Living IN LEICESTERSHIRE
Leicester is one of the UK’s 10 largest cities and represents the largest economy in the East Midlands region. It has a bustling and diverse atmosphere and recent regeneration (to the tune of £3 billion) has made this cosmopolitan city even more exciting. Leicester is famous for its diversity and offers an amazing chance to dive into many different cultural celebrations. Leicester celebrates Diwali (the Festival of Light) with spectacular lights, stunning street parades and dazzling fireworks. It is attended by 35,000 people and is the largest celebration of the festival outside of India. The UK’s second biggest Caribbean Carnival takes place every August, with amazing food, colourful sights and a real party atmosphere. Leicester has a state-of-the-art Curve Theatre and the Phoenix Square is a brand new arthouse cinema complex. De Montfort Hall has a diverse range of shows, including mainstream gigs, jazz, musicals, opera and world music. The city also hosts the annual Leicester Comedy Festival, Britain’s longest-running comedy festival. The city benefits from a large number of public parks including Abbey Park and also Victoria Park which is adjacent to the University. Leicester is steeped in history, dating back to the original Iron Age settlement which was to become an important Roman trading centre with a commanding position on one of Britain’s most important routes – the Fosse Way. The growth of industry reached its peak in the great hosiery, textiles and footwear enterprises of the 20 th century. In the centre of England, Leicester is 100 miles north of London , 25 miles from Nottingham, 40 miles from Birmingham and 70 miles from Oxford and Cambridge. Leicester is close to the M1 and M69 motorways , and is well served by the rail networks – London is just 65 minutes away by train with four trains every hour. East Midlands airport and Birmingham International airport are also within easy reach.
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