It has been named the most diverse street in the UK in an area that thousands of De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) students have called home during their stay in the city.
Now the Narborough Road - or The Narbs as it’s known by locals - is having its story told in two exhibitions later this month.
An old picture of a section of the Narborough Road
The 1.5 mile-long, shop-lined route connects Leicester’s West End to the city centre and lies just a few hundred yards from the DMU campus.
Its proximity to DMU and, the then, large concentration of relatively cheap terraces that ran off its main drag, turned Narborough Road into a popular place for students to live and shop for decades.
Although many are now more likely to live in purpose-built accommodation on campus, and house prices have risen dramatically, the students from DMU are still an important part of trade in an area home to a huge variety of ethnically diverse shops, from takeaways, butchers and bakers to hardware stores, clothing outlets and supermarkets.
Grocers, hardware stores and bars share space on the Narborough Road
In 2016, a research project by The London School of Economics compared areas in London, Manchester, Birmingham and London, and found the shop keepers on Narborough Road hailed from 22 different countries across four continents, leading to it being named the most diverse street in the UK.
The new exhibitions, called Popping to the Shops, open this Friday, 26 January, and shine a spotlight on the road that dates back to Roman times, looking at its history and talking to some of the people who live and work there today.
Leicester City Council has announced that the Newarke Houses Museum, which sits opposite DMU’s Hugh Aston Building on Magazine Square, will feature panoramic photos taken by local photographer Paul James alongside interviews with people whose memories go back to the early 1960s.
Objects and memorabilia from past and present shops will also be on display at Newarke Houses Museum.
A view down the Narborough Road towards the city
A second exhibition at Westcotes Library, on Narborough Road, will use archive photographs of the area, together with a brief history of the shops.
Deputy city mayor and Westcotes ward councillor Adam Clarke said: “This project, led by our museums’ service, shines a light on some of the people who help make Narborough Road the vibrant area it is today.
“Their stories, together with some great photos from the archives, combine to make two very interesting exhibitions.”
Assistant city mayor for education, libraries and community centres Cllr Vi Dempster said: “Westcotes Library has been at the heart of the Narborough Road community for more than 130 years, so it’s the perfect place for an exhibition that looks back at the area’s past.
The railway bridge across the Narborough Road in Leicester's West End
“If you’re interested in local history, have a look at the exhibition next time you pop in to Westcotes library, where you’ll find information and resources that will help you discover even more about your local area.
“And if you’re not already a library member, it’s easy to join. Just bring along a form of ID and we can register you as a member, free of charge.”
Popping to the Shops is supported using public funding by Arts Council England.
The exhibitions open at Westcotes Library and Newarke Houses Museum on Friday 26 January and continue until 28 April 2024.
Posted on Wednesday 24 January 2024