Living History Publications

Books Published by the Living History Unit

The following is a list of books and videos which were published by Leicester City Council's Living History Unit. Please note that EMOHA does not have any of these items to sell. The Living History Unit was disbanded some years ago and at the start of 2016 the best place to contact is the New Walk Museum, 53 New Walk, Leicester, LE1 7EA, 0116 225 4900, http://www.leicester.gov.uk/leisure-and-culture/museums-and-galleries/our-venues/new-walk-museum-and-art-gallery , where it is possible to buy some of the titles.

Many of these books are available in Leicester's Central Library on Bishop Street - http://www.leicester.gov.uk/leisure-and-culture/libraries/find-a-library/leicester-central-library/ - as well as local libraries or second hand book shops.

BOOKS

THE DIARY OF ADA JACKSON 1883
£5.99 (+ £1.48 postage)
ISBN 0 9016750 5 9
published 1993

A unique account of Victorian Leicester, written in 1883 by a local woman, Ada Jackson, when she was 19 years old. Contains many contemporary photographs and illustrations.

Also available on audio tape as a TALKING BOOK
Read by Pam Cullen
£7.99 (+ £1.14 postage)
ISBN 0 9016754 0 7
n.d., published c.1995

OUT AND ABOUT IN LEICESTER
John Banner
£5.99 (+ 83p postage)
ISBN 0 9016752 0 2
published 1994

Sit back and let your imagination explore nearly two thousand years of Leicester's history with these five armchair tours - a highly enjoyable introduction to Leicester's rich and diverse heritage.

DESIRABLE LOCATIONS
Leicester's middle class suburbs 1880 - 1920
Helen Boynton and Grant Pitches
£7.00 (+ £1.14 postage)
ISBN 1 901156 00 1
published 1996

Leicester's middle class suburbs, in their leafy settings, provide a fascinating insight into the social history as well as the architecture of the city. Here we meet businessmen whose lifestyles were reflected in these impressive house, along with the local architects and builders who designed and built them. The book also includes sections on suburban gardens, and the relationship between geology and local building stones.

THE PANTRY UNDER THE STAIRS
Valerie Tedder
£4.99 (+ £1.14 postage)
ISBN 0 9521090 1 8
published 1994

A vivid account of a wartime childhood in and around Leicester, which will appeal to readers of all ages.

Also available on audio tape as a TALKING BOOK (running time 225 minutes)
Read by the author Valerie Tedder
£9.50 (+ £1.14 postage)
ISBN 1 901156 35 4
published 1998

ON THE STARTING LINE
Jim Sharlott
£6.99 (+ £1.14 postage)
ISBN 0 9016752 5 3
published 1994

Written by the former athletics correspondent of the Leicester Mercury, this entertaining and informative book charts the course of local athletics from its early days to its most recent years.

A LEICESTER CALENDAR
365 dates in the history of Leicester
J.D. Bennett
£2.50 (+ 58p postage)
ISBN 0 9521090 3 4
published 1995

An intriguing selection of events from the last two hundred years or so, arranged under the months in which they occurred. Ideal for quizzes.

WHARF STREET REVISITED
Cynthia Brown
£6.50 (+ £1.14 postage)
ISBN 0 9521090 2 6
published 1995

The history of the Wharf Street area of Leicester, including oral histories, written memories and photographs contributed by local people.

HIGHFIELD RANGERS: AN ORAL HISTORY
Highfield Rangers Oral History Group and the Sir Norman Chester Centre for Football Research, University of Leicester
£4.99 (+ £1.14 postage)
ISBN 0 9016750 0 8
published 1993

An entertaining account of the trials and successes of the first Black football club in Leicester, including reflections of its members on their experiences of moving to Britain from the Caribbean.

LEICESTER CELEBRATES
Festivals in Leicester Past and Present
Vernon Davis
£6.50 (+ £1.14 postage)
ISBN 0 9521090 6 9
published 1996

The origins and traditions of many of the multicultural festivals celebrated in Leicester, both now and in the past, using historical background, contemporary accounts, and the words and memories of local people.

PARAMPARA: CONTINUING THE TRADITION
Thirty years of Indian dance and music in Leicester
Compiled by Colin Hyde, Smita Vadnerkar and Angela Cutting
£3.50 (+ 58p postage)
ISBN 0 9521090 4 2
published 1996

For the early small groups of Indians who settled in Leicester in the 1950s and '60s, opportunities to take part in traditional dance and music events were few. Thanks to the enthusiasm and initiative of individuals and organisations within the community, Leicester has now become one of the leading centres for Indian dance and music in Britain. This book tells the story of the last 30 years in their own words.

ALL PART OF THE SERVICE
a pictorial history of Leicester's service industries
Compiled by Joyce Mills
£6.00 (+ £1.14 postage)
ISBN 1 901156 05 2
published 1996

The photographs in this book illustrate some of the different services provided in Leicester over the past 100 years or more, both by private companies and public authorities. Some of the illustrations, which cover a diverse range of subjects, have not previously been published, and they provide an informative and entertaining look at one aspect of Leicester's more recent history.

THE STORY OF THE SAFF
A history of the Saffron Lane Estate, Leicester
Compiled by the "Saffron Past and Present" Group - Pauline Astley, Arthur Chimes, Dot Jackson and Freda Soden - and edited by Cynthia Brown
£6.50 (+ £1.14 postage)
ISBN 1 901156 65 6
published 1998

Inspired by the major rebuilding taking place on the Saffron Lane Estate in the 1990s to replace its defective 1920s Boot houses, a group of residents wanted to capture something of its earlier history before it slipped from memory. This was how the "Saffron Past and Present" group came to be formed. The result is a fascinating collection of oral histories, written records and photographs; a real "living history" of Leicester's first large-scale municipal housing estate.

IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH
A history of Leicester's health and ill-health 1900 - 1950
Clive Harrison
£7.50 (+ £1.30 postage)
ISBN 1 901156 80 X
published 1999

This book looks at the various aspects of health, disease and health provision in Leicester during the first half of the 20th century. This period covers many dramatic changes in our health, from the early years of the century which were marked by legacies from the Victorian era - fatal diseases, epidemics, poor health and limited remedies - to the introduction of the National Health Service that promised to give all people free health and welfare care. It is a social rather than a medical history, drawing upon oral and written memories of local people, as well as official medical reports and newspaper articles.

POST WAR BLUES
Valerie Tedder
£7.50 (+ £1.14 postage)
ISBN 1 901156 85 0
published 1999

Valerie Tedder's first book, The Pantry Under the Stairs, has been read and enjoyed by thousands of people in Leicester and Leicestershire. In Post War Blues, she continues her story of growing up in Leicester after World War II - a poignant, humorous and heart-warming account of a young girl coming to terms with a changing world, starting work in a factory, and coping with adulthood against many domestic trials. Woven into this story are fascinating glimpses of life in Leicester between 1946 and 1958.

WRITING ABOUT LEICESTER
J.D. Bennett
£3.50 (+ 58p postage)
ISBN 1 901156 08 7
published 2000

Writing About Leicester provides for the first time a record of books and pamphlets about all aspects of the history of Leicester which have been published during the last two hundred years. Arranged by date of publication, and with author and subject indexes, it will be invaluable to students and researchers of all ages, and indeed anyone who is interested in Leicester and its history.

VIDEOS
(running time approximately 45 minutes)

TALK OF THE TOWN
Leicester in the 1950s and '60s
Paul Morley
Narrated by John Florance
£13.50 (+ £1.14 postage)
ISBN 0 9521090 7 7
published 1995

Leicester and its people in a time of great change, captured on film and photographs, and in the memories of those who lived through it.

LEICESTER ON PARADE
Leicester takes to the streets from the 1930s to the 1990s
Paul Morley
Narrated by Monica Winfield
£13.50 (+ £1.14 postage)
ISBN 1 901156 30 3
published 1997

The 1935 Royal Jubilee transforms the city centre, wartime sees the march for "War Weapons Week", Stocking Farm builds its own church, Radio Leicester goes on the air in 1967, and the pavements overflow for Caribbean Carnival and Diwali celebrations in the '80s and '90s. Through film and interviews Leicester on Parade captures the 'Leicester spirit', against a backdrop that changes so fast it's hard to believe what pioneer film makers have preserved for us.