Coliseum Buildings (Gaumont Palace & Odeon, Jokers Corner)

I don't know if this has been mentioned before, but the restaurant in the Gaumont was turned into a Victor Sylvester Dance Studio in the 1960's. I did go there a few times but still can't dance very well!

As far as I can tell from planning records it was substitute for a new ballroom they were planning to build above the car park behind the cinema. That was abandoned when Gaumont-owners Rank decided to build the Locarno around the same time. I think there were also cafes on the Whitefriars Street side beneath the original ballroom before it was bombed in 1940.

Does anyone remember the original Joker's Corner and Mountford's Newsagent in Jordan Well, by the Odeon Cinema, run by Bill and Sylvia? Bill's father Ronald Mountford started in the newsagency trade when he bought Osborne's Newsagent and Tobacconist in Jordan Well in 1951 and ran it with with Bill and Sylvia until it was compulsory purchased by Coventry City Council in 1960. It was pulled down when the Lanchester Polytechnic was built (which later became Coventry University). Bill and Sylvia bought their first newsagent and tobacconist shop in about 1955, which was at 13 Cox St. When this also made way for the Lanchester Polytechnic, they took over the Chocolate Box in Odeon Buildings, Jordan Well and this became Mountford's Newsagent and Tobacconist. They ran this for many years, expanding into confectionery and greetings cards, until they visited Blackpool in the late 1970's and came across a joke shop where they purchased some samples. They took over the lapidary (suppliers of polished stones for jewellery making) next door and hey presto, Joker's Corner was born! Thanks to the students and the population of Coventry with their sense of fun, the business went from strength to strength, later incorporating fancy dress, stage make-up and magician's accessories, until they retired in the mid 90's.

Welcome to the forum This photo shows that the old shop names are still partly visible

That's a good photo showing the Chocolate Box name, thanks! Here are a few more from the scrapbook. The first shows the building from the 1930's when it was the Coliseum Buildings, the second is from 1961 when it was the Gaumont and the old shops had been pulled down to make way for the Lanchester Poly. The last is from the 1980's, showing Joker's Corner and Mountford's newsagent when people were queuing up for the cinema which was now the Odeon.

In the narrative of the first photo ref the Coliseum, it mentions Frank Turner ran out of money. Does anybody know who Frank Turner was or his story? I seem to remember a conversation with my uncle Alan Stanley Turner not long before he passed away telling me that a relative of ours was trying to build "something" I think theatrical in that area. Uncle Alan`s father came from a family of original watch makers. William Henry Turner (my grandfather, 201 Oldfield Road, but previously Somerset Road and possibly previously Cope Street), George Turner and Alec Turner (he was mayor in 1943 and lived at Coundon House).

Yet another coincidence crops up on this forum! Roger, you mention that your relative lived at Coundon House. There has been reference on "The Birches" thread in the last few days to William Coker Iliffe - if you read his obituary, which is included in his entry on our Famous Coventrians" list, he too lived at Coundon House!

When my family had the newsagent and Joker's Corner, I remember the old, winding wooden staircase leading to the storeroom upstairs, with racking (which I loved climbing around on) built around the big steps which led upwards and mysteriously disappeared into the back wall. I always wondered where they went! Afterwards I learnt that they were an original entrance to the Colisseum. Our neighbouring shop (which which we were linked at the back) was a wallpaper shop owned by the Redferns I think they were, who moved to Alberta in Canada. Then it became a lapidary. I don't remember seeing an old sign underneath the Joker's Corner sign. We had the sign painted by a fireman who was also a signwriter. Next door to us on the other side by the cinema was a clothes shop owned by Len and Stella Diamond from London, who were great characters. I remember Afghan coats and jeans, etc hanging outside during the 60s and 70's. Then it was taken over by Gary of 1st for Men. Past the cinema was a cafe where we used to have fish and chips on a Saturday, and the Banana Queen stall selling fruit and veg. Victor the ice cream man was somewhere in the vicinity I think. Next to our Joker's corner side was a fire escape exit into the cinema, then an entrance into a car park round the back. Other shops (if my memory serves me correctly) in Whitefriars at various times were the ballroom dancing studio, Corks' wine bar, a music shop owned by Ian and at the top of the street Brandish's garage, with a few in between which I can't remember. On the other side of Whitefriars was the Sir Colin Campbell pub, a second hand car salesman and a carpet shop with 'Colin the carpet' who moved to one of the temporary shops on Corporation Street opposite the Co-op. And I think there was a reclamation yard behind a gate. There were a few residential houses on that side, where a lovely lady 'Scottish Betty' lived, who often used to come in and sit chatting at the end of our counter.

Hi Jokers80, Welcome to the forum - good to have another joke shop on the forum. Your family started selling jokes in a very similar way to my Grandparents. They had a second-hand clothes shop in Lower Ford Street Called "C. R. Garland's" (Photo showing shop in 1986). They too, like Mr and Mrs Mountford, saw a joke shop when on holiday at the seaside (think either Rhyl or Great Yarmouth) and asked who supplied their jokes (which was 'Bristol Novelties'), he then contacted the suppliers. So, in about 1970, the shop became a second hand clothes / joke shop (a bit of a strange combination). The back of the shop sold second-hand clothes, shoes and books, and the front sold jokes, tricks and masks; over the years my gran and grandad started to sell more tricks than clothes. A few years before my grandad started selling jokes, a lady called Mrs Davenport owned a joke shop (called 'Davenport's') a few doors away on Lower Ford Street (which closed before my grandad's shop became a joke shop). The shop closed in about 1986, when my grandad retired (although to this day my gran still has left over stock). The shop obviously made quite an impression on one customer, who after it closed, opened his own shop in the city centre (Merlins Ltd.). I have been in the old Joker's Corner but not prior to the 2000's when it would have been run by your family. I have, however, heard of the lady affectionately known as the 'Banana Queen' and still know her daughter-in-law. I'm sure that many people on this forum will have many happy memories about Joker's Corner. Luke.

Hi Luke, It was interesting to hear about your grandparents' shop. I had heard of Garlands' but didn't know anything about it. Like your gran, my mum has kept some of the favorite items such as the Snowman, which was hired by the Cathedral for an event there. She made this herself, as well as many of the other fancy dress outfits for hire. Some of the outfits have turned up in odd places - we saw a spotty clown outfit which she made on a scarecrow outside a house in the Corley scarecrow festival!

Hi Jokers80, That's quite a skill making fancy dress costumes by hand to a rentable quality. That sort of talent is sorely missing these days - nobody seems to make anything themselves anymore. My dad tells me that there used to be another place that also hired out fancy dress and costumes, near the old Canley level crossing (Sir Henry Parkes Road). That shop also had a strange combination - lawn mower repair and costume hire . My grandad's shop didn't really hire out costumes (I don't think), it was mainly masks, wigs, hats, jokes / tricks (eg: fake moustaches, magic tricks, 'snapping chewing gum', itching powder, joke soap, magic ink, 'X-ray goggles'), flags, tinsel, silly string, etc.

Found this plan of the Gaumont, hope it has not been posted before.

Hi all, Walking past the site of the Gaumont cinema today, I noticed the two symbols at the top of the building, which I believe were the original Compton Organ symbols. What do you think?

Some interesting shots. During the fifties the queue for the cinema was the opposite way, down Jordan Well, and the Colin Campbell was a jazz club in the fifties.