Not Such a Lively Lady
Eleven years ago, the Echo published an article under the title “The Ghost of The Lively Lady” and in it commented that “It is difficult to visualize a future for this site that might give the owners a return on their capital, but if any reader has a suggestion, please write to the Editor of the Evington Echo.”
Eleven years later the conundrum remains. The building that was originally The Lively Lady but ended up renamed by Everards Brewery is still derelict and is in an even worse state of repair.
The purpose-built pub, at 192 Ethel Road, has a history that reflects both local change and a lingering mystery about its future. It was built around 1970 and named after the yacht of round-the-world sailor Sir Alec Rose, the Portsmouth greengrocer who captured the public imagination after his single-handed circumnavigation of the world in 1967-68. Rose set off in 1967 and returned to Portsmouth in July 1968, having completed his voyage alone. The voyage started at Portsmouth on 16 July 1967 and involved stops at Melbourne and Bluff Harbour, New Zealand. It finished at Portsmouth on 4 July 1968. His achievement brought him national recognition and a knighthood.
Naming a Leicester pub after his yacht gave the premises a distinctive identity, linking a local meeting place with a remarkable feat of British seamanship.
By 1991, the pub was preparing for a change of identity. According to the Evington Echo, the new owners planned to rename it Lesters. The May 1991 issue also reported an application for an entertainment licence that would allow the premises to open until midnight.
The proposed name change prompted regret from the newspaper, which recognised the significance of the original connection with Sir Alec Rose.
Why the owners chose the name Lesters remains unclear. The available historical accounts do not establish their reasoning, although the change marked a new chapter in the pub’s history.
Despite its new identity, the pub’s fortunes eventually declined. Local pub-history accounts suggest that it closed around 2005 because of insufficient custom.
Planning activity continued after the closure. In 2008, permission was granted for proposed alterations involving extensions and a smoking terrace, while later records indicate that demolition was also considered and approved.
Around that time, LIVELY LADY started her second circumnavigation of the globe, organised by the Around & Around charity and partly crewed by young people, arriving back in Portsmouth in July 2008. After her second around the world voyage, LIVELY LADY was completely refurbished, however in 2020 COVID hit and all activity ceased.
By 2011 the pub itself was disused, yet the building remains standing as of October 2026.
The reasons why the earlier proposals did not lead to a clear resolution remain uncertain, and it is unclear just who are the current legal owners.
The former Lively Lady is a small but telling example of the changing fortunes of British pubs. Its original name celebrated an extraordinary sailing achievement; its later identity as Lesters reflected a change in ownership and direction; and its eventual closure removed another local amenity from Evington.
Its future now raises practical questions. Could the site be redeveloped or brought back into productive use? What does the planning history reveal about the obstacles to progress? And what role, if any, can Leicester City Council play in resolving the situation?
These questions deserve clear answers from the owner and the relevant authorities.
The yacht Lively Lady completed its voyage around the world. The former Evington pub, however, remains the subject of an unfinished story, one that began with an adventurous name and now awaits a decision about its future.
Sources
- https://evingtonecho.uk/the-ghost-of-the-lively-lady
- https://www.nationalhistoricships.org.uk/register/1475/lively-lady
- https://www.leicester.gov.uk/media/uzkfcze1/leicester-city-council-shelaa-november-2022.pdf
