Rover Showroom / Food Office / Intershop / Litten Tree

Keith, as you walked down the Precinct, left hand side from Broadgate, past the underground toilets, you had a bridge with a fountain underneath. Underneath this bridge you had Mac Fisheries then British Home Stores. Mac Fisheries was here from the start, certainly in the early 60s. Above the shop you had the entrance to British Home Stores restaurant. I can remember, quite vividly, the filming of an episode of Crossroads here, with someone coming out of Mac F with a chicken in her hand. The producer was pleading with the large crowd to move along and act naturally, as it was spoiling the scene with every one staring.

Dutchman, it was definitely Gosford St, much nearer to the city than Astley's. Nearer to the Friar Tuck. It was set back from the road, and had old wooden steps to the entrance. It was over 2 floors. It was roughly opposite, I think, the el Cabana. I can still remember they sold leather waistcoats for 10 shillings, cheap and shoddy, even for those days. They wasn't there for long before they moved to Warwick Row.

That was the "Curtis Warehouse" all the time I lived there Adrian (1960-1967). It may have been the same business but it was never called "Benleys" while in Gosford Street. The Friar Tuck was built on the site of the warehouse after it was demolished circa 1965.

Adrian There wasn't anything to the left of Woolworth's (except a rather large hole!) in the old Smithford St as I remember it, although there's a sort of low building shown in the photo that has the temporary walkway going across it. That ended up by Woolworth's, and as I remember, the wire fence wouldn't have allowed access to the left of the arch giving entrance to the arcade. It's possible, though, that you could get to it from the other side - yet the photo showing the Food Advice hut has a corrugated roof behind it, which implies that there was either another building there after the war, or maybe they had to put a temporary roof on the building to the left of Woolies to make it usable - as they did with Woolies itself. One thing's for sure though - it wasn't in the Warwick Row premises. I'd bet they just held admin staff - and there must have been quite a few of those, what with printing and binding the books (don't know if that was done locally, but it would make sense) keeping records, and organising everything. Did your sister tell you about the half price counter, next to the door into the arcade? And Benley's - yes I can remember now, they did start out in Gosford St. A lot of these things just need something to trigger the little grey cells.

Dutchman, if you look at the photo of Gosford St on Mike Tyzack memory page, if the 2 men walking towards the camera turned to their right, then this is approx where Benleys was. I remember the name Curtis warehouse, but this was, I believe, after Benleys moved. I remember the Friar Tuck opening, but I thought that was just a little bit nearer the city. I am astonished at your knowledge of old Coventry, as I completely forgot about Curtis being there.

You, may well be right Adrian, but during the period 1960-1965 when I lived opposite, it was called Curtis. Before that it was a builder's merchant of some sort as seen on the extreme right in this 1950s photograph: Strictly speaking it was St Michael's Baptist Chapel. The pet shop at No18 is being demolished here to create vehicle access for the warehouse. By the way, the sign on the end gable wall in Mike Tyzack's picture refers to Bishop St Furnishings as seen in this picture from the other side in 1967: The Baptist Chapel/warehouse had long gone by then and the remaining buildings were about to be demolished for the ring road flyover. The Friar Tuck is out-of-picture to the left. Yes, ever so slightly but the one had closed before the other opened. It would have been chaos otherwise. The Friar Tuck was built in the space left by the demolition of No18 and previously used for vehicle access and parking. It's just one of the joys of early-onset dementia Adrian. I can remember things which happened fifty years ago as if was yesterday but can't remember things I did just a few days ago!

I remember the warehouse opposite the el Cabana, if not its name. The uncle of a pal was the manager there in the late 50s and would let us leave our bikes there whilst we went for a coffee.

Dutchman, I am amazed. I forgot how derelict this area was until I saw your pictures. I am doubting myself, and my memory, even more now. Thank you for the photos, they are brilliant.

Hi Adrian I don't doubt my memory anywhere near as much you're saying you doubt yours! I have some very clear images in my memory from 1949-52, and I have managed to confirm a number of them. I asked my wife's uncle this afternoon about the Food Office and we discussed among other things, the City Arcade. He didn't know where the Food Office was sited (he never used it), but thought your notion of it being next to Woolworth's arch into the arcade was likely. The entrance was probably from the arcade, which would explain why I couldn't remember the outside of the building. And the building was almost certainly temporary. He said that a lot of the temporary buildings were moved over time, which made it harder to pinpoint exactly where they were sited at any one time. Also, of course, as rationing reduced going into the 50s, the food office requirement probably shrank too. He clearly remembered Hurrell's stall outside the other end of the arcade. It was positioned so that the open counter faced towards the end of the arcade, so as to attract shoppers coming out of the arcade. And he added a detail to something that I remember - the television shop in the right hand corner of the arcade entrance by Woolworths, which had three large display windows in the arcade, and occupied a piece of Woolworths' floor space. That shop was Stone's Electrical shop. As well as TVs, they sold other electrical items, one of the display windows being given over to them. Someone may have some more info about Stone's in later years; I thought they were bought by Radio Rentals in the late 50s. All the photos are interesting and useful too; thanks dutchman! They add to our memories, don't they?

A memory of the Food Office for me is collecting tins of dried milk for my baby sister in 1946, I remember going out from the old Barracks market and turning right past the pub and then entering the food office. Amongst other items collected were bottles of orange drink concentrated juice and dried egg powder. Prior to that we collected gas masks from the office in Gosford Street a couple of doors down from where the static water tank was located.

For years my father kept one of these tins full of nails in his shed - in fact, I seem to think I've now got it in my garage - full of the same nails!

I remember going to the Food Office in Warwick Row with my mother to collect bottles of concentrated orange juice and cod liver oil for my brother and sisters. I can remember seeing the name Rover painted on the outside wall. As I was able to read it must have been 1949 or later. The Food Office would have belonged to the Ministry of Foods (not the council). After rationing ended welfare milk tokens were still given out to expectant mothers. By 1959 this was being done by The Ministry of Pensions & National Insurance in Gosford Street.

I also seem to remember Marmite being given out to young children in the early fifties. Instead of the usual jars they came in small tins, similar to the sort you buy dried yeast in now. I suppose the reason they were supplied to young children was because of their vitamin B content. Does anyone else remember this?

As I remember The Food Office was in Warwick Row, next to Lee Beesley electrical shop and then Warwick Road Congregational Church with its twin cupolas. It looked as if it had been a house, double-fronted with pillars either side of the entrance.

'Oh my Gawd' - dried milk and saccharin 'depth charges'. Germany's secret weapon, caught us with our pants down.