Leicester.... Don't stop there for gods sake

We left the moorings and toddled off alone today.  Lots of double locks today without a buddy to share with.

Again most of them we had to turn first, much cooler today thank goodness.

Kings Lock and the charming tea rooms here, but not open today.

Last section before Leicester.  Two non English speaking guys here were kind enough to close the gates for me.

The last lock coming into view.

We dropped down from the last lock on the river aiming for the city centre we spied a gap on the "Long Straight" as I call the city moorings.

Now Reader perhaps you have been to Leicester by narrowboat but if not it carries a reputation of trouble.

 

We pulled into the moorings and David went to ask the chap on the boat in front if it was alright here.  The chap replied that he had only stopped for lunch and that it is not good to stop here overnight and with that they undid their ropes and chugged away.  This left a widebeam moored in front of us at a distance and a shorter NB behind us which was bedecked with flowers.

So obviously we stayed,  I was whacked and laid down, David brought me a reviving coffee and sandwich.   

Later we walked into town, a stones throw from where we were and went to the Newarke Houses Museum 

HERE

A charming place with Leicester through the ages, I liked the individual shops and the history of the knitting industry here.

 for trouble

I have Camp Coffee on the shelf in my larder!

Much harder to photograph due to the lighting but this is a replica of a First World War trench.

Magazine Gateway also called Newarke Gateway, finished about the year 1400, it's thought that the dead King Richard was returned to Leicester through this gateway.

HERE

It was grey and damp when we came out and the end of the afternoon.  We walked in what we thought was a generally southerly direction looking for a pub to rest in but we didn't see one with comfy seats to rest my weary bones.  None to be had so we went into a hotel and waited for our favourite restaurant in Leicester Kayal to open.  Pineapple Boli and Salmon Mappas later and we waddled back to the boat for an early night.

 

The National Gallery in London has decided to lend some of it's most well known paintings to other cities and for Leicester it's Umbrellas by Renoir.  

Such a treat.

Not Renoir but I'm always drawn to paintings of barges.

Many apologies for it being blurred, can't believe I did that.

A Bronze by Degas.

Leicester knitting industry in the making.

Oh what an even bigger treat ceramics by Picassio.

Photos of Picasso making.

We of course went to the King Richard 3rd Exhibition and its so brilliant.  The building itself, the displays, the wonderful volunteers and the in-depth explanation of the discovery and the actual hole in which the King was found.

Absolutely fascinating and well worth a visit.

It was pouring at the end of the day, we almost went back to Kayal restaurant again but in the end we went to M&S food hall, stocked up and enjoyed prawn salad onboard WaL. 

Leicester Cathedral's Peregrine Falcons

HERE      The parents successfully raised three young this spring, they fledged later in the month.  

Below is the actual spot that King Richard was found, spookily right beneath one letter R in CAR PARK.

He was to the left.

A replica of his crown

His resting place in Leicester Cathedral

From the bridge over the river close to us you could just make out the mooring pontoons of Castle Gardens, when we arrived they were full, when we walked into town this am there was a space, I asked David if he wanted to move WaL onto the secure pontoons, luckily he said no he couldn't be bothered which was just as well as I had no intention of helping.  When we back past there this evening it was full again. 

Another good nights sleep was had that night, we are moving off tomorrow.