Coventry Scrapyards

I remember the breakers yard at Baginton, also remember Mr Barnes, a well spoken gentleman if I remember correctly, we enjoyed fixing up our old bangers in the 1970s. It was great fun at the yard as the cars were stacked 4 or 5 high (no health and safety) and you could bet that the part we needed was on a precariously perched car on the top of a pile, I also remember there were sometimes aircraft scrapped there, we were always seeing wing/fuselage sections there. I had a Mk 2 Cortina then and my mate had an Anglia, always going wrong but they were happy days.

Hi it was really lovely to find these posts mentioning my dad Adolph, I remember Freddie Barnes very well and living in Leigh Street at number 9, Dad was in his eighties when he died and is buried (with his chess set) at Canley Crem. If you want to visit his grave its on the right directly down the main drive from the chapel, a large brown stone with ADDIE written on it 2nd in from the road very easy. Found him a pain in later life but miss him much more than I can say. If you'd like to get in touch please do Best wishes Aleksandra

As for the Baginton scrap yard, I was once told there was an aluminum melting furnace and they made ingots, I was also told it created A health problem for whoever worked it, Does any one else know about this ?

Where about's in Baginton was this yard ? I can't remember it, Is it the yard now used by " In Transit " Transport ?

Hi Tim the scrap yard at Baginton was just past the Baginton oak pub a left turning took you down the side of the airport and Freddie Barnes yard was on the right over looking the air field as it was in those days I spent many a happy hour there crawling over cars looking for bits in the 70s

Any one remember Mosley metals on the old chain factory at Spon end, Run by the Mosley family and the two sons Ray and Martin, Eventually taken over by the daughter Derral Mcmanus, Only took in non ferrous, the best payer at the time,

Anyone remember Terry Killbane? I always thought he started in the canal basin area, and moved up to Coronel Avenue along with a few of the others. I only met him once when he visited George Hillditch's yard in the late 70's. I seem to remember he was selling working clothes, boiler suits, etc. By the time I went to work for G.W. Hillditch, March 1977, Terry Killbane's yard had changed names and was known as Hales Reclamation, and took in anything metal. North Western Metals started in Lythalls Lane if I'm right, never a good payer, ie wages or metal purchase, bought out by Milver Metals and still going strong and since the demise of Mosley Metals in Spon End the best payer. G.W. Hillditch started in Albert Street, then moved up to Coronel Ave. Shepherds Metals started in Lewis Road then moved up to Bedworth Rd, Longford. Shepherds I was told did a few things in their early days, car breaking, scrap, coal, bulk haulage. Crabmill started in Crabmill Lane on the site of a bombed out house, sometime in the 1980's moved to Rowleys Green Lane.

I used to work on the petrol pumps at Priestleys Bridge Garage. Darkie Barnes, as he was known, was a regular customer.One day I foolishly suggested to him that much of the TV wrestling was obviously rigged with some holds being exaggerated in their effects. I was sitting on the bonnet of a car on the sales pitch at the time, and with my consent, he took my hand and applied a pressure point causing me to leap about 2 feet off the bonnet!. He was a really nice bloke.

Roach's scrap yard was in the Butts (nearly opposite the Tech College) until the 60's. It looked like a small orchard with old cars parked between the trees. Wish I'd have taken some pictures.

I saw something in there you wouldn't expect, a Rolls Royce radiator grille

Little piece, and a picture of 'Prince Banu' (Freddie Darkie Barnes) here.

Interesting read, Kimbo - thanks

Fred Barnes Fred was a real nice man, during my younger days I worked for Len Davies, I am sure not many people will remember his scrap yard just off Spon Street, it was situated just up from the Reliance Foundry in Crow Lane. Len knew Fred very well and on the odd occasion Len and I would visit Fred to collect the odd part from Fred's scrap yard at Baginton, one thing that always stuck in my mind was his well spoken manner, I also remember Len saying to me "don't ever mess with Fred, he is a wrestler and knows how to handle himself". The other scrap yard we used to visit was "Roaches", then situated in Albany Road opposite the Butts Technical College. Later they moved to Red Lane and operated for many years until they were taken over by Jim Potter, he already had a small scrap yard in Swan Lane on the corner of Walsgrave Road, not sure if he still has that yard now or he may have moved his HQ to Wolston, his son Jamie took over the business when he started his skip hire business I seem to remember his trucks were fitted with CB Radios. During this time CB came on the scene and I was very much involved at the time with repairing broken CB units, (not many CB repair shops in them days) a very good friend of mine along with Jim Potter (call sign "pig's Trotter") set up "Trucker's CB" the once booking in office in Red Lane was converted into a shop, selling CB radios and accessories, the repairs were sent to me, CW Radio. Later to become CW Radio and Electronics. I had to keep a low profile as I worked for the GPO and I am sure they would have taken a dim view of me repairing CB radios. I know I have digressed somewhat but I thought it may have been an interest to someone. Just out of interest I also remember Crabmill Autos and various scrap yards in Valley Road. Colin.

Colin, were you aware that Jim Potter died recently? - see our "Stock Car" thread

No MR I was not aware he had passed on, that is sad news makes me wish I had not done that post now. All I can say is "RIP Jim"