Coventry revisited

Yesterday for the first time in 18 years I was able to spend a couple of hours wandering around Coventry on my own with my camera. I fortified myself with a Greggs sandwich, sausage roll (yum) & a doughnut & set off. The main changes that I noticed were: The Ikea building looks totally out of place. Spon Street is a total mismatch - I have never seen a kebab shop housed in a 15th c. building before! The butchers was one of the few shops in Spon Street that looked in character. Good to see that Ma Browns & The Shakespeare survive - happy memories. Sad to see Jim Holton's pub - The Rainbow closed up. Even sadder to see that the old Studio 21 building is now a LazerQuest. The Bablake Old Boys Club is still there but going through financial problems as I understand. The Thistle is long gone & the entrance appears to have disappeared. The whole of that area appears to have had cosmetic changes but nothing done to sort out the underlying decay. There are a lot of empty shops - sign of the times. Ristorante Etna is still going after all these years! What happened to the pub by Fords Hospital - was it the Penny Black? What are they doing by the Godiva statue - what a mess! Had a wander around the Guildhall - first time I had actually looked at the building in detail - what a fabulous place. Spent time in the old cathedral soaking up the atmosphere. Saw the Priory Gardens for the first time - pity about the yobs hanging around! The Alhambra has truly gone & the Silver Sword appears to have been renamed What is the idea of the area outside the Motor Museum - appears to be wasted space? Walked along the blue bridge over Lady Herbert's Garden. Unfortunately I didn't quite get it - didn't go anywhere or cross anything. Lots of pawnbrokers around - again sign of the times. The front of the theatre looked nice however I used to like it when someone put fairy liquid in the old fountain! Overall the old appears to sit uneasily alongside the new as it has always done. There does not appear to have been a long term cohesive plan. Just my thoughts after a long period away - you may agree or disagree! John

I can live without the modernised entrance to the Shakespeare, it's totally out of character. The big joke with the butchers shop in Spon Street, when the giant Co-op food hall opened behind it everyone predicted the butchers would go out of business. In the event, it was the butchers shop which thrived and the Co-op which disappeared! The Penny Black was last used a hi-fi shop I think and is currently awaiting conversion to student accommodation.

I cannot believe how much Student Accomodation there is in and around the city! If it's not already, and it's empty, then there must be planning permission applied for!!! What is the uni going to do when their numbers drop due to the high fees?

It was originally intended to use it as a public display area and for "events" - oh, just like the "new" public space in Cross Cheaping, ahhh, and the brand new public space (aka mess) being created outside Cathedral Lanes! It has been used for a few years around November/December time when we have had (so-called) celebs switching on the Xmas Lights - but then the organisers have to spend thousands putting temporary flooring down to cover The 'Time-Line' Clock which is embedded in the floor. I heard ages ago that this was going to be removed - but its still there.

Not a very good photo I'm afraid.....

And also these....

The Silver Sword used to be known as the Dirty Dagger. The Etna is where we generally have lunch in Coventry when we visit. It's still a traditional Italian. I used to be a member of Bablake Old Boys, although I never went to Bablake. It was a good venue for a chat and a drink (not to mention a go on the bandit) back in the 1960s. In the eighties, my fellow OU student, now my wife, and I were in the Windmill one evening. Suddenly, she turned to me and said "Do you realise that we're twice the age of anyone else in here" We were in our forties at the time. When I used to go in there in the 1960s, we were some of the youngest there. How times change!

When my husband and I used to go the the Silver Sword, the back door, as shown on the photo of the Alhambra, was known as the Dirty Dagger. This door was used to go into the lounge.

Here it is today !

Not sure which I prefer!!

I can't remember what the entrance to the Shakespeare used to look like but I was surprised to see that the Penny Black had gone John

Time clock ? I didn't see that?

I thought that "The Loft" was sitting where the Silver Sword used to be. It looked a bit of a dive to be honest John

The aluminium "rails" with blue LEDs that zig-zag across the display area represent the world time-zones, not really a "clock". The Jaguar Drivers' Club used this area in April to show 60 or so Classic Jags. It made me chuckle because as soon as we'd parked, a chap from the Motor Museum rushed out pushing a trolley full of carpet samples to place under our cars in case any oil dripped on the white slabs. As if!!

As a child in the fifties I recall going to work with my mum who worked in the Silver Sword, Ricky was the landlord at the time .