Gosford Green

I've just logged back in after a while away, to see a post asking for information ages ago, on Atkins Square. I can give you lots as I was brought up at no.10 and then over at no.5. My grandparents (Hughes) lived at no.3, the Williams family at no.1 (David Williams - son) and Phyllis Gould lived up at the top on the left at no.9. Mum always used to recount the winter of 46/47 when the snow drifts were up to the bedroom windows for weeks and Dad had to dig his way out. I was 6 weeks old .. how worrying for new parents that must have been. At no.10 we had no electricity, just gas lamps ('don't touch that gas mantle or else ...'), no inside toilets, just a block 'out the back'. How posh we became when we moved to no.5. My Father, Harry, built me my own bedroom up in the 'topshop' - I can see it now. The landlord for the houses was a Mr Chinn from Lower Ford St. My brother Bob and I went to All Saints School, where the headmaster was Piggy Weale. I can recall almost all of the shops mentioned (Cooke's the butchers, Eric at the electrical shop, Chastons cake shop, Hobdays pet shop, the White Lion, the army surplus shop and I can remember Mr Buckley at the chemist at the top of Far Gosford St, near to the existing bank. I'm happy to hear of other memories and will try to pull more out of my own memory bank if anyone wants them.

Hi MERLINMOG, I have a relative who's mum lived in Atkins square. His mums maiden name is Bayliss. She was born in 1908 and her mum and dad were Julia and William. They were born in the early 1870's. Can you recount any other memories of the square? Thank you.

Hallo there! do you know his Mum's married name? Might ring a bell for me .... The houses on the right hand side of the Square were missing after about no.12/13 - probably bomb damage? My other relatives names in the Square were my grandparents Tom and Harriet Hughes, my uncle, Sid, my uncle Tom, my Dad Harry Howe and my Mum Marjorie, formerly Hughes - a family location as you can see! At the top of the Square was a very high red brick wall, a divider to what at that time were allotments, probably only there after bombing. My grandfather taught me to knit in his allotment over that wall. The entrance to Atkins Square was through some chest height metal railings, and the yard was blue brick. Our home at no.10 on the right hand side, had no back door and just a small living room and a scullery, while upstairs my brother and I had to share a small bedroom - hence the move across to the posh side at no.5. I never did manage to establish why everyone called the Square 'Atkins Wack' - lost in the mists of time unfortunately. Both my brother and I are still fairly local - he in a village nearby and I'm back in Coventry after 40 + years in Kenilworth.

Hi, re: married name, yes she married one 'Harold Owen' and they lived in Stratford Street. Also I wasn't sure where it was, I knew where Riddies was, that was my era, but my relative told me that there was such a place as Atkins Square, so . .

Hi Heathite, Believe it or not, we may be related through my mother's side, My grandmother was also a Bayliss, Eleanor Jane, and lived in Atkins Square, and my aunt Iris married a guy called David (Dai) Owen. Some coincidence.

My paternal grandmother, Lizzie Atkins (1882-1953) was born in Gosford Street in a court next to the Post Office above Luckman's on the RH side going towards town. Her parents, John (Watch finisher) and Lizzie (born Cleaver) lived at 14 Herbert's Row, near Shut Lane, Bramble St, Vecqueray St area. Could not have been far from where the old Gosford Gate of the City once stood with St George's Chapel attached. How I would love to have seen that in real life. Coventry had so many wonderful buildings up until the 1930s. Not only the Second World War swept them away.

Yes I remember the fountain filled with flowers because in my childhood it never worked as a fountain, of course it was war-time but not even after the war was there any water so far as I remember. My family also used the short cut by the fountain to change from the number 9 Copsewood bus from Binley Road to Walsgrave Road for the 11 Inner Circle to take us to Holyhead Road to visit my maternal grandparents who lived in Coundon.

Since I've started doing a little family history I've heard you are never more than 6 people away from a relative when out and about.

There was the Victorian fountain mentioned elsewhere but here is the corner site:

Rights to the owner. Includes Riddys/Sweeney Todd's and The White Lion -

Merlinmog, You mentioned Mrs Gould at top of Atkins Sq - that was my grandma - and Phyllis who was my aunt, she had two brothers, Ron and Walter. Walter was my dad and my grandfather was Albert - does anyone remember my grandad 'n father????

Another showing more of Paynes Lane

per Sue Naylor

I'm not certain but I think the car has just left East St, and the building on the right was, according to my father, something to do with the Singer Car Co. Just out of the picture on the right is Lansdowne St where he grew up. The tram is heading towards the top of Far Gosford St.

Prof. Was that Capstan Cigarettes on the house wall?