LEICESTER | How to improve the Castle and other heritage areas

[Lears City]

I reckon my open air heritage museum would work. Just need to win the Euro Millions...

[Lears City]

A nice photo of the Turret Gateway

http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=6513396

[WOTZDA POINT]

turret gateway photo is atmospheric; i propose from my Old England theme pub/hotel to have ghost walks great stag/hen weekends ?????

[Leicity82]

Lovely photo.

Some sort of 'outdoor' venue would also be a good idea.

[braunstone geezer]

my problem with this historical interest thing is that mostly its not ineresting, and the only time it would have been remotely interesting would have been the day that the historically interesting thing happened, which was in the past, so as a result were left wiv a crappy old scout hut and a hill that stuff happened on a long time ago, but fuck all since

[braunstone geezer]

and wots this olde (i knew id spelt it right on my english mock exam) england theme pub ur on about wotzda, sounds better than the usual shit u get at castles (i mean real ones) except warwick castle thats a laff. do u think tourists would be interested in paying me a few quid to handle hawks and falcons in the castle area?

[Mark76]

Does anyone here know how to play the lute?

Hey nonny nonny.

[Leicity82]

I can't believe this wasn't on the Merc website:

Full article titleshould read:

'Revealed - plans for..

From Leicester Mercury, 5th March 2008.

[WOTZDA POINT]

Originally Posted by Mark76

Does anyone here know how to play the lute?

Hey nonny nonny.

AAhhhh the creative juices are flowing now, how about a Black Adder themed complex !

With tights and codpeices

[d4mo85]

I like the sound and look (although you can't see much) of what's proposed for the 'Cathedral Square' - Looks very pleasant

[braunstone geezer]

where will the scag heads go? i dont like churches and religious things, this will only appeal to the womens institute and twats like them. id rather see a law firm or other big proffesional institution from london move in, like doctors and stuff, a training centre of some sort. create jobs and things from training. the church will just hold bring and buy sales and u wont be aloud in unless u can recite stuff like luke:12verse2, or wotever bible speak is, and they just make u feel bad.

keep the school as some sort of school and out of the hands of the evil pedo church people (who proberly agree wiv me about the school bit, fucking pervs)

[rusheyboy]

Originally Posted by WOTZDA POINT

AAhhhh the creative juices are flowing now, how about a Black Adder themed complex !

With tights and codpeices

This image is from the civic society site and shows a proposed visitor centre. The url contains a link to a petition for those who haven't signed already.

[rusheyboy]

Originally Posted by WOTZDA POINT

AAhhhh the creative juices are flowing now, how about a Black Adder themed complex !

With tights and codpeices

This image is from the civic society site and shows a proposed visitor centre. The url contains a link to a petition for those who haven't signed already.http://www.leicestercivicsociety.org...gn.asp?item=12

[Leicity82]

I always thought of a similar thing too. Perhaps not as fake looking, but something that represents what was actually there.

[MWRIGH17]

I saw the Mercury article about the Catherderal Square but it's only since viewing it on here that I can see an alfresco area.

The artist impression is taken from Grey Friars and that would be a sizable piece of land to be pedestrainised. It'd hopefully rid the area of the skateborders and undesirables.

[belgrave boy]

I think the Cathedral Sqaure redevlopment is a great proposal that will revive that corner of the city. Perhaps it might bring some high end stores into the area.

As for the visitor norman tower, it looks like a playground. Wheres the slide? Despite this i think it would increase tourism in this gem.

More news:

TIME TO REPAIR OLD CLOCK
BYNADEEM HANIF

10:30 - 28 March 2008



An historic 400-year-old church clock is being restored after being forgotten for decades.

Scaffolding has gone up to allow restoration work on the medieval All Saints Church, on Highcross Street, off Vaughan Way in Leicester.

The 13th-century Norman church is one of the oldest in Leicester.



Chris Stevens, the church caretaker, said: "It's an amazing part of the city's heritage that will soon be restored to its former glory."

The church closed to public worship in 1982 and had been left derelict for four years before the Church Conservation Trust took over running the building.

Mr Stevens said: "I used to maintain the clock during that time and make sure it ran correctly.

"In 1986, when the Church Conservation Trust took over it wasn't practical to continue working on the clock on my own and it fell into disrepair."

The church is only open for one service a year, on All Saints' Day, November 1. It was closed owing to falling numbers of worshippers. Mr Stevens was contacted by Freemason Richard White, an engineer who has already helped restore the clock at St Nicholas Church in the city centre.

The Leicestershire and Rutland Freemasons agreed to pay for the repair work, which started last month.

Mr White said: "This is a real labour of love for me because it's such a well known clock that has not worked for decades.

"It is one of the oldest clocks in Leicestershire, maybe even the country, so it's definitely worth saving.

"People who drive past it have seen it in decline but once the work is completed it will be an important landmark again."

Scaffolding has gone up at the church and work has begun on the clock from inside.

He said: "The external clock casing is still there but that will be removed very soon.

"We will then repair the internal mechanism so that it can tell the time accurately again.

"The biggest challenge will be making the two new 12-inch wooden striking jacks. All the work is being done by volunteers from the freemasons, working from old photographs."

The cost of repairs is about £2,000 compared with £15,000 it would have cost to bring in commercial contractors.

Mr White said: "It really is a beautiful church and the clock will be stunning when it is done.

"There are five other volunteers working on the restoration with me and we hope to complete the work by autumn."

With all the regeneration in the waterside i think it is definately needed.

[braunstone geezer]

why dont churches go digital? wasting money on a clock people dont need (everyones got a mobile wiv a clock built in) plus wiv digital clocks u dont need sum do gooding twat to wind the fucker up everey nite


my mum lives in a village in the vale of belvoir called eaton, in the local pub was an advert for someone to wind the church clock every sunday, so my mum wrote my brothers name down to do it but she dint let on to my brother. so wen he didnt turn up to wind the clock the church warden knocked on his door. as u can imagine, my brothers a lot like me, so wen the church warden told my brother he was the new church clock winder, my brother replyed wiv 'u can stick ur church clock up gods arse mate' and closed the door. guess my familys going to have sneak over heavens wall to get in

[braunstone geezer]

my brother aint the brightest, while rebuilding a large manor house on a big country estate somewhere near melton he chat every morning with the posh tart who lives there, (his words). hes a builder so the conversations were mostly sexual, u know jokes, flirting with her, rude suggestions about women on horse back. well after about 3 months my mum asks him what her name is, he replys sarah macorkadale, which turns out to be lady sarah macorkadle, princess dianas sister. not at all bothered by this revalation my bro says to me 'i dont care, id still slip her a length'

[candida]

From today's Leicester Mercury

BY JENNY OUSBEY

10:30 - 14 April 2008


An artist's impression of how Leicester Castle could be used to attract tourists has been drawn up by campaigners.

Leicester Civic Society has published the image of a replica timber Norman keep on the Castle Mound.

The city council is preparing to spend £100,000 to look at how to bring the historic site back into permanent use.

The civic society has put forward its ideas as part of its A Castle for Leicester campaign.

Chairman Stuart Bailey said: "The artist's impression is only one of our bright ideas for upgrading the whole area of Leicester Castle as a major tourist attraction.

"It would be the only replica outside of Normandy.

"There would have to be a thorough investigation by archeologists, but it is unlikely they would find anything, as the mound was lowered to form a bowling green in the 19th century.

"Some people have said they don't like the idea of the replica because it would interfere with the mound, but I think it would be marvellous."

The city council's cabinet member for culture, Councillor Andy Connolly, said: "We welcome the Civic Society's views.

"I'm not sure what purpose a replica keep would serve. I don't even know if we could do that.

"We are hoping to commission a feasibility study by the summer. It will be a very long process and I think it's probably something the civic society don't understand at the moment.

"The civic society are acting as a pressure group and they are useful in that role, but what they have to recognise is that it has to be done with the council tax payers' money and there are other calls on the public purse.

"We are not going to allow the civic society to bounce us into one solution or another, but after the feasibility study we will of course involve them at the consultation stage."

In February, it was announced the county and city council had pledged more than £100,000 to help bring the historic site back into permanent use.

The council cash will fund an in-depth study by experts into how it can be restored, adapted and what it could be turned into.

The city council says it will pay at least £50,000 towards the cost of the study and the county council has pledged the other half of the sum.

Both councils believe about £100,000 would be needed to pay for consultants with the expertise of converting buildings of that age.

Commenting on the funding announcement, the county council's cabinet member for community services, Councillor Ernie White, said: "The money we are investing shows we are committed to ensuring county people can enjoy the benefits of improvements in the city.

"Leicester Castle is one of the city's most historic sites, and we must look how we can find a modern use for it.

"We cannot sit back and watch a building like that deteriorate.

"An art gallery, museum, lecture theatres or perhaps a permanent home for the Picasso exhibition held at New Walk Museum could be an idea."

The castle was one of hundreds built across England by the Normans as part of their conquest of the country.

The only buildings that remain are the Great Hall and John O'Gaunt's cellar, as well as the mound on which the original castle would have stood.

[Lears City]

Should we be surprised that the City Council lack imagination?