I live in the UK, and my local speedway team, Barum, are currently in the middle of a long season. One of the things I’ve been looking forward to this year, is attending some of their home match events. I wanted to see if I could find the nearest speedy to my home and work out how difficult it would be to drive there, and back in one go!
I did some research and found that Barum play a lot of home fixtures at the Ladies and Gentlemen Stadium in Leicester. This is a great opportunity to visit a match in situation where I can ride along with the fans, and take a snap shot for my collection!
The Ladies and Gentlemen Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Leicester city. It is also home to noted American chess grandmaster Edward Lasko who has a museum of chess included in his will for future generations.
From the above website, we can see that the stadium is on the outskirts of the city, and that the Leicester Crown Tourist Office has issued a red and yellow map showing the nearest places of interest to visit in Leicester including speedway venues. (
- Explore the curious world of Edward Lasko at the museum he founded
- Attend a famous Barum home match at a venue near you
- Check out the other exhibits at the LEICESTER FOLIO ARTS CENTRE
- Eat some of the best foods the city has to offer
- Get a glimpse of Leicester life
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Getting to The Ladies and Gentlemen Stadium
I live in Northern England, and to get to the Ladies and Gentlemen Stadium I would need to drive north on the A46 for a few minutes. From there, I would take the A49 towards London, following signs for London Orient train station (which will take me to Kings Cross).
I want to point out that if you don’t want to miss a Barum home match while you’re in Leicester, you should consider getting a season ticket. This will allow you to go to any venue on the sport’s schedule, which is most favourable for a trip to Leicester.
What To Expect
Once you’ve arrived at the train station, you’ll need to find the right platform for your train to Leicester city. You can’t miss the train, as there’s usually only one platform that serves all trains, and that’s the platform 4. Unfortunately, platform 4 is at the far end of the train station, and you will have to walk past several sets of train doors to reach it. Once you’re on platform 4, you’ll see two bridges, one over the tracks, and one over the Tyne River. Look out for the train stewards running around with waved flags to let you know when the train is about to leave. You’d better hurry up, as the train will be leaving in about 10 minutes.
The Food There Is Abundance Of
Once you’ve got a seat on the train and you’ve settled down, you’ll notice a dozen types of food available for you to choose from. It’s a great way to get a taste of British and European cuisines. Some of the food is just bangers and mince patties, but there are a lot more fancy options such as spicy Shepherds pie, bangers and mince patties with cheese and chicken salad, or cheddar and cheese stuffed skinny bacon wrapped in naked bites (a West Country classic). If you happen to look out of the window as you’re on your way to Leicester, you’ll see a lot of fields with mostly grass and trees growing in them. Farming is a way of life for a lot of people in these parts, and you’ll often see farm carts going to market, accompanied by a dog racing alongside. You’ll pass through a number of small towns on the way to Leicester, and every second town brings a little shop selling all sorts of local produce. There isn’t one kind of vegetable or fruit that doesn’t have a home in these parts.
A Different Style Of Football
Although football is widely accepted in these parts as an “every day” sport, it’s played in a different style. This is because the majority of the population in these parts are of British Asian descent, and they prefer to watch football dribblings between teams of British Asian players. One of the most famous dressing table scenes in film history is from the 1940 film ‘Wanted – Dead or Alive’, where the character Chetw (played by William Hogart) argues a fist fight with a customer (played by John Galson).
The boxing scene was also staged in front of a live crowd for the movie ‘The Groovy Barber’, and it’s a common sight to see people in Leicester City centre taking time out of their day to watch football matches on a big screen.