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81-470: The Leicester Comedy Festival is an annual comedy festival held in a number of venues across Leicester , England early in the year. In the early 1990s, De Montfort University arts administration student, Geoff Rowe proposed a project to his lecturers to set up and run a comedy festival for Leicester. Rowe called Tony Slattery, Harry Hill and Matt Lucas for the inaugural Leicester Comedy Festival in 1994, with 40 events at 23 venues for 5,000 tickets. In 1995,

162-465: A Leicester Urban Area (LUA); broadly the immediate Leicester conurbation , although without administrative status. The LUA contains the unitary authority area and several towns, villages and suburbs outside the city's administrative boundaries. Suburbs and districts of Leicester (ancient villages now incorporated into the city are shown in bold) Leicester experiences a maritime climate with mild to warm summers and cool winters, rain spread throughout

243-506: A wider pattern that led to the expulsion of the Jewish population from England in 1290. During the 14th century, the earls of Leicester and Lancaster enhanced the prestige of the town. Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster and of Leicester founded a hospital for the poor and infirm in the area to the south of the castle now known as The Newarke (the "new work"). Henry's son, the great Henry of Grosmont , 4th Earl of Lancaster and of Leicester, who

324-823: A 50% ethnic minority population, making it the first city in Britain not to have a white British majority. 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. The Leicester Multicultural Advisory Group

405-563: A bishopric again until the Church of St Martin became Leicester Cathedral in 1927. The settlement was recorded under the name Ligeraceaster in the early 10th century. Following the Norman conquest , Leicester was recorded by William 's Domesday Book as Ledecestre . It was noted as a city ( civitas ) but lost this status in the 11th century owing to power struggles between the Church and

486-446: A boxing ring that had been constructed within the centre of the stalls. Lovdev Barpaga aka "The 'Pun'jabi Warrior'" won against Julian Lee in the final. Lovdevs jokes included "Pakistani Pirates. Urdu they think they argh?" and "I think my Colombian neighbour's a drug lord, but I just car tell." The 2018 UK Pun Championships returned to De Montfort Hall in the boxing ring with host Jason Byrne on 13 February. After being beaten in

567-468: A charity, providing opportunities for young people to "learn about comedy, address health inequalities and improve people’s well-being", launching The Big Difference venue for up and coming comedy in Leicester. Eshaan Akbar, Jo Brand , Sikisa and Stewart Lee , are now Patrons of The Leicester Comedy Festival, joining Tony Slattery. The festival attracts over 60,000 people from all over the world and

648-625: A corruption of the original " Corieltauvians ". The Corieltauvians are believed to have ruled over roughly the area of the East Midlands . It is believed that the Romans arrived in the Leicester area around AD 47, during their conquest of southern Britain . The Corieltauvian settlement lay near a bridge on the Fosse Way , a Roman road between the legionary camps at Isca ( Exeter ) and Lindum ( Lincoln ). It remains unclear whether

729-541: A cost of £21,000. The architect was Shirley Harrison (1876–1961), who also designed the Usher Hall in Edinburgh. He was the son of Stockdale Harrison , architect of Vaughan College . Its indoor auditorium seating capacity is approximately 2000, and the hall contains a pipe organ believed to be the only surviving example of a large concert organ by Leicester organ builders Stephen Taylor & Son Ltd. The organ

810-513: A ford across the larger channel. The later Roman name was a latinate form of the Brittonic word for "ramparts" (cf. Gaelic rath and the nearby villages of Ratby and Ratcliffe ), suggesting the site was an oppidum . The plural form of the name suggests it was initially composed of several villages. The Celtic tribe holding the area was later recorded as the " Coritanians " but an inscription recovered in 1983 showed this to have been

891-455: A king Leir of Britain as an eponymous founder in his Historia Regum Britanniae (12th century). Leicester is one of the oldest cities in England, with a history going back at least two millennia. The native Iron Age settlement encountered by the Romans at the site seems to have developed in the 2nd or 1st centuries BC . Little is known about this settlement or the condition of

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972-400: A marker of anti-Asian sentiment throughout Britain as a whole, although the attitudes that resulted in the initial advertisement were changed significantly in subsequent decades, not least because the immigrants included the owners of many of "Uganda's most successful businesses." Forty years later, Leicester's mayor Sir Peter Soulsby expressed his regret for the behaviour of the council at

1053-556: Is a city , unitary authority area, unparished area and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a population of 373,399 in 2022. The greater Leicester urban area had a population of 559,017 in 2021, making it the 11th most populous in England, and the 13th most populous in the United Kingdom . A 2023 report ranked Leicester 16th out of

1134-477: Is a forum, set up in 2001 by the editor of the Leicester Mercury , to co-ordinate community relations with members representing the council, police, schools, community and faith groups, and the media. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many social and economic challenges across the country and across the world. Leicester has been particularly badly affected in the United Kingdom; from July 2020 during

1215-587: Is also complemented by workshops and outdoor street events to encourage the development of comedy skills. Every year towards the end of the Festival the Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year is announced. To begin with, the festival lasted for just seven days. In 2010 the duration increased from 10 days to 17 days, then in 2015 it was increased to 19 days. The 2021 festival, staged during

1296-751: Is located 37 miles (60 km) to the east. Leicester is close to the eastern end of the National Forest . Leicester has a long history extending into ancient times, it was the site of the Roman town of Ratae Corieltauvorum , which was later captured by the Anglo-Saxons , and then by the Vikings who made it one of the Five Boroughs of the Danelaw . Leicester became an important town during

1377-617: Is recorded as Ledecestre . The first element of the name is the name of a people, the Ligore (whose name appears in Ligera ceastre in the genitive plural form); their name came in turn from the river Ligor (now the River Soar ), the origin of whose name is uncertain but thought to be from Brittonic (possibly cognate with the name of the Loire ). The second element of the name

1458-448: Is seen as one of the 'Top 5 comedy festivals in the world'. Since then many top stand-up comedians have performed in the festival including Jo Brand , Jack Dee , Dave Gorman , Rory Bremner , Simon Pegg , Alan Davies , Bill Bailey , The Mighty Boosh , Johnny Vegas , Rich Hall , Jimmy Carr , Dara Ó Briain , Russell Howard , Dave Spikey , Harry Hill , Greg Davies , Sarah Millican and Romesh Ranganathan . The main programme

1539-676: Is the Old English word ceaster ("(Roman) fort, fortification, town", itself borrowed from Latin castrum ). A list of British cities in the ninth-century History of the Britons includes one Cair Lerion ; Leicester has been proposed as the place to which this refers (and the Welsh name for Leicester is Caerlŷr ). But this identification is not certain. Based on the Welsh name (given as Kaerleir ), Geoffrey of Monmouth proposed

1620-530: Is the home to football club Leicester City and rugby club Leicester Tigers . The name of Leicester comes from Old English . It is first recorded in Latinised form in the early ninth century as Legorensis civitatis and in Old English itself in an Anglo-Saxon Chronicle entry for 924 as Ligera ceastre (and, in various spellings, frequently thereafter). In the Domesday Book of 1086, it

1701-656: The Air Training Corps . Leicester was bombed on 19 November 1940. Although only three bombs hit the city, 108 people were killed in Highfields. The years after World War II , particularly from the 1960s onwards, brought many social and economic challenges. Mass housebuilding continued across Leicester for some 30 years after 1945. Existing housing estates such as Braunstone were expanded, while several completely new estates – of both private and council tenure – were built. The last major development of this era

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1782-551: The Birmingham to London Stansted Airport line. It is also at the confluence of the M1 / M69 motorways and the A6 / A46 trunk routes. Leicester Cathedral is home to the tomb of King Richard III who was reburied in the cathedral in 2015 after being discovered nearby in the foundations of the lost Greyfriars chapel, more than 500 years after his death. In sporting terms, Leicester

1863-524: The COVID-19 pandemic , took place online. 2014 saw the inaugural UK Pun Championships, at the festival, hosted by Lee Nelson . The winner was Darren Walsh. The competition included the line "My computer's got a Miley Virus. It's stopped twerking." In 2015, Leo Kearse beat off competition from fellow comedians Rob Thomas and reigning champion Darren Walsh to become the UK Pun Champion. Leo won

1944-592: The English Civil War . In 1645, King Charles I of England and Prince Rupert decided to attack the (then) town to draw the New Model Army away from the Royalist (colloquially called Cavaliers ) headquarters of Oxford . Royalist guns were set up on Raw Dykes and, after an unsatisfactory response to a demand for surrender, the assault began at 3pm on 30 May 1645 by a Royalist battery opposite

2025-582: The House of Lords in June 1628 who however supported Fleetwood but asked for proceedings made by the Crown against the rioters to be dropped. Compensation made to the legal residents of the forest was reasonably generous by comparison with other forests. The Corporation of Leicester received 40 acres (16 ha) for relief of the poor. Leicester was a Parliamentarian (colloquially called Roundhead ) stronghold during

2106-581: The Jewry Wall ; recovered artifacts are displayed at the adjacent museum . Knowledge of the town following the Roman withdrawal from Britain is limited. It seems to have been continually occupied after Roman protection ceased through the 5th and 6th centuries, although with a significantly reduced population. Its memory was preserved as the Cair Lerion of the History of the Britons . Following

2187-727: The Middle Ages , and then an important industrial and commercial centre in the Victorian age , eventually gaining city status in 1919. Since the mid-20th century, immigration from countries of the British Commonwealth has seen Leicester become an ethnically diverse city, and one of the largest urban centres of the Midlands . Leicester is at the intersection of two railway lines: the Midland Main Line and

2268-514: The River Soar at this time, although roundhouses from this era have been excavated and seem to have clustered along roughly 8 hectares (20 acres) of the east bank of the Soar above its confluence with the Trent . This area of the Soar was split into two channels: a main stream to the east and a narrower channel on the west, with a presumably marshy island between. The settlement seems to have controlled

2349-705: The Saxon invasion of Britain , Leicester was occupied by the Middle Angles and subsequently administered by the kingdom of Mercia . It was elevated to a bishopric in either 679 or 680; this see survived until the 9th century, when Leicester was captured by Danish Vikings . Their settlement became one of the Five Burghs of the Danelaw , although this position was short-lived. The Saxon bishop, meanwhile, fled to Dorchester-on-Thames and Leicester did not become

2430-476: The University of Leicester have been taking place in the hall since 1958. Buddy Holly and The Crickets performed at the venue in March 1958. The Beatles played three concerts here between 1963 and 1964, at the height of Beatlemania. Bob Dylan played at the hall on 2 May 1965 during his first tour of England. Progressive rock group Genesis recorded the majority of their 1973 release Genesis Live at

2511-509: The aristocracy and did not become a legal city again until 1919. Geoffrey of Monmouth composed his History of the Kings of Britain around the year 1136, naming a King Leir as an eponymous founder figure. According to Geoffrey's narrative, Cordelia had buried her father beneath the river in a chamber dedicated to Janus and his feast day was an annual celebration. When Simon de Montfort became Earl of Leicester in 1231, he gave

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2592-484: The directly elected Mayor of Leicester role came into effect after the inaugural election. This post exists in addition to that of Lord Mayor which goes back to the Middle Ages and is these days a ceremonial role. The first mayor of Leicester was a Norman knight, Peter fitz Roger ("Peter, son of Roger") in 1251. Following the restoration of city status in 1919 this title was elevated to "Lord Mayor." In 1987

2673-466: The dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII . However, in September 2012, an archaeological investigation of the car park revealed a skeleton which DNA testing helped verify to be related to two descendants of Richard III's sister. It was concluded that the skeleton was that of Richard III because of the DNA evidence and the shape of the spine. In 2015 Richard III was reburied in pride of place near

2754-564: The 1960s and 1970s: the Great Central and the Leicester and Swannington both closed and the northward extension of the M1 motorway linked Leicester into England's growing motorway network. 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

2835-691: The 19th century also witnessed the creation of many other institutions, including the town council, the Royal Infirmary , and the Leicester Constabulary. It also benefited from general acceptance (and the Public Health Acts ) that municipal organisations had a responsibility to provide for the town's water supply, drainage, and sanitation. In 1853, backed with a guarantee of dividends by the Corporation of Leicester

2916-496: The 19th century, but grew most notably when it annexed Belgrave , Aylestone , North Evington , Knighton , and Stoneygate in 1892. In 1900, the Great Central Railway provided another link to London, but the rapid population growth of the previous decades had already begun to slow by the time of Queen Victoria's death in 1901. World War I and the subsequent epidemics had further impacts. Nonetheless, Leicester

2997-417: The 2015 by Leo Kearse, Rob Thomas returned and beat 2nd time finalist Julian Lee to the title. Rob Thomas' puns included: "When Leicester won the league, my mum bought a candle to celebrate. Now it just languishes in the middle of the table" and "Brexit. It's like a catheter for Britain. We're no longer in continent." Leicester Leicester ( / ˈ l ɛ s t ər / LES -tər )

3078-435: The 50 largest UK cities on a range of economic measures, and the first of seven East Midlands cities. The city lies on the River Soar and is approximately 90 miles (140 km) north-northwest of London, 33 miles (53 km) east-northeast of Birmingham and 21 miles (34 km) northeast of Coventry . Nottingham and Derby lie around 21 miles (34 km) to the north and northwest respectively, whilst Peterborough

3159-656: The Bardi Symphony Orchestra are also regular performers. With the world-famous Philharmonia Orchestra enjoying a residency at the hall since 1997. De Montfort Hall is also the largest venue in Leicester to hold the Hindu festival of Navratri . Events take place at the hall's spacious and scenic gardens. In recent years these have included The Big Session Festival and the Summer Sundae music festival, both ceased in 2012. Graduation ceremonies for

3240-696: The Crown of Thorns, given to the Duke by the King of France. The church (described by Leland in the C16th as "not large but exceeding fair") also became, effectively, a Lancastrian mausoleum. Duke Henry's daughter Blanche of Lancaster married John of Gaunt and their son Henry Bolingbroke became King Henry IV when he deposed King Richard II. The Church of the Annunciation was the burial place of Duke Henry, who had earlier had his father re-interred here. Later it became

3321-618: The English throne for nine days in June 1553, was born at Bradgate Park near Leicester around 1536. Queen Elizabeth I 's intimate and former suitor, Robert Dudley , was given the Earldom of Leicester . After the Union of the Crowns , Anne of Denmark , Prince Henry , and Princess Elizabeth travelled to Leicester on 24 June 1603, after the courtier and usher Thomas Conway was assured that

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3402-460: The Hall. Family , originally from Leicester, performed their farewell concert at the Hall on October 13, 1973. Iron Maiden performed here in 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986 and 1990. Neo-progressive rock group Marillion recorded part of their first live album Real to Reel at De Montfort Hall, along with other live performances recorded or otherwise. In 2011, a tribute for Sir Norman Wisdom

3483-569: The Leicester Waterworks Company built a reservoir at Thornton for the supply of water to the town. This guarantee was made possible by the Public Health Act 1847 and an amending local Act of Parliament of 1851. In 1866 another amending Act enabled the Corporation of Leicester to take shares in the company to enable another reservoir at Cropston, completed in 1870. The Corporation of Leicester was later able to buy

3564-540: The Newarke. The town – which only had approximately 2,000 defenders opposed to the Royalist Army of approximately 10,000 combatants – was sacked on 31 May 1645, and hundreds of people were killed by Rupert's cavalry. One witness said, "they fired upon our men out of their windows, from the tops of houses, and threw tiles upon their heads. Finding one house better manned than ordinary, and many shots fired at us out of

3645-555: The Romans fortified and garrisoned the location, but it slowly developed from around the year 50 onwards as the tribal capital of the Corieltauvians under the name Ratae Corieltauvorum . In the 2nd century, it received a forum and bathhouse . In 2013, the discovery of a Roman cemetery found just outside the old city walls and dating back to AD 300 was announced. The remains of the baths of Roman Leicester can be seen at

3726-523: The burial place of Constance of Castile, Duchess of Lancaster (second wife of John of Gaunt) and of Mary de Bohun , first wife of Henry Bolingbroke (Henry IV) and mother of King Henry V (she did not become queen because she died before Bolingbroke became king). John of Gaunt died at Leicester Castle in 1399. When his son became king, the Earldom of Leicester and the Duchy of Lancaster became royal titles (and

3807-497: The cathedral. A second major extension to the boundaries following the changes in 1892 took place in 1935, with the annexation of the remainder of Evington , Humberstone , Beaumont Leys , and part of Braunstone . A third major revision of the boundaries took place in 1966, with the net addition to the city of just over 450 acres (182 ha). The boundary has remained unchanged since that time. Leicester's diversified economic base and lack of dependence on primary industries meant it

3888-415: The city a grant to expel the Jewish population "in my time or in the time of any of my heirs to the end of the world". He justified his action as being "for the good of my soul, and for the souls of my ancestors and successors". Leicester's Jews were allowed to move to the eastern suburbs, which were controlled by de Montfort's great-aunt and rival, Margaret, Countess of Winchester, after she took advice from

3969-504: The contest with such jokes as "I was in hospital last week. I asked the nurse if I could do my own stitches. She said “suture self” and "Growing up on a farm, my dad was always telling me to use the indoor toilet. But I preferred to go against the grain" 2016 saw the return of the UK Pun Championships hosted again by Lee Nelson . This year the winner was West Midlands comedian Masai Graham, with jokes such as "What's

4050-528: The difference between a hippo and a zippo? One's really heavy and the other is a little lighter" and "I love playing PGA Golf, but to say I have a weak shot on the greens would be putting it mildly" The 2017 UK Pun Championships saw a new location in De Montfort Hall and host in Jason Byrne . It also saw the introduction of a new layout for the show, with the "Pun Off's" taking place within

4131-536: The early 1970s. In 1972, Idi Amin announced that the entire Asian community in Uganda had 90 days to leave the country. Shortly thereafter, Leicester City Council launched a campaign aimed at dissuading Ugandan Asians from migrating to the city. The adverts did not have their intended effect, instead making more migrants aware of the possibility of settling in Leicester. Nearly a quarter of initial Ugandan refugees (around 5000 to 6000) settled in Leicester, and by

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4212-406: The end of the 1970s around another quarter of the initially dispersed refugees had made their way to Leicester. Officially, the adverts were taken out for fear that immigrants to Leicester would place pressure on city services and at least one person who was a city councillor at the time says he believes they were placed for racist reasons. The initial advertisement was widely condemned, and taken as

4293-481: The first Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year Award was given to Stevie Knuckles, the best young comedian, later awarded to Johnny Vegas, Jason Manford , Josh Widdicombe and Romesh Ranganathan. Leicester Comedy Fringe events occur in Loughborough, Lutterworth, Foxton, and Coalville. Leicester Comedy Festival is Europe's largest and longest-running comedy festival with 560 shows at 64 venues. Rowe founded Leicester Comedy Festival with The Big Difference Company , as

4374-402: The first Asian Mayor of Leicester was indirectly elected by the councillors, Councillor Gordhan Parmar. After institution of a directly elected mayor in 2011 the Lord Mayor of Leicester still exists as a ceremonial role under Leicester City Council . De Montfort Hall The hall was built by the Corporation of Leicester in 1912 and 1913, and was opened to the public on 21 July 1913, at

4455-399: The first batch of Howitzer shells by a British company which was not making ammunition before the war. After the war, the city received a royal visit; the king and queen received a march-past in Victoria Park of thousands of serving and demobilised soldiers. Following the end of the war, a memorial arch—the Arch of Remembrance —was built in Victoria Park and unveiled in 1925. The arch, one of

4536-401: The growth in the city of trade unionism and particularly the co-operative movement . The Co-op became an important employer and landowner; 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 selected as the base for Squadron 1F, the first A.D.C.C (Air Defence Cadet Corp), the predecessor of

4617-436: The hall's events take place in the indoor auditorium, with shows spanning popular music, comedy, opera, ballet, world and roots music, West End musicals, classical music and a popular and traditional annual pantomime which runs from December to January. The Leicester Symphony Orchestra , started by Sir Malcolm Sargent , was established at the hall in 1922 and perform four concerts each season. The Leicester Philharmonic Choir and

4698-481: The high altar in Leicester Cathedral . On 4 November 1530, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey was arrested on charges of treason and taken from Yorkshire. 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 to rest at Leicester Abbey. There, Wolsey's condition quickly worsened. He died on 29 November 1530 and was buried at Leicester Abbey , now Abbey Park . Lady Jane Grey , who claimed

4779-460: The imposition of the first local lockdown which saw all non-essential retail closed again and businesses such as public houses, restaurants and hairdressers unable to reopen. Businesses such as these in areas such as Glenfield and that part of Braunstone Town which outside of the formal city council area, have since been allowed to reopen following a more tightly defined lockdown area from 18 July 2020. The Office for National Statistics has defined

4860-428: The largest First World War memorials in the UK, was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens , who also designed the Cenotaph in London and is a grade I listed building . A set of gates and lodges, again by Lutyens, were added in the 1930s, leading to the memorial from the University Road and London Road entrances to Victoria Park. In 1927, Leicester again became a cathedral city on the consecration of St Martin's Church as

4941-478: The latter remains so). At the end of the War of the Roses , King Richard III was buried in Leicester's Greyfriars Church a Franciscan Friary and Church which was demolished after its dissolution in 1538. The site of that church is now covered by King Richard III Visitor Centre (until 2012 by more modern buildings and a car park). There was a legend his corpse had been cast into the river , while some historians argued his tomb and remains were destroyed during

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5022-795: The proportion employed in trade, commerce, building, and the city's new factories and workshops rose steadily. Hosiery , textiles, and footwear became the major industrial employers: manufacturers such as N. Corah & Sons and the Cooperative Boot and Shoe Company were opening some of the largest manufacturing premises in Europe. They were joined, in the latter part of the century, by engineering firms such as Kent Street's Taylor and Hubbard (crane makers and founders ), Vulcan Road's William Gimson & Company (steam boilers and founders), and Martin Street's Richards & Company (steel works and founders). The politics of Victorian Leicester were lively and very often bitter. Years of consistent economic growth meant living standards generally increased, but Leicester

5103-435: The scholar and cleric Robert Grosseteste , at that time Archdeacon of Leicester . There is evidence that Jews remained there until 1253, and perhaps enforcement of the banishment within the city was not rigorously enforced. De Montfort however issued a second edict for the expulsion of Leicester's Jews in 1253, after Grosseteste's death. De Montfort's many acts of anti-Jewish persecution in Leicester and elsewhere were part of

5184-452: The time. In the 1990s, 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% South 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

5265-522: The town to the national network by 1840. A direct link to London St Pancras was established by the Midland Railway in the 1860s. These developments encouraged and accompanied a process of industrialisation which intensified throughout the reign of Queen Victoria . Factories began to appear, particularly along the canal and river, and districts such as Frog Island and Woodgate were the locations of numerous large mills. Between 1861 and 1901, Leicester's population increased from 68,100 to 211,600 and

5346-471: The town was free from infection or plague. Prince Charles, later King Charles I , travelled to London with his guardian Alexander Seton . The royal party stayed at Leicester for three days in August 1604 at the townhouse of William Skipwith . The Corporation of Leicester opposed the efforts of Charles I to disafforest the nearby Leicester Forest , believing them to be likely to throw many of its residents into poverty and need of relief. Sir Miles Fleetwood

5427-399: The waterworks and build another reservoir at Swithland, completed in the 1890s. Leicester became a county borough in 1889, although it was abolished in 1974 as part of the Local Government Act , and was reformed as a non-metropolitan district and city. The city regained its unitary status, being administered separately from Leicestershire, in 1997. The borough had been expanding throughout

5508-437: The windows, I caused my men to attack it, and resolved to make them an example for the rest; which they did. Breaking open the doors, they killed all they found there without distinction". It was reported that 120 houses had been destroyed and that 140 wagons of plunder were sent to the Royalist stronghold of Newark . Following the Parliamentarian victory over the Royalist Army at the Battle of Naseby on 14 June 1645, Leicester

5589-411: The world. 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

5670-423: The year should attain a temperature of 25.1 °C (77.2 °F) or above. The lowest temperature recorded at Newtown Linford was −16.1 °C (3.0 °F) during January 1963. Typically, 54.9 air frosts will be recorded during the course of the year. Rainfall averages 684.4 mm per year, with 1 mm or more falling on 120.8 days. All averages refer to the period 1971–2000. On 5 May 2011,

5751-411: The year, and low sunshine levels. The nearest official Weather Station was Newtown Linford, about 5 miles (8.0 km) northwest of Leicester city centre and just outside the edge of the urban area. However, observations stopped there 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

5832-402: Was 34.5 °C (94.1 °F) during August 1990, although a temperature of 35.1 °C (95.2 °F) was achieved at Leicester University during August 2003. However, the highest temperature since records began in Leicester is 36.7 °C (98.1 °F) on 15 July 1868. More typically the highest temperature would reach 28.7 °C (83.7 °F) – the average annual maximum. 11.3 days of

5913-491: Was Beaumont Leys in the north of the city, which was developed in the 1970s as a mix of private and council housing. There was a steady decline in Leicester's traditional manufacturing industries and, in the city centre, working factories and light industrial premises have now been almost entirely replaced. Many former factories, including some on Frog Island and at Donisthorpe Mill , have been badly damaged by fire. Rail and barge were finally eclipsed by automotive transport in

5994-523: Was a stronghold of Radicalism . Thomas Cooper , the Chartist , kept a shop in Church Gate. There were serious Chartist riots in the town in 1842 and again six years later. The Leicester Secular Society was founded in 1851 but secularist speakers such as George Holyoake were often denied the use of speaking halls. It was not until 1881 that Leicester Secular Hall was opened. The second half of

6075-520: Was finally recognised as a legal city once more in 1919 in recognition of its contribution to the British war effort. Recruitment to the armed forces was lower in Leicester than in other English cities, partly because of the low level of unemployment and the need for many of its industries, such as clothing and footwear manufacturing, to supply the army. As the war progressed, many of Leicester's factories were given over to arms production; Leicester produced

6156-604: 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. The Shires was subsequently expanded in September 2008 and rebranded as Highcross. By the 1990s, as well, Leicester's central position and good transport links had established it as a distribution centre; the southwestern area of the city has also attracted new service and manufacturing businesses. Since World War II Leicester has experienced large scale immigration from across

6237-482: Was installed in 1914. The pipe organ is a particularly fine example and comprises 6000 pipes, attracting many distinguished organists to play recitals. In 2014 the pipe organ was estimated to be worth over five million GBP. The hall features in Richard Attenborough 's film Grey Owl (1999), in a reenactment of Attenborough and his brother David 's boyhood attendance at a wildlife lecture. Most of

6318-468: Was made first Duke of Lancaster, enlarged and enhanced his father's foundation, and built the collegiate Church of the Annunciation of Our Lady of The Newarke. This church (a little of which survives in the basement of the Hawthorn Building of De Montfort University) was destroyed during the reign of King Edward VI. It became an important pilgrimage site because it housed a thorn said to be from

6399-573: Was much better placed than many other cities to weather the tariff wars of the 1920s and Great Depression of the 1930s. The Bureau of Statistics of the newly formed League of Nations identified Leicester in 1936 as the second-richest city in Europe and it became an attractive destination for refugees fleeing persecution and political turmoil in continental Europe . Firms such as Corah and Liberty Shoes used their reputation for producing high-quality products to expand their businesses. These years witnessed

6480-523: Was recovered by Parliament on 18 June 1645. The construction of the Grand Union Canal in the 1790s linked Leicester to London and Birmingham . The first railway station in Leicester opened in 1832, in the form of the Leicester and Swannington Railway which provided a supply of coal to the town from nearby collieries. The Midland Counties Railway (running from Derby to Rugby ) linked

6561-482: Was sent to commission the disafforestation and division of lands being used in common. Riots destroyed enclosures in spring 1627 and 1628, following a pattern of anti-enclosure disturbances found elsewhere including the Western Rising. Petitions challenging the enclosures were presented by the Corporation of Leicester and borough residents to the King and Privy Council . They were unsuccessful so petitioned

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