Watch and Clock Industry in Coventry

Thanks Dutchman, we'll do our best! Really appreciate you spending the time giving us the history. We're currently going through the process of becoming a limited company and will therefore need a limited company name, we'd really like to incorporate some of the builders history into our name. K - not sure if you're still receiving posts from this forum but I'd be interested to know what your original interest was in 49 Allesley Old Road? Maybe you know some of the history. Really interesting looking into the buildings history! James

This thread has covered a lot of ground, and some of it referred to the premises at the corner of Duke Street and Allesley Old Road. I had previously highlighted the derelict state of the watchmakers building to the rear in some 2009 photos - this has since been demolished. I was made aware a couple of weeks ago that renovation work was underway to the remainder of the building, with scaffolding around it and a new roof in place

I'm pleased to report Henry Ison's funeral business was still open when I passed it yesterday. There was however very little progress to be seen in the restoration of 31 and 33 Allesley Old Road.

I walked past there this morning and there was a builder fitting window frames next to the old Barbers shop,it looks like there going to make it water tight at least which is good news.

I have just took these photo's (on the way to the chippy) They look like sash windows but must be modern equivalents,they have been fitting them today.

Thanks for the update Catshed The builders must have gone home before I passed there the other day. Replacement windows in the conservation area are supposed to adhere to very strict standards but the council is very liberal in its interpretation of these. I notice also Stanton's barber's sign has now gone. Incidentally you can tell from the number of wheelie bins and doorbells just how many of these one time single family homes are now in multiple occupation.

Yes, they house quite a few flats, there is one a bit further up near Lord St that houses runaways, nuisance kids .... I dont know the correct 'PC' term but that is packed and is a wheelie bin heaven outside, the things ruin what character is left of our streets but that's for another topic maybe.

Yes it looks like they've replaced the brickwork around the window and are awaiting a lintel (if thats the correct name) for the top of the window, hopefully it will start to look smart after the years of neglect, just wish they would start on the old garage at the bottom of my street (Mount St), even though it's all boarded up it's an eyesore. Hopefully these will blend in like the flats do at the top of Broomfield Rd/Earlsdon Ave North with nice stone work.

They must have heard me moaning about the old garage site at the bottom of Lord/Mount street as they started to level the ground on Monday.

Here's a few recent images now those horrible boards have come down,it's nice to see some life back in the old buildings You can see where Stantons the barbers window was in this photo. Some work still to do on one of the windows. Rear of the building,looks like the breeze block wall will be removed when the rear is added. Not Errington's but in the next street, Lord Street they have finally finished the old Sunday School and it has people resident.

Thanks Catshed But without the workshop extensions can it still be considered a "Watchmaker's House"? To me it will always be the Lexor factory because that is how I remember it. In all the years I lived in Craven Street I never even noticed the old Sunday School (at that time used by Chapelfields Engineering). It wasn't till I went back to visit a few years ago I realised what a remarkably decorative building it was. It's worth mentioning that the former owner was actively involved in the preservation of what little is left of Old Chapelfields.

I think his name is Colin Walker and used to own or run the small engineering works that was there. It certainly makes the area feel more alive seeing work in progress rather than boarded up buildings, all we need now is for them to start work on the Antelope Garage site. It's a nice area and still has a sense of community about it, I moved here from Daventry in 1985 and fell in love with the area not just because of all the pubs but after noticing the architecture and finding out about its history.

Hello Catshed. My father gave me a gold Smith's Astral some years ago, does the word Astral have any connection with the one mentioned here?

NormK, go right back to page one on this subject as that is was what brought about this post I believe

Thanks for that Catshed, I did not know that watch had local history in it, if I had known I would have hung on to it, I sold it in the end for scrap value about 20 years ago, cheers.