Working Men's, Sports and Social clubs

The R.A.O.B. Club fits Kaga's description in that it is on the opposite side of Foleshill Rd from the Gas Club, and when walking from Elmsdale Avenue it is towards the old gasworks gate. The only other club near there that I know of was the Foleshill Social Club which was on the same side as the Gas Club. All three of these clubs were operating when I knew the area reasonably well in the 1970's.

Hi Not Local. I can assure you that the R.A.O.B. club (The Buffs) was not near the old Gas Works gate. I was born and raised in Parkstone Road, and can assure you that the Foleshill Social club which later became "The Buffs" was just over the Foleshill Road from Parkstone Road. The Foleshill Social Club, on the same side of the Foleshill Road as Parkstone Road, was built when the old club was changed to "The Buffs", this was in the 1960s. The old Gas Club by the New Inn Bridge, was, I believe, burned down and the old offices of the gas works became the Gas Club further down the Foleshill Road on the opposite side of Arbury Avenue, not Elmsdale Avenue. By the way the "new" Foleshill Social Club, built in the 1960s, has now been demolished. It was built on the grounds of a large house and orchard owned by Mr and Mrs Lee. I can remember the apple trees in the old Foleshill Social Club's grounds where we used to play as kids and go scrumping. One day a committee member came out of the club house and caught me still up the apple tree!!!!

Hi johnwright. I was trying to match Kaga's description of the club to the locations which I knew in the 1970's and those which are still there today. I did not know that the Gas Club moved from one location to another after a fire. My guess is that the club Kaga was talking about must have been the old Gas Club which if it was by the New Inn bridge was also close to the gasworks gate. It is all a bit like my old mate giving a bloke directions from Bedworth to somewhere in Longford - he told the chap to go down by the iron bridge but then said it is not an iron bridge any more. He knew where he was talking about, but the newcomer to the city did not have a clue. I think the site of the 'new' Foleshill Social Club is now a timber company. There are not any apple trees any more, of that I am certain, and no committee men lurking to catch schoolboys doing what schoolboys always did. Modern kids are too busy with their electronic games to go scrumping!

That's a sad story about the decline of a club that I loved. I took the place for granted and thought it would be there forever, sadly nothing stays the same. I think we all hanker over the "good old days" but maybe the present days are the good days and we should appreciate them as such. I remember your mum and dad and many more from the club, lots of interesting characters, great Xmas parties that I remember as a child. Canley has lost a great community centre.

Hi Not Local again. You are correct, the original Gas Club was on the other side of the Foleshill Road, opposite the Gas Works gates. It was a wooden construction, and to make it stand level one end was on stilts - as kids we would play underneath, very often found old snooker cues there. Next to the Gas Club was Duns Aluminium Foundry, then a row of shops, the first being a wine shop owned by Mrs Aubrey, the wife of Mr Aubrey who was a barber and had his barbers shop further up the Foleshill Road opposite Elmsdale Avenue. You mention Kaga, his wife lived in Elmsdale Avenue. Yes, I think that you are correct, the old/new site of the Foleshill Social Club is now a timber yard - I say old/new site because it was new to us in the 1960s but now of course it is the old site. I left Coventry for North Devon in 1972 so my knowledge of present day Coventry comes from sites like this and Coventry Facebook sites, and of course Google Maps but I still have fond memories of my life in Foleshill, Coventry.

jonhwright, Non Local, The Foleshill Social Club, 1956, held ballroom dancing lessons - my wife attended. My wife left Windmill, Easter 1958. At that time my parents lived at Canal House, side of New Inn Bridge. Starkey's newspaper shop was on the corner of Elmsdale. Have no idea about the 1970's.

Hi Kaga. I never went to the ballroom dancing lessons at the Foleshill Social Club, but as aforementioned did go to their Monday disco. I take it that your wife, Janet, left Windmill Road School in 1958. I left there a year later. Yes, Starkey's newspaper shop was on the corner of Elmsdale Avenue, on the opposite corner was an ironmonger's - I think that his name was Izzard, but could be wrong. I remember the canal house where your parents lived just over the New Inn bridge. I think that I have mentioned to you before that in their garden was a tunnel that went part way under the Longford Road. We of course were trespassing when we entered it!!!!! I remember falling into the canal from the towpath just outside your parents' garden gate, fortunately my cousin was there to pull me out.

I remember Alan Mara used to ride a Triumph bike, and Johnny Carey whose biggest problem in a fight was his hair flopping over his face instead of getting it cut

"Work starts to turn social club into temple" - article

Thanks for that MR. It was sad when the club closed. My parents were regular visitors. Dad used to call the bingo on Mondays and mum sold the tickets. Dad always used to make us laugh as well into his 80's he used to say he was raising money for the "old folks'" outing. Mum still used to manage to go when she was in Weavers Care Home as the carers used to push them down in their wheelchairs on Mondays. I am glad she did not see its demise. We had both Mum and Dad's wake there. It would have been nice if it could have continued as a club but it was obviously not viable so at least it will not be left to become a sad derelict building.

Hello all, here posting about WMC, Sports and Social Clubs. I read your posts with interest. I'm writing a book about Cov's clubs, of which there were so many. Our local club was the Canley Social but we also used The Railway and Lime Tree as a family. If you would like your memories to be included in my book, please do let me know. The more memories the better! Look forward to hearing. All the best for a very happy Christmas and New Year. Ruth

Went past the RAOB Club (Buffs) (formerly Foleshill Social Club) today. A very sad sight. I worked behind the bar there and it formed a large slice of my youth. Post copied from topic Upper Foleshill (New Inn Bridge to The Parting of the Heaths) on 13th Mar 2020 9:43 pm

Hi Forum Members Hope you're all keeping well during this health crisis. Once again, I'm after some memories and stories of local Coventry life, this time about working men's and social clubs. There were over 60 clubs back in their postwar heyday, from the oldest, Cox St club (Cov WMC) to the newest, Cheylesmore and many in between, in the city centre and all the estates. This book wants to do justice to all that clubs offered and did for their members and local communities in general. Some of you have posted some memories of clubs already and wondered if you could consider letting me use these - you could drop me a line if so. Also any pics or posters, from children's parties, day trips, club entertainers, bingo, games and sports. Really look forward to hearing from you! Ruth

A bit belated Annie but Cox Street club was in fact the Coventry WMC, which was originally set up by a group of local weavers in 1860, in premises above a shop. It later moved to New Street and then to bigger, better premises in Cox St in 1903. People then just referred to it as the Cox Street club! It moved one final time to Whitefriars St then closed down suddenly in Aug. 2008.

Curiously on different Coventry streets, the pubs/clubs were sometimes the oldest buildings and sometimes the newest - possibly affected by success? You see pubs move as their premises are demolished and rebuilt and then they moved back. Any idea where the club was in 1860? One of the changes that happened after 1850 was the creation of Cope Street, demolishing one large building in the process. A building was demolished to create the entrance to Freeth Street after 1919. Some time after 1889 and before 1906 the south east end of Cox Street was pushed back to widen the road. There were changes to the south west end to Cox Street too but not as radical as the other side where at least 10 buildings were demolished.