The Store Room’s team at Leicester have put together a list of facts about Leicester that you might not have known.
National Space Centre
If you are looking for an out of this world experience, Leicester is home to The National Space Centre – one of the UK’s leading visitor attractions. It boasts the UK’s largest domed planetarium and the iconic Rocket Tower.
Walkers Crisps
Leicester the home of Walkers Crisps – a snack which is recognised the world over. Walkers has the largest crisp factory in the world – and you can smell the factory before you see it! Gary Lineker is the face of Walkers as he is from Leicester, and interestingly Gary Lineker’s dad sold fruit and veg at Leicester Market for decades.
Red Leicester
Despite what the name suggests, Red Leicester doesn’t actually come from Leicester. The cheese originates from a farm near Hinckley and is named after Leicestershire! It was originally called ‘Leicestershire Cheese’ but came to be known as ‘Red Leicester to distinguish itself from ‘White Leicester’.
Package Holidays
Leicester is also the birthplace of the package holiday. The first package tour, conducted by Thomas Cook, took place from Leicester to Loughborough in July 1841. It was organised as an excursion for workers and their families, and was the birth of mass tourism.
The Pink River
The River Soar used to be PINK! Although now it looks like a normal river, it used to be known for its unusual pink colour, resulting from waste from the textile factories in Leicester.