Foleshill (inc. Foleshill Road)

This photograph was taken at the church near Little Heath school. Google maps shows a prefabricated building but not the church I recall, it wasn't St. Laurence's but situated off the Foleshill Road and first on the right on Old Church Road. Sadly, I cannot remember the name - can you please help? The Brownie leaders were pillars of the church and were the Misses Burden. Photograph was taken circa 1942. Thank you.

I'm sorry I can't help regarding the photo, it's a little before my time. I remember the church hall though, nearly opposite Courtaulds gatehouse. In the late 50s we used to attend a youth club every Friday night, the entrance fee was 6d. They played records and offered orange juice at 3d a cup - very sophisticated for a 12 year old. A very charming and evocative photograph. If only that Coventry still existed.

Thank you for your interest and response. Journeying through my childhood in Little Heath, Foleshill, I now know the church we attended was Foleshill Congregational, long ago demolished, as are so many of the places where we played (trespassed, actually) in and around Lythalls Lane, Kelley's wood yard, Pigs Alley, the blacksmith and the Dunlop cricket ground. We cut through the latter to get to the railway bank for train-spotting, and to put halfpennies on the railway lines!

Hi all I was raised in Wyken, but my mother's history is so Foleshill. The only person that I knew from this era at St Lawrences was a Mr George Harcourt. He lived in Holbrooks until moving to Ullesthorpe, Leicestershire, in the late sixties. His wife was in the choir there.

Hi, I was married in St. Lawrence's Church in 1958. I used to go dancing at the Scout Hall, Partridge Croft, when I was 14+ and always came home down the Black Pad by the side of St. Lawrences and into Windmill Road. Happy days.

My dad's family is from Foleshill area. My great grandfather Ashfield was a miner and was often asked to clear the local pub by smashing bar stools together and would often offer the local kids a penny to swear. My great grandfather Hubbard was also a miner and lived in Lythalls Lane, and my great grandmother Hubbard (born Doris Marie Holt) used to clean the working mens club, would often give her dinner away to family down the road who didn't have any, and when she lost her baby she wet nursed a baby down the road. All I can say, what a woman!!! Her mother was the postmistress in Longford before she died. My grandfather was a gas fitter and loved by all of his apprentices.

My great great grandfather William Gamble owned the Gambles Buildings in Edgwick. He was a local coal dealer. He laid a foundation stone at the rebuilding of the Methodist church in Station St West in the 1880s. He died in 1896 and his grave is in St Pauls Churchyard, Foleshill Rd. Any information about the property's whereabouts would be appreciated.

Foleshill Mill stood at the bottom of a cobbled yard which led off Aldermans Green Rd where Avocet Close now stands. Mill House is still standing. The mill was driven by the River Sowe which ran through the fields that became Longford Park and alongside Hall Green Road. The yard also provided access for a milk bottling plant, which generated a tremendous racket from the metal crates full of bottles rattling along the metal rollers on the conveyers.

Does anyone remember Tony's Cafe in Cross Road? I am hoping someone may have a photograph, but just some memories would be great. It is reopening on 8 April as Fitz2Eat Community Cafe, and we are looking for some history details. Many thanks Cathy

I used Tony's Cafe most days. In those days it consisted of a partition down the centre, with tables each side. If you got there about 10am you would be lucky to get a table it was so popular. The breakfasts were fantastic and it was a sad day when Tony packed up and it was never the same after that. Sorry Cathy, I have no photos, but happy days nevertheless

Regularly used by BT Engineers in the mornings working out of Mason Road Telephone Engineering Centre and local Linesmen covering Foleshill exchange area in the 70s, 80s. Yellow vans converged from all directions and 'hid' in side streets in the hope that they weren't seen by the patrolling Inspector or Level 1 Manager lest they were in for a 'stern word'!!!! Placed your order and was given a 'chit' with a number on which when your breakfast was ready, your number was called out by a rather flirty lady. If your number happened to be the last number in the 60s and was called out, then there was a lot of hooting and whistling from all!!!!

This is a posting from an earlier topic but I thought you may find it interesting. Colin . . . As for food or venues the best memories for me are at Tony's Cafe, Cross Road. As a GPO engineer working from Mason Rd, Foleshill, Tony's Cafe was the first port of call on our way to the first job of the day. It was a meeting place for most trades working in that area. Only problem was the parking, the surrounding streets were jammed with all sorts of vans. The GPO bosses would often visit and report back, you could expect a telling off next day. As for Tony's Cafe, he did the best full English in town. While sitting eating your breakfast all you could hear was Tony in his broken English shouting "one a bacon, egg a, and tomart!" We thought he came from Italy. A great bloke, him and his wife were both very rotund. I don't think the health people were so hot on hygiene as they are today, that's not saying the kitchen was not clean, I am referring to the extractor fan on the outside wall. It was caked in fat that had run down the wall, bearing in mind that all fry ups were cooked in lard then. If you walked past the cafe you would have to give the fan a wide birth. Still the best in Foleshill. Colin.

Tony's Cafe. I remember it well, Col, as GPO Engineers it was our first port of call in the morning, en route to the canteen at the Telephone Exchange. As for getting caught, think Hurst Road and bright yellow Cortina. Garry