Canley (inc. Sir Henry Parkes School)

It was a forest of oak trees, Canley, belonging to the Franciscan Monks, Stoneleigh Abbey, prior to Coventry buying the land, where a lot of neolithic axes were found. Ten Shilling Wood, bought for ten shillings - also there was a Fifty Shilling Wood - was part of the Forest of Arden. I can't see any history of a white willow, sorry Coventry Society link.

I am reliably informed (?) that the name was chosen because the white willow tree was "the most common tree" found on the site! That's news to me, I only ever recall a single willow - next to the rear teaching block that later became MGSS (but of course, I could be wrong!)

This is the image of The Dolphin you will currently find on Google Maps - Street View, dated November 2012 - ... and this is how it looked yesterday The houses on the left are in Mayors Croft

Thanks for the photograph - I had not realised they have now put a fence up. On the plus side, the developers have changed the plans to allow access through the site. I guess they realised that this was a lot easier than having to deal with a public rights of way request that they were likely to lose. The new housing development will now be much better connected for pedestrians Rob

As I understand it, these woods got their names from the cost of the 'game shooting licences' that were issued at the time. Ten shillings for one, and fifty shillings the other.

Yep Tony as the link says I know I'm not perfect like everyone else but as Dick Emery use to say but a slightly different way, I'm naughty but I like you

Hi Rob I hope the following will help. I grew up in Queen Margaret's Road, used the path from the 1940s and beyond. Originally it was created by local people when the housing site was first developed in the 1930s, it was the quickest way to get to Tile Hill. The gap in the middle of Queen Margaret's was part of the original drive to the old farm house and out buildings. In 1940 at the top of the drive there was a Community Air Raid Shelter and to the right you would find garden allotments. The pathway started beyond the shelter and was forged through the disused farm land four times a day by local workers making their way to the various industrial sites on the Fletchamstead Highway area. The alternative trip would to go along Prior Deram Walk past the school up the highway. The crossing in the 1940s was valuable to all users by giving a limited amount of protection when the air raid sirens went off. A choice of the air raid shelter or hiding under the undergrowth was better than being exposed on the steep walk up the highway. After many protest meetings the area was developed.The farm house was turned into Canley Community Centre and further down the street the youth club was built opening up the area to people living in Canley and Tile Hill. Over the years many attempts were made to close the crossing by the local authority at the highway end but with local residence persistence their attempts failed.

I remember Toogoods, he used to come around Sir Henry Parkes Rd. I think the mans name was Ted. It always fascinated me in that he had a pressure lamp hissing away.

I spent my early years growing up at No 1 Sheriff Ave. I remember calling on a lad called David who was a couple of years ahead of me and had a mop of red hair and lived at No 5. I remember knocking at their front door and when his mother answered I asked if "ginger" was coming out, I had a 10 minute telling off for calling him ginger and that his name was David. Next down the Ave was a lad called Chris, mad as a hatter at an early age . When I was allowed to set off for Henry Parkes Primary School on my own down Sheriff Ave, if I managed to get past Chris's gate without being called in I was on my way to school. For some reason I don't recall I was on my way to school and he was playing in his back garden. Down the Ave. to Mayors Croft. I vividly remember there was an old lady that kept trying to gas herself who lived in one of the bungalows next to the Doctors surgery. And quite often the Police were there and house windows were wide open. We were curious but it meant nothing. Remember it was not long after the war, and who knows what nightmares she was living. Across the road to the green shed called the Dolphin. I remember the old man used to visit the "shed" and once played in a fun game of football where the men dressed up for a laugh. It was hard to tell what their dress was meant to be. This was the days before lads wore women's bikinis and stockings for a laugh. On the way to Prior Deram Walk which the first shop was Hall's newsagents. I never went in, no need to. (My Gran later on in life used to send me to buy her fags from there. She used to give me a note and the shop assistant used to wrap the fags in a bag, and I was instructed to keep them in my pocket until I got home). Onto school where we had a lovely woman teacher called Mrs Robinson. The Headmistress was called Miss Lamb. A right dragon who frightened the lives out of us tots. On reflection it was no surprise that she remained a Miss. Unfortunately the only thing I remember learning in Primary school was to how to tie my shoe laces and make things out of plasticine.

Remember it well, the old Dolphin green wooden hut was ran by the Benn family who had a son Brian. Next to it on the corner of Mayors Croft and Sheriff Ave were 2 Police houses.

Welcome to the forum Mick. I'd forgotten all about those houses!

The wooden hut was the replacement for a pub of the same name in Market Place which was destroyed in the Blitz. Would you happen to know if the Benn family went on to run the Town Wall Tavern in the early 1960s? Pictures of Coventry

Nostalgia glory days of Canley social club - LINK

Had some good times in Canley Club, used to work there as a glass collector and then behind the bar once I was old enough. Guy and Marie ran it at that time, and Jimmy Cooke was secretary. Also played football for them for a few years.

Could the David have been David Brandish? He also had a younger brother called Chris who was in my class at Henry Parkes. Also remember Roger and Gillian Barr and Kenny Ball (good footballer) who lived opposite the Dolphin