High Street

Back in 1967 I started as a junior at Lloyds Bank, Corporation Street. This was pre computer days and all entries on customers accounts were entered manually. All cheques for the other city centre banks, National Provincial, Martins, Lloyds High Street and Midland were sorted into the respective banks and then taken by me to whichever bank was to do the local clearing. As a 17 year old i would be carrying over £5,000 of cheques through the city centre every day. All other cheques would be sent by post to head office to be sent on to wherever. And yet it only took 3 days to clear a cheque! When we came to working out the individuals bank charges, we sat around a table, looked at the account and then asked questions. Was he polite? Did he bring a Christmas card in? Was his banking all correct and in the right bags etc etc. This went towards deciding the charges he would have to pay. If we liked you, then your bank charges would be low.

After my email from Lloyds, I have copied this statement from a paper cutting regarding 'The bank that bears the Beehive crest'. The Bank is entered by an ornate stone vestibule, Across which still stands, except during banking hours, an iron gate bearing the inscription " Coventry and Warwickshire Banking Company". The extensive strongrooms are all underground. Coventry abounds in underground examples of its ancient history, and one of the finest of these is under our "Lloyds" premises. This consists of a fine arched crypt, measuring 60 by 25 feet. The masonry is still, after something like 600 years, in a good state of preservation. During the war the precious tapestry and stained glass windows of St. Mary's Hall were housed here, safe from possible damage in the event of a lucky hit from aerial marauder. A new bit of Coventry history for us all. Gangan, thanks for posting your memories. If any pick-pockets found you, they would have thought they had hit gold. Thank goodness for computers today.

I've mentioned this before but the ancient vaults were probably for the storage of wines and spices which were big business in that part of Coventry at one time.

Thanks for the response Dutchman. I find it amazing that when you look back in history, and find out somthing that you have not known about before, ie the glass etc from St. Mary's stored in 600 year old cellars, under a bank that I am looking into. With help of people like yourself and others on this site, we all find things out that we did not know about before. I think i have found all there is to know about this building, and it started with one photo and a line " does any one know what a Beehive has to do with this building?". Thanks all, I think it's CASE SOLVED.

Apologies if someone owns the copyright to this one but stumbled across in cyberspace....

Hi NeilsYard, Not only the bank, but a good picture of some of our 'pre-fab' shops. Thank you

Terrific isn't it Phillip. Anyone know what those tall (sadly long-gone) buildings were behind those pre-fabs?

I recall a building on that corner was a funny shape looked like half a building so did they build adjacent to the bank into Broadgate where the pre-fab shops sit after the pre-fab

Isn't that the old Gulson Library? This was demolished when the library transferred to Smithford Way. To the right, behind Lyons, the building with the curved roof was the City Council's staff canteen in Derby Lane. This was like a double Nissen Hut affair, and served excellent lunches every day to workers from the various council offices around the centre. When I worked at Broadgate House in 1971/72 I could walk across there are get a main course for 10p-12p, and a hot pudding for 3p.

Hi MisterD-Di, Hi all I am sure that it is. I used to do my homework in there on the days where I would walk to my mum's shop for a lift home. I had plenty of time as the shop never closed before six in those days.

Absolutely fascinating, thank you lads for this thread. All your input made interesting reading.

I also worked in Broadgate House between 1963 and 1973 and used the old canteen regularly [we called it "the elephant shed"]. I think it closed in about 1978 and the facility was transferred to the Polytechnic. The Municipal Sports Association also played badminton there but both eating and sport was shared with the occasional pigeon. The food was good and cheap, and they also opened for tea. The large building is the Gulson Library: I believe that it was the lending library that was destroyed and it was relocated into what had been built as the Reference Library. The Reference Library was then separated and given a new access from Pepper Lane. This was immediately opposite the tall property that can be seen on the photo. I don't know what this had been but it had obviouslt escaped the blitz and was used for storage by the Library. My recollection is that it actually had a shop front. On the subject of the Library my earliest memory is of it being in the Central Hall and I imagine this must have continued until 1950/1951.

Great find Neil not seen those pics before. The top one is unusual in that, other than a few early postcards (which are from street level), you don't see it from that angle.