The history of the East Midlands is bound by tale and folklore. From Robin Hood and his Merry Men stealing from the rich to feed the poor. To the Great Heathen Army that invaded the East Midlands. And when they did, they created the 5 boroughs of Viking Dane Law, after making peace with Alfred the Great in 870. Those Dane Law boroughs are still in existence today, Nottingham, Lincoln, Derby, Stamford and Leicester.
The East Midlands has never been a quiet place, apart from maybe Rutland and Lincolnshire, which incidentally is the world's largest grower of Daffodils, whatever the Dutch may say. The world's first factory, Sir Richard Arkwright's Cromford Mill, the oldest working factory at Lea Bridge made sure of that. The East Midlands can also claim to have created the American Industrial revolution too. Whilst Samuel Slater worked in Milford Mill he set to memory the machinery and layout of the factory floor. He then illegally ran off to Rhode Island in the U.S. Americans now call him the rightful 'Father of the American Industrial Revolution'
The noise of industry rattles around the East Midlands as it always has and is the fastest growing manufacturing economy outside of the South East. But this isn't a new phenomenon, traditional industries have always found a home in the East Midlands. Take Burton-on-Trent, it is the undeniable home of Brewing in Britain. The breweries held political and social power over the town and far beyond. At one time or another there were over 50 breweries based in Burton. Nottingham was the global hub for lace making. Belper was the capital for nail making from at least the times of the Norman Conquest. Northampton is world renowned for shoes. Leicester for hosiery and Hinckley for knitwear. If you could sum up industrious in two words, it would be East Midlands.
All this hustle and bustle has left its mark, with small fashion houses and rather large ones calling the East Midlands home, which fashion insiders call the 'Golden Triangle'.
It must be something in the water.