Fish and Chip shops

For me, it has to be the "Three Spires Fish Bar", just inside Queen Isabels Ave, on Quinton Parade - Cheylesmore. I must admit to not visiting just recently - but I well remember going there as a child for "three pen'orth of chips and some scratchings" - and what a feast it was! Its been there since at least the mid 50's. In more recent times it has had an "eat-in" section added next door and to my knowledge has remained in the same family all that time. We used to sit in the car in The Cheylesmore pub car park (sadly burned down a few years ago), whilst my dad popped inside for "a swift half", although I don't remember it being that swift - he was in there for what seemed like hours! Me and my Sister were sometimes treated (by my Mum who stayed in the car with us) to a bag of chips from over the road. I recall being sent over to the chippy across Daventry Road ON MY OWN(!) - not something you would allow a 7 year old to do now!! Kept us quiet I suppose!

Surely The Parsons Nose in Bishops Street.

Would have to agree with "Neilsyard" - used to stop off at good old Louis on the way home after a night out on many an occasion! Normally finished the chips by the time we had crossed the bouncy bridge over the ring road and got to the canal basin!

Going back a good few years, when in the city centre my favourite place for chips was Fishy Moores... delicious! Recently I have found that the chippy in Elm Tree Avenue, Tile Hill, do nice fish and chips. About five years ago on a visit to the Black Country Museum myself and my sister-in-law had chips from the shop there, they smelt just like the ones I used to get from King William Street, 40-50 years ago and they were bright yellow, made your mouth water! As a child one of my friend's mum used to make us chips (made in dripping of course) and wrap them in newspaper for us, we thought that was great.

I had always loved Fishy Moores, until during their last months of trading, where my wife & I were so disappointed with a dinner there. It was no wonder that they closed. Back to happier times, when I had often queued for their fish & chips in the fifties and also at the restaurant in Fairfax St. We have a local fish & chippy in Holbrooks called 'Venus' which we enjoy, and has been called Venus for as long as we have lived in Holbrooks, some forty plus years. If Rob is not looking, I have never lost the enjoyment of eating fish & chips outdoors, which is not so easily done in our city centre, please advise if I am missing somewhere, though, but if Rob is still not looking, a trip on the bus to the villages of Wolston, Brinklow or Meriden can be very rewarding with a bag of fish & chips being consumed whilst sat in the open. You can look now Rob, excusing my digression outside our city boundary. ps. Do I feel a fish & chip supper coming on? The radiator grill on my car has a big smile on it.

You do make me smile Philip - in a good way, of course! Although it's still essentially a "Coventry" forum, I don't intend to become a "forum policeman" any time soon, and as far as I'm concerned, anything goes.... well nearly! Anyway, Brinklow, Wolston, etc. are all part of any Coventrian's surroundings, and I've always enjoyed getting away to these lovely villages on the east side of our city (I used to be able to cycle to Brinklow in under 15 minutes when I had younger legs!). It obviously isn't a Ford Anglia then, which always looks like it has a very sad mouth.

I taught at Rugby school for a while (only in retirement you understand ) and using the bus, I would travel either Brandon & Wolston on stage-coach one day & Brinklow using Decourcey, the next day. It was lovely on a sunny lunch time, sat eating fish & chips under the Willow at Costa-Del-Wolston. I taught for a while at Solihull & Hall Green schools, and discovered the delights of Meriden green on a sunny day. So there is some use in working in retirement Pic recorded in the Spring. The driveway meets the requirements for rain water absorption and the wall is reclaimed broken paving stones. Costa-Del-Wolston a couple of years ago.

I am so glad that we can smile, Rob, after the week just passed. I am not talking about stocks & shares either as bad as that has been. When I lived in Wyken, the area that you mention was my cycle-way too. Trainspotting at Shilton road bridge, or at the canal wharf that is now the base for Rose Narrowboats at the far end of Brinklow. The fish & chippy in Hipswell Highway, mentioned by Midland Red, has been there ever since I can remember. My son & daughter-in-law were married at Meredith Rd, church as my daughter-in-law's family attended there. On the day that my grandson & I went searching for the smoking hills, we had a bite to eat at 'your' KFC. One of the shops along there used to be 'Hogarths' which my mum had more than a passing interest in. Hogarths bought my mum's business when she retired in the very early sixties. Hogarths then moved to the Bishops Gate end of Foleshill Rd.

Back on to the favourite chippy scene - usually on a Saturday morning we, a family of four of us, would venture into town and have lunch at Farmer Giles in the Burges. Now I am sure, looking in on Google earth, that the double fronted window (entrance in the middle) looks like Buttons now. In the winter months it was so steamed up the condensation would trickle down the walls. There was an upper floor but was sealed off because of that reason (I should imagine). There was a rather well proportioned man serving from a large tea urn and always made the bread and butter. The point I am getting to is, his Vienna steaks were worth dying for and my son would only eat his sausage and chips. The place used to be packed on a Saturday. When you spend half an hour fixing your hair and it all fluffs up in Farmer Giles, it can be rather annoying!!!

Following a church organ duty this morning in the Spon End area, I don't know how I resisted the fish & chippy opposite the bikers pub. They looked good, smelt good, tasted good (I had one chip) and would have done me not one bit of good. If I was not over-weight, there would not be a problem. So instead, I had a wander around looking at some of the items that have featured on here. I shall look forward to sirloin of lettuce for my late lunch. 'Whoopee'

I bought some from there last night. The chips were superb, the kind that melt in your mouth. The fish wasn't quite as good but very reasonably priced by modern standards. I wouldn't normally buy fish & chips in the summer but yesterday it was almost like winter!

I remember this chippy from when I was a youngster & my aunt & uncle owned the butchers next to the model shop. We used to go there on a Friday afternoon In later years we used the Chip Butty on the Ansty Road or Moby Dicks by the Devon How I miss scallops now we live in the darkest south! John

Does anyone remember the chip shop at the Barras end of North Street, to my knowledge it was the last chippy to serve chips in dripping mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!! was run by a old couple and I think it closed cos one of them died.

It was just about the best chippy around in the 50s and 60s. There were fish & chips shops in both nearby Heath Crescent and Coventry St, yet people still preferred to use North Street. It was roughly facing St Albans Church. There was something about the vinegar that made the chips taste just that bit better. Huge queues on a Friday night. I know the Morris workers would send a lad there on a bike most lunchtimes with a big order.

Haven't noticed recently but up till couple of years ago it still had the same front windows and door from the old chippy although it had been converted to a normal house years ago!!!!