Coventry's Markets

I remember parking on the Market Car Park in the early 60's on a Friday and Saturday night's when going to the Locarno. When getting back to my car I had a Helfos spot light fixed to my windscreen so I would light up the clock on the tower to see what the time was.

Am I imagining it or were you able to get into the ten pin bowling from a door off this carpark?

You're not imagining it, Mick - there certainly was an entrance into the Top Rank from the carpark. The door was adjacent to the clock tower.

I attended a motorcycle training course on Sunday mornings in the Market Car Park run by the Coventry Road Safety Officer in conjunction with the RAC-ACU organization. We trained on hill starts on the ramp from the circular section up to the next level; upper right of the circular section. I still have my badge and certificate awarded on 2nd March 1969. We were warned that if we pulled a wheelie we would end up on the ground. My first hill start, on a Suzuki 80cc, was a wheelie when the clutch bit at the same time the throttle came in. Miraculously I stayed on the bike and made the top of the ramp on the back wheel before the front wheel came back down. After that I always tried to obtain the Triumph Tiger Cub, a much more controllable motorbike!

We don't actually have a dedicated Market Place thread and this view is well known however this shot captures some of the buildings to the right on the North side of Market Place -

.......and this one is new to me - Not sure where it was taken from - possibly a Laxon's Ad? - and there seems to be a bit of poetic license in the view from Broadgate but an interesting take on the Hall and Tower -

What is the name of the person who does those amazing films of changing Coventry? He did a wonderful one about the emerging market.

That'll be Peter James Knight Linda

Thank you, NeilsYard, his creations are wonderful.

Can anyone tell me when Smithfield cattle market ceased to trade?

Hi, I haven't come up with a firm answer yet. They were talking about closing the cattle market in 1914 because the lease for the land was to run out 25^th March 1915 but it was still being used as a general market till the beginning of April 1933. I shall look further.

I haven't found any references to cattle being sold at the Smithfield Market after September 1914 and I could be wrong but sales seemed to have moved to the Butts by October that year, although it might just be a separate company.

Looking through the newspaper archives Helen I would agree with your dates. In 1917 the cattle fair was being held by Coventry Public Cattle sales in the Butts. Smithfield still seems to be used, in 1917 the Pot and Hardware fair was to be held on the Smithfield. Would this be the fair that was moved to Hearsall Common that we called the crock fair ?