Guinness Clock

I simply love this forum and am amazed at the photos that people have and their memories. I am a fairly new member, but wonder if anyone A) Can remember the wondrous Guinness Clock which used to make occasional appearances on the piece of land opposite the Coventry Theatre, at the bottom left corner of Trinity Street as you look up to Broadgate? and B) Does anyone have a picture of it? It was a Heath Robinson sort of thing with spirals, toucans, bells and music. I recall seeing it in the early to mid 1950's. No one I have spoken to has any memories of it and I am beginning to think it is all in my imagination. Can ANYONE prove I am not losing it please?

I certainly remember the Guinness clock and like you seem to have recollections of it at the bottom of Trinity Street. I think it was the clock from the Festival of Britain in 1951, happy memories of a visit there with my father on leave from the navy.

Thank you heritage, for restoring my sanity. After reading your post, I Googled "Festival of Britain Clock 1951" and there are some great pictures which brought memories flooding back

Just in case anyone would like to see the clock.

I remember seeing it at the back of BHS in Market Way. I can only remember the Toucan but I do remember that it was quite large.

Greg Yes, but did anyone see it work, it was always stopped when I went by. I thought it was a stupid gimmick that badly showed up the festival, the best thing about that festival to me was Beryl Davis looked gorgeous. I was 24.

I'm pretty sure this clock appeared on Brighton beach before the festival of 51, it ran along side the Punch and Judy Show - there were several of them in different cities. The way I saw it. The festival in Coventry was brilliant, a people's festival that threw away all the shackles of the last ten or so years. The new city was being built, the factories with new sports cars, new trends, new fashions in every which way, almost a re-birth for everyone. Not only were the factories making new designed models, but new sports grounds, new clubs, sport, health, photo, music, art - the city was alive and jubilant. Women were to become teachers, doctors, etc that had once been men's domain, they also wanted to control their own pleasures, their own lifestyle. To top it all the carnival wasn't so much for charity, it was for laughter and gaiety and independent spirit. I loved it, the dream world was happening.