Leicester - Our Home city
The name “Leicester” comes from Old English. The first element of the name is the name of a people, the Ligore – their name came in turn from the river Ligor (now the River Soar). The second element of the name is the Old English word ceaster (“(Roman) fort, fortification, town”, itself borrowed from Latin castrum).
Population: 430,000 est
1: Leicester was the home of the incredible David Attenborough’s upbringing
Attenborough grew up in Leicester, England, where his father was principal of the local university.
Attenborough was educated at Wyggeston Grammar School for Boys in Leicester and then won a scholarship to Clare College, Cambridge in 1945, where he studied geology and zoology and obtained a degree in natural sciences.[19] In 1947, he was called up for national service in the Royal Navy and spent two years stationed in North Wales and the Firth of Forth.
2: Leicester was also the birthplace of the father of the package holiday
Thomas Cook – and the first-ever package tour took place from Leicester to Loughborough in 1841. (Rumour has it that the train journey was even quicker than it is today!)
3: Leicester born develops Walkie talkies
Walkie talkies, or as they're more boringly known, handheld transceivers, were developed in the Second World War by Leicester-born Donald L Hings.
Hugely useful tech for the military, they then spread to commercial use and eventually a popular children's toy.
Mobiles may have killed off their use nowadays, but there's a simple joy still of making a static noise and ending every sentence 'over'.
4: Leicester’s main River, The River Soar used to be pink
Leicester’s main watercourse – which runs alongside the DMU campus – used to be known for its strange pink hue. This was all down to the city’s industrial heritage when it was famous for its textiles. In fact, the clothing industry was so successful in the 1930s that Leicester was named the second richest city in Europe.
Water was an essential part of the manufacturing process so textile mills were all built on the riverside. Unfortunately, the waste was flushed back into the Soar creating the pink colour.
The textile industry is not what it was and we are happy to report that the Soar is now rich in wildlife with thriving bird, fish, and plant populations.
5: Leicester is home to the biggest crisp factory in the world
Did you know that Walkers’ Crisps has been frying potatoes in Leicester for 71 years and now runs the largest crisp factory in the world? If you head out to Walkers in the Leicester district of Beaumont Leys you can smell the factory before you see it.
The factory produces seven million packs of crisps a day. That’s right. A day. And it scrubs, washes, and slices 40 tonnes of potatoes every hour. It’s a staggering operation. The company started in 1948 when Leicester butcher Henry Walker – former producer of pork pies and sausages on Cheapside – felt the pinch with post-war rationing and had to diversify. The story goes that he originally thought of making ice cream but he didn’t have enough room in his fridges. Am I the only one now thinking of cheese and onion flavor Mr. Whippy?
6: Leicester hosts the largest Diwali celebrations outside of India
Indians account for around 28% of Leicester’s population, but this is still an astonishing fact! Up to 35,000 people attend the switch-on of the Diwali lights on Belgrave Road (pictured below) every year, while even more attend the day-long celebrations. This year, the Diwali ‘Festival of Light’ will include a variety of events and activities to bring the Leicester community together, such as food markets, live music and dancing, Bollywood film viewings, and parades through the city streets.
7: Leicester took a lead role in the campaign for Votes for Women
Alice Hawkins was a leading English suffragette and started her campaign for Votes for Women in Leicester. She was a boot and shoe machinist at Equity Shoes, which is now student accommodation near Bede Park.
She went to prison five times for acts committed as part of the Women’s Social and Political Union militant campaign. Her husband Alfred Hawkins was also an active campaigner.
Hawkins was first jailed in February 1907, among 29 women sent to HollowayPrison after a march on Parliament. She was jailed a second time in 1909 as she tried to force entry into a public meeting where Winston Churchill was speaking.
Her third imprisonment was in 1911 after throwing a brick through a Home Office window in full view of a policeman. She was jailed twice more in 1913, first for throwing ink into a Leicester post box, and then the last time for digging a slogan into a golf course at night.
In 2018 a statue of Alice was unveiled in Leicester Market Square.
8: Leicester is the 10th largest city in the UK
Leicester has a total population of around 430,000, beating close East Midlands neighbors Nottingham and Derby. It’s even larger than Newcastle! In the last decade, Leicester’s population has risen dramatically due to the immigration of other ethnic groups, but this has given the city a diverse culture and unique mix of communities – demonstrated by the Diwali celebrations mentioned above!
9: Leicester was the birthplace of local radio
With major cities like London being such an influence on UK radio, it might come as a surprise that Leicester was the first city to have a local radio station. The first broadcast from BBC Radio Leicester was back in 1967. It included the first local radio jingle, followed by the Lord Mayor of Leicester as a guest.
10: Leicester is home to Europe’s largest outdoor, covered market
Located south of Leicester centre’s iconic Clock Tower, our famous market holds numerous events throughout the year and is open six days a week. Browse over 300 stalls without being exposed to the great British weather.
11: Leicester is the birthplace of modern standard English
This fact proves that Leicester has made its presence felt across the world! Experts have concluded that the modern English language, spoken by over 1 billion people, originated in Leicester. It was first developed as a way for Anglo-Saxons and Vikings to communicate with each other.
12: Leicester is one of the UK’s oldest cities
Leicester’s history stretches back over 2,000 years, hence why it’s the originator of the standard English language. Romans came across an Iron Age settlement in Leicester from around the 1st or 2nd century BC. If you want to explore more of Leicester’s Iron Age history, you could visit Burrough on the Hill in Leicestershire. The 7-mile hillfort has wonderful views over the surrounding countryside and dates back to around 100 BC.
Blog resources:
https://www.sandicliffe.co.uk/blog/10-facts-about-leicester-that-might-surprise-you
https://www.dmu.ac.uk/study/leicester/facts-history.aspx
https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/leicester-facts-897154