What are the Friendsdoing for New Walk?

• Critical friend of Leicester City Councilin respect of issues concerning New Walkand the surrounding area.

• Key player on the walls and railingsEnglish Heritage Lottery Funding project.

• Observer and contributor in respect of thetree policy and replacement of trees alongNew Walk.

• Catalyst to provide investment by localcommunity in New Walk.

• Body to ensure ongoing and continuedmaintenance of New Walk as a pedestrianway and the maintenance of New Walk byLeicestershire City Council.

• Support of Leicester International Music Festival.

• Consultation body with LeicestershireConstabulary and support, e.g. provision of cycles.

• Establishment and development ofwebsite and newsletter.

• Supporter of more people coming back tolive on New Walk and offering supportfor appropriate residential developmentand occupancy of New Walk.

• Liaison and observer in respect ofplanning issues and makingrepresentations, where necessary, in theinterest of New Walk.

• Contributor to licensing and publicorder/control issues affecting New Walkand the surrounding area.

• Facilitation body for the erection ofpublic art on New Walk – three statueserected to date and the next one underconsideration – authors wall or similar.

For more information please contactMark Dunkley, c/o Harvey Ingram20 New Walk, Leicester LE1 6TXtelephone 0116 2545454e-mail mark.dunkley@harveyingram.com

The current trusteesof Friends of NewWalk CharitableTrust are:

James Bowie(Chairman to theTrustees & Resident)

Mark Dunkley(Clerk to the Trustees& Trustee)

Wendy Allum(Trustee & Resident)

Norman Gill(Trustee & Resident)

Colin Hargrave(Trustee)

Bill Smedley(Trustee)

David Sturgis(Trustee)

Steven Swanton(Trustee)

Mike Taylor(Trustee)

Elisabeth Townsend(Trustee)

Adrian Weston(Trustee)

Peter Wilkinson(Trustee)

October 2011

New Walk:The People's Pathwayfrom an Americanperspective

I came to Leicester fromAmerica about eighteenmonths ago to pursue anexcellent opportunity withthe University of Leicester. Ihad never been to Leicesterbefore and knew nothingabout the city. As someonewho has long been

interested in community development, Iimmediately set out to learn all I couldabout my new home. And what did I findto be Leicester's most distinctive asset?

Yes, it has two fine universities, a vibrantcultural life, a wonderfully diversepopulation and an interesting history. But,other cities in Britain can claim some or allof these features. There is only one NewWalk. It is unique for historical, social andcultural reasons. And, for many of us –including this newcomer, Leicester wouldnot be Leicester without it.

I was fascinated to learn that the New Walkhas been a key feature of Leicester life since

N E W S L E T T E R

Continued...

Ave Vinick, University of Leicester

1785. The then city fathers decided to build a"pedestrian walkway, (etc.)" to link the newracecourse on the south side of the city to thecity centre. The racecourse has long sincemoved to Oadby and been replaced byVictoria Park, leaving the New Walk with theequally important function of providing avehicle-free connection from the park todowntown Leicester.

Ten years ago, the New Walk was in a sadstate of disrepair and rapidly on its way tobecoming an eyesore instead of an amenity.Fortunately, an enlightened group of peopledecided they couldn't stand by and watch thistreasure fall into ruin. As a result, the Friendsof New Walk was formed. They assisted thecity in its application for the grant which wasawarded by the National Lottery, raised otherfunds and began to work with the localCouncil to repair fences, paving andplantings. In addition, they began to thinkabout how they might enhance the oldwalkway in sensitive, but exciting ways.

You can see the results of their work today.The New Walk is used by people from allwalks of life at nearly all hours of the day andwell into the evening. At lunchtime in fineweather, the benches are full of office workersenjoying a sandwich in the pleasant outdoorsurroundings. Families can be seen on theirway to the New Walk Museum and couples,young and old, stroll hand in hand to and

The Walkthrough history

From the archives, a photoof New Walk dating fromEdwardian times. Seenbisecting the Walk isWaterloo Street, which waslater excavated in the early1970s to become WaterlooWay, with the Walk passingacross a bridge.

Image from ‘The History of New Walk,Leicester’ by Helen E. Boynton.

This Summer saw the opening of thepermanent gallery of Picasso Ceramics at the Museum on New Walk. Numberingaround 150 pieces, the works have beendonated by Lord and Lady Attenboroughfrom their extensive collection.

Picasso created his ceramicworks at The Madoura potteryin Vallauris, France. He alsodesigned new forms whichwere a combination ofpainting and sculpture; Picassoinsisted that the pottery wasproduced as inexpensivemultiple works that wereaffordable to everyone. TheAttenborough collectionconsists mainly of Editionsand OriginalImpressions.

Picasso Ceramics on New Walk

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At the New Walk Museum

Sir David opensDinosaur Gallery

New Walk Museum and Art Gallerywelcomed Sir David Attenborough and mayorSir Peter Soulsby to open their newlyrefurbished geology and palaeontologyexhibition on 2nd September 2011. Threeyears in the making, The Dinosaur Gallery:Exploring Lost Worlds includes old favouritessuch as the Rutland Dinosaur, the BarrowKipper and the Barwell Meteorite, plus newand never seen before specimens including theBlockely Plesiosaur. Sir David, who grew upin Leicester and visited the museum as a boy tolook at the fossils, opened the exhibition, spenttime talking with children and families at theprivate view, and got up close with Charnia,which featured with him in a recent TVprogramme. Over the opening weekend over5000 people visited the museum. For moreinformation about the gallery, its openingtimes and to see podcasts of some of the starobjects go to www.leicester.gov.uk/museums

One resident who lives nearby wrote onthe Council website, “It would seem thewhole area at the city end of new Walkcould well be one enormous alcoholiccafé”. Some landlords and owners saidthey wanted to keep the area around thearea tidy and that they had an excellentrelationship with everyone in the area.That might be, but how do they controlthe noise levels, which are sometimesunacceptable?

In a recent Leicester Mercury articleentitled “Historic Street is now One BigPub” it stated that residents are fed up withthe noise that bars create, especially withoutside seating. In a recent objection tolicensing applications, residents commentedthat, “this is not Las Vegas Sunset Strip,this is New Walk which is part of theconservation area. It is a residential area notthe centre of town. New Walk is somethingspecial we are trying to retain in the city”.

New Walk “One Big Pub”?

from downtown shops and restaurants.Many of those on the Walk will stop toenjoy the sculptures that have beencommissioned by the Friends of New Walk.

I found the case for supporting the NewWalk so compelling that I have joined theFriends of New Walk. Now, we are askingthe rest of the community to join us in ourquest to make sure the New Walk is notonly preserved, but continues to thrive ascritical part of Leicester's future. For notonly is the New Walk an importanthistorical legacy and an enjoyable openspace in the heart of the city, but it will playa critical role in economic development.Green space is an ever more importantcommodity on this crowded island. As Leicester competes for the creativeentrepreneurs who can help it thrive, it willrely more and more on special features likethe New Walk that will enhance thelifestyles of those who can live and workvirtually anywhere they choose.

Please consider making a generous gift tothe New Walk Charitable Trust. Whether

you're interested in making sure thishistoric asset is well-cared for, want to seemore done to enhance its attractiveness orjust can't imagine Leicester without it, this is your opportunity to join other civic-minded people in a very worthwhileeffort. We almost lost the New Walk once;it is up to those of us who care about ourheritage and our future not to let thathappen again.