Friday, April 1, 2022

Leicester

 What does this motorcycle and bike....

....and this car....
Have in common? The answer is that they all used to be manufactured in Leicester. One of the greatest things about my trip is all the museums there were...free museums, just waiting to be discovered. This was was the Leicester pumping station. A sewage pumping station seems like an odd place for a museum, doesn't it? But it wasn't at all. 
Isn't it magnificent? 



The Victorian designer wanted it to look like a country home....
Albeit one with a huge chimney. 
At the time, outdoor privies were the thing. This is an ash one. The metal container was shook into the pit after every use. It was kept full of ashes from the fire. Waterborne diseases were rampant and killed many. 

So the Victorians decided that the sewage needed to be pumped away from the town and the pumping station was designed and built. Not without controversy of course. The rich were not sure that the regular folk could be trusted not to waste water with the new fangled flush toilets. 

But the lifesaving site was built. 

A progression of washing machines. 
Bathing in a 1950s house. 





A random music box which caught my fancy. 

We saw the city museum as well and we walked in Abbey Park, stopping for coffee in a cafe. 

Two things: I cannot get blogger to center align to save my soul, so you're going to have to ignore that. 

Additionally, we are very busy right now. As previously mentioned, a long term tenant died last month. We bought the house with him in it. I had never seen the apartment myself. We are completely remodeling it, so I will be quite busy for the next few days. Will post as I can. 


15 comments:

  1. I live near Leicester. It is lovely to see your pictures and your comments on Bradgate Park and the museum. It makes me realise how lucky we are. Jan

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  2. What great pictures and you were able to make each one seem alive. Thank you. I lived in an old farm house in Ohio(1875). It did not have a bath inside. I bathed in a galvanised wash tub and went to the our house. I did not have an inside bath unntil I got married in 1965.

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  3. Ohhhh Love museums!
    This building is fantastic! Love the lines.
    And who knew that going to the WC was such a process?

    XOXO

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  4. The only way I've found when this happens is to clear all text by selecting the T with a forward slash through it on the far right of the tools and then going in and reselecting justification.

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  5. A lovely tour of Leicester's sewage system. Isn't it marvellous how the Victorians tackled the building of the sewage plant, almost like covering the piano with a cloth to hide its legs. It is great seeing England through your eyes.

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  6. We used to race at the velodrome in Leicester at Saffron Lane

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  7. It looks centre aligned to me!!!

    Looks like your trip to the po went well :D

    I love little museums like that.

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  8. Gosh, it was a wonderful adventure you had and you learned so much! Thanks for sharing with me as I will never get there...

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  9. It is not the first pumping station interior I have seen but few are as nice and as well preserved. It is a brilliant building all round.

    Monday, laundry day....all day. How fortunate we are now.

    Of course where you say you can't get the post centred, is perfectly well centred.

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  10. Do you mean left aligned because it is centre aligned?

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  11. J, isn't it funny seeing familiar things through someone else's eyes? It does give you a new perspective, doesn't it?

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  12. I visited the pumping station many years ago, it is very beautiful. The green washing machine in your photo is very similar to one that my Mum had in the late 40s early 50s. Hers was a " Beatty" and I think the drum was copper.

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  13. I had the same question as Anvilcloud -- maybe you fixed it?

    I went to Leicester several years ago but I only saw the museum dedicated to Richard III and his skeleton found under a municipal parking lot!

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I'm glad you're here!

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