October 2025. Leicester.
Regular readers will know I’m no fan of history, which is I why I follow a team founded in 2008 and can’t tell my Art Deco from my Art Nouveau (or Garfunkel).
But apparently Leicester is even more famous for a dead king than for the all-time footballing miracle or the curry or whatever else has attracted Quinno there from the Nag’s Head in Reading.
So I dutifully trudge towards the site of Richard III’s cheapo burial in a car park (equivalent to a direct cremation),
pop in the Cathedral and play “Spot the burial site” till realising it’s where the service was being held.
We skip the visitor centre in favour of the pub, but it is Leicester’s oldest building (1490), which looked even better on my last visit.
Wygston House was in the GBG when I took Curry Charles in here for a rapid spot of eavesdropping 6 years ago. Still an essential stop on your visit, for the beams and the gentlefolk watching,
but out of the GBG, not helped by an obsession with Wantsum (why ?).
Some folk had found just the spot for a pint glass of Malbec and a read of the local CAMRA magazine,
but Mrs RM, perhaps distracted by the fella behind,
never felt comfortable and we retired to the best room, whose glories justified the cost of the beer even if the beer didn’t, quite (2.5).
Mrs RM described it as a “The Carnival Is Over” pub*; all the folk there would remember the Seekers.
More timber next door at the Guildhall,
which was a gorgeous time capsule of a museum,
though rather spoiled by unnecessary Halloween decorations (see also : all pubs).
One more bit of history to come before we head home. Can you guess ?
*That’s what was playing, Mrs RM didn’t pick it from nowhere, silly
That video from the same year as “Heroin” by the Velvet Underground, folks.
retiredmartin 
One more piece of history!
The sorry state of former Heritage Inventory pub the Shakespeares Head?
Swinging past the former Princess Charlotte, scene of many an ear-ringing guitar solo?
A stifled sob outside the place formerly known as Wilkies Bar, early adopter of ‘forrin’ beers and Tapas…
The Globe 😳
(The Real) Mark
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Quite a lot of sad losses in town over the years, including the Hat & Beaver and the Musician.
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I read online today that, for 2025, the UK is losing 11 pubs a week (pubs, not restaurants or the like). 😟
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With a fertility rate of 1.4 the UK will be more worried about losing population than pubs !
Here in Sheffield, in Cambridge and Kent there’s a dozen pubs in 1 ten minute walk, though they often don’t open lunchtimes and afternoons anymore.
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Maybe they’re just being ‘refined’ to be only in places that they’re wanted (just as long as some keep on truckin’ as they say over here).
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Exactly right. Wetherspoons seem able to attract lunchtime and afternoon custom all week, though I see quiet Spoons at breakfast times in smarter towns.
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Because of The Financialisation Of Everything, all assets – land, houses, pubs, etc. are grossly inflated.
This means that those trying to run pubs can’t afford the rent/lease, and the young can’t afford a house to bring up a family, and even if they could, then they couldn’t afford to go to a pub.
But hey, people voted for it.
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Leicester looks like a really good place, apart from Velvet Underground inspired wildfowl confusion.
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I remember a song called “The Carnivore Is Oval”, by a Japanese Seekers tribute band.
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“and can’t tell my Art Deco from my Art Nouveau (or Garfunkel)”
(slow golf clap)
“So I dutifully trudge towards the site of Richard III’s cheapo burial in a car park (equivalent to a direct cremation),”
Yes, yes, but, as mentioned earlier; he should go down in history for being the first to save a parking space as well.
“and play “Spot the burial site” till realising it’s where the service was being held.”
Ah, bit awkward that.
“but it is Leicester’s oldest building (1490), which looked even better on my last visit.”
Blimey. If it’s that old, of COURSE it would look better then than now.
“Still an essential stop on your visit, for the beams and the gentlefolk watching,”
Was there any more eavedropping?
“Some folk had found just the spot for a pint glass of Malbec and a read of the local CAMRA magazine,”
(looks down)
I like his hat but… wine? Really?
“but Mrs RM, perhaps distracted by the fella behind,:
(looks down – starts hummin Big Ten Inch by Aerosmith)
“we retired to the best room, whose glories justified the cost of the beer even if the beer didn’t, quite (2.5).”
Oof. Beer may not be the main reason, but beer quality still counts.
“though rather spoiled by unnecessary Halloween decorations (see also : all pubs).”
Blimey. They don’t do that over here from what I can tell.
“One more bit of history to come before we head home. Can you guess ?”
Not in a million years. 😎
“*That’s what was playing, Mrs RM didn’t pick it from nowhere, silly”
I never doubted it.
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Love the “carnival
is over” pub summary. My husb won’t go on any more Warner breaks for this type of reasoning.
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I don’t blame him !
My parents got into Warner (and cruises with similar entertainment) in their 60s but I shan’t be following them Lana !
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I just like the peace in the swimming pools – no kids!
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We were once told off for moving one of the Tiffany lamps in Wygston’s House: “I wouldn’t do that, the gaffer’s very proud of his Tiffanys.”
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It’s a lovely couple of pub rooms off to the left.
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