An update to the update to the update.

Plans are now afoot to revamp the building in Orton Square which I discover is called Shahista House. Who knew? According to the Mercury the developers (Park Portfolio Ltd and Monkwell Ltd - who, a quick search reveals, are actually one and the same person) intend to convert the building into fourteen apartments, shops and a restaurant. This will be good news if it happens, although I see notice no plans have appeared on the council planning database yet. I'm always surprised at the workings of developers. They have received £150,000 from the council (in return for some improvements to another building in the area) and have presumably got some plans because they are talking about costs of £3m for the refurbishment?
The building has had a checkered history.  I think the first I was aware of it was in the 1990s when it was the "rave club" called Diehard or Dielectric. Happy House on one floor, hardcore techno on another. No alcohol but large quantities of water consumed (if you know what I mean and I'm sure that you do). Splendidly there is a website documenting this club (and it's subsequent reincarnations). See it here.

The building also housed a swingers club called G Spot. I took a photo of the sign back in 2008 and it was one of the most viewed photos on my flickr account. People most have been very disappointed when they googled "g spot Leicester"...

...although perhaps not as disappointed as anyone who visited the place. If this was the quality of their signage one wonders what the inside was like?

There is still a snooker club in the building (and a barbers) which has outlasted them all. Anyway, this will all be swept away (along with, I imagine boxes of flyers for long gone gabba nights, faux leather couches, a vast amount of pigeon debris and whatever was in that room at the top of the building which often had a light on...) and the building hopefully restored to what must have been an impressive edifice in the early 1900s.

5 Leicester Buildings I Will Buy When I Win The Lottery (UPDATE!)

It's been nearly four years since I wrote the last entry here and, incredibly, in all that time, I didn't win the lottery. However things have moved on for at least some of the buildings.

1. Friars Mill

Thankfully Leicester City Council bought what was left of this site for £550,000 and have redeveloped the site. You can see the difference...

Friars Mill Regeneration Project (Mat Fascione) / CC BY-SA 2.0

The (re)redevelopment is supposed to kickstart development of this whole riverside area and there are signs that this is happening. A long way to go though.

2. Hosier's house, Darker Street

Still empty and unloved as far as I know. Very sad. There was a flurry of activity last year around some similarly neglected buildings in Belgrave Gate which the owner wanted to demolish. Once again the council stepped in to prevent this but what will become of the buildings now?

3. Building in Orton Square

Still a snooker hall and occasional venue for a nightclub. Apart from that the building still looks in an awful state. Seems crazy that no-one has tried to do something with this place.

4. "Jeyes Garage", Belgrave Road

Still being used by a car washing firm, still deteriorating. I suspect art deco will never be fashionable in Leicester and this will eventually fall down. No one, not even the usual "heriatge" suspects seem to care about this one.

5. Stonesby House, Princess Road East

Better news about this one though. Developed (and extended) by James Sellicks it is now a collection of "luxury" apartments. The extensions are...OK but the house itself looks rather grand once more.

5 Leicester Buildings I Will Buy When I Win The Lottery

FROM WATCHING THE ADVERTS ON TV it's quite clear that I will soon be a multi-millionaire when I win the Euromillions lottery. With this is mind I thought I'd make sure that some of that cash stays in Leicester and have compiled a quick list of five buildings in Leicester currently either empty and/or at threat from ruination that I can buy when I win.

1. Friars Mill

Obvious one first. Badly damaged in a fire in July, now apparently under 24 hour guard (although that didn't stop it being vandalised again), this building needs to find an owner, and a purpose, quickly. I think I'll make it into a restaurant with rooms, perhaps do a bit of landscaping round it to to attract people down to the canal and park my barge next to it (oh yes, I'm going to buy a barge).

2. Hosier's house, Darker Street

Long neglected by whoever owns it, the last(?) remaining Victorian hosier's house in Leicester desperately needs saving. The roof was repaired and the building made (more) secure three years ago but its location (next to the Matalan car park) away from the main drag means it's difficult to imagine anyone wanting to restore it and perhaps make it into a small museum about Leicester's hosiery industry. So obviously I will have to do that when I win the Euromillions.
                                         
3. Building in Orton Square

This one's for me. I 'heart' the "cultural quarter". Love Curve, love the Phoenix, love the factories slowly being converted into factories and workshops, offices and restaurants. Love the Exchange Building. But it really needs a "boutique" hotel and restaurant. And I need a city centre pad. All these problems will be solved when I convert this grand Victorian block of bricks. It currently contains a snooker club. Previously it had been a swingers club called G Spot and before that you could catch up with the latest in German gabba and hardcore in a club whose name eludes me. It was for sale for £1m but I can't find the details on the Innes England site anymore, so maybe I'm too late? Hopefully, if someone has bought it they will refurbish this blot on the cultural landscape of Leicester. Also, if anyone knows what it's actually called perhaps they could tell me?

4. "Jeyes Garage", Belgrave Road

There is a bit of art deco in Leicester but you have to go looking for it. There's a fine factory in Nelson Street, a squash club off the London Road and, of course, the Odeon cinema in the aforementioned Orton Square. There are also some lovely tram stops, one of which may soon become a coffee shop. This former garage on the corner of Belgrave Road and Olphin Street is currently a car wash and has been badly treated. I think it would make a good information centre for Belgrave, a good starting point for anyone exlporing the "Golden Mile". I have suggested this to the Mayor but he's more interested in pointlessly knocking down the flyover.

5. Stonesby House, Princess Road East 

Another one for me. I think this will make pleasant offices for the Ned Trifle Foundation that I am going to set up with the rest of my winnings. This unlisted building has been called "in rather doubtful taste" which is good enough for me. I rather like it. Although it fits well into the surrounding Victorian grandeur of De Montfort Square it's bold enough to stand out on its own.


Picking only five is a silly idea. What about the Thomas Cook Hotel I hear you cry (especially if you a member of the Victorian Society)? What about The "Eastgates Coffee House" - empty once more, despite having a recent coat of paint? "Pares' bank" - will it ever be a restaurant? "The Leicestershire Club"?  So many buildings need saving and there's only a few of us potential lottery winners about...please think about that if you win.

"Greenacres" Update - Still Nothing...(NOW UPDATED AGAIN!)

Nearly two years ago I wrote about what was then called "Greenacres", the scandal of it's continued closure, and the lack of information available about the future of the building. Now, more than three years after it was due to open, the centre is still standing empty. The picture above is what it was supposed to look like - to be honest it does still look that, only without the people.

However, walking past the building a couple of months ago, I noticed it was a relative hive of activity - builders were on site, the smashed windows had been repaired, the security fence had been made more secure. It looked like something was finally happening. There was even a mention in the Birstall Post about it opening in the near future. Who was paying for this work I wondered aloud? No one seemed to know.

In fact since that flurry of activity nothing has happened. I tried to contact the two councillors responsible for the ward via their "Write to Me" sections on their webpages - no reply, not even an acknowledgement of my enquiry. Perhaps this is not surprising, as, back in 2008, the same two councillors said they were "not allowed to talk about it". This seemed astonishing to me at the time, at least £1.7 million of public (and private) money had gone into creating the centre and the councillors responsible for the ward in which it was located couldn't comment on it? Not only that, they couldn't even comment on why they couldn't comment! Even the local newspaper, usually so keen to make capital out of anything that might vaguely embarrass the council, has nothing to say on the subject. It's all very curious. And very frustrating.

I have been a vocal supporter of much that Leicester City Council has done over the last decades, and I think Leicester is a better place now that it was when I rolled up here in the mid-1980s, but this issue has driven me to distraction. If anyone knows anything, could they please tell me (and the other people of Leicester and Leicestershire who contributed to this buildings cost) before I start my own mini "Occupy" demonstration outside (or even inside) the (still rather splendid looking) building.

UPDATE: This building is now being leased to the Great Central Railway rent free for the next (I think) three years. This is good news. They will use it as a cafe on steam days and offices for training. Look on their website for details.

The Road To Holy Isle (is quite often under water)

Although it is tempting to stay on Holy Island between tides, it's worth not staying to see the Spectacle of the Advancing Waters. And for an event that happens every day it draws quite a crowd. As anyone who has been there will know Holy Island is reached by road, called the Lindisfarne Causeway. This floods twice a day, cutting off the island for about five hours at a time. At each end of the causeway there are prominent signs and details of the tide times but (you will not be surprised to read) on average one car a month gets stuck somewhere on the road. We didn't take any chances and left at the time specified by the tide tables. Where the road reaches the mainland there is a small car park and an expectant crowd.

To begin with nothing much happens. You look hopefully out to sea. From this vantage point you can see the waves hitting the northern side of the island. It's a strange sight. From here they look almost like people, or ghosts, hovering on the horizon. But the promised rush of water is nowhere to be seen. Near to a refuge (to help those who didn't read the signs) there is a raised bit of road and it slowly becomes clear that the water underneath this is, very slowly, getting nearer to the road. But, still no sign of a deluge. In fact, just when you think this is starting to get exciting, an ice cream van turns up.

Clearly they've seen it all before. They park

up on the side of the road and an orderly queue quickly forms.

The water has finally started to creep over the road. Either side of you the muddy creeks are filling up. Children stand on small mounds of earth eating ice creams until their little islands are submerged under the relentless tide.

During all this time traffic still appears from either side. Those coming from the mainland are put off by the crowd and the fact that there is an ice cream van in the middle of the road but those coming from the island are not so easily deterred. Eventually, just when you think no more cars are going to risk the trip, along comes one more. This time it was a plucky Peugeot (containing a family of four). The crowd watches as increasing amounts of spray appears on either side of the car. Will they make it? What would be more fun - them not making it, or them reaching safely? It's difficult to judge the mood of those watching. The car seems to stop briefly by the refuge. Are they stuck?

No, on they come! When they reach us a round of applause breaks out. The driver winds down his window and lets out an audible sigh of relief. The kids in the back look slightly shellshocked. And don't even get an ice cream.

The road is well and truly submerged by now. At the far end of the causeway a motorhome has stopped, deciding, very sensibly that they don't want to appear on the evening news. We move slowly back to the car park. Walking with the water as it slides up to us. Despite the people, the ice cream van, the water, it's all very quiet. People seem very happy with this simple pleasure of waiting for the water. Perhaps we are reassured by the predictability of it? Perhaps it's the mild sense of danger? Or perhaps it's just because we really, really like water?

The "Other" Silver Arcade - a Leicester time capsule

Leicester Civic Society this week announced that it had been "passed" (ooh...mysterious!) some photos of the medieval building discovered behind some dirty windows in the Silver Arcade. I naturally thought they meant the Silver Arcade which has been closed since 2000 and which is supposedly due to re-open in 2012.

In fact they meant the bit on the other side of Cank Street. This bit has always intrigued me. Used mostly by people as a short cut through to the market place it is currently occupied by two cafes and some other shops which seem to have odd opening hours (if they ever open at all). I don't know what the cafes are like (but Crusty's has been there for as long as can remember

(which is a shockingly long time) so it must be doing something right, and the other one has an interesting music policy so is probably worth checking out too.

There is also a jewellers (mentioned in the Mercury article) which I think has closed down, but rather confusingly the 'closing down' sign has been crossed out. It looks like they haven't changed the window display since the 1960s.

Or the sign advertising the shop. There are fonts here which just don't get used to-day (except in an ironic way).

Anyway, talking of things surviving more because they are neglected than for any other reason brings us back to the medieval building. According to an article in Leicester Mercury (from December 2009) this was actually first "discovered" in 2002 when some alterations were made to this part of the Arcade. The building is believed to be 16th century. I wandered down there to have a look and indeed you can still see this building if you press your face against a rather

grubby window just past Crusty's. There's not a lot left and I'm not sure I agree with the Civic Society who want to save it. I think there comes a time when we have admit that some buildings are beyond help. It's not listed, presumably because it's felt that too much of it has already been lost. I would imagine it's under no immediate danger anyway. But what could you do with it even even you saved it?

£250,000 for the Phoenix. Cheap at twice the price.

As far as I can see no-one in any position of power in Leicester takes a blind bit of notice of the whingers and whiners who inhabit the comment pages on Leicester Mercury website. Which is just as well. They are incredibly predictable. They hate the city council (curiously most of them seem to live in the county), they hate modern buildings, they're not at all keen on Muslims, travellers, art, young people, the present time...the list is a long one.

Saturday's Mercury headline - LEICESTER'S PHOENIX SQUARE NEEDS A £250,000 COUNCIL BAIL-OUT - was, naturally, like a red rag to a bull and all the usual suspects weighed in with their expert opinion. This had everything they hated - the council, spending money, a new building, art - oh they must have been so excited!

The fact that £250,000 (a small amount of money) would save 12 jobs and keep the only independent cinema in Leicester going was irrelevant to them. They saw a way to bash the council, bash "minorities" (i.e. people who go there), bash modernity itself. The Mercury encourages this, of course, or they wouldn't have put this minor bit of news on the front page, mischief making for the council is the Mercury's favourite pastime. As anyone who has read the Mr Leicester page (or it's sister publication the Leicester Chronicle) will know, they're not keen on the "new" Leicester, either.

I don't know if the Phoenix has been a success or not. I've never met anyone (who has actually been there rather than commented on it from afar) who didn't think it was pretty good. The cinema facilities are excellent and much more preferable to going to a huge, corporate multiplex. There was excellent (and sold out) performances during the comedy festival. The Mercury article tells us that there is an average attendence of 17%. I have no idea if this is a bad average for cinemas (I saw a film - Superbad - at the Odeon when I was the only person in the audience) and the Mercury, of course, doesn't explain any further.

I don't suppose this will be the end of the story. The winds of change are against those of us who think governments should spend money to improve life and employ people and the only way the phoenix will survive is if more people use it. So check out the diary, and go along. You might like it.