From There to Here

Today has been a great day. Today we have completed and uploaded our film, "From There to Here". This film will introduce you to many of the Irish you will have met on the blog and more besides. It charts their journey from over there to over here, telling why the Irish came to Leicester in the first place, where they lived and how they found work, love and a future in the City of Leicester.

A huge thanks to Dan Ashman for the filming and editing, to Colin Hyde for the use of equipment, film and interview tips and of course, the Emerald Centre for the unending support for this piece of work.

"From to There to Here"

If you are interested in other Oral History projects please contact Colin Hyde or go to the EMOHA channel on YouTube.

Colin Hyde

East Midlands Oral History Archive

Centre for Urban History

University of Leicester

LE1 7RH

Tel: 0116 2525065

Email: emoha@le.ac.uk

Website: www.le.ac.uk/emoha/


 If you'd like to tell your own family's story contact us on 0116 276 9186 or pop in to:

The Emerald Centre, Gipsy Lane, Leicester. LE5 OTB

We're now also on Twitter: follow me on  @irishleicester

Click here to view a map of The Irish in Leicester.

Victoria Park



Car park entrance, top of Regent Rd/Granville Rd.



 From where I lived on Upper Conduit St,Victoria Park seemed a long way away and I actually have no memory of going there at all as a child. But the pictures below show how well used and important it was to many of the Irish community living in Highfields. The classic "lungs of the city" Victoria Park was originally a racecourse, (doesn't that make sense!) and New Walk was laid out partly to provide access to it from the town.

My secondary school was Collegiate Girl's on College St and I would often go up to the park with friends during the dinner hour (or even during lessons). I later went to Leicester University and lived on Clarendon Park Rd where Vicky Park became an integral part of my everyday life.

Josie Silk with Martin and Gabrielle.

What do you remember of Victoria Park?

Did it give you that space and time to forget the mines, the buildng sites, the factories and the offices?

Did it give your children that precious green space to run free?

Greta Holt

If you'd like to be involved contact us on 0116 276 9186 or pop in to:
The Emerald Centre, Gipsy Lane, Leicester. LE5 OTB

Click here to view a map of The Irish in Leicester.