“Our pre-Christmas visit to Paddy Swag's shop, sticks in my mind as a visit to fairyland. Mam used to take us to choose some things, then there would be secret things, like a toy sweetie shop (where are they these days - not "cool" enough for kids today), complete with bottles of sweets and scales to weigh them out. That shop was magical, it was a cornucopia of happiness for us kids. Even now, on the other side of the world, I remember it with fondness. Also Santa's Grotto at Lewis's. Fab! We were so lucky to have a baby-boomer childhood. We never had much money, but we were allowed to be kids, nowadays the media train children early to turn them into consumers, got to have the latest stuff to be "cool". They are being robbed of their childhood.”

“My mother grew up on Charnwood Street, and she babysitted for the grocery store owner, she just passed away two weeks ago, age,85, she was coming back for one more time, she came over in 2006 ater being gone 60 years , so it was a shock, her home gone, a school where it stood.

St. Saviours was there, but a community center was in use for the church, we all went in, only to the school part, we could not get into the Sanctuary, NO VICAR, she was heartbroken. CHARNWOOD FAMILIES should start a Society, to keep the memories alive. We will be coming soon, to find family, which on our visit in 2006, she did not find any, so we will finish her search. We miss her terribly, we have pictures of CHARNWOOD as far back as the 1940's and 1930's, we are bringing when we come. I would love to hear from OCCYDAY, BECAUSE My mother lived at 144, Charnwood .

"OAKTREELANE" USA”

“I remember living on st saviours row when i got married we lived on humberston rd we did our shopping in charny all the shops we needed”

“I was born and grew up in Charnwood Street until we had to leave when I was 11 due to the demolition. I have many happy memories of the area (okay some a bit rose coloured but I was a boy!). My parents ran an off licence/ general groceries shop on the corner of Charnwood Street/ St Saviours Road, and we lived on the premises. I would be happy to share old memories, or help with research. As every has said, it was a wonderful area of shops, and shame it couldn't be revamped, but back in the early 70's it had become very tired and there was no political/architectural will then to save our heritage. Neil”

“When the city demolished Charnwood st they destroyed one of the best shopping areas, they should have done it up or rebuilt a new version of it, but alas no the city council only seem to know how to demolish and not replace anything, Like the Granby halls we now don't have a full size Skating Rink the City swimming pool now on the Braunstone estate most people would have to get two busses to get there, most of the public toilets have gone including the best the city had in Humber stone gate opposite the old Lewis's, as it is I don't hold much future for the so called Golden mile , poor old Leicester run by Muppets”