Coventry Pubs

It would have been about mid-1972 when the Four P's collapsed. They had had a somewhat riotous party on one Saturday night, going on to just after midnight, with dancing and high jinks. All went home. Then, at roughly 4 a.m. next morning, it all collapsed in a heap. It was quite quickly rebuilt, but in a somewhat different style - without the tall windows upstairs. The workshop behind No 4 was a bit iffy. There were tie bars through the roof structure, going right through No2's workshop roof, too, with large nuts each end and fishplates. If they hadn't been there, it would have collapsed many years ago, the windows were leaning out at quite an angle. There was a dental mechanic underneath No 4 workshop. His efforts blocked the drains regularly, and we tried all sorts of things to find out why. When dye was poured in, it came up in some very strange places!!! And not only that, but didn't appear where it was expected to! Our boss, who was a bit of a wag and practical joker, had a habit of locking himself out of his office, the front bedroom. Left his keys at home one Saturday morning, and rather than go back (to Cubbington) put his shoulder against his door. The whole door frame came out of the wall - the bricks were REALLY soft. In my office, there was a bookcase over my desk. I tried to pull a book out one day, same thing happened - it came off the wall, and landed on my desk, all 2 cwt or so of it! The bricks were utter rubbish,and the wallplugs wouldn't hold. those places really were jerrybuilt! I could tell you more, but privately.

I was surprised to read that the Pilot has been closed down. That was my father's favourite watering hole when he worked at the Unbrako. Walked a few miles up Burnaby Road when we lived in Beake Ave. The Craftsman was built in ? On the way home from work my husband asked me out on our first date, he used to bike up Burnaby Road each day from the Dunlop, and I used to walk home from Herberts. Ah, memories - did not notice how long the road was in those days. He lived in Dickens Road.

Another old pub with the shutters up is the Elephant and Castle, Aldermans Green. Looks like another piece of Coventry history is about to bite the dust!!!

The Pilot used to be my mum and dad's drinking place too pre war, during the war and after, perhaps your dad knew my dad then and Mr Prewitt, also George Coward who use to be a roofer, said he would sooner climb on top of a roof than drive a car Since the smoking ban most of the pubs have closed, but as for the Craftsman which I used to live right by there and still live not far from it, that is still open.

Yes Greg you're right it has it shutters up and was to let, lovely pub too, right on the canal and agree all communities are being destroyed purposely think !!!! pubs are a gathering place where people stick together and pass information on, as it's proven that the non smokers who are said to complain about smoking do not inhabit these public houses to keep them open as their friends the smokers no longer go, so not only history is going out the window so are our community gatherings. If you listened to talk sport before the banning of smoking a top chap said they won't stop at smoking nor drinking so be warned.

Oh no! The Pilot was a landmark for all of my childhood! Almost every day I got off the number 2 bus at the terminus right outside. I lived in Burnaby Rd from when I was 2 until I was 19! I think I only went in twice in all that time! My dad worked at the Unbrako as a gateman from 1967-1978 when he retired! Our wedding reception was at the Craftsman in 1971! A real walk down Memory Lane!

Our wedding reception was at the Craftsman too. Sept, 1968.

Is the Phoenix still in existence? It was our local when we lived in Tile Hill. My wife and I went there for a drink one evening in the 70s, and were on our own in part of the lounge. Then a couple of men turned up, sat down, and started drinking. Shiny black shoes - very shiny. Kipper ties, sharp suits. Looked just like "The Sweeney!! I said to my wife "I reckon they are Police." Then more appeared, then even more. And we were surrounded. And part of the conversation from one who must have been the boss was cracking jokes about Inspector Clouseau. We finally discovered that they were one of the shifts of Traffic off the bypass! We felt quite uncomfortable and left. Nothing like a bunch of coppers on a night out to kill a pub's trade!!!

Yes, thank you for the picture Midland Red. What a waste of a lovely old building. I know I have mentioned it before about the Navigation Inn along the Stoney Stanton Road, looking at what is in it's place now I daresay Phipps's brewery must have scored a few thousand for that place. It was lovely upstairs when my parents managed it and it was packed most of the time, especially on Saturday nights in the big room. ie. bands etc. Anyway, I think it saw the best times it could with the atmosphere and locals. It will always be remembered by us because my daughter was born upstairs. Now what about the Newlands in Tile Hill, please don't tell me that's gone too. We used to shelter down in the cellar during the blitz, not that I remember that much as I was a new born baby then.

The Bell, the Fleece, the Whitmore, Fiesta, Saracens Head, the Hit and Miss, the White Horse, even that beautiful black and white building knocked down opposite the car museum, what an eyesore now, forgot the name of that pub. All gone, you had better tell the London radio station it's wrong about why pubs are closing, as you say housing, offices, offices that lie empty like in the town, what a waste and they claim they care about the carbon footprint I don't think so, well more like Coventry is now a Concrete Jungle which I for a long time no longer desire to live in, even our villages are extensively been built upon so how on earth can they call them a village and still trying on more, what they sew is what they'll reap just hope I'm not here then. I also question why aren't these quaint little villages and towns where most MPs reside along with the well to do being built upon and taking their fair share of the overcrowding we have now here. Perhaps then my children who were born and bred and work here can get social housing

Trying to remember where the Newlands was/is. Was that the one just beyond the shops, on the other side, in Tile Hill Lane? (i.e. near the Standard cinema) Another pub that must have gone is the Railway in Warwick Road. For a while a break-away tape recording club met there in the early 60s, in an upstairs room. A good old fashioned pub.

It was extended and renamed "The Rocket" in 1964 and still going albeit as an African Theme Bar: LINK

Oh well, at least it's still there! What about the Phoenix (Broad Lane/Fletchamstead Highway)? I think it became the New Phoenix (Odd, I thought a Phoenix was "new"..) And the Wyken Pippin? We had our wedding reception there in '73. The Old Ball, Ball Hill? The Fletchamstead? That, I think was renamed The Fletch last time I saw it.. What was the one in Craven Street? Craven Arms? And how about the Maudslay Hotel?

The Craven Arms and Maudslay are still going, I walk past them quite often. The Malt Shovel is no longer a pub but the building survives intact. By the way I was familiar with the clubroom above the Railway/Rocket. It's almost as big as some pubs of the period but wasn't much needed after the extension was built onto the back of the pub.

Wyken Pippin was still there last time I went past it, also the Maudslay is still going.