Coventry Pubs

It really upsets me every time I see these photos. We had some great times here. My wife reminded me on New Years Eve that in the 80s the doors had to be closed at the Grange by 9 o'clock Christmas and New Years Eve to stop people coming in as it used to get so busy. I don`t suppose it will be too long before the flats start to appear

We have to remember that these so called expert town planners are of a more recent generation than we are and by demolishing all these well built. landmarks will have nothing to show for the old Coventry as we know it. It is their loss. I am not saying that the old pubs are the only distinctive buildings. but they made up a great part of Coventry's character. Shame to see them disappear slowly one by one. (this is where you can get your violins out) !!!

I am not sure why you blame town planners for pubs closing - it's a general downturn in the trade and lack of demand.

Isn't it the breweries who are letting them go? Town planners redevelop 'after' the owners have called time..

My family have a long history in the licenced trade so we have a lot of friends who are/were publicans. My wife and I have also run pubs as tenants and relief management and all the aforementioned agree that the death of the pub trade started in the 80s when the monopolies commission forced all the big brewers to sell off most of their tied pubs to make it a fairer market, which created an opposite effect for the publicans, as companies like Enterprise Inns and Punch Taverns were created employing ex M&B and Allied Brewery employees who just went out willy nilly buying pubs at over-inflated prices, pushing rents and leases sky high and the more successful the landlords were, the more they were penalised with higher rents and forced to buy their beer at inflated prices as they are not allowed to buy their beer in the free market, which over the years has created a vicious circle of price rises, now the leasing companies are in financial difficulties because no one can afford the rents, and more to the point the public can`t afford the pump prices, resulting in what we have today - pubs being sold for building land to pay shareholders of the said companies, and couple this with sky high taxes and the smoking ban pubs are dropping like flies. I will give one example of this ridiculous situation - a very good friend of ours worked for M&B for many years as a very successful manager, they offered him a tenancy, he did well there, he was then offered a lease on another pub which he accepted. Enterprise Inns bought the pub, there was a club up the road and a privately owned pub down the road, both selling M&B beer cheaper than he could buy it from the same brewery. About 3 months before his lease renewal was due a well dressed young gentleman came into the pub and announced that his rent would be rising from £500 per week to £1,000 so he promptly walked from behind the bar, handed the pub keys to the young man and left, leaving the young man standing open mouthed, although he did return rent free till they found another leasee. Sorry for going on with all the doom and gloom but I do miss the traditional pub atmosphere which modern pub chains don`t have. So in a nutshell it`s just greed and bad management that has killed our pubs

The Pilot in Burnaby Road, having been closed since 2010, has apparently reopened following a refurbishment.

Used to go to the Monday night Jazz Club at the Pilot in the late 50s/early 60s. Good entertainment, beer at 1/10d a pint.

Aah the Bell Inn in Tile Hill village brings back memories, I lived in Nickson Rd from aged 4 to 12 years old, we as a family of four used to walk to the Bell Inn on fine weekend evenings, plenty of fresh air and woods to play in Tile Hill then.

Anyone remember Charlie Goddard tenant of the Stag & Pheasant pub in Lockhurst Lane Foleshill.

I am not sure what's what here. Is the road on the right Little Park Street on the telephone exchange side, is this roughly where the ring road island now is?

Yes and yes!