Upper Foleshill (New Inn Bridge to The Parting of the Heaths)

Hi johnwright, yes that Robert Salmon, dad had barbers shop, and Terry Price, Dovedale Ave. The big house on the canal Dovedale side, my parents and my younger brother Geoff lived 50/60, Geoff was in the same class as Barry Blythe. In that tunnel was where my father left a piano, sideboard, and bagatelle table, when he left there, think I mentioned it in the Longford thread. In the summer of 1960 Janet and her friend Pam Cotterell won the jiving contest on the Blackpool pier, they also met Terry Price and his mates who also happened to be in Blackpool on holiday.

Regarding Barbers shops. Mum used to take me to George Aubrey's on the Foleshill Road opposite Elmsdale Avenue & Starkey's shop. It's still a Barbers now (Graham Paul : went to school with his wife Paula Elliott) George would get a customer seated & all tucked up, take a couple of snips with the scissors then make an excuse to go in the back of the shop, sneak out and go up the Wheatsheaf for a swift pint of mild. Good old days.

George Aubrey was my "hairdresser" too, when having my haircut as a kid he would put a plank across the arms of his barbers chair to raise us up. It was ,short, back and sides normally, later developing into a "crew cut" George Aubrey's wife had the wine shop just before the New Inn bridge I believe. I do remember Starkey's shop well, we very often window shopped playing "bag that" On the same side of the road next to Mr Aubrey's barber shop was another newsagents owned by Mr Jack Brindley this was our main newsagent because it was on our side of the Foleshill road. As we got older we used to go to a barbers just over the New Inn bridge, 1st shop on the right, there was also a big sweet shop on the corner of the Foleshill road and Dovedale avenue.

Do you remember Fellows newsagent almost opposite King Georges Ave? He was also a teacher at Windmill Rd in the 40s. I suppose that Dan Tebuth (Tebbut?) for us kids had the best shop around there. Sold ice cream in his shop full of pin tables. We would spend our dinner money in there and so make Dan rich.

Just went back and reread the postings on D Di Mascio, and Dan Tebbeth was only mentioned once, D Di's was a much bigger ice cream company than Dan's ice cream. Older Coventrians still refer to ice cream as a "D Di" . But like you Norman, living in Foleshill and going to Windmill Road school we ate gallons of lovely Dan's ice cream. I do remember one night we got into the yard at the back of Dan's shop and into his shed where he kept his ice lolly making ingredients, we found large bottles of concentrated fruit juice, we all had serious stomach ache afterwards. I do not remember Fellows newsagent opposite King George's Avenue, but for some reason a Mr Fellows at Windmill Road school seems to ring a distant bell. Can you also remember to sweet shop near the school on the corner of Thomas street [I think that's the name] they used to sell lemon sherbet [can't spell Kayli!] loose?

Fellows Newsagents was opposite Beresford Avenue. Alan H

In that case there must have been two Fellows newsagents.

johnwright, not to mislead you I did not know Terry Price etc, it was my wife that knew them all. I knew a Desmond Price lived on the corner of Jackers Road and Aldermans Green Road went to Foxford school. Just to confuse you, my brother knew my wife long before me but did not know her father, but I knew her father long before both of them, and my wife did not know we were brothers until twelve months after meeting me.

Norman C There were two Newsagents on Foleshill Road, Starkeys on the corner of Elmsdale Avenue and Joe Brindley on the other side of Foleshill Road. I used to work for Joe delivering newspapers, his Grandson is Nick Skelton the show jumper. Don't think there would have been room for a third Newsagent within one hundred yards of one another. Having said that there were three Butchers, Jack Brindley had two ( one may have been one of his relations), and Joe (somebody) had one, he used to work for the Co-op Butchers opposite Elmsdale Avenue. Alan H

Hi Kaga Simpson. Totally confused over who knew who before he knew me riddle, loved it. Gas centre, you are right it was Joe Brindley and not Jack who had the newsagent shop on the Foleshill Road. I do remember three butchers shops along this stretch of the Foleshill Road, yes Jack Brindley had two, one on the corner of Parkstone Road, the other in a row of shops next to the William pub, the first shop in the row was Boswell's, a greengrocer, also a general grocers, could have been called Rogers, and Brindley's butchers run by Jacks sons, One I remember was nicknamed "Ginner" probably because he had ginger hair, he lived up Aldermans Green Road. I cannot remember a butchers opposite Elmsdale Avenue [doesn't mean there wasn't one with my memory] but there was one up the road Past the Wheatsheaf Pub whose name was, I think, Joe Thompson. I am trying to remember over 50 years ago so please forgive me if I get some names and places wrong.

There certainly was a Fellows newsagent on Foleshill Rd who also was a teacher at Windmill Rd. Remember that I am talking about the early war years. When my mother was taken ill I lived for a short time at 13 Arbury Ave. During that time I was not only taught by Mr Fellows but I also delivered his papers. After 1945 he may have closed,I really don't know.

John Wright Jack Brindley's other sons were Ralph and John. The Co-op Butchers was directly opposite Elmsdale Avenue, Joe Thompson worked there until I think it closed down, he then opened his own shop up the road. The new shop was opposite Ashbys just along from Boswells. Did you know the Cripps Family in Parkstone Road, there were two lads Frank and Eric if I remember right? Alan H

Yes Gas Centre, I knew the Cripps family but not that well, I remember the daughter who was in the Salvation Army can't remember her name though, they lived at No20 next to the middle entry. I also remember Ashby's which we called a pet shop because it sold all sorts of animal feed. I recall they had an open barn at the back in which they kept hay bales I remember playing on them with my mates and one fell on me and I couldn't move, My mates had to rescue me !,

Kaga Simpson, Does Janet remember Bowman family [I think that's their name] they lived dead opposite them in Elmsdale Avenue ? The other family I remember from Elmsdale were the Simpsons ,they lived on the opposite side of the road further up the avenue. Mr Simpson worked for Mills and Rockley and Coventry company that pated the billboards, he drove their black electric van. Mrs Simpson was crippled and could not get about too easily. They had two sons , I think the youngest one was named Alan. I also remember the shop at the top of the avenue, I can't recall their name, I remember it because it was the only shop open in the area on a Sunday

johnwright, yes she remembers the Simpsons, Brian and Alan and thinks there was an older brother, the mother used to make toffee-apples. Doesn't remember a Bowman, there was a Marilyn Goodenough lived opposite. Same class at Windmill, left in april 59. Jan's mother worked in that shop early fifties can't recall the name,may I ask you a question, when did you know about that tunnel? I knew nothing about it, until my younger Brother told me about it twenty odd years on.