8370 research outputs found
Sort by
Ghost signs for Britain's Heritage and Leicester Children's Holidays on Holy Bones, 2017.
No full textGhost signs for two different companies: Britain's Heritage and Leicester Children's Holidays. This first advert reads 'Fireplaces / Antique & Reproduction / 4500 sq. ft. of displays / Britain's Heritage' with their telephone. In 2020, both signs were repainted, but only Leicester Children's Holidays changed their design to include a URL. The second sign reads 'Leicester Children's Holiday Home (Mablethorpe)' with their telephone.
Britain's Heritage was founded in 1987 and still works as UK specialists in selling and reproducing antique fireplaces. Leicester Children's Holidays was founded in 1898 by Lady Rolleston and Sir John Rolleston as a club for poor and orphaned boys, and eventually girls, where they were taken for holiday to Mablethorpe. Leicester Children's Holidays still functions today, offering support to children across Leicestershire and Rutland, but their Mablethorpe property was sold in 2017
Ghost sign for house furnishers on Granby Street, 2017.
No full textGhost sign for Robert Johnson & Co. This sign has severely deteriorated and is very difficult to decipher. However, 'House' remains clearly visible. The word above is likely 'Limited' and the word below 'Furnishers'. A 1920 image showing Granby Street with a sign for Robert Johnson & Co. may relate to this image. To view this historical image and another Robert Johnson ghost sign, view our collection
Philip French Oral History Interview - Community Collections
No full textExtract from full interview with Philip French (Philip_French_29th August 2017). An oral history interview from Philip French, Curator of Leicester History in Leicester Museums.He talks the collections at the museum and about the development about community collections and how the museums have tried to change the gaps by activley acquiring. However, he talks about the difficulty of doing this
Diana Goodall interviewed by Jenny Escritt, 6 July 2017
No full textDiana Goodall (DG) interviewed by Jenny Escritt (JE), 6 July 2017. DG recalls early family life in Braunstone, Leicestershire. Describes decision made by local council to send 250 children to boarding school, give children better opportunities after Second World War. DG sent to Shooting Butts School, Rugeley in 1946 aged twelve. Describes the experience of arriving at Shooting Butts and being treated for potential head lice, chores and difference in background and wealth of pupils. DG returned to Leicester in 1948 at age 14, joined Folville Rise School. Description of starting work at Equity Works, Western Road on 15th birthday. Describes first day and making friends. Recalls using a comptometer: added figures, collected report sheets from each department, switchboard. Mentions attending typing course at Ellesmere Road night school at age 14. Comments on parent's background, came from Birmingham, found it difficult to understand Leicester dialect. Father was a bus driver, council house allocated to family due to father's occupation. DG left Equity Works, started work at Banners Milk Bar, opposite Victoria Park gates. Similar office work to Equity Works. Mentions technological advancement during this time, machine printing of names and addresses. Worked in successive office jobs. Mentions meeting husband at 17 when dancing at her sister's wedding, future husband was on leave from Air Force. Mentions moved to house in Wigston in 1955, took nine years off of work to raise children. Returned to work, factory job at Broughton's making socks and stockings. Went to Mansfield Hosiery when Broughton's closed down. All piece work, three pence a dozen. Describes family income, able to install central heating in the 1960s because of work. Husband a mechanic, had car with job. Comments on Leicester cinemas, liked the Roxy. DG belonged to a youth club called the League of Youth, set up by the Labour Party for young people aged 15-25. League of Youth organised camping, day trips. DG went from age 15 until married. Recalls caravan holidays to Wells-Next-The-Sea, four pounds a week for the caravan. Shopped locally in 1940s on Narborough Road. Queued for food during rationing. Made own clothes, created handkerchiefs and pillowcases out of old sheets. Describes Narborough Road shops: Laxtons Butchers, Claricoates green grocers, Gowers. Mentions shopping in town: haggling for food at Market. Mentions trams ran from market, seats changed direction at the terminus so had to get up quickly before they swivelled round.File replaced with redacted file on 23.01.2024 by Colin Hyde
Philip French Oral History Interview
No full textAn oral history interview from Philip French, Curator of Leicester History in Leicester Museums.He talks about his role within the museum and how it has changed and also how exhibitions and collections within Newarke Houses especially have developed. Discussion about the engagement with community groups and their involvement in exhibitions. He mentions about the purpose of a museum to educate and entertain and how this purpose has developed over the years
Linda Harding
No full textAn oral history interview from Linda Harding, Outreach Officer at Leicester Museum.She discusses her role in depth along with examples of the community work that she does. This can be exhibitions with community groups or library cases. She discusses the development of the dementia project. Talk of difficulties with the elements of particpation and getting people into the museum.Talks about the development in the attitude towards engagement and inclusion within the museum and argues the outreach is an important aspect of a museum's work
Anthony Hands interviewed by Burt McNeill, 17 March 2017
No full textAnthony Hands (AH) interviewed by Burt McNeill (BM), 17 March 2017. AH born in Leicester, England in 1960, grew up in Enterprise House, Freeman, Hardy and Willis. AH describes career of his father, Arthur Hans (ARH), who was recruited as Director's Chef in 1959 by Sir Charles Clore of British Shoe Corporation (BSC). ARH had previously worked as cook for Guinness family in Ireland. ARH given a flat on top of Enterprise House, AH lived there with mother, father, sister and brother. AH attended Holy Cross School, recalls Enterprise House shutting down in 1964, moved to Braunstone site. ARH and family were given a maisonette on site, AH lived there for 21 years. Comments on seeing BSC grow, ARH often in sports and social club, mentions dominoes club ran by ARH. Describes ARH's interest in sport, founder of Freeman, Hardy and Willis football team and cricket team, later elected honorary President of cricket club upon retirement. ARH made wedding cakes, had his own kitchen at Braunstone site. AH recalls colour television in bar and dining room of Braunstone site, would watch football cup finals there. Anecdote about ARH being called to make sandwich for BSC Director late at night. AH describes ARH's interest in cricket, asked Sir Charles Clore to put name to trophy, set up cricket tournament named Clore Cup. Competition took place across Leicestershire. Story about ARH playing cricket with Royal Family, bowled to Prince Philip and broke Prince's thumb. ARH was born in London but lived in Ilmington, met his wife. ARH served in RAF during Second World War, later served as meteorologist in Canada during this time. Learned his trade as chef after RAF, started work as Cook in Shipstone. AH's mother is Irish, father went to Ireland and began work as cook for Guinness family at Luttrellstown Castle. AH later returned to Ireland with mother to find cottage they stayed with Guinness Family. ARH would cook for private parties of BSC Directors and made wedding cakes. Anecdote about ARH icing a cake to be sent to couple in Australia. AH describes playing fields and sports and social club at BSC site. Describes his early involvement in BSC, worked in maintenance during summer holidays. Studied programming and computing at college. ARH spoke to head of IT and asked to give AH interview. AH started work in Computer Operations for BSC in 1982. Describes work at BSC and involvement in digitisation of shoe box printing, later became Operation Analyst. Describes changes to BSC, Sears and large scale sale of brands in 1998. AH left BSC in 1999, moved to Alliance Leicester. Comments on living in maisonettes on BSC site and learning to play football. AH mentions ARH's status and influence at BSC
Margaret Fenwick interviewed by Sharon North, 17 February 2017
No full textMargaret Fenwick (MF) interviewed by Sharon North (SN), 17 February 2017. MF describes local celebrations at end of Second World War on Winstanley Drive, Leicester. Street party, tables down the middle of the road, food included egg sandwiches. Dancing and singing with local children and older sister, mothers made the food. Recalls father returning home from war in November 1945, had been away five years, didn't talk much about the war, was in the Medical Corp in Italy and Germany. Describes leisure time, playing tennis in the park, visited Roxy cinema at Westleigh on Fosse Road with friends, went to Lewis' for coffee. MF attended Technical College in the Newark age 13. Particularly liked the gym there, climbing the bars etc. Studied shorthand and typing. Went on to work as a secretary before starting family. Married in 1956, first baby born in 1958. Talks about labour, didn't enjoy the experience in the maternity unit, left in labour for 24 hours, had subsequent children at home. Story about meeting husband at Bell Hotel dance October 1955, engaged March 1956, married in September. Recalls going dancing every Saturday, mentions Palais de Danse was always crowded, had good bands. Went dancing from age 15, had to be home on last bus. Went to Lewis' and Lee's to buy dresses. Father was manager in Co-op, recalls memories of Narborough Road and Braunstone Gate, development of Narborough Road. Mentions shopping delivered from the Co-op, during the war Mother worked full time at Co-op. MF describes first job, Junior Secretary in an accountant's office in New Street near the Cathedral, caught bus to High Street, had to be on time. MF mentions learned to drive in 1955 because other girls in the office did. Lived with parents whilst house was being built, moved in 1957. Anecdote about father being strict, not being allowed in car with strangers, got into husband's car first time they met. Describes family holidays taken, took coach from St Margaret's bus station to Bournemouth, stayed in a guest house. Comments on working life, changed job for increase in pay, no shortage of jobs. Husband was a rep for an electrical firm, drove around selling appliances. Recalls watching new house being built in Braunstone, had neighbours from across Leicester, all had young children. Mentions facilities in this area, local Co-op and paper shop, bus service, no other facilities. Grandparents lived on Braunstone Gate, lots of shops there, always had to wear a hat when going out in Braunstone Gate
Douglas Owen interviewed by Colin Hyde, 8 March 2017
No full textDouglas Owen (DO) interviewed by Colin Hyde (CH) at interviewee's home, 8 March 2017. DO provides brief family history, Mother from Leicester, Father from Tamworth. Both parents worked, DO's grandmother took care of him. Geoff Owen (GO) introduces himself as DO's son. DO attended Hazel Street School, passed the Eleven-plus but had to go to King Richard Intermediate School as Father wanted him to work at age 14. Describes becoming member of Air Training Corps before Second World War, story of getting job at Everards on Southgate Street. Details work done, became foreman and manager of bottling plant, lists beers brewed. Saracen's Head being main Everards pub in Leicester, full of market traders. Mentions brewery smelt of hops, bottles go through big washing machine. Joined RAF in 1942, worked with mobile radar. Joined RAF due to being Sergeant in Air Training Corps, wanted to fly but eyesight not good enough. Anecdote about training on radar in Wales, very secret. GO says that DO went to France after D-Day and recently received Legion d'Honneur from France. Description of mobile radar, had crew of ten people, including cook. Recalls problems landing in France, states British planes made a ticking sound on the radar. Mentions local people were happy to see them, later went to Holland. Recounts extensive travels, demonstrating and using radar, travelled to Hong Kong where was glad to be demobbed. Offered chance to stay in RAF, declined due to getting married. Brief description of deep snow in winter of 1947. Description of DO's wedding and marriage to Doreen. DO mentions only seeing Doreen a few times when first married due to being abroad, no letters reached him. Comments on return to Everards, no other jobs available. Couldn't find house, lived with relatives, then flat in Kimberley Road. Moved to Coleman Road in 1952, wanted a place of their own so moved to Evington in 1960s. Description of Blue Boar pub on Southgate Street. Mentions bottling other beers at Everards, creating soft drinks for Everards from scratch, still having recipes, but Schweppes complained. States Walkers crisps trialled crisps in Everards pubs. Describes hobbies, playing cricket and football. Played cricket for Everards, football for Friar Lane Old Boys. Everards cricket team started in fourth division and ended in first. Went to Filbert Street whenever could, was at various FA Cup finals. Recalls canvassing for Liberal party, voted Conservative in 1945 as didn't like the way the Labour Party was run. GO talks about the Blue Boar pub, many bus drivers used it, stables at back, later demolished. DO drew up plans for new Everards site at Fosse Park, was a manager there, ran several pubs for two weeks at a time, Braunstone Hotel on Narborough Road was the biggest, GO met Tommy Cooper (comedian) there. Everards soft drinks were sold to Lovett's
Maureen Priestley interviewed by Peter Wood, 25 October 2017
No full textInterview with Maureen Priestley [MP], born 1933. Father Baptist Minister. [00:02:04] Talks of wartime memories in Lancashire, helping parents run canteen. [00:04:45] Remembers winter of 1947, childhood living in Kegworth, Leicestershire. Attended Alderman Newton School, Leicester. [00:09:40] Talks of attending Teacher Training College in Coventry in 1952. Describes teaching in Braunstone, Leicester. [00:13:06] Comments on importance of children's education. Describes in detail childhood games, family traditions, listening to radio. [00:23:39] Discusses post war family life; rationing, Welfare State. [00:31:25] Comments on love of singing, performing The Messiah in Leicester Cathedral. [00:33:14] Talks of changes in teaching from 1950s to 1980s. [00:34:38] Remembers in detail childhood family life: finances, holidays, teenage years. [00:54:48] Comments on the effect of migration on teaching in 1950s and 1960s. [01:01:08] Remembers visiting Festival of Britain 1951. [01:03:16} Recalls coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, 1953.File replaced with redacted file on 23.01.2024 by Colin Hyde