Kibworth wishes all tourists a safe onward journey to Leicester

 I don't have a date for when Tuck and Son added this picture to their postcard collection but it was being marketed by them in 1926.

My Wikipedia tells me "Kibworth is an area of the Harborough district of Leicestershire, that contains two civil parishes: the villages of Kibworth Beauchamp and Kibworth Harcourt. At the 2011 census, Kibworth Beauchamp had a population of 5,433 and Kibworth Harcourt 990. 

The villages are divided by the Midland Main Line. Kibworth is close to Foxton Locks, Market Harborough, and Leicester”.

The pub and the garage might well be the key.  

My edition of Kelly’s Directory for 1916 lists three pubs, the Admiral Nelson, run by a Harry Pywell Butteris, The Horse Shoe run by Thomas Taylor and the Rose and Crown whose landlord was Alfred Earp. And not to short change him Mr.   Francis Squires is listed as a beer seller.  Alas there is no reference to a garage but there were two wheelwrights one of whom was also a blacksmith owned by a Mrs Coleman.

To these can be added the usual trades from painter, baker, dress maker, chimney sweep, and plumber, as well coal agent, and butcher.  In total there were 25 commercial businesses  along with 15 private residents, including the impressive sounding Major George Travers, at the Old House.

And Mr.Frank John Loveday, Clerk to the Joint Burial Committee.

All of which might have been there in 1911 when the census was undertaken. To which the breaking news is that Mr and Mrs Butteris were there at the Admiral Nelson in 1911, which had seven rooms. He was from Liecester and she from Knighton and for 2o years noth are shown as living in Knighton.

But there is more, because Harry describes himslelf as "Inn keeper and wool warehouseman engaged in wool spinning", now that's a step back into the past!

I traveled north along the Leicester Road but couldn’t recognise the spot, but someone will.

Or as a tourist from even further north, have I got the wrong Kibworth, or just late by 80 years?

Suggestions on a period picture postcard or to Leicester Oldand New.**

And quick as a flash, Paul Cashmore suggested a possible answer to where the picture is located and I must say  he seems spot on with his suggestion.

It suggests 36 Leicester Road and it all fits so thank you Paul.

Leaving me just to also go back and look at the same spot, so two modern pictures and one very old one for the price of one blog story.

Picture; Leicester Road, undated from Tuck and Sons, courtesy of Tuck DB, https://tuckdbpostcards.org/ and 36 Leicester Road, courtesy of Paul Cashmore and again from Google maps, 2023

*Kibworth, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kibworth

** Leicester Old and New https://www.facebook.com/groups/483822492579736