Fish and Chip shops

You wouldn't have had to travel far! The Ansty Road Bar-B-Q, about 30 yards away, also served excellent pork & chips, with stuffing if required at no extra cost. These places were regular haunts in the 70s after a night out. The decision was always whether to have the pork & chips or the faggots, peas & chips. I confess that sometimes it was both! I think the Parsons Nose may also have served pork & chips, but not in the same class. Their speciality was always faggots, peas & chips, AKA an 'all-in'. Do you remember the Empress Fish Bar had a separate section where you could eat in? That was also a favourite, I think you paid an extra 6d to eat off a plate.

I guess as a Sky Blues fan I must have felt an obligation to patronise Big George's eaterie!!

Hi Paula! Yes they are lovely and at two lots for £8 - with mushy peas - very reasonable!

Agreed. When I worked close by, it was my favourite venue, and I knew people who came from as far as Leamington Spa to get their fish and chips from the 'Hipswell Fish and Chip Saloon'.

Pork n chips still sold there and because the recipe was sold down all the owners since it still is 'the best'

Unfortunately the quality and quantity has gone right down, think the owners are now looking at the state of their pockets!!!!!!!!

The Hippy Chippy

This is going back a bit but does anyone remember the fish processing building just behind the old Opera House in Corporation St? To get to the building's entrance was via the little street next to the old pub, bottom of Bishop Street, the buildings ran parallel to Bishop St behind what is now a gym? Not too sure what the name of the shop is called under the gym but it did sell furniture. My old dad used to sell fish and chips from a fish and chip wagon, he also sold seafood, cockles, mussels, etc. I used to go with my dad to collect the seafood from this building and was fascinated by the workings, lots of women sifting the seafood as it passed along a flat table, I remember the place was swimming with water and the ladies wore big waterproof aprons. The roof was of corrugated steel and resembled air raid shelters with bricked up frontage and doors, love to know if this was a dream or was it real? Last I knew of the site it was a car park. I hope someone will recall. Colin

Hi. One of the daughters of the family, who lived there from before the war, lives near to me. She told me all about it when we were on the no.7 bus one day! She has also appeared on tv in a film about the Blitz. here were several daughters - when it came to this lady's wedding they were only using the bottom half of Trinity Church and she had to say her vows at the lower altar. The thing that sticks in my mind is that she 'can close my eyes and see the dust blowing into the corners of the street, all those years ago.' If you want to inbox me some contact details, in confidence, I'll make sure she gets them. If you don't feel happy about doing that I'll let her know about your post if you want me to.

Hi Colin, everything ok and I return the sentiment. I do not remember the seafood plant but I worked with a Scottish man who came to Coventry with his wife in the late fifties. His wife worked as a fish filleter in Aberdeen and her first job here was a fish filleter for "Fishy Moores" but not at the chip shop. It was on an industrial scale of filleting, so this could be where you are remembering. I know she worked full shifts alongside others but that is all I know, sorry for the useless information.

Cheers John, you can only comment on what you know or you think you know. I thank you for your input and for all I know it may have been part of Fishy Moore's but I it was a bit before them as we are talking about 1953ish, I think this thread may end here. It seems not to have stirred anyone's memory or interest maybe? Still I live in hope on this one. Glad to see you are ok. Colin