Coventry Co-operative Societies

Report that Heart of England Co-op are to close the Willenhall store in Remembrance Road

Rob's got a much better picture of it here, Prof Post copied from topic Fleet Street on 26th Jun 2018 12:37 pm

That is super photo Neil. Thanks so much. I only knew it after the blitz when part of the ground floor was used offices for the membership and, I believe, an office where my grandmother used to take rents she collected. I used to go there with her. (I can still recite the Co-op membership numbers in Coventry for my parents and grandmother. Ingrained forever in the memory!) Later when the new Co-op store opened in Corporation St I worked in the men's outfitting department during my vacations from College in Bristol. The pay was also good compared with other similar businesses. Nice to see in the later photo the corner red brick building with stone facings, I think was Hawkins linens and bedwear!

Prof, may I ask what years did you work at the Co. in Corporation St.?

No problem Prof - again these are Rob's images which you can find in the 'Library Pictures' section - the blue button on the left side of the screen. Here's another further up Smithford Street looking the other way towards The City Arms.

Sarah Williams

My mother was a member of the Lockhurst Lane society. Her number was 3856. When I lived in Yorkshire for a short time in the 1970s (working for a Canadian company in Manchester) my telephone number was 3856 (just happenstance) my current cell phone (seven numbers) ends (my choice) with the same four digits.

The old Heart of England Co-op, Corporation Street (Upper Precinct entrance).

I always found that building most confusing, the link between the Corporation Street building and the Precinct never seemed to fit properly. I think the stairs on the left were the link between the two.

No, Annewiggy, it was the broad steps on the right that connected the Lower Precinct drapery to the main store. I worked there for 3 months at the end of 1961. The ground floor was haberdashery along with bedclothes and curtains. First floor was ladies underwear and baby clothes, and top floor was ladies fashions. Of course it may have changed after I left.

Thanks Pixrobin. No, the 60's is my era. Which floor was the upper level of the Precinct? That would have probably where I mostly entered. I seem to remember that was where the ladies fashions were, that was what I would mostly be shopping for in those days!

Anne, do you remember the 'Jax' store, used to show loads of their blouses in the window? 60's would have been my heyday too. That's if I had enough left over from new shoes.

Anne, from the upper level of the Lower Precinct you would have entered the first floor - the one shown in the photo. I can well see that they may have re-arranged the sales floors in the 1960s to capture the younger fashion market. The first floor had the largest sales area and adjacent to the men's fashion in the main building. Next door to the Co-op at ground floor was Fennell's record shop, while at the upper level was Jackson's Gents Hairdressing.

Dreamtime, no I don't remember the Jax name but I know there were always fashions in the window on the Precinct level. I used to work down to there, I loved Richards shop and there were one or 2 more down that side, I think one was something like Werffs. If I could not get anything there I would carry on down, a quick look in M&S and then to C&A and the Co-op. There was a nice but a bit more expensive shop down towards Shelton Square on the left, then I would be really desperate and try the Market. If I had not bought anything by then I would go home in a bad mood! Don't start me on shoes! But I did love shopping in Coventry, much better than Brum, it was all together in one place and I didn't even consider the history or old buildings then.