Corporation Street

I seem to remember the old Gas Showrooms was a "British Restaurant" during and some years after the war. There was also another one I remember, between the Technical College and the railway bridge. used to use it for my school dinners some days, that`s when I could stand the awful food, particularly the cabbage, which for some reason was said to be boiled with a lot of soda added - it came out a violent green colour.

Here is a "full-frontal" view of the showroom in the 1940s. Old Coventry Contrary to what is suggested in the blog the showroom wasn't built until the 1930s but the blogger is absolutely correct in that it was both the gas and electricity showroom prior to nationalisation of both services by the government in 1948.

Here's a picture of some temporary shops at the Hill Street end of Corporation Street. When did I take it? It could have been the late 1960s or early 70, or it may have been on a visit in the 1980s. I can't remember. Can anyone help?

That's the original post in this thread - here's a current view of the site:

An up-to-date view of the Study Inn earlier in this thread

Dutchman, the building above looks as though it is farther down Corporation Street than the Gas Showooms, is the bottom right hand corner Bishop Street? For there was nothing between Bishop Street and the Gas Showrooms as I knew it. Lynes camping shop was on the right in a small lane making the Gas Showrooms front look like Owen Owen front with traffic on either side.

There was always a big gap between the gas showroom and the corner of Bishop Street:

Corporation Street, 1963

If those shops were built during the same period that the Broadgate temporary shops were put up, then I think it would be nearer to 1948.

Regarding the picture in post 24. Harrisons opticians and G E Jones next door are both advertising as now open in March 1941 at 53 and 55 Corporation Street. The RIBA page also says that the photographer was Edward Stuart Bales 1889-1944, dating the picture between 1941 and 1944, closer to 1941 I would think judging by the newly planted trees as Kaga mentions. I have just noticed that on the side of the Gas Showrooms you can see what look like soot marks from the bombing. Hope this helps.

Gosh, Prof - one of my photos, taken in 1976 (actually, it's a scan from a transparency)

Thanks to my friend Paul Michael Kennelly - I had to add this one just because of that lamppost!

Neil's Yard, A great picture, but begs history, I doubt anyone knows this scene, or how long it was like this? One of the important streets in Coventry, and it's almost derelict, and few people to its normal routine, old cars and Belisha beacon, but not yet zebra?