Butts Stadium and Godiva Harriers

Hi Colin My friend Dean Nelson passed this one on - could've gone in a Carnival thread but thought you might be interested. 70's possibly? Dean has already shown Dave Moorcroft so you may have already seen it yourself but interesting nonetheless.

Interesting! I wonder what the theme of the procession was that year - if there was a theme? That might help determine the year. Obviously a castle on the back of the lorry but I cannot make out any characters. Is it possible to sharpen the two adults to try to identify them? Or the two sat on the back of the lorry, one in a club vest perhaps? Can you tell what company the lorry belongs to? I have a few carnival shots from the 1920's when taking part was part of the Godiva social life. I have some from about 20 years ago when we started the parade outside the cathedral - will look them out. For many years the Council had a sports track marked out for races on the field to the left of the Earlsdon Avenue gate. I wonder if the two girls (ginger) who are walking could be sisters? I think (will check this too) the sports competition began in the evening after the procession had entered the Memorial Park and dispersed. My wife probably ran so she doesn't get any house keeping money this week until she remembers!

A good chance could be 1972, the theme was Fairy Tales and the newspaper has an article about a little girl wearing a costume as a serving girl to Old King Cole on the Godiva Harriers Float that her mother had worn as carnival queen 12 years before. 1970's theme was "Fiesta".

Colin. PM me your email and I will send you the full-size photo. Cheers

Spot on Anne... go to the top of the class and give the pens out! The lorry was loaned by Chrysler, the workers constructing the scenery. Godiva had an important young athletes match that day but we still managed to have 50 helpers on the day. Reg Payne who supervised and coached the youngsters was the 'boss' in charge, his wife, Sheila, supplying squash to the 40 tin collectors - both standing at the back of the castle. Don Faulconbridge was Old King Cole, and Don being Don, kept the kids supplied with sweets and apples all afternoon. His costume was supplied by the local vicar and Coventry Theatre their beard glue causing Don a more than a little pain on removal! I do have a list of the participants on the float if that would be of interest.

Hi Colin - Steve Arnold on FB (whom I believe you already know?) has shared this recently and allowed me to post here -

Thanks for that, NeilsYard. Because most club records / minutes are missing, any references are most useful. Fixture cards have the advantage of obviously, fixtures (!) but they usually list 'patrons', vice presidents (often people who have chipped in a few bob for the club coffers [Godiva seemed to be pernanently struggling for funds, especially when the city was having periods of unemployment - the cycle manufacturers for example], often publicans from whose pub a race has been held, and club officials. When a new name crops up, it is interesting to do a search to learn more about the individual. This is very useful when supplying people who making enquiries about ancestors, eg. the Hairdressers harriers!!!!). It is most rewarding when a whole sackful of new information can be supplied to the person searching. The same can be said of information gleaned from sports programmes, the advertisers are often old members... this is particularly true of publicans!! However it is galling to see club items for sale on eBay, particularly when the information is patently incorrect.

Looking for any individual photos of Godiva Harriers pre WW1. If any exist. My grandfather Ernest Brown was a Harrier before he joined the army in October 1914. We have no photos of him nor any information on what his event was or what he won. We have been shown a group photo but do not know where in group he was as we don't know what he looked like. He was KIA April 1917.

There's a possible Harriers postcard on eBay, but no date or names. Sorry.

Yes, Helen, it is the Harriers. My dad is in it. I would guess 1927-30. With the mixture of kit I wonder if it is after an open event. No doubt Harrier can enlighten us.

Awww, glad to match an image to someone There are a few more if you search Coventry and harriers, although I'm not sure if they're the same era.

This kind of history really brings it home, he 'survived' for two and a half years before fate took a hand and he never came back. What a shame, what a waste. Will people be writing similar messages on this, or a similar forum in 100+ years about Afghanistan??

This photograph is quite interesting, not least of which is that it was not in the photograph album belonging to George Gould [there are still 5 photos on eBay which were!!]. There are many interesting characters in the shot - 4th standing is Smalley, son an original trustee; next to him, on his left is the Harriers' secretary later to become the club secretary. Smalley is wearing his Leamington club vest. He joined about 1921, so of no use to the lady who made the enquiry. 12th from the right standing is George Gould about whom the forum has discussed some time ago, with a picture I sent of him running around the Butts track! To George's left but seated in the white polo, is a former pre WW1 club secretary, who won a medal for bravery in the Somme battle. He later became secretary of the Coventry Birchfield Harriers and then for a very short time, secretary of the Coventry Harriers, a post he had to relinquish because of his sexual orientation which of course was illegal in those days. To his right but standing is the son and nephew of two of the original Godiva Harriers' founders in 1879. The front row are mostly sprinters including our best sprinter who is buried in front of the entrance to St Thomas's church in Tamworth Road, a rather different gravestone. The photo is probably before 1925 because of the old Godiva vests some are wearing. It was also a traditional pre-season group photo which are so useful to someone like me!!!

Harrier, Were there other clubs in Coventry beside the Harriers? I seem to recall different districts may have had their own clubs. We lived on the edge of Coventry but every month in the summer races took part, my father had dozens of trophies, medals, etc, but I never knew his club. I think he may have stopped running about 1935 time.

Yes, Kaga, there were lots of clubs over the years. There were many reasons for their foundation, often it was a bust up within Godiva, at other times it was a power thing or a matter of self interest or both! So as not to bore other Historic Forum members... Briefly, the main clubs were Coventry Harriers - three different versions over the years!! There was Humber Harriers (bust up), Coventry Birchfield Harriers (self interest), not to be confused with Birchfield Harriers (Birmingham), Red House Harriers, Demon Harriers, then nearby, Nelson Harriers, Arley Harriers, both of interest because they were sponsored at a time when it was not allowed, and a host of Coventry clubs which were not affiliated to the official body... Harriers, Melbourne Harriers, Coventry Athletic Club, Coventry BTH, plus 7 others! More recently, a stack of factory clubs (Alvis, Peugeot, Jaguar etc) which morphed into Harrier clubs, especially when the jogging boom started in the late 1960s/70s... Massey Ferguson Runners, Sphinx, Northbrook, Saracens, then there were the walking clubs besides Godiva - Coventry Walking Club, Greyfriars WC... and that was brief!!!!!