Restaurants, Cafes, Coffee Bars

You can't see the front of Nos 1-5 from that angle I'm afraid Deanocity. Also the area around the crossroads was badly bombed in 1941 so the surviving buildings looked very different from the photo during the period being discussed.

Owen Owen restaurant 1955

Nice one Dean

Fantastic picture of Spon Street there. Looks far more complete than the somewhat 'bitty' mess we have now. I didn't appreciate how it linked up with the rest of the city centre so seamlessly.

Used to go school with Nick Gauntlett.

Ah, the Kongoni, home of the Peaceniks in my day, members (like myself) of the Youth Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (YCND). Before my Kongoni experience, coffee came from a bottle or a small tin by spoonful into the bottom of a cup/mug, upon which boiling water was poured. Gruesome it was, but it sufficed to set us apart from the tea-drinking crowd that represented all that then was wrong with the world. Kongoni offered my first cup of real coffee, and, now - by way of percolators, drip-coffee gadgets, filters and the like - I have settled for a couple of plunger (or piston) devices, always holding one such in reserve (they are delicate instruments) and start my every day with just a pot. Were it not for the Kongoni, I probably still would be into bottles (Camp Coffee) or small tins/cans (Nescafe Instant). Thank you, Kongoni! If I might offer as much, the Belgrade Theatre had a coffee lounge that served a decent brew for a reasonable price, regardless of attendance or otherwise at the evening's performance.

The coffee bar in Albany Road, was that the one on the right? About 100 yards before the City Arms roundabout.

I remember Studio 21 when it had its original name "The Robin Hood". This building I was told was built for the Navy or RAF, I also remember NormK telling me he cleared the site for the construction of the building. Does anyone remember the murder in nearby Bangor Street in August 1978? The investigation seemed to go on for ages then suddenly 4 individuals were arrested, 3 got life the following year.

I was reading an article last night about Derek Gorman who sadly passed away in 2011 who owned the Wimpy franchise in Coventry. He rebranded his business as Mr Big - he ended up with 21 outlets by the time he retired in the 1980s. It was also interesting reading that he fought off competition from McDonalds who didn't open in Coventry till Mr Gorman retired.

It's still there, just before the railway bridge. It's now the Blue Mango Indian restaurant.

That's the one Tim.

The Beaker cafe was a great venue for live bands, I used to sing in a group called the Versatile Five and we played there about 1960. We had a drummer who guested once called Red Nichols. Our guitarist played back up to Eddie Cochran/Gene Vincent at the Gaumont and we were allowed on stage as they rehearsed. We were based at the Gigi cafe across the road. Don from Dons Motors round the corner supplied all the equipment. Anybody got any more memories of this?

2/6d? Daylight robbery for egg and chips. I used to get plaice and chips followed by apple crumble and washed down with a cuppa at the Pepperpot on Warwick Row for 1/9d in the early sixties. Actually, I think the price did rise a little in 1965, but it was way better than school dinners.. BTW, I was brought up with doughnuts, not Americanized 'things'. I have not been able to get a decent banana cream filled doughnut since my days of running a business on Hipswell Highway. The cake shop was good and they did a nice line in sliced pork and wonderful baps too. Canada is a wasteland re getting anything scrumptious, and the fish and chips places wouldn't hold a candle to what I remember getting at the Hipswell Fish Saloon, Parson's Nose, Cheylesmore chippie and a host of others in the Coventry area. Just one facet of life that I miss about the UK and Coventry in particular..

I guess you mean Wimbush on Hipswell Highway! Remember it well! Re "chippies" - there is a separate thread - Hipswell and Three Spires (Cheylesmore) have always been favourites

My memory for names is not that good. I remember locations better (never forget a face)..