Fish and Chip shops

Shades of the `Cod Wars` (1970`s I think)

Chippy devastated by fire

Does anyone remember a certain fish 'n chip shop in Hill Street, Coventry before WW2? What was it called? My mother says her uncle, my great uncle, was the manager there. His name was William Rumble, and I'm hoping someone will recall it.

Hi, I certainly don't actually remember the chip shop. But . . here's an image from the Coventry Directory for 1935. Brimfield was also there in 1926 according to the directory for that year.

Thanks so much for that. I'll see if my anyone remembers Mr Brimfield's shop.

I know this subject is about fish and chip shops, but I must put in a word for the one at the roundabout in Coundon next to the Bablake playing fields. The chap did sell fish and chips and good they were too (not quite up to the Scottish concept of "fish suppers" that I had come to love - it wasn`t just the taste; but the extra bit of Haddock - without skin you got). What drew our family there was the "Fresh Fish Daily from Grimsby" which he sold - it was indeed always excellent.

Roger, the chippy I remember in Coundon sold scratchings too but depending on the time of day, they were for free.

One of the best - Coopers, Gulson Road

It looks delish. I wonder if they supply a wedge of lemon too.

We often used it in the early 1960s - it was always very good then

I was told by one local that the place was known as Smokey Joe's. Another told me that the chips had "an acquired taste". I think he meant that they were well cooked, i.e. they had a dark brown colour, as opposed to the yellow associated with most other chippies.

Goodness, Slim, it all comes flooding back - dark brown chip. It wasn`t just the fresh fish we got at that shop, but obviously the chips were to our peculiar standards. To put it bluntly I have a horror of droopy, soggy, greasy, yellow chips, only those which stand up for themselves will do - that`s alongside the skinned fish (I married a Scots girl and perhaps this is a Scottishism) I must point out that living in my parents' household and evacuated to an isolated farm house in the country, we didn`t frequent fish and chip shops, in fact I probably never met one until we returned to Coventry in 1947 and took up residence in Jubilee Crescent. Even then I cannot remember ever having eaten "bought" chips until I met my wife and she introduced me to my first and not I hope to be my last, that goes for haggis suppers also. We did have chips during the war, we had loads of spuds and plenty of lard when the nearby farmer killed a pig, and my mother chopped the spuds up into not much smaller than modern "wedges" and fried them in a frying pan (this on an open smokey range - must have been where I developed the taste). I don`t remember any fish eaten in the family until we got stuff from the Coventry wholesale fish market after the war, but we did get great chunks of bacon cooked in a "Dutch Oven" which sat on a ledge in front of the open range, cooking while the chips were being fried. Have a laugh. My first trip to sea, sailed from Liverpool - so imagine this in pure Scouse, Lady passenger (looking down the menu at first dinner out): "What`s French Fried Potatoes?" Husband (in hoarse whisper): "Chips!" Wife (completely unabashed): "Well, why don`t they call them chips then?"