Coventry Pubs

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.

I went to the Golden Cross last night for the first time in well over a decade. Nicely done out inside, friendly staff and a good atmosphere. Food looked good as well. Will probably be going back.

Dreamtime, I have a lot of memories from those far off days. The nearest street to you over the bridge was Nuffield Road. Well, when my brother was called up, his girlfriend who I disliked visited us most Sundays, but mother thought it was most wrong for a young girl to walk through the streets alone, so I had to escort her home to the Wyken end of Nuffield Road. It was always dark or near dark when we got there, so with the blackout it was pitch dark, and I'm alongside the Morris factory with the sirens likely to start. To me the Navigation pub on the Bulkington Road at Bedworth had the same position, layout, and decor as the one your father had. And, back a few years from there, had the same customers, the boat people, a great many settled down in that area.