Shops of yore

I can remember going in their shop in Hertford St then. It had been patched up after the blitz damage, and floor was like walking across a mini set of Alps. I seem to remember that they had a small shop front in Warwick Lane behind the chemist - Green's wasn't it? - that was at the end of Hertford St opposite the Geisha cafe. (Some more memories there, the Geisha!! ) But there wasn't much up Warwick Lane, shop-wise, the biggest building was the Methodist Central Hall. Holbrooks' shop must have been pretty much next door to the MC Hall. BTW, creteskyblue: my cousin lives in Crete, at Limnes.

The Holbrooks shop was next to the Central Hall, more or less where the car park is now. We bought a black poofe from there in 1966, the first piece of new furniture after getting married. We still have it, though it is not currently in use. I remember it as an excellent shop but generally out of our price range. Like many people we set up home with cast off furniture from parents, even the second hand tv sat on the floor as we couldn't afford anything to put it on.

Which nicely confirms where I remember it. Wasn't Holbrooks' taken over by Anslows? And the latter taken over by Waring and Gillow?

Hello, that could nearly have been my reply. I married in 1968. We had saved half the cost of the house that we still live in. My little experience even with finance then, would not let me use credit, so we saved for everything. We made do with cast-offs, still have a coffee table that was third hand. To this day, even having had a Barclaycard from the early seventies, I have never ever had a balance over-hang any month. I think that my parents would have had me shot if I had ever used credit or HP.

Have to agree with you here Philip. My dad said to us as soon as we were married (1961) "If you haven't got the money then you don't buy it, save for it and if you are that keen then you will soon have it". We have always lived by those words and proved that it works. Most of our furniture came from the Co-op in Corporation Street at the time, mind you my lovely father-in-law worked there at the time so I admit it was made a little easier, if you get my drift!!!!!

Someone should have told the Greeks that!!! We bought quite a few items from the Co-op in Corporation St, too. I bet it isn't the Co-op any more? There was until last year a quite old-style Co-op store in Norwich, now that's closed. They sold good furniture and clothes, just like the Co-op in Corporation St. The Co-op seems to be sort of imploding lately.

Yes it is Keith but in common with most Co-op branches it went 'upmarket' a few years ago and turned its back on its traditional customer base.

Oh well, at least you've still got one! They seem to be closing around here faster than Tesco can saturate the area. Do they still operate as a food store, or have they abandoned that?

Yes they still have a food section, Keith.

I have fond memories of the Church Bookshop (in Hertford St as I remember?) a poky Aladdin's cave of all sorts of books, unlike the sterile monstrosities that pollute our high streets today! It looked tiny from the street, but seemed to on forever once you were in there, dark and packed to the gunwhales with books everywhere! I never, ever, failed to get what I wanted there, and I still have my prize from my last year in KH Junior school - Webster's Geographical Dictionary and World Gazetteer! And, I think it was Ireland's, in Trinity Street, selling drawing instruments, art stuff, pens and pencils, and stationery. Another Aladdin's cave! I bought a Sheaffer Snorkel fountain pen there about 1958 or 9. And previously, two Conway Stewarts - both of which had a really annoying tendency to flood at the worst possible times! Unfortunately, the Sheaffer got broken, and both it and the two others was thrown away some years ago. If only I'd known their value today. I bet they are both long gone?

Hi Keith. I remember the drawing insruments shop, but I though that was 'Mills & Mills'. nearly the first shop going up Trinity St.on the right. I still have a Conway Stewart pen which to my amazement discovered that an 'Osmaroid' nib fitted it. I wore the orginal one out.

Yes, you're right Philip!! (The Forum's really stirring up the little grey cells, part of the enjoyment of it! ) There was Ireland's though, too, wasn't there, and I can't think where they were? I hadn't realised how much I had filed away in the old memory bank, and quietly forgotten about. But Mills and Mills - yes, happy memories!! We had such good shops, didn't we, in years gone by? I was surprised and saddened to hear that H E Phillips had gone, and it made me wonder how could such a good business just go like that. You just don't see shops like that any more. But of course, Coventry no longer has the industry to support such businesses, does it? Are there actually ANY proper engineering firms left - like Gauge and Tool, George Wickman, Veasey and Sharples, Brown and Sharp, all long gone, I think? For a while in the early 70s I was a partner in a business, and we occupied the front part of Grey and Rushton's old premises at 93 Far Gosford St. There were still all the old etching materials for the scales of verniers and other gauges when we moved in. BTW, if you look on the net, you could probably get a new nib for your Conway Stewart, and it would be worth it, if in otherwise decent condition. They fetch silly money these days! (I've just bought a vintage Waterman to use!! So different to the ubiquitous Chinese ones around now.)

Wickman's was A C Wickman (also Wickman Machine Tool Sales Ltd, Wickman Wimet Ltd) Ireland's stationers were in Smithford Way, just along from The City Arms - I don't know where they were before Smithford Way was built

I often used to spot Councillor Phillips driving his bronze Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow (PCP 1) along the Kenilworth Road.

Hi all. Over thirty thousand people in Coventry are classed as working in manufacturing at the last count. The science park at Canley, Bayton Rd, the area around Whitley are still doing stuff. My boy (Boy! Gosh he is 42) is similar to Rob, in front end elecronics developement, but he works in & commutes to Tamworth. It's a sign of the times when I tell you that the GP surgey complex that I worked for in retirement is one of Holbrooks, biggest employers. No big queues of workers going into the Dunlop these days!