LARGE GATEWAYS PLAN FOR ENDS OF THE GOLDEN MILE

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

The distinctive gates in Chinatown, Manchester

Large gateways plan for ends of the Golden Mile

by Dan Martin

Large Indian-style gateways could be put up to mark either end of Leicester's Golden Mile.

Businesses along the busy shopping street in Belgrave are looking at establishing landmarks similar to the Oriental arches in Manchester's Chinatown.

Traders' representatives have been holding discussions with city mayor Sir Peter Soulsby about the idea.

Sir Peter said: "It is an idea that has come forward from the traders as a way of demonstrating the identity of the Golden Mile.

"They have expressed an interest in getting something at either end which would show people when they are entering what is a specialist shopping area.

"They want something at the city end and something at the Melton Road end.

"I have seen Chinatown (in Manchester) and it looks good. I think something similar could work here.

"There is a precedent for doing this in the city already – the arch at the entrance to the market, though that is much more modest than what is being considered."

Sir Peter said he was enthusiastic about the idea and would support it if the traders were to pay for it themselves.

He said the planned demolition of the Belgrave fly-over, set to take place after Sainsbury's relocates from Belgrave to Melton Road at the end of this year, could allow some sort of new public art feature.He said: "It is an idea in its very early stages."

Dharmesh Lakhani, chairman of the Belgrave Business Association, said: "We are looking for something that makes people think of India and the subcontinent, but with elements of Leicester and the UK.

"It could well be a gateway and we could then use an image of it as branding all along the Golden Mile. It would be lovely to have something like that.

"We are not certain yet how it would fit in with the road structure or the space available.

"Whatever we do, it will be something that reinforces the character of the Golden Mile and encourages people to visit."

Mr Lakhani said people in the area would be asked what design they would like to see in place. Children at Abbey Primary School have already come up with a series of designs that could be considered.

Leicester East MP Keith Vaz said: "The Golden Mile is a defined area of shopping excellence known across the country and I think it is a great idea.

"It would come into its own at the time of Diwali.

"It is an ambitious idea and I will support it."

Travel agent Dipak Varadia, 51, from Brandon Street, off Belgrave Road, said: "We should definitely do this. At the moment, that big, ugly concrete fly-over hardly says 'Welcome to the Golden Mile'.

"When it has gone, we can replace it with something beautiful."

LAST GASP GO-AHEAD FOR MANGO FESTIVAL

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Last gasp go-ahead for Mango festival

by David Owen

Leicester will host its first ever Mango festival on Bank Holiday Monday after 11th- hour plans came together just in time for the extravaganza to go ahead.

Organisations across the city answered Leicester East MP Keith Vaz's SOS call issued through the Mercury last week.

The politician admitted he cut it fine, but it has been confirmed that Belgrave's Golden Mile will replicate the world-renowned fruit festival held in Delhi every June.

Cossington Recreation Ground will be a sea of yellow and orange, with city residents from all communities invited to come along and join the fun.

In keeping with tradition, four giant ornately-carved wooden elephants will be the centrepiece of the festival, which will include Indian cooking demonstrations, dancing and music.

Mr Vaz hailed the staging of the festival an "organisational triumph" for the city.

"We really had our backs to the wall," he said. "But Leicester has been able to pull this together in just 10 days.

"It has been a magnificent effort and I want to thank the City Mayor, Sir Peter Soulsby, the city council's festival team, the police, Belgrave Traders Association and others for pulling this together at very short notice.

"I am particular delighted that a home has been found for the six elephants that will come especially from India." 

The elephants that could have proved the sticking point, with Mr Vaz appealing for local organisations to provide a home for the giant wooden animals. "A number of local groups, organisations and individuals contacted me offering a home for the elephants," he said.

The four life-size carvings will arrive on Monday, with two 24ft by 12ft giants arriving the following week after the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir temple, on Gipsy Lane, Shreeji Dham Haveli temple, Melton Road, and Leicester City Football Club agreed to look after the elephants.

The Mango Festival will take place from 3pm, with activities for all ages, including cooking with celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor, dancing with Bollywood choreographer Shiamak Davar and a visit by Bollywood movie art director and set designer Nitin Desai.

Dharmesh Lakhani, chairman of Belgrave Business Association, said: "It's taken a lot of hard work but the fact it's going ahead is thanks to the effort put in by Keith and everyone else involved.''

VAZ HOPEFUL OF A MANGO EXTRAVAGANZA

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Vaz hopeful of a mango extravaganza

City MP Keith Vaz remains confident of staging the country's first mango festival in Leicester – with just 10 days left to get it organised.

The Leicester East MP wants Belgrave's Golden Mile to stage an extravaganza in tribute to the national fruit of India over the early May bank holiday weekend, mimicking the famous International Mango Festival held, in Delhi, every June.

A meeting involving the police, the city council officials and business representatives was held yesterday to discuss plans for the event.

Mr Vaz said afterwards: "I am extremely grateful to the city mayor for the support given to the proposal to have the first mango festival in Leicester.

"If it's going to go ahead, a lot of hard work needs to be done in the next few days. I am optimistic we will meet the deadline. We're not staging the Olympics, it's only a mango festival."

Mr Vaz has arranged the delivery of six giant wooden elephants to Leicester, which would form a key part of the festival.

An appeal was issued in the Mercury on Wednesday for people to look after the elephants in the run-up to the event.

Mr Vaz said: "I am delighted so many organisations have contacted my office and offered to look after one of the elephants.

"We will be having an X-factor style contest, the E-factor, if you like, to consider exactly where to put them, as we have more offers than elephants.

"The collective view is that we have everything we need to make this happen."

Dharmesh Lakhani, chairman of Belgrave Business Association, attended the meeting.

He said: "It is a very exciting opportunity for Leicester. I believe the costs will be met by the mango growers of Maharashtra. The elephants will be something different for the city.

"I think it is a good idea, but there isn't much time to get it organised, just 10 days."

RECEPTION AS EXHIBITION ENDS

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Reception as exhibition ends

A reception has been held to mark the end of an exhibition commemorating the 40th anniversary of the expulsion of Asians from Uganda.

The show, From Kampala to Leicester, began at New Walk Museum in July.

It told the story of Leicester's Ugandan Asian community from1972 to the present day and how the 10,000-strong community which settled in the city has influenced its development.

The exhibition, which was extended by a week because of its popularity, featured films, personal testimonies and rare artefacts borrowed from Leicester's Ugandan Asian community.

Belgrave Business Association hosted a reception at the museum on Friday for 60 guests, including Leicester East MP Keith Vaz and city mayor Sir Peter Soulsby.

The association's chairman, Dharmesh Lakhani, said: "The influx of the Asian community has played a major part in Leicester as we see it today.

"It was important to recognise the part the community has played in Leicester's history, reflected in the exhibition put on by the museum."

CITY TO THANK ITS UGANDAN ASIANS

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

City to thank its Ugandan Asians

Councillors are to publicly thank the Ugandan Asian community in Leicester for its contributions to the city's life over the past 40 years.

About 10,000 Asians took refuge in the city after dictator Idi Amin expelled them from the east African nation in 1972.

To mark the 40th anniversary of the expulsion, city councillors are to discuss a motion recognising the social economic and cultural benefits the refugees' arrival has had.

Councillor Sundip Meghani has proposed the motion. His father, Shantilal, and his family settled in Leicester after being expelled from Uganda with just £50 in their pockets. His mother, Nainaben, had come to the city before the expulsions.

Coun Meghani said: "It is a symbolic gesture on an issue that is of great importance to the whole city.

"More than 10,000 Ugandan Asians came here. Most were active, hard-working and entrepreneurial people.

"They helped the recovery of an economy that, in the early 1970s was struggling – particularly the hosiery industry.

"Today, they and their relatives play a major part in the city's business. It's in everything from restaurants to banking and the legal sector."

Coun Meghani is also urging his colleagues to condemn those who seek to discourage people fleeing persecution from coming to the city.

He said: "At the time of the expulsions there was a lot of rhetoric from anti-immigration groups and the National Front to try to stop Ugandan Asians coming here.

"The city council also foolishly took out adverts in papers telling them not to come here.

"Leicester reluctantly accepted the Ugandan Asians but now, after 40 years, the city is a much better place for their arrival.

"The city was a very different place back then and there was uncertainty and fear about immigration. Now we know what an important role those fleeing persecution have played."

Dharmesh Lakhani, chairman of Belgrave Business Association, was four years old when his family came to Leicester.

Dharmesh, who runs Bobby's restaurant, in Belgrave Road, said: "Ugandan Asians should also thank the people of Leicester for accepting them.

"I know there was a campaign to stop people coming here and there was a lot of ridiculous propaganda, but I never got the sense from most people that we were not welcome.

"Let's remember, people were uncertain about what to expect. They were not told most Ugandan Asians were successful, middle-class people.

"There are many Ugandan Asians like me who now consider themselves As British as anyone and they have worked hard to develop successful businesses to add to this city.''