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Coventry Firsts

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Rob Orland
Historic Coventry
1 of 57  Tue 15th Oct 2024 11:23am  

OK, so we all know that Coventry has been at the centre of innovation for many things over the years, and new Coventry Archive manager, Mike Bevan, has got the ball rolling with his article: First account of a witchcraft trial for black magic in England, 1325. So, let's fill this topic with some of the pioneering things that makes us proud of our city and the people who make it so. I'll kick it off with an every day item that we take for granted.... the differential gear. James Starley is often referred to as the father of the bicycle industry, but in some ways we might even go so far as to say he was the father of the modern motoring industry, which really spawned from our pedal-driven two, three and four-wheelers. It was when Mr. Starley was trying out his early tricycle that he tried to turn a corner and ended up flying into a ditch. He quickly realised that he had to overcome the problem of the outer wheel needing to spin faster than the inner one..... and so the idea for the differential was born. This was in 1876, being patented the following year, so the gear we all have in our cars is a lot older than we think! So, what else has Coventry been first in? (Oh, and what great timing.... my shuffle-play has just started playing Ian Dury's song "There Ain't Half Been Some Clever B****rds"!!! Lol)
Local History and Heritage - Coventry Firsts
Rob Orland
Historic Coventry
Thread starter
2 of 57  Wed 16th Oct 2024 10:14am  

Just to try and give this subject some momentum, I'll continue with something a little more obscure..... in fact, a double "first". Many of us are aware that the Belgrade Theatre was the first civic theatre in the country to be opened after the Second World War, on the 27th March 1958. However, how many of us also know that in April 1961 it was this theatre that gave Ian McKellen his first professional acting job?
Local History and Heritage - Coventry Firsts
belushi
coventry
3 of 57  Wed 16th Oct 2024 10:30am  

And continuing with the Belgrade theme - Monty Python's first ever live stage performance took place there on the 31st January 1971.
Local History and Heritage - Coventry Firsts
Rob Orland
Historic Coventry
Thread starter
4 of 57  Wed 16th Oct 2024 10:36am  

Ooh, I like that.... and now for something completely different! Big grin
Local History and Heritage - Coventry Firsts
PhiliPamInCoventry
5 of 57  Wed 16th Oct 2024 12:27pm  
Off-topic / chat  

argon
New Milton
6 of 57  Wed 16th Oct 2024 5:51pm  

James Buckingham tracer bullets Spon St during WW1 - BBC
Local History and Heritage - Coventry Firsts
Rob Orland
Historic Coventry
Thread starter
7 of 57  Thu 17th Oct 2024 10:03am  

Wow, that's a super one, Argon! I had no idea about that Coventry invention. So, our Spon Street chap gave our airmen a means of bringing down those Zeppelins. Double thumbs up
Local History and Heritage - Coventry Firsts
belushi
coventry
8 of 57  Thu 17th Oct 2024 11:54am  

And one of those Zeppelins was shot down over Hartlepool after bombing the football stadium. Its captain was Marlene Dietrich's uncle. Don't think Marlene ever performed in Coventry, though.
Local History and Heritage - Coventry Firsts
Rob Orland
Historic Coventry
Thread starter
9 of 57  Fri 18th Oct 2024 10:11am  

Our Steve just reminded me about a small Coventry "first" in our own family, and this coincides with the super photo that Neil just posted showing the William Morris Building. In 1939 my Granddad Orland, working at that factory with a reserved occupation, led the first team in this country to assemble the Swedish designed Bofors anti-aircraft gun, in readiness for the inevitable war ahead. They were 40mm guns, and this is shown in the following extract from the 1939 census of my grandparents....
Local History and Heritage - Coventry Firsts
argon
New Milton
10 of 57  Sun 20th Oct 2024 4:35pm  

Frank Whittle The jet engine
Local History and Heritage - Coventry Firsts
argon
New Milton
11 of 57  Sun 20th Oct 2024 8:22pm  

Just found this on Coventry Live Coventry Firsts
Local History and Heritage - Coventry Firsts
Rob Orland
Historic Coventry
Thread starter
12 of 57  Mon 21st Oct 2024 9:55am  

Excellent, I've not seen that page before. I didn't know about the tank and the car indicators, either.
Local History and Heritage - Coventry Firsts
Mick Strong
Coventry
13 of 57  Mon 21st Oct 2024 10:04am  

Were we not the first city to have a Cathedral with its own recording studio?
Mick Strong

Local History and Heritage - Coventry Firsts
Rob Orland
Historic Coventry
Thread starter
14 of 57  Mon 21st Oct 2024 10:36am  

You could be right, that needs looking into!
Local History and Heritage - Coventry Firsts
Mick Strong
Coventry
15 of 57  Mon 21st Oct 2024 12:41pm  

Or, sounding out !!!!!
Mick Strong

Local History and Heritage - Coventry Firsts

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