Spon End

Post 170 on this topic, I keep seeing that picture and having sent it to my two brothers, we all agree that it is almost certainly our dad who lived in Melbourne Road at that time. He is wearing a school cap with a badge. I have no idea which secondary school he went to. He does say in the transcript of the recorded interview I found in the Herbert that the school played rugby rather than football and also cricket. Does anyone have any idea what would have been the local secondary school for Spon End kids in the late 1920's, early 1930's?

Hi Helen, thanks for the reply. I have just reread the transcript and had missed a bit at the beginning. He says he went to school when he was 5 to Centaur Road School and left when he was 14 so he must have stayed at the one school. This is my dad, not my grandad! I got confused as the lady asked him if he could remember the difference between the infants school and your next and thought that like now he moved schools, I forgot that in those days it was often still all in one. His answer was that the only difference was that the lessons got harder and you'd got more to learn. He later says that he went from junior school when he was about 8 to the senior. He goes on to say that there was a higher level then called trade class one, two and three, which he classed as a small scale of university where you could learn that bit extra of trade. I am so lucky to have this transcript and the recording. I will have to listen to it again sometime, it is so nice to hear my parents talking but it brings tears to my eyes. You may remember it was when my daughter and I met you in the Herbert when we first went to listen to it.

Centaur Road School It's not impossible that he's in the photo - people would gather to be photographed but it's in the wrong direction for the school, so maybe unlikely to be your dad. It looks like the morning with people going to work rather than evening with kids playing after school.

Hi Helen, There is a similar picture to this in "The Coventry we have lost" which looks like the same day. That picture has young ladies crossing the road. The author suggests that it would appear that the Coventry Chain has just finished for the day. The one on here has more men. Apparently the women finished before the men so I have seen it suggested somewhere that it is the workers coming out at the end of the day. Dad did not live very far up Melbourne Road, I can remember visiting Grandad there so it is still possible that he was standing round at the bottom of the street with his mates. I know there is a possibility that it is not him but it is so like his stance etc. I can still dream. It is times like these when I wish I had done this research earlier. Anyway, thanks for thinking about it

CliffB has done it again - Pre Plaza and a great shot where the Old Smithy was behind the arches -

I've just seen a Council update on so-called traffic 'improvements'. Seems the Council are once again ignoring Listed Building status. - the Black Horse pub had little remaining historical value as the building had been completely renovated by the owners into residential apartments. However plans are being investigated to keep a curated historical record of the pub to be displayed online or even at the former IKEA building. Post copied from topic Coventry Pubs on 17th Nov 2021 3:30 pm

I don't see how demolishing this building will lead to a wider road. They would also need to demolish the tyre depot and the Nissan showroom. Even after doing that, you still have the narrow of the railway arches!!

Mick, they are removing a lot more and using an additional arch as roadway, looking at this.

There might be quite a lot of archaeology under all that.

Have your say here. Survey at the bottom.

That is going to be a lot of money and trouble for 300 yards of wider road!!!

They are also going to get rid of the roundabout at Junction 7 and join Butts Road & Croft Road. The ring road access will be by side roads ('T' or '+' junctions). This will eliminate the subway and hopefully make walking a more attractive option.