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Colin Crosby is in demand for his guided walks, coach trips and talks. Most of the walks and talks take place in Leicestershire and Rutland.

成人论坛 Leicester's headquarters are bang up to date, but they are situated in the heart of Leicester's oldest quarter.

Stephen asked Colin about some of the buildings they could see...

Colin was in no doubt about which was historically the most important.

"The Guildhall is one of the oldest civic buildings in the country. It actually dates back to the 14th century.

"Just next door is our cathedral which looks like a Victorian church. That was when it was heavily restored, but it's actually a medieval church - St. Martin's.

"Then just down the road there's the 15th century Wygston's House - a splendid building that for many years was a costume museum."

Colin Crosby at St Mary de Castro Church

Heritage

Colin isn't just a city guide. He takes tour parties all round the country and he has an encyclopedic knowledge of many of the country's ancient towns and cities. Stephen asked him how he rated Leicester's heritage.

"It's not famously old," says Colin, "but it is one of the oldest towns in the country.

"Some places clearly have a lot of history - Canterbury, York and so on - nevertheless it has far more physical history that can be shown compared with most other cities and towns."

This is very true. Within five or 10 minutes walking distance of St. Nicholas Place you can see Leicester Castle (which even older natives know nothing of), the wonderful atmospheric St. Mary de Castro Church (one of Simon Jenkins' 1000 Great Churches), the historic church of St. Nicholas, the site of Leicester Gaol where Daniel Lambert worked, and one of Leicester's old railway stations.

Dark Ages

"Is there," asked Stephen, "a particular period popular with the parties you take around?"

"I think the medieval听period. But my own favourite period is the so called Dark Ages - but there's not much of that in Leicester.

"The Jewry Wall is perhaps the most important historic monument in the city.

"Yet an awful lot of people don't know what it is. They think it's part of the old town walls.

"In fact it's part of the baths complex and is the largest piece of Roman civil masonry in the country as opposed to military."

Leicester's state-of-the-art new theatre

Curve

Stephen wondered what, if he were around in 200 years, he would be showing people in Leicester. He said (of course!) the 成人论坛 building and also the Curve.

But he made the point that although the building is interesting it's in a very cramped location - so it's difficult to stand back and get a good look at it.

What about 200 years ago? What has disappeared since then and would be worth looking at?

"When I take tours round the city people often look at old buildings and say 'Things were built to last then'. But we have to remember that only the best buildings survive.

"They were not all demolished in the 60s.听

"Buildings have fallen down and been demolished at all periods during the past 200 years."

Passion

He would love to have seen the predecessors of the Corn Exchange and in Humberstone Gate the many coaching inns.

Colin has a passion for Leicester and if we use our eyes and actually look at our built environment instead of taking it for granted perhaps we too can see it for the unique place it is.