The atmosphere of London in 1666, before, as well as after, the outbreak of the Great Fire, was febrile – anti-Catholic feeling was potent and rife, portents and prophecies of terrible events abounded, the city had been ravaged by Plague the year before and England was at war with the Dutch, with whom the French […]
350 years ago this month, during the early hours of Sunday 2 September 1666, the Great Fire of London, which had broken out in the Pudding Lane bakery of Thomas Farynor, began to spread with terrifying speed through the city’s crooked, narrow streets, lined with wooden buildings. One consequence of the Fire, irreparable damage to […]
Our current exhibition, exploring the experiences and attitudes of the British in India from the early 17th century to the turn of the 20th, features a selection of material from the Union Club Library, purchased by the University in 1964, about which I wrote previously. But it also draws on the collection of Victor Neuburg. […]
If rumour proves to be correct, the seventh series of the Great British Bake Off is due to appear on our screens towards the end of August. Fans of the show who were hoping for a repeat of the pattern of previous years will be forced to wait an extra couple of weeks this […]
On 30 July 1966 England won the World Cup. Fifty years since that momentous occasion Special Collections Assistant Ian Swirles has located some images and cuttings from the Leicester Mercury Archive held by the University Library. Leicester City had one representative in the World Cup winning team, that individual was Gordon Banks who was […]
Iconic fictional characters of childhood can be attributed to the creativity of Beatrix Potter, author and illustrator of the late 19th – early 20th century. Adult and child alike will be familiar with the mischievous protagonist that is Peter Rabbit; a story which after several rejections was published by Beatrix herself, printing […]
Our current exhibition from the Special Collections, ‘”Strangers in the Land”? Impressions of India’, explores the attitudes and reactions of the British in India, from the early 17th century to the turn of the 20th, and the repercussions of a complex and fascinating relationship on the cultures of both countries. Many of the items displayed […]
By James Wilkinson After one of my friend’s mentioned a potential career path in librarianship, and that she was in the middle of undertaking a librarianship internship here at the University of Leicester, my ideas for potential career options was expanded massively. It seemed obvious once I had thought about it; I’ve just completed a […]
With exam season drawing to a close (my sympathies to those continuing their studies through the summer), now is an opportune moment to relax and soak up some rays around the University campus. Victoria Park will undoubtedly be filled with picnickers, sunbathers and various sporting enthusiasts. Making the […]
Our current exhibition, ‘”Strangers in the land”? Impressions of India’ traces the history of the British in India from the early 17th century to the turn of the 20th. Some always remained, in the words of the Governor of Madras in 1807, ‘strangers in the land’; others, like the free-thinker and theosophist Annie Besant, who […]
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