I remember seeing the proposals for the Haymarket Shopping Centre and I remember the underpass being built. The destruction of the shops, school and houses on one half of King Richards road and the demolition of the grand houses in the Dane Hills area robbed the residents of their inheritence.
The folklore here is that one of Konrad Smigielski's 'brainwaves' was to drive a dual carriage way from St Matthew's Way through to the Mayfield Road roundabout. It would have cleaved St James Road, LE2 in two! I don't know who stopped him, but thank God they did!
While it's true that Smigielski saved and improved areas he felt "worthy", his arrogance in destroying what he felt wasn't robbed later generations of too much of Leicester's heritage.
"If the story of Konrad Smigielski's time in Leicester teaches us any lessons, it may be that for all the good un-dramatic work done, it's the large-scale demolition of areas with sentimental attachments that people remember the most." Yes, indeed, and there are certainly many people with fond memories of The Pump & Tap and the Bowstring Bridge! ua-cam.com/video/v1P8cME98KY/v-deo.html
@ntrifle I think I was the the second person (after a school friend of mine) to swim in the pool at that Holiday Inn. It was the summer school holiday and the hotel was almost finished.
This is a good start for a serious re-evaluation of Smigielski but the oft-repeated claim that a "large part of Medieval Leicester...was buried" under the Holiday Inn needs further examination as it the crux of most people's criticism. All the pictures I've seen of the area show Georgian and early-Victorian buildings. Most of medieval Leicester had already gone by the turn of the nineteenth century rather than the 1960s. Its possible medieval buildings were lost I just haven't seen the evidence.
Much of it was hidden behind the Victorian and Georgian facades. Those buildings weren't put up on virgin ground. Look at any map of old Leicester and see what lay there. All that archaeology went overnight. If he'd had his way and continued the development, the body of Richard III could well have been chewed up by one of his bulldozers. When they explored the Loseby Lane area they found medieval structures intact behind the facades. As well as William Wyggeston's house, which had been hidden behind Georgian stucco.
I remember seeing the proposals for the Haymarket Shopping Centre and I remember the underpass being built. The destruction of the shops, school and houses on one half of King Richards road and the demolition of the grand houses in the Dane Hills area robbed the residents of their inheritence.
This man was my great grandmother's brother. A close 'uncle' to my mom and the reason for my middle name Konrad :)
The folklore here is that one of Konrad Smigielski's 'brainwaves' was to drive a dual carriage way from St Matthew's Way through to the Mayfield Road roundabout. It would have cleaved St James Road, LE2 in two! I don't know who stopped him, but thank God they did!
While it's true that Smigielski saved and improved areas he felt "worthy", his arrogance in destroying what he felt wasn't robbed later generations of too much of Leicester's heritage.
"If the story of Konrad Smigielski's time in Leicester teaches us any lessons, it may be that for all the good un-dramatic work done, it's the large-scale demolition of areas with sentimental attachments that people remember the most."
Yes, indeed, and there are certainly many people with fond memories of The Pump & Tap and the Bowstring Bridge!
ua-cam.com/video/v1P8cME98KY/v-deo.html
I'm living in Leciester and I'm from Poland :)
My grand-grandfather lived and died here in 1975.
@ntrifle I think I was the the second person (after a school friend of mine) to swim in the pool at that Holiday Inn. It was the summer school holiday and the hotel was almost finished.
Great video,
The lovely cat is named Daisy! It was my neighbor, oh god, I miss Leicester!
This is a good start for a serious re-evaluation of Smigielski but the oft-repeated claim that a "large part of Medieval Leicester...was buried" under the Holiday Inn needs further examination as it the crux of most people's criticism. All the pictures I've seen of the area show Georgian and early-Victorian buildings. Most of medieval Leicester had already gone by the turn of the nineteenth century rather than the 1960s. Its possible medieval buildings were lost I just haven't seen the evidence.
...Only Georgian and early Victorian..gone.' I could cry
Much of it was hidden behind the Victorian and Georgian facades. Those buildings weren't put up on virgin ground. Look at any map of old Leicester and see what lay there. All that archaeology went overnight. If he'd had his way and continued the development, the body of Richard III could well have been chewed up by one of his bulldozers. When they explored the Loseby Lane area they found medieval structures intact behind the facades. As well as William Wyggeston's house, which had been hidden behind Georgian stucco.
To little information , no opinion about his job , no actual list what hi has been done