Old Cathedral and Church of St Michael

I believe that you're right Kaga, the cathedral was only hit by incendiaries. Don't quote me but I believe that part of the destruction was caused by metal replacement beams in the roof. Had they still been wood they would have burnt and possibly left the stonework in place but the metal expanded and pushed/pulled the clerestory down.

CliffB This photo is worth a study - it tells me it's a religious day and everyone is wearing their Sunday best, that's been in the wardrobe for days or even weeks. They are on their way to St Michael's Cathedral. There are several of the chapel/church groups in the surrounding area. Here they are assembling in order, the older girls waiting for the younger boys to pass, for the younger choirboys assembled in the cathedral first, then teenage girls and lastly the congregation. When the full choir of cathedral, chapel and other churches sang, it fair lifted the roof off. Then they would fade and the girls' rich golden voices came in and it brought shivers down your spine, and throughout the service the older male choir would kind of chant in turn, and you couldn't help but feel there was something magical and mysterious about religion. But the singing, you just didn't want it to stop (well I didn't), but this had to be heard for you to understand the power of the old Cathedral. Post copied from topic Burges and Cross Cheaping on 5th Dec 2020 2:41 pm

Not really sure where to post this one, so as it shows the spires.... A nice photo of St Michaels, Holy Trinity and rooftops, another of Celia's so taken around the 1900's. I would guess this was taken from or near the Victoria Mill. What say the experts?

Another cracker. Yes, probably taken from the west end of the Victoria Works.

I think I prefer that view than the one available now. The place had real life going on.

I love the varied types of shots Gumnut that each tell a different part of the same story. The photos of roofs are surprisingly useful. They tell you the shapes of the buildings in relation to the maps. They say where the chimneys were. They show parts of the city where few photographers and no artists ventured. This photo isn't just interesting, it's artistically pleasing. The two spires exactly frame the end of Holy Trinity but not in an obviously contrived way. Celia's great grandfather had a fantastic eye. To me, as an amateur artist, the railing is slightly displeasing but as an amateur historian, the railing is data. It adds to the industrial/urban feel of the photo.

It also shows to me what a real 'rabbit warren' of hidden streets/lanes and passageways Old Cov was at that time You can almost smell the 'soot'n'muck!' Keep 'em coming, Cliff.

I could spend multiple hours just in that area of the photo! The streets are so close and narrow and just everyday life for the residents. Amazing.

A number of rooftop views have popped up and they're very interesting. I find the Britain From Above photos addictive too.

Yes, they show the dirty, filthy, smoky windows and chimneys that killed of thousands and none of you people have to live in them, or did you see the rat infested city of yesteryear? Me, I prefered the new, clean city that we had in 1937 and so did the people of that era. Yes, by all means look at them as history, but don't laud them.

We're praising the photographs Kaga, not the conditions. Without them and memories like yours, these things would be forgotten. We are also curious about the places and how they would have looked. If we wanted to experience the conditions there are sadly places in the world that are still like this.

From Rob's pics.

Me too, Dream, first with the boy next door aged eight. We took the bus to town to go up the tower. I posted this one because of the colour - what a loss that approach to the Cathedral past the Gulson Library, when Coventry was a more interesting city with a variety of architecture, e.g. as well as medieval there was the art deco Hippodrome, the new cinema in Corporation Street, the Technical College, to name just a few. Also I saw the Sword of Stalingrad which was on show (in a glass case I think) at the base of the Cathedral tower near the spiral staircase and later the shop was during war-time.

That view is a particular favourite of mine.