Just up the road from the derelict St Saviour's Church stands this distinctive building. Latterly known as the Imperial Hotel, it was built by Arthur Wakerley as a Temperance hotel for his model Leicester suburb North Evington. Today it seems to be in the hands of the YMCA, but looks empty.
Arthur Wakerley was a Liberal, Leicester's youngest ever mayor and an unsuccessful parliamentary candidate. Much more about him and North Evington will follow, I suspect, if only because I know his great granddaughter through Leicester Friends of the Earth.
Thanks for that, Jonathan. At lunch time, a bunch of colleagues at UoL go for a walk which typically means a quick circle around Victoria Park. I'll suggest that we are a bit more adventurous and take a gawp at some of the buildings in the Clarendon Park preservation area instead.
ReplyDeleteThe Imperial Hotel is far too distant, alas.
On your bikes, Phil.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I am his great granddaughter sadly - my Grandpa tells me our surname was once spelt like that but I've never heard of a mayor in the family. I come from a good solid line of bakers and farmers :-)
ReplyDeleteHannah
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment, but it was not you I was thinking of here.
I know an FoE member in the city who really is Arthur Wakerly's great grandauther.
Ah, that makes more sense :-) A friend sent this to me saying I'd been mentioned but it's obviously just a weird coincidence!
ReplyDeleteMy Father contracted TB while working in that pub in the late '50's.
ReplyDeleteNo hard feelings though, just part of my history.....