Famous Coventrians

Could I nominate Andy Rouse to be added to the Famous Coventrians thread. Andy won the British Saloon Car Championship on four occasions in 1975, 83, 84, 85 from 60 career wins. He ran Andy Rouse Engineering on Binley Industrial Estate which developed and prepared many winning cars for the BSCC series. Although born in Dymock, Gloucestershire, on 2/12/1947 he was always mentioned as being from Coventry in commentary when he was racing. Andy retired in 1994.

One of our "Famous Coventrians" Mick Ives still winning at 76

Coventry Kid Roye Albrighton from the brilliant prog rock band Nektar has died.

Sad to read of the passing of an old friend Penny Tyler, a champion wheelchair bowler Here is an article from 1999 about some of her achievements, and a tribute from WheelPower Condolences to Pete and the families

Cal Crutchlow on pole for tomorrow's British GP at Silverstone

Here are two people for consideration as famous Coventrians. Cyril CONNOLLY (1903-1974). He was a literary critic, author and co-founder of the literary magazine Horizon. He was a contemporary of George Orwell and Cecil Beaton. Thomas HOLLIER (1609-1690) baptised at Holy Trinity 20th Sept 1609. He trained to become a surgeon in London and is most famous for performing a lithotomy (removal of a bladder stone) on the 17th century diarist Samuel Pepys (26th Mch 1658). Pepys survived the life-threatening procedure and kept the stone - said to have been larger than a modern golf-ball - in a custom made wooden case.

The plaque beneath this tree in Spencer Park reads: "THIS TREE WAS PLANTED IN 1928 TO THE MEMORY OF DAVID SPENCER A GENEROUS BENEFACTOR OF COVENTRY WHO PRESENTED THIS PARK TO THE CITY IN 1882 DAVID SPENCER BORN 1805 DIED 1888"

Loen Love, born and raised in Coventry

Who remembers Billie Whitelaw? I first, knowingly, became aware of her from her screen appearances, but her presence in my life began to grow and grow from 1950 onwards. The guy I shared a bed space with at RAF Innsworth and who came from Bradford always boasted that his claim to fame was that he had slept with Billie Whitelaw! Which indeed was true. When her family moved to Bradford from Coventry they lived next door and during air raids he and her were put in the same bed! I next began to hear more of her from people I later worked with at GEC Telephone Works. where had her father before their move to Bradford. Next I saw an article on the Internet about Stoke National School, in which I was mentioned, and discovered that she had been in the same class as me in 1935. So being moved to find out more I read her autobiography, "Billie Whitelaw, Who he?". Discovered that not only was she born in the next street but her best friend was also a friend of mine, whose father worked for my father at the Humber; that we were both at the same performance of "Dick Whittington", the very last panto at the old Coventry Hippodrome, before it was pulled down, what's more we were both turned on to the theatre by the performance; she going on to be a star, while I languished as an amateur for 65 years. Where did I go wrong?

John Joseph Ward has been added to our list of Famous Coventrians" Thanks to Robthu for the heads up

Latest additions (thanks to Robthu ): Mary Eaves, Thomas Sharp, William George Fretton

A long overdue local addition to our Famous Coventrians has been made today - artist, George Wagstaffe. Many of you won't be familiar with the name, but you might recognise some of his work which has graced the city centre for many years - particularly 'Naiad', the lady who used to sit in a pond in the council office courtyard in Earl Street, opposite the council house (and later in Lady Herbert's garden, see photo below). This sculpture was his first significant commission, and it won him the prestigious ICA Young Contemporaries award. He also created 'Phoenix' in Hertford Street, which can be seen on this Coventry Society page about it. George has received almost no proper local recognition for his work, and currently Naiad is hidden away, awaiting restoration and a suitable new location after being badly stored for several years. I hope that, with Coventry's new culture status, these things are rightly remedied.

Saddened to read this morning that the well-known and well-respected Coventry figure, Alan Hartley, passed away on Christmas Day at the age of 93 RIP Alan

Thanks to Prof for the heads-up, Alfred Henry Drinkwater has now been added to our list of "Famous Coventrians" (Earned Coventrian Status)

Just found a man who I believe is a candidate as a famous Coventrian though born in Wales. He is John Lloyd who was the chief aircraft designer for Armstrong Whitworth. He designed many planes from the 1920's to 1950, including the Siskin, Whitley bomber and the Flying Wing. I believe that he lived at Gibbet Hill at some time.