Old Cathedral and Church of St Michael

Yes it does I thought you were on about the 2nd photo link with Trinity Church my apology.

Here's another new one to me - again could have gone in several threads so mods move if you feel its better somewhere else. From the top of the spire but of great interest as it shows what remained post war of both Cope Street and New Street (thanks to Paul Michael Kennelly)

The Old and the New, great one Neil, thanks for showing.

Ah, Cope Street, where my father was born - I think, or at least his family moved from there to Somerset Road

The really sad thing about that image is it shows there were several buildings of interest that actually survived the Blitz. Anyone know what that building was on Priory Street behind the East window of St Michael's?

When I left school in April 1949, I had to go to this building for documentation for my employer. I'm not sure what the docs. were for, maybe medical and tax forms. I remember the building was badly delappidated both inside and out, the result of the blitz.

I recall the small building on the right of the picture halfway up, the one with the steps going into a porchway. It was actually a sort of prefabricated wooden structure and in the 60s was used by Coventry Water Undertaking as a sort of office and showroom. They had one of those 'magic taps' that appeared to be suspended in mid-air while dispensing water. There were a couple of lovely old chaps in there who were always up for a chat and used to tell us kids about the city in wartime while dispensing sweets or toffees. No idea what they were actually supposed to be doing but we dropped in quite frequently. I think it is now the site of the tourist information centre.

Scroll down for 4 photo galleries - Post war architecture

This should be interesting - Medieval crypts to open to public

Let us not forget the old cathedral belonged to our parents and grandparents, for they were the ones that used it in common prayer and worship, until that fateful night. A general feeling was expressed only a few days later, dazzled by the high hopes of the cathedral being rebuilt in its former glory, how challenging for our city fathers, a mood of hope. Months, then years went by, and the people were depressed and angry that nothing had been fulfilled. They didn't want a substitute, their church looked what they thought 'God's house' should look like. Our ancestors were not as educated as people are today, neither did they know the world as we, but they had great beliefs, Their spirit was not broken by the Germans, that was not possible, but by the people they believed in, to most this was long before the competition, and some saw that as an insult to the church they had worshipped in. The people of the city soon recovered from its desolation, but not from the sight of its loss of the cathedral. P.S. I thought as a child, it was very cold in the cathedral and had the minimum of comfort.

Am I right in thinking no one has any idea why the pillars are out of line? Rob's link on the misaligned pillars. Surely there has to be parish records or history records of the building. When I first read this topic, something bugged me, then I remembered, I had read an article in the fifties of a similar cathedral, Chichester. There was a deviation in the pillars, it was built in sections, the nave in two sections, the masons did not seem at all anxious to keep the structure itself rigidly straight, correct and symmetrical. The unexpected meets you in all parts of the vast structure. Most of it was burnt down as was most of the city, but they rebuilt it (but not Coventry) two periods of the work side by side, but covered it with mouldings, to meet the eye of the beholder. I'm sorry but I disagree with most of this topic, and I think so would Sir Alfred Herbert. But my views are mine and mine alone, someone tell me I can stand on the tiled floor that was, and I will visit Coventry and do so.

I believe after the war Warwick put forward a proposal that the cathedral was moved there as Coventry wasn't a particularly 'holy' city. And there were more pressing things to build than a cathedral. The council apparently delayed signing the building permit, much to Basil Spence's annoyance! They could have just made 'Holy Trinity' into a cathedral. Building a new and expensive building (and filling it with 'jewels') is typical of the vanity of religion and I imagine a left wing council like Coventry could see that. They're pretty redundant buildings these days apart from tourists and the odd episode of 'Songs of Praise'.

Flapdoodle. Hi, look I am only trying to say the mood in the early forties, not after the war, believe me religion those days governed everything, hey it was against the law even to buy bread on a Sunday, something like you could buy a wrapped loaf, but not an unwrapped, may have been the other way about, that's why I said in the fifties young folk was glad to get rid of some of that Victorian religion stuff. If we could turn the clock back just for a few minutes and you could have heard the discussions of say the Longford church congregation in 41 they didn't see more pressing things to build, or vanity. I have a deep feeling that you have either read or visited the Holy Sepulchre, in Jerusalem, you and I could have a long conversation about that, if so, but not here. Don't get me wrong, I was religious, but two years in the Holy Land changed all that.

postal dated Jul 2/1905 No date for this one.

Flap. I totally agree with you, I always thought that Germany had to pay for the rebuild something like the Treaty of Versailles following WW1. It was because of the reparation that German money became worthless post 1918. Could be wrong. Often am. According to Mrs Conquest.