Coventry Pubs

The Hill Cross Tavern was closer to the two streets mentioned:

Does anyone know what is happening to the Diplomat, is it still staying open or what?

I believe it has been re-opened as 'The Roadhouse' and will feature live music according to the adverts and Facebook.. Acoustic sessions sometime in the week, a jam on Sundays and bands on Fridays and Saturday nights. As far as I know, it's a 'replacement' for The Shakespeare, Spon St which has changed hands. The Roadhouse I think has the manager/owner/tenant from there (he used to have The Longford Engine too). There aren't enough music venues in the city so this venture is welcome.

Hi all I did a bit of my own tourism today, calling in the Town Wall Tavern (the pub behind the Belgrade). I downed a pint of Bass, very well kept, but was too full-up to eat, but eating there is now on the cards marked urgent.

I'm glad to hear that the old Town Wall Tavern is as good as ever. We are planning to dine there next Wednesday before going to the Belgrade. I've looked at the online menu and it does look quite appetising. I used to be a regular at the TWT years ago. Their lunchtime pies were legendary. There was a different one every day, made in individual pots that were an entire meal in themselves. You had to be early to get a seat, lots of CET staff used to be in there as I recall. The Draught Bass was legendary even then. The landlord then was something of a 'character' and you never knew what mood he would be in. I've seen him throw someone out for asking him to make a shandy with Bass, an act of vandalism against his perfect beer in his eyes. I'm really looking forward to next Wednesday now, the pub and the gig!

Hi all This is what happens to a pub! Pub loses license This used to be a good business lunch pub, often full to the brim with dining customers.

I agree, Philip. I haven't been in there for a few years now, but I recall it as being one of the best venues for a fine pint of Bass in years gone by. The old landlord was a bit eccentric (as many gaffers were) and refused to have any coin operated machines in the pub. So no juke box and no fruit machines. Even 'something for the weekend' was in a sweet jar behind the bar, labelled something like 'Sporting Goods'. (Was his name Hayden??) Sad to see the loss of what used to be a good old-fashioned boozer. Edited to add: Just searched and found my old post from 2011. It was indeed Wally Hayden who ran it.

News update, Appeal in progress

There may have been a very good reason for that. As a tenant rather than a manager, Wally would have been liable for the full rate of income tax on any earnings from the machines. I know other landlords who refused to have them for that reason.

We used to use the Cottage for food when it first re-opened, as they did good food at lunch time. The last time we went was about 5 years ago and it was absolutely awful. Haven't been in since, even though we live in walking distance. There are so many other places in Earlsdon to choose from these days.

Same as us flap - I used to go there in the late 80's when Tony 'Nobby' Kennedy used to compere the open mike nights. As you say full of character and characters and those open-air gutter toilets! I was brought up in Earlsdon and live there again now and welcome the cafe-bar scene at the moment. It's a real sub-city culture - almost like a London Borough. But the cottage is too far - the place does not need a nightclub and its associated problems. Bring back The Cottage of old.

Whilst stopping to view and photograph the Massey Ferguson plaque on Bannerbrook Park, we noticed the new public house on the estate, called "The Penny Farthing" - wasn't there last time, and we both commented on what a strange choice of name, given the history of the site Just done a search on Google and found this in the "Coventry Telegraph" pages, which says it all "Your correspondent Mrs M Pollard (Letters, June 15) is right to query the choice of name for the new pub being built at Bannerbrook Park, on the former site of the Massey Ferguson factory. The name Penny Farthing may well recall Coventry's cycle-making heritage but, if Marston's Brewery had spoken to anyone locally before choosing the name, they would quickly have identified that this is not at all relevant to the site they occupy. There is an excellent and hard-working residents' association at Bannerbrook Park which would have been delighted to solicit local views on the subject, had they been asked. My own suggestion would have been The Little Grey Tractor, in honour of the much-loved Fergie which exported a little bit of Coventry around the world in the immediate post-war years. It is high time that developers listened to the community when naming their schemes, and like Mrs Pollard I feel that the brewery has missed an opportunity to work with local people, particularly in view of the opposition to their plans from many nearby residents. Instead they have chosen a name which seems to have been picked at random by a focus group at Marston's HQ in Wolverhampton. Councillor Steven Thomas, (Lab, Woodlands), Coventry City Council. Not sure if Marston responded

So sad to read talk of the impending demolition of the Rocket. I was landlord there from 1988 to early 1991 and have many fond memories of great times and great people. Contrary to a previous post suggesting the place was not up to scratch for "decades" it certainly wasn't like that back then and I felt lucky at the time to be there. Such an eclectic mix of people - wonderful wonderful regular locals, with such great generosity and humour - the way they looked out for and looked after "Albert" was legendary- office folk at lunchtime and "early doors" , Students , people popping by before or after a train journey, groups of tradesmen from around the UK staying in local B&B's whilst working on a contract and adopting the Rocket as their temporary local, and finally the footie fans on Saturdays arriving by train who were never a problem if you actually spoke to them ! So much variety and so many stories and rarely any problems My sons were young and also have great memories - being allowed downstairs on Christmas mornings to experience the fantastic community atmosphere - my youngest was actually born whilst we were there and there was much wetting of the babies head I had lost track over the years but did hear of its change in reputation, saddened by my old locals reasons for seeking elsewhere - that was their choice but it seems that choice will no longer be an option and that lovely photo from the 1890's just seems even more poignant. Bill