Wartime housing and shops

Evening Dutchman, he has had the map out and can see the division, it appears then that once you get to Conduit Yard, it changed to Spon Street. That is why from my census delvings, it is carved up in a strange way with the numbering sometimes. We have looked at the picture of the Oak Cafe thanks. Oh my husband has just said, there was also a little pre-fabricated cafe-cum-snack bar opposite Goddard's newsagent's in Spon Street, at the bottom of Holyhead Road/Spon Street, next door to the chemists. The chemist became a furniture shop.

My husband has fond memories of the staff at the Corporation Street Co-op, his father worked there from when it opened, about 1956 or 7 until he retired and knew all the staff of that era, loads of characters, he knew Mr Robert's boss, Mr Dunsford and Mr Horace Brown, assistant manager, Mr Hopkins, a cutter, Mr Parker, a tailor, loads more of course. Prior to the opening of the new Corporation Street department store, the Co-operative gent's outfitting department was in a pre-fab in Hertford Street on the right hand side going down. Hope you remember some of these fine gents.

Interesting Foxcote I can't find any record of a cafe at that address but that doesn't mean there wasn't one there. It was common for cafes to be sublet without the council being informed of a change of use! The chemist shop was Parker's. It eventually became the Tin Angel bar and is currently unoccupied.

Hello again Foxcote, we seem to think that the Copper Kettle moved into the prefab shops and later became the Willow Plate. The reason we think this is because at the time we were courting and the Copper Kettle along with the Circular Cafe (Wimpy Bar) were our after work meeting place, so I now wonder if the CK was taken over by the Willow Plate, or have I got it all wrong? I know for a fact that the Willow Plate was there. The other cafe we used to go to was just along from there called the Swiss Alps restaurant almost opposite Ikea. Do you remember that? It's funny how time plays tricks on your memory, perhaps time has distorted my memory. It's a bit of a blur now. Colin.

I remember one of the shops opposite the Co-op was a sweet shop. I used to get a quarter of various hard boiled sweets on my way to St. Osburgs school. I also recall that the shop sold tobacco as in those days people smoked in the shops. This was in 1958 approx.

Hi Dutchman, As soon as I brought the picture up it looked so familiar. Was that opposite the Co?

Hi Dreamtime Yes it was

The premises that I was on about was pre-fabricated and it stood between the chemist and the first pub in Spon Street, it wasn't actually a cafe as such, it sold sandwiches etc over the counter, bottles of milk, crates of milk outside are remembered, a lady and daughter ran it. He can't remember much else about it. He also remembers Cope's motor bikes and scooters, between the two funeral parlours in Lower Holyhead Road. As you say, the sandwich shop could have been there only a short time.

It was officially Bablake Grocers, later to become Bablake Wines. It had previously been Wyles the butchers. Yes, there was a long running battle between the motorcycle dealer and the council over the storage of petrol on the premises.

In my husband's memory, the sandwich place appeared very small, almost kiosk-esque, maybe they sub-let a section, but anyhow that was the area, thanks. He asks if you remember 'Hawkins' the shirt shop, diagonally opposite St. Johns Church, the premises did become the Co-op carpet shop. Oh, I put a search in for the 'Willow Plate' and something came up. Someone of the 'Fillongley Community' website was discussing their father, I think surname Robinson, he was known locally as the 'Coventry Frogman' (he worked at some time for the police as a diver), at different times he owned the 'Copper Kettle' and the 'Willow Plate'. She said that he had been in the Telegraph as was noted for the actors that used to dine there when they were at the Belgrade, Sean Connery et al. Wonder if anyone remembers him.

Afraid not Foxcote. That whole area was a quagmire when I lived nearby as the Lower Precinct was under construction.

If you dig a bit deeper you should find that the 'frogman' stood as an independent candidate in a General Election, probably early 1960s.

He sounded a bit of a character, was I correct then, his surname being 'Robinson'?

So Foxcote is it likely then that the Willow Plate was formerly the Copper Kettle as we think it was? It's strange that the man owned both units? I know from what you have gleaned it cannot be definitive but your opinion would be welcome. Thanks again. Colin.

My husband has fond memories of the staff at the Corporation Street Co-op, his father worked there from when it opened, about 1956 or 7 until he retired and knew all the staff of that era, loads of characters. He knew Mr Robert's boss, Mr Dunsford and Mr Horace Brown, Assistant Manager. Mr Hopkins, a cutter , Mr Parker, a tailor, loads more of course. Prior to the opening of the new Corporation Street Department Store, the Co-operative Gent's Outfitting Department was in a pre-fab in Hertford Street on the right hand side going down. Hope you remember some of these fine gents. I only found that from the daughter's comments on the Fillongley forum that the search chucked up. His full name was Robert Stephen Robinson. Can't find any evidence in the 1958 or 60 phone books of the Copper or the Willow, which I cunningly thought would sort it all out in a minute or two My husband doesn't think the Willow Plate was the same business. But the daughter did state that about the father having once owned them. Perhaps. I'll check the phone books a bit more, surely they are there somewhere. How long they were in business is a mystery at the mo, as the Dutchman said, short, sub-lets at that time seemed common. Let you know if I find anything definite