Coventry Pubs

Hi all Yes, very sad. In the sixties I played piano there on Friday evenings. I alternated with my hero pianist the late Archie Layton.

Very sad about the Albany. Three generations of my family have used it. In the 1920s, 30s and 40s, it was my grandfather's local. It was on his walk home, and most nights he would call in, and be in there until closing time. He was a heavy drinker, and drinking beer was a 7 day a week event. My father cut his drinking teeth there. He said it was a good pub, apart from the beer - Marston's. Later, I did an evening course at Cov Tech, and 3 or 4 of us regularly popped in before getting the bus. In recent years, the Sitp (Sceptics in the Pub) used it as a meeting place every month. It will probably be purchased by the big boys, then converted into an HMO for students, or a student accommodation block.

Two ex-public houses photographed today Elastic Inn The Admiral Codrington

Albany pub could reopen - report

I remember the Navigation - used to play there when I was in a group called THE DARKNESS.

Hi Seeley-Jones, Nice to read your response and thank you. My parents were Bill & May Toseland, so when did you appear there? 1961 or 62' ish, maybe later?

Hi, I believe it to be about 1965 when I was with the Darkness, but it could have been earlier when I was with a group called THE STRANGERS - we played Shadows type music - The Navigation was like many of the Coventry pubs at the time - you cut through the smoke with a pair of scissors!!!!

The Heath was on Foleshill Road, but it's been closed for years - nowadays it's a day nursery

Thanks MR. - A day nursery, what a transition.

Hillfields' last pub closing

This sounds interesting David - what sort of music did The Darkness play - and what years were you around?

Hi, The Darkness were together from about 1965-68, we played a lot of commercial rhythm and blues, soul, rock. One of the group's anthems was Hold On I'm Coming by Sam & Dave, Midnight Hour by Wilson Pickett. We were a very popular local band, had the chance to travel abroad as the backing group for a guy called Don Fardon, one of his records being Indian Reservation. We opened our own club at the Plough on London Road. Pete Bowron still lives in Coventry and Roger Williamson lives in America. Regards, David

Dreamtime, sure I remember the Navigation, but even before your time, from the thirties and forties. Different music then, an old piano, and a bagatelle table in a back room. People had never dreamed of music groups then, it was a good old sing-song alongside the piano, mainly as 'blotto' as you could be, and to stagger out into Paradise Row, Eden Street, and the Adam and Eve on one side the street, a WWI tank on the opposite side of the road, the guys never knew if they were in paradise or hell. Paradise Row had little front gardens with broken wooden railings, I found many a drunken guy sleeping it off in those gardens early mornings as I did my milk round. Both boats and trains went by the side of the pub quite regularly, and the trams in front along the cobbled road, and most transport was horse driven, walk or bike. In the forties, there was a local Home Guard unit somewhere in or near Edgewick that used the 'Navvy' quite often. I was seventeen before I first had a drink in there, with a bunch of Home Guard guys.

Thanks for that Kaga, what a wonderful memory you have. I am trying to visualise the whole scene in those - dare I say - good old days, although I do remember having a sing song at the Navvi one Christmas after time with a few of the regulars and that was 1963 if my memory serves me correctly.