Visit to Leicester

#leicester #leicestershire #eastmidlands #NewarkeHousesMuseumandGardens

Several months ago we heard about an initiative in Leicester where artists were invited to a Bring The Paint Festival that takes place every year. Here artists can create a mural around the city.

The Paint Festival alongside the opening of a dedicated street art centre have brought international attention to a city rich in heritage. Artists such as ARTISM, CAPER, MAIHEM and RACEE set a regional style for future generations whilst visiting international artists have both supported an existing legacy and inspired new generations of artists and fans alike.

Unfortunately, because of other commitments we couldn't attend the actual festival but decided to stop and see it on our way back from Ipswich. 
We spent the first day exploring the city and did manage to find a few sites and after a good night's sleep we set off again to explore. This time we had downloaded a map of where to see them. 
This time we were more successful!
Fortunately, for us, as it was a very hot day, they were all grouped in a small area. Although, to our surprise, it involved exploring an old car park snd garage to find them.

On our way back to the centre, we decided to visit the Newarke Houses Museum and Gardens, a nice place to get out of the heat. Here, as well as viewing a range of displays, there was an exhibition entitled Public and Private Gardens. This looked at how gardens had been so important during the pandemic, helping people with their health and well being. This was a small but interesting exhibition and it reminded me of how I had discovered that the interest in art to be one of the most popular ways people dealt with the isolation at this time.

Our final visit before moving on was to the King Richard the 3rd Visitor Centre as Sue, who gained an A level in history as well as majoring in the subject at teacher training college, is fascinated by these types of exhibitions. I, unfortunately, spent more time watching my brother playing football outside the history room and only managed an o level in it!  Another enjoyable day in this interesting city.