shoe, hosiery and knitwear factories. The boot and shoe factories included Orton's, Eatough's and Pinchess's and other, smaller, operations. At one point Earl Shilton produced boots for the Russian army. Many of these businesses have now closed due to competition from the Far East, but a very few still continue into the 21st century. Nevertheless the Earl Shilton boot and shoe heritage provided the opportunity for other businesses to thrive alongside them, namely local carriers such as Woodwards (now the bakery distribution business) and Crowfoots, (still operating as a parcel carrier). Both these businesses are now located nearby in the village of Barwell.
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East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of the East Anglian princess Etheldreda, the Isle of Ely also became part of the kingdom. Formerly a standard statistical region, for administrative purposes East Anglia now forms part of the East of England government office region and is defined as a Level 2 Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics, comprising the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire including the city of Peterborough unitary authority area.
The Kingdom of the East Angles, formed about the year 520 by the merging of the North and the South Folk (Angles who had settled in the former lands of the Iceni during the previous century) was one of the seven Anglo-Saxon heptarchy kingdoms (as defined in the 12th century writings of Henry of Huntingdon). For a brief period following a victory over the rival kingdom of Northumbria around the year 616, East Anglia was the most powerful of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England, and its king Raedwald was Bretwalda (overlord of the Anglo-Saxons kingdoms). But this did not last: over the next forty years, East Anglia was defeated by the Mercians twice, and it continued to weaken relative to the other kingdoms until in 794, Offa of Mercia had its king Æthelberht killed and took control of the kingdom himself.
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East Lindsey
East Lindsey is a local government district in Lincolnshire, England. The council is based in Manby near Louth, and other major settlements in the district include Alford, Spilsby, Mablethorpe, Skegness, Horncastle and Chapel St Leonards.
There is no overall control of the council, due to many independent councillors on the district council. The East Lindsey Independent Group has 19 councillors. The largest group is Conservative with 27, and, the next largest, Labour have 8 with four seats in Skegness, three in Louth and one in Mablethorpe. The leader of the council is the Conservative councillor for North Thoresby.
It has an area of 1,760 km², making it the fifth largest district in England. It was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, from the south-eastern area of the former administrative county of Lindsey. It was a merger of the municipal borough of Louth along with Alford, Horncastle, Mablethorpe and Sutton, Skegness and Woodhall Spa urban districts, along with Horncastle Rural District, Louth Rural District and Spilsby Rural District.
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Edinburgh
Edinburgh (i/ˈɛdɪnbʌrə/ ED-in-burr-ə; Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Èideann) is the capital city of Scotland and the seat of the Scottish Parliament. It is the second largest city in Scotland and the seventh most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a 30 square miles (78 km2) rural area. Located in the south-east of Scotland, Edinburgh lies on the east coast of the Central Belt, along the Firth of Forth, near the North Sea.
The city was one of the historical major centres of the Enlightenment, led by the University of Edinburgh, helping to earn it the nickname Athens of the North. The Old Town and New Town districts of Edinburgh were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995 in recognition of the unique character of the Medieval Old Town and the planned Georgian New Town. It covers both the Old and New Towns together with the Dean Village and the Calton Hill areas. There are over 4,500 listed buildings within the city. In May 2010, it had a total of 40 conservation areas covering 23% of the building stock and 23% of the population, the highest such ratios of any major city in the UK. In the 2011 mid-year population estimates, Edinburgh had a total resident population of 495,360.
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Ely, Cambridgeshire
Coordinates: 52°24′N 0°16′E / 52.40°N 0.26°E / 52.40; 0.26
Ely (i/ˈiːli/ EE-lee) is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England, 14 miles (23 km) north-north-east of Cambridge and about 80 miles (129 km) by road from London. Æthelthryth (Etheldreda) founded an abbey at Ely in AD 673; the abbey was destroyed in 870 by Danish invaders and was rebuilt by Ethelwold, Bishop of Winchester, in 970. Construction of the cathedral was started in 1083 by the first Norman bishop, Simeon. Sacrist, Alan of Walsingham's octagon, built over Ely's nave crossing between 1322 and 1328, is the "greatest individual achievement of architectural genius at Ely Cathedral" according to architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner. Building continued until the dissolution of the abbey in 1539 during the Reformation. The cathedral was sympathetically restored between 1845 and 1870 by the architect George Gilbert Scott. As the seat of a diocese, Ely has long been considered a city; in 1974, city status was granted by royal charter.
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England
Englandi/ˈɪŋɡlənd/ is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, while the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separate it from continental Europe. Most of England comprises the central and southern part of the island of Great Britain in the North Atlantic. The country also includes over 100 smaller islands such as the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight.
The area now called England was first inhabited by modern humans during the Upper Palaeolithic period, but it takes its name from the Angles, one of the Germanic tribes who settled during the 5th and 6th centuries. England became a unified state in AD 927, and since the Age of Discovery, which began during the 15th century, has had a significant cultural and legal impact on the wider world. The English language, the Anglican Church, and English law—the basis for the common law legal systems of many other countries around the world—developed in England, and the country's parliamentary system of government has been widely adopted by other nations. The Industrial Revolution began in 18th-century England, transforming its society into the world's first industrialised nation. England's Royal Society laid the foundations of modern experimental science.
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Erewash
Erewash ( /ˈɛrəwɒʃ/ ERR-ə-wosh) is a local government district and borough in eastern Derbyshire, England, to the east of Derby and the west of Nottingham. It contains the towns of Ilkeston, Long Eaton and Sandiacre and fourteen civil parishes.
The borough was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the Borough of Ilkeston, the Long Eaton urban district and part of South East Derbyshire Rural District.
The borough council's headquarters are split between each of the main urban areas at Long Eaton and Ilkeston town halls.
The borough is home to the public school, Trent College and its junior / prep school The Elms School.
Coordinates: 52°55′N 1°19′W / 52.917°N 1.317°W / 52.917; -1.317
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Evington
Coordinates: 52°37′16″N 1°04′19″W / 52.621°N 1.072°W / 52.621; -1.072
Evington is an electoral ward and administrative division of the city of Leicester, England. It used to be a small village centred around Main Street and the Anglican church of St Denys but was close enough to Leicester to become one of the outer suburbs in the 1930s. Today, the ward comprises the historical village of Evington, as well as the modern ex-council estates of Rowlatts Hill and Goodwood.
The name Evington comes from the Anglo-Saxon name Aefa's Tun. After the Norman conquest the land was given to Hugh de Grentesmesnil. The first known spelling Evington was of Walter de Evington 1259 who leased a carucate of land at the village of Evington - about 100 acres (0.40 km2). The parish of Evington was originally quite large and included the areas now known as North Evington and Evington Valley. These were annexed by the borough of Leicester in 1892, and are not generally considered part of Evington.
In 1935, the boundaries of Leicester (by this point a city), were expanded again, including nearly all of the remaining parish of Evington, except for a small part which went to Oadby. The modern ward does include the large 1950s development based at Downing Drive and Spencefield Lane.
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Evington Valley
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 Road to the north (north of which is North Evington), Wakerly Road to the east (east of which is Evington village) and to the south borders Stoneygate. Coordinates: 52°37′23″N 1°06′07″W / 52.623°N 1.102°W / 52.623; -1.102
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Exeter
Exeter (i/ˈɛksɨtər/ EK-si-tər) is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the County Council. The city is on the River Exe, about 37 miles (60 km) northeast of Plymouth, and 70 miles (110 km) southwest of Bristol. According to the 2001 Census, its population in that year was 111,076, while the mid-2010 estimate was 119,600.
Exeter was the most south-westerly Roman fortified settlement in Britain. Its Exeter Cathedral, founded in the early 12th century, became Anglican at the time of the 16th century Reformation.
Exeter has been identified as one of the top ten most profitable locations for a business to be based. The city has good transport links, with Exeter St David's railway station, Exeter Central railway station, the M5 motorway and Exeter International Airport connecting the city both nationally and internationally. Although a popular tourist destination, the city is not dominated by tourism.
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Eyres Monsell
Coordinates: 52°35′20″N 1°09′05″W / 52.588919°N 1.151419°W / 52.588919; -1.151419
Eyres Monsell is an electoral ward and administrative division of the city of Leicester, England, comprising the southern Leicester suburb of Eyres Monsell.
Eyres Monsell is bounded to the north by the wards of Aylestone, Freemen and Knighton. South and west of the area are the Leicestershire districts of Blaby and Oadby and Wigston.
Eyres Monsell is a former council estate in the southern suburbs of Leicester, UK. The area is defined by Saffron Lane to the east, the Birmingham to Peterborough railway to the south, Lutterworth Road to the west, and Glenhills Way to the north. Although located in the far south-west corner of suburban Leicester, the area is under the administration of the city council rather than the county council as many of its neighbouring estates are.
The land was purchased by the corporation of Leicester for housing development purposes for £40,500 by compulsory purchase order in the early 1950s. The area takes its name from the previous land owner, Bolton Eyres Monsell. The largely rural area was purchased with an aim to avoid the spatial limitations that had led to the foreboding tower blocks and intimidating alleyways of inner city developments and to provide a greener and more open plan estate. Eyres Monsell would become Leicester's second largest estate to be built after World War Two.
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Fosse Shopping Park
Fosse Shopping Park is one of Britain's biggest out-of-town shopping parks and it is situated in Enderby parish, in Blaby district, on the southern edge of the city of Leicester, England.
The retail park is in an area of mixed industrial and commercial development, about half a mile from Junction 21 of the M1, where it meets the M69. Junction 21 also connects the M1 with the A5460 (Narborough Road), from the centre of Leicester, and Leicester's main ringroad, the A563.
London & Edinburgh Trust opened Fosse Park in 1989, the 265,000 sq ft (24,600 m2) development contained 12 retail warehouses, including Marks & Spencer as an anchor store. In 1996 Castlemore Securities bought an adjacent factory from the shoe manufacturer and retailer, the Oliver Group, for £25m and obtained a restricted planning consent for Fosse Park South.
In 1997 Pillar Property bought Fosse Park South for £52.5m from Castlemore and the original Fosse Park from SPP (the Swedish pension fund that owns LET) for £60m, thus uniting both halves of the park to create a 416,536 sq ft (38,697.5 m2) investment valued at £205m a year later. In 2004 Pillar attempted to sell Fosse Park, but withdrew when its £320m valuation was not achieved. In 2005 Reit Asset Management bought Fosse Park for £308m, while Pillar's had valued it at £350m. In 2006 Irish investors bought Fosse Park for £360m before placing it on the market once again in 2010.
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France
France (Englishi/ˈfræns/ FRANSS or /ˈfrɑːns/ FRAHNSS; French: [fʁɑ̃s] ( listen)), officially the French Republic (French: République française [ʁepyblik fʁɑ̃sɛz]), is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. It is often referred to as l’Hexagone ("The Hexagon") because of the geometric shape of its territory. It is the largest western European country and it possesses the second-largest exclusive economic zone in the world, covering 11,035,000 km2 (4,260,000 sq mi), just behind that of the United States (11,351,000 km2 / 4,383,000 sq mi).
Over the past 500 years, France has been a major power with strong cultural, economic, military and political influence in Europe and around the world. During the 17th and 18th centuries, France colonised great parts of North America and Southeast Asia; during the 19th and early 20th centuries, France built the second largest colonial empire of the time, including large portions of North, West and Central Africa, Southeast Asia, and many Caribbean and Pacific Islands.
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Gas Museum
Coordinates: 52°36′59″N 1°25′03″W / 52.6164°N 1.4174°W / 52.6164; -1.4174
The Gas Museum, also known as the National Gas Museum, is situated in the former gatehouse of a gasworks in Leicester, England, and deals with the history of domestic and industrial gas supply. It is claimed to be "the biggest collection of gas and gas related artefacts in the world".
The building is a Grade II listed building, dating from 1878, with a clock tower. The public museum is on two floors, with over 4000 items in storage. It was opened April 29th 1977, then called the John Doran Museum. Displays include accounts of the history of gas usage in the UK and examples of technology. There is a tableau of 1920s kitchen with gas equipment. Domestic items include washing machines, gas irons and even a gas-powered radio.
It is run by the National Gas Museum Trust with financial support from Centrica and National Grid plc.
The All-Gas Kitchen, 1920s, display
Part of the upstairs displays
Gas meters
Gas-powered radio set
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Gedling
Gedling is a local government district with borough status in Nottinghamshire, England. Its council is based in Arnold. It is part of the Greater Nottingham metropolitan area lying to the North and East of the City of Nottingham.
It was formed on 1 April 1974 by merging the Arnold and Carlton urban districts and part of Basford Rural District. It is named after the village of Gedling located within the borough. Other settlements in the borough include Burton Joyce, Calverton, Colwick and Ravenshead.
The Borough covers the mainly affluent north eastern suburbs of Greater Nottingham including Arnold, Carlton and part of Mapperley and then covers the area north of the City into the rural villages of Calverton, Woodborough, Ravenshead and Newstead extending north to Mansfield.
The Borough is one of contrasts; its centre, Arnold, has a significant amount of council housing, whereas properties in the Newstead Abbey area of the borough often retail at between £1 and 3 million. The area is split into urban commuter base and rural farmland.
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Gem 106
Gem 106 is a regional radio station broadcasting to the East Midlands, owned and operated by Orion Media.
Based in Nottingham on the City link in the Sneinton area of the city centre, the station was launched on 23 September 1997 as Radio 106. In April 1998, station owners, Border Radio Holdings felt a change was needed, so in April 1998, John Myers took control over the station and it was rebranded as Century 106.
In May 2000, Century 106 was sold to Capital Radio, who then merged with GWR Group in 2004 forming GCap Media. GCap were required to sell the East Midlands station (as the combined firm also owned a number of other stations in the region), and thus Century 106 was sold to Chrysalis, owners of Heart in London and the West Midlands. As such, the station was relaunched as Heart 106 on 29 August 2005. A further, more subtle rebrand was applied in September 2006 which saw the dropping of the frequencies from station names across the Heart Network.
On the 25 June 2007 it was announced that Heart 106 along with its sister stations were to be sold for £170 million to Global Radio. Following Global Radio's takeover of GCap Media, the Office of Fair Trading ordered Global to sell five of its Midlands stations. In May 2009, the stations were sold to Orion Media, a company backed by Lloyds TSB Development Capital and Phil Riley.
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Germany
Germany (i/ˈdʒɜrməni/), officially the Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland, pronounced [ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant] ( listen)), is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate. With 81.8 million inhabitants, it is the most populous member state and the largest economy in the European Union. It is one of the major political powers of the European continent and a technological leader in many fields.
A region named Germania, inhabited by several Germanic peoples, was documented before AD 100. During the Migration Period, the Germanic tribes expanded southward, and established successor kingdoms throughout much of Europe. Beginning in the 10th century, German territories formed a central part of the Holy Roman Empire. During the 16th century, northern German regions became the centre of the Protestant Reformation while southern and western parts remained dominated by Roman Catholic denominations, with the two factions clashing in the Thirty Years' War, marking the beginning of the Catholic–Protestant divide that has characterized German society ever since. Occupied during the Napoleonic Wars, the rise of Pan-Germanism inside the German Confederation resulted in the unification of most of the German states into the German Empire in 1871 which was Prussian dominated. After the German Revolution of 1918–1919 and the subsequent military surrender in World War I, the Empire was replaced by the Weimar Republic in 1918, and partitioned in the Treaty of Versailles. Amidst the Great Depression, the Third Reich was proclaimed in 1933. The latter period was marked by Fascism and World War II. After 1945, Germany was divided by allied occupation, and evolved into two states, East Germany and West Germany. In 1990 Germany was reunified.
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Gibraltar
Gibraltar ( /dʒɨˈbrɒltər/) is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. It has an area of 6.8 square kilometres (2.6 sq mi) and a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region. At its foot is the densely populated city area, home to almost 30,000 Gibraltarians and other nationalities.
An Anglo-Dutch force captured Gibraltar from Spain in 1704 during the War of the Spanish Succession. The territory was subsequently ceded to Britain "in perpetuity" under the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. It was an important base for the Royal Navy; today its economy is based largely on tourism, financial services, and shipping.
The sovereignty of Gibraltar is a major point of contention in Anglo-Spanish relations as Spain asserts a claim to the territory. Gibraltarians rejected proposals for Spanish sovereignty in a 1967 referendum and again in 2002. Under the Gibraltar constitution of 2006, Gibraltar governs its own affairs, though some powers, such as defence and foreign relations, remain the responsibility of the UK Government.
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Glasgow
Coordinates: 55°51′29″N 4°15′32″W / 55.858°N 4.259°W / 55.858; -4.259
Glasgow (i/ˈɡlɑːzɡəʊ/, locally /ˈɡlazɡo/, GLAZ-goh; Scots: Glesga listen (help·info); Scottish Gaelic: Glaschu ([ˈkɫ̪as̪əxu] listen (help·info))) is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's West Central Lowlands.
Glasgow grew from a small rural settlement on the River Clyde to become one of the largest seaports in Britain. Expanding from the medieval bishopric of Glasgow and the later establishment of the University of Glasgow in the 15th century, it became a major centre of the Scottish Enlightenment in the 18th century. From the 18th century the city also grew as one of Britain's main hubs of transatlantic trade with British North America and the British West Indies. With the Industrial Revolution, the city and surrounding region shifted to become one of the world's pre-eminent centres of heavy engineering, most notably in shipbuilding and marine engineering industry, which produced many innovative and famous vessels. Glasgow was known as the "Second City of the British Empire" for much of the Victorian era and Edwardian period. Today it is one of Europe's top ten financial centres and is home to many of Scotland's leading businesses. Glasgow is also ranked as the 57th most liveable city in the world.
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Gloucester
Gloucester (i/ˈɡlɒstər/ GLOS-tər) is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately 32 miles (51 km) north-east of Bristol, and 45 miles (72 km) south-southwest of Birmingham.
Gloucester was founded in AD 97 by the Romans under Emperor Nerva as Colonia Glevum Nervensis, and was granted its first charter in 1155 by King Henry II. Economically, the city is dominated by the service industries, and has a strong financial and business sector, being home to the bank Cheltenham & Gloucester and historically was prominent in the aerospace industry.
The existence of a British settlement at Gloucester (Caer Glow, Gleawecastre, Gleucestre) is not confirmed by any direct evidence, but Gloucester was the Roman municipality of Colonia Nervia Glevensium, or Glevum, founded in the reign of Nerva. Parts of the walls can be traced, and many remains and coins have been found, though inscriptions are scarce. Evidence for some civic life after the end of Roman Britain includes the mention in the Historia Brittonum that Vortigern's grandfather ruled Gloucester. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Gloucester was part of Wessex from the Battle of Deorham in 577 until 584, when it came under the control of Mercia.
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Gorse Hill City Farm
Gorse Hill City Farm is a city farm and community project practising humane farming based in Leicester. The site is a popular destination for field trips from local schools particularly due to the handling area for small farm animals.
Coordinates: 52°39′05″N 1°09′39″W / 52.6513°N 1.1609°W / 52.6513; -1.1609
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Grace Road
Grace Road is a cricket ground, in Leicester, England, home to Leicestershire County Cricket Club.
The land which Grace Road is built on was bought by Leicestershire County Cricket Club in 1877 from the then Duke of Rutland and spent the massive sum of £40,000 on developing a cricket club, athletic track and hotel. The first match played on the ground took place three months later, when Leicestershire beat the touring Australia team. Contrary to popular belief, the road was named after a local property owner, not W. G. Grace.
Leicestershire left the Grace Road site in 1901 due to lack of public transport to the ground causing low crowds. They moved to a site near to Aylestone Road, as it was closer to the city centre. Leicestershire did eventually return to Grace Road after the end of the Second World War in 1946 and have been based there ever since, buying the land back in 1966.
The record attendance is 16,000 who watched the match against the touring 1948 Australians.
There have been three One Day International played at Grace Road, though none have involved England.
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Granby Halls
Coordinates: 52°37′30.31″N 1°7′58.24″W / 52.6250861°N 1.1328444°W / 52.6250861; -1.1328444 The Granby Halls was a popular live music, exhibition and sports arena in the city of Leicester, in England, also notable as the long serving home of professional basketball team, the Leicester Riders, from 1980 until 1999.
It was located in a triangle of prime land in central Leicester between the Welford Road Stadium (Leicester Tigers' home stadium), Leicester Royal Infirmary and Nelson Mandela Park and consisted of two halls, the main arena and a skating rink. The site was used for various functions since its initial opening in 1915, when it was built as the training halls for Leicester's Army recruits during World War I.
The building was finally demolished in 2001 after standing dormant for 3 years. The site is now used as a carpark while the council are still deciding what to do with the land, which is on the market for £1.3 million.
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Grand Union Canal
The Grand Union Canal in England is part of the British canal system. Its main line starts in London and ends in Birmingham, stretching for 137 miles (220 km) with 166 locks. It has arms to places including Leicester, Slough, Aylesbury, Wendover and Northampton.
The Grand Union Canal was also the original name for part of what is now part of the Leicester Line of the modern Grand Union: this latter is now generally referred to as the Old Grand Union Canal in order to avoid ambiguity.
With competition from the railways having taken a large share of traffic in the second half of the 19th century, improvements in roads and vehicle technology in the early part of the 20th century meant that the lorry was also becoming a threat to the canals. Tolls had been reduced to compete with the railways, but there was little scope for further reduction. The Regent's Canal and the Grand Junction Canal agreed that amalgamation and modernisation were the only way to remain competitive.
The (present) Grand Union Canal came into being on 1 January 1929, extended in 1932. It was formed from the amalgamation of several different canals:
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Hamilton, Bermuda
Hamilton is the capital of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda. It is the territory's financial centre and a major port and tourist destination. It's also one of the smallest capital cities by population.
The history of Hamilton began in 1790 when the Bermuda Government set aside 145 acres (59 ha) for its future seat, and was officially incorporated in 1793 by an Act of Parliament. The Colony's capital relocated to Hamilton from St. George's in 1815. The City lay at the political and military heart of Bermuda over the last two centuries. In addition to the parliament within it, Government House sits to its north, the former Admiralty House of the Royal Navy to its west (both in Pembroke), and the British Army garrison headquarters at Prospect Camp to its East.
The Town of Hamilton became a City in 1897, ahead of the consecration of the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity (Church Of England), which was under construction at the time, in 1911. A Catholic cathedral was later constructed. Today, the city overlooking Hamilton Harbour is primarily a business district, with few structures other than office buildings and shops. The City of Hamilton has long maintained a building limit, which states that no buildings may obscure the Cathedral, but in recent months buildings have been planned and areas have started construction on buildings as high as 10 storeys in the city. Bermuda's local newspaper The Royal Gazette reports "If you don't recognise the city, from 15 years ago, we don't blame you as it has changed so much".
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Hamilton, Leicester
Coordinates: 52°39′14″N 1°03′54″W / 52.654°N 1.065°W / 52.654; -1.065
Humberstone & Hamilton is an electoral ward and administrative division of the city of Leicester, England. It comprises the north-eastern Leicester suburbs of Humberstone, Humberstone Garden, Hamilton and Netherhall.
Humberstone & Hamilton is bordered by the wards of Rushey Mead to the north, Charnwood to the east and Coleman and Thurncourt to the south. West and north are the boroughs of Charnwood and Melton in the county of Leicestershire.
The ward takes its name from the historical village of Humberstone and the modern housing estate of Hamilton. The place-name 'Humberstone' is first attested in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Humerstane'. The name means 'Hunbeorht's stone'. The "Humber stone" is a granite monolith of unknown (perhaps glacial) origin that lies in a field in Hamilton. Until 1750 it had been fully exposed, but was then truncated and the remainder buried by a farmer. In the 1980s it was partially uncovered and made accessible to the public. It was then fenced in when the Leicester north ring road was built and had a sign erected at the site, describing the stone's history.
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Harborough
Harborough ( /ˈhɑrbrə/) is a local government district of Leicestershire, England, named after its main town, Market Harborough. Covering 230 square miles (600 km2), the District is by far the largest of the eight district authorities in Leicestershire and covers almost a quarter of the County.
The District extends south and east from the Leicester urban area; on the east it adjoins the County of Rutland; has a boundary on the north with the Boroughs of Charnwood and Melton; on the south it has a long boundary with the County of Northamptonshire comprising the Boroughs of Corby, Kettering and the District of Daventry. To the west the boundary is with Warwickshire and the Borough of Rugby, a boundary formed for much of its length by the line of Watling Street. The north-western boundary of the district adjoins Blaby District and the Borough of Oadby and Wigston. The villages of Thurnby, Bushby and Scraptoft abut the suburbs of the City of Leicester.
The population of the District at mid 2007 was estimated as 82,300.
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Haskovo
Haskovo (Bulgarian: Хасково), is a city, an administrative centre of the homonymous Haskovo Province in southern Bulgaria, not far from the borders with Greece and Turkey. As of February 2011, it has a population of 74,843 inhabitants.
The first settlement found in Haskovo are from circa 5000 bc. The Thracian name of the settlement was Marsa. Haskovo celebrated its 1,000th anniversary as a town in 1985. To mark the event, a new clock tower was erected in the centre of the town. In medieval times it was known for the nearby Uzundzhovo fair, famous in all of Bulgaria.
According to the archeologists, the area of Haskovo was originally settled about seven thousand years ago. In and around Haskovo, evidence has been preserved that confirms its long history during the prehistoric, Thracian, Greek, Roman, and Byzantine periods.
In the 9th century — during the First Bulgarian Empire — a fortress was built in Haskovo that soon was transformed into a town. The town was located at the centre of a sizable region between the Klokotnitsa, Harmanliyska, and Maritsa rivers.
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Hereford
Coordinates: 52°03′23″N 2°42′58″W / 52.0565°N 2.7160°W / 52.0565; -2.7160
Herefordi/ˈhɛrɨfərd/ is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately 16 miles (26 km) east of the border with Wales, 24 miles (39 km) southwest of Worcester, and 23 miles (37 km) northwest of Gloucester. With a population of 55,800 people, it is the largest settlement in the county.
The name "Hereford" is said to come from the Anglo Saxon "here", an army or formation of soldiers, and the "ford", a place for crossing a river. If this is the origin it suggests that Hereford was a place where a body of armed men forded or crossed the Wye. The Welsh name for Hereford is Henffordd, meaning "old road", and probably refers to the Roman Road and Roman settlement at nearby Stretton Sugwas.
An early town charter from 1189 granted by Richard I of England describes it as "Hereford in Wales". Hereford has been recognised as a city since time immemorial, with the status being reconfirmed as recently as October 2000.
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Herefordshire
Herefordshire ( /ˈhɛrɨfərdʃər/; abbreviated Herefs.) is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region (code UKG11) and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the County of Herefordshire. It borders the English ceremonial counties of Shropshire to the north, Worcestershire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south-east, and the Welsh preserved counties of Gwent to the south-west and Powys to the west. Hereford is a cathedral city and is the county town; with a population of approximately 55,800 inhabitants it is also the largest settlement.
The county is one of the most rural and sparsely populated in England, with a population density of 82/km² (212/sq mi). The land use is predominantly agricultural and the county is well known for its fruit and cider production, and the Hereford cattle breed.
From 1974 to 1998, Herefordshire was part of the former non-metropolitan county of Hereford and Worcester.
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Hinckley
Coordinates: 52°32′29″N 1°22′21″W / 52.5413°N 1.3725°W / 52.5413; -1.3725
Hinckley is a town in southwest Leicestershire, England. It has a population of 43,246 (2001 census). It is administered by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council. Hinckley is currently the second largest town in Leicestershire, after Loughborough (Leicester itself being a city which is not part of the non-metropolitan county of Leicestershire).
Although part of Leicestershire, it is situated in close proximity to the larger town of Nuneaton in Warwickshire, and comprises part of the Nuneaton Urban Area.
Hinckley has a history going back to Saxon times. By the time of the Domesday Book in 1086, Hinckley was quite a large village, and grew over the course of the following 200 years into a small market town—a market was first recorded there in 1311. To the west of Hinckley lies Saxon Paddock where in 2000 archaeologists from Northampton University discovered a Romano-British settlement and later Saxon items.
In the 17th century, the town developed a hosiery industry, producing stockings and similar items. Hinckley played a prominent part in the English Civil War. Its proximity to several rival strongholds—the royalist garrisons at Ashby de la Zouch and Leicester, those of the Parliamentarians at Tamworth and Coventry, and the presence of parties of troops or brigands occupying several fortified houses in nearby Warwickshire—ensured frequent visits by the warring parties. The local townsfolk were forced to decide whether to declare their allegiances openly or attempt to remain neutral—with the risk of having to pay levies, ransoms, and fines to both sides. In March 1644, Hinckley was occupied by a group of Royalist troops, though they were soon driven out by a force of Parliamentarians, who took many prisoners.
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Humberstone
Coordinates: 52°39′14″N 1°03′54″W / 52.654°N 1.065°W / 52.654; -1.065
Humberstone & Hamilton is an electoral ward and administrative division of the city of Leicester, England. It comprises the north-eastern Leicester suburbs of Humberstone, Humberstone Garden, Hamilton and Netherhall.
Humberstone & Hamilton is bordered by the wards of Rushey Mead to the north, Charnwood to the east and Coleman and Thurncourt to the south. West and north are the boroughs of Charnwood and Melton in the county of Leicestershire.
The ward takes its name from the historical village of Humberstone and the modern housing estate of Hamilton. The place-name 'Humberstone' is first attested in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Humerstane'. The name means 'Hunbeorht's stone'. The "Humber stone" is a granite monolith of unknown (perhaps glacial) origin that lies in a field in Hamilton. Until 1750 it had been fully exposed, but was then truncated and the remainder buried by a farmer. In the 1980s it was partially uncovered and made accessible to the public. It was then fenced in when the Leicester north ring road was built and had a sign erected at the site, describing the stone's history.
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India
India (i/ˈɪndiə/), officially the Republic of India (Bhārat Gaṇarājya), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the south-west, and the Bay of Bengal on the south-east, it shares land borders with Pakistan to the west;China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the north-east; and Burma and Bangladesh to the east. In the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives; in addition, India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with Thailand and Indonesia.
Home to the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation and a region of historic trade routes and vast empires, the Indian subcontinent was identified with its commercial and cultural wealth for much of its long history. Four of the world's major religions—Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism—originated here, whereas Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Islam arrived in the 1st millennium CE and also helped shape the region's diverse culture. Gradually annexed by and brought under the administration of the British East India Company from the early 18th century and administered directly by the United Kingdom from the mid-19th century, India became an independent nation in 1947 after a struggle for independence that was marked by non-violent resistance led by Mahatma Gandhi.
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Inverness
Coordinates: 57°28′18″N 4°13′31″W / 57.4717°N 4.2254°W / 57.4717; -4.2254
Inverness (from the Scottish Gaelic: Inbhir Nis pronounced [iɲɪɾʲˈniʃ], meaning "Mouth of the River Ness" listen (help·info)) is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland. Inverness lies near two important battle sites: the 11th century battle of Blàr nam Fèinne against Norway which took place on The Aird and the 18th century Battle of Culloden which took place on Culloden Moor. It is the northernmost city in the United Kingdom and lies within the Great Glen (Gleann Mòr) at its north-eastern extremity where the River Ness enters the Moray Firth. At the latest, a settlement was established by the 6th century with the first royal charter being granted by Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim (King David I) in the 12th century. The Gaelic king, Mac Bethad mac Findláich (MacBeth) nicknamed An Rígh Dearg (The Red King) held a castle within the city where he ruled as Mormaer of Moray and Ross.
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Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–5 miles (3–7 km) off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent. The Island has many resorts which have been holiday destinations since Victorian times.
The Island has a rich history, including a brief status as an independent kingdom in the 15th century. Until 1995, like Jersey and Guernsey, the Island had its own Governor—most notably Lord Mountbatten from 1969 to 1974, after which he became Lord Lieutenant until his assassination in 1979.
It was home to the poets Swinburne and Alfred Lord Tennyson, and to Queen Victoria, who built her much-loved summer residence and final home Osborne House at East Cowes. The Island's maritime and industrial history encompasses boat building, sail making, the manufacture of flying boats, the world's first hovercraft and the testing and development of Britain's space rockets. It is home to the Isle of Wight International Jazz Festival, Bestival and the recently revived Isle of Wight Festival, which, in 1970, was the largest rock music event ever held. The Island has some exceptional wildlife and is one of the richest locations of dinosaur fossils in Europe.
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Jewry Wall
Coordinates: 52°38′5.71″N 1°8′29.13″W / 52.6349194°N 1.141425°W / 52.6349194; -1.141425
The Jewry Wall in Leicester, England is the substantial ruined wall of a public building of Roman Leicester (Ratae Corieltauvorum).
The wall, an impressive example of standing Roman walling, is nearly 2000 years old. It measures 23 metres (75 ft) long, 8 metres (26 ft) high and 2.5 metres (8 ft) thick. It is the second largest piece of surviving civil Roman building in Britain (the largest being the "great work" at Wroxeter). The structure comprises alternate bands of Roman brick and coursed masonry. In the centre of the wall are two large arched openings about 3 metres (10 ft) wide and 4 metres (13 ft) high; there are further arched alcoves on the eastern side.
The wall lies to the west of St Nicholas' Church, which includes in its late Saxon and early medieval fabric much re-used Roman brick and masonry.
The remains of the town's public baths, lying immediately west of the wall, were excavated in four seasons from 1936 to 1939 by Dame Kathleen Kenyon and date from approximately 160 AD. The wall and some of the foundations of the baths are now laid out to public view. They are adjoined by a building housing the Jewry Wall Museum and Vaughan College, which stands on the remainder of the baths site (including the site of the three furnaces). The museum contains excellent local examples of Roman mosaics and wall plaster.
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Jewry Wall Museum
Coordinates: 52°38′06″N 1°08′30″W / 52.634944°N 1.141759°W / 52.634944; -1.141759
The Jewry Wall Museum is a museum in Leicester. It faces the Jewry Wall ruins, and houses artifacts from iron age, Roman, and medieval Leicester.
The building is Grade II listed and located below Vaughan College, home to Leicester University's Institute for Lifelong-Learning.
The museum is run by Leicester City Council and is free to enter.
Mosaic of Cyparissus
The Blackfriars Roman Pavement
The Norfolk Street Roman Wall Paintings
Tiles from Leicester Abbey
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Kettering (borough)
Kettering is a local government district and borough in Northamptonshire, England. It is named after its main town Kettering where the council is based. It borders onto the District of Harborough in the neighbouring county of Leicestershire, the Borough of Corby, the District of East Northamptonshire, the District of Daventry and the Borough of Wellingborough. The village of Cranford was used to film the US blockbuster "Nanny Mcphee" starring local Lucy Naylor as Nanny Mcphee.
Other than Kettering itself, the borough includes:
The last local elections for Kettering Borough Council were held on Thursday 1 May 2003. The Conservatives were the overall winner, securing 30 out of the 45 contested seats and obtaining overall control.
Further information: Kettering Borough Council Elections 2003
Coordinates: 52°27′N 0°48′W / 52.45°N 0.80°W / 52.45; -0.80
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Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain (including both modern-day England and Wales) and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England and Wales. It had a land border with the Kingdom of Scotland to the north. At the start of the period its capital and chief royal residence was Winchester, but Westminster and Gloucester were accorded almost equal status, with Westminster gradually gaining preference.
England as a state began on 12 July 927 after a gathering of kings from throughout Britain at Eamont Bridge, Cumbria, but broadly traces its origins to the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain and the Heptarchy of petty states that followed and ultimately united. The Norman invasion of Wales from 1067–1283 (formalised with the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284) put Wales in England's control, and Wales came under English law with the Laws in Wales Acts 1535–1542. On 1 May 1707, England was united with Scotland to create the Kingdom of Great Britain under the terms of the Acts of Union 1707. Though no longer a sovereign state, modern England continues as one of the countries of the United Kingdom.
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Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull (i/ˌkɪŋstən əpɒn ˈhʌl/ KING-stən ə-pon HUL), usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles (40 km) inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of 263,900 (2010 est.). The Larger Urban Zone (LUZ) population stands at 573,300.
Renamed Kings town upon Hull by King Edward I in 1299, the town and city of Hull has served as market town, military supply port, a trading hub, fishing and whaling centre, and industrial metropolis.
Hull was an early theatre of battle in the English Civil Wars. Its 18th-century Member of Parliament, William Wilberforce, played a key role in the abolition of the slave trade in Britain.
The city is unique in the UK in having had a municipally-owned telephone system from 1902, sporting cream, not red, telephone boxes.
After suffering heavy damage during the Second World War, Hull weathered a period of post-industrial decline, during which the city gained unfavourable results on measures of social deprivation, education and policing. In recent years the city has embarked on an extensive programme of economic regeneration, reconstruction and urban renewal. The economic crisis since 2008 has caused some setbacks to these developments.
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Knighton, Leicester
Knighton is an area of Leicester, situated roughly between Clarendon Park to the north, Stoneygate to the east, Oadby and Wigston to the south and the Saffron Lane estate to the west. It is a residential area, greatly expanded in the 1930s and 1940s with red-brick semi-detached houses.
Originally a separate village a couple of miles from Leicester city centre, it became joined to it by the area known as Clarendon Park during the Victorian period due to the demand for housing for those newly employed in industry. It still, though, maintains many of the village's original features, such as Oram Cottage, centred around the Church of St. Mary Magdalene (St. Mary Magdalen) and therefore it has become a conservation zone.
The village as a suburb expanded with housing estates of the mid-20th century of West Knighton and South Knighton appearing with a typical mix of housing for the post-war era.
It includes Knighton Park, which is a holder of the Green Flag Award and has a range of amenities, including two play areas, tennis courts, pitch & put (seasonal opening), sensory garden, heath garden. The Wash Brook runs through the park.
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Leeds
Coordinates: 53°47′59″N 1°32′57″W / 53.79972°N 1.54917°W / 53.79972; -1.54917 Leeds (i/ˈliːdz/) is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 (2011 est.), making it the 24th-most populous city in the European Union
Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial heart of the West Yorkshire Urban Area, which at the 2001 census had a population of 1.5 million, and the Leeds-Bradford Metropolitan Area, of which Leeds is the integral part, had a population of around 2.3 million, making it the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom. In addition, the Leeds city region, an economic area with Leeds at its core, had a population of 2.9 million. Leeds is the UK's largest centre for business, legal, and financial services outside London, and its office market is the best in Europe for value. Leeds is considered a Gamma World City, alongside cities such as Phoenix, St. Petersburg and Valencia.
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Leicester
Coordinates: 52°38′03″N 1°08′19″W / 52.63422°N 1.13852°W / 52.63422; -1.13852
Leicester (/lɛstər/ LESS-tər pronunciation (help·info)) is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest. In 2010, the population of the Leicester unitary authority was estimated at 306,600, the second highest in the region, whilst 441,213 people lived in the wider Leicester Urban Area in 2006, making Leicester the tenth most populous settlement in the United Kingdom and the UK's fourteenth largest urban area. It is the largest city in the East Midlands yet has the second largest urban area in the region behind Nottingham Urban Area. Eurostat's Larger Urban Zone listed the population of the area at 772,400 people as of 2004.
Ancient Roman pavements and baths remain in Leicester from its early settlement as Ratae Corieltauvorum, a Roman military outpost in a region inhabited by the Celtic Corieltauvi tribe. Following the demise of Roman society the early medieval Ratae Corieltauvorum is shrouded in obscurity, but when the settlement was captured by the Danes it became one of five fortified towns important to the Danelaw. The name "Leicester" is thought to derive from the words castra of the "Ligore", meaning camp of the dwellers on the (river) Legro. Leicester appears in the Domesday Book as "Ledecestre". Leicester continued to grow throughout the Early Modern period as a market town, although it was the Industrial Revolution that facilitated a process of rapid unplanned urbanisation in the area.
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Leicester Abbey
Coordinates: 52°38′55.03″N 1°8′13.09″W / 52.6486194°N 1.1369694°W / 52.6486194; -1.1369694
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 meadows on the west bank of the River Soar, was founded c. 1140 under the patronage of Robert le Bossu, Earl of Leicester. It was founded as a community of Augustinian Canons, the canons regular of the Order of Saint Augustine. Canons regular follow a similar, but perhaps less rigid rule than monks, following a rule set down by Saint Augustine in a letter to a convent in his diocese.
The abbey was one of the largest and most influential land owners in Leicestershire, thanks to contributions by important patrons such as the Earl of Winchester, Simon de Montfort, Alan la Zouche, Ernard de Bosco and, finally, the Crown. The abbey certainly held more manors than any lay lord.
The abbey is perhaps most famous for its connection to Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, Archbishop of York and Lord Chancellor of England, who was for a time the most powerful man in England, second only to the King. In spiritual terms, his power even surpassed that of the Archbishop of Canterbury (the Primate of All England). Wolsey, at one part, was a candidate for the papacy on the death of Leo X, when Adrian VI was elected.
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Leicester Airport
Leicester Airport (ICAO: EGBG) is a small aerodrome in Stoughton, Leicestershire, 4 NM (7.4 km; 4.6 mi) east southeast of Leicester, England. It was previously known as Stoughton Aerodrome. It was constructed in 1942 and was known as RAF Leicester East.
Leicester Aerodrome has a CAA Ordinary Licence (Number P720) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction as authorised by the licensee (Leicestershire Aero Club Limited).
The Leicester Mercury reported in January 2008 that plans build a new eco-town on the site of the airport were under consideration, and on 3 April 2008 it was announced that the Pennbury proposal was one of fifteen sites shortlisted for the next phase of public consultations. However, a more recent report stated the eco-town would be built elsewhere.
In December 2011, a pilot was killed and two others were injured, when two light aircraft collided in mid-air, near the airport.
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Leicester Bike Park
The Leicester Bike Park is a bicycle parking facility in Leicester Town Hall, England. It is managed by the City Council and Future Cycles Leicester.
Facilities include secure bike parking, showers, changing rooms, lockers, cycle servicing, advice, and a shop selling bicycles and accessories.
The Bike Park was developed as the result of research into public attitudes to cycling, carried out by Groundwork Leicester and Leicestershire (then trading as Environ) in the 1990s. These studies showed that, in addition to the need for safe cycle routes, the lack of secure bike parking and changing facilities for commuters were barriers preventing people from cycling. The Bike Park was opened in 1997.
Through the Bike Park and other initiatives, Leicester City has seen an 81% growth in commuter cycling (2004 to 2009) and the average daily number cycle journeys in the city has grown to 10,500.
Leicester City Council Sustainable Transport Team Homepage
Future Cycles Leicester
Cycle City - Cycling in Leicester Home Page
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Leicester Castle
Leicester Castle is located in the city of the same name in the English county of Leicestershire. The complex is situated in the west of the city centre, between Saint Nicholas Circle to the north and De Montfort University to the south.
The Castle complex contains:
According to Leicester Museums, the castle was probably built around 1070 (soon after the Norman Conquest in 1066. The remains now consist of a mound, along with ruins. Originally the mound was 40 ft (12.2 m) high. Kings sometimes stayed at the castle (Edward I in 1300, and Edward II in 1310 and 1311), and John of Gaunt and his second wife Constance of Castile both died here in 1399 and 1394 respectively.
Eventually, however, it was used mainly as a courthouse (sessions being held in the Great Hall), rather than a residence. [Simmons]
Apart from being used for Assize Courts (JM Barrie visited regularly and spent many hours inside as reporter for a newspaper when the hall was used as a court house), the Great Hall was also used for sessions of the Parliament of England most notably the Parliament of Bats in 1426, when the conditions in London were not suitable and its connections with the Plantagenet family.
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Leicester Guildhall
The Guildhall in Leicester, England, is a Grade I listed timber framed building, with the earliest part dating from c. 1390. The Guildhall once acted as the town hall for the city until the current one was commissioned in 1876.
Although some parts are earlier, the majority of the building dates from the 15th century. It is located in the old walled city, on a street now known as Guildhall Lane. It was used first as the meeting place for the Guild of Corpus Christi and then later for the more formal Corporation of Leicester. The hall was used for many purposes, including council meetings, feasts, as a courtroom, and for theatrical performances; the ultimatum given to the city during English Civil War was discussed here.
The Great Hall was built around 1390 as the meeting place of the Guild of Corpus Christi; the guild was a group of businessmen and gentry who had religious connections. The Guildhall was used for banquets, festivals, and as a home for a priest who prayed for the souls of Guild members in the nearby St Martin's Church. The Corporation of Leicester bought the Guildhall by the end of the 14th century.
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Leicester Market
Leicester Market is a market in The City of Leicester, England, on Market Place just south of the clock tower.
It is open Monday to Saturday and has over 270 stalls. It is around 800 years old but was moved to the current site around 700 years ago. It is the largest outdoor covered market in Europe.[citation needed]
The outdoor market sells a wide variety of goods, particularly fruit and vegetables, but also flowers, clothes, second-hand-books, bric-a-brac and jewellery. It also has a number of permanent units, containing clothes, cosmetics, fabrics, greetings cards, a cafe and pet products.
The indoor market (1973) is a multi-level building containing the fish market and delicatessen, as well as stalls selling clothes, haberdashery, footwear, jewellery, gemstones, and confectionery.
In the centre of the market stands the Leicester Corn Exchange (1850), originally built as a trading centre, but now serving as a bar/restaurant. A statue of John Manners, 5th Duke of Rutland stands close to the Corn Exchange.
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Leicester Pride
Leicester Pride is an annual gay pride event in Victoria Park, in Leicester, England.
The event is free, and starts with a parade from High Street to Victoria Park.
Leicester Pride is an annual LGBT Pride event that takes place in the summer, and formally involved a parade through the City Centre followed by a festival on Victoria Park, and then events running into the evening in the scene bars and clubs in Leicester.
Coordinates: 52°37′27″N 1°07′07″W / 52.6242°N 1.1185°W / 52.6242; -1.1185
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Leicester South
Leicester South is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP), by the first past the post voting system. The constituency was first created in 1918, abolished in 1950, and reconstituted in 1974.
When originally created in 1918, the South division of the Parliamentary Borough of Leicester was defined as including the municipal wards of Aylestone, Castle, Charnwood, De Montfort, Knighton, Martin's, and Wycliffe.
The initial report of the Boundary Commission for England dated October 1947 and published in December 1947 recommended that Leicester retain three seats, including a revised Leicester South constituency consisting of the wards of Aylestone, De Montfort, Knighton, North Braunstone and Spinney Hill, giving an electorate of 67,574 as of the review date of 15 October 1946. When the Representation of the People Bill enacting the Commission's recommendations was debated in the House of Commons, the Government brought forward amendments at Committee stage on 24 March 1948 to allow 17 more constituencies in England. Home Secretary James Chuter Ede announced that the Boundary Commission would be invited to consider an additional constituency to each of nine Cities, including Leicester. The Government issued a White Paper proposing the new boundaries which created new borough constituencies of Leicester South East and Leicester South West in place of Leicester South. The Boundary Commission recommended no alteration to the proposals, and the revised constituencies were therefore enacted.
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Leicester Town Hall
Leicester Town Hall in the City centre of Leicester, England, is a welcoming building set in a square which contains an impressive fountain. The building is the town hall of the city of Leicester and contains Leicester Bike Park.
The town hall was built on the former cattle market between 1874 and 1876 in the Queen Anne Style by Francis Hames. Before it was built the Guildhall acted as the town hall.
On the first Wednesday of each month, a free tour is given by a Blue Badge tourist guide. This starts at 2 pm and lasts up to 2 hours and concludes with tea and biscuits in the Lord Mayor's Tea Room. Contrary to the notice board outside, visitors do not need tickets for the tour. Some history is given of the building, details of previous Lord Mayors etc. and one can visit the former courtroom and the current main council chamber.[citation needed]
Leicester Town Hall covers an area of nearly 7,000 m2 and claims to be the most energy efficient in the UK following a £80,000 investment in 1994. The installation of a number of energy-saving measures has reduced heating costs by more than £13,000 in less than ten years.
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Leicester University
The University of Leicester (i/ˈlɛstə/ LES-tər) is a research-led university based in Leicester, England. The main campus is a mile south of the city centre, adjacent to Victoria Park and Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College.
The university has established itself as a leading research-led university and has been named University of the Year of 2008 by the Times Higher Education. The university has consistently ranked amongst the top 15 universities in the United Kingdom by the Times Good University Guide and The Guardian; it has a vision of becoming an established top ten UK university by 2015. The university was ranked third behind Oxford and Cambridge in the 2011 National Student Survey of 120 mainstream universities in the UK.[citation needed] Research by THE and Opinion Panel published in 2011 rated Leicester third best in England for the quality of lecturing staff.[citation needed]
The University was founded as Leicestershire and Rutland University College in 1921. The site for the University was donated by a local textile manufacturer, Thomas Fielding Johnson, in order to create a living memorial for those who lost their lives in First World War. This is reflected in the University's motto Ut Vitam Habeant – 'so that they may have life'. The central building, now known as the Fielding Johnson Building and housing the University's administration offices and Faculty of Law, dates from 1837 and was formerly the Leicestershire and Rutland Lunatic Asylum.
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Leicester Urban Area
The Leicester Urban Area is a conurbation based around the city of Leicester in Leicestershire, England.
While it has no formal definition as an administrative area, it is defined by the Office for National Statistics with a population of 441,213 at the time of the 2001 census. It comprises Leicester itself and several outlying suburbs, towns and villages which are all situated in close proximity to the city.
The urban area is the twelfth largest in England, between the Portsmouth Urban Area and the Bournemouth Urban Area, and the fifteenth largest in the United Kingdom. Leicester itself comprises more than three quarters of the Urban Area population.
The ONS's definition of "Leicester" excludes the suburb of Beaumont Leys, which is counted separately, and amalgamates several surrounding towns and villages. Its boundaries and population are not the same as that of the Leicester unitary authority, which had a separate population of 279,921 at the 2001 Census.
Coordinates: 52°38′N 1°08′W / 52.63°N 1.13°W / 52.63; -1.13
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Leicestershire
Leicestershire (i/ˈlɛstəʃɪər/ or /ˈlɛstərʃər/ or /ˈlɛstəʃə/; abbreviation Leics.) is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire. The county borders Derbyshire to the north-west, Nottinghamshire to the north, Rutland to the east, Warwickshire to the south-west, Staffordshire to the west, Lincolnshire to the north-east, and Northamptonshire to the south-east. The border with Warwickshire is Watling Street (the A5).
County Hall, situated in Glenfield, about 3 miles (5 km) north-west of Leicester city centre, is the seat of Leicestershire County Council and the headquarters of the county authority. The City of Leicester is administered from offices in Leicester itself and the City Council meets at Leicester Town Hall.
The River Soar rises to the east of Hinckley, in the far south of the county, and flows northward through Leicester before emptying into the River Trent at the point where Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and Nottinghamshire meet. A large part of the north-west of the county, around Coalville, forms part of the new National Forest area extending into Derbyshire and Staffordshire. The highest point of the county is Bardon Hill at 278 metres (912 ft), which is also a Marilyn.
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Leire
Leire (England) is a village in Leicestershire, England. The name is thought to originate from the old British name for the river Soar, which has a tributary with a source south of the village. Present day Leire has a population of around 500.
Today Leire has two public houses, a village hall and riding establishment.
There is also a playing field with a playground.
Leire church is currently fundraising for a new kitchen.
Media related to Leire at Wikimedia Commons
Coordinates: 52°30′25″N 1°13′41″W / 52.507°N 1.228°W / 52.507; -1.228
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Lincoln, England
Lincoln ( /ˈlɪŋkən/) is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England.
The non-metropolitan district of Lincoln has a population of 85,595; the 2001 census gave the entire urban area of Lincoln (which includes North Hykeham, Waddington and Birchwood) a population of 104,221.
The earliest origins of Lincoln can be traced to the remains of an Iron Age settlement of round wooden dwellings (which were discovered by archaeologists in 1972) that have been dated to the 1st century BC[citation needed] This settlement was built by a deep pool (the modern Brayford Pool) in the River Witham at the foot of a large hill (on which the Normans later built Lincoln Cathedral and Lincoln Castle) .
The origins of the name Lincoln may come from this period, when the settlement is thought to have been named in the Brythonic language of Iron Age Britain's Celtic inhabitants as Lindon "The Pool", presumably referring to the Brayford Pool (compare the etymology of the name Dublin, from the Gaelic "dubh linn" ("black pool")). It is not possible to know how big this original settlement was as its remains are now buried deep beneath the later Roman and medieval ruins, as well as the modern Lincoln.
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Lincolnshire
Coordinates: 53°4′N 0°11′W / 53.067°N 0.183°W / 53.067; -0.183
Lincolnshire ( /ˈlɪŋkənʃə/ or /ˈlɪŋkənʃɪə/; abbreviated Lincs) is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the northwest, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders Northamptonshire in the south for just 20 yards (18 m), England's shortest county boundary. The county town is Lincoln, where the county council has its headquarters.
The ceremonial county of Lincolnshire is composed of the non-metropolitan county of Lincolnshire and the area covered by the unitary authorities of North Lincolnshire and North-East Lincolnshire. Therefore, part of the ceremonial county is in the Yorkshire and the Humber region, and part is in the East Midlands region. The county is the second largest of the English counties and one that is predominantly agricultural in land use. The county can be broken down into a number of geographical sub-regions including: the Lincolnshire Fens (south Lincolnshire), the Carrs (similar to the Fens but in north Lincolnshire), the Lincolnshire Wolds, and the industrial Humber Estuary and North Sea coast around Grimsby and Scunthorpe.
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Lisburn
Coordinates: 54°30′43″N 6°01′52″W / 54.512°N 6.031°W / 54.512; -6.031
Lisburn (Irish: Lios na gCearrbhach) is a city in Northern Ireland. It is situated southwest of Belfast on the River Lagan which forms the boundary between County Antrim and County Down. Lisburn forms part of the Belfast metropolitan area. It had a population of 71,465 people in the 2001 Census and a population density of 243 per km². The wider council area has a growing population of 114,000, making it the second largest council district, after Belfast.
Formerly a borough, Lisburn was granted city status in 2002 as part of Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee celebrations. It is the third-largest city in Northern Ireland and the sixth-largest on the island of Ireland, though the proposed changes to the status of Tallaght would render it seventh.
The town was originally known as Lisnagarvy (also spelt Lisnagarvey, Lisnegarvey, Lisnegarvy, Lisnegarvagh or Lisnagarvagh) after the townland in which it formed. This is derived from Irish: Lios na gCearrbhach meaning "ringfort of the gamesters/gamblers".
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Liverpool
Liverpool ( /ˈlɪvəpuːl/) is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Liverpool was 445,200 and was part of a larger urban area of 816,216.
Historically a part of Lancashire, the urbanisation and expansion of Liverpool were both largely brought about by the city's status as a major port. By the 18th century, trade from the West Indies, Ireland and mainland Europe coupled with close links with the Atlantic Slave Trade furthered the economic expansion of Liverpool. By the early 19th century, 40% of the world's trade passed through Liverpool's docks, contributing to Liverpool's rise as a major city.
Inhabitants of Liverpool are referred to as Liverpudlians but are also colloquially known as "Scousers", in reference to the local dish known as "scouse", a form of stew. The word "Scouse" has also become synonymous with the Liverpool accent and dialect. Liverpool's status as a port city has contributed to its diverse population, which, historically, were drawn from a wide range of peoples, cultures, and religions, particularly those from Ireland. The city is also home to the oldest Black African community in the country and the oldest Chinese community in Europe.
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London
Londoni/ˈlʌndən/ is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its founding by the Romans, who named it Londinium. London's ancient core, the City of London, largely retains its square-mile mediaeval boundaries. Since at least the 19th century, the name London has also referred to the metropolis developed around this core. The bulk of this conurbation forms the London region and the Greater London administrative area, governed by the elected Mayor of London and the London Assembly.
London is a leading global city, with strengths in the arts, commerce, education, entertainment, fashion, finance, healthcare, media, professional services, research and development, tourism and transport all contributing to its prominence. It is the world's leading financial centre alongside New York City and has the fifth-largest city GDP in the world (and the largest in Europe). London has been described as a world cultural capital. It was the world's most visited city during 2011 and London Heathrow is the world's busiest airport by number of international passengers. London's 43 universities form the largest concentration of higher education in Europe. In 2012 London will become the first city to host the modern Summer Olympic Games three times.
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London Luton Airport
London Luton Airport (IATA: LTN, ICAO: EGGW) (previously called Luton International Airport) is an international airport located 1.5 NM (2.8 km; 1.7 mi) east of the town centre in the Borough of Luton in Bedfordshire, England and is 30.5 NM (56.5 km; 35.1 mi) north of Central London. The airport is 2 mi (3.2 km) from Junction 10a of the M1 motorway. It is the fourth-largest airport serving the London area after Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, and is one of London's six international airports along with London City and Southend.
In 2008, over 10 million passengers passed through the airport in a single year for the first time. However, passenger numbers were slightly lower during 2011 at 9.5 million, making Luton the fifth-busiest airport in the UK. The airport serves as a base for EasyJet, Monarch Airlines, Thomson Airways and Ryanair. The vast majority of the routes served are within Europe, although there are some charter and scheduled routes to destinations in Northern Africa and Asia.
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Loughborough
Coordinates: 52°46′14″N 1°12′17″W / 52.7705°N 1.2046°W / 52.7705; -1.2046
Loughborough (i/ˈlʌfbərə/ LUFF-bərə or /ˈlʌfbrə/ LUFF-brə) is a town within the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. It is the seat of Charnwood Borough Council and is home to Loughborough University. The town had a population of 57,600 in 2004, making it the largest settlement in Leicestershire outside the city of Leicester.
In 1841, Loughborough was the destination for the first package tour, organised by Thomas Cook for a temperance group from Leicester. The town has the world's largest bell foundry — John Taylor Bellfounders, which made the bells for the Carillon war memorial, a landmark within the Queens Park in the town, Great Paul for St. Paul's Cathedral, and York Minster. The first mention of Loughborough is in the 1086 Domesday Book.
To the north of the edges of Loughborough, Dishley Grange Farm was formerly the home of agricultural revolutionist Robert Bakewell. The farm was also once home to the annual Leicestershire County Show. Loughborough's local weekly newspaper is the Loughborough Echo. The town is also served by Leicestershires daily newspaper Leicester Mercury
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Lufthansa
Deutsche Lufthansa AG (FWB: LHA, OTCQX: DLAKY) (German pronunciation: [ˈdɔʏt͡ʃə ˈlʊfthanza]) is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried and fleet size. The German government had a 35.68% stake in Lufthansa until 1997, but the company is now owned by private investors (88.52%), MGL Gesellschaft für Luftverkehrswerte (10.05%), Deutsche Postbank (1.03%), and Deutsche Bank (0.4%) and has 37,042 employees (as of March 2007). The name of the company is derived from Luft (the German word for "air"), and Hansa (after the Hanseatic League, a powerful medieval trading group).[citation needed]
The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating services to 18 domestic destinations and 203 international destinations in 78 countries across Africa, Americas, Asia and Europe. Together with its partners, Lufthansa services around 410 destinations. With over 710 aircraft it has the second-largest passenger airline fleet in the world when combined with its subsidiaries.
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Luton
Luton (i/ˈluːtən/ LOOT-ən, local /ˈluːʔən/) is a large town, borough and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles (50 km) north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000.
Luton is home to Blue Square Premier team Luton Town Football Club, whose history includes several spells in the top flight of the English league as well as a Football League Cup triumph in 1988. They play at Kenilworth Road stadium, which has been their home since 1905.
London Luton Airport, opened in 1938, is one of England's major airports. During the Second World War it doubled as an RAF base.
The University of Bedfordshire is based in the town.
The Luton Carnival, held on the late May bank holiday, is the largest one-day carnival in Europe.
The town was for many years famous for hat-making, and was also home to a large Vauxhall Motors factory; the head office of Vauxhall Motors is still situated in the town. Car production at the plant began in 1905 and continued until 2002, but commercial vehicle production remains.
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Lutterworth
Coordinates: 52°27′31″N 1°12′10″W / 52.4585°N 1.2029°W / 52.4585; -1.2029
Lutterworth is a market town and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England. The town is located in southern Leicestershire, 11 km (6.8 mi) north of Rugby, in Warwickshire and 24 km (15 mi) south of Leicester. It had a population of 8,293 in the 2001 UK census.
Lutterworth lies on the A426 Leicester–Rugby road, adjacent to the M1 motorway at junction 20. It is also located within a few miles of the M6 motorway and A5 trunk road. The town once had a station on the Great Central Railway; however, since its closure the nearest railway station is now at Rugby. A southern bypass, the A4303, was opened in 1999, providing a route for traffic from the M1 to the A5 to avoid Lutterworth town centre.
The name of Lutterworth is probably derived from the Old Norse name "Lutter's Vordig" meaning Luther's Farm. Lutterworth was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086.
The town was granted its Market Charter in 1214 by King John and continues to hold a market to this day.
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M69 motorway
The M69 is a lightly used 15.7-mile (25.3 km) dual three lane dual carriageway motorway in Leicestershire and Warwickshire, England connecting Leicester and Coventry. It opened in 1977.
The motorway, also known at the time as the 'Coventry – Leicester Motorway' was completed in 1977 following a public inquiry in 1972. It replaced the A46 road, which was subsequently downgraded.
Starting at the northeastern suburbs of Coventry at junction 2 of the M6, the motorway crosses the Coventry Canal and then continues northeast past Bulkington and west of Wolvey before turning more easterly to run south of Hinckley. It then crosses the Birmingham to Peterborough railway line before ending on the southwestern edge of Leicester.
The motorway has no services.
There is an aspiration to construct a new slip road and road bridge for traffic travelling southbound on the M1 south to join the M69. The M1 would also be widened to dual 4 lane or dual 5 lane between junctions 21 and 21a.
Since the completion of the M69 motorway linking Coventry and Leicester, the motorway's number has given its name to the derby between the two football clubs playing in each city - Coventry City and Leicester City. These two clubs are rivals in the M69 derby.
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Magazine Gateway
Coordinates: 52°37′54.13″N 1°8′16.52″W / 52.6317028°N 1.1379222°W / 52.6317028; -1.1379222
The Magazine Gateway (aka The Magazine) is a Grade I listed building in Leicester, built circa 1410 as a gate into the Newark and Leicester Castle.
It acquired its present name during the English Civil War when it was used for the storage of munitions.
De Montfort University has built a new Business and Law School next to the building. In 2001 pedestrianisation of the area was completed, connecting the Magazine to the Newark.
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Manchester
Coordinates: 53°28′N 2°14′W / 53.467°N 2.233°W / 53.467; -2.233
Manchesteri/ˈmæntʃɛstər/ is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England with an estimated population of 498,800 in 2010. Manchester lies within one of the United Kingdom's largest urban areas; the Greater Manchester Urban Area which has a population of 2.2 million. The demonym of Manchester is Mancunian and the local authority is Manchester City Council.
Manchester is situated in the south-central part of North West England, fringed by the Cheshire Plain to the south and the Pennines to the north and east. The recorded history of Manchester began with the civilian settlement associated with the Roman fort of Mamucium, which was established in c. 79 AD on a sandstone bluff near the confluence of the rivers Medlock and Irwell. Historically, most of the city was a part of Lancashire, although areas south of the River Mersey were in Cheshire. Throughout the Middle Ages Manchester remained a manorial township, but it began to expand "at an astonishing rate" around the turn of the 19th century. Manchester's unplanned urbanisation was brought on by a boom in textile manufacture during the Industrial Revolution, and resulted in it becoming the world's first industrialised city. An early 19th-century factory building boom transformed Manchester from a township into a major mill town and borough that was granted city status in 1853. In 1894 the Manchester Ship Canal was built, creating the Port of Manchester.
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Mansfield
Coordinates: 53°08′37″N 1°11′47″W / 53.1435°N 1.1963°W / 53.1435; -1.1963
Mansfield is a town in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the main town in the Mansfield local government district. Mansfield is a part of the Mansfield Urban Area. The town is surrounded by a pocket of steep hills within the Maun Valley, and has a population of 67,885, with the entire of Mansfield district being 98,181.
Mansfield is thought to date back at least to Roman times, with coins from those times having been found there, as well as a villa. Later the early English royalty are said to have stayed there, the Mercian Kings having used it as a base for hunting in the nearby Sherwood Forest.
Mansfield has a large market square and around the market a large commercial centre including a museum, the Palace Theatre and numerous pubs, bars and night clubs. It has also a new indoor market which is nearing completion.
Mansfield was originally the home of Mansfield Brewery, once the largest independent brewer in the UK. The brewery was acquired by Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries for £253m in October 1999, with production of the Mansfield range of ales moving to other parts of the country. The brewery's assets were later sold to Pubmaster Ltd and the former site of the brewery is due for redevelopment. In the 1980s, Mansfield Bitter was advertised with a photograph of then US president Ronald Reagan and the tagline "He may be president of the most powerful nation on Earth but he's never had a pint of Mansfield"; "Not much matches Mansfield" was also used. Mansfield was also the location of an Irn-Bru factory, owned by the Scottish drinks company A. G. Barr, production ceased in January 2011 when A. G. Barr decided to close the factory. The brewery was demolished in late 2008 and the land is for sale.
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Mansfield (district)
Mansfield is a local government district in Nottinghamshire, England.
Unlike most English districts, its council is led by a directly elected mayor, currently Tony Egginton, an independent. Following the last election, the council comprised 28 Mansfield Independent Forum councillors, 12 Labour, 4 Lib Dems, 1 Conservative and 1 Independent.
Settlements in the district of Mansfield include Mansfield itself, where the council is based, Mansfield Woodhouse, Meden Vale, Pleasleyhill and Warsop. The district is entirely unparished apart from Warsop.
The district was formed on April 1, 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, and was a merger of the municipal borough of Mansfield, along with the urban districts of Mansfield Woodhouse and Warsop.
Coordinates: 53°09′N 1°12′W / 53.15°N 1.20°W / 53.15; -1.20
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Market Bosworth
Coordinates: 52°37′26″N 1°24′06″W / 52.6239°N 1.4017°W / 52.6239; -1.4017
Market Bosworth is a small market town and civil parish in Leicestershire, England.
Until 1974 it contained the headquarters of Market Bosworth Rural District, which was merged in that year with the Hinckley Rural District to form a new district named Hinckley and Bosworth. At the time of the 2001 Census, the parish, including Far Coton, held a total population of 1,906.
Building work at the old Cattle Market and other sites have revealed evidence of settlement on the hill since the Bronze Age. Remains of a Roman villa have been found on the east side of Barton Road. Bosworth as an Anglo-Saxon village dates from the 8th century.
Prior to the Norman Conquest of 1066, there were two manors at Bosworth one belonging to an Anglo-Saxon knight named Fernot, and some sokemen. Following the Norman conquest, as recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, both the Anglo-Saxon manors and the village were part of the lands awarded by William the Conqueror to a Count of Meulan from Normandy, Robert de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Leicester. Subsequently the village passed as a marriage dowry to the English branch of the French House of Harcourt.
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Market Harborough
Coordinates: 52°28′39″N 0°55′14″W / 52.4775°N 0.9206°W / 52.4775; -0.9206
Market Harborough is a market town within the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England. It has a population of 20,785 and is the administrative headquarters of Harborough District Council. It sits on the Northamptonshire-Leicestershire border. The town was formerly at a crossroads for both road and rail; however the A6 now bypasses the town to the east and the A14 which carries east-west traffic is 6 miles (9.7 km) to the south. The town is served by East Midlands Trains with direct services to Leicester, Nottingham, Derby and St Pancras International. Rail services to Rugby and Peterborough ended in 1966.
Market Harborough is located in an area which was formerly a part of the Rockingham Forest, a royal hunting forest used by the medieval monarchs starting with William I. Rockingham Road takes its name from the forest. The forest's original boundaries stretched from Market Harborough through to Stamford and swallowed up Corby, Kettering, Desborough, Rothwell, Thrapston and Oundle.
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Masaya
Masaya, culturally known as the City of Flowers, is the capital city of Masaya department. It is situated approximately 14 km west of Granada and 31 km southeast from Managua. The town of Masaya is situated just East of Masaya Volcano (Volcán de Masaya), an active volcano from which the city takes its name. The 2005 population estimate was 146,000.
Masaya is located centrally to a large agricultural production region in Nicaragua. Much of the production from the departments of Masaya and Carazo and the surrounding areas is shipped through Masaya on its way north, towards Managua and Leon. Masaya is also a notable industrial center, producing footwear and clothing. Other industries in the city include the processing of fiber and the manufacture of cigars, leather products, soap, and starch. Many of the communities surrounding Masaya produce hardwood and wicker furniture, and there is a neighborhood in Masaya near the lake dedicated to the production of hammocks.
Masaya is known as "The Cradle of Nicaraguan Folklore" and is the very heart of Nicaraguan handicrafts. The main market in Masaya is located next to the central bus station. The market is divided into sections, with each section serving a different need. Aside from unique Nicaraguan products such as hand woven hammocks, embroidered blouses, wood carvings, and hemp weaving the market is very diverse. An entire section of the market is dedicated to selling electronic devices and clothing, while another area is reserved for raw meat. Everything is available in the market from hardware and beauty supplies to produce from the surrounding area.
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Melton (borough)
Melton is a local government district with borough status in north-eastern Leicestershire, England. It is named after its main town, Melton Mowbray. Other settlements include Asfordby and Bottesford. It has a population of 46,861.
It was formed in 1974 from the Melton Mowbray Urban District and the Melton and Belvoir Rural District. The council offices on Nottingham Road burnt down on May 30 2008. Also on the opposite side of the road is the East Midlands Regional Assembly.
The borough loudly claims to be the Home of Stilton Cheese and Melton Mowbray Pork Pies.
There are 28 councillors, of which twenty one are Conservative and so control the council. Seven are Labour in the Melton Egerton, Melton Newport, Dorian, Craven and Asfordby wards. The Conservative leader of the council lives in Sproxton, representing the Wymondham ward.
The Melton and Rutland constituency is Conservative.
East Midlands Councils is based opposite the Melton brough offices on the A606.
The district borders South Kesteven, in Lincolnshire, to the east, Rutland to the south, Charnwood to the west (along the A46 Fosse Way), and Rushcliffe and Newark and Sherwood in Nottinghamshire to the north. The north part of the district is known as the Vale of Belvoir.
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Melton Mowbray
Coordinates: 52°45′58″N 0°53′10″W / 52.7661°N 0.8860°W / 52.7661; -0.8860
Melton Mowbray is a town in the Melton borough of Leicestershire, England. It is 14.5 miles (23 km) to the northeast of Leicester, and 18 miles (29 km) southeast of Nottingham. The town lies along the course of both the River Eye and the River Wreake and currently has a population of 25,554.
Promoted as the "Rural Capital of Food", Melton Mowbray is perhaps best known for its culinary specialities, being the home of the eponymous pork pie and one of the six homes of Stilton cheese.
The name Melton comes from the early English word Medeltone – meaning 'Middletown surrounded by small hamlets' (and therefore has the same origin as places called Milton and Middleton). Mowbray is a Norman family name – the name of early Lords of the Manor – namely Robert de Mowbray.
In and around Melton, there are 28 scheduled ancient monuments, around 705 buildings listed as having special architectural or historical interest, 16 sites of special scientific interest, and several deserted village sites.
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Mercia
Mercia ( /ˈmɜrsiə/, /ˈmɜrʃə/) was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands. The name is a Latinisation of the Old English Mierce or Myrce, meaning "border people".
Mercia's neighbours included Northumbria, Powys and the kingdoms of southern Wales, Wessex, Sussex, Essex and East Anglia.
The name Mercia is still in use today by a wide range of organisations, including military units, public, commercial and voluntary bodies; and occurs as a female given name.
Mercia's exact evolution from the Anglo-Saxon invasions is more obscure than that of Northumbria, Kent, or even Wessex. Also, Mercia developed an effective political structure and adopted Christianity later than the other kingdoms. Archaeological surveys show that Angles settled the lands north of the River Thames by the 6th century. The name Mercia is Old English for "boundary folk" (see Welsh Marches), and the traditional interpretation is that the kingdom originated along the frontier between the native Welsh and the Anglo-Saxon invaders. However, P. Hunter Blair argued an alternative interpretation: that they emerged along the frontier of Northumbria and the inhabitants of the Trent river valley.
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Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough (i/ˈmɪdəlzbrə/ MID-əlz-brə) is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire. The local authority, a unitary authority, is Middlesbrough Borough Council.
Historically part of the North Riding of Yorkshire, in 1968 the town became the centre of the County Borough of Teesside, which was absorbed by the non-metropolitan county of Cleveland in 1974. In 1996 Cleveland was abolished, and Middlesbrough became a unitary authority, within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire.
It is locally regarded that the town exceeds the confines of the Middlesbrough Borough to include the areas of Eston, Grangetown, Normanby, Ormesby, and South Bank which are wards of the neighbouring unitary authority of Redcar and Cleveland.[citation needed][by whom?]
To the northeast of Middlesbrough lies the Tees Estuary, approximately 6 miles (9.7 km) away. A few miles to the south lies the edge of the North York Moors National Park.
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New Parks
Coordinates: 52°38′46″N 1°10′23″W / 52.646°N 1.173°W / 52.646; -1.173
New Parks is an electoral ward and administrative division of the city of Leicester, England, consisting of the Leicester suburb of New Parks in its entirety.
It is in the west of the city, close by the Leicestershire county border and the village of Glenfield. South of New Parks is the Western Park ward, north is the Beaumont Leys ward and to the east is the Fosse ward.
There are many shops neighbouring the homes and leisure centres. On 16 March 2010, the £1.5 million New Parks Centre Library, funded by the Big Lottery Fund and Leicester City Council, was opened by Councillor Andy Connelly and local residents Karen Berry and Sally Kibble.
Houses in New Parks, Leicester
Shops in New Parks, Leicester
New Parks Leisure Centre
There are five primary schools; Braunstone Frith Infant & Junior schools, Forest Lodge Primary School, Inglehurst Primary School, Parks Primary School and Stokes Wood Primary School. There is one secondary school, New College Leicester.
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New Walk Museum
The New Walk Museum and Art Gallery is a museum on New Walk in Leicester, England, not far from the city centre. Two dinosaur skeletons are permanently installed in the museum — a cetiosaur found in Rutland (affectionately named George), and a plesiosaur from Barrow upon Soar. Other permanent exhibits include an Egyptian area, minerals of Leicestershire, the first Charnia fossil identified nearby, and a wildspace area featuring stuffed animals from around the world.
On the first floor of the museum is an exhibition area that changes periodically. Recent exhibits have included a Wallace and Gromit display, the (now permanent) Attenborough collection of Picasso ceramics and Spirits of War to Hands of Peace, an exhibit of paintings and sculpture on the horrors of war and the power of peace.
Coordinates: 52°37′45″N 1°07′40″W / 52.6292°N 1.1278°W / 52.6292; -1.1278
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Newark and Sherwood
Newark and Sherwood is a local government district and is the largest district in Nottinghamshire, England. The district is predominantly rural, with some large forestry plantations, the ancient Sherwood Forest and the towns of Newark-on-Trent, Southwell and Ollerton. Many settlements in the west of the district, such as Ollerton are former coal mining villages. Southwell is a small Georgian town with a Minster. The south-eastern settlements are home to many people who commute into Nottingham for work. Newark-on-Trent, together with Balderton, forms the largest urban concentration. Newark-on-Trent has many important historic features including Newark Castle, Nottinghamshire, Georgian architecture and a defensive earthwork from the British Civil Wars. Other settlements in the district include:
The district was formed on 1 April 1974, by a merger of the municipal borough of Newark with Newark Rural District and Southwell Rural District. It was originally known just as Newark: the name was changed by the council effective 1 April 1995.
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Newcastle upon Tyne
Coordinates: 54°58.440′N 1°36.792′W / 54.974°N 1.6132°W / 54.974; -1.6132
Newcastle upon Tyne (locallyi/njuːˈkæsəl/; often shortened to Newcastle) is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne. The city developed in the area that was the location of the Roman settlement called Pons Aelius, though it owes its name to the castle built in 1080, by Robert II, Duke of Normandy, the eldest son of William the Conqueror. The city grew as an important centre for the wool trade and it later became a major coal mining area. The port developed in the 16th century and, along with the shipyards lower down the river, was amongst the world's largest shipbuilding and ship-repairing centres. These industries have since experienced severe decline and closure, and the city today is largely a business and cultural centre, with a particular reputation for nightlife.
Like most cities, Newcastle has a diverse cross section, from areas of poverty to areas of affluence. Among its main icons are Newcastle Brown Ale, a leading brand of beer, Newcastle United F.C., a Premier League team, and the Tyne Bridge. It has hosted the world's most popular half marathon, the Great North Run, since it began in 1981.
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Newfoundpool
Newfoundpool is an area of Leicester lying south of the former Leicester-Swannington railway. The land was purchased by Isaac Harrison in 1830. Harrison intended to develop the area as a spa, using a spring as the source of water for a bathing establishment. Later the building was converted into a residence, Newfoundpool House, in which successive members of the Harrison family lived until 1885. The house became the Empire Hotel on Fosse Road North.
A Leicester builder, Orson Wright, purchased the land in 1885. Wright laid out roads across the area and sold off the land as building plots. The majority of houses built were of the two-storey terraced type, brick-built, with the corner sites constructed as shops. Along Fosse Road North a number of three- and four-storey red-brick villas were built. Until 1891 Newfoundpool was outside the Borough of Leicester, the border running along Fosse Road North. On the same road the parish church of St. Augustine was built over the period 1900 to 1912. The church itself has been abandoned since 2000 and was severely damaged by an arson attack in 2004.
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Newport
Newport (Welsh: Casnewydd) is a city and unitary authority in south east Wales. It is located on the River Usk close to its confluence with the Severn estuary, about 12 miles (19 km) east of Cardiff. It is the third largest city in Wales, with a population of 141,300 (2007 estimate).
Newport has been a port since medieval times, when a castle was built by the Normans. The town outgrew the earlier Roman town of Caerleon, immediately upstream, and gained its first charter in 1314. It grew significantly in the 19th century, when its port became the focus of coal exports from the eastern valleys of South Wales. Until the rise of Cardiff from the 1850s, Newport was Wales' largest coal-exporting port. It was the site of the last large-scale armed insurrection in Britain, the Newport Rising of 1839 led by the Chartists.
During the 20th century, the docks declined in importance, but Newport remained an important manufacturing and engineering centre. It was granted city status in 2002. It is the home of the University of Wales, Newport, and the Newport Gwent Dragons rugby union regional team, and hosted the Ryder Cup in 2010.
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Newry
Coordinates: 54°10′34″N 6°20′56″W / 54.176°N 6.349°W / 54.176; -6.349
Newry (IPA: [ˈnjʊərɪ], from Irish: An Iúraigh) is a city in Northern Ireland. The River Clanrye, which runs through the city, forms the historic border between County Armagh and County Down. It is 34 miles (55 km) from Belfast and 67 miles (108 km) from Dublin. Newry (together with Bessbrook) had a population of 27,433 at the 2001 Census, while Newry and Mourne Council Area had a population of 87,058. Newry was founded in 1144 alongside a Cistercian monastery and is one of Northern Ireland's oldest towns.
The city of Newry is one of the constituent cities of the Dublin-Belfast corridor and sits at the entry to the "Gap of the North", close to the border with the Republic of Ireland. It grew as a market town and a garrison and became a port in 1742 when it was linked to Lough Neagh by the first summit-level canal in Britain or Ireland. In March 2002, as part of Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee celebrations, Newry was granted city status alongside Lisburn. Despite being the fourth largest city in Northern Ireland, however, it is not the fourth largest settlement. Newry has long been an important centre of trade because of its position between Belfast and Dublin.
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Nicaragua
Nicaragua (i/ˌnɪkəˈrɑːɡwə/ nik-ə-RAH-gwə), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (Spanish: República de Nicaragua [reˈpuβlika ðe nikaˈɾaɣwa] ( listen)), is the largest country in the Central American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean lies to the west, and the Caribbean Sea to the east. The country's physical geography divides it into three major zones: Pacific lowlands; wet, cooler central highlands; and the Caribbean lowlands. On the Pacific side of the country are the two largest fresh water lakes in Central America—Lake Managua and Lake Nicaragua. Surrounding these lakes and extending to their northwest along the rift valley of the Gulf of Fonseca are fertile lowland plains, with soil highly enriched by ash from nearby volcanoes of the central highlands. Nicaragua's abundance of biologically significant and unique ecosystems contribute to Mesoamerica's designation as a biodiversity hotspot.
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North Evington
Coordinates: 52°38′10″N 1°05′35″W / 52.636°N 1.093°W / 52.636; -1.093
Coleman is an electoral ward and administrative division of the city of Leicester, England, consisting of the Leicester suburbs of Crown Hills and North Evington.
Coleman is bounded by the wards of Charnwood to the west and north, Humberstone & Hamilton to the north-east, Evington to the east and Spinney Hills to the south.
North Evington was originally in the parish of Evington, disconnected from the village itself. The areas in between have been infilled later on. It has been absorbed by the urban district of Highfields which is predominantly a working class area with rows of Victorian terraces to satisfy the needs of workers.
The area was designed and constructed as a suburb, by Arthur Wakerley from the 1880s onwards. By the First World War the area was entirely developed. The area, which was originally outside the borough boundary, was annexed to the borough of Leicester in 1892.
Coleman has a local secondary school, Crown Hills Community College, located in the Crown Hills area.
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North Kesteven
North Kesteven is a local government district in the East Midlands. Just over 100 miles (160 km) north of London, it is east of Nottingham and south of Lincoln. North Kesteven is one of seven districts in Lincolnshire, England and is in the centre of the County. Its council, North Kesteven District Council, is based in Sleaford in the former offices of Kesteven County Council.
It was originally planned to have the council offices in Bracebridge Hall on Newark Road in Lincoln, then the base of North Kesteven Rural District. In November 1973, a decision was taken to base it in The Hoplands in Sleaford, the base of East Kesteven Rural District. In January 1974 it was realised that this building was far too small for the size needed, and the 81 rooms of Kesteven County Council's headquarters on East Road in Sleaford would suit the new council instead. The Hoplands has now been demolished for housing.
The district was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972. It was a merger of the previous urban district of Sleaford, along with East Kesteven Rural District and North Kesteven Rural District, all from the administrative county of Kesteven.
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North Somerset
North Somerset is a unitary authority in England. Its area covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset but it is administered independently of the non-metropolitan county. Its administrative headquarters is in the town hall in Weston-super-Mare.
North Somerset borders the local government areas of Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, Mendip and Sedgemoor. North Somerset contains the parliamentary constituencies of Weston-super-Mare and North Somerset.
Between 1 April 1974 and 31 March 1996, it was the Woodspring district of the county of Avon (named after Woodspring Priory, an isolated mediaeval church near the coast just north east of Weston-super-Mare). The district of Woodspring was formed from the municipal boroughs of Weston-super-Mare, Clevedon and Portishead urban districts, Long Ashton Rural District, and part of Axbridge Rural District.
Though the government proposed that the new unitary area be known as "North West Somerset" from 1 April 1996, the council voted instead to adopt the name "North Somerset" and so the name "North West Somerset" was never widely used. There remained some legal doubt as to whether the council had validly changed the name to "North Somerset", but in 2005 the council passed a resolution to put the matter beyond doubt.
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Northampton
Northamptoni/nɔrˈθæmptən/ is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about 67 miles (108 km) north-west of London and around 50 miles (80 km) south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is Northamptonian.
Original settlements in Northampton date back to the 6th century. Its modern development is largely due to its rapid population increase since the 1960s after a planned expansion occurred under the New Towns Commission in the early 1970s. In 2001, its urban area population was 197,199 while its town population was 189,474, making Northampton the 27th largest settlement in England, and the UK's 3rd largest town without official city status after Reading and Dudley. Northampton is the most populous district in England that is not a unitary authority, a status it failed to obtain in the 1990s local government reform.
Northampton has a history of the manufacture of boots and shoes yet engineering has taken over as a modern key industry; other industries include food processing, brewing, and the manufacture of shoe machinery, cosmetics, leather goods, and car accessories. At present, the major employers are public administration, financial services, and the distribution trade.
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Northamptonshire
Coordinates: 52°17′N 0°50′W / 52.283°N 0.833°W / 52.283; -0.833
Northamptonshire ( /nɔrˈθæmptənʃər/ or /nɔrθˈhæmptənʃɪər/; archaically, the County of Northampton; abbreviated Northants. or N/hants) is a landlocked ceremonial county in the East Midlands region of England. Its population is 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with eight other ceremonial counties: Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east, Buckinghamshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the south-west and Lincolnshire to the north-east – England's shortest county boundary at 19 metres (21 yd). The county seat is Northampton. Other large population centres include Kettering, Corby, Wellingborough, Rushden and Daventry.
Northamptonshire's county flower is the cowslip[citation needed].
Much of Northamptonshire’s countryside appears to have remained somewhat intractable with regards to early human occupation, resulting in an apparently sparse population and relatively few finds from the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic periods. In about 500 BC the Iron Age was introduced into the area by a continental people in the form of the Hallstatt culture, and over the next century a series of hill-forts were constructed at Arbury Camp, Rainsborough camp, Borough Hill, Castle Dykes, Guilsborough, Irthlingborough, and most notably of all, Hunsbury Hill. There are two more possible hill-forts at Arbury Hill (Badby) and Thenford.
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Northumberland
Northumberland ( /nɔrˈθʌmbərlənd/; abbreviated Northumb. or Northd, the latter being preferred by the Royal Mail) is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. It borders Cumbria to the west, County Durham to the south and Tyne and Wear to the south east and the Scottish Borders council area to the north. Its North Sea coastline is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with a 64 mile (103 km) long distance path. Since 1981, the county council has been located in Morpeth, situated in the east of the county.
The historical boundaries of the county of Northumberland included Newcastle upon Tyne, the traditional county town, as well as Tynemouth and other settlements in North Tyneside, all areas transferred to Tyne and Wear in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. The historical county boundaries are sometimes taken to exclude Islandshire, Bedlingtonshire and Norhamshire (collectively North Durham), exclaves of County Durham which were incorporated into Northumberland in 1844. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region (code UKC21) and is one of three local authority areas that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region.
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Norwich
Norwich (i/ˈnɒrɪdʒ/ NORR-ij, (also /ˈnɒrɪtʃ/ NORR-ich) is a city on the River Wensum in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom. Until the Industrial Revolution, Norwich was the capital of England's most populous county and vied with Bristol as England's second city.
The urban area of Norwich has a population of 194,839. This area extends beyond the city boundary, with extensive suburban areas on the western, northern and eastern sides, including Costessey, Hellesdon, Bowthorpe, Old Catton, Sprowston and Thorpe St Andrew. The parliamentary seats cross over into adjacent local government districts. 135,800 (2008 est.) people live in the City of Norwich and the population of the Norwich Travel to Work Area (i.e. the area of Norwich in which most people both live and work) is 367,035 (the 1991 figure was 351,340)[citation needed]. Norwich is the fourth most densely populated local government district within the East of England with 3,480 people per square kilometre (8,993 per square mile).
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Nottingham
Nottingham (i/ˈnɒtɪŋəm/ NOT-ing-əm) is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and is one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group.
Nottingham is famed for its links with the legend of Robin Hood and, during the Industrial Revolution, obtained worldwide recognition for its lace-making, bicycle and tobacco industries. With origins tracable back to 600 AD, Nottingham was granted its city charter as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of Queen Victoria in 1897 and has since been officially titled the City of Nottingham. The city has historically been nicknamed The Queen of the Midlands, being the smaller yet less industrialised regional neighbour to the Midlands biggest city, Birmingham. Nottingham is considered the primary centre of England's East Midlands region, being home to numerous regional headquarters and media stations including the BBC East Midlands and the Regional Government Office.
Whilst Nottingham has always had a tightly-drawn authority boundary, accounting for its relatively small population of 306,700, Nottingham's Urban Area has a population of approximately 670,000; in the 2001 census, it was the eighth largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Eurostat's concept of the Larger Urban Zone listed the area's population at 825,600 as of 2004.
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Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire ( /ˈnɒtɪŋəmʃər/ or /ˈnɒtɪŋəmʃɪər/; abbreviated Notts) is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. The traditional county town is Nottingham, though the county council is based in West Bridgford in the borough of Rushcliffe, at a site facing Nottingham over the River Trent.
The districts of Nottinghamshire are Ashfield, Bassetlaw, Broxtowe, Gedling, Mansfield, Newark and Sherwood, and Rushcliffe. The City of Nottingham was administratively part of Nottinghamshire between 1974 and 1998 but is now a unitary authority, remaining part of Nottinghamshire for ceremonial purposes.
As of 2006 the county is estimated to have a population of just over one million. Over half of the population of the county live in the Greater Nottingham conurbation (which continues into Derbyshire). The conurbation has a population of about 650,000, though less than half live within the city boundaries.
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Oadby
Coordinates: 52°35′55″N 1°04′35″W / 52.5987°N 1.0763°W / 52.5987; -1.0763
Oadby is a town within the borough of Oadby and Wigston, in Leicestershire, England. It is to the east of Wigston Magna, and to the southeast of Leicester. Oadby forms part of the Leicester Urban Area, and is situated on the A6 road.
The town is most famous for Leicester Racecourse, situated on the border between Oadby and Leicester, and the University of Leicester Botanic Garden. It is also the home of the Beauchamp College, and halls of residence for the University of Leicester.
There has been a habitation in Oadby since an Anglian settlement in the year 550[citation needed] In 1760, on Brocks Hill, evidence of an Anglian burial ground was discovered[citation needed] The Middle Angles came under the rule of the kings of Mercia and were later conquered by the Danish invaders. Oadby is one of seventy Danish settlements in Leicestershire ending with "-by"[citation needed], which means village or settlement. Its name probably came from Old Norse Auðarbýr = "Auði's settlement". Danish rule continued until 920, when King Alfred the Great won his battles against the Danes: the Oadby area is supposed to be the site of at least one of these battles.
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Oadby and Wigston
Oadby and Wigston is a local government district and borough in the English county of Leicestershire. It was formed in 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, from the merger of the Oadby and Wigston urban districts. The district forms part of the Harborough constituency
It is composed of the areas of Oadby, Wigston Magna and South Wigston. It is predominantly urban, and runs directly into Leicester, to the north-west. There are no civil parishes in the district.
The most northerly corner is near the junction of the A6030 and B582, and near the Bupa hospital it meets Harborough. It runs along the B582 then along the former Roman road (which runs to Corby), passing the playing fields of the University of Leicester. It passes along the north edge of Oadby Lodge, a farm owned by the Co-op. Towards the deserted village of Stretton Magna (outside the district), the boundary passes southwestwards. This area was proposed to be the site of the eco-town Pennbury. It crosses the A6 at Glen Gorse Golf Club. It crosses Newton Lane and the Midland Main Line. It crosses the Grand Union Canal, and towards Kilby it meets the district of Blaby at the River Sence. It follows the River Sence, crossing the A5199 (Welford Road). At Rose Farm it follows Countesthorpe Road towards South Wigston, to the Grand Union Canal, crossing the former Midland Counties Railway, which it follows westwards. It passes northwards across St Thomas Road (B582) and the Birmingham to Peterborough Line. It passes northwards on the east side of the Glen Parva prison (in Blaby district). It meets Leicester UA south of Eyres Monsell, a large council estate.
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Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England (HMCI). HMCI and Her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools (HMI) are appointed by Order in Council and are thus office holders under the Crown. Though the inspectorate has existed since the mid-19th century, the office was reorganised under the Education (Schools) Act 1992, and is explicitly named in the Education and Inspections Act 2006.
The services Ofsted inspects or regulates include: local services, childminding, child day care, children’s centres, children’s social care, CAFCASS, state schools, independent schools and teacher training providers, and colleges and learning and skills providers in England. It also monitors the work of the Independent Schools Inspectorate. HMI are empowered and required to provide independent advice to the United Kingdom government and parliament on matters of policy and to publish an annual report to parliament on the quality of educational provision in England.
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Orlando, Florida
Orlando (/ɔrˈlændoʊ/) is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States. The Greater Orlando metropolitan area has a population of 2,134,411, making it the 26th largest metro area in the United States, the sixth largest metro area in the Southeastern United States, and the third largest metro area in Florida. Orlando is the fifth largest city in Florida, and the state's largest inland city.
Orlando is nicknamed "The City Beautiful" and its symbol is the fountain at Lake Eola. The current mayor is Buddy Dyer. The city is best known for the Walt Disney World Resort (located approximately 21 miles (34 km) southwest of Downtown Orlando in Lake Buena Vista), founded by the Walt Disney Company in 1971, and for the Universal Orlando Resort (which consists of two parks, Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure, as well as other attractions, including City Walk). Orlando is also home to the SeaWorld theme park, Gatorland, as well as Wet 'n Wild Water Park. With the exception of Walt Disney World, most major attractions are located along International Drive. The city's famous attractions form the backbone of Orlando's tourism industry, making the city the most visited American city in 2009. The city is also one of the busiest American cities for conferences and conventions. Like other major cities in the Sun Belt, Orlando grew rapidly during the 1980s and well into the first decade of the 21st century. Orlando is also home to the University of Central Florida, which is the second largest university in the United States in terms of enrollment (as of 2011).
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Oxford
Oxfordi/ˈɒksfəd/ is a city in central southern England, the home of the University of Oxford. The city is the county town of Oxfordshire, and forms a district within the county. It has a population of just under 165,000, of whom 153,900 live within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles (80 km) north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames (also sometimes known as the Isis locally) run through Oxford and meet south of the city centre.
Oxford has a diverse economic base. Its industries include motor manufacturing, education, publishing and a large number of information technology and science-based businesses.
Buildings in Oxford demonstrate an example of every English architectural period since the arrival of the Saxons, including the iconic, mid-18th century Radcliffe Camera. Oxford is known as the "city of dreaming spires", a term coined by poet Matthew Arnold in reference to the harmonious architecture of Oxford's university buildings. The University of Oxford is the oldest university in the English-speaking world.
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Peepul Centre
The Peepul Centre is an arts centre in Belgrave, Leicester. Designed by Andrzej Blonski Architects, the £15 million building was opened in 2005 and houses an auditorium, restaurant, cyber café, gym and dance studio for the local people, as well as being used for conferences and events. The centre has even been host to Prime Minister Gordon Brown and other senior Labour Party figures for hustings during the deputy leadership contest. [1]
Founded by the Belgrave Baheno Women's Organisation the project was conceived in the 90's but just a few months after its opening, the centre faced financial difficulties in 2007. [2] Since then the future seems more secure and there are plans for expansion to include an aqua spa and recording studio. [3]
Coordinates: 52°38′42″N 1°07′19″W / 52.645°N 1.122°W / 52.645; -1.122
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Perth, Scotland
Coordinates: 56°23′49″N 3°26′14″W / 56.396911°N 3.437262°W / 56.396911; -3.437262
Perth (Scottish Gaelic: Peairt) is a city in central Scotland, located on the banks of the River Tay. It is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire. According to a 2008 estimate, Perth has a population of 44,820. Perth has been known as The Fair City since the publication of the story Fair Maid of Perth by Scottish writer Sir Walter Scott in 1828. During the later medieval period the town was also called St John's Toun or Saint Johnstoun by its inhabitants in reference to the main church dedicated to St John the Baptist.
The name Perth comes from a Pictish word for wood or copse. There has been a settlement at Perth since prehistoric times, on a natural mound raised slightly above the flood plain of the Tay, where the river could be crossed at low tide. The area surrounding the modern city is known to have been occupied by Mesolithic hunter-gatherers since their arrival more than 8000 years ago. Nearby Neolithic standing stones and circles also exist, dating from about 4000 BC, following the introduction of farming in the area.
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Peterborough
Peterborough (
/ˈpiːtərbrə/ or 
i/ˈpiːtərbərə/) is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of 173,400 in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated 75 miles (121 km) north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea approximately 30 miles (48 km) to the north-east. The railway station is an important stop on the East Coast Main Line.
The local topography is flat and low-lying, and in some places lies below sea level. The area known as the Fens is to the east of Peterborough. The City of Peterborough includes the outlying military installation of RAF Wittering, and as a unitary authority it borders Northamptonshire and Rutland to the west, Lincolnshire to the north, and Cambridgeshire to the south and east.
Human settlement in the area dates back to before the Bronze Age, as can be seen at the Flag Fen archaeological site to the east of the current city centre. This site also shows evidence of Roman occupation. The Anglo-Saxon period saw the establishment of a monastery, then known as Medeshamstede, which later became Peterborough Cathedral. The population grew rapidly following the arrival of the railways in the 19th century, and Peterborough became an industrial centre, particularly noted for its brick manufacture.
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Phoenix Arts Centre
Coordinates: 52°37′52.50″N 1°8′6.50″W / 52.63125°N 1.135139°W / 52.63125; -1.135139
Upper Brown Street (formerly the Phoenix Arts Centre) is a theatre in the city centre of Leicester, England. The centre hosted live shows and films of the arthouse and world cinema genres. In 2010 it was reborn as an important music training and performance venue under a new name.
In 1963 Leicester City Council (LCC), identifying a gap in cultural provision for live performances, built a 262-seat theatre in Leicester. The Phoenix Theatre was intended to be a temporary solution until a more permanent theatre could be established.
Directors included Clive Perry, Michael Bogdanov, Chris Martin, Graham Watkins, Paul Wetherby and Adrian Bean, and actors such as Richard Eyre, Anthony Hopkins and Greta Scacci have all performed in the venue. Its artistic philosophy was to be a theatre for the Leicester community, not only presenting "in house" productions but also touring Leicestershire with dance and small-scale theatre productions. Notable in the touring work were productions about the travelling community and about substance abuse. At its greatest strength in the early 1980s, employing around 80 people, the company consisted of a main acting troupe called "Flying Phoenix", and "Phoenix Dance". It developed new writers, notably Sue Townsend, and premiered many productions that went on to national acclaim in the 1980s, such as "The Hobbit" and "The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole".
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Plymouth
Plymouthi/ˈplɪməθ/ is a city and unitary authority area on the south coast of Devon, England, about 190 miles (310 km) south-west of London. It is situated between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound. Since 1967, the City of Plymouth has included the suburbs of Plympton and Plymstock, which are on the east side of the River Plym.
Plymouth's history goes back to the Bronze Age, when its first settlement grew at Mount Batten. This settlement continued to grow as a trading post for the Roman Empire, until the more prosperous village of Sutton, the current Plymouth, surpassed it. In 1620, the Pilgrim Fathers left Plymouth for the New World and established Plymouth Colony – the second English settlement in what is now the United States of America. During the English Civil War the town was held by the Parliamentarians and was besieged between 1642 and 1646.
Throughout the Industrial Revolution, Plymouth grew as a major commercial shipping port, handling imports and passengers from the Americas, while the neighbouring town of Devonport grew as an important Royal Naval shipbuilding and dockyard town. In 1914 the three neighbouring and independent towns, viz., the county borough of Plymouth, the county borough of Devonport, and the urban district of East Stonehouse were merged to form a single County Borough. The new, merged town took the name of Plymouth which, in 1928, achieved city status. The city's naval importance later led to its targeting and partial destruction during World War II, an act known as the Plymouth Blitz. After the war the city centre was completely rebuilt.
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Poole
Coordinates: 50°43′N 1°59′W / 50.717°N 1.983°W / 50.717; -1.983
Poole ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is 33 kilometres (21 mi) east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council. The town had a population of 138,288 according to the 2001 census, making it the second largest settlement in Dorset. Together with Bournemouth and Christchurch, the town forms the South East Dorset conurbation with a total population of over 400,000.
Human settlement in the area dates back to before the Iron Age. The earliest recorded use of the town’s name was in the 12th century when the town began to emerge as an important port, prospering with the introduction of the wool trade. In later centuries the town had important trade links with North America and at its peak in the 18th century it was one of the busiest ports in Britain. During the Second World War the town was one of the main departing points for the D-Day landings of the Normandy Invasion.
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Portsmouth
Portsmouth (i/ˈpɔːtsməθ/) is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island. It is situated 64 miles (103 km) south west from London and 19 miles (31 km) south east from Southampton.
As a significant naval port for centuries, Portsmouth is home to the world's oldest dry dock still in use and also home to some famous ships, including HMS Warrior, the Tudor carrack Mary Rose and Lord Nelson's flagship, HMS Victory. Although smaller than in its heyday, the naval base remains a major dockyard and base for the Royal Navy and Royal Marine Commandos whose Headquarters resides there. There is also a thriving commercial ferryport serving destinations on the continent for freight and passenger traffic. The City of Portsmouth and Portsmouth Football Club are both nicknamed Pompey.
The Spinnaker Tower is a striking recent addition to the city's skyline. It can be found in the redeveloped former HMS Vernon, formerly a shore establishment or 'stone frigate' of the Royal Navy, now an area of retail outlets, restaurants, clubs and bars now known as Gunwharf Quays.
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Rajkot
Rajkot (Gujarati: રાજકોટ Rājkot
) is the fourth largest city in the state of Gujarat, India, after Ahmedabad, Surat and Vadodara. Rajkot is the 23rd urban agglomeration in India, with a population more than 1.6 million as on 2012. Rajkot is ranked 22nd in The world's fastest growing cities and urban areas from 2006 to 2020.
Rajkot is a city of Gujarat state in India and administrative headquarters of the Rajkot District, 245 km from the state capital Gandhinagar, located on the banks of the Aji River and Nyari River. Rajkot was the capital of the then Saurashtra state from 15 April 1948 to 31 October 1956 before merging in bilingual Bombay State on 1 November 1956. Rajkot was merged into Gujarat State from bilingual Bombay state on May 1, 1960.
Rajkot has been under many different rulers since it was founded. Rajkot has a long history and played a significant part in Indian independence movement. Rajkot was one of the main trade centre's in Saurashtra.
Rajkot was founded by the then ruler of Sardhar 1607 A.D. on the west bank of Aji River, in the middle of Saurashtra. Vibhaji Ajoji was the grandson of Jam Sataji of Nawanagar, the present day Jamnagar. Rajkot was named in honor of its co-founder.
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Ratae Corieltauvorum
Ratae Corieltauvorum was a town in the Roman province of Britannia. Today it is known as Leicester, located in the English county of Leicestershire.
Ratae is the Brythonic word for 'ramparts' (see Irish Rath), suggesting the site was a defended Iron Age oppidum. Round houses from this era have been excavated in the city. The suffix, Corieltauvorum, refers to the Corieltauvi, the Celtic tribe who had their civitas capital there. Until 1983, the name of the town was thought to have been Ratae Coritanorum. However, newly discovered evidence in the form of an inscription shows the recorded forms as corrupt and the name of the tribe has since been revised.
The origins of the Roman city lay in a settlement that developed on the east bank of the River Soar, a tributary of the River Trent, in the late Iron Age (i.e. 2nd or 1st centuries BC). Little is known about either this settlement or the character of the Soar at this time. What evidence there is indicates the Soar in this vicinity split into two channels: a main stream running to the east and a narrower channel to the west. Between the two channels there was probably a marshy island. It seems that both the streams could be forded. The settlement appears to have consisted of a cluster of native round houses located close to the ford across the main channel, which probably extended over roughly 8ha. on the bank of the main stream.
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Reading, Berkshire
Reading (i/ˈrɛdɪŋ/ RED-ing) is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some 40 miles (64 km) west of London.
The Borough of Reading has a population of 145,700 (2008 estimate) and the town formed the largest part of the Reading/Wokingham Urban Area which had a population of 369,804 (2001 census). The town is currently represented in the UK parliament by two members, and has been continuously represented there since 1295. For ceremonial purposes the town is in the county of Berkshire and has served as its county town since 1867, previously sharing this status with Abingdon.
The first evidence for Reading as a settlement dates from the 8th century. Reading was an important centre in the medieval period, as the site of Reading Abbey, a monastery with strong royal connections. The town was seriously impacted by the Civil War, with a major siege and loss of trade, and played a pivotal role in the Revolution of 1688, with that revolution's only significant military action fought on the streets of the town. The 19th century saw the coming of the Great Western Railway and the development of the town's brewing, baking and seed growing businesses.
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Redcar and Cleveland
The borough of Redcar & Cleveland is a unitary authority in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England consisting of Redcar, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Guisborough, and small towns such as Brotton, Eston, Skelton and Loftus. It had a resident population of 139,132 in 2001, and is part of the Tees Valley economic area. It is represented in Parliament by Ian Swales (Liberal Democrat) for the Redcar constituency and by Tom Blenkinsop (Labour) for the Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency.
The district was created in 1974 as the borough of Langbaurgh, one of four districts of the new non-metropolitan county of Cleveland. It was formed from the Coatham, Kirkleatham, Ormesby, Redcar and South Bank wards of the county borough of Teesside, along with Guisborough, Loftus, Saltburn and Marske-by-the-Sea, Eston Grange and Skelton and Brotton urban districts, from the North Riding of Yorkshire. The borough was named after the ancient Langbaurgh wapentake of Yorkshire. On 1 January 1988 the borough was renamed as Langbaurgh-on-Tees.
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Ripon
Coordinates: 54°08′17″N 1°31′25″W / 54.13796°N 1.52365°W / 54.13796; -1.52365
Ripon is a cathedral city, market town and successor parish in the Borough of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, located at the confluence of two streams of the River Ure in the form of the Laver and Skell. The city is noted for its main feature the Ripon Cathedral which is architecturally significant, as well as the Ripon Racecourse and other features such as its market. The city itself is just over 1,300 years old.
The city was originally known as Inhrypum and was founded by Saint Wilfrid during the time of Angle kingdom Northumbria, a period during which it enjoyed prominence in terms of religious importance in Great Britain. After a period of Viking control, it passed to the Cerdic dynasty who unified England and then the Normans who destroyed much of the city. After a brief period of building projects under the Plantagenets, the city emerged with a prominent wool and cloth industry. Ripon became well known for its production of spurs during the 16th and 17th century, but would later remain largely unaffected by the Industrial Revolution.
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River Soar
The River Soar is a tributary of the River Trent in the English East Midlands.
It rises near Hinckley in Leicestershire and is joined by the River Sence (Wigston) near Enderby before flowing through Leicester (where it is joined by the Grand Union Canal at Aylestone), Barrow-on-Soar, beside Loughborough, and Kegworth, flowing into the Trent near Ratcliffe-on-Soar in Nottinghamshire. Its major tributary, the once navigable River Wreake, joins it near Syston.
The Soar has been made navigable to boats and several shortcuts have been built. The section between Loughborough and Leicester was made navigable in 1784, and the Grand Union Canal connected it south to the southern canals network and to London, in 1814.
According to legend, the body of King Richard III of England was thrown into the Soar after his death. The bridge carrying the A47 across the Soar at Leicester is known as 'King Richard's Bridge'.
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). In the early 10th century it was recorded as Ligeraceaster ("the town of the Ligor people"). The Domesday Book later recorded it as Ledecestre.
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Rushcliffe
Rushcliffe is a local government district with borough status in Nottinghamshire, England. Its council is based in West Bridgford. It was formed on 1 April 1974 by merging the West Bridgford Urban District, the Bingham Rural District and part of Basford Rural District.
The member of parliament for Rushcliffe is the Conservative, Kenneth Clarke. As of the May 2010 General Election, Rushcliffe is one of only three Tory-held constituencies in Nottinghamshire.
50 councillors were elected at the borough council election in May 2011. There are 36 Conservatives, giving them control of the council. There are also 6 Liberal Democrats, 5 from Labour, 2 Greens and 1 Independent. The next election is due in May 2015.
North-east of Nottingham, the Rushcliffe boundary splits from the City of Nottingham boundary near the Holme Pierrepont Watersports Centre and then follows the River Trent to near RAF Syerston, which is the most northern part of the district, although Syerston the village itself is in the Newark and Sherwood district. It meets the River Devon near Cotham, then follows this river to the east southwards to where it meets the Leicestershire boundary. To the south, the Leicestershire/Rushcliffe boundary goes across the runways of the former RAF Langar with most of the airfield in Rushcliffe.
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Rushey Mead
Coordinates: 52°39′36″N 1°06′36″W / 52.660°N 1.110°W / 52.660; -1.110
Rushey Mead is an electoral ward and administrative division of the city of Leicester, England. It comprises the northern Leicester suburb of Rushey Mead in its entirety, as well as historical parts of Northfields and Thurmaston.
Rushey Mead is bounded by the wards of Humberstone & Hamilton to the south-east, Charnwood to the south, Belgrave to the south-west and Abbey to the west. North of Rushey Mead is the borough of Charnwood and the villages of Birstall and Thurmaston in Leicestershire.
Rushey Mead was originally a part of the Thurmaston civil parish during the 19th century. The modern day suburb was split from Thurmaston and gazetted as a "Thurmaston Urban District" in 1894, before being annexed to the City of Leicester in 1935, when it was renamed Rushey Mead.
Like neighbouring suburb Belgrave, Rushey Mead is home to a large Asian immigrant population, and had a 53% Indian ethnic majority during the 2001 census.
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Rutland
Coordinates: 52°39′20.00″N 0°39′30.00″W / 52.65556°N 0.65833°W / 52.65556; -0.65833
Rutland ( /ˈrʌtlənd/) is a landlocked county in central England, bounded on the west and north by Leicestershire, northeast by Lincolnshire and southeast by Peterborough (a unitary authority ceremonially in Cambridgeshire) and Northamptonshire.
Its greatest length north to south is only 18 miles (29.0 km), greatest breadth east to west, 17 miles (27.4 km). It is the smallest (in terms of population) normal unitary authority in mainland England (only the City of London is smaller in terms of area), and is 348th of the 354 districts in terms of population. It is the smallest historic English county, leading to the adoption of the Latin motto Multum In Parvo or "much in little" by the county council in 1950. Among modern ceremonial counties the Isle of Wight, City of London and City of Bristol are all smaller. The former County of London, in existence 1889 to 1965, also had a smaller area.
The only towns in Rutland are Oakham, the county town, and Uppingham. At the centre of the county is the large artificial reservoir, Rutland Water, with a similar surface area to Windermere. It is an important nature reserve serving as an overwintering site for wildfowl and a breeding site for ospreys. The town of Stamford is just over the border in a protruding part of Lincolnshire.
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Salisbury
Coordinates: 51°04′26″N 1°47′37″W / 51.0740°N 1.7936°W / 51.0740; -1.7936
Salisbury ( /ˈsɔːlzbri/ SAWLZ-bree or /ˈsɒlzbri/ SOLZ-bree, or locally /ˈsɔːzbri/) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county (the largest being Swindon). It has also been called New Sarum to distinguish it from the original site of settlement to the north of the city at Old Sarum, but this alternative name is not in common use.
The city is located in the south-east of Wiltshire, near the edge of Salisbury Plain. It sits at the confluence of five rivers: the Nadder, Ebble, Wylye and Bourne are tributary to the Avon, which flows to the south coast and into the sea at Christchurch, Dorset. Salisbury railway station serves the city, and is the crossing point between the West of England Main Line and the Wessex Main Line, making it a regional interchange.
Although the actual city was not established until 1220, there has been a settlement in the area since prehistory. There is evidence of Neolithic settlement on the hilltop of Old Sarum, which became a hill fort in the Iron Age. The Romans called this fort "Sorviodunum" and may also have occupied the fort. The Saxons established themselves there called it "Searesbyrig" and the Normans built a castle or "Seresberi". By 1086, in the Domesday Book, it was called "Salesberie".
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Scotland
Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: Alba ([ˈalˠ̪apə] listen (help·info))) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the southwest. In addition to the mainland, Scotland constitutes over 790 islands including the Northern Isles and the Hebrides.
Edinburgh, the country's capital and second largest city, is one of Europe's largest financial centres. Edinburgh was the hub of the Scottish Enlightenment of the 18th century, which transformed Scotland into one of the commercial, intellectual and industrial powerhouses of Europe. Glasgow, Scotland's largest city, was once one of the world's leading industrial cities and now lies at the centre of the Greater Glasgow conurbation. Scottish waters consist of a large sector of the North Atlantic and the North Sea, containing the largest oil reserves in the European Union. This has given Aberdeen, the third largest city in Scotland, the title of Europe's oil capital.
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Sheffield
Sheffieldi/ˈʃɛfiːld/ is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely industrial roots to encompass a wider economic base. The population of the City of Sheffield is 555,500 (2010 est.) and it is one of the eight largest regional English cities that make up the English Core Cities Group.
During the 19th century, Sheffield gained an international reputation for steel production. Many innovations were developed locally, including crucible and stainless steel, fuelling an almost tenfold increase in the population during the Industrial Revolution. Sheffield received its municipal charter in 1843, becoming the City of Sheffield in 1893. International competition in iron and steel caused a decline in traditional local industries during the 1970s and 1980s, coinciding with the collapse of coal mining in the area.
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Shepshed
Coordinates: 52°46′16″N 1°17′42″W / 52.7711°N 1.2951°W / 52.7711; -1.2951
Shepshed, often known until 1888 as Sheepshed, (also Sheepshead - a name derived from the village being heavily involved in the wool industry) is a town in Leicestershire, England with a population of around 14,000 people. It sits within the borough of Charnwood local authority, where Shepshed is the second biggest settlement after the county town of Loughborough.
The town is twinned with the Parisian suburb of Domont.
The town originally grew as a centre for the wool trade. However, since the construction of the M1 motorway nearby, it has become a dormitory town for Loughborough, Leicester, Derby and Nottingham. It was officially a village until recently[when?], and claimed to be Britain's largest, and also claimed to have the highest number of pubs per head of population in the country. Now, however, it is home to only 15 public houses.
There has been much controversy about the origin of the name of the town. The earliest form is Scepeshefde Regis as mentioned in the Domesday Book, which means "(King's) hill where sheep graze", but since then there have been many changes until the present form, Shepshed, was adopted in 1888. The addition of the suffix 'Regis' signifies that there was once a royal lodge in the area.
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Shropshire
Shropshire ( /ˈʃrɒpʃər/ or /ˈʃrɒpʃɪər/; alternatively Salop; abbreviated, in print only, Shrops) is a county in the West Midlands region of England. It borders Wales to the west, Cheshire to the north, Staffordshire to the east, Worcestershire to the south-east and Herefordshire to the south. A unitary authority (Shropshire Council) was created on 1 April 2009, taking over from the previous county council and 5 district councils, and covers most of the county. The borough of Telford and Wrekin, included in Shropshire for ceremonial purposes, has been a separate unitary authority since 1998.
The county's population and economy is centred on five towns: the county town of Shrewsbury, which is culturally and historically important and is located in the centre of the county;Telford, a new town in the east which was constructed around a number of older towns, most notably Wellington, Dawley and Madeley, which is today the most populous; and Oswestry in the north-west, Bridgnorth just to the south of Telford, and Ludlow in the south. The county has many further smaller towns, including Whitchurch in the north, Newport just to the north-east of Telford, and Market Drayton in the north-east of the county.
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Silver Arcade
Silver Arcade is a Grade II listed building in the centre of Leicester, England. A former shopping arcade, Silver Arcade was built by Amos Hall in 1889. The top floor was closed off in 2000, leaving the units on the ground floor occupied by a number of independent retailers. In 2008, the centre was the focus of a campaign by the Leicester Civic Society to reopen it. In 2010, plans were announced to reopen the top floors.
Coordinates: 52°38′08″N 1°08′03″W / 52.6355°N 1.1341°W / 52.6355; -1.1341
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Slough
Coordinates: 51°30′36″N 0°35′35″W / 51.51°N 0.593056°W / 51.51; -0.593056
Sloughi/ˈslaʊ/ is a borough and unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Royal Berkshire, England. The town straddles the A4 Bath Road (it becomes the Great West Road closer to London) and the Great Western Main Line, 22 miles (35 km) west of central London. At the 2001 census, the population of Slough was 119,070 (est. 122,000 in 2006) and the borough area was the most ethnically diverse local authority area outside London in the United Kingdom. Slough has the highest proportion of religious adherents in England.
Historically, the larger part of the present-day Slough area was formerly in Buckinghamshire with a small part of the borough originally in Middlesex. Slough is home to the Slough Trading Estate, which, coupled with extensive transport links, makes it an important business centre in South East England. It is the largest industrial estate in single private ownership in Europe.
Slough is at grid reference SU978797, just west of Greater London. Nearby towns are Windsor to the south, Maidenhead to the west, Uxbridge to the northeast and Beaconsfield to the north.
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South Derbyshire
South Derbyshire is a local government district in Derbyshire, England. It contains a third of the National Forest, and the council offices are in Swadlincote.
The district was formed on 1 April 1974 as a merger of the Swadlincote urban district along with Repton Rural District and part of South East Derbyshire Rural District.
Settlements in the district include:
In May 2006, a report commissioned by British Gas showed that housing in South Derbyshire produced the 19th highest average carbon emissions in the country at 6,929 kg of carbon dioxide per dwelling. As a way of helping to reduce these emissions, the local councils have since given out leaflets and flyers telling people information about climate change.
Relative to Derbyshire, the East Midlands and England as a whole the population of South Derbyshire is expected to rise by 23% in forecasts from a 2005 population of 88,000 to a 2025 population of 108,600. No other district in Derbyshire is expected to grow at even half this rate. The figures for the East Midlands as whole over this time range is 10.5% with both Derbyshire and England as a whole being similar but less. Derby is forecast to grow by only 6%.
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South Kesteven
South Kesteven is a local government district in Lincolnshire, England, forming part of the traditional Kesteven division of the county. It covers Grantham, Stamford, Bourne and Market Deeping.
The district was formed on April 1, 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, from the municipal boroughs of Grantham and Stamford, along with Bourne Urban district, South Kesteven Rural District and West Kesteven Rural District. Previously the district was run by Kesteven County Council, based in Sleaford.
In the discussions around 1972 that split off the north of Lindsey, to become South Humberside, there were also radical plans to split off the south of Kesteven to make a county based on Peterborough. Neighbouring Rutland would have also joined, but instead was consumed by Leicestershire.
South Kesteven borders North Kesteven to the north, as far east as Horbling, where the A52 crosses the South Forty-Foot Drain. From there south it borders South Holland along the South Forty-Foot Drain, crossing the A151 just west of Guthram Gowt. The border follows the River Glen near to Tongue End where at Baston, the boundary crosses north-south over Baston and Langtoft fens. It crosses the A16 at the B1525 junction (the end of the Deepings bypass), then meets the Welland about two miles west of Crowland at a point called Kennulph's Stone. The parish of Deeping St. James is the south-east corner of the district, where the district borders the unitary authority of City of Peterborough. The boundary follows the Welland to Stamford, briefly following the B1443 (Barnack Road) where it skirts the edge of Burghley Park.
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Southampton
Southamptoni/saʊθˈhæmptən/ is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated 120 kilometres (75 mi) south-west of London and 30 kilometres (19 mi) north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest. It lies at the northernmost point of Southampton Water at the confluence of the River Test and River Itchen, with the River Hamble joining to the south of the urban area. The local authority is Southampton City Council, which is a unitary authority.
The city represents the core of the Greater Southampton region, and the city itself has an estimated population of 239,700 Southampton combines with Portsmouth to form a single metropolitan area; with a population of over a million this makes the region one of the United Kingdom's most populous metropolitan areas. The city's name is sometimes abbreviated in writing to "So'ton" or "Soton", and a resident of Southampton is called a Sotonian.
Significant employers in Southampton include the University of Southampton, Southampton Airport, the Ford Transit factory, Ordnance Survey, BBC South, the NHS, ABP and Carnival. Southampton is noted for its association with the RMS Titanic, the Spitfire and more recently a number of the largest cruise ships in the world.
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Southend-on-Sea
Southend-on-Sea ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a unitary authority area, town, and seaside resort in Essex, England. The district has Borough status, and comprises the towns of Chalkwell, Eastwood, Leigh-on-Sea, North Shoebury, Prittlewell, Shoeburyness, Southchurch, Thorpe Bay, and Westcliff-on-Sea. The district is situated within the Thames Gateway on the north side of the Thames estuary 40 miles (64 km) east of central London. It is bordered to the north by Rochford and to the west by Castle Point. It is home to the longest leisure pier in the world, The Southend Pier.London Southend Airport is located 2 Miles north of the town Center, and is one of London's 6 Major Airports.
Originally the "south end" of the village of Prittlewell, Southend became a seaside resort during the Georgian era, attracting many tourists in the summer months to its seven miles[citation needed] of beaches and bathing in the sea. Good rail connections and proximity to London mean that much of the economy has been based on tourism, and that Southend has been a dormitory town for city workers ever since. Southend Pier is the world's longest pleasure pier at 1.34 miles (2158m). It has suffered fires and ship collisions, most recently in October 2005, but the basic pier structure has been repaired each time. There has been significant loss of pier-head facilities since the major fire in 1976.
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Spinney Hills
Spinney Hills is an inner city area of Leicester, England. It is situated to the north of the core Highfields area, around Spinney Hill Park. To the north is Northfields, to the east North Evington, to the west is the railway line, and to the south is the main part of Highfields.
Coordinates: 52°38′N 1°06′W / 52.64°N 1.10°W / 52.64; -1.10
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St Martin's Square
St Martin's Square is a shopping centre in Leicester city centre. Constructed in 1984 by the Bass Pension Scheme, the thirty-two retail units include a mix of individual boutiques, national retailers, bars and restaurants. St Martins Square is part of the Leicester Lanes shopping district.
Coordinates: 52°38′06″N 1°08′07″W / 52.6350°N 1.1354°W / 52.6350; -1.1354
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Stirling
Coordinates: 56°07′02″N 3°56′23″W / 56.117222°N 3.939722°W / 56.117222; -3.939722
Stirling (Gaelic: Sruighlea pronounced [ˈs̪t̪ruʝlə]) is a city and former ancient burgh in Scotland, and is at the heart of the wider Stirling council area. The city is clustered around a large fortress and medieval old-town beside the River Forth. Historically it was strategically important as the "Gateway to the Highlands", with its position near the boundary between the Scottish Lowlands and Highlands, and its crossing of the Forth, the nearest to the river mouth.
Once the capital of Scotland, Stirling contains the Great Hall (restored 1999) and the Renaissance Palace (restoration completed 2011) within the Castle that rivalled any building in Europe at the time. Stirling also has its medieval parish church, The Church of the Holy Rude, where King James VI was crowned King of Scots on 29 July 1567. The Holy Rude still functions as living church with a service every Sunday.
Stirling is a centre for local government, higher education, retail, and light industry. Its population in 2008 was 33,710, for Stirling itself, the wider urban area including Bridge of Allan and Bannockburn has a population of 45,750. This makes it the smallest city in Scotland: indeed it is smaller than many of Scotland's larger towns.
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Stoneygate
Stoneygate is part of the City of Leicester, England.
Situated on the south-east side of the city some two miles from the centre, Stoneygate is a mainly residential suburb characterised by its large Victorian houses. It straddles the London Road which connects Leicester with the town of Market Harborough and was formerly the main route for horse-drawn carriages between Leicester and London.
The name `Stoneygate' originates in Old English as "stone road", and Ordnance Survey maps show the former route of an unnamed Roman road leading South-West from Stoneygate on the A6 towards Little Stretton, Medbourne and Corby.
Stoneygate's historical significance was recognised when it was designated a conservation area by the City Council in 1978. The Stoneygate Conservation Area (which also includes properties in the adjacent suburb of Clarendon Park) is bounded by Victoria Park Road to the north, Queens Road to the west, Stoneygate Road to the east and Shirley Road to the south. A map is available on the Stoneygate Conservation Area Society website (see external links below).
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Swansea
Swansea ( /ˈswɒnzi/ SWONZ-ee; Welsh: Abertawe [abɛrˈtauɛ], "mouth of the Tawe") is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands. Swansea had a population of 169,880 in 2001 and is the second most populous city in Wales after Cardiff and the third most populous county in Wales after Cardiff and Rhondda Cynon Taf. During its 19th century industrial heyday, Swansea was one of the key centres of the world copper industry, earning the nickname 'Copperopolis'.
Archaeological finds are mostly confined to the Gower Peninsula, and include items from the Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age. The Romans reached the area, as did the Vikings.
Swansea is thought to have originally developed as a Viking trading post. Some think that its name is derived from Sveinn's island (Old Norse: Sveinsey) – the reference to an island may refer to a bank at the mouth of the river Tawe, or perhaps an area of raised ground in marshes. An alternative explanation is that the name derives from the Norse name 'Sweyn' and 'ey', which can mean inlet. The name is pronounced Swans-y /ˈswɒnzi/), not Swan-sea. The Welsh name first appears in Welsh poems at the beginning of the 13th century, as "Aber Tawy".
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The Charlotte
The Charlotte was a live music venue in Leicester, England, on the edge of the City Centre, on Oxford Street, opposite De Montfort University. The venue finally closed on March 13th 2010.
Andy Wright took over The Princess Charlotte (later to be known simply as "The Charlotte") in March 1989. He had been an employee of the business since September 1985 when it was a more traditional public house environment with bands appearing two or three nights a week in the 200 capacity back room. Over the course of two decades The Charlotte became established as a nationally recognised "circuit venue" on the live music scene, known as an essential stop-off for many bands on their tours of the UK. Bands who appeared at the Charlotte included Radiohead, Elastica, The Cranberries, Pulp, The Stone Roses, The La's, Spiritualized, The Killers, Bloc Party, The Arctic Monkeys, Kingmaker, Oasis, The Libertines, The Offspring, Razorlight, The Buzzcocks, Primal Scream, Muse and Kasabian
The DVD release of the Blur promotional video Starshaped includes additional video footage of the band's appearance in the Charlotte.
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Thurnby Lodge
Coordinates: 52°38′17″N 1°03′36″W / 52.638°N 1.060°W / 52.638; -1.060
Thurncourt is an electoral ward and administrative division of the city of Leicester, England. It comprises the suburb and housing estate of Thurnby Lodge in eastern Leicester.
Thurncourt is bounded by the wards of Evington to the south, and Humberstone & Hamilton to the north. Roughly, it consists of the area inside the city boundary which is north of the Uppingham Road, east of the A563 outer ringroad, and south of the Scraptoft Lane.
The area south of the main shops on Thurncourt Road, towards the parallel railway embankment, was originally mainly unlandscaped country land with a natural stream running through it. The stream divides at a point opposite Thurncourt Road shops into two further tributaries, one which continues on towards the city and the other taking a route southwards under tunnels beneath the railway embankment. This natural area was extensively landscaped in several phases by the Leicester City Council and a floodplain added up until the present day, destroying a natural fertile habitat for the then common water voles and small fresh water fish found within the habitat.
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Thurrock
Thurrock is a unitary authority with borough status in the English ceremonial county of Essex. It is part of the London commuter belt and an area of regeneration within the Thames Gateway redevelopment zone. The local authority is Thurrock Council.
It lies on the River Thames just to the east of London. With over 18 miles (29 km) of riverfront it covers an area of 64 square miles (166 km²), with more than half defined as Green Belt. With Greater London to the west and the river to the south, the county of Essex abuts the Borough to the north and east, and across the river lies Kent.
The local authority is Thurrock Council. Elections are held 3 out of every 4 years. In the last election in 2012, Labour took control after a period in which no party had overall control.
Thurrock is covered by two parliamentary constituencies. Thurrock includes most of the borough while South Basildon and East Thurrock includes some wards in the east of the borough. Both seats were Conservative gains from Labour at the 2010 general election.
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Tower of London
Coordinates: 51°30′29″N 0°4′34″W / 51.50806°N 0.07611°W / 51.50806; -0.07611
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space known as Tower Hill. It was founded towards the end of 1066 as part of the Norman Conquest of England. The White Tower, which gives the entire castle its name, was built by William the Conqueror in 1078, and was a resented symbol of oppression, inflicted upon London by the new ruling elite. The castle was used as a prison since at least 1100, although that was not its primary purpose. A grand palace early in its history, it served as a royal residence. As a whole, the Tower is a complex of several buildings set within two concentric rings of defensive walls and a moat. There were several phases of expansion, mainly under Kings Richard the Lionheart, Henry III, and Edward I in the 12th and 13th centuries. The general layout established by the late 13th century remains despite later activity on the site.
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Truro
Coordinates: 50°15′36″N 5°03′04″W / 50.260°N 5.051°W / 50.260; -5.051
Truro ( /ˈtrʊəroʊ/; Cornish: Truru) is a city and civil parish in Cornwall, England. The city is the centre for administration, leisure and retail in Cornwall, with a population recorded in the 2001 census of 17,431. Truro urban statistical area, which includes parts of surrounding parishes, has a 2001 census population of 20,920. It is the only city in the county, and the most southern city in Great Britain. People from Truro are known as Truronians.
Truro initially grew as an important centre of trade from its port and then as a stannary town for the mining industry. The city is well known for its cathedral (completed in 1910), cobbled streets, open spaces and Georgian architecture. Places of interest include the Royal Cornwall Museum, the Hall for Cornwall, Cornwall's Courts of Justice and Cornwall Council.
The origin of Truro's name is debated. It is said to be derived from the Cornish tri-veru meaning "three rivers", but references such as the Oxford Dictionary of English Place Names reject this theory. At best, the "tru" part could mean "three", though this is doubtful. An expert on Cornish place-names, Oliver Padel, in his book A popular dictionary of Cornish place-names wrote that the 'three rivers' meaning is "possible".
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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 off the north-western coast of continental Europe. The country includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that shares a land border with another sovereign state—the Republic of Ireland. Apart from this land border the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel and the Irish Sea.
The United Kingdom is a unitary state governed under a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary system, with its seat of government in the capital city of London. It is a country in its own right and consists of four countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. There are three devolved administrations, each with varying powers, based in Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff, the capitals of Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Associated with the UK, but not constitutionally part of it, are three Crown Dependencies. The United Kingdom has fourteen overseas territories. These are remnants of the British Empire which, at its height in 1922, encompassed almost a quarter of the world's land surface and was the largest empire in history. British influence can still be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former territories.
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Warrington
Warrington is a town, borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire, England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which is tidal to the west of the weir at Howley. It lies 16 miles east of Liverpool, 19 miles west of Manchester and 8 miles south of St Helens. The population of the borough is 198,900. Its population has more than doubled since its designation as a New Town in 1968.
Historically a part of Lancashire, Warrington was founded by the Romans at an important crossing place on the River Mersey. A new settlement was established by the Saxons and by the Middle Ages, Warrington had emerged as a market town at a bridging point of the river. A local tradition of textile and tool production dates from this time.
The expansion and urbanisation of Warrington largely coincided with the Industrial Revolution, particularly after the Mersey was made navigable in the 18th century. The West Coast Mainline runs north to south through the town, and the Liverpool to Manchester railway (the Cheshire Lines route) west to east. The Manchester Ship Canal cuts through the south of the borough (west to east). The M6, M56 and M62 motorways form a partial box around the town.
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Wells
Coordinates: 51°12′26″N 2°39′07″W / 51.2073°N 2.6519°W / 51.2073; -2.6519
Wells is a cathedral city and civil parish in the Mendip district of Somerset, England, on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills. Although the population recorded in the 2001 census is 10,406, it has had city status since 1205. It is the second smallest English city in terms of area and population after the City of London although, unlike the latter, Wells is not part of a larger metropolitan conurbation, and is consequently described in some sources as being England's smallest city.
The name Wells derives from the three wells dedicated to Saint Andrew, one in the market place and two within the grounds of the Bishop's Palace and cathedral. There was a small Roman settlement around the wells, but its importance grew under the Saxons when King Ine of Wessex founded a minster church in 704, around which the settlement grew. Wells became a trading centre and involved in cloth making before its involvement in both the English Civil War and the Monmouth Rebellion during the 17th century. In the 19th century, transport infrastructure improved with stations on three different railway lines.
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West End, Leicester
Westcotes is an area to the west of the city of Leicester. It is also known as the West End of Leicester. The area is quite small in comparison with other areas of the city, but it is well known as it has many shops, bars and restaurants and is a popular choice for students and young professionals.
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 the West Bridge). The main roads in the area are Braunstone Gate, Hinckley Road and Narborough Road.
The proximity to De Montfort University makes it a popular student area. Further to the south is the Braunstone estate, and to the west is the Dane Hills area.
The area was developed quite late, due to land ownership, and therefore is somewhat less dense than other inner city areas like Highfields and Belgrave.
Two Roman roads crossed the West End. Both of these roads crossed the River Soar at a place close to where the West Bridge stands today. One of these roads headed in a south-westerly direction, this was the Fosse Way. The Fosse Way ran from the vicinity of Exeter to Lincolnshire, passing through Leicester. A second road ran directly westwards to join Watling Street, another important Roman Road, at Mancetter in Warwickshire.
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West Lindsey
West Lindsey is a local government district in Lincolnshire, England.
The district was formed on 1 April 1974, from the urban districts of Gainsborough, Market Rasen, along with Caistor Rural District, Gainsborough Rural District and Welton Rural District. The district council moved to new offices in Marshall's Yard in Gainsborough in January 2008.
Since the inception of the council in 1974 councillors have been elected in ‘thirds’, serving a period of four years. This means that elections have been held every year apart from the fourth year when County Council elections are held. In December 2010 the Council decided to change the system from ‘thirds’ to ‘all out’ elections commencing in May 2011.
The election for all 37 members representing 25 wards were held on 5 May 2011. All seats were contested. The total electorate entitled to vote at the elections was 71959 from which 31207 electors voted (43.37%). The result produced a Conservative majority of 5 seats over all other parties. The current membership of the Council is Conservatives 21, Independents 3, Labour 2 and Liberal Democrats 11.
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Westcotes
Westcotes is an area to the west of the city of Leicester. It is also known as the West End of Leicester. The area is quite small in comparison with other areas of the city, but it is well known as it has many shops, bars and restaurants and is a popular choice for students and young professionals.
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 the West Bridge). The main roads in the area are Braunstone Gate, Hinckley Road and Narborough Road.
The proximity to De Montfort University makes it a popular student area. Further to the south is the Braunstone estate, and to the west is the Dane Hills area.
The area was developed quite late, due to land ownership, and therefore is somewhat less dense than other inner city areas like Highfields and Belgrave.
Two Roman roads crossed the West End. Both of these roads crossed the River Soar at a place close to where the West Bridge stands today. One of these roads headed in a south-westerly direction, this was the Fosse Way. The Fosse Way ran from the vicinity of Exeter to Lincolnshire, passing through Leicester. A second road ran directly westwards to join Watling Street, another important Roman Road, at Mancetter in Warwickshire.
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Wigston Magna
Coordinates: 52°34′52″N 1°05′35″W / 52.5812°N 1.093°W / 52.5812; -1.093
Wigston Magna or Wigston, also historically referred to as Wigston Two Steeples or Great Wigston, is a town within Leicestershire, England just to the south of Leicester, on the A5199 road which leads to Northampton.
Wigston is located five miles south of Leicester, in central Leicestershire. It is centrally located in the East Midlands.
Wigston is coupled with Oadby to the east, sharing the Oadby and Wigston borough council name. The two towns are connected by the B582 road.
To the west along the B582, or Blaby Road is South Wigston town.
The Grand Union Canal runs from Wistow, south of Wigston, to nearby Kilby Bridge, and for several miles through South Wigston, Glen Parva, Blaby and on towards Leicester city.
Wigston's population of approximately 30,000 live in both the post-war private suburban housing estates surrounding the old town centre, and the nineteenth century buildings now sandwiched between modern housing developments. The oldest of the post-war developments is Wigston Fields located to the north of Wigston towards Knighton and Leicester; the Meadows and Little Hill estates were later developed during the 1970s and 1980s to the east and south of Wigston's old centre. Then finally completing the current fold is Wigston Harcourt, which was developed up until the early 1990s between the Little Hill and Meadows estates. These three estates mark the boundary of the greater Leicester urban sprawl, beyond which lies agricultural land.
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Wiltshire
Wiltshire ( /ˈwɪltʃər/ or /ˈwɪltʃɪər/, formerly /ˈwɪlʃər/; or the County of Wilts) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers 3,485 km2 (1,346 square miles). The ancient county town was Wilton, but since 1930 Wiltshire County Council and its successor Wiltshire Council (from 2009) have been based at Trowbridge.
Wiltshire is characterised by its high downland and wide valleys. Salisbury Plain is famous as the location of the Stonehenge and Avebury stone circles and other ancient landmarks and as the main training area in the UK of the British Army. The city of Salisbury is notable for its mediaeval cathedral. Important country houses open to the public include Longleat, near Warminster, and the National Trust's Stourhead, near Mere.
The county, in the 9th century written as Wiltunscir, later Wiltonshire, is named after the former county town of Wilton, itself named after the river Wylye, one of eight rivers which drain the county.
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Wolverhampton
Wolverhamptoni/ˌwʊlvərˈhæmptən/ is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region (code UKG35) and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region. In 2004, the local government district had an estimated population of 239,100. Wolverhampton is part of the West Midlands Urban Area which had a population of 2.3 million in the 2001 census which makes it part of the second largest urban area in the United Kingdom.
Historically a part of Staffordshire, and forming part of the metropolitan county of the West Midlands from 1974, the city is commonly recognised as being named after King Wulfhere, who established an abbey in 659. The original name being from Wulfereēantūn = "Wulfhere's high or principal enclosure or farm" after the Mercian King. The name Wulfrun is used to denote a later nun who established a church in the city – for example, for the Wulfrun Centre or for Wulfrun Hall.
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Woodgate, Leicester
Woodgate is an area in Leicester in Fosse Ward. It lies west of the River Soar and is an important entrance to the city leading on to Frog Island. A busy junction, its northern end lies at the intersection of Fosse Road North, Groby Road, Blackbird Road and Buckminster Road. To the south is the Rally Park, which was formerly the goods yard of the London Midland Railway, which was originally the Leicester to Swannington Railway built by Robert Stephenson in 1832. To the west is Fosse Road North. At its eastern end Woodgate terminates at the North Bridge over the old River Soar. The majority of the housing dates from the beginning of the 20th century, and like Newfoundpool was developed mainly by local builder Orson Wright. Before that time the area north of Woodgate, known as St Leonard's, was the principal residential area, and had been so for many centuries. Woodgate was a Housing Action Area in the late 1980s, when many properties were refurbished by Leicester City Council, and it forms part of the current regeneration plans for the city.
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Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, (i/ˈwʊstər/ WUUS-tər), is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some 30 miles (48 km) southwest of Birmingham and 29 miles (47 km) north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the middle of the city, overlooked by the twelfth-century Worcester Cathedral. The site of the final battle of the Civil War, Worcester was where Oliver Cromwell's New Model Army defeated King Charles II's Cavaliers, resulting in the English Interregnum, the ten-year period during which England and Wales became a republic. Worcester was the home of Royal Worcester Porcelain and the birthplace of the composer Sir Edward Elgar. It houses the Lea and Perrins factory where the traditional Worcestershire Sauce is made, and is home to one of the UK's fastest growing universities, the University of Worcester.
Occupation of the site of Worcester can be dated back to Neolithic times, a village surrounded by defensive ramparts having been founded on the eastern bank of the River Severn in around 400 BC. The position, which commanded a ford on the river, was used in the first century by the Romans to establish what may at first have been a fort on the military route from Glevum (Gloucester) to Viroconium (Wroxeter) but which soon developed – as the frontier of the empire was pushed westwards – into an industrial town with its own pottery kilns and iron-smelting plants.
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York
York (locali/ˈjɔːk/) is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence. The city offers a wealth of historic attractions, of which York Minster is the most prominent, and a variety of cultural and sporting activities.
The city was founded by the Romans in 71 AD, under the name of Eboracum. It became in turn the capital of the Roman province of Britannia Inferior, and of the kingdoms of Northumbria and Jorvik. In the Middle Ages, York grew as a major wool trading centre and became the capital of the northern ecclesiastical province of the Church of England, a role it has retained.
In the 19th century York became a hub of the railway network and a confectionery manufacturing centre. In recent decades, the economy of York has moved from being dominated by its confectionery and railway-related industries to one that provides services. The University of York and health services have become major employers, whilst tourism has become an important element of the local economy.
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York Place
Coordinates: 51°30′16″N 0°7′32″W / 51.50444°N 0.12556°W / 51.50444; -0.12556
The Palace of Whitehall (or Palace of White Hall) was the main residence of the English monarchs in London from 1530 until 1698 when all except Inigo Jones's 1622 Banqueting House was destroyed by fire. Before the fire it had grown to be the largest palace in Europe, with over 1,500 rooms, overtaking the Vatican and Versailles. The palace gives its name, Whitehall, to the road on which many of the current administrative buildings of the UK government are situated, and hence metonymically to the central government itself.
At its most expansive, the palace extended over much of the area currently bordered by Northumberland Avenue in the north; to Downing Street and nearly to Derby Gate in the south; and from roughly the elevations of the current buildings facing Horse Guards Road in the west, to the then banks of the river Thames in the east (the construction of Victoria Embankment has since reclaimed more land from the Thames)—a total of about 23 acres (93,000 m2).
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Adrian Mole
Adrian Albert Mole is the fictional protagonist in a series of books by English author Sue Townsend. The character first appeared (as Nigel) in a BBC Radio 4 play in 1982. The books are written in the form of a diary, with some additional content such as correspondence. The first two books appealed to many readers as a realistic and humorous treatment of the inner life of an adolescent boy. They also captured something of the zeitgeist of Britain during the Thatcher period.
The series has many themes. The first books concentrate on Adrian's desires and ambitions in life (to marry his teenage sweetheart, publish his poetry and novels, obtain financial security) and his complete failure to achieve them. The series satirises human pretensions, and especially, in the first couple of volumes, teenage pretensions.
The second theme is depiction of the social and political situation in Britain, with particular reference to left-wing politics in the 1980s in the first three books. For example, Mr and Mrs Mole's divorce reflects rising divorce rates in the 1980s, and living together unmarried was becoming a norm. Adrian's mother becomes a staunch feminist and briefly joins the Greenham Common campaigners. Pandora, Adrian's love interest, and her parents are part of an intellectualised and left-wing middle class that attempted to embrace the working class.
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Austin Healey
Austin Sean Healey (born 26 October 1973 in Wallasey, Cheshire) is a former English rugby union player, who played as a utility back for Leicester Tigers, and has represented the England national rugby union team and the British Lions.
He has 51 England caps and 2 Lions caps. He has played for England at scrum half, fly-half, fullback and wing, and has often been used as a replacement (or substitute) because of his versatility. He is a famously competitive and "outspoken" character, gaining the nickname "The Leicester Lip".
In 2008, he took part in Strictly Come Dancing (Series 6) which started on the 20th September. He made it to the quarter-finals, with dance partner Erin Boag.
Healey revealed on Strictly Come Dancing that he has four daughters; Ellie-Mae born 2001, Daisy in 2003, and twins, Betsy and Bibi-dee (named after his late mother), born early 2008.
He was educated at St Anselm's College, Birkenhead (Edmund Rice Trust) and at Leeds Polytechnic. He went to Bidston Avenue Primary school in Birkenhead.
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Basshunter
Jonas Erik Altberg (born 22 December 1984 in Halmstad, Sweden), better known by his stage name Basshunter, is a Swedish singer-songwriter, record producer, and DJ. He is best known for his number one hits "Boten Anna", "Dota", "Now You're Gone" and "All I Ever Wanted". Basshunter has so far released a total of six albums, two of which have been released in the UK. His UK single, "Saturday", was released in July 2010, and he also competed in hit reality TV show Celebrity Big Brother in January 2010. His song "Sverige" was also used as Sjölunden's International Day song in 2008. Basshunter is working on a fourth studio album to be released this year.
Jonas Altberg was born in Halmstad and lived with his parents and younger brother near Tylösand. He began producing music under the stage name "Basshunter" in 2002, using Fruity Loops, and released his first albums, The Old Shit (1999) and The Bassmachine (2004), through his own web site. After that he started working as a DJ. In April 2006, he signed with Warner Music, releasing his first single, "Boten Anna". In 2007, he released a re-recording entitled "Now You're Gone," featuring entirely re-written lyrics to appeal to a foreign market. The song charted at number one on the UK Singles Chart and stayed there for five weeks.
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Bishop of Leicester
The Bishop of Leicester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Leicester in the Province of Canterbury.
The first bishops of Leicester were originally prelates who administered an Anglo-Saxon diocese between the 7th and 9th centuries. The bishopric fell victim to the invasion by the Danes and the episcopal see was transferred to Dorchester.
After a thousand years the episcopal title was resurrected as a suffragan see within the diocese of Peterborough. The suffragan Bishop of Leicester assisted the diocesan Bishop of Peterborough in overseeing the diocese.
Through reorganisation within the Church of England, the Diocese of Leicester was refounded in 1927, and St Martin's Church became Leicester Cathedral. The present bishop's residence is Bishop's Lodge, Springfield Road, Leicester.
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Blab Happy
Blab Happy were a British indie band from Leicester formed in 1987, comprising Mick McCarthy, Jon Dennis, Tony Owen and Jeremy Clay. After two EPs released on their own Wisdom label won airplay on John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show, and enthusiastic reviews in New Musical Express, Sounds and Melody Maker, they were signed by Demon Records offshoot F-Beat, for whom they released 2 albums, 1991's Boat and 1993's Smothered. The NME's Gina Morris, wrote of the band: "Blab Happy are a cheerful Leicester four piece, smirking between That Petrol Emotion, Blur, and The Beatles". Blab Happy toured in their own right and as support to bands such as Radiohead,Kingmaker, and Squeeze. The band split up in 1993, with singer Mick McCarthy and bassist Tony Owen forming Perfume, who enjoyed the patronage of BBC Radio 1 DJs Steve Lamacq and Jo Whiley, having a minor hit in 1996 with "Haven't Seen You". Jon Dennis meanwhile formed Slinky, who also won airplay from Lamacq and Whiley with two singles produced by John Robb and were finalists in the 1995 In The City contest.
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Black British
Black British is a term used to describe British people of black African descent, especially those of Afro-Caribbean background. The term has been used from the 1950s to refer to Black people from former British colonies in the West Indies (i.e. the New Commonwealth) and Africa, who are residents of the United Kingdom and consider themselves British. Others are also from former French-speaking colonies in Africa such as Senegal and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (which was Belgian), and many of the Black Africans in Britain still speak French as well as their own native languages.
The term 'black' has historically had a number of applications as a racial and political label, and may be used in a wider socio-political context, to encompass a broader range of non-European ethnic minority populations in Britain, though this is a controversial and non-standard definition.
Black British is primarily used as an official category in UK national statistics ethnicity classifications, where it is sub-divided into 'Caribbean', 'African' and 'Other Black' groups.
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British Bangladeshi
A British Bangladeshi (Bengali: ব্রিটিশ বাংলাদেশি) is a person of Bangladeshi origin who resides in the United Kingdom having emigrated to the UK and attained citizenship through naturalisation or whose parents did so; they are also known as British Bengalis. Large numbers of Bangladeshis emigrated to the UK, primarily from Sylhet, located in the north-east of the country, mainly during the 1970s. The largest concentration is in London, primarily in the east London boroughs, of which Tower Hamlets has the highest proportion, making up approximately 37% of the borough's total population. This large diaspora in London leads people in Bangladesh to refer to British Bangladeshis as "Londonis". Bangladeshis also have significant communities in Birmingham, Oldham, Luton and Bradford, with smaller clusters in Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne, Rochdale, Cardiff, and Sunderland.
Bangladeshis form one of the UK's largest immigrant groups and are also one of its youngest and fastest growing communities. The population of Bangladeshis in Britain has grown steadily over the years. At the time of the 2001 UK Census, 154,362 Bangladeshi-born people were resident in the UK, and there were a total of 283,063 residents of Bangladeshi ethnicity. By 2007, the ethnic Bangladeshi population in England only was estimated to be 353,900. Estimates suggest there are about 500,000 Bangladeshis residing in the UK. Bangladeshis form a largely homogeneous community. Rates of unemployment are typically high, there is overcrowding, and some health problems. The latest generation of Bangladeshis, however, form a thriving community who are beginning to establish themselves in the mainstream of commerce and politics. Despite being the most recently settled of the major South Asian communities in Britain, the Bangladeshis are well established throughout the communities.
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British Chinese
British Chinese (Chinese: trad. 英國華僑, simp. 英国华侨, Yīngguó Huáqiáo) are people of Chinese – particularly Han Chinese – ancestry who reside in the United Kingdom, constituting the second or third largest group of overseas Chinese in Europe apart from the Chinese diaspora in France and the overseas Chinese community in Russia. Those born in the UK are known as British-born Chinese or BBCs. The British Chinese community is thought to be the oldest Chinese community in Western Europe, with the first Chinese having come from the ports of Tianjin and Shanghai in the early 19th century to settle in port cities such as Liverpool.
Most British Chinese are, or are descended from, people who were themselves overseas Chinese when they came to Britain. Most are from former British colonies, such as Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. People from mainland China and Taiwan and their descendants constitute a relatively minor proportion of the British Chinese community. Chinese communities are found in many major cities including London, Birmingham, Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Cardiff, Sheffield, Belfast, and Aberdeen. The Chinese community is the fastest growing ethnic group in the UK, with 9.9 percent annual growth between 2001 and 2007. More than 90 percent of this growth was due to net migration.
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British Indian
The term British Indian (also Indian British or Indian Britons) refers to citizens of the United Kingdom whose ancestral roots lie in India. This includes people born in the UK who are of Indian descent, and Indian-born people who have migrated to the UK. Today, Indians number around one and a half million in the UK (not including those of mixed Indian and Other ancestry), making them the single largest visible ethnic minority population in the country. They make up the largest subgroup of British Asians, and are one of the largest Indian communities in the Indian diaspora, largely due to the Indian-British relations (including historical links such as India having been under British occupation and still being part of the Commonwealth of Nations). The British Indian community is the fifth largest in the Indian diaspora, behind the Indian communities in Nepal, the United States, Malaysia and Burma.
British Indians are a well established and middle class ethnic group. A study by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation in 2007 found British Indians have among the lowest poverty rates among different ethnic groups in Britain second only to White British.
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British Pakistanis
British Pakistanis (Urdu: برطانوی پاکستانی; also known as Pakistani British people or Pakistani Britons) are British citizens whose ancestral roots lie in Pakistan. This includes people who were born in the United Kingdom and are of Pakistani descent, and Pakistani-born people who have migrated to the country. The majority of British Pakistanis are from the Punjab and Kashmir regions, with a smaller number from the Pashtun regions (mainly Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and other parts of the country. The United Kingdom is home to the largest overseas Pakistani community. British Pakistanis make up the second largest subgroup of British Asians and are also the second largest ethnic minority population in the United Kingdom.
Immigration to the U.K. from the region which is now Pakistan began in the mid-seventeenth century, but this was fleeting and minuscule in number. During the British Raj people from this region served as soldiers in the British Indian Army and some were deployed in other parts of the British Empire. However it was following the Second World War, the break-up of the British Empire and the independence of Pakistan, that Pakistani immigration to the United Kingdom increased, especially during the 1950s and 1960s. This was made easier by the fact that Pakistan was a member of the Commonwealth. Pakistani immigrants helped to resolve labour shortages in the British steel and textile industries. Doctors from Pakistan were recruited by the National Health Service in the 1960s.
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China
China (i/ˈtʃaɪnə/; Chinese: 中国; pinyin: Zhōngguó; see also Names of China), officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is the world's most-populous country, with a population of over 1.3 billion. Covering approximately 9.6 million square kilometres, the East Asian state is the world's second-largest country by land area, and the third- or fourth-largest in total area, depending on the definition of total area.
The People's Republic of China is a single-party state governed by the Communist Party of China. It exercises jurisdiction over 22 provinces, five autonomous regions, four directly controlled municipalities (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Chongqing), and two mostly self-governing special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau). Its capital city is Beijing. The PRC also claims Taiwan—which is controlled by the Republic of China (ROC), a separate political entity—as its 23rd province, a claim controversial due to the complex political status of Taiwan and the unresolved Chinese Civil War. The PRC government denies the legitimacy of the ROC.
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Crazyhead
Crazyhead are an English garage punk band from Leicester, England. Though lumped in with the largely media-created grebo scene, they were more influenced by the garage rock of the late 1960s, as well as bands like The Ramones, The Stooges and Captain Beefheart. They described themselves as an "urban bastard blues band", and their songs ranged in theme from trenchant social commentary to the surreal, but always with an underlying vein of black humour.[citation needed]
They were occasionally joined by:
who were credited as "The Phantom Horns" or "The Space Bastards".
Formed in 1986, they signed to the independent record label, Food, later that year and their début single, "What Gives You The Idea That You're So Amazing, Baby?", reached number 2 in the UK Indie Chart in March 1983. For the rest of the year they toured extensively, supporting The Cult, then Julian Cope, and also played the Glastonbury Festival. Their second single "Baby Turpentine" reached number 4 in the Indie Chart.
In mid 1988 their third single "Time Has Taken Its Toll On You" reached #65 in the UK Singles Chart, their label now owned by EMI. The band embarked on another UK tour to promote their début album Desert Orchid, released in October 1988, along with another single, "Rags", and then toured Europe supporting Iggy Pop. They then released the Have Love Will Travel EP (which reached #68) before embarking on yet another UK tour.
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Danelaw
The Danelaw, as recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (also known as the Danelagh; Old English: Dena lagu; Danish: Danelagen), is a historical name given to the part of England in which the laws of the "Danes" held sway and dominated those of the Anglo-Saxons. It is contrasted with "West Saxon law" and "Mercian law". The term has been extended by modern historians to be geographical. The areas that comprised the Danelaw are in northern and eastern England. The origins of the Danelaw arose from the Viking expansion of the 9th century, although the term was not used to describe a geographic area until the 11th century. With the increase in population and productivity in Scandinavia, Viking warriors, having sought treasure and glory in the nearby British Isles, "proceeded to plough and support themselves", in the words of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, for the year 876.
Danelaw is also used to describe the set of legal terms and definitions created in the treaties between the English king, Alfred the Great, and the Danish warlord, Guthrum, written following Guthrum's defeat at the Battle of Edington in 878. In 886, the Treaty of Alfred and Guthrum was formalised, defining the boundaries of their kingdoms, with provisions for peaceful relations between the English and the Vikings.
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David Pleat
David John Pleat (born Nottingham, England on 15 January 1945) is an English football player turned manager and sports commentator.
He is remembered by his contemporaries primarily for his career as manager of Tottenham Hotspur and Luton Town football clubs, and for an oft-televised clip of him running onto the pitch in 1983 to celebrate after a last-minute goal by Raddy Antic against Manchester City prevented Pleat's team Luton Town from being relegated from Division One.
Pleat's first club as a senior player was Nottingham Forest (1962–64), which was his local club. From there he moved on to Luton Town (1964–67), Shrewsbury Town (1967–68) and Exeter City (1968–70), where he once played outside left against the team that he was later to manage, Tottenham Hotspur. His playing career ended with a stint at Peterborough United (1970–71), after which he turned to coaching and management.
He made 185 Football League appearances for his five clubs, scoring 26 goals.
As a winger, Pleat represented England at schoolboy and youth level.
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Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I (7 September 1533 – 24 March 1603) was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty. The daughter of Henry VIII, she was born a princess, but her mother, Anne Boleyn, was executed two and a half years after her birth, and Elizabeth was declared illegitimate. Her half-brother, Edward VI, bequeathed the crown to Lady Jane Grey, cutting his half-sisters out of the succession in contradiction to statute law. His will was set aside, Lady Jane Grey was executed, and in 1558 Elizabeth succeeded the Catholic Mary I, during whose reign she had been imprisoned for nearly a year on suspicion of supporting Protestant rebels.
Elizabeth set out to rule by good counsel, and she depended heavily on a group of trusted advisers led by William Cecil, Baron Burghley. One of her first moves as queen was the establishment of an English Protestant church, of which she became the Supreme Governor. This Elizabethan Religious Settlement later evolved into today's Church of England. It was expected that Elizabeth would marry and produce an heir so as to continue the Tudor line. She never did, however, despite numerous courtships. As she grew older, Elizabeth became famous for her virginity, and a cult grew up around her which was celebrated in the portraits, pageants, and literature of the day.
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Emile Heskey
Emile William Ivanhoe Heskey (born 11 January 1978) is an English footballer who is currently a Free Agent after most recently playing for Aston Villa as a striker.
Born in Leicester, Heskey started his career with hometown club Leicester City after progressing through their youth system, making his first team debut in 1995. After winning the League Cup in 1997 and 2000 he made an £11 million move to Liverpool in 2000, which, at the time, was the record transfer fee paid by the club. At Liverpool, he won multiple honours, including the FA Cup in 2001. He moved to Birmingham City in 2004 and after their relegation from the FA Premier League signed for Wigan Athletic for a club record £5.5 million fee in 2006. He signed for Aston Villa in 2009 and was released in 2012.
Heskey was an England international at under-16, under-18, under-21, B and senior levels. He made his England debut against Hungary in a 1–1 draw in 1999. He lost his place in the squad after UEFA Euro 2004, during which he failed to shine and was the subject of much criticism. After a long lay-off from international duty, Heskey was recalled to the England squad for UEFA Euro 2008 qualifiers in September 2007. He retired from international football following the 2010 FIFA World Cup, having attained 62 caps and scored seven goals for his country.
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Frank Benbini
Frank Benbini (real name Mark Francis Reid), born in Leicester, United Kingdom, is the drummer in the Fun Lovin' Criminals, following on from their original drummer Steve "O" Borovini and Maxwell "Mackie" Jayson. As well as being known as Frank Benbini, he also goes by the names Uncle Frank and TRM which stands for "The Rhythm Man".
Frank joined FLC as their drummer in May 2003 - although he had known the band for many years previously (their first meeting was at Rock City in Nottingham in 1996) - after having worked for a while as Mackie's technician. Along with drumming, Frank also provides backing vocals to tracks on FLC's more recent albums and when performing live with the Fun Lovin' Criminals.
Frank is also one half of the "Make It Nice Brothers" with Na'im Cortazzi. Based in Leicester, England, the "Make It Nice Brothers" perform in two bands, Uncle Frank and Fatal Star. These two unsigned bands each have very different musical styles to the Fun Lovin' Criminals - Uncle Frank being described as "the music from the Jungle Book blended with Barry White's lush soul vibe and ... a touch of Benny Hill and, not forgetting, some genius songwriting a la Burt Bacharach" and Fatal Star as "devastating campfire harmonies with a mystical eastern edge for arrangements. Delicate, Melodic, Soulful food for hungry dreamers".
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Freddie King
Freddie King (September 3, 1934 – December 28, 1976), thought to have been born as Frederick Christian, originally recording as Freddy King, and nicknamed "the Texas Cannonball", was an influential American blues guitarist and singer. He is often mentioned as one of "the Three Kings" of electric blues guitar, along with Albert King and B.B. King, as well as the youngest of the three.
Freddie King based his guitar style on Texas and Chicago influences and was one of the first bluesmen to have a multi-racial backing band onstage with him at live performances. He is best known for singles such as "Have You Ever Loved A Woman" (1960) and his Top 40 hit "Hide Away" (1961). He is also known for albums such as the early, instrumental-packed Let's Hide Away and Dance Away with Freddy King (1961) and the later album Burglar (1974), which displayed King's mature versatility as both player and singer in a range of blues and funk styles.
King had a twenty-year recording career and became established as an influential guitarist with hits for Federal Records, in the early 1960s. He inspired American musicians such as Jerry Garcia, Stevie Ray Vaughan and his brother Jimmie Vaughan and others. His influence was also felt in UK, through recordings by blues revivalists such as Eric Clapton,Peter Green, and Chicken Shack.
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Gary Lineker
Gary Winston Lineker, OBE (born 30 November 1960), is a former English footballer, who played as a striker. He is a sports broadcaster for the BBC, Al Jazeera Sports and Eredivisie Live. He remains England's top scorer in the FIFA World Cup finals, with ten goals.
Lineker began his football career at Leicester City and became known as a prolific goalscorer; despite failing to score in his first ten games, he finished as the First Division's joint top goalscorer in 1984–85 and earned his first England cap. He then moved to League Champions Everton where he remained a clinical finisher, scoring 40 goals in 57 games. His first team honours came at Barcelona, where he won the Copa del Rey in 1988 and the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1989. He returned to England in 1989, joining Tottenham Hotspur, and over three seasons he scored 67 goals in 105 games and won the FA Cup. Lineker's final club was Nagoya Grampus Eight and he retired in 1994 after two seasons at the Japanese side.
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Gaye Bykers on Acid
Gaye Bykers On Acid (GBOA) were an English psychedelic rock band from Leicester, and one of the founder members of the Grebo music scene. They later released both thrash punk and dance music albums under various aliases.
Gaye Bykers On Acid were formed in late 1984 by Ian Reynolds (Robber) and Ian Hoxley (Mary). They were later joined by guitarist and art student Tony Horsfall and drummer Kevin Hyde. Their first gig was at the Princess Charlotte in Leicester in mid-1985.
Their first releases - the single Everything's Groovy Baby and the Nosedive Karma EP - were both recorded in Leeds with Jon Langford of The Mekons, and released on the InTape label. They then signed to Virgin Records releasing the albums Drill Your Own Hole and Stewed To The Gills. The vinyl version of Drill Your Own Hole was pressed without a hole in the centre, so it was necessary to literally drill your own hole in order to play it. The album spent one week at number 95 in the UK Albums Chart in November 1987.
They also played gigs (dressed in women's clothing) under the name 'Lesbian Dopeheads on Mopeds', supporting themselves, and thus getting paid twice. They also performed as a fictitious East German thrash punk band "Rektüm" (they claimed to have jumped over the Berlin Wall), recording an LP Sakredanus and an EP Real Horror Show under the name.
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Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth (Latin: Galfridus Monemutensis, Galfridus Arturus, Galfridus Artur, Welsh: Gruffudd ap Arthur, Sieffre o Fynwy) (c. 1100 – c. 1155) was a cleric and one of the major figures in the development of British historiography and the popularity of tales of King Arthur. He is best known for his chronicle Historia Regum Britanniae ("History of the Kings of Britain"), which was widely popular in its day and was credited, uncritically, well into the 16th century, being translated into various other languages from its original Latin.
Geoffrey was probably born some time between 1100 and 1110 in Wales or the Welsh Marches. He must have reached the age of majority by 1129, when he is recorded as witnessing a charter.
In his Historia, Geoffrey refers to himself as Galfridus Monumetensis, "Geoffrey of Monmouth", which indicates a significant connection to Monmouth, Wales, and which may refer to his birthplace. Geoffrey's works attest to some acquaintance with the place-names of the region. To contemporaries, Geoffrey was known as Galfridus Artur(us) or variants thereof. The "Arthur" in these versions of his name may indicate the name of his father, or a nickname based on Geoffrey's scholarly interests.
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Gordon Banks
Gordon Banks, OBE (born 30 December 1937) is a retired English football goalkeeper. The IFFHS named Banks the second best goalkeeper of the 20th century – after Lev Yashin (1st) and ahead of Dino Zoff (3rd).
Banks was a member of the England national team that won the 1966 World Cup. In March 2004 Pelé listed Banks as one of the 125 greatest living footballers. His most famous moment occurred in the 1970 World Cup against Brazil, where he pulled off a stunning save from a goalbound header from Pelé, which is often regarded as arguably the greatest save ever. Banks' consistent performances in goal led to the re-wording of a common English idiom to "Safe as the Banks of England".
Banks, born in Sheffield, was a careful student of goalkeepers during childhood. Banks played in local colliery football as a boy and was offered an apprenticeship by Chesterfield after initially going to work as a coal bagger and then as a bricklayer on leaving school. After performances in the youth and A teams gained him promotion to the reserves, Banks was posted to Germany with the Royal Signals on National service, winning the Rhine Cup with his regimental team. On his return he was offered a full-time contract by the Chesterfield manager, Teddy Davison.
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Great War
World War I (WWI), which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939 (World War II), and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918. It involved all the world's great powers, which were assembled in two opposing alliances: the Allies (based on the Triple Entente of the United Kingdom, France and Russia) and the Central Powers (originally centred around the Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy; but, as Austria–Hungary had taken the offensive against the agreement, Italy did not enter into the war). These alliances both reorganised (Italy fought for the Allies), and expanded as more nations entered the war. Ultimately more than 70 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans, were mobilised in one of the largest wars in history. More than 9 million combatants were killed, largely because of enormous increases in lethality of weapons, thanks to new technology, without corresponding improvements in protection or mobility. It was the sixth-deadliest conflict in world history, subsequently paving the way for various political changes such as revolutions in the nations involved.
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Happy Mondays
Happy Mondays are an English alternative rock band from Salford, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1980, the band's original line-up was Shaun Ryder on lead vocals, his brother Paul Ryder on bass, lead guitarist Mark Day, keyboardist Paul Davis, and drummer Gary Whelan. Mark "Bez" Berry later joined the band onstage during a live performance after befriending Shaun Ryder and served as a dancer/percussionist. Rowetta Satchell joined the band to provide backing vocals in the early 1990s.
The first official release from Happy Mondays was the "Forty Five E.P.", often called the "Delightful E.P." after its first track. It was released on Factory Records in September 1985.
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Henry VII of England
Henry VII (Welsh: Harri Tudur; 28 January 1457 – 21 April 1509) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor.
Henry won the throne when he defeated Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was the last king of England to win his throne on the field of battle. He was successful in restoring the power and stability of the English monarchy after the political upheavals of the Wars of the Roses. He founded a long-lasting dynasty and, after a reign of nearly 24 years, was peacefully succeeded by his son, Henry VIII.
Although Henry can be credited with the restoration of political stability in England, and a number of commendable administrative, economic and diplomatic initiatives, the latter part of his reign was characterised by a financial rapacity which stretched the bounds of legality. According to the contemporary historian Polydore Vergil, simple "greed" in large part underscored the means by which royal control was over-asserted in Henry's final years.
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Hugh Aston
Hugh Aston (c. 1485 – buried Leicester St Margaret's 17 November 1558) was an English composer of the early Tudor period. While little of his music survives, he is notable for his innovative keyboard and church music writing.
Little is known about the early life of this important early Tudor composer, and his date and place of birth are currently unknown. However, on 27th November 1510 he supplicated for the degree of BMus at Oxford University, proposing for his examination an oration on the volumes of Boethius, and the submission a mass and an antiphon. He stated that he had studied music in the University for eight years (suggesting that he must have been in his mid-20s by that date, hence the estimated date of birth of around 1485). Presumably his study of Boethius was of the 6th century philosopher's De Institutione Musica which had been published in Venice in 1491 and 1492 (one of the first musical works to be published), Though the result of the examination is not formally recorded this application for the degree was presumably successful as the University ordered the retention of the two submitted manuscripts. It seems most likely that these are the six part Missa Te Deum Laudamus and the clearly associated antiphon Te Deum Laudamus, both still in the University’s collection of musical manuscripts, now in the Bodleian Library, Oxford.
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Jimmy Bloomfield
James Henry "Jimmy" Bloomfield (15 February 1934 – 3 April 1983) was an English football player and manager.
Born in Notting Hill, North Kensington, London, Bloomfield started his career at non-league Hayes before joining Second Division side Brentford in October 1952. After Brentford were relegated in 1954, Bloomfield was snapped up by Arsenal for £8,000 as a replacement for Jimmy Logie.
Bloomfield made his debut at the start of the season, against Everton on 25 August 1954, though he only played 19 times that season, and it wasn't until 1955–56 did he become a first-team regular. A powerful inside forward with a high work rate and accurate passing, Bloomfield was part of Arsenal's attack from 1955 to 1960, one of Arsenal's few stars during a mediocre period for the club. He won caps for England at U23 level (but never at full level) and the Football League XI, and also played in the London XI that lost the first Inter-Cities Fairs Cup final against FC Barcelona in 1958.
Bloomfield played 227 times for Arsenal, scoring 56 goals. However, with the arrival of George Eastham in 1960, Bloomfield lost his place in the team, and was sold to Birmingham City in November that year. Bloomfield spent four seasons with the Blues, reaching and losing another Fairs Cup final in 1961 (this time to Roma). He helped Birmingham win the 1963 League Cup, scoring a goal in the final itself as Birmingham overcame local rivals Aston Villa. In the summer of 1964 he returned to Brentford, and later had spells with West Ham United, Plymouth Argyle and Leyton Orient.
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John Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker (August 22, 1917 – June 21, 2001) was a highly influential American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist.
Hooker began his life as the son of a sharecropper, William Hooker, and rose to prominence performing his own unique style of what was originally a unique brand of country blues. He developed a 'talking blues' style that was his trademark. Though similar to the early Delta blues, his music was metrically free. John Lee Hooker could be said to embody his own unique genre of the blues, often incorporating the boogie-woogie piano style and a driving rhythm into his blues guitar playing and singing. His best known songs include "Boogie Chillen'" (1948), "I'm in the Mood" (1951) and "Boom Boom" (1962), the first two reaching R&B #1 in the Billboard charts.
There is some debate as to the year of Hooker's birth in Coahoma County, Mississippi, the youngest of the eleven children of William Hooker (1871–1923), a sharecropper and Baptist preacher, and Minnie Ramsey (born 1875, date of death unknown); according to his official website, he was born on August 22, 1917.
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Jon Ashworth
Jonathan Michael Graham Ashworth (born 14 October 1978) is a British Labour politician and the Member of Parliament for Leicester South. He was elected to the seat in a by-election on 5 May 2011 following the resignation of his predecessor Peter Soulsby who stepped down in order to run for office as Mayor of Leicester. He is a former adviser to Gordon Brown and head of party relations for Ed Miliband.
Ashworth was born in Salford, raised in north Manchester and educated at Philips High School in Bury and Bury College before studying at the University of Durham. In 2000 he served as National Secretary of Labour Students, attracting the nickname "Johnny Sparkle" as he was clearly a rising star.
Ashworth began working for the Labour Party as a Political Research Officer in 2001, and was the Economics and Welfare Policy Officer from 2002 to 2004. In 2003 he was seconded to Scottish Labour Party to work on the Scottish Parliament election campaign where he worked closely with Chancellor Gordon Brown.
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Kasabian
Kasabian are an English rock band formed in Leicester in 1997. The band original members are vocalist Tom Meighan, guitarist and backing vocalist Sergio Pizzorno, bassist Chris Edwards, The band's line-up was completed by Jay Mehler in 2006, replacing guitarist Christopher Karloff, and drummer Ian Matthews in 2004 after a string of session drummers. Kasabian have released four studio albums – Kasabian (2004), Empire (2006), West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum (2009), and Velociraptor! (2011).
The band's music has been described as a mix between The Stone Roses and Primal Scream with the swagger of Oasis. Their music has won them several awards and recognition in the media, and their live performances are generally lauded.
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Keith Vaz
Nigel Keith Anthony Standish Vaz, known as Keith Vaz (born 26 November 1956 in Aden, Yemen) is a British Labour Party politician and a Member of Parliament for Leicester East. He is the longest-serving Asian MP and has been the Chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee since July 2007. He was appointed as a member of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council in June 2006. His parliamentary career has included a number of controversies, such as his suspension from the House of Commons in 2002 after making a false allegation against a former policewoman.
Keith Vaz was born in 1956 in Aden, Yemen, to parents originally from the Indian state of Goa, which accounts for his Goan-Portuguese surname. He moved to Bradford in England with his family in 1965. He was educated at Latymer Upper School, Hammersmith followed by Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where he studied law and obtained a BA 1st class Honours (1979), MA (1987), and MCFI (1988).
Vaz lives in London with his wife and two children, Luke and Anjali.
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Kyte
Kyte are an electronic indie pop group, from Leicestershire, England.
Kyte comprise Nick Moon (vocals), Tom Lowe (guitars and keyboards), Scott Hislop (drums). Their earlier musical output was often labelled shoegazing (or neo-shoegazing) and post rock but they have since moved into a more electro and pop influenced sound. Their debut single, "Planet", was released in 2007, the b-side of which, "Boundaries", was used in a trailer for the television series The Sopranos in the United States. Their debut album was released in 2008 on Kids Records (UK) / Erased Tapes Records (EU) to generally positive reviews. The band toured the United Kingdom between March and May 2008 and appeared at some of the Summer festivals the same year. In April 2009 they released their second album Science For The Living in Japan. The two disc Japan release featured tracks taken from their 2008 Two Sparks, Two Stars EP, with the remaining tracks being new material. The bonus disc included a remix from The Joy Formidable of the opening track on Disc 1 "Eyes Lose Their Fire".
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Lady Jane Grey
Lady Jane Grey (married name Lady Jane Dudley; 1536/1537 – 12 February 1554), also known as The Nine Days' Queen, was an English noblewoman and de facto monarch of England from 10 July until 19 July 1553. She was subsequently executed. The great-granddaughter of Henry VII through his younger daughter Mary, Jane was a first cousin once removed of Edward VI.
In May 1553 Jane was married to Lord Guildford Dudley, a younger son of Edward's chief minister, John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland. When the 15-year-old King lay dying in June 1553, he nominated Jane as successor to the Crown in his will, thus subverting the claims of his half-sisters Mary and Elizabeth under the Third Succession Act. During her short reign, Jane resided in the Tower of London. She became a prisoner there when the Privy Council decided to change sides and proclaim Mary as Queen on 19 July 1553.
She was convicted of high treason in November 1553, though her life was initially spared.
Wyatt's rebellion in January and February 1554 against Queen Mary's plans of a Spanish match led to her execution at the age of 16 or 17, and that of her husband.
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Liz Kendall
Elizabeth Louise Kendall (born 1971) is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Leicester West since 2010.
Kendall grew up in Hertfordshire and attended Watford Grammar School for Girls. She then went up to Queens' College, Cambridge graduating with a first in history in 1993. Unsuccessful in an attempt to become the Labour candidate in Chesterfield for the 2001 general election, she has worked as Director of the Maternity Alliance charity, as a researcher for the King's Fund, as an associate director for health, social care and children’s early years at the IPPR and has been a special adviser to two cabinet ministers,Patricia Hewitt and Harriet Harman.
On 26 May 2010 Kendall posted a picture of the previous day's state opening of parliament on the microblogging website Twitter, in contravention of parliamentary rules. She apologised, saying that she was unaware of the regulations.
She made her maiden speech in the debate "Tackling Poverty in the UK" on 10 June 2010.
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Lowell Fulson
Lowell Fulson (March 31, 1921 – March 7, 1999) was a big-voiced blues guitarist and songwriter, in the West Coast blues tradition. Fulson was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He also recorded for business reasons as Lowell Fullsom and Lowell Fulsom. After T-Bone Walker, Fulson was the most important figure in West Coast blues in the 1940s and 1950s.
According to some sources, Fulson was born on a Choctaw reservation in Oklahoma. Fulson stated that he was of Cherokee ancestry through his father, but he also claimed Choctaw ancestry. At the age of eighteen, he moved to Ada, Oklahoma, and joined Alger "Texas" Alexander for a few months in 1940, but later moved to California, forming a band which soon included a young Ray Charles and tenor saxophone player, Stanley Turrentine. He recorded for Swing Time Records in the 1940s, Chess Records (on the Checker label) in the 1950s, Kent Records in the 1960s, and Rounder Records (Bullseye) in the 1970s.
Fulson was drafted in 1943, but left the United States Navy in 1945. His most memorable and influential recordings included: "Three O'Clock Blues" (now a blues standard); the Memphis Slim-penned "Everyday I Have the Blues"; "Lonesome Christmas"; "Reconsider Baby" recorded in 1960 by Elvis Presley and in 1994 by Eric Clapton for his From the Cradle album as well as by Joe Bonamassa); and "Tramp" (co-written with Jimmy McCracklin and later covered by Otis Redding with Carla Thomas, ZZ Top (on 2003's Mescalero), Alex Chilton, and Tav Falco.
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Martin O'Neill
Martin Hugh Michael O'Neill,OBE, (born 1 March 1952) is an Irish football manager and former player. He is manager of Premier League club Sunderland.
Starting his career in his native Ireland, O'Neill moved to England where he spent most of his playing career with Nottingham Forest, with which he won the European Cup in 1980. He was capped 64 times for the Northern Ireland national football team, also captaining the side.
O'Neill managed Wycombe Wanderers, Norwich City, Leicester City, Celtic and Aston Villa before moving to Sunderland in December 2011. He guided Leicester City to the Football League Cup final three times, in which he was twice victorious, in 1997 and 2000. In his time as Celtic manager between 2000 and 2005, he led the club to three Scottish Premier League titles and the 2003 UEFA Cup Final in Seville.
O'Neill was born in Kilrea in 1952. He was the sixth child of nine siblings, and has four brothers and four sisters. O'Neill's father was a founding member of local GAA club Pádraig Pearse's Kilrea. His brothers Gerry and Leo played for the club as well as being on the Derry senior team which won the 1958 Ulster Championship and reached that year's All-Ireland Championship final. He played for both Kilrea and Derry at underage level as well. He also played Gaelic football while boarding at St. Columb's College, Derry, and later at St. Malachy's College, Belfast.
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Maybeshewill
Maybeshewill is a post-rock band from Leicester, United Kingdom whose music is characterised by the use of programmed and sampled electronic elements alongside guitars, bass and drums.
Maybeshewill has seen a number of musicians come and go, but core members Robin Southby, John Helps and James Collins have been with the band since their first tour and album.
Maybeshewill was formed by guitarists Robin Southby and John Helps whilst the pair were studying together at university in 2005. They released their first record Japanese Spy Transcript on the band's own label, Robot Needs Home Records in 2006 with Tanya Byrne on bass guitar and Lawrie Malen on drums. The 4-track EP was well received by the press and attracted the attention of Nottingham's Field Records (also home to Public Relations Exercise) who released "The Paris Hilton Sex Tape" (taken from the record) as part of a split 7" single with Ann Arbor later that year. In August 2006 a re-mastered version of Japanese Spy Transcript was released in Japan on the XTAL label (also home to Yndi halda and You Slut!) which was set up specifically for the release by The Media Factory Group. Shortly after this release the band dissolved temporarily.
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Mercia
Mercia ( /ˈmɜrsiə/, /ˈmɜrʃə/) was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands. The name is a Latinisation of the Old English Mierce or Myrce, meaning "border people".
Mercia's neighbours included Northumbria, Powys and the kingdoms of southern Wales, Wessex, Sussex, Essex and East Anglia.
The name Mercia is still in use today by a wide range of organisations, including military units, public, commercial and voluntary bodies; and occurs as a female given name.
Mercia's exact evolution from the Anglo-Saxon invasions is more obscure than that of Northumbria, Kent, or even Wessex. Also, Mercia developed an effective political structure and adopted Christianity later than the other kingdoms. Archaeological surveys show that Angles settled the lands north of the River Thames by the 6th century. The name Mercia is Old English for "boundary folk" (see Welsh Marches), and the traditional interpretation is that the kingdom originated along the frontier between the native Welsh and the Anglo-Saxon invaders. However, P. Hunter Blair argued an alternative interpretation: that they emerged along the frontier of Northumbria and the inhabitants of the Trent river valley.
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Middle Angles
The Middle Angles were an important ethnic or cultural group within the larger kingdom of Mercia in England in the Anglo-Saxon period.
It is likely that Angles broke into the Midlands from East Anglia and the Wash in the early 6th century. Those who established their control first came to be called Middil Engli (Middle Angles). Their territory was centred in modern Leicestershire and East Staffordshire, but probably extended as far as the Cambridgeshire uplands and the Chilterns. This gave them a strategically important place within both Mercia and England as a whole, dominating both the great land routes of Watling Street and Fosse Way, and the major river route of the River Trent, together with its tributaries, the Tame and Soar.
The Middle Angles were incorporated into the wider kingdom of Mercia, apparently well before the reign of Penda (c.626-655), who evidently felt safe enough to locate his base in their territory. He placed his eldest son, Peada, in charge of the Middle Angles as sub-king. Bede specifies the Middle Angles as the target of a four-man Christian mission accepted by Peada, who converted to Christianity, partly in order to wed the daughter of King Oswiu of Northumbria. This mission arrived in 653 and included St. Cedd. Peada's conversion and acceptance of baptism in Northumbria possibly indicates a continuing sense of disunity or local particularism within Mercia. It is unlikely that Peada could have pursued so different a course from his father, at the strategic and political centre of the Mercian kingdom, without local support among the Middle Angles.
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Neil Back
Neil Antony Back MBE (born 16 January 1969) is a former international rugby union footballer for England, who also played for Leicester Tigers, and captained both England and Leicester during his career. He is currently the Head Coach at National League 3 Midlands side Rugby Lions.
During his international career, he gained 66 caps for England, captaining them four times and was part of the 2003 World Cup winning side. He played as an openside flanker. He is married with two daughters.
Back and Nick Beal share the unusual distinction of being contemporary players whose names are anagrams of each other's, and they both worked for insurance company Equity & Law at the same time, too.
Back was born in Coventry, where he attended the Woodlands School between September 1980 and July 1985. During his time at the school, he also played football and cricket before opting for rugby union. Back learnt his trade at Barker's Butts RFC and went on to represent England at U18, U21 and 'A' level before making his full England debut against Scotland in 1994. He also played for Nottingham.
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Neil Lennon
Neil Francis Lennon (born 25 June 1971) is a former footballer from Northern Ireland. He is the manager and former captain of Celtic.
During his playing career he represented English clubs Manchester City, Crewe Alexandra and Leicester City before moving to Scottish club Celtic where he made over 200 appearances as a midfielder. Before retiring as a player, he returned to England to represent Nottingham Forest and Wycombe Wanderers.
Lennon made 40 appearances for Northern Ireland in nine years, scoring two goals.
Lennon was born in Lurgan, County Armagh and attended St Michael's Grammar School in the town. As a youngster he played gaelic football for the school and was also selected for the Armagh minor team. He grew up supporting Celtic and played football for the local Lurgan Celtic youth team.
Lennon joined Glenavon, after reaching the final of the Milk Cup and scored on his Irish League debut. He then joined Manchester City as a trainee in 1987, before he signed for Crewe Alexandra on a free transfer in August 1990.
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Otis Spann
Otis Spann (March 21, 1930 – April 24, 1970) was an American blues musician, who many consider the leading postwar Chicago blues pianist.
Born in Jackson, Mississippi, United States, Spann became known for his distinct piano style.
Born to Frank Houston Spann and Josephine Erby. One of five children - three boys and two girls. His father played piano, non professionally, while his mother had played guitar with Memphis Minnie.[citation needed] Spann began playing piano by age of eight, influenced by his local ivories stalwart, Friday Ford. At the age of 14, he was playing in bands around Jackson, finding more inspiration in the 78s of Big Maceo Merriweather, who took the young pianist under his wing once Spann migrated to Chicago in 1946. Other sources say that he moved to Chicago when his mother died in 1947 playing the Chicago club circuit and working as a plasterer. Spann gigged on his own, and with guitarist Morris Pejoe, working a regular spot at the Tic Toc Lounge before hooking up with Muddy Waters in 1952.
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Pacific Ocean Fire
Pacific Ocean Fire are a folk rock group from Leicester, England, who have released five albums. Their music is generally considered alternative or Americana.
The band formed in 2001 and comprises Jon Bennett (vocals, guitar), his brother Andy Bennett (drums), Ross Voce (guitar), and David Fellows (bass, trumpet). They cite among their influences Sebadoh, Dennis Wilson, Plush, Tindersticks, and Silver Jews. The band recorded two EP's which they gave away at concerts, leading to American label Smokeylung picking them up and releasing their self-titled second album in 2005, a North American tour following.
Their third album, From the Station to the Church We are Under the Same Stars, was released on Sorted Records, the title referring to the way it was recorded:
"We recorded half of the album in a room above Leicester train station. The other half was recorded and mixed at Dave’s home, he lived on a road with “church” in the street name . We spent so much time between those places late at night that became it".
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Peter Shilton
Peter Leslie Shilton OBE (born 18 September 1949 in Leicester, England) is a former English footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He currently holds the record for playing more games for England than anyone else, earning 125 caps.
His 30-year career included eleven different clubs, three World Cups, two European Cup finals and more than 1,000 competitive matches. He has the rare distinction of having played over 100 league games for five different clubs. Shilton did not make his World Cup finals debut until the age of 32 but he played in 17 finals matches and shares the record 10 clean sheets in World Cup finals with French keeper Fabien Barthez.
During his time at Nottingham Forest he won two European Cups, a UEFA Super Cup, the First Division championship, the Football League Cup and many other honours.
Shilton also holds the all-time record for the most competitive appearances in world football.
Shilton was a 13 year old pupil at King Richard III Boys School, Leicester, when he started training at schoolboy level with his local club Leicester City in 1963. He caught the eye of first-team goalkeeper Gordon Banks, who commented to the coach about how promising he was. Within four years, Shilton had forced Banks' own departure from Leicester after the teenager gave the club an ultimatum over which goalkeeper should be first choice.[citation needed]
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Peter Soulsby
Sir Peter Alfred Soulsby (born 27 December 1948) is a British Labour Party politician and the current Mayor of Leicester. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Leicester South from 2005 until he resigned in order to contest the new post of mayor in April 2011. He is considered to be one of the most powerful public officials in the United Kingdom.
Born in Bishop Auckland, Soulsby attended the Minchenden School (a grammar school, which merged with Arnos School in 1984 to become Broomfield School although the former building is now used by Southgate College) on High Street in Southgate London, and then he studied at the City of Leicester College of Education in Scraptoft (part of Scraptoft Hall, which later was to become the Scraptoft Campus of De Montfort University until its closure in 2003) where he gained a BEd. He worked as a teacher at Crown Hills Secondary Modern School and in special needs schools.
He was first elected to Leicester City Council in 1974 and remained a Labour councillor until he was defeated in Spinney Hills ward in May 2003. Despite his own opposition to the Iraq War and his participation in rallies and marches, his defeat (and that of other sitting Labour councillors) reflected the widespread local opposition to the war.
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Polish people
The Polish people, or Poles (Polish: Polacy [pɔˈlat͡sɨ]; singular: Polak), are a nation indigenous to Poland. They speak the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe. The Polish word for a Polish person is "Polak" (masculine) and "Polka" (feminine).
The preamble to the Constitution of the Republic of Poland defines the Polish nation as comprising all the citizens of Poland. Poland's inhabitants live in the following historic regions of the country: Wielkopolska, Małopolska, Mazovia, Pomerania, Warmia, Mazury, Podlasie, Kujawy and Silesia. A wide-ranging Polish diaspora exists throughout Europe (Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Belarus, Lithuania and Ukraine), the Americas (the United States, Brazil and Argentina) and Australia. Chicago, in the United States, has the world's largest urban Polish population after Warsaw.
Over a thousand years ago, the Polans of Giecz, Gniezno and Poznań — an influential tribe in Wielkopolska — succeeded in uniting Lechitic tribes under what became the Piast dynasty, thus giving rise to the Polish state.
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Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I (7 September 1533 – 24 March 1603) was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty. The daughter of Henry VIII, she was born a princess, but her mother, Anne Boleyn, was executed two and a half years after her birth, and Elizabeth was declared illegitimate. Her half-brother, Edward VI, bequeathed the crown to Lady Jane Grey, cutting his half-sisters out of the succession in contradiction to statute law. His will was set aside, Lady Jane Grey was executed, and in 1558 Elizabeth succeeded the Catholic Mary I, during whose reign she had been imprisoned for nearly a year on suspicion of supporting Protestant rebels.
Elizabeth set out to rule by good counsel, and she depended heavily on a group of trusted advisers led by William Cecil, Baron Burghley. One of her first moves as queen was the establishment of an English Protestant church, of which she became the Supreme Governor. This Elizabethan Religious Settlement later evolved into today's Church of England. It was expected that Elizabeth would marry and produce an heir so as to continue the Tudor line. She never did, however, despite numerous courtships. As she grew older, Elizabeth became famous for her virginity, and a cult grew up around her which was celebrated in the portraits, pageants, and literature of the day.
wn.com/Queen_Elizabeth_I -
Queen Victoria
Queen Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India.
Victoria was the daughter of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, the fourth son of King George III. Both the Duke of Kent and the King died in 1820, and Victoria was raised under close supervision by her German-born mother Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. She inherited the throne at the age of 18, after her father's three elder brothers had all died without surviving legitimate issue. The United Kingdom was already an established constitutional monarchy, in which the Sovereign held relatively few direct political powers. Privately, she attempted to influence government policy and ministerial appointments. Publicly, she became a national icon, and was identified with strict standards of personal morality.
She married her first cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, in 1840. Their nine children and 26 of their 34 grandchildren who survived childhood married into royal and noble families across the continent, tying them together and earning her the nickname "the grandmother of Europe". After Albert's death in 1861, Victoria plunged into deep mourning and avoided public appearances. As a result of her seclusion, republicanism temporarily gained strength, but in the latter half of her reign, her popularity recovered. Her Golden and Diamond Jubilees were times of public celebration.
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Rafael Vinoly
Rafael Viñoly (born 1944) is an Uruguayan architect living in the United States.
He was born in Montevideo, Uruguay to Román Viñoly Barreto, (a film and theater director) and Maria Beceiro (a mathematics teacher).
He grew up and was educated in Argentina. He attended the University of Buenos Aires, receiving a Diploma in Architecture in 1968 and a Master of Architecture from the School of Architecture and Urbanism in 1969.
In 1964, he formed the "Manteola-Petchersky-Sanchez Gomez-Santos-Solsona-Viñoly" Estudio de Arquitectura (architectural firm) with six associates. This practice would eventually become one of the largest architectural practices in South America, completing many significant commissions in a very short time.
In 1978 Viñoly and his family relocated to the United States. For a brief period he served as a guest lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, settling permanently in New York City in 1979.
He founded the firm Rafael Viñoly Architects PC in 1983. His first major project in New York was the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, which was completed in 1988. In 1989, he won an international competition to design the Tokyo International Forum. Completed in 1996, many people consider this building to be the most important cultural complex in Japan. His firm's design was one of the finalists in the World Trade Center design competition (see THINK Team).
wn.com/Rafael_Vinoly -
Roger Blackmore
Roger Blackmore (born 1941) is a Liberal Democrat politician. He was leader of Leicester City Council from 2003 to 2004 and 2005 to 2007 and Lord Mayor of Leicester 2009/10.
He studied Social Sciences at the University of Leicester and stayed at the city after graduating in 1963 to work at Imperial Typewriters. He became a lecturer at Charles Keene College in 1968.
He was elected to Leicestershire County Council for the Western Park division in 1993, and then to Leicester City Council for the same ward in 1995. In 2000 he became leader of the Liberal Democrat group on the council. After the 2003 local elections, the Liberal Democrats became the largest party on the council, and Blackmore became leader in May 2003, leading a Liberal Democrat/Conservative coalition. From November 2004 to May 2005 Ross Willmott served as leader, in a minority Labour administration. He stood down from the council in 2011.
Blackmore was a Parliamentary candidate on six occasions during the 1970s and 1980s, fighting Gainsborough and North Devon.
wn.com/Roger_Blackmore -
Roger Chapman
Roger Chapman (born Roger Maxwell Chapman on 8 April 1942 in Leicester), also known as Chappo, is an English rock vocalist. He is best known as a member of the progressive rock band Family, which he joined along with Charlie Whitney, in 1966 and also the rock, R&B band Streetwalkers formed in 1974. His idiosyncratic brand of showmanship when performing and vocal vibrato led him to become a cult figure on the British rock scene. Chapman is claimed to have said that he was trying to sing like both Little Richard and his idol Ray Charles. Since the early 1980s he has spent much of his time in Germany and has made occasional appearances there and elsewhere. He has an Artist of the Year award and was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004.
Chapman was originally the vocalist for Farinas, who released the single "You'd Better Stop" b/w "I like it like that" in August 1964. (However, lead vocals on that single were performed by Jim King.) He moved on to join The Roaring Sixties and were later re-named Family in 1966. In 1967 the first single was released, "Scene Through The Eye Of A Lens", something of a psychedelic classic. Chapman wrote most of Family's songs with Charlie Whitney and their debut album Music in a Doll's House was released in 1968. Their bluesy, experimental rock music gained them a reputation as a progressive underground band.
wn.com/Roger_Chapman -
Sash!
SASH! is a German DJ / producer team, fronted by Sascha Lappessen (born 10 June 1970, Nettetal, Germany), who works in the recording studio with Ralf Kappmeier and Thomas "Alisson" Lüdke. They have sold over 18 million albums worldwide, and earned more than 65 Gold and Platinum awards.
In the UK, uniquely their first four hit singles incorporated vocals in different languages (French, Spanish, English, and Italian).
Sascha Lappessen, Thomas "Alisson" Lüdke, and Ralf Kappmeier, created Sash! in 1995. The previous year, the three had worked together, under the name of Careca, to produce a piece called "Indian Rave", which was a mildy successful song. In 1996, Sash! released "It's My Life", which became a European club hit. In 1997, with Sabine Ohmes as the singer, Sash! released "Encore Une Fois". Described on Sash's biography as "the big break", it reached number 2 in the UK Singles Chart, as well as reaching the top 10 of five countries' singles charts, and the top 20 of seven countries' singles charts.
wn.com/Sash! -
Saxons
The Saxons (Latin: Saxones, Old English: Seaxe, Old Saxon: Sahson, Low German: Sassen) were a confederation of Germanic tribes on the North German plain, who during the Middle Ages migrated to the British Isles and formed part of the Anglo-Saxons.
The Saxons were originally Ingvaeonic tribes, whose earliest known area of settlement is Northern Albingia, an area approximately that of modern Holstein. This area overlapped the area of the Angles, a tribe with which they were frequently closely linked. Saxons participated in the Germanic settlement of Britain during and after the fifth century. It is unknown how many migrated from the continent to Britain, though estimates for the total number of Anglo-Saxon settlers are around two hundred thousand. During the Middle ages, because of international Hanseatic trading routes and contingent migration during the Middle Ages, Saxons mixed with and had strong influences upon the languages and cultures of the North Germanic and Baltic and Finnic peoples, and also upon the Polabian Slavs and Pomeranian West Slavic people.
wn.com/Saxons -
Showaddywaddy
Showaddywaddy is a 1970s pop group from Leicester, England. They specialise in revivals of hit songs from the 1950s and early 1960s, and dressed as Teddy Boys.
The band was formed in 1973 by the amalgamation of two groups, Choise and The Golden Hammers, the latter often known simply as 'The Hammers'. This led to an eight-member band, with the unusual feature of having two vocalists, two drummers, two guitarists, and two bassists. They both played at the Fosse Way pub in Leicester and soon discovered shared musical tastes. After playing together in jamming sessions, they joined together permanently and Showaddywaddy was born.
Subsequently they were approached and asked if they wanted to be on TV. The show was New Faces. They won one programme in the series in November 1973 and were runners-up in the "All Winners Final", which was broadcast on 28th December 1973. Their first single, "Hey Rock and Roll" (written by the band), was released in April 1974. It reached number two in the UK Singles Chart. Showaddywaddy then went on to have a further twenty-two UK hits until late summer 1982. They had most of their biggest hits with covers of songs from the 1950s and the early 1960s. These cover versions included "Three Steps to Heaven" (originally by Eddie Cochran in 1960), "Heartbeat" (originally written and recorded by Buddy Holly), "Under the Moon of Love" (originally a U.S. hit for Curtis Lee in 1961 and co-written by Tommy Boyce), "When" (originally by the Kalin Twins), "You Got What It Takes" (originally by Marv Johnson) and "Dancin' Party" (originally by Chubby Checker). The above six singles were all produced by Mike Hurst (a former member of The Springfields).
wn.com/Showaddywaddy -
Simon Grayson
Simon Nicholas Grayson (born 16 December 1969) is an English former professional footballer and manager of Football League One side Huddersfield Town.
As a player he was a right back, but he was also utilised in midfield in a career that lasted from 1988 until 2006. Having started his career with Leeds United he went on to notably played in the Premier League for Leicester City, Aston Villa and Blackburn Rovers, before moving into the Football League with Sheffield Wednesday, Stockport County, Notts County, Bradford City and Blackpool. He was appointed as player/manager of Blackpool in 2005, and a year later retired from playing to concentrate on the managerial side of his job. In 2008 he was appointed manager of Leeds United where he remained until being sacked in 2012.
wn.com/Simon_Grayson -
Somali people
Somalis (Somali: Soomaaliyeed, Arabic: الصوماليون) are an ethnic group located in the Horn of Africa, also known as the Somali Peninsula. The overwhelming majority of Somalis speak the Somali language, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family. Ethnic Somalis number around 15-17 million and are principally concentrated in Somalia (more than 10 million), Ethiopia (4.6 million), Yemen (a little under 1 million), Kenya (900,000), Djibouti (464,600), and an unknown but large number live in parts of the Middle East, North America and Europe.
Samaale, the oldest common ancestor of several Somali clans, is generally regarded as the source of the ethnonym Somali. The name "Somali" is, in turn, held to be derived from the words soo and maal, which together mean "go and milk" — a reference to the ubiquitous pastoralism of the Somali people. Another plausible etymology proposes that the term Somali is derived from the Arabic for "wealthy" (dhawamaal), again referring to Somali riches in livestock.
wn.com/Somali_people -
The Displacements
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 James Stone (Drums and Vocals).
Their debut single "Frontline Hearts" was released on Stiff Records in August 2007, a 7-inch only release limited to 1000 copies which sold out.
On August 9, 2007, the band headlined one of the Pineapster promoted four official Summer Sundae Weekender fringe festival warm up parties. The gig at The Charlotte marked the single release party for Frontline Hearts. All four warm up parties sold out to a 1200 capacity audience, with 400 filling The Charlotte alone.
The NME said The Displacements had "More soul than your average ghost" and called Frontline Hearts a "Ruddy-cheeked beauty."[citation needed]. The single also gave The Displacements their first BBC Radio 1 airplay, with plays on Zane Lowe, Steve Lamacq, and Colin Murray.
They also had a live track "Journey to Canning Town" taken from their Summer Sundae Festival appearance on 11 August 2007 played on the Queens of Noize BBC 6 Music show as well as a short interview.
wn.com/The_Displacements -
The Hunters Club
The Hunters Club were a British grebo goth rock band that formed in Leicester, England. They were largely viewed as inferior to Leicester's other bands of the era making music in a similar vein.
The band were named after a short-lived Judge Dredd sub-plot in the sci-fi comic 2000 AD, and were nicknamed "The Black Hole of Rock 'n' Roll". They toured Europe with fellow Leicester band Gaye Bykers on Acid, camping out between gigs. The band were known for burning their hats as part of their live show. First done as a joke at a gig in Brighton, it caused such a stir that they carried on doing it, one one occasion also igniting members of the audience.
Too Far Gone To Turn Around was the first album that Mark Spivey produced, and was the album which inspired members of Cornershop to form a band, "because they’d thought that if that bunch of drunken idiots could make a record that was that good, then maybe they could too". The album met with a lukewarm review from Carole Linfield in Underground magazine, calling their cover of "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" "uninspired", but going on to say "the remainder at least begins to kick the dust a bit with steady, early 70s type rockin'".
wn.com/The_Hunters_Club -
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare (baptised 26 April 1564; died 23 April 1616) was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon". His surviving works, including some collaborations, consist of about 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.
Shakespeare was born and brought up in Stratford-upon-Avon. At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, with whom he had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. Between 1585 and 1592, he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part owner of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men. He appears to have retired to Stratford around 1613 at age 49, where he died three years later. Few records of Shakespeare's private life survive, and there has been considerable speculation about such matters as his physical appearance, sexuality, religious beliefs, and whether the works attributed to him were written by others.
wn.com/William_Shakespeare
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EDL attacking Big John's in Leicester 09/10/10
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:59
- Updated: 01 Dec 2012
The fascist EDL break through police barriers and attack a fast food diner fairly nearby to the static protest site. Police are still conducting their investigation.
http://wn.com/EDL_attacking_Big_John's_in_Leicester_09_10_10
The fascist EDL break through police barriers and attack a fast food diner fairly nearby to the static protest site. Police are still conducting their investigation.
Leicester Allstars - Straight From LC (Official Video) OUT ON ITUNES
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:04
- Updated: 04 Dec 2012
Filmed, directed and edited by Yard 26 films Straight From LC is officially #10 in the Channel AKA Chart - keep supporting people, text 5041 to 81700 to request it! Twitter: twitter.com LJ, G-tek, Tweetz, Shotta, Rezz G, SG, Turbz, Roots, Wanda, Mnt, Kaution And Luke Bingham ----- Buy the track now from Tesco: www.tescoentertainment.com iTunes: itunes.apple.com Amazon: www.amazon.co.uk
http://wn.com/Leicester_Allstars_Straight_From_LC_Official_Video_OUT_ON_ITUNES
Filmed, directed and edited by Yard 26 films Straight From LC is officially #10 in the Channel AKA Chart - keep supporting people, text 5041 to 81700 to request it! Twitter: twitter.com LJ, G-tek, Tweetz, Shotta, Rezz G, SG, Turbz, Roots, Wanda, Mnt, Kaution And Luke Bingham ----- Buy the track now from Tesco: www.tescoentertainment.com iTunes: itunes.apple.com Amazon: www.amazon.co.uk
- published: 28 Nov 2010
- views: 476688
- author: samjp26
Leicester Riots Pukaar News
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:59
- Updated: 23 Oct 2012
The riots in Leicester on 9 August 2011. Hundreds of youths took to the streets of Leicester smashing shop windows and looting a number of shops on the high street.
http://wn.com/Leicester_Riots_Pukaar_News
The riots in Leicester on 9 August 2011. Hundreds of youths took to the streets of Leicester smashing shop windows and looting a number of shops on the high street.
- published: 10 Aug 2011
- views: 10728
- author: Pukaarnews
Promenades and Ringroads - Konrad Smigielski and 1960s Leicester
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 5:26
- Updated: 29 Oct 2012
In 1962 Leicester became only the second city in England to appoint a full time city planning officer. His name was Konrad Smigielski and his period in office, from 1962 to 1972, saw some of the most radical changes to the built environment in Leicester's history. To this day many people in Leicester recall Smigielski as the man who destroyed old Leicester. This short film explores whether this assessment is fair and asks how the planning decisions made in the 1960s impact on the city of today. For further information about Konrad Smigielski and his time in Leicester you can listen to radio programmes online at 'My Leicestershire History' in the BBC Radio Leicester section - www.myleicestershire.org.uk . Professor Simon Gunn of the Centre for Urban History has written about Smigielski in 'Between modernism and conservation: Konrad Smigielski and the planning of postwar Leicester' in Rodger, R. ed., A History of Modern Leicester Lancaster: Carnegie Press (forthcoming 2012), as has Ben Beazley in 'Postwar Leicester', Sutton Publishing Ltd, 2006. The Centre for Urban History - www2.le.ac.uk East Midlands Oral History Archive - www.le.ac.uk
http://wn.com/Promenades_and_Ringroads_Konrad_Smigielski_and_1960s_Leicester
In 1962 Leicester became only the second city in England to appoint a full time city planning officer. His name was Konrad Smigielski and his period in office, from 1962 to 1972, saw some of the most radical changes to the built environment in Leicester's history. To this day many people in Leicester recall Smigielski as the man who destroyed old Leicester. This short film explores whether this assessment is fair and asks how the planning decisions made in the 1960s impact on the city of today. For further information about Konrad Smigielski and his time in Leicester you can listen to radio programmes online at 'My Leicestershire History' in the BBC Radio Leicester section - www.myleicestershire.org.uk . Professor Simon Gunn of the Centre for Urban History has written about Smigielski in 'Between modernism and conservation: Konrad Smigielski and the planning of postwar Leicester' in Rodger, R. ed., A History of Modern Leicester Lancaster: Carnegie Press (forthcoming 2012), as has Ben Beazley in 'Postwar Leicester', Sutton Publishing Ltd, 2006. The Centre for Urban History - www2.le.ac.uk East Midlands Oral History Archive - www.le.ac.uk
- published: 20 Jan 2012
- views: 2995
- author: UniversityLeicester
Leicester 2012, England
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 5:00
- Updated: 23 Oct 2012
LEICESTER 2012 06 29, England: city centre, streets Church Gate, Haymarket, Humberstone Gate, Gallowtree Gate, Town Hall. LEICESTER 2012 06 29, Anglia: centrum miasta, ulice Church Gate, Haymarket, Humberstone Gate, Gallowtree Gate, Ratusz.
http://wn.com/Leicester_2012,_England
LEICESTER 2012 06 29, England: city centre, streets Church Gate, Haymarket, Humberstone Gate, Gallowtree Gate, Town Hall. LEICESTER 2012 06 29, Anglia: centrum miasta, ulice Church Gate, Haymarket, Humberstone Gate, Gallowtree Gate, Ratusz.
- published: 20 Jul 2012
- views: 992
- author: 3refresco3
Meeting of Masters (Leicester Seminar) 25/03/2012
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 12:06
- Updated: 04 Dec 2012
A short clip showing 3 masters all sharing their knowledge in their own individual martial arts. The arts are Rapid Arnis taught by Tuhon Pat O'Malley, Silat Sufian Bela Diri taught by Guru Maul Mornie and Snatan Shastarvidiya taught by Gurdev Nihang Nidar Singh.
http://wn.com/Meeting_of_Masters_Leicester_Seminar_25_03_2012
A short clip showing 3 masters all sharing their knowledge in their own individual martial arts. The arts are Rapid Arnis taught by Tuhon Pat O'Malley, Silat Sufian Bela Diri taught by Guru Maul Mornie and Snatan Shastarvidiya taught by Gurdev Nihang Nidar Singh.
- published: 26 Jul 2012
- views: 4315
- author: Shastarvidiya
Leicester City 4 Derby County 1.
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 5:45
- Updated: 03 Dec 2012
http://wn.com/Leicester_City_4_Derby_County_1
- published: 02 Dec 2012
- views: 777
- author: Bentleys Roof
WARNOCK CAM - LEICESTER
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 6:08
- Updated: 30 Nov 2012
Watch all the Manager's reactions to key moments of the match between Leeds United and Leicester City at Elland Road.
http://wn.com/WARNOCK_CAM_LEICESTER
Watch all the Manager's reactions to key moments of the match between Leeds United and Leicester City at Elland Road.
- published: 29 Nov 2012
- views: 1569
- author: LeedsUnitedOfficial
Leicester EDL MARCH 2012 - Pukaar News
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:23
- Updated: 04 Dec 2012
The English Defence League and Unite Against Fascism hold two separate marches in Leicester on the 4th Febrauary 2012. No arrests were made related to the marches. www.pukaarnews.com
http://wn.com/Leicester_EDL_MARCH_2012_Pukaar_News
The English Defence League and Unite Against Fascism hold two separate marches in Leicester on the 4th Febrauary 2012. No arrests were made related to the marches. www.pukaarnews.com
- published: 04 Feb 2012
- views: 23499
- author: Pukaarnews
SkyQuake in Leicester England 1-28-2012 ***Creepy***
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:51
- Updated: 03 Dec 2012
www.facebook.com twitter.com skyquakes.blogspot.com
http://wn.com/SkyQuake_in_Leicester_England_1-28-2012_***Creepy***
www.facebook.com twitter.com skyquakes.blogspot.com
- published: 06 Feb 2012
- views: 10667
- author: SkyQuakes2012
EDL Leicester ITV Central News Report with Tommy Robinson
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:31
- Updated: 14 Nov 2012
Interview with the leader of the EDL Tommy Robinson on the planned demonstration in Leicester on February 4th 2012. As Tommy explains 4 Somalian women brutally beat up a white woman calling her white trash. They told the court that they were muslims and were not used to alcohol. Because of this they avoided prison! Would this of happened if it had of been the other way around? That is why the EDL will be protesting in Leicester!
http://wn.com/EDL_Leicester_ITV_Central_News_Report_with_Tommy_Robinson
Interview with the leader of the EDL Tommy Robinson on the planned demonstration in Leicester on February 4th 2012. As Tommy explains 4 Somalian women brutally beat up a white woman calling her white trash. They told the court that they were muslims and were not used to alcohol. Because of this they avoided prison! Would this of happened if it had of been the other way around? That is why the EDL will be protesting in Leicester!
- published: 04 Feb 2012
- views: 12950
- author: EDLBiker
Blues fans vs Leicester (20/10/12)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 7:19
- Updated: 24 Nov 2012
Birmingham City 1, Leicester City 1.
http://wn.com/Blues_fans_vs_Leicester_20_10_12
Birmingham City 1, Leicester City 1.
- published: 21 Oct 2012
- views: 2907
- author: DavoBirmingham2
Strange weather in Leicester, UK, June, 28th 2012.
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 9:42
- Updated: 17 Nov 2012
Strange groaning noises coming from the sky all morning, then major lightning and thunder...then huge hailstones- its supposed to be summer, haarp? I haven't seen this kinda weather in my hometown. Just strange that there were noises before the storm for hours, at first we thought it was a plane....but a constant noise for 3+ hours then this??
http://wn.com/Strange_weather_in_Leicester,_UK,_June,_28th_2012
Strange groaning noises coming from the sky all morning, then major lightning and thunder...then huge hailstones- its supposed to be summer, haarp? I haven't seen this kinda weather in my hometown. Just strange that there were noises before the storm for hours, at first we thought it was a plane....but a constant noise for 3+ hours then this??
- published: 28 Jun 2012
- views: 4709
- author: MrCjGamble
Leicester - Wiki Article
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 70:07
- Updated: 25 Oct 2012
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest. In the 2011 ... Leicester - Wiki Article - wikiplays.org Original @ http All Information Derived from Wikipedia using Creative Commons License: en.wikipedia.org Author: Unknown Image URL: en.wikipedia.org Licensed under:Creative Commons ASA 3.0, Creative Commons License Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported This work is in the public domain in the United States. Author: Nilfanion Image URL: en.wikipedia.org Licensed under:Creative Commons ASA 3.0, Creative Commons License Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported This work is in the public domain in the United States. Author: Unknown Image URL: en.wikipedia.org Licensed under:This image is ineligible for copyright and therefore is in the public domain, because it consists entirely of information that is common property and contains no original authorship., This work is in the Public Domain., This work is in the public domain in the United States. Author: NotFromUtrecht Image URL: en.wikipedia.org Licensed under:Creative Commons ASA 3.0, Creative Commons License Attribution-S...
http://wn.com/Leicester_Wiki_Article
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest. In the 2011 ... Leicester - Wiki Article - wikiplays.org Original @ http All Information Derived from Wikipedia using Creative Commons License: en.wikipedia.org Author: Unknown Image URL: en.wikipedia.org Licensed under:Creative Commons ASA 3.0, Creative Commons License Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported This work is in the public domain in the United States. Author: Nilfanion Image URL: en.wikipedia.org Licensed under:Creative Commons ASA 3.0, Creative Commons License Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported This work is in the public domain in the United States. Author: Unknown Image URL: en.wikipedia.org Licensed under:This image is ineligible for copyright and therefore is in the public domain, because it consists entirely of information that is common property and contains no original authorship., This work is in the Public Domain., This work is in the public domain in the United States. Author: NotFromUtrecht Image URL: en.wikipedia.org Licensed under:Creative Commons ASA 3.0, Creative Commons License Attribution-S...
- published: 25 Oct 2012
- views: 689
- author: WikiPlays
EDL Leicester
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:47
- Updated: 03 Nov 2012
The English Defence League (EDL) continued their anti-Islam campaign in Leicester on Saturday. Heavy policing facilitated their march through the town centre, with non-white residents and anti-EDL protesters kept away from the far right demonstration. The day was mainly peaceful with a handful of minor clashes between pro- and anti-EDL demonstrators and the police. Leicester, UK 4th February 2012 © Fil Kaler 2012
http://wn.com/EDL_Leicester
The English Defence League (EDL) continued their anti-Islam campaign in Leicester on Saturday. Heavy policing facilitated their march through the town centre, with non-white residents and anti-EDL protesters kept away from the far right demonstration. The day was mainly peaceful with a handful of minor clashes between pro- and anti-EDL demonstrators and the police. Leicester, UK 4th February 2012 © Fil Kaler 2012
- published: 06 Feb 2012
- views: 4304
- author: filkaler
Leicester Caribbean Carnival 2012
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 13:05
- Updated: 01 Dec 2012
A selection of photos from the Leicester Caribbean Carnival which took place on August 4, 2012. The drums and percussion accompanying the photos are from Sambando's performance at the carnival (www.sambando.co.uk You can watch Sambando in action at the event at youtu.be *A playlist of more videos from the event is available at www.youtube.com
http://wn.com/Leicester_Caribbean_Carnival_2012
A selection of photos from the Leicester Caribbean Carnival which took place on August 4, 2012. The drums and percussion accompanying the photos are from Sambando's performance at the carnival (www.sambando.co.uk You can watch Sambando in action at the event at youtu.be *A playlist of more videos from the event is available at www.youtube.com
- published: 05 Aug 2012
- views: 1736
- author: CivicLeicester
H Cup - Clermont Auvergne - Leicester Tigers : 40 - 30
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 10:50
- Updated: 18 Nov 2012
Heineken Cup : Clermont Auvergne vs Leicester Tigers : 40 - 30 (5 essais à 3).
http://wn.com/H_Cup_Clermont_Auvergne_Leicester_Tigers_40_30
Heineken Cup : Clermont Auvergne vs Leicester Tigers : 40 - 30 (5 essais à 3).
- published: 13 Dec 2009
- views: 52361
- author: nicolasdaget
Leicester protests against Israel's Batsheva Dance Company
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 28:22
- Updated: 27 Nov 2012
Hundreds of people staged a demonstration outside the Curve Theatre in Leicester in protest against a performance at the theatre by Israel's Batsheva Dance Company. The protestors argue the dance troupe is part of a campaign to sanitise Israel's crimes against the people of Gaza and are calling for a boycott of all goods and services from Israel..
http://wn.com/Leicester_protests_against_Israel's_Batsheva_Dance_Company
Hundreds of people staged a demonstration outside the Curve Theatre in Leicester in protest against a performance at the theatre by Israel's Batsheva Dance Company. The protestors argue the dance troupe is part of a campaign to sanitise Israel's crimes against the people of Gaza and are calling for a boycott of all goods and services from Israel..
- published: 18 Nov 2012
- views: 154
- author: CivicLeicester
Gary Lineker Carries Olympic Torch through Leicester
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:01
- Updated: 05 Jul 2012
Former Leicester Foxes and England Striker Gary Lineker carries the Olympic Torch through Leicester on day 46 of its 70 day tour of the UK. For more Olympic Torch coverage in Leicester go to www.pukaarnews.com
http://wn.com/Gary_Lineker_Carries_Olympic_Torch_through_Leicester
Former Leicester Foxes and England Striker Gary Lineker carries the Olympic Torch through Leicester on day 46 of its 70 day tour of the UK. For more Olympic Torch coverage in Leicester go to www.pukaarnews.com
- published: 05 Jul 2012
- views: 664
- author: Pukaarnews
Nuneaton Town vs Leicester City - 7th August 2012 - LCFC vs NTFC
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:07
- Updated: 13 Sep 2012
Great game, here's what footage I got of it. The game finished 3-1 to Leicester with two goals from Jermaine Beckford and another one from Marko Futacs.
http://wn.com/Nuneaton_Town_vs_Leicester_City_7th_August_2012_LCFC_vs_NTFC
Great game, here's what footage I got of it. The game finished 3-1 to Leicester with two goals from Jermaine Beckford and another one from Marko Futacs.
- published: 07 Aug 2012
- views: 1194
- author: brownayy
Storm time lapse Leicester 28.6.12
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:38
- Updated: 09 Nov 2012
48.50 mins of stormy fun condensed into 1.37 mins.Filmed from bedroom window, 1.54 pm Stoneygate Leicester
http://wn.com/Storm_time_lapse_Leicester_28612
48.50 mins of stormy fun condensed into 1.37 mins.Filmed from bedroom window, 1.54 pm Stoneygate Leicester
- published: 28 Jun 2012
- views: 3098
- author: mickeyshoeshine
BloodLine - Live In Leicester - Full Video (Part 1)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 12:06
- Updated: 20 Nov 2012
BloodLine Snapbacks & T shirts www.NoHatsNoHoods.com On Saturday the 20th of September Bloodline (Big H,Paper Pabz,Prez T,Meridian Dan,Milli Major,Bossman Birdie and DJ Springy P) Tore down the Thread Night Club in Leicester with some very Hard performances.Look out for the full Video to the We Waved night coming soon. Look out for videos to Antichrist and Bad Boy Sound out now on www,GrmDaily.com and also President T's,Paper Pabs & Meridian Dans Warm Up Sessions Freestyle's which are on Sbtv now. http
http://wn.com/BloodLine_Live_In_Leicester_Full_Video_Part_1
BloodLine Snapbacks & T shirts www.NoHatsNoHoods.com On Saturday the 20th of September Bloodline (Big H,Paper Pabz,Prez T,Meridian Dan,Milli Major,Bossman Birdie and DJ Springy P) Tore down the Thread Night Club in Leicester with some very Hard performances.Look out for the full Video to the We Waved night coming soon. Look out for videos to Antichrist and Bad Boy Sound out now on www,GrmDaily.com and also President T's,Paper Pabs & Meridian Dans Warm Up Sessions Freestyle's which are on Sbtv now. http
- published: 25 Oct 2012
- views: 4567
- author: GRIMEREPORTTV
Football Hooligans Doncaster Fight Leicester
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:02
- Updated: 28 Nov 2012
Football Hooligans / Casuals / Ultras From Doncaster Fight Leicester 2011
http://wn.com/Football_Hooligans_Doncaster_Fight_Leicester
Football Hooligans / Casuals / Ultras From Doncaster Fight Leicester 2011
- published: 26 Nov 2012
- views: 435
- author: F00tballUltras
photo: AP / Bullit Marquez
06 Dec 2012
NEW BATAAN, Philippines - A powerful typhoon that washed away emergency shelters, a military camp and possibly entire families in the southern Philippines has killed almost 350 people with nearly 400 missing, authorities said Thursday. More bodies were retrieved from hardest-hit Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental provinces and six others impacted by Tuesday's storm, the Office of Civil Defense reported ... "It was horrible ... --- ... Location....(size: 8.0Kb)
photo: AP / Photo
06 Dec 2012
Lionel Messi missed out on a chance to match Gerd Mueller's record of 85 goals in a calendar year as he was injured during Barcelona's draw with Benfica. Messi, who hurt his left knee in a collision with Benfica keeper Artur, was taken off 30 minutes after coming on as a second-half substitute. Benfica knew a win would see them finish second behind Barca in Group G ... FC Barcelona's official Twitter account tweeted after the Benfica game....(size: 2.5Kb)
photo: US Navy / Matthew Stroup
05 Dec 2012
ISAF today issued an operational update on combat operations in Afghanistan. It noted, among other things, that Afghan and coalition security forces conducted an operation in Watahpur district yesterday that resulted in the “death of insurgent leader Mohammad Yar Gul.” ... Mohammed Yar Gul coordinated the movement of insurgent fighters throughout Kunar province ... ....(size: 1.7Kb)
photo: White House / Pete Souza
06 Dec 2012
The US Treasury Secretary has said the Obama administration is "absolutely" ready for the US economy to go over the "fiscal cliff" rather than accept a budget deal that does not include higher tax rates for top earners. Timothy Geithner said on Wednesday that the administration believes budget deficits are so large that they cannot be closed without boosting tax rates on the highest-earning two per cent of Americans ... 489 Source. ... Share....(size: 19.2Kb)
Irish Times
08 Dec 2012
Compiled by GAVIN CUMMISKEY . Today . Pool Five. Scarlets v Exeter Chiefs ... SCARLETS ... Referee ... With Toulouse only missing their leader Thierry Dusautoir, in contrast to the Ospreys travelling without props Adam Jones, Aaron Jarvis a well as captain Alun Wyn Jones, it looks like Toulouse can stay clear of the Leicester Tigers ... SALE ... Leicester v Benetton Treviso ... LEICESTER TIGERS ... Leicester to win with bonus. Email Us.....(size: 6.1Kb)
The Guardian
08 Dec 2012
Sadly, Joy died before a skeleton many believe will turn out to be his was unearthed in a Leicester car park this summer ... Dr Turi King, the Leicester University genetics expert overseeing the Richard III investigations, says that this is an exciting new scientific tool that will help to chart the past for both academic and family historians ... Which means that when it comes to the Leicester bones, the more evidence the better....(size: 9.7Kb)
Music News
08 Dec 2012
When The Specials reformed in 2009 for their 30th Anniversary not many would have seen the band still playing four years later having travelled all over the world and sold out hundreds of concerts ... 'nothing ever change' Do Nothing ' The Specials. Live in 2013 ... 19 May LEICESTER, De Montfort Hall 0845 413 4444....(size: 2.0Kb)
The Siasat Daily
08 Dec 2012
london, December 07.. A newly-wedded woman collapsed and died during her honeymoon trip in Cambodia after mistakenly taking heroin for cocaine, an inquest has heard ... At the inquest into her death at Leicester town hall, where the couple were married in July 2011, Deputy Leicestershire Coroner Donald Coutts-Wood heard how the recruitment consultant died after taking heroin, which she mistakenly believed to be cocaine ... Recommend Twitter....(size: 2.6Kb)
The Guardian
08 Dec 2012
Austentatious. An Improvised Jane Austen Novel . Chris Ramsey. Feeling Lucky . Sam Simmons. About The Weather. Photograph. Idil Sukan. Austentatious. An Improvised Jane Austen Novel, London. Much like baseball or arguing about abortion, improvised comedy is something the Americans do terribly well and we've never entirely managed to master ... Leicester Square Theatre, WC2, SunChris Ramsey. Feeling Lucky, On tour ... About The Weather, London ... ....(size: 4.5Kb)
The Independent
08 Dec 2012
Such is the rivalry, fun and games are all but guaranteed ... The teams have met three times and the men from Limerick have prevailed on each occasion. twice by a single point and once by a doubling of that rather narrow margin ... Munster went on to claim a second title ... Leicester, meanwhile, must do a proper job on a second, infinitely more battle-scarred Azzurri outfit in Treviso, who gave Toulouse a nasty scare in the last round....(size: 4.2Kb)
Irish Times
08 Dec 2012
GERRY THORNLEY, Rugby Correspondent. RUGBY. If it’s Saturday tea-time with a high-flying English team strutting into Thomond Park intent on storming the garrison town and a Munster side supposedly at a vulnerable point, then it must be the Heineken Cup ... All told, 14 of England’s finest sides have come to Thomond Park, but only Leicester, six years ago, have left with a win ... Backs to the wall ... Injuries ... ... ....(size: 4.6Kb)
The Independent
08 Dec 2012
Wyles, who played at outside centre when Saracens beat Leicester in the 2011 Premiership final but is generally to be found at wing or full-back, describes himself as "a pretty competitive kind of person" who revels in the daily training-ground contests with his more celebrated clubmates; and while he does not put it in these terms, there ......(size: 6.5Kb)
Irish Times
08 Dec 2012
Fifteen years playing for his province, the centre remains hungry for success, writes GERRY THORNLEY ... A legend in his own playing career, albeit about the most modest legend you’d ever meet. This is his 15th season, and he ain’t finished yet. When he was 28, he reckoned if he made it to 31 that would be a bonus ... ... ... ... I can’t really describe how I felt after we won that match (against Leicester in Murrayfield) ... ....(size: 7.6Kb)
BBC News
07 Dec 2012
Leicester welcome back England stars Ben and Tom Youngs, Geoff Parling, Manu Tuilagi and Dan Cole for Sunday's Heineken Cup match against Treviso ... Leicester ... Leicester Tigers ... Wasps 14-12 Leicester 25 Nov 2012 Rugby Union Treviso 15-16 Ulster 23 Nov 2012 Ulster Heineken Cup tables 09 Aug 2006 Tables Rugby Union commentaries 06 Dec 2012 Rugby ......(size: 4.6Kb)
BBC News
07 Dec 2012
A text-based anti-bullying system in Leicester is being rolled out to schools across the city ... Increase in bullying. Leicester pupil Anna Butler, who was bullied years ago, said she thought the text service would help others speak out ... Alison Merrills, principal of Sir Jonathan North College, said ... ....(size: 1.5Kb)
Orange News
07 Dec 2012
Leicester will be looking to pick valuable points in their Heineken Cup pool when they take on Treviso at Welford Road ... Leicester, who have won the Heineken Cup twice, will be hoping to put some breathing space between themselves and the Ospreys, who face the daunting prospect of a double-header against Toulouse ... Leicester welcome back ... Leicester....(size: 3.7Kb)
For other places with the same name, see Leicester (disambiguation).
Coordinates: 52°38′03″N 1°08′19″W / 52.63422°N 1.13852°W / 52.63422; -1.13852
Leicester (/lɛstər/ LESS-tər pronunciation (help·info)) is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest. In 2010, the population of the Leicester unitary authority was estimated at 306,600, the second highest in the region, whilst 441,213 people lived in the wider Leicester Urban Area in 2006, making Leicester the tenth most populous settlement in the United Kingdom and the UK's fourteenth largest urban area. It is the largest city in the East Midlands yet has the second largest urban area in the region behind Nottingham Urban Area. Eurostat's Larger Urban Zone listed the population of the area at 772,400 people as of 2004.
Ancient Roman pavements and baths remain in Leicester from its early settlement as Ratae Corieltauvorum, a Roman military outpost in a region inhabited by the Celtic Corieltauvi tribe. Following the demise of Roman society the early medieval Ratae Corieltauvorum is shrouded in obscurity, but when the settlement was captured by the Danes it became one of five fortified towns important to the Danelaw. The name "Leicester" is thought to derive from the words castra of the "Ligore", meaning camp of the dwellers on the (river) Legro.[2] Leicester appears in the Domesday Book as "Ledecestre". Leicester continued to grow throughout the Early Modern period as a market town, although it was the Industrial Revolution that facilitated a process of rapid unplanned urbanisation in the area.
A newly constructed rail and canal network routed through the area stimulated industrial growth in the 19th century, and Leicester became a major economic centre with a variety of manufacturers engaged in engineering, shoemaking and hosiery production. The economic success of these industries, and businesses ancillary to them, resulted in significant urban expansion into the surrounding countryside. Leicester is one of the oldest cities in England, it was the centre of the bishopric from around 670, endowing it with city status. However, it lost city status in the 11th century during a time of struggle between the church and the aristocracy and did not regain it again until 1919. The boundaries of Leicester were extended several times in the 19th and 20th centuries; it became a county borough in 1889, and was re-granted city status in 1919.
Today, Leicester is located on the Midland Main Line and close to the M1 motorway. The city has a large ethnic minority population, particularly of South Asian origin, a product of immigration to the United Kingdom since the Second World War. To cater for the South Asian community, there are many Hindu, Sikh and Muslim places of worship and the Melton Road district serves as a focus, containing large numbers of Asian restaurants and other small businesses. Leicester is a centre for higher education, with both the University of Leicester and De Montfort University being based in the city.
Contents |
History[link]
Further information: History of Leicestershire
Roman[link]
Main article: Ratae Corieltauvorum
Leicester is one of the oldest cities in England, with a history going back at least 2,000 years. The first recorded name of the city is the Roman label Ratae Corieltauvorum. (The name of the this tribe was formerly thought to be "Coritani", so "Ratae Coritanorum" is used in older references to it.) Before being settled by Romans it was the capital of the Celtic Corieltauvi tribe ruling over roughly the same territory as what is now known as the East Midlands.
Ratae Corieltauvorum was founded around AD 50 as a military settlement along the Fosse Way, a Roman road between Exeter and Lincoln. After the military departure, Ratae Corieltauvorum grew into an important trading centre and one of the largest towns in Roman Britain. 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.
Anglo-Saxon and Viking[link]
Knowledge of the town in the 5th century is limited. Certainly there is some continuation of occupation of the town, though on a much reduced scale in the 5th and 6th centuries. The area was first settled by the Middle Angles and was subsequently included in the kingdom of Mercia. 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. The Saxon Bishop of Leicester fled to Dorchester-on-Thames and Leicester was not to become a bishopric again until the 20th century.
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). In the early 10th century it was recorded as Ligeraceaster = "the town of the Ligor people". The Domesday Book later recorded it as Ledecestre.
Medieval[link]
Leicester had become a town of considerable importance by Medieval times[citation needed]. 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. It was eventually re-made a city in 1919, and the Church of St Martin became Leicester Cathedral in 1927. The tomb of King Richard III is located in the central nave of the cathedral although he is not actually buried there. 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 town is mentioned in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, written around 1136. According to Monmouth's pseudohistorical work[3][4] a mythical king of the Britons King Leir founded the city of Kaerleir ('Leir's chester' – i.e. fortified town). Today the name of the city in the Welsh language is Caerlŷr. Leir 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.[5] William Shakespeare's King Lear is loosely based on this story and there is a statue of Lear in Watermead Country Park.
Tudor[link]
On 4 November 1530, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey was arrested on charges of treason and taken from York Place. On his way south to face dubious justice at the Tower of London, he fell ill. 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.
Lady Jane Grey, (1536/7 – 12 February 1554), a great-granddaughter of Henry VII, was born at Bradgate Park near Leicester, and reigned as uncrowned Queen Regnant of England for nine days in July 1553, and for that reason is called "The Nine Days Queen".[6]
Queen Elizabeth I's personal favoured courtier, Robert Dudley, who the Queen had one time thought of marrying, and who has been named and known as her possible lover for centuries, was given the Earldom of Leicester.
Civil War[link]
Leicester was a Parliamentarian stronghold during the English Civil War. In 1645, Prince Rupert decided to attack the city to draw the New Model Army away from the Royalist headquarters of Oxford. 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.[7]
18th and 19th centuries[link]
The construction of the Grand Union Canal in the 1790s linked Leicester to London and Birmingham and by 1832 the railway had arrived in Leicester; the new Leicester and Swannington Railway providing a supply of coal to the town from nearby collieries. By 1840 the Midland Counties Railway had linked Leicester to the national railway network and by the 1860s, Leicester had gained a direct rail link to London (St Pancras) with the completion of the Midland Main Line.
These developments in transport encouraged and accompanied a process of industrialisation which intensified throughout the reign of Queen Victoria (1837–1901). Factories began to appear, particularly along the canal and the River Soar. Between 1861 and 1901 Leicester's population increased from 68,000 to 212,000 and the proportion employed in trade, commerce, building and the city's new factories and workshops rose steadily. Hosiery, textiles and footwear became major industrial employers joined, in the latter part of the century, by engineering.
During this period a number of what were to become substantial Engineering business were established these included Taylor & Hubbard Ltd, Kent Street, Leicester (Crane Makers, Founders), William Gimson and Company, Vulcan Road (Steam Boilers, Founders), Richards & Co, Martin Street(Founders, Structural Steel workers).
Years of consistent economic growth meant that, for many, living standards increased. The second half of the 19th century also witnessed the creation of many public institutions that we now take for granted such as the town council, the Royal Infirmary and the Leicester Constabulary and the acceptance that municipal organisations had a responsibility for water supply, drainage and sanitation.
The borough expanded throughout the 19th century, most notably in 1892 annexing Belgrave, Aylestone, North Evington, Knighton and the rapidly expanding residential suburb of Stoneygate, home to many of the city's wealthier families and some of its growing middle class. Leicester became a county borough in 1889, but, as with all county boroughs, was abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in 1974, becoming an ordinary district of Leicestershire. It regained its unitary status in 1997.
The early 20th century[link]
Leicester was formally recognised as a city in 1919 and a cathedral city on the consecration of St Martin's in 1927. It obtained its current boundaries in 1935, with the annexation of the remainder of Evington, Humberstone, Beaumont Leys and part of Braunstone. In 1900 an important new transport link, the Great Central Railway provided a new goods and passenger route to London.
By the time of Queen Victoria's death in 1901 the rapid population growth of the previous decades had already began to slow and the Great War of 1914–18 and its aftermath had a marked social and economic impact. Leicester's diversified economic base and lack of dependence on primary industries meant that it was much better placed than many other cities to weather the severe economic challenges of the 1920s and 1930s. The Bureau of Statistics of the newly formed League of Nations identified Leicester in 1936 as the second richest city in Europe[citation needed] and it became an attractive destination for refugees fleeing persecution and political turmoil in continental Europe. These years witnessed the growth in the city of trade unionism and particularly the co-operative movement. The Co-op became an important employer and landowner and when Leicester played host to the Jarrow March on its way to London in 1936, the Co-op provided the marchers with a change of boots. In 1938 Leicester was given the first A.D.C.C (Air Defence Cadet Corp) or known as today The Air Training Corp. The Squadron Number is 1F.
Post World War II[link]
The years after World War II, particularly from the 1960s onwards, brought many social and economic challenges. There was a steady and irreversible decline in Leicester's traditional manufacturing industries and in the city centre working factories and light industrial premises have now been almost entirely displaced by new businesses. The 1960s and 1970s saw the movement of passengers and freight by rail and barge eclipsed by the growth of road transport. The Great Central Railway and the Leicester and Swannington Railway both closed and the northward extension of the M1 motorway linked Leicester into a growing motorway network. By the 1990s Leicester's central position and its good road transport links to the rest of the country had given it a new strategic importance as a distribution centre and the south western boundaries of the city have attracted many new businesses in both service and manufacturing sectors.
Mass housebuilding continued across Leicester for some 30 years after World War II ended in 1945. Existing housing estates such as Braunstone were expanded, while several completely new estates – of both private and council tenure – were built.[citation needed] The last major development of this era was Beaumont Leys in the north of the city, which was developed in the 1970s as a mix of private and council housing.[citation needed] With the loss of much of the city's industry during the 1970s and 1980s, some of the old industrial jobs were replaced by new jobs in the service sector, particularly in retail. The opening of the Haymarket Shopping Centre in 1971 was followed by a number of new shopping centres in the city, including St Martin's Shopping Centre in 1984 and the Shire Shopping Centre in 1992.[8] The Shires was subsequently expanded in September 2008 and rebranded as Highcross.
Since the war Leicester has experienced large scale immigration from across the world. Immigrant groups today make up around 40% of Leicester's population, making Leicester one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the United Kingdom. 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 the Irish Republic continued to arrive throughout the post war period. Immigrants from the Indian sub-continent began to arrive in the 1960s, their numbers boosted by Asians arriving from Kenya and Uganda in the early 1970s.[9][10]
In the 1990s, apparently drawn by the city's free and easy atmosphere and by the number of mosques, a group of Dutch citizens of Somali origin settled in the city. Since the 2004 enlargement of the European Union a significant number of East European migrants have settled in the city. While some wards in the northeast 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.[11]
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's immigrant and minority communities disperse to other places.[12][13] The Leicester Multicultural Advisory Group is 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.
Geography[link]
Wards of Leicester[link]
Leicester is divided into several administrative wards, that correspond to many historical suburbs, villages and districts in the unitary authority area:
| Ward | Suburbs, villages and districts |
|---|---|
| Abbey | Abbey Ward, Frog Island, Mowmacre Hill, Stocking Farm |
| Aylestone | Aylestone, Aylestone Park, Saffron |
| Beaumont Leys | Beaumont Leys, Heathley Park |
| Belgrave | Belgrave |
| Braunstone Park & Rowley Fields | Braunstone, Rowley Fields |
| Castle | City Centre, Blackfriars, Clarendon Park, Southfields |
| Charnwood | Northfields |
| Coleman | Crown Hills, North Evington |
| Evington | Evington, Goodwood, Rowlatts Hill |
| Eyres Monsell | Eyres Monsell, Saffron |
| Fosse | Newfoundpool, West End, Woodgate |
| Freemen | Knighton Fields, Saffron |
| Humberstone & Hamilton | Hamilton, Humberstone, Humberstone Garden Suburb, Netherhall |
| Knighton | Stoneygate, Knighton, South Knighton, West Knighton |
| Latimer | St. Mark's |
| New Parks | New Parks |
| Rushey Mead | Rushey Mead |
| Spinney Hills | Spinney Hills, St. Matthew's, St. Peter's |
| Stoneygate | Highfields, Horston Hill, Evington Valley |
| Thurncourt | Thurnby Lodge |
| Westcotes | Bede Island |
| Western Park | Western Park, Dane Hills |
The Office for National Statistics has defined a Leicester Urban Area, which consists of the conurbation of Leicester, although it has no administrative status. The area contains the unitary authority area and several towns, villages and suburbs outside the city's administrative boundaries.
Climate[link]
Leicester experiences a maritime climate type with mild winters and cool summers, rain spread throughout the year, and low sunshine levels. The nearest official Weather Station was Newtown Linford, about 5 miles (8.0 km) North West of Leicester city centre and just outside the edge of the urban area. However, observations stopped in 2003. The current nearest Weather Station is Market Bosworth, about 10 miles (16 km) west of the city centre.
The highest temperature recorded at Newtown Linford was 34.5c(94.1f)[14] during August 1990, although a temperature of 35.1 °C (95.2 °F) was achieved at Leicester University during August 2003.[15] More typically the highest temperature would reach 28.7c(83.7f)[16] – the average annual maximum. 11.3 days[17] of the year should attain a temperature of 25.1c(77.2f) or above.
The lowest temperature recorded at Newtown Linford was −16.1c(3.0f)[18] during January 1963. Typically, 54.9 air frosts will be recorded during the course of the year.
Rainfall averages 684.4mm[19] per year, with 1mm or more falling on 120.8 days.[20] All averages refer to the period 1971–2000.
| Climate data for Newtown Linford, elevation 119m, 1971–2000, extremes 1960–2003 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 13.6 (56.5) |
17.9 (64.2) |
21.7 (71.1) |
23.9 (75.0) |
26.5 (79.7) |
31.5 (88.7) |
32.3 (90.1) |
34.5 (94.1) |
27.7 (81.9) |
23.3 (73.9) |
16.2 (61.2) |
14.6 (58.3) |
34.5 (94.1) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 6.3 (43.3) |
6.9 (44.4) |
9.7 (49.5) |
12.2 (54.0) |
16.0 (60.8) |
18.6 (65.5) |
21.4 (70.5) |
21.1 (70.0) |
17.7 (63.9) |
13.5 (56.3) |
9.1 (48.4) |
7.1 (44.8) |
13.3 (55.9) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 0.5 (32.9) |
0.5 (32.9) |
2.1 (35.8) |
3.3 (37.9) |
6.0 (42.8) |
8.7 (47.7) |
10.8 (51.4) |
10.7 (51.3) |
8.8 (47.8) |
6.0 (42.8) |
2.8 (37.0) |
1.3 (34.3) |
7.1 (44.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −16.1 (3.0) |
−11.7 (10.9) |
−11.1 (12.0) |
−6.6 (20.1) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
−0.9 (30.4) |
2.8 (37.0) |
2.8 (37.0) |
0.0 (32.0) |
−6.2 (20.8) |
−7.4 (18.7) |
−14.4 (6.1) |
−16.1 (3.0) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 61.65 (2.4272) |
48.91 (1.9256) |
51.86 (2.0417) |
43.86 (1.7268) |
50.83 (2.0012) |
63.07 (2.4831) |
46.08 (1.8142) |
59.25 (2.3327) |
61.50 (2.4213) |
60.58 (2.385) |
60.34 (2.3756) |
68.82 (2.7094) |
684.37 (26.9437) |
| Source: KNMI[21] | |||||||||||||
Government[link]
On 1 April 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). Leicestershire County Council retained its headquarters at County Hall in Glenfield, just outside the city boundary but within the urban area. 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 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 3 May 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, though one of these subsequently resigned and the seat was lost to Labour in a by-election on 10 September 2009. 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.
In the local government elections of 5 May 2011, Labour won 52 of the city's 54 seats, with the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats winning one seat each.[22]
Leicester is divided into three Parliamentary constituencies, all controlled by the Labour Party : Leicester East, represented by Keith Vaz, Leicester South, represented by Jon Ashworth, and Leicester West represented by Liz Kendall. In April 2011 the then Leicester South MP Sir Peter Soulsby left the House of Commons to seek election as Mayor of Leicester.
On 5 May 2011, Peter Soulsby became the first directly elected Mayor of Leicester.
Coat of arms[link]
File:Arms-leicester.png
Coat of arms, Leicester
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. The field is a white cinquefoil on a red background, and this emblem is used by the city council.
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" but with positive overtones meaning unchanging, reliable or dependable. 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. The legless wyvern distinguishes it as a Leicester wyvern as opposed to other wyverns. The supporting lions are wearing coronets in the form of collars, with the white cinquefoil hanging from them.
Demography[link]
| Leicester compared[23] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| UK Census 2001 | Leicester | East Midlands | England |
| Total population | 292,600 | 4,172,174 | 49,138,831 |
| Foreign born | 23.0% | 6.0% | 9.2% |
| White (2001) | 63.9% | 93.5% | 90.9% |
| White (2006) | 62.0% | 91.4% | 88.7% |
| South Asian (2001) | 29.9% | 4.0% | 4.6% |
| South Asian (2006) | 29.4% | 4.8% | 5.5% |
| Black (2001) | 3.1% | 0.9% | 2.3% |
| Black (2006) | 4.6% | 1.4% | 2.8% |
| Mixed (2001) | 2.3% | 1.0% | 1.3% |
| Mixed (2006) | 2.6% | 1.4% | 1.6% |
| East Asian and Other (2001) | 0.8% | 0.5% | 0.9% |
| East Asian and Other (2006) | 1.5% | 1.0% | 1.4% |
| Christian | 44.7% | 72.0% | 71.7% |
| No religion | 17.4% | 15.2% | 14.6% |
| Hindu | 14.7% | 1.6% | 1.1% |
| Muslim | 11.0% | 1.7% | 3.1% |
The United Kingdom Census 2001 showed a total resident population for Leicester of 279,921, a 0.5% decrease from the 1991 census.[24] Approximately 62,000 were aged under 16, 199,000 were aged 16–74, and 19,000 aged 75 and over.[24] 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.[25]
The population density is 3,814 /km2 (9,880 /sq mi)[26] 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 28.9% in all of England.[27] 23.0% of Leicester’s residents were born outside of the United Kingdom, higher than the English average of 9.2%.[28]
In terms of districts by ethnic diversity, the City of Leicester is ranked 11th in England. According to 2006 estimates, 58.3% of residents are white British (just under 170,000 people), 3.7% other white (around 10,000 people), 29.4% Asian or Asian British (some 84,000 people), 4.6% black or black British (some 9,000 people), 2.6% mixed race (approximately 6,000 individuals) and 1.5% Chinese or other ethnic group (over 2,000 people).[29] Amongst some of Leicester's emerging ethnic groups are the Poles who now number an estimates 30,000 in the city.[30]
Christianity is the predominant faith in Leicester. There are also approximately 41,000 Hindus, 31,000 Muslims, and 12,000 Sikhs.[31] There are three active synagogues in the city, one Progressive, one Orthodox and one Messianic.
Languages[link]
A demographic profile of Leicester published by the city council in 2008 noted:
Alongside English there are around 70 languages and/or dialects spoken in the city. In addition to English, eight languages are commonly spoken: Gujarati is the preferred language of 16% of the city's residents, Punjabi 3%, Somali 4% and Urdu 2%. Other smaller language groups include Hindi, Bengali and Polish. ... With continuing migration into the city, new languages and or dialects from Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe are also being spoken in the city. In primary schools in Leicester, English is not the 'preferred' language of 45% of pupils and the proportion of children whose first language is known, or believed to be, other than English, is significantly higher than other cities within the region, or within the UK.[32]
Population change[link]
| Population growth in Leicester since 1901 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 1901 | 1911 | 1921 | 1931 | 1939 | 1951 | 1961 | 1971 | 2001 |
| Population | 211,579 | 227,222 | 234,143 | 239,169 | 261,339 | 285,181 | 273,470 | 284,208 | 279,921 |
| Source: A Vision of Britain through Time | |||||||||
Economy[link]
Leicester has the largest economy in the East Midlands. A recent study by emda/Experian estimated the GVA to be £15.3 billion.[33] Companies that have their head office based in the area include Next, Jessops, Shoe Zone, Goldsmiths and the British Gas Business. Caterpillar, Wal-Mart, and DHL all have sites in Leicester.[34]
Engineering[link]
Engineering is an important part of the economy of Leicester. 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. Leicester was also home to the famous Gents' of Leicester clock manufacturers.
Shopping[link]
In 2008 Leicester was positioned thirteenth in the retail shopping league of England (CACI Retail Footprint 2008).
There are two main shopping centres in Leicester – the Haymarket Shopping Centre and Highcross Leicester. The Haymarket Shopping Centre was opened on the site in 1974, and was the first to be built in the City, with parking for up to 500 cars on several levels, two levels of shopping with bus station, and was also the site of the former Haymarket Theatre. Highcross Leicester opened in 2008 after work to redevelop "The Shires Centre" was completed at a cost of £350 million (creating 120 stores, 15 restaurants, a cinema, 110,000 m2 of shopping space). Smaller shopping centres include St Martin's Square. The Leicester Lanes area has numerous designer and specialist shops. Leicester Market is the largest outdoor covered market in Europe selling a wide variety of goods. The Golden Mile is the name given to a stretch of Belgrave Road renowned for its authentic Indian restaurants, sari shops, and jewellers, The Diwali celebrations in Leicester are focused on this area and are the largest outside India[35]
Leicester has a number of department stores including Fenwick, House of Fraser, John Lewis, and Debenhams.
Food and drink[link]
Henry Walker was a successful pork butcher who moved from Mansfield to Leicester in the 1880s to take over an established business in High Street. The first Walker's 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 Walker's crisps business was sold to Standard Brands, an American firm, who sold on the company to Frito-Lay. Walker's crisps currently makes 10 million bags of crisps per day at two factories in Beaumont Leys, and is the UK's largest grocery brand.[36] The Beaumont Leys manufacturing plant is the largest crisp factory in the world.[37]
Meanwhile the sausage and pie business was bought out by Samworth Brothers in 1986. Production outgrew the Cobden Street site 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 Walker's name and under UK retailers own brands such as Tesco's Finest, over three million hot and cold pies are made each week.[38] Henry Walker's butcher shop at 4–6 Cheapside is still in business, selling Walker's sausages and pork pies, and is currently trading under the ownership of Scottish company Fife Fine Foods which bought up the Walker's butchers stores chain from Dewhursts in 2006.
Leicester Market is the largest outdoor covered marketplace in Europe[citation needed] and selling fruit, vegetables, fresh fish and meat. Every year during the summer the Leicester City Council hold cultural festivals here. In 2009 the Leicester Mela was held in the market area. In 2011 a new area called "Market Corner" was opened with various different food and drink on offer on Fridays and Saturdays. The market was given royal consent in 1229 by Henry III. One famous stallholder family is the Lineker's, who have operated a fruit and vegetable store since the late 1960s. Other markets in Leicester include Beaumont Leys Market. There are other markets, including the farmer's market and the continental markets usually held on Humberstone Gate or Gallowtree Gate.
Financial and business services[link]
Financial and business service companies with operations in Leicestershire include Santander (previously Alliance & Leicester), Royal Bank of Scotland, Barclays Bank, State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, Bank of Baroda and HSBC. All of the major accounting firms have offices in Leicester. One of Aviva's seven UK administrative hubs is based in Leicester.
Statistics[link]
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.
| Year | Regional Gross Value Added[39] |
Agriculture[40] | Industry[41] | Services[42] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 |
|
|
|
|
| 2003 |
|
|
|
|
Births, marriages and deaths[link]
The staff at the Leicester office registers 9,500 births and 5,700 deaths annually. In addition around 1,000 marriage ceremonies take place within the building every year together with an increasing number of civil partnership registrations. As part of the legal preliminaries to their wedding the citizens of the city of Leicester who wish to marry anywhere other than the Church of England must give a legal notice of their intention to marry. In the course of a year more than 2,000 notices are entered in the records of this office.
The original records of all births, marriages and deaths which have taken place in Leicester since 1837 are kept at the register office. Every year approximately 12,000 certified copies are issued from these historic records.
Business awards[link]
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 Guidance Ltd, listed on the Lord Lieutenant's website. Guidance Monitoring Limited (GML) specialises in the design and manufacture of sophisticated electronic tagging/tracking systems for asset protection and personnel monitoring including for security and criminal justice applications.[3]
Landmarks[link]
There are ten Scheduled Monuments in Leicester and thirteen Grade I listed buildings: some sites, such as Leicester Castle and the Jewry Wall, appear on both lists.
20th century architecture: Leicester University Engineering Building (James Stirling & James Gowan : Grd II Listed), Kingstone Department Store, Belgrave Gate (Raymond McGrath : Grd II Listed)
Older architecture:
Tourist: Discover Leicester Tour is an open top tour bus linking many of the Leicestershire tourist sites in and around the city. See [4].
Parks: Abbey Park, Botanic Gardens, Castle Gardens, Gorse Hill City Farm, Grand Union Canal, Knighton Park, Nelson Mandela Park, River Soar, Victoria Park, Watermead Country Park.
Industry: Abbey Pumping Station, National Space Centre, Great Central Railway.
Places of worship: Shree Jalaram Prarthana Mandal (Hindu temple),[43] the Stake Centre of the LDS Church's Leicester England Stake,[citation needed] Jain Centre,[44] Leicester Cathedral, Leicester Central Mosque,[45] Masjid Umar[46] (Mosque),[47] Guru Nanak Gurdwara (Sikh), Neve Shalom Synagogue (Progressive Jewish).
Historic buildings: Town Hall, Guildhall, Belgrave Hall, Jewry Wall, Secular Hall, Abbey, Castle, St Mary de Castro, The City Rooms, Newarke Magazine Gateway.
Shopping: Haymarket Shopping Centre, Highcross, Market, Golden Mile, Beaumont Shopping Centre, Fosse Shopping Park, St Martin's Square, Silver Arcade.
Sport: King Power Stadium – Leicester City FC, Welford Road – Leicester Tigers, Grace Road – Leicestershire County Cricket Club, John Sanford Sports Centre – Leicester Riders, Saffron Lane Sports Centre – Leicester Coritanian Athletics Club, City Cricket Academy.
Transport[link]
Railway[link]
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 railway station almost direct links to the continent, this growth is expected to continue.
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 CrossCountry.
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. Junctions north and south of the station link the east–west cross country route, going east to Cambridge, Stansted Airport and Norwich; and west to Nuneaton and Birmingham. Leicester is 99 miles (159 km) from London on the Midland Main Line, the fastest trains taking 1 hour and 07 minutes. Journeys to Sheffield take around 1 hour, Leeds and York are approximately a 2 hour journey. 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.
Network Rail has plans afoot to re-develop the station incorporating the city council's plans for the surrounding area.[48]
Great Central Railway[link]
Main article: Great Central Railway
Leicester was also on a competing line from London to the North, built by the Great Central Railway in the late 1890s. Served by Leicester Central railway station, the Great Central Main Line closed as a through route in the late 1960s. A preserved section remains, from the newly opened Leicester North railway station (the original route through Leicester has now been rebuilt on), to Loughborough is now a heritage steam railway.
Motorways[link]
Leicester is close to the heart of the M1 motorway at Junction 21, this section considered to be the busiest part in the country[citation needed]. The M69 motorway also starts near Leicester, and runs to the M6 Motorway and is contiguous with Coventry's eastern bypass.
Airport[link]
East Midlands Airport is near Castle Donington which is in North West Leicestershire. Served by low-cost international airlines like Ryanair & Bmibaby and serves charter holidays like Thomson Holidays. This makes Leicester easily accessible from other parts of the world providing regular services to many principal European destinations. This includes Amsterdam, Berlin & Paris. Also there are internal flights to Belfast, Edinburgh & Glasgow and limited services to transcontinental destinations such as Barbados, Mexico & Orlando.
Also Birmingham Airport is only about a 45 or 50 minute drive from Leicester, and London Luton Airport can be reached in an hour or just over. Luton serves similar destinations to East Midlands though Luton services are more regular. Birmingham airport generally flies to places like Amsterdam, Brussels, Frankfurt, Munich & Paris with airlines like Air France, KLM & Lufthansa.
Leicester's other local airport is Leicester Airport at Stoughton, Leicestershire.
Buses[link]
Leicester has two main bus stations St Margaret's Bus Station and Haymarket Bus Station.
There are three permanent Park and ride sites located at Meynells Gorse (Leicester Forest East), Birstall and Enderby buses operate every 15 mins from all sites. The park and ride services are branded as quicksilver shuttle and are contracted to Roberts from the City Council and County Council, buses use a purpose built terminal near St. Nicholas Circle.
The main bus operators for Leicester are Arriva Midlands, Centrebus, Kinchbus, First Leicester, Coachmaster and Roberts.
The Skylink Leicester bus service to East Midlands Airport and Derby operated by Kinchbus operates 24/7 every 30 mins daytime and hourly between 7pm and 5am.
National Cycle Network[link]
National Cycle Network Route 6 passes through Leicestershire along with other secondary routes. The Leicester Bike Park is also located in the city centre. The city is also home to Cyclemagic, a community cycling organisation with probably the widest range of bikes and pedal powered machines in the world.
Education[link]
Schools[link]
Main article: List of schools in Leicester
Leicester is home to a number of comprehensive schools and independent schools. Leicester Grammar School, a HMC member school, was founded in the 1980s after the city's loss of its state-funded grammar schools. There are three sixth form colleges, all of which were previously grammar schools.
The 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 on Glenfield Road. However, recent changes of leadership at New College have seen a turnaround in the school's prospects.
Recent plans to improve the city's education system included the opening of The Samworth Enterprise Academy, an academy whose catchment area draws in children from the Saffron and Eyres Monsell estates, co-sponsored by the Church of England and David Samworth, chairman of Samworth Brothers. State school status has also been granted to the Madani High School, a 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.[49]
Leicester City Council underwent a major reorganisation of children's services in 2006, creating a new Children & Young People's Services department.
Leicester was one of the last places in the UK where milk was supplied to primary schools in third pint glass bottles. In 2007 the supplier changed to plastic bottles.
Tertiary[link]
Leicester is home to two universities, the University of Leicester, which attained its Royal Charter in 1957 and is one of Britain's leading universities ranked 12th by the 2009 Complete University Guide, and De Montfort University, which opened in 1969 as Leicester Polytechnic and achieved university status in 1992.
It is also home to the National Space Centre located off Abbey Lane, due in part to the University of Leicester being one of the few universities in the UK to specialise in space sciences.
Culture[link]
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. One of the best known places in the city is Melton Road, near the city centre, which contains many diverse retail stores and restaurants for both locals and tourists. From clothing to fine cuisines,specialist bridal/groom makeup and home appliances, this road promotes and holds many authentic cultures globally. Melton Road is regarded as the pin point of Leicester as a multifaith city. For many residents of Leicester, Melton Road is place with strong links to their roots and origins. From an ethnic point of view, this is just one of the many sites within the city that enables every person to feel a sense of homeliness and strong pride of cutlture.
The Leicester International Short Film Festival [5] is an annual event; it began life with humble beginnings in 1996 under the banner title of "Seconds Out". It has become one of the most important short film festivals in the U.K. It usually runs in early November, with venues including the Phoenix Arts Centre.
Arts venues in the city include:
- Curve: New purpose-designed performing arts centre, designed by Rafael Vinoly, opened in Autumn 2008,[50] replaced the Haymarket Theatre
- The De Montfort Hall
- The Y Theatre
- The Little Theatre
- The City Gallery, one of the region's leading contemporary art galleries
- The Peepul Centre, Designed by Andrzej Blonski Architects, the £15 million building was opened in 2005 and houses an auditorium, restaurant, cyber café, gym and dance studio for the local people, as well as being used for conferences and events. The centre has even been host to former Prime Minister Gordon Brown and other senior Labour Party figures for hustings during the deputy leadership contest.
- Phoenix Square, which replaced the Phoenix Arts Centre in 2009.
- Fabrika The Independent Arts Centre, 68-70 Humberstone Gate. An Independent Art centre designed to help everyone in the community in a number of different ways.
Museums[link]
-
Newarke Houses Museum (Grade II*)
Music[link]
While Leicester has often been neglected as a centre for popular music, with the new O2 Academy that has recently been built in the city more established acts have been booked to play. 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: De Montfort Hall, which has a standing capacity of 1602 and seating capacity of 2000. One of Leicester's main live music venues, The Charlotte, closed in January 2009. It briefly reopened in October 2009 before being closed permanently on 14 March 2010.
1960s[link]
Leicester's main small venue for pop and rock was the Il Rondo on Silver Street. 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. It also played host to many visiting American blues musicians including Howlin' Wolf, Freddie King, Lowell Fulson, Otis Spann and John Lee Hooker. The Beatles also came to De Montfort Hall.
Colin Hyde (East Midlands Oral History Archive) carried out a range of interviews about growing up in Leicester in the 1950s and 1960s and began to map where all of the venues of the day were.[51] 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 Nite 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 members wearing glasses.
Also emerging during this period was the band Family, fronted by Leicester man Roger Chapman.
1970s[link]
The seventies saw the emergence of the well known cabaret band Showaddywaddy from the city with lead singer Dave Bartram and their 1950s-themed songs. The De Montfort Hall held the first of its annual One-World festivals, with the aim of celebrating the cultural diversity of the city and breaking down the barriers of hostility and suspicion that had a potential to foment racial conflict. Adult and children's groups performed traditional dances and music from the many communities settled here – British, Irish, East European, Asian, African and Caribbean. These festivals continued until the 1980s.
1980s[link]
The early 1980s saw Leicester punk band Rabid have two minor indie hits, and there were greater successes later in the decade for Yeah Yeah Noh. The mid-1980s saw the emergence of bands such as Gaye Bykers on Acid, Crazyhead, The Bomb Party, and The Hunters Club, who were all associated with the Grebo scene. The Deep Freeze Mice had formed in 1979 and went on to release ten albums in total. Diesel Park West had their first top 75 hits in the late 1980s. Other notable Leicester bands from this decade included Po!, Blab Happy and Chrome Molly.
1990s[link]
The band Prolapse, was formed by a group of Leicester University and Polytechnic students in 1992. 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 1998 Number 1 single "Brimful of Asha". Perfume and Delicatessen both also rose to critical acclaim. Leicester is home of the influential Rave – Drum & Bass Formation Records label and associated 5HQ Record Shop.
Post-2000[link]
Since 2000 the city has once more seen a notable upsurge in the success of the local music scene. Several Leicester musicians and/or acts have received considerable media attention in their fields since 2003–2004. Kasabian, followed by Pacific Ocean Fire, The Displacements,[52] Kyte,[53] and Maybeshewill have all risen from the city to national attention. The Go! Team were first signed to local label Pickled Egg Records, other Leicester musicians (such as Frank Benbini) feature in notable national and international bands such as; Fun Lovin' Criminals, Happy Mondays, The Holloways, Envy & Other Sins, and A Hawk and a Hacksaw.
Kasabian albums Empire and West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum both achieved number one status in the UK Albums Chart in 2006 and 2009 respectively. Success followed in 2010 when the band won the Best British Group Award at the BRIT Awards 2010.
Other Leicester acts enjoying chart success in the Official UK Singles Chart during the 2000s include bassline act H "Two" O eventually reaching number two, and remaining there for three weeks, with their hit single "What's It Gonna Be". Dance music project Stunt eventually reached number nine with their collaborative hit single "Raindrops (Encore Une Fois)" (with Sash!). They have also gone on to collaborate with Europop sensation Basshunter.
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. 2006 saw the closure of The Attik, a venue that for over twenty years had played host to hundreds of bands.
In popular culture[link]
Leicester is the setting for the fictional diaries of Adrian Mole, created by Sue Townsend. He lives in a fictional suburb known as 'Mangold Parva'. There, Mole lives and owns a second hand bookshop in the laters novels, notably, Townsend's latest, Adrian Mole: The Prostrate Years. The local Leicestershire MP is Pandora Braithwaite, a fictional Labour MP since the 1997 General Election.
Sport[link]
Professional & semi professional sports teams include: Leicester Tigers (rugby union), Leicester City (football), Leicester Lions (speedway), and the Leicestershire County Cricket Club.
Sports clubs include: Leicester Coritanian A.C. (athletics) and Leicester Penguins Swimming Club who were awarded Sports Club of the Year by the Leicester Mercury at their annual sports awards for 2007 & 2008.
Leicester Racecourse is located to the south of the city in Oadby.
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 on Welford Road are one of the most successful rugby union teams in Europe, having won the European cup twice, the first tier of English rugby eight times, and the Anglo-Welsh cup six times. Notable former players include England's Rugby World Cup winning captain Martin Johnson, Neil Back, Dean Richards and Austin Healey.
Leicester City have also enjoyed a fair degree of success. They have championed the second tier of the English league system on no less than six occasions, competed in the top flight regularly during their history, won three Football League Cups and reached the FA Cup Final four times although they have never won the trophy. In the 2008–09 season they competed in and won League One (third tier), to which they were relegated for the first time. Their current stadium is the King Power Stadium, situated south of the city centre and near to the site Filbert Street from which they relocated in 2002 after 111 years. Notable former managers include Jimmy Bloomfield, David Pleat, Brian Little, and Martin O'Neill. Notable former players include Gordon Banks, Peter Shilton, Frank Worthington, Gary Lineker, Alan Smith, Emile Heskey, Neil Lennon, Simon Grayson and Matt Elliott.
Motorcycle speedway racing has been staged in Leicester on and off since 1928. 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. The sport was revived for a spell from 1968 before the sale and subsequent redevelopment of the site ended the first Leicester Lions era in 1983. Planning permission was granted in October 2009 for a brand-new speedway track at Beaumont Park, with Leicester Lions returning to action in 2011 in the Premier League.
Leicester is also home to the Leicester Falcons, an American football team that competes as part of the BAFA National Leagues and in 2011 was promoted to the BAFA Premier League, the highest tier of British American Football. The Falcons' home ground is located at Babington Community College, in the Beaumont Leys area of the city.
Leicester Phoenix are a rugby league club based in the centre of the city. The club was founded in 1986. After playing in different British Amateur Rugby League Association leagues (namely the Midlands and South West Amateur Rugby League and the East Midlands Amateur Rugby League) the Phoenix were one of the 10 founder members of the Rugby League Conference (then the Southern Conference League) in 1997 reaching the grand final in the inaugural season. Since then they have been one of the league's most consistent performers. Their 1st Grade Team currently compete in the Midlands Premier division of the Rugby League Conference.
Leicester Rowing Club is a rowing and sculling club based in the centre of the city on the River Soar. Formed in 1882 they represent Leicester in Regatta and Head Races around Great Britain and Worldwide. The club insignia is based on the mythical Wyvern and rowers compete in the club's colours of black and white.[54]
The city also hosted British and World track cycling and Road Racing championships at its Saffron Lane velodrome in August 1970. 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:- See The Benny Foster Story published by Fretwell 1971.[citation needed] However, this was the second world championships to be hosted by the city, in 1883 the first ever Bicycling World Championships were held at the Belgrave Road Grounds.[citation needed]
In 1989 and 2009, the city hosted the British Special Olympics. This was the adopted charity for the Lord Mayor of Leicester 2008–2009,Councillor Manjula Sood.[55]
Until its demolition in 1999 Granby Halls was a popular live music, exhibition and sports arena in the city. It was also notable as the long serving home of professional basketball team, the Leicester Riders, from 1980 until 1999.
The Dolly Rockit Rollers roller derby league are based in Leicester. They were ranked amongst the top eight UKRDA members for 2011, and played at the Association's 2012 championship tournament as a result.
Hockey Club are based at Leicester Grammar School in Great Glen.
Leicester was also the '2008 European City of Sport'.[56]
Public services[link]
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. 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 the Spire Hospital Leicester.
Notable people[link]
Main article: List of people from Leicester
Local media[link]
Leicester is home to the Leicester Mercury newspaper, and the Midlands Asian Television channel known as MATV Channel 6.
BBC Radio Leicester was the first BBC Local Radio station in Britain, opening on 8 November 1967. Other analogue FM radio stations are Demon FM which is Leicester's student radio station broadcasting from Demontfort University, Takeover Radio, Capital FM East Midlands Gem 106, 106.6 Smooth Radio and Hindu Sanskar Radio, which only broadcasts during Hindu religious festivals. BBC Asian Network and Sabras Radio broadcast on AM.
The local DAB multiplex has the following stations:
- Capital FM East Midlands
- Demon FM
- BBC Radio Leicester
- Sabras Radio
- Galaxy Digital
- Highways Agency Traffic Radio
- XFM
- Classic Gold GEM
- Gem 106
- Asian Plus – also known as Hindu Sanskar Radio
- Takeover Radio
- Smooth Radio
There are two hospital radio stations in Leicester, Radio Fox and Radio Gwendolen. The first children's radio station, Takeover Radio, broadcasts in Leicester.
Twin cities[link]
Leicester is twinned with six cities.[57]
Strasbourg, France (1960)
Krefeld, Germany (1969)
Masaya, Nicaragua (1987)
Chongqing, China (1993)
Rajkot, India (1996)
Haskovo, Bulgaria (2008)
References[link]
- Notes
- ^ "Neighbourhood Statistics". http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=276827&c=leicester&d=13&e=13&g=394575&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1206486958671&enc=1&dsFamilyId=1812.
- ^ Leicester is on the River Soar and Legro or Leire could have been the name of the tributary at Leire. "Legorensis civitas" (803) and "Ligera ceaster" (917) are the earliest forms; William of Malmesbury says Leicester is named "a Legra fluvio" (from the river Legra). Ekwall, E. (1940) The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-names; 2nd ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press; p. 280
- ^ Wright, Neil (1984). The Historia Regum Britannie of Geoffrey of Monmouth. Woodbridge, England: Boydell and Brewer. pp. xvii–xviii. ISBN 978-0-85991-641-7.
- ^ "...the Historia does not bear scrutiny as an authentic history and no scholar today would regard it as such.": Wright (1984: xxviii)
- ^ Geoffrey of Monmouth, The History of the Kings of Britain, translated by Lewis Thorpe, p. 81 and 86, Harmondsworth, 1966
- ^ "Official Website of the British Monarchy – Jane". http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page44.asp. [dead link]
- ^ "1645:The Storming of Leicester and the Battle of Naseby". http://www.british-civil-wars.co.uk/military/1645-leicester-naseby.htm.
- ^ [1]
- ^ Leicester's Ugandan Asian success story. Retrieved 28 November 2010.
- ^ A history of Leicester. Retrieved 28 November 2010.
- ^ Equality and Human Rights Commission – home page[dead link]
- ^ Research (The University of Manchester)[dead link]
- ^ "Equality and Human Rights Commission – home page". http://www.ccsr.ac.uk/research/mrpd/events/documents/BSPS07SimpsonFinneyMinorityWhiteCities.doc.
- ^ "August 1990 Maximum". http://eca.knmi.nl/utils/monitordetail.php?seasonid=14&year=1990&indexid=TXx&stationid=1852. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
- ^ "August 2003 Maximum". http://web.archive.org/web/20030819214645/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/interesting/aug03maxtemps.html. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
- ^ "1971-00 Average annual maximum". http://eca.knmi.nl/utils/calcdetail.php?seasonid=0&periodid=1971-2000&indexid=TXx&stationid=1852. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
- ^ "Max >25c days". http://eca.knmi.nl/utils/calcdetail.php?seasonid=0&periodid=1971-2000&indexid=SU&stationid=1852. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
- ^ "Jan 1963 Minimum". http://eca.knmi.nl/utils/monitordetail.php?seasonid=7&year=1963&indexid=TNn&stationid=1852. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
- ^ "1971-00 average rainfall". http://eca.knmi.nl/utils/calcdetail.php?seasonid=0&periodid=1971-2000&indexid=RR&stationid=1852. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
- ^ "1971-00 average raindays". http://eca.knmi.nl/utils/calcdetail.php?seasonid=0&periodid=1971-2000&indexid=RR1&stationid=1852.. Retrieved 23 February 2011.
- ^ "Climate Normals and extremes". KNMI. July 2011. http://eca.knmi.nl/utils/mapserver/climatology.php?indexcat=**&indexid=TXx&periodidselect=1971-2000&seasonid=0&scalelogidselect=no&minx=-374761.904762&miny=-4711904.761905&maxx=491904.761905&maxy=-4061904.761905&MapSize=560%2C420&imagewidth=560&imageheight=420&mainmap.x=185&mainmap.y=168&CMD=QUERY_POINT&CMD=QUERY_POINT#bottom. Retrieved 26 Feb 2011.
- ^ [2]
- ^ United Kingdom Census 2001 (2001). "Leicester (Local Authority)". neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk. http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadDatasetList.do?a=3&b=276827&c=leicester&d=13&g=394575&i=1001x1003&m=0&r=1&s=1198285960875&enc=1&domainId=16. Retrieved 28 December 2007.
- ^ a b "Leicester profile of 2001 census". Office for National Statistics. 2003. http://www.statistics.gov.uk/census2001/profiles/00fn.asp. Retrieved 28 December 2007.
- ^ "Mid-year estimates for 2006" (XLS). Office of National Statistics. 2007. http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Expodata/Spreadsheets/D9664.xls. Retrieved 28 December 2007.
- ^ "Leicester population density". Statistics.gov.uk. http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=276827&c=leicester&d=13&e=16&g=394575&i=1001x1003x1004&o=1&m=0&r=1&s=1198800250139&enc=1&dsFamilyId=789. Retrieved 28 December 2007.
- ^ "Leicester key statistics". Statistics.gov.uk. http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=3&b=276827&c=leicester&d=13&e=16&g=394575&i=1001x1003x1004&o=1&m=0&r=1&s=1198801397203&enc=1. Retrieved 28 December 2007.
- ^ "Leicester country of birth data". Statistics.gov.uk. http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=276827&c=leicester&d=13&e=16&g=394575&i=1001x1003x1004&o=1&m=0&r=1&s=1198800401075&enc=1&dsFamilyId=85. Retrieved 28 December 2007.
- ^ "Leicester ethnic grouping percentages". Office of National Statistics. 2001. http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=276827&c=leicester&d=13&e=16&g=394575&i=1001x1003x1004&o=1&m=0&r=1&s=1198799473446&enc=1&dsFamilyId=87. Retrieved 28 December 2007.
- ^ Leicester's Polish Community (17 January 2008). "Leicester – Features – Leicester's Polish Community". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/leicester/content/articles/2008/01/17/polish_community_feature.shtml. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
- ^ Dilwar Hussain (2010). [http://www.soros.org/initiatives/home/articles_publications/publications/leicester-report-20100422/a-muslims-leicester-20100422.pdf Muslims in Leicester] (Report). Open Society Institute. http://www.soros.org/initiatives/home/articles_publications/publications/leicester-report-20100422/a-muslims-leicester-20100422.pdf.
- ^ "The Diversity of Leicester May 2008, A Demographic Profile". Leicester City Council. Archived from the original on 8 January 2009. http://web.archive.org/web/20090108034740/http://www.leicesterpartnership.org.uk/EasySite/lib/serveDocument.asp?doc=111607&pgid=113861. Retrieved 16 November 2008.
- ^ http://www.prospectleicestershire.co.uk/why-here
- ^ http://www.uk.cat.com/cda/layout?m=65333&x=7
- ^ Panesar, Jeevan (2006-10-13); "Diwali in Leicester, BBC, Accessed 25 January 2011.
- ^ Walkers Crisps, Coming to the crunch – The Manufacturer, October 2006
- ^ http://www.pepsico.co.uk/our-company/contact-us/our-offices-factories-and-sites
- ^ Our company[dead link] – Samworth Brothers, October 2007
- ^ Components may not sum to totals due to rounding
- ^ includes hunting and forestry
- ^ includes energy and construction
- ^ includes financial intermediation services indirectly measured
- ^ "Leicester 360° Images – 360 degree tour of Shree Jalaram Prathana Mandal". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/leicester/360_images/2002/11/shree_jalaram_prathana_mandal.shtml. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
- ^ "Leicester 360° Images – 360 degree tour of Jain Centre". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/leicester/360_images/2002/11/jain_temple.shtml. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
- ^ http://www.islamiccentre.org/
- ^ http://www.masjid-umar.org/
- ^ "Leicester – In Pictures – Masjid Umar mosque". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/leicester/content/panoramas/masjid_mosque_360.shtml. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
- ^ "Plans for £150m station facelift". BBC News. 6 March 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leicestershire/7280724.stm.
- ^ Schools building deal is signed and sealed[dead link] – Leicester Mercury, 19 December 2007
- ^ "Curve website". http://www.leicesterpac.co.uk/.
- ^ talking history:the newsletter of the East Midlands Oral History Archive. Number 7: May 2003.
- ^ "The Displacements - Track Reviews - NME.COM". http://www.nme.com/reviews/the-displacements/9338.
- ^ "Kyte Announce New 2008 Tour Dates". http://www.glasswerk.co.uk/index.php?db=national&page=news,article&id=3503.
- ^ "Leicester Rowing Club at British Rowing". Britishrowing.org. http://www.britishrowing.org/clubs/leicester-rc. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
- ^ "City to host its second 'games'". BBC News. 13 July 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leicestershire/6898257.stm. Retrieved 14 July 2007.
- ^ "Leicester City Council – European City of Sport 2008". Leicester.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 7 May 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080507020151/http://www.leicester.gov.uk/index.asp?pgid=75325. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
- ^ "Twinning". Leicester City council. http://www.leicester.gov.uk/your-council-services/lc/twinning/. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
- Further reading
- Hoskins, W. G. (1957) Leicestershire: an illustrated essay on the history of the landscape. London: Hodder & Stoughton
External links[link]
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Leicester |
- "Leicester Tourist Guide". http://www.goleicestershire.com/.
- "One Leicester". http://www.oneleicester.com/.
- "Leicester City Council". http://www.leicester.gov.uk/.
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Gary Winston Lineker | ||
| Date of birth | (1960-11-30) 30 November 1960 (age 51) | ||
| Place of birth | Leicester, England | ||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in) | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1976–1978 | Leicester City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1978–1985 | Leicester City | 194 | (95) |
| 1985–1986 | Everton | 41 | (30) |
| 1986–1989 | Barcelona | 103 | (42) |
| 1989–1992 | Tottenham Hotspur | 105 | (67) |
| 1992–1994 | Nagoya Grampus Eight | 23 | (9) |
| Total | 466 | (243) | |
| National team | |||
| 1984–1992 | England | 80 | (48) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). |
|||
Gary Winston Lineker, OBE (born 30 November 1960), is a former English footballer, who played as a striker. He is a sports broadcaster for the BBC, Al Jazeera Sports and Eredivisie Live. He remains England's top scorer in the FIFA World Cup finals, with ten goals.
Lineker began his football career at Leicester City and became known as a prolific goalscorer; despite failing to score in his first ten games, he finished as the First Division's joint top goalscorer in 1984–85 and earned his first England cap. He then moved to League Champions Everton where he remained a clinical finisher, scoring 40 goals in 57 games. His first team honours came at Barcelona, where he won the Copa del Rey in 1988 and the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1989. He returned to England in 1989, joining Tottenham Hotspur, and over three seasons he scored 67 goals in 105 games and won the FA Cup. Lineker's final club was Nagoya Grampus Eight and he retired in 1994 after two seasons at the Japanese side.
Lineker made his England debut in 1984 and over the following eight years earned 80 caps and scored 48 goals, finishing as England's all-time second highest scorer behind Bobby Charlton. His international goals-to-games ratio remains one of the best for the country and he is regarded as one of the all-time best English strikers. He was top scorer in the 1986 World Cup and received the Golden Boot, the only time an Englishman has achieved this feat. He is also the only player to have won the English golden boot with 3 different clubs (Leicester City, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur). After his retirement from football he was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame. He moved in to broadcasting, working at the BBC, firstly working as a pundit on Match of the Day before he went on to present the flagship show. Lineker also worked on other programmes at the BBC. He led a consortium that invested in his old club Leicester, saving it from bankruptcy, and was appointed honorary vice-president. Since 1994, Lineker has featured in several television commercials for Walkers Crisps. He has four sons with his ex-wife Michelle and is now married to model Danielle Lineker.
Despite his long career, Lineker was never cautioned by a referee for foul play (never once receiving a yellow or red card).[1] [2] As a result of this accomplishment he was honoured in 1990 with the FIFA Fair Play Award.
In a senior career which spanned 16 years and 567 competitive games, Lineker scored a total of 282 goals at club level. Added to the 48 goals he scored in internationals, he managed a total of 330 goals.
Contents |
Early life[link]
Lineker was born in Leicester to Barry and Margaret Lineker (both born 1939). His middle name came from Winston Churchill, with whom he shares his birthday. He has one younger brother, Wayne who is two years younger. Lineker's father was a greengrocer in Leicester and he grew up with his family in the city, playing football with his brother Wayne.[3]
Lineker first attended Caldecote Road School[4] (Caldecote Juniors), Braunstone in Leicester (east of the Meridian Centre) although he lived outside the borough. He went to the City of Leicester Boys' Grammar School (now City of Leicester College) on Downing Drive in Evington, inside the borough of Leicester due to his preference for football rather than rugby, which was the main sport of most schools near his home. As a result he lived with his grandmother, who lived in the city, while attending school. Lineker was equally talented at both football and cricket. From the ages of 11 to 16 he captained the Leicestershire Schools cricket team and had felt that he had a higher chance of succeeding at it rather than football.[5] He later stated on They Think It's All Over that as a teenager he idolised former England captain David Gower, who was playing for Leicestershire at the time.[6]
Lineker left school with four O Levels. One of his teachers wrote on his report card that he "concentrates too much on football" and that he would "never make a living at that". He then joined the youth academy at Leicester City in 1976.[5]
Club career[link]
Leicester City[link]
Lineker began his career at his home town club Leicester City after leaving school. Lineker began scoring prolifically in the early 1980s, helping Leicester win promotion to the First Division in 1980 and again in 1983. Lineker's career at Leicester started slowly and was mostly kept to odd appearances. However he began to break into being a regular starter in 1981 and forging a prolific strike-force alongside Alan Smith, Lineker hit 19 goals in all competitions in the 1981–82 season. The following season he was the English Second Division's top scorer as he helped Leicester win promotion to the top flight. Despite the step up, his scoring exploits continued and he was runner-up only to Ian Rush in the goalscoring charts the following season and then went one better as he was the First Division's joint top goalscorer in 1984–85 with 24 goals. By this stage, however, he was attracting the attention of bigger clubs, and a move from Filbert Street was looking certain.
Everton[link]
In the 1985 close season, Lineker was sold to defending league champions Everton for £800,000, and scored 40 goals in 57 games for his new team. He was again the First Division's leading goal scorer, this time with 30 goals, and helped Everton finish second in the league. While he was at Everton, they reached the FA Cup final for the third year in a row but they lost 3–1 to Liverpool, despite Lineker giving them an early lead when he outpaced Alan Hansen to score. Liverpool (double winners) had also pipped Everton to the title by just two points. "I was only on Merseyside a short time, nine or 10 months in total really, but it was still a happy time personally, while professionally it was one of the most successful periods of my career," he says. "I still have an affinity towards Everton."
Lineker scored three hat-tricks for Everton; at home to Birmingham City in a 4–1 league win on 31 August 1985, at home to Manchester City in a 4–0 home win on 11 February 1986, and then in the penultimate league game of the season on 3 May 1986, when they kept their title hopes alive with a 6–1 home win over Southampton. On his final league appearance, he scored twice in a 3–1 home win over a West Ham side whose title hopes had just disappeared. However, he and his colleagues were denied title glory as Liverpool also won their final league game of the season at Chelsea.[7]
Barcelona[link]
After winning the Golden Boot at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, Lineker was signed by Barcelona for £2,800,000. Barcelona were being managed by former Queens Park Rangers manager Terry Venables, who had also brought in Manchester United and Wales striker Mark Hughes.
His Golden Boot-winning performance at the finals led to much anticipation of success at the Camp Nou, and he did not disappoint, scoring 21 goals in 41 games during his first season, including a hat-trick in a 3–2 win over arch rivals Real Madrid.[8] Barcelona went on to win the Copa del Rey in 1988 and the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1989. Lineker played in Barcelona's home and away defeats to Dundee United. Barcelona manager Johan Cruyff decided to play Lineker on the right of the midfield and he eventually lost his place in the first team.
Tottenham Hotspur[link]
Alex Ferguson attempted to sign Lineker to partner his ex-Barcelona team-mate Mark Hughes in attack, but Lineker spurned the Manchester club. Instead, he signed with Tottenham Hotspur in July 1989. Over three seasons, he scored 67 goals in 105 games and won the FA Cup at White Hart Lane.
He finished as top scorer in the First Division in the 1989–90 season, scoring 24 goals as Spurs finished third.
He finally collected an English piece of silverware when he won the 1991 FA Cup Final with Spurs, who beat Nottingham Forest 2–1. This was despite Lineker having a goal controversially disallowed for offside and also having a penalty saved by goalkeeper Mark Crossley.[9] Lineker had contributed to Tottenham's run to the final. In the semi-final he scored twice in a 3–1 win over North London rivals Arsenal.[10]
He was the top division's second-highest goalscorer in 1991–92 with 28 goals from 35 games, behind Ian Wright, who scored 29 times in 42 games. Despite Lineker's personal performance, Tottenham finished this final pre-Premier League season in 15th place.
Nagoya Grampus Eight[link]
Lineker ended his career with an injury-plagued spell in Japan's J. League with Nagoya Grampus Eight, where he made 23 appearances over two seasons, scoring nine times, before announcing his retirement in the autumn of 1994.
He officially joined Nagoya Grampus Eight after playing his final game for Spurs on 2 May 1992, when he scored the consolation goal in a 3–1 defeat by Manchester United on the last day of the season. He had accepted their offer of a two-year contract on 20 November 1991.[11] Shortly before accepting the offer from Nagoya Grampus Eight, Tottenham had rejected an offer from ambitious Second Division club Blackburn Rovers, who had recently been taken over by steel baron Jack Walker.[12]
International career[link]
He first played for the England national team against Scotland in 1984. He played five games in the 1986 World Cup, and was top scorer of the tournament with six goals, winning the Golden Boot, making him the first and to this day only English player to have done so. He scored the second quickest hat-trick ever at a FIFA World Cup tournament against Poland—in doing so, he became only the second English player to score a hat-trick at a FIFA World Cup. He played most of the tournament wearing a lightweight cast on his forearm. He did score for England in the World Cup quarter-final against Argentina, but the game ended in defeat as Diego Maradona scored twice for the opposition (the first goal being the "Hand of God" handball) and England went out of the competition. Lineker also scored a brace against Paraguay in the second round of the tournament. Lineker combined with Peter Beardsley, who also scored—to effortlessly dismantle the South American team's defence.
In 1988, Lineker played in the Euro 1988, but failed to score as England lost all three Group games. It was later established that he had been suffering from hepatitis.[13][14]
In the 1990 World Cup, he scored four goals to help England reach the semi-finals after a string of draws and narrow victories. After Andreas Brehme sent England 1–0 down, he scored an equaliser after receiving a pass from Paul Parker and escaping from two German defenders, but the West Germans triumphed in the penalty shoot-out and went on to win the trophy. Later he said: "Football is a simple game; 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win."
He retired from international football with 80 caps and 48 goals, one fewer goal than Bobby Charlton's England record (although Charlton took 26 more caps to score his one extra goal). In what proved to be his last England match, against Sweden at Euro 1992, he was substituted by England coach Graham Taylor, in favour of Arsenal striker Alan Smith, ultimately denying Lineker the chance to equal—or even better—Charlton's record of 49 goals.[15] He had earlier missed a penalty that would have brought him level, in a pre-tournament friendly against Brazil.[16] He was visibly upset at the decision, not looking at Taylor as he took the bench.
He scored four goals in an England match on two occasions and is one of very few players never to have been given a yellow card or a red card in any type of game.[17]
Media career[link]
Following retirement from professional football, he developed a career in the media, initially on BBC Radio 5 Live and as a football pundit before replacing Des Lynam as the BBC's anchorman for football coverage, including their flagship football television programme Match of the Day, and as a team captain on the acerbic sports game show, They Think It's All Over from 1995 to 2003, where he was heavily (though affectionately) ridiculed for being a "goal hanger", described as "lethal from twelve inches" – a parody of Lineker's short-range scoring prowess. Following the departure of Steve Rider from the BBC, Lineker, who is a keen recreational golfer with a handicap of four, became the new presenter for the BBC's golf coverage. Despite receiving some criticism from his peers,[3] he continued to front the BBC's coverage of the Masters and The Open, where he put his language skills to good use by giving an impromptu interview in Spanish with Argentinian Andrés Romero.[18]
He presented a six-part TV Series for the BBC in 1998 (directed by Lloyd Stanton) called Golden Boots,[19] with other football celebrities. It was an extensive history of the World Cup focusing on the 'Golden Boots' (top scorers).
In 2002, Lineker took on his first acting role, barring roles playing himself in films such as Bend It Like Beckham or in the adapted-for-television stage play An Evening with Gary Lineker, as the voice of Underground Ernie on the BBC's children's channel, CBeebies. Both Gary and Michelle Lineker make a 'blink-and-you'll-miss-them' appearance as diners leaving a restaurant in the 1993 Eric Idle film Splitting Heirs.
In 2003, Lineker was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame.
In 2005, Lineker was sued for defamation by Australian footballer Harry Kewell over comments Lineker had made writing in his column in the Sunday Telegraph about Kewell's transfer from Leeds United to Liverpool. However the jury was unable to reach a verdict. It transpired in the case that the article had actually been ghost-written by a journalist at the Sunday Telegraph following a telephone interview with Lineker.[20]
In December 2008, Lineker appeared on the ITV1 television programme Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Christmas Special where he and English rugby union player Austin Healey won £50,000 for the Nicholls Spinal Injury Foundation.
In 2009, Lineker and his wife Danielle hosted a series of the BBC's Northern Exposure, following on from Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen from the previous year in visiting and showcasing locations throughout Northern Ireland.[21]
In May 2010, Lineker resigned from his role as columnist for The Mail on Sunday in protest over the sting operation against Lord Triesman that jeopardised England’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup. Triesman resigned as chairman of the bid and the FA on 16 May 2010 after the publication of a secret recording of a conversation between the peer and a former ministerial aide, during which he claimed that Spain and Russia were planning to bribe referees at the World Cup in South Africa.[22] Lineker currently anchors the English language football coverage for Al Jazeera Sports, which is broadcast throughout much of the Middle East.
Walkers advertisements[link]
His popularity has enabled him to appear in a light-hearted series of commercials for Walkers, playing a comical role as an arch-villain which sends up his reputation as a nice guy. He has been fronting these adverts since 1995, making this one of the longest running advertising campaigns ever. Walkers, a Leicester-based British producer of snack foods, temporarily named their salt and vinegar crisps after Lineker in the late 1990s—they were labelled 'Salt-n-Lineker'. This was also because his favourite flavour crisps are salt and vinegar.[23][dead link] Lineker's involvement with Walkers caused Mark E. Smith, singer with The Fall, to coin the nickname 'Crisp Man' for him.
Video games[link]
Software house Gremlin released Gary Lineker's Superstar Soccer in 1987, Gary Lineker's Superskills in 1988, and Gary Lineker's Hot Shot in 1989 for 8-bit platforms.
In 1998, Lineker provided his voice (along with Des Lynam) for the menu screens in EA Sports' World Cup 98. In 2001, Lineker was approached by game makers Codemasters to front the LMA Manager series on PlayStation. Lineker would pair up with Alan Hansen, fellow MOTD pundit to voice the post match comments on the game, with Barry Davies voicing the commentary. Since then the game has sold millions of copies and in LMA Manager 2006, Lineker voices news items and the cup draws on the game. In 2004 he was also chosen to front the Codemasters England International Football game, with him voicing the team selection and the pre- and post-match menus.
Personal life[link]
Lineker was made a freeman of the City of Leicester (which entitles him to graze his sheep—should he have any—on Town Hall Square) in 1995 and he is often referred to as "Leicester's favourite son". As a youngster, he famously worked on his family's stall in Leicester Market. Lineker still helped out on the stall at the height of his playing career during the late 1980s and early 1990s, though usually only in the closed season. His links with cricket were renewed when he was invited to become Honorary President of Kent-based wandering cricket club, Paraguayan Elbows CC.[24] The club, which was founded in 1986, was named in his honour after an incident in that summer's World Cup match between England and Paraguay.
Lineker married Michelle Cockayne in 1986, but they divorced in August 2006. They announced their split in April 2006 but stated that the situation was amicable.[25] They have four sons, George, Harry, Tobias, and Angus. His oldest son George survived a rare form of leukaemia as a baby in the early 1990s;[3] Lineker now supports children's cancer charity CLIC Sargent and has since appeared in adverts encouraging people to give blood as a result. Lineker has been actively involved with other cancer charities such as Leukaemia Busters, where between 1994 and 2005 Gary and Michelle were the charity’s patrons.[26][27] He has also been involved with Fight for Life and Cancer Research UK.[28][29]
In October 2002, Lineker backed a £5 million bid to rescue his former club Leicester City which recently had gone into administration, describing his involvement as charity rather than an ego trip.[30] He said that he would invest a six-figure sum and other members of his consortium would invest a similar amount.[31] Lineker met the fans' group to persuade them to try and raise money to rescue his former club. Another six-figure sum donor was Emile Heskey, who had not only followed in Lineker's footsteps by going to the same school as him, but also went on to play for Leicester City and England. The club was saved from liquidation. Lineker is now honorary vice-president of Leicester City, along with former players Gordon Banks and Peter Shilton.
Lineker married Danielle Bux on 2 September 2009, in Italy. The ceremony was attended by friends and family. They went on to win £30,000 for charity in ITV's gameshow Mr. and Mrs.
Career statistics[link]
| Club performance | League | Cup | League Cup | Continental | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| England | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | |||||||
| 1978–79 | Leicester City | Second Division | 7 | 1 | — | — | — | 7 | 1 | |||
| 1979–80 | 19 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 20 | 3 | ||||
| 1980–81 | First Division | 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 10 | 3 | |||
| 1981–82 | Second Division | 39 | 17 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | 47 | 19 | ||
| 1982–83 | 40 | 26 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 43 | 26 | |||
| 1983–84 | First Division | 39 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 41 | 22 | ||
| 1984–85 | 41 | 24 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | 48 | 29 | |||
| 1985–86 | Everton | First Division | 41 | 30 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 3 | — | 52 | 38 | |
| Spain | League | Copa del Rey | Copa de la Liga | Europe | Total | |||||||
| 1986–87 | Barcelona | La Liga | 41 | 20 | 1 | 1 | — | 8 | 0 | 50 | 21 | |
| 1987–88 | 36 | 16 | 5 | 2 | — | 9 | 2 | 50 | 20 | |||
| 1988–89 | 26 | 6 | 4 | 1 | — | 8 | 4 | 38 | 11 | |||
| England | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | |||||||
| 1989–90 | Tottenham Hotspur | First Division | 38 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | — | 45 | 26 | |
| 1990–91 | 32 | 15 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 1 | — | 43 | 19 | |||
| 1991–92 | 35 | 28 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 50 | 35 | ||
| Japan | League | Emperor's Cup | J. League Cup | Asia | Total | |||||||
| 1993 | Nagoya Grampus Eight | J. League | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 4 | — | 12 | 5 | |
| 1994 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 12 | 3 | |||
| Country | England | 340 | 192 | 28 | 14 | 30 | 13 | 8 | 2 | 406 | 221 | |
| Spain | 103 | 42 | 10 | 4 | — | 25 | 6 | 138 | 52 | |||
| Japan | 18 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 4 | — | 24 | 8 | |||
| Total | 461 | 238 | 38 | 18 | 36 | 17 | 33 | 8 | 568 | 281 | ||
| England national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 1984 | 1 | 0 |
| 1985 | 9 | 6 |
| 1986 | 10 | 8 |
| 1987 | 7 | 9 |
| 1988 | 10 | 3 |
| 1989 | 9 | 3 |
| 1990 | 15 | 8 |
| 1991 | 11 | 10 |
| 1992 | 8 | 1 |
| Total | 80 | 48 |
International goals[link]
- Scores and results list England's goal tally first.
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Result | Competition | Scored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 March 1985 | Wembley Stadium |  Republic of Ireland |
2–1 | Friendly | 1 |
| 2, 3 | 16 June 1985 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum |  United States |
5–0 | Friendly | 2 |
| 4, 5, 6 | 16 October 1985 | Wembley Stadium |  Turkey |
5–0 | 1986 World Cup qualifier | 3 |
| 7, 8, 9 | 11 June 1986 | Estadio Tecnológico, Monterrey |  Poland |
3–0 | 1986 World Cup | 3 |
| 10, 11 | 18 June 1986 | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City |  Paraguay |
3–0 | 1986 World Cup | 2 |
| 12 | 22 June 1986 | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City |  Argentina |
1–2 | 1986 World Cup | 1 |
| 13, 14 | 15 October 1986 | Wembley Stadium |  Northern Ireland |
3–0 | Euro 1988 qualifier | 2 |
| 15, 16, 17, 18 | 18 February 1987 | Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid |  Spain |
4–2 | Friendly | 4 |
| 19 | 19 May 1987 | Wembley Stadium |  Brazil |
1–1 | Friendly (Rous Cup) | 1 |
| 20 | 9 September 1987 | Rheinstadion, Düsseldorf | West Germany |
1–3 | Friendly | 1 |
| 21, 23 | 14 October 1987 | Wembley Stadium | Turkey |
8–0 | Euro 1988 qualifier | 3 |
| 24 | 24 May 1988 | Wembley Stadium |  Colombia |
1–1 | Friendly (Rous Cup) | 1 |
| 25 | 23 March 1988 | Wembley Stadium |  Netherlands |
2–2 | Friendly | 1 |
| 26 | 28 May 1988 | Stade Olympique de la Pontaise, Lausanne |  Switzerland |
1–0 | Friendly | 1 |
| 27 | 26 April 1989 | Wembley Stadium |  Albania |
5–0 | 1990 World Cup qualifier | 1 |
| 28 | 3 June 1989 | Wembley Stadium | Poland |
3–0 | 1990 World Cup qualifier | 1 |
| 29 | 7 July 1989 | Parken Stadium, Copenhagen |  Denmark |
1–1 | Friendly | 1 |
| 30 | 28 March 1990 | Wembley Stadium | Brazil |
1–0 | Friendly | 1 |
| 31 | 15 May 1990 | Wembley Stadium | Denmark |
1–0 | Friendly | 1 |
| 32 | 11 June 1990 | Stadio Sant'Elia, Cagliari | Republic of Ireland |
1–1 | 1990 World Cup | 1 |
| 33, 34 | 1 July 1990 | Stadio San Paolo, Naples |  Cameroon |
3–2 | 1990 World Cup | 2 |
| 35 | 4 July 1990 | Stadio delle Alpi, Turin | West Germany |
1 – 1p | 1990 World Cup | 1 |
| 36 | 22 September 1990 | Wembley Stadium |  Hungary |
1–0 | Friendly | 1 |
| 37 | 17 October 1990 | Wembley Stadium | Poland |
2–0 | Euro 1992 qualifier | 1 |
| 38, 39 | 6 February 1991 | Wembley Stadium | Cameroon |
2–0 | Friendly | 2 |
| 40 | 26 July 1991 | Wembley Stadium | Argentina |
2–2 | Friendly (England Challenge Cup) | 1 |
| 41 | 3 June 1991 | Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland |  New Zealand |
1–0 | Friendly | 1 |
| 42, 43, 44, 45 | 12 June 1991 | Stadium Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur |  Malaysia |
4–2 | Friendly | 4 |
| 46 | 13 November 1991 | Stadion Miejski, Poznań | Poland |
1–1 | Euro 1992 qualifier | 1 |
| 47 | 19 February 1992 | Wembley Stadium | France |
2–0 | Friendly | 1 |
| 48 | 29 April 1992 | Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow |  CIS |
2–2 | Friendly | 1 |
Honours[link]
Club[link]
International[link]
- Rous Cup: 1986, 1988, 1989
- England Challenge Cup: 1991
Individual[link]
- English League Top Scorer: 1984–85, 1985–86, 1989–90
- English Second Division Top Scorer: 1982-83[33]
- FIFA World Cup Golden Shoe: 1986
- PFA Players' Player of the Year: 1985–86
- FWA Footballer of the Year: 1985–86, 1991–92
References[link]
- ^ "Northern Ireland – Patrick Kielty, Almost Live". BBC. 30 November 1960. http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/patrickkielty/guests/gary_lineker.shtml. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
- ^ "Multi-talented footballers". guardian.co.uk. 10 August 2005. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2005/aug/10/theknowledge.sport.
- ^ a b c Ferguson, Euan (8 April 2007). "He's still the golden shot". The Observer (UK). http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2007/apr/08/golf.broadcasting. Retrieved 15 December 2008.
- ^ Caldecote Primary
- ^ a b "Passed/Failed: An education in the life of Gary Lineker". independent.co.uk. 4 March 2010. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/passedfailed-an-education-in-the-life-of-gary-lineker-match-of-the-day-presenter-and-former-footballer-1915343.html.
- ^ They Think It's All Over, Series 6 Episode 2 (1998)
- ^ http://www.evertonresults.com/198586.htm
- ^ "Gary Lineker". Talk Football. http://www.talkfootball.co.uk/guides/football_legends_gary_lineker.html. Retrieved 9 March 2008.
- ^ "E.ON Great Saves No.6: Mark Crossley". Mirror Football. http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/archive/E-ON-Great-Saves-1991-FA-Cup-final-special-Totttenham-2-1-Nottingham-Forest-unseen-pictures-of-Mark-Crossley-Gary-Lineker-Brian-Clough-and-co-plus-original-Daily-Mirror-match-reports-and-features-from-our-archive-article321299.html. Retrieved 1 February 2012.
- ^ "Tottenham v Arsenal: Top five North London derbies". Metro.co.uk. 14 April 2010. http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/821636-tottenham-v-arsenal-top-five-north-london-derbies. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
- ^ "The Times and The Sunday Times Archive". Newsint-archive.co.uk. http://www.newsint-archive.co.uk/pages/S.asp?pubsel=BOTH&SrchText=Lineker&edn=&DateFromDD=01&DateFromMM=Sep&DateFromYY=1991&page=&SortOrder=Asc&SortOrder=asc&SortOrder=asc&SortOrder=asc&SortSpec=&DateToDD=30&DateToMM=Nov&ResultListMax=200&Submit1=Search&source=thetimes&DateToYY=1991&byline=&head=&Collection=NI%C2%A7%3D&Caption=&SortField=SDate&SortField=Pub&SortField=EDN&SortField=Page&ST=NS&Site=ALL&ResultCount=20&BackDD=Day&summreqd=yes&QueryText=%28Lineker%29+%3CAND%3E+%28PUB%3DBOTH%29+%3CAND%3E+%28%28SDate%3E%3D9%2F1%2F1991%29+%3CAND%3E+%28SDate%3C%3D11%2F30%2F1991%29%29&BackMM=Month&indexkey=3D12283075330327469E230&advsrch=0&BackYY=Year&_P=5&ResultMaxDocs=200&. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
- ^ "Jack Walker". Daily Telegraph. UK. 19 August 2000. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1353251/Jack-Walker.html. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
- ^ C Malam, p100
- ^ The first was against Spain 18 February 1987 and the second time against Malaysia 12 June 1991
- ^ "Sweden 2 England 1 Match Summary and Report". England Football Online. EnglandInteractive. 17 June 1992. http://www.englandfootballonline.com/Seas1990-00/1991-92/M0688Swe1992.html. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
- ^ "Past encounters between England and Brazil". The Guardian (UK). 12 November 2009. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/gallery/2009/nov/12/england-brazil-previous-meetings?picture=355511205. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
- ^ Malam, p140&141
- ^ Simon Parke. "A sporting chance for unity". Church Times. http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=42724. Retrieved 3 August 2009.
- ^ "Golden Boots" (1998)
- ^ Booth, Robert (4 July 2006). "Lineker and Kewell settle libel case out of court". The Guardian (UK). http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,1563,1520864,00.html. Retrieved 13 November 2006.
- ^ Gary and Danielle's Northern Exposure at DiscoverNorthernIreland.com
- ^ Ducker, James (19 May 2010). "Gary Lineker kicks column into touch in protest over Lord Triesman sting". The Times (UK). http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/international/article7129899.ece. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
- ^ Lineker forced to take crisp break Daily Mail
- ^ "The story behind the Paraguayan Elbows CC". http://www.paraguayan-elbowscc.co.uk/history.htm. Retrieved 13 November 2006.
- ^ "Gary Lineker and wife to separate". BBC News. 30 April 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4960106.stm. Retrieved 13 November 2006.
- ^ http://www.leukaemiabusters.org.uk/pages/background.aspx
- ^ "Gary's goal is to fight leukaemia (From Daily Echo)". Dailyecho.co.uk. 16 October 2000. http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/archive/2000/10/16/Hampshire+Archive/5626226.Gary_s_goal_is_to_fight_leukaemia/. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
- ^ "Fight for Life Appeal 2008". Fightforlife.org. http://www.fightforlife.org/appeal2008.html. Retrieved 3 August 2009.
- ^ "Gary Lineker to face questioning for Cancer Research UK charity fundraiser", Charities Aid Foundation, 3 March 2008. Retrieved on 4 March 2008.
- ^ "Lineker keen to bail out Leicester for his boys' sake". telegraph.co.uk. 24 October 2002. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/championship/3036643/Lineker-keen-to-bale-out-Leicester-for-his-boys-sake.html.
- ^ "Lineker unveils Leicester rescue bid BBC Sport October 2002". BBC News. 23 October 2002. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/leicester_city/2352155.stm. Retrieved 3 August 2009.
- ^ "Gary Lineker – Goals in International Matches". Rsssf.com. 29 January 2006. http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/lineker-intlg.html. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
- ^ "English League Leading Goalscorers". rsssf.com. http://www.rsssf.com/tablese/engtops.html. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
Gary Lineker: Strikingly Different, Colin Malam, Stanley Paul Publications, London, 1993 ISBN 0-09-175424-0
External links[link]
- Gary Lineker photos, biography & stats at sporting-heroes.net
- Gary Lineker career stats at Soccerbase
- English Football Hall of Fame Profile
- Gary Lineker's Football Career Home and Abroad[dead link]
- Gary Lineker at the Internet Movie Database
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| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Lineker, Gary Winston |
| Alternative names | Lineker, Gary |
| Short description | Footballer, sports broadcaster |
| Date of birth | (1960-11-30) 30 November 1960 (age 51) |
| Place of birth | Leicester, England |
| Date of death | |
| Place of death | |
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This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Lineker
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This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
