Coventry Pubs

I'm hearing rumours The Golden Cross has closed down.

The Golden Cross was my regular haunt from 1972 to 1979. It was amazing in that the clientele varied so much between lunchtimes and evenings. Lawyers at lunchtime and hippies at night! Many, many happy memories of the place, with a great bunch of regulars and a good landlord. It was always amusing when the plain clothed police came in (resplendent in wigs!) asking if anyone had drugs to sell!! As you may have guessed, I frequented The Golden Cross in the evenings!

Yes I remember the Baggy Oak as we called it, we used to go there on our scooters.

Like Beesman I used the Golden Cross in the 70s with its slightly schizophrenic nature. I also used to use the Lanch quite a bit as well, especially when live bands were on. My favourite place though was the Dive, which would probably be a Health and Safety risk nowadays with its only entrance down a flight of stairs, but the music there was definitely the best.

Well as most will know the Craven Arms in Chapelfields is now boarded up, it's something I never thought I'd see as I've used it since 1985, it was a part of our community in this area and now is just gone. I no longer drink since 6 years ago but still used the pub and pubs around this area as places to meet up and have a chin-wag with good friends, they were community centres of sorts. The Craven Arms customers got together and had a collection for me when I was in hospital for 2 months and re-decorated my house and laid new carpet, this is not the first time the customers have done this for a local, it was a friendly, helpful pub and is now a big loss to us locals whether we drink beer or not.

I'm back in Earlsdon now Cat and used The Craven on occasions in the 80's/early 90's. The whole Spon End / Earlsdon pub run was a cracking night out. I am just hoping The Black Horse survives, another recently boarded. Please Cov Council, don't get any big ideas.

The council must be hoping the Black Horse catches fire or just falls down so they can extend the 2 lane into 1 lane bottle neck along towards the arches a few more yards.

Yes mate they've been wanting to bulldoze that for years. I feel a bit guilty I've not supported the place a bit more. I had not been there for years which is probably the reason why its closed. The new owner wanted to knock over and had "offered the council chances of archeological digs" - my *&%?

A bit late and probably not the information that you wanted but in approx 1973 John and Norah ran the pub having previously run the Jaguar pub in Corporation Street, I worked behind the bar for them for a very short period.

I have had to upload this map in 2 halves. It is titled Drink plan of Coventry 1884. It would make an interesting pub crawl!

What a brilliant find Annewiggy Thanks for sharing it. I reckon the chap in the photo has been in every one of them!

That's a fascinating map and what a find. Every home should have one !!!!!

That's no 'chap' - that's Father Jack Hackett

Where were Times Square and Studio 21? Been trying to recall all the pubs/nightclubs from when we used to be out in the late 80s with some friends recently and remembered the names of these two but couldn't remember where they were.

This may interest you