Who's Who in and Around Leicester

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Who's Who Sections:

Section 7: [Writing Community]  Section 8: [Arts Community]  Section 9: [Sports Community]

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~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Writing Community ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

(Authors, Novelists Journalists, Playwrights, Biographers & Poets)

Click on the name for additional information

~ Sue Townsend ~

The author was born in Glen Hills, Leicester, and despite leaving school at 15, went on to achieve national and international fame with her books. She is perhaps most famous for the "Adrian Mole" series. Sue attended Glen Hills Infants and Junior School starting in 1951, and her memories of those early days at that school are reproduced in an article (follow the link) Diary of a Schoolgirl Aged 4 ¹/4.

~ Julian Barnes ~

Best-selling author, Gallic Literary and Somerset Maugham prize winner, the first Englishman to win the French Prix Medici yet still a "City" fan.  The author of The History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters and England, England was born in Leicester in 1946, the elder son of two French teachers from nearby mining town Coalville.  He was educated at the City of London School from 1957 to 1964 and at Magdalen College, Oxford, from which he graduated in modern languages (with honors) in 1968. After graduation, he worked as a lexicographer for the Oxford English Dictionary supplement for three years. In 1977, Barnes began working as a reviewer and literary editor for the New Statesmen and the New Review. From 1979 to 1986 he worked as a television critic, first for the New Statesmen and then for the Observer (London). In addition to the link above, visit this website --> [link] for an interview with Julian Barnes.

~ Joe Orton ~

Controversial playwright; author of such black-humour farces as Loot, What the Butler Saw and Entertaining Mr.Sloane.  Born John Kingsley Orton in Leicester in 1933,schooled on the Saffron Lane council estate before leaving to attend the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London . Apparently he was not a big fan of Leicester (the City that is not the "City"). This link following will give you a short biography --> [Link] 

~ Max Wade-Matthews ~

Max is a writer and researcher who has written many books on his adopted city of Leicester as well as on topics ranging from Railways to Music. If you wish to learn more about Leicester's long and colourful history, you can visit Max's website by clicking on his name above, or order many of his books (including "Musical Leicester") through "Heart of Albion Press" (see the Leicester Links page). Be sure to read "A year in the Life of Leicester: 1836," the text of which, can be found at his website. Max is also  available for research projects on almost any subject, especially Local History and Family History. Max Wade-Matthews was born in Norwich and went to school in Lowestoft.  He trained as a registered nurse before having five years as a professional musician, working in the UK, Germany and Hong Kong. In the early 1980s he established "House Divided" a magazine aimed at American Civil War re-enactors in Europe.He moved to Leicester in 1982 and after studying Local History at the University of Leicester devoted his time to writing and research. He is at present working on a study of the effigies in the churches of Leicestershire and Rutland and a virtual stroll through Leicester. Both will be published as interactive CDROMs.  

~ Colin Wilson ~

The original "Angry Young Man." Born Colin Henry Wilson in Leicester in June, 1931; his father was a worker in the Boot and Shoe industry. Considering himself a genius, a born writer, and an outsider, Wilson found little value in formal education and left school at the age of sixteen. During the next few years he drifted and traveled around England and the continent. The period 1950-56 was marked by economic deprivation, marital difficulties (he was originally married to an Earl Shilton girl) and general discomfort. His first book The Outsiders was published in 1956. Colin Wilson has written upwards of thirty novels including: Ritual in the Dark, The Girl in the Labyrinth, The Schoolgirl Murder Case, The Personality Surgeon, Adrift in SoHo and his autobiography Voyage to a Beginning. The link will take you to an in-depth interview with this author. This entry in Who's Who was suggested by expat Doreen Perri of Thorold, Ontario. 

~ Kingsley Amis ~

Sir Kingsley Amis (1922-1995) Novelist, poet, critic, and teacher, father of writer Martin Amis, generally grouped among the "angry young men" in the 1950s, though he denied the affiliation. Amis' ascent from the obscurity of lower-middle-class London was largely self-willed. He become a man of outrageous wit and genius, and gained reputation as a "supreme clubman, boozer and blimp." A radical in his young adulthood, Amis was later know for his conservative critique of contemporary life and manners. In the 1950s Amis used to visit his friend Philip Larkin who was the city librarian. Larkin lived in Dixon Road and that is where Amis coined the name "Lucky Jim Dixon" - a book based at Leicester University. This entry courtesy of Max Wade-Matthews.

~ C. P. Snow ~

Charles Percy Snow (Baron Snow of Leicester) was born in Leicester in 1905 and was educated at Leicester University College and earned a doctorate in physics at the University of Cambridge, where, at the age of 25, he became a fellow of Christ's College. After working at Cambridge in molecular physics for some 20 years, he became a university administrator, and, with the outbreak of World War II, he became a scientific adviser to the British government. He was knighted in 1957 and made a life peer in 1964. As an author, novelist and physicist, Snow had an active and varied career, including several important positions in the British government where he was technical director during the years 1964 to 1966. C.P. Snow died in 1980.  

~ Lynda Page ~

Novelist Lynda Page was born and brought up in Leicester. The eldest of four daughters, she left home at seventeen and has had a wide variety of office jobs. She has tried her hand at window dressing and overlocking, but is presently Operations Liason Officer at Land  Rover Parts Ltd. She presently lives in a village near Leicester with her two teenage daughters. Her novels include such titles as Evie, Annie, Josie, Peggie, And One For Luck, Just By Chance, At The Toss Of A Sixpence and Any Old Iron. Many, if not all, of her novels are about life in Leicester before, during, or just after, WWII. Book reviewer�s quote: �Lynda Page creates strong characters and is a clever and careful story teller�She has the stamina not to alienate you as a reader and to keep the story going on a constant flow of purpose and energy�A great writer who gives an authentic voice to Leicester�A formidable talent.� LE1 For more on Lynda, click on her name above and read an article about her from the Leicester Mercury.

~ Jane Adams ~

Author Jane Adams was born in Leicester, where she still lives. She has a degree in sociology, and has held a variety of jobs including lead vocalist in a folk rock band. She enjoys pen and ink drawing, martial arts (Aikido and Tae Kwon Do) and her ambition is to travel the length of the Silk road by motorbike. She is married with two children. Her first book, The Greenway was short listed for the CWA John Creasey Award in 1995 and for the Author�s Club Best First Novel Award.

~ David Icke ~

New Age author and guru; national spokesman for the British Green Party. He was born in 1952 and was brought up on a big council estate in Leicester. He achieved a lifelong goal when he left school to play football for Coventry City and Hereford United.  However, rheumatoid arthritis developed after just six months and eventually he had to quit playing about five years later. He went on to become a local newspaperman and later a national sports and news anchor man and reporter.  Quote: "the danger [to Christianity] is not that people will believe in nothing at all, but that they will believe anything." (Malcolm Muggeridge)

~ Freda Warrington ~

She has been entertaining readers with voluptuous tales of fantasy, vampires and the supernatural since 1986. Inspired by the beautiful Charnwood Forest area in which she grew up, and by early exposure to the vampire genre, she began writing in her childhood and is now the bestselling author of twelve novels. She was born in Leicestershire and, after training at Loughborough College of Art, worked in medical art, graphic design and illustration while writing in her spare time.

~ Christopher Moore ~

Born in Leicester, educated wherever his father happened to be posted, Christopher graduated from St Andrews University with an MA in English. His first job was on Cosmopolitan magazine, after which he decided to try journalism. He worked as a correspondent in Sri Lanka and then as a news producer in breakfast television before quitting to teach in Papua Guinea. In his book, "Trench Fever," we follow the war time experiences of Private Walter Butterworth authors Grandfather), Fifth Battalion, the Leicestershire Regiment during their three-year through France.

~ Ashley Redburn ~

Dedicated Churchill scholar and former of Hour." He was born in Leicestershire in 1912, and took a history degree from Nottingham University and spent four years teaching history in South Africa and Hampshire. In 1936 he joined the Territorial Army; three years later he met Winston Churchill, and wrote about in the Finest Hour #60. He landed on Sword Beach in the vanguard of the Normandy Invasion on D-Day, and joined the mopping up forces in Burma in November 1944. The article (link) is in tribute to him.

~ Patricia Wendorf ~

She has written several well-reviewed novels, including The Sunday Times bestseller, Larksleeve. She lives in Leicestershire and I don't know very much about her than that she has written several novels. Among the titles Blanche,The Marriage Menders, The Toll House, One of us is Lying and Bye Bye Blackbird.

~ David Joss Buckley ~

He was born in Leicester in 1948 and was educated at Loughborough College School, before moving on to study at Loughborough College of Art. In 1973 he became Publicity Manager for the Haymarket Theatre. His career as an actor blossomed and in 1978 he joined the Young Vic Theatre in London followed by the Royal National Theatre. By the end of 1987 he had joined the writing team on Yorkshire Television's Emmerdale Farm and in 1995-96 he wrote the first of six 1-hour episodes for BBC TV's Saturday night flagship drama Casualty which earned him a Writer's Guild of Great Britain nomination the following year. He also joined the team of writers on the BBC's famous EastEnders. He is married with three daughters and lives in London. He is a life-long supporter of Leicester City Football Club. He wrote "Here, There & Everywhere," the biography of Leicester club skipper Steve Walsh.

~ Ray Coleman ~

Former editor of the pop music weekly Melody Maker and biographer of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Brian Epstein and Eric Clapton. Ray was born in Leicester and began his newspaper career at the age of 15 as a copy boy at the Leicester Daily Mail. He joined Melody Maker in 1960, and was credited with bringing a professional and objective interview style to a field that had been dominated by fan magazines. He gained trust of The Beatles at the beginning of their career when he was assigned to cover their U.S. tours in the early 1960s. He died September 10th, 1996 at his home near London.

~ David Wheldon ~

He was born in 1950 at Moira, a mining village in Leicestershire, where his father was the schoolmaster. He was taught at Sidcot School, Somerset, a Quaker foundation, studied medicine at Bristol and pathology at the Radcliffe Infirmary and the Gibson Laboratories, Oxford. He has written poetry all his life, but gained recognition as a writer in 1982 when his first novel, The Viaduct, won the Triple First Award, then a new award of which the judges were Graham Greene and William Trevor.

~ Lee Harwood ~

Poet. Born in Leicester in 1939 and although he has traveled widely, he keeps returning to the Landscape of the South Downs and the Sussex coast. His early books, first published in the '60s by Fulcrum Press, include The White Room (1968) and The Sinking Colony (1970). Later collections include Monster Masks (Pig Press 1985) and a selected poems, Crossing the Frozen River (Paladin 1989).

~ Peter Morriss ~

Born in Derbyshire, Peter now lives in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. His work has appeared in Poets England, International Society of Poets, Poetry Club, Poetry Guild, Forward Press Anthologies, Poetry Now, Arrival Press, Anchor Books, Triumph House, and Fosse Focus and Fury, a United Reformed Church anthology. Hewon two awards for his poetry in 1996. He contributed to the World Health Organization in Poetry and The Art of Medicine under a Dr. R. Philipp at Bristol University. His favorite subjects are wildlife and the sea.

~ Veronica Ann Twells ~

Born in 1941, and one of three children. Her parents came from Yorkshire to live in Leicester just before the Second World War. She liked to read anthologies when she was only 10 or 11 years old, preferring to read poetry and also the words of Folk Songs in the libraries. Her other interests include gardening, reading, drawing, photography and Western Line and Partner Dancing. She thinks England must be seen in Maytime when the greenness pervades everywhere. "Winter is many months of the year / But now at last Maytime is here; And birds sing from a leafy screen / In the trees and hedgerow freshly green."

~ Henry Ryder Taylor ~

(1850-1908). Henry Ryder Taylor (also found as Ryder-Taylor), journalist and author, was born in Leicester, England, on May 5, 1850, and began his journalistic career with the London Telegraph and All The Year Round. In 1881 he came to the United States and settled in San Antonio, where he was editor of the Sunday Mirror. He lived for two years in Mexico City, where he wrote for the Two Republics; he then worked in St. Louis and New York before returning to San Antonio to publish the Texas Figaro, a weekly paper devoted to drama, sports, society, and politics. He was one of the first reporters on the San Antonio Daily Light and was on the news staff of that paper for over twenty years. He wrote poems and was engaged in the publication of the International Magazine until a short time before his death. As a youth in London he knew Charles Dickens and possibly served as the famous author's amanuensis. While living in San Antonio, he was occasionally host to (and perhaps a collaborating writer with) O. Henry (William Sydney Porter qv).

~ James Allan ~

James Allen is a literary mystery man. His inspirational writings have influenced millions for good. Yet today he remains almost unknown. None of his nineteen books give a clue to his life other than to mention his place of residence - Ilfracombe, England. His name cannot be found in a major reference work. Not even the Library of Congress or the British Museum has much to say about him. Who was this man who believed in the power of thought to bring fame, fortune and happiness? Or did he, as Henry David Thoreau says, "hear a different drummer?" James Allen never gained fame or fortune. That much is true. His was a quiet, un-rewarded genius. He seldom made enough money from his writings to cover expenses. Allen was born in Leicester, Central England, November 28, 1864. The family business failed within a few years, and in 1879 his father left for America in an effort to recoup his losses. The elder Allen had hoped to settle in the United States, but was robbed and murdered before he could send for his family. The financial crisis that resulted forced James to leave school at fifteen. He eventually became a private secretary, a position that would be called "administrative assistant" today. He worked in this capacity for several British manufacturers until 1902, when he decided to devote all his time to writing. Unfortunately, Allen's literary career was short, lasting only nine years, until his death in 1912. During that period he wrote nineteen books, a rich outpouring of ideas that have lived on to inspire later generations. 

~ Oppenheim, E. Phillips ~

Oppenheim wrote over 100 spy novels in his life, and contributed greatly to the development of that genre. He was born in London and grew up in Leicester. As a young man he worked for his father's leather business, but began writing as a teenager and had his first short story published when he was 18. Within two years he had written and had published his first novel. Ten years later, he wrote five novels in one year, and continued to produce three to five novels a year from then until his death. His success enabled him to purchase a villa on the Riviera, where he and his wife lived until the threat of World War II forced them to leave and resettle on Guernsey in the Channel Islands. He died there in 1946, leaving a legacy of his hundred plus novels and several screen adaptations. Among his more famous novels are the following: The Governors, The New Tenant and The  Vanished Messenger.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Arts Community ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

(Painters, Designers, Illustrators, Sculptors, Media).

Click on the name for additional information

~ David Weston ~

Leicester Artist and Melton resident. As a painter, David is well known for his wide variety of subjects. Among his most favorite themes are landscapes, seascapes, interiors and exteriors of great houses and transport subjects. He is perhaps best known for the latter, especially those associated with the age of steam. He is regarded by many as the foremost British painter in the transport art field. For more about David, and to see his paintings of old Leicester, go to "About the Artist" (follow the link - left). Also, see Nostalgia Junction for a view of six of his railway paintings.

~ Caroline Holden ~

She was born in Leicester in 1954. She took an Art/Design course at Loughborough College of Art from 1970-1973 and has lived in London since 1974, working as a freelance illustrator cartoonist. Caroline's clients include New Scientist, Law Gazette, Dyslexia Contact, Express Magazine, the Sunday Times and children's TV (Jackanory). She has a number of her own books in print as well as those of other authors which she has illustrated, significantly, all of Sue Townsend's Adrian Mole books.

~ Adam Barsby ~

Adam was born in Leicester in 1969, and graduating with a first class honours degree from Kent Institute of Art and Design at Maidstone in 1992, he became a freelance illustrator for national magazines and editorials. While working in that capacity, he continued to develop his unique style. Adam was invited to exhibit his work at many galleries throughout the UK, and the warm appreciation for his work and subsequent demand from an admiring public enabled him to pursue a career as a full time professional painter.

~ Lars Tharp ~

Formerly of Stoneygate in Leicester. A specialist in ceramics and oriental works of art, and also advises on musical instruments. After graduating from Cambridge University in Archaeology, he joined Sotheby's as an apprentice in ceramics, later becoming a Director of the company. Today he runs his own antiques and fine art consultancy based in Guildford, while maintaining a parallel career as an author, lecturer and broadcaster. He is a presenter on television's Antiques Roadshow.

~ Paul James ~

Paul was born in 1961 in Leicester. He has been painting since he was a young child and his first love has always been art. Although James was accepted at art college, within a year he rebelled against what he felt was a far too restrictive regime. He then looked to a career in music and he became a professional keyboards player. After a few years as a musician, a motor trader and in other forms of self employment, in 1985 James decided to return to painting and to make a living as a professional artist.

~ John Stobart ~

The second son of a pharmacist and a mother who died giving birth to him, John Stobart was born in Leicester in 1929. In 1946, John enrolled in Derby College of Art and achieved high honors and a county scholarship to London's prestigious Royal Academy Schools. his paintings of ships in foreign ports were at one time decorating some fifteen shipping company board rooms in London. Stobart emigrated to Canada in 1957 and there in 1976, he established Maritime Heritage Prints, Inc. where collectors still enjoy high quality productions of his limited edition prints. For his biography and examples of his work click on the name above.

~ Juliet Cursham ~

Equestrian artist, sculptor (bronze and silver). She was born in Leicestershire, the heart of English fox hunting. She has had a life-long involvement with hunting, racing and polo. Juliet was made a full member of The Society of Equestrian Artists in 1990 and was awarded the British Sporting Art Trust and Sladmore Gallery Sculpture Prize both in 1993 and 1995. She has just completed first life-size horse and jockey commission for The Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club. 

~ Mark Postlethwaite ~

Born in Leicestershire in 1964, Mark started to paint aircraft on canvas at the age of 17. A lifelong interest in flying and aviation history together with his professional knowledge of light through his career as a photographer, soon combined to produce work of the highest standards in this exacting field. In 1987, he became the first ever Artist in residence at the Royal Air Force Museum, Hendon in what was the first major exhibition of his work.

~ Andrew Hull ~

Andy was born in Leicestershire. From this early age he was fascinated in design and after following an art foundation course which allowed him to experience different disciplines Andy decided that he wanted to specialise in ceramic design. He choose a three dimensional design course specialising in fine art ceramics at Loughborough School of Art and after gaining a degree decided to pursue his interests in sculpting and design. For more on Andy's work. click on the link (name above) and it will take you to the magazine "Horsing Around." Just click on "Past Issues" and then look for Issue No.33; then click on "The Fables Collection."

 ~ Howard Shingler ~

Born in Leicestershire, Howard became a full-time professional artist in 1984 after some twenty years of painting experience. Working mainly in oils, he is a very versatile artist painting a wide variety of subject-matter ranging from Lakeland landscapes to Still Life, from African wildlife to large scale battle scenes, from portraits to Victorian scenes. He has achieved particular success with his moonlight landscapes of the Lake District. Many of his works have been published and he has exhibited widely. His paintings are in collections around the world. 

~ Stephen Partridge ~

Stephen is a media artist and producer. He was in the "landmark" shows of the 1970s including the Video Show at the Serpentine in 1975, the Installation Show at the Tate gallery in 1976, The Paris Biennalle in 1977 and the The Kitchen in New York in 1979. During the eighties he exhibited widely and also became interested in works for broadcast television and was commissioned by Channel 4 television to produce Dialogue for Two Players in 1984. With Jane Rigby, he formed Fields and Frames - an arts projects and television production company - which produced the innovative Television Interventions project for Channel 4 in 1990, with nineteen works by artists for television (including his own piece in the series - The Sounds of These Words.

~ Tim Cotterill ~

Tim Cotterill was born in Leicester, England, in 1950, and left school at the age of fifteen to complete a 6 year engineering apprenticeship. This metal-directed education provided a sound base for Tim's subsequent career in the arts. Intrigued with metalworking, Tim moved into the sculpture of radical wheeled vehicles, later finding his peak interest in the design of animals and birds during the '70s and '80s. Over 1000 original steel, bronze, and gold bird sculptures have been sold world wide; many through Sotheby's auction house in London. Tim's curiosity of the diverse lifestyles in California led to many trips to the U.S.A. Emigrating to California in 1990, he exhibited and sold his art all across America. These new high energy surroundings brought out the fun in his art. Tim is now fully focused on Frogs. His bronze sculptures capture the whimsical character, the jewel like quality, and the pure JOY of these beautiful little creatures. Tim's work is now represented by 50 galleries world wide. 

~ David Howells ~

David Howells was born in Leicester in 1960, and emigrated to Canada in 1972. He studied fine art at Mount Allison University, New Brunswick and Graphic Design in Middleton, Nova Scotia. He has established himself in Canada and now seeks greater exposure abroad. He has exhibited in numerous galleries in Canada, USA and England. Many commissioned works have been done which include: private commissions, book illustrations, a church mural and stone lithographs. His works are in many private and corporate collections in the following countries: Italy, Hungary, England, Australia, Sweden, USA and Canada. Exhibitions range from solo exhibitions to the O'Keefe Center - Toronto, Canada. Click on the link (his name above) to see examples of his work.

~ David Delamare ~

Painter and illustrator of several children's books including one for Carly Simon called Midnight Farm. David was born in Leicester, but has spent most of his life in Portland, Oregon where he enjoys the cloudy weather. Even as a child he was busy drawing, painting, and writing stories. He was strongly encouraged by his mother, Una, and he knew from a very early age that he wanted to be an artist, and has always earned his living through art. In his early years he set up a business painting signs and he occasionally taught art, but he is proud of the fact that he has never had a "real" job. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Sports Community ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

(Soccer, Golf, Basketball, Snooker, Bowling, Mountaineering, Equestrian)

Click on the name for additional information

~ Gary Lineker ~

International football star, BBC sports commentator, BBC quiz show host. He played for the "City" between 1979 and 1985 and made his debut for his boyhood heroes on Jan. 1st 1979. Enjoyed a similar sporting reputation to the Canadian ice hockey star Wayne Gretzky (Mr. Nice Guy), and was a credit to the sport of football - he was never booked. For more on Gary's career, go to the following link --> [link] Or, by clicking on the name above you can go to "Leicestershire Past & Present" for an article on Gary by Elizabeth Batt.

~ Gordon Banks ~

Leicester and England goalkeeper at the time of the World Cup victory in 1966.  Played for the "City" between 1959 and 1967. He was England's second most capped goalkeeper after Peter Shilton (another Leicester goalkeeper). Born in Sheffield in 1937, he first played for Chesterfield and later was transferred to Stoke from Leicester to make way for Peter Shilton another world-famous goalkeeper who can be associated with Leicester.

~ Peter Shilton ~

Born in Leicester in 1949. Peter was City's youngest-ever First Division player at 16 when he started for Leicester in a game against Everton. A schoolboy prodigy, his dedication to working on the practice and psychology of his destined profession was evident while he was helping Leicester Boys to their 1965 Trophy win.  Within a year top clubs were ready to snatch Peter (now an automatic choice for England youth) from the Filbert Street shadow of Gordon Banks. During this period, Leicester's goalkeeper was Gordom Banks so a difficult choice faced manager Matt Gillies over which of his top-rank keepers to part with. He elected to go with the younger player - Peter. This link will take you to a  website called "Leicestershire Past & Present," and an article by Elizabeth Batt.

~ Mark Ovendale ~

~ Gary Wolstenholme ~

The famous golfer and Market Harborough resident, 37 year old Gary Wolstenholme, beat Tiger Woods to set Great Britain and Ireland up for Walker Cup victory at Royal Porthcawl in 1995. Last November he added the Eisenhower Trophy world team title in Chile to his long list of accomplishments. His Golf Club is Kilworth Springs, North Kilworth, near Lutterworth.  Some of his other victories include: Walker Cup 1997. Eisenhower Trophy 1996. St Andrews Trophy 1992, 1994 & 1996. EGA v Pan Asia Pacific 1998. England International 1998-1998.Amateur Champion 1991. Chinese Amateur Champion 1993. British Mid-Amateur Champion 1995 & 1996. UAE Amateur Champion 1995. Finnish Amateur Champion 1996. Welsh Stroke Play Champion 1997.1st Berkshire Trohpy 1996 & 1997. 1st English County Champion of Champions 1994 & 1996. 1st Duncan Putter 1994 & 1996. T1 Lake McQuarrie 1998.

~ Andrew Betts ~

Leicester-born Andrew has spent his last three years at California's Long Beach State, a period during which he has transformed his game from average to high class. Making his debut for Leicester Riders at the age of 16, Now 21, the 7'1" giant is reckoned by most experts to be a second round selection in the NBA Draft. Such a high ranking should ensure that he has at least a legitimate shot of making a NBA roster in October. Alternatively, the riches of southern Europe may beckon. In fact, Andrew is presently playing for a team in Italy, but still has high hopes of playing in the NBA - particularly for Charlotte, North Carolina.

~ Willie Thorn ~

Born in Leicester in 1954, he is snooker's "Mr. Maximum Man" and a renowned television pundit. Thorne has won a number of tournaments during his distinguished 25 year professional career. He remains one of the game's most silky breakbuilders and greatest entertainers. He won the 1985 Mercantile Credit Classic and achieved the mystical 147 break at the 1987 UK Snooker championship. Willie is a consultant for Euphony Communications and has been a professional snooker player since 1975. The link (his name above) will take you to his Fan Club's website.

~ Tony Allcock ~

Quite simply, at this moment in time, Tony can best be described as the best bowler in the world. Born in Leicestershire he now lives in Cheltenham in Gloucestershire. When asked how old he was when he started bowling, he replies that he was "virtually born on the bowling green!" He plays for Cheltenham BC outdoors and Bentham Indoor BC during the winter. World ranking: Number One.

~ Simon Yates ~

Mountaineer and Lecturer. Born in Leicestershire in 1963, Simon studied Biochemistry at Sheffield University before becoming a nomadic climber. He first came to prominence as a mountaineer in 1985, after the first ascent of the West Face of Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes and the ensuing epic descent with Joe Simpson (described in Simpson's book Touching the Void). Since then Simon has traveled extensively in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Kazakhstan, South America and Australia, and has climbed new routes in the Himalayas and the Andes.

~ Tim Grubb ~

Born in Leicestershire in 1952, Tim Grubb, "Grubby," has resided in the U.S. since his marriage to former USET show jumper Michelle McEvoy. Grubb retained his British citizenship and represented Great Britain several times in international competition. In 1993, the Grubbs divorced and Tim became an American citizen, qualifying as the alternate for the Atlanta Olympic Games. At the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984, Grubb rode on the Silver Medal winning British team. He was also on the Silver Medal team in the 1980 Rotterdam Alternate Olympics.

~ Jenny Pitman ~

Raised on a modest Leicestershire farm, Jenny Pitman went on to become the most successful female racing horse trainer of all time. Her trophies include two Grand Nationals, the King George VI Chase, three Welsh Grand Nationals, The Hennessy Gold Cup, two Cheltenham Gold Cups, two Welsh Champion Hurdles, the Whitbread Trophy, two Anthony Mildmay/Peter Cazalet Chases, the Gainsborough Chase and the Scottish Grand National. She retired in 1999, and was known as the "Queen of Aintree." This link (the name above) will take you to "Leicestershire Past & Present," and a great article by webmaster Elizabeth Batt.

~ Great Players from the Past ~

This little known and hard to find list of great "City" players can be found on the Leicester City website, and offers some interesting reading, providing, that is, you are a "City" fan. As well as the more obvious entries of Banks, Lineker and Shilton - already mentioned above - there are an additional 15 players from past teams. Included are several members (Birchenall, Glover, Sammels, Weller and Worthington) of the team that in the 1973/74 season made Leicester one of the most entertaining teams in the top division of the football league and such a delight to watch. That team also made it to the semi-finals of the FA Cup in that same season. Another name of note from the list is the legendary goal scorer - Arthur Rowley.

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