Saga Holidays in Leicester
If you’ve ever fancied a holiday with Saga, and if you are old enough to qualify, you could spend a few days in Leicester.
Most of you will be familiar with Saga, the Folkestone-based organisation who provide a range of services for mature people.
They organise holidays at interesting places throughout the country.
One of these places is Leicester, ideally placed smack in the middle of the country, and easy to get to from all points. Guests stay at Leicester University.
Leicester is a very interesting city. It’s one of Britain’s oldest, and also one of Britain’s largest. Most people tend to be surprised on both counts.
There is lots of lovely rolling countryside all around Leicester, much of which was traditional hunting country, and Charnwood Forest (now part of the National Forest) has some of the oldest rocks in the world.
Leicester has the largest free standing civil Roman structure still standing in Britain (the famous Jewry Wall), and several excellent museums, not forgetting the iconic National Space Centre, the only one outside North America. Leicester’s mediaeval Guildhall is one of the country’s oldest.
Leicester Cathedral is in a quiet part of the City Centre, while close to the shopping centre. Other places of worship represent a wide range of religions.
The Golden Mile in Belgrave Road is internationally famous, with its beautiful sari shops, jewellers, sweet shops and fabulous Indian restaurants. The Diwali celebrations attract visitors from all over Europe.
There is a wonderful tradition of sporting excellence. The Sporting Success statue in Gallowtree Gate commemorates the wonderful 1990s, when Leicestershire County Cricket Club, Leicester City Football Club and Leicester Tigers Rugby Club all won major trophies in the same year – what city could match that? And not far away is Loughborough University, with a very proud sporting tradition.
Some of Leicester’s famous people are Daniel Lambert (who achieved 52 stone before dying and being buried at Stamford); Joseph Merrick (better known as the Elephant Man); footballer / TV presenter Gary Lineker; the Attenborough brothers, actor / film director Richard and naturalist / TV presenter David; novelists C.P.Snow and Sue Townsend (creator of Adrian Mole); and dramatist Joe Orton.
Richard III and Cardinal Wolsey were both buried in Leicester, as was Thomas Cook, who signalled the birth of modern tourism when organising his first trip, from Leicester to Loughborough, in 1841.
Fancy a Saga holiday in Leicester?
Well, I’ll look forward to seeing you, as during the week I spend an evening giving a talk about some of the great things you can do while you are here.
See you here.
Posted by colin on Tuesday 23rd May, 2006 at 6:38am