With a population rapidly approaching 300,000, Leicester is the largest city in the East Midlands and is in the top 20 cities in England by size of population. The ratio of males to females is 51% to 49%. Leicester is unusual in having a high proportion of its population aged under 35; the largest group by age is those under 15 years old, who represent 20% of the population. Leicester is also the most ethically diverse city, 36% of its population is Black, Asian or from other ethnic minority backgrounds. Nationally these figures are about 13% for both sexes. .

According to the 2001 National Census the actual population of the city stood at just under 280,000. The census cites 64% of the population as being white, 30% Asian, 3% Black, 1% Chinese and 2% being of mixed ethnicity. Life expectancy for those living in Leicester is lower than the national averages with the average for a male being 73.6 years and a female 79 years. Nationally these figures are 75.7 and 80.4 years respectively.

Leicester has a mixed housing stock of a little over 110,000 dwellings. 25% of these dwellings are detached houses or bungalows. The proportion of dwellings that are flats of one description or another is around 20%, with the remainder of the accommodation being terraced or semi-detached housing. 33% of these dwellings or households are inhabited by single people, compared to national average of around 30%. 9% of the properties are inhabited by lone parents, whereas the national average is 6%. Whilst almost 60% of all the housing is owner occupied, in Leicester the proportion of rented properties at 40% is considerably higher than the national average at 29%. Some of this could be accounted for by the high proportion of student properties in the city, which is reported as being 10%, compared to the national average of 7%.

Socially 55% of the population of Leicester are said to be ‘middle-class’, falling into the C1 and C2 bands. 27% fall into bands D and E and as such are defined as ‘working-class’ with the remaining 19% being labelled as being in band A and B. Over 75% of the working population are in full-time employment.

With an estimated workforce of around 112,000, Leicester city workers are not great commuters. Over 60% live with 3 miles (about 5 km) of where they work and over three quarters of them live within 6 miles (about 10km) of their work-place. With approximately 91,000 vehicles between the 110,000 dwellings in the city, over half of those vehicles are used to commute in. Only 17,000 use the bus to get to work but, encouragingly, there is a high proportion of people who walk to work.

From the census Leicester would appear to be a healthy place to live, with only around 10% of the population feeling they were not in good health.

How safe is Leicester to live in or visit? Crime figures for the city do not look good, on a per 1000 of the population basis. Violent offences against a person are recorded at 40, compared to a national average of 16.5; household burglaries are 10 against the national average of 6.4; theft from a motor vehicle at 13 is three above the national average and robbery offences are also nearly triple the national average, at 4 per 1000 of the population.

As a large city Leicester city’s schools do not fare well in national attainment tables. The city has 86 Primary, 16 Secondary and 10 Special schools. In the 2006 Achievement and Attainment tables at Key Stage 4 (Secondary schools) the percentage of pupils scoring at least 5 GCSEs at grade C or above was 33.5% for the Local Authority compared to a national average of 45.8%. For Primary schools at Key Stage 2 attainment in the three core subjects at Level 4 or above was English 72%, Mathematics 69% and Science 80%. The Local Authority figures are 7% below the national average in all three subjects. However, for both sets of statistics, some schools returned excellent results, as can be seen in their ‘value-added’ scores.

Leicester has two universities, Leicester University and De Montfort University.
Leicester University was inaugurated in 1921 but it wasn’t until 1957 that the university was given full degree awarding powers with its Royal Charter. It was founded by the local philanthropist Thomas Fielding-Johnson after the First World War, as a living memorial to the fallen of that war. The University’s motto is “So that they may have life”. Leicester University is ranked 24th in the ‘Good Univerities Guide’ (GUG).

In 1969 Leicester Polytechnic was established by the amalgamation of the old Technology and Art colleges. In 1992 the Polytechnic was given university status and De Montfort University was founded. De Montfort is 89th in the GUG out of 100 universities.

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The good news for adventure travel and wilderness hiking trails is that the USA has protected some of the most unique and incredible places to see on earth. Our National, State Parks, Monuments and Wilderness Areas are awesome, but for years there have been reduced number of visitors. Many citizens have said that a four-year program to increase national parks entrance fees to make them more uniform may discourage some Americans from visiting their national parks such as the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Zion and Yellowstone.

The National Parks have been faced with a budget crisis. The parks are struggling to protect the historic, cultural and natural resources that the parks were created for. The parks are short of funds for operating facilities, repairs to roads, bridges, trails and buildings. There was an 814 million dollar shortfall in 2006. There are almost 400 areas of protection covered by the National Parks Service. Almost every park has fewer full time employees now than in 2001, while there were over 273,000,000 visitors to the parks in 2005. The park service needs more funding to provide education, interpretive and for the safety requirements of their visitors. This is a time of controversy about park fees, current plans for oil, gas and mineral exploration in our parks and of course removing the O’Shaughnessy Dam to restore the Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite.

Recently the federal government has moved to replace the National Park Service’s $50 annual pass with a new $80 multi-agency pass. Some people think that the fee increases are getting out of line. The park service raised entrance fees at 34 parks over the past two years and plans to raise them at another 124 parks in 2008 and 2009. At Glacier National Park in Montana and Joshua Tree National Park in California, the fees will go up twice, and beginning in 2011, park officials plan to increase fees every three years, based on inflation. There is a proposal to double entrance fees next year at Crater Lake National Park, now $10 per car. Will it drive the local visitors away? In 1997, when the park service began raising fees, the number of national parks visitors has fallen 1% while entrance fee revenue has gone up almost 16%. Many of them are from outside the United States and love to visit the American protected lands.

Will the National Park Centennial Act to rescue our parks before 2016 – the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service? The acts purpose is to eliminate the annual operating deficit and maintenance backlog in the national parks. If it passed, it was to create a check off box on American tax returns to fund the parks. As H.R. 1124 and S 886 it did not get passed in 2006. In spring of 2006 the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report about our National Parks based on research, to the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee that found that funding had not kept pace with need, requiring park managers to reduce services including, “reducing visitor center hours, educational programs, basic custodial duties, and law enforcement operations, such as back-country patrolling. Additionally, the park system has been forced to close campgrounds, shorten operating hours, eliminate many interpretive programs, lay off many seasonal rangers, and eliminate many of the parks’ scientific studies programs.

So where’s the good news? Being an outdoor writer and avid traveler to our parks and wilderness areas Bob Therrien, President of TrainingPASS Sales, Inc. has created an outdoor recreation message board, he commented “The hardest part over the years, for me has been the research about which parks, hikes, climbs, locations and activities I want to visit with my family and friends. Exploring federal then state website after site, then mapping the distance from each area of interest is inefficient and many times lacking in information. To solve that inefficiency we have collected all the basic information about our parks, wilderness areas and national monuments and put them into one website. I don’t personally have a problem with the new park fees. It cost’s me more to take my family to the movies, and I’d rather enjoy a full day or two at a place like Denali National Park.

The USA has incredible adventure travel wilderness and hiking trails. To promote these areas AdventureZoneTOURS created a forum for sharing trip reports on National Parks, State Parks, National Monuments and Wilderness Areas.

The Outdoor Adventure Message Board opens up to reveal a listing of U.S. States, separated into travel regions. Click on any state region and there are sub forums for all the parks, monuments and wilderness areas in that region. Many times there are several interesting choices to pick from within a state region. For the activity-specific minded, AdventureZoneTOURS.com encourages users to share trip reports for a variety of outdoor activities from hiking, climbing, canyoneering, geo exploring, photography, ghost towns, mines, and cave to water sports such as boating, fishing, jet and water skiing, tubing, rafting, and scuba. Winter travel sports such as snowmobiling, skiing and snowboarding are featured. Hunting locations, ATV and horseback trails as well as the most scenic areas for outdoor photography are also available as individual topic posts. To research or share your favorite adventure travel location, and to share and promote outdoors, join us today!

Bob Therrien is a travel writer and has traveled all over North America. He currently operates the website at adventurezonetours.com adventurezonetours.com
The website has all the National Parks, National Monuments, State Parks and Wilderness Areas in one spot for research, sharing and message posts.

Pet Travel: What to do when traveling with pets

Pet air travel tips, road trip tips and more Pets are like a child to many and the thought of leaving them at home while on vacation is not an option for some. However, before taking your pets on vacation with you, there are several items that you need to be aware of and a few pet travel tips that need to be followed.

Pet travel decisions While it may be tempting to bring your pet with you on vacation, keep in mind that some animals are not suited for travel whether it is due to illness, age or physical impairments. It is very important to consult with your veterinarian about pet travel and pet air travel before embarking on a trip to ensure the safety of your pet.

Trains, planes and automobiles

Pet air travel Every airline has different rules and regulations when it comes to flying with pets. So to avoid finding out your airline doesn’t allow pet travel at the last minute, there are several things that you can do. First, contact your airline well in advance and find out their pet air travel regulations. Carrying your pet on board with you is the best option, but oftentimes cargo is the only option with some airlines if your pet is large. While Congress did pass the Safe Air Travel for Animals Act in April 2000, there are several items that need to be considered to ensure your pet’s safety while flying in cargo. First, many airlines have specific carrier requirements so make sure you fulfill these. Second, make sure the carrier you choose is large enough for your pet to be able to turn around in and be comfortable for the long flight. Third, try to make sure it is a non-stop flight to ensure that your pet does not get lost. Fourth, correctly adhere a label on the pet carrier with your phone number, address, final destination and contact number while on vacation. There are plenty of other considerations and tips that can be found by looking at the Humane Society’s Web site. If your airline does not allow pets to travel or you are wary of transporting your pet via cargo, you have other options to consider.

Road trip with pets Many pets love traveling by car; so it is a personal decision as to whether your pet needs to be kept in a carrier or not. Cats oftentimes are uncomfortable traveling, so it is better to keep them in a carrier for their safety and yours. If the pet is not going to be kept in a carrier you need to make sure they are safely secured in the vehicle. There are special harnesses that can be bought to secure or “seatbelt” your dog in safely. It is important to stop frequently when traveling with pets to let them exercise and go to the bathroom.

Trains, buses and ships Very few ships allow pets to accompany travelers and Amtrak does not allow pets. However, many European trains and a few small US railroad companies allow pets on board. As far as buses and other public transportation, the rules and regulations vary between states and cities.

Pet accommodations There are hundreds of Web sites out there that list pet friendly hotels and a pet-friendly hotel can be found in almost any city. For example if you’re traveling to San Francisco you can stay at the Hilton San Francisco Financial District or if you’re visiting Austin you can stay at the La Quinta Inn Austin North.

Pet Fun Wherever you are vacationing, a pet-friendly park or beach can be found and outdoor related activities are best for pet travelers. For restaurants, outdoor places will oftentimes allow pets to accompany.

When traveling with pets it is important to ensure their safety and not to do anything that could put them in danger. And if you’re going to bring your pet with you, make sure that you will be able to entertain them. Here’s to happy traveling!

Jillian Scheeler makes it easy to provide advise on how to carry pets along with you while travelling. To recieve your free part minicourse visit the travelpost.com” target=”_blank Travel with pets.

In April this year I returned to Livingstone in Zambia for my first visit in several years. What a change. For those not familiar with this part of Africa, Livingstone is a small town on the Zambian side of the Victoria Falls. When Zambia was known as Northern Rhodesia, Livingstone was the capital. A small smart town with tree lined avenues and colonial buildings, it was considered very much the place to live. A short distance away, across the Livingstone Bridge was the town of Victoria Falls in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).

Until the 1980’s Victoria Falls was a rather basic one horse town, and the only decent place to stay was the old Victoria Falls Hotel. By the late 80s and 90s these two towns could not have been more different. By then both countries had become independent. Independence was good to the town of Victoria Falls, tourism rocketed and many excellent hotels and lodges sprang up on the
Zimbabwean side of the Victoria Falls. Meanwhile Livingstone went into decline. Lusaka had become the Zambian capital and it attracted business and people. Livingstone was left looking rather desperate. The expatriate community had long since left the area and little industry had developed to support the growing local population. In comparison there were plenty of jobs to be found in Victoria Falls town to support the local Zimbabweans.

The Victoria Falls themselves have and always will be a major attraction for travellers, but the recent political instability in Zimbabwe has been a benefit for Livingstone. Over the past two to three years investors have poured money into the area. As well as some extremely good small lodges along the banks of the Zambezi River, the new five star Royal Livingstone Hotel deserves a special mention. It was built on the old foundations of the rather drab Mosi O Tunya (The Smoke That Thunders) Hotel. For somebody who is not a fan of large hotels as a rule, I had to eat humble pie on this one. Designed along the colonial lines still very evident in town, the hotel has the best location imaginable. From the mature gardens you can see the spray of the Falls themselves, and the service and food could not have been bettered in either Europe or the US.

Livingstone now has daily flights direct from Johannesburg and the local market bustles with people spending their well earned wages. The town just feels like a great place to be. It might have taken nearly all my lifetime to regain its pride, but I truly feel it will now keep this new found prosperity.