Hinckley
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Hinckley is a town in south-west Leicestershire, England. The town has a population of around 36,000 and is administered by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council. It adjoins the village of Burbage.
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Industry
Hinckley is a traditional centre of the hosiery industry, and several textiles firms remain in the area. Hinckley also has a history of engineering and is home to the Triumph Motorcycle company. The town's central location and good links to the UK motorway network have made it a popular location for distribution warehouses, including large logistics centres such as Magna Park.
Transport Links
Hinckley is served by the A5 and the M69. The M69 links Hinckley to the nearest cities, Coventry and Leicester, and the M1 and M6 motorways. Hinckley station is on the railway line linking Leicester with Coventry and Birmingham (via Narborough, Hinckley, and Nuneaton). The nearest airports are Coventry and Nottingham East Midlands (which is actually in Leicestershire).
Media
The local radio station, Fosseway Radio (http://www.fossewayradio.co.uk), serves the town and the surrounding area, as described by jingles such as "Fenny Drayton's Hits and Memories: Fosseway Radio". The main local newspaper is the weekly Hinckley Times (http://www.hinckley-times.co.uk/). The daily Leicester Mercury also publishes a Hinckley edition. The free (advertising-funded) Hinckley Herald & Journal is distributed to most houses.
Sport
Hinckley has one football team, Hinckley United [1] (http://www.hinckleyunitedfc.co.uk), who in season 2004/5 finished mid-table in the Football Conference North and competed in the Third Round of the FA Cup. Hinckley United was formed in 1997 from the amalgamation of Hinckley Town and Hinckley Athletic, and is known as the Knitters - a nickname which comes from the town's history as a textile-producing centre.
Miscellaneous
- The town is mentioned in Shakespeare's Henry IV, part 2 (Act 5, Scene 1):
- Davy: Now, sir, a new link to the bucket must need be had: and, sir, do you mean to stop any of William's wages, about the sack he lost the other day at Hinckley fair?
- Hinckley is twinned with Le Grand Quevilly, France and Herford, Germany.
Places of Interest
- Hinckley museum is located in the 17th-century [2] (http://www.hinckley-online.co.uk/histor6.shtml) timber-frame framework knitters' cottage.
- The Ashby Canal passes through the town.
- The site of the Battle of Bosworth is nearby, and open to visitors.
External links
- Hinckley-Online (http://www.hinckley-online.co.uk/about_h.shtml)
- Hinckley Times (http://www.hinckley-times.co.uk/)
- Hinckley United Independent (http://www.hinckleyunitedfc.co.uk/)