Tag: Leicester

Skeg – Vegas

Name an attraction or town close to home that you still haven’t got around to visiting.

It probably depends on your view of close to home. Up here in the East Midlands the town you tend to hear mentioned the minute you move up here is Skegness.

Yes Skegness. It’s 85 miles away on the Lincolnshire coast, apparently the most deprived seaside town in the Uk, and the people of the East Midlands seem to have a a fixation with it, and its populous.

It’s referred to up here as “Skeg Vegas” for some reason compared to the Nevada gambling capital of “Las Vegas”.

The famous jolly fisherman advert produced by the local council and railway company.

The snobbier people will shun it and say it’s where the lowest of the low go to holiday, others look on it as a fun destination to have a little entertainment and maybe celebrate upcoming marriages and the like. But there are people who absolutely love the place and have holidayed there for years….maybe even generations.

I’ve been in the East Midlands now for about 9 years and still haven’t visited. Family members ask me, “ What’s going on? Why are you taking so much time?” Others tell me to not bother as it’s a tip, I’m determined to go just out of curiosity, to make my own mind up, and I’ll probably like it as I’ll probably fit into the middle category I mentioned above.

Wonderful Skeg Vegas as it’s known, so famous it had the well known advert (Pic above) made of it and famously ridiculed over the last 60 years or so.

I’ll let you know if I ever get there.

Have a lovely day.

National space centre

What is your favorite place to go in your city?

Here in Leicestershire we have a number of places that I particularly like to visit. I’ll put two of them here…cos I can 👌

When you think of the city of Leicester you don’t really associate it with space travel. But don’t be fooled! We have the country’s national space centre, and for adults and children it is a fantastic day out if you have an interest in space exploration. They have many activities there, a fantastic collection of rockets, moon rock, and exhibits that you can get involved with. Heck I’ve even met a couple of astronauts there the last being Don Thomas who was a scientist on board a number of space shuttle missions.

Astronaut Don Thomas – Taken at the National space centre in Leicester.

You can find out about our National space centre here: National space centre

Secondly you can’t go wrong with a visit to Leicester cathedral. You may have read that a few years ago archaeologists unearthed the remains of King Richard III in a carpark in Leicester. Well he is now interred in the cathedral alongside a visitors centre that gives the whole story regarding the last Plantagenet King of England. And it’s a beautiful quiet place of reflection.

King Richard III
Leicester cathedral

The city is pretty much like every city in the UK and has its good and bad points, urban decay is kind of getting more prominent as the investment declines. Here’s hoping the tide turns before it gets too bad.

Have a great day you people.

Rock and Crooner and a bit of classic

What is your favorite genre of music?

I really have quite an eclectic choice in music. I was brought up on the crooners of the 50s and 60s such as Como, Crosby and Sinatra whom I still love to this day. I also love rock, Heavy metal and Classical and one particular couple of months a few years ago this was my agenda:

  • Week one – Iron Maiden at the O2 in London
  • Week Two – Russel Watson at Watford Colloseum
  • Week Three – The Prodigy at the O2 in London
  • And three weeks later – Metallica at the O2 London

Man my ears ached for weeks but I absolutely loved it. The purity of a five piece string ensemble right through to the thrash sound of one of the worlds Rock mega groups, how’s that for musical range?

Kasabian & Kaiser chiefs

Nothings changed, in fact this very day I will be heading off to Leicesters Victoria park to see Summer solstice #2 (Kasabian and the Kaiser chiefs amongst others) and guess what? In typical UK style is raining cats and dogs.

But it will be a good day.

Peace all.

A night at the opera

Life’s to do list has always been quite extensive for me. Within that list was the wish to attend an opera for the first time. That wish came true at the grand old age of 57, on Friday 24th March 2023 at the Demontfort hall in Leicester.

The Ukrainian Opera and Ballet company from Kyiv were here performing Puccini’s La Boheme.

La Boheme – Puccini (Picture from brochure supplier, not my own)

I had a read up of what to expect the night prior to attending. I must say I was not at all disappointed, it was a beautiful experience, wonderful singing and you cannot beat a live orchestra. Those stringed instruments sounded heavenly and it was a few hours of entertainment that I must admit just took you away from the pressures of modern life and transported you back to a time when the world was running at a slower pace.

Did i enjoy it? You bet ya, however I’ll have to attend the next one with someone who appreciates this entertainment as the wife does not fit that category.

I feel as if a void in my life has now been filled, I have found an appreciation for this type of entertainment that I thought I did not have. My journey into the world of opera has begun.

Long May it last.