Longford (inc. The Red Hills)

FairView, did you know Len Richards, I think he lived in Lady Lane, or Duffy who lived in the cottages just over the Longford Bridge on the left on Bedworth Road. I know Duffy died quite a while ago, I was just wondering if Len's still around. He would be well in his 80s by now. I just remember going on pub crawls around Bedworth on the weekends with them and a few others back in the 50-60s. Just great memories.

Thanks for the Welcome Midland Red. @wizard76: No, can't say I did know Len Richards or Duffy. I was born in October 62, so would have been too young to know any that went on pub crawls in the 50's. The cottages over Longford bridge is where "FairView" is, it's the white fronted house opposite what used to be a woodyard. Although I knew the area very well, I was still only 15 when we moved away, so didn't get to experience the local pub culture - except for when my Dad used to send me over to The Engine to fetch a pitcher of beer for him, or we'd do "Penny for the Guy" outside the Saracens Head on bonfire night.

FAIRVIEW, well I knew Len Richards, but only at a remove, for he was older than I. I recall his living to the north of us on Bedworth Road. I recall nobody of the name of Duffy along our stretch of Bedworth Road, a stretch of road that was noted for its saints (not I) and scholars (that would be your poster, moi). Your own house, a house I admired greatly when a lad, is not so far removed from where I grew up in the village. I lived two doors to the south of the fish & chips shop - 263 Bedworth Road. I left there when I was 21, left there to marry, left there to emigrate (after marriage) to Canada. My grandparents - for many years (late 19thC through early 1930s - ran the off-licence at the corner of Sydnall Road, and my great-uncle ran the blacksmith's shop at the beginning of the Bedworth Road when facing the Bedworth direction and with the Longford Bridge behind. Since I left Longford in 1921, never thus far to return (save for holiday visits and the like), I would not have been aware of your family in the house I admired, but I have to tell you - and this may come as a surprise to you - the number of families living on Bedworth Road that were fine examples of the citizenry of Coventry was enormous. Just great people, and they added to my heritage, for I loved them all. Nowt to be ashamed of, much to be proud of, in the people who were around you as you grew older.

Since I left Longford in 1964 (aged 21) was what I should have written. Perhaps I could have left Longford in 1921 but it would have been 22 years before I was born. Thanks MR - it's reassuring to note that our moderators get everything right.

Ah, that off license on the corner was owned and run by (late) ex-boxer Les Allen when I grew up! I was given many a free bag of crisps by his (late) wife Margaret. It closed down and was made a dwelling when he moved into a flat above the Capitol Building up Longford, which he also owned [along with the skating rink]. I remember he drove one of those looong Jags, and would use its muscle to push the car of anyone that had the nerve to park in his space, forward 2 or 3 spaces along Sydnall Road. I just barely remember the smithy's down the side, but never ventured down that alley because it always seemed "dark" down there. The chippy was called the "Ocean Queen" and is still there, but with a different name, owner and decor. I still sometimes stop for a battered sausage & chips on my way out of town when I visit family in other parts of the city. I agree, the neighbourhood was a bastion of great citizenry, and one of those citizens saved my life in 1970. Whilst playing with a couple of friends on the canal towpath under the bridge, I fell in (I couldn't swim). The post lady, who lived in the cottage next to the canal, down the steps from the bridge, dived in and dragged me out unconscious! I "came to" back on the towpath, belching water. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be typing this now. So I will always have a great affection for the close knit community spirit of the time, and I miss that spirit even to this day.

Further to these posts: Coventry Canal by Foleshill gas works - A dredger at work on the canal - 1972

I would think that the dredger above would be dredging silt. Fly tipping and rubbish dumping became a popular pastime since the 70s. As I have mentioned before that I have been a boat owner for many years and prop fouling has become a big problem on urban waterways. Almost unheard of 40 years ago. Prop fouling these days is quite common on the Coventry Canal. About 5 years ago I had a bunch of barbed wire wrapped around the prop near the Old Church Rd bridge. I have also had a blanket foul the prop close to Stoney Stanton Rd. I have collided with some large object that could have been a cooker or something similar. How times have changed. Junk of this sort was unheard of in the pre war years. On the Severn I once had an angler's keepnet, with several dead fish, foul the prop.

Hi Midland Red, I could be wrong of course but I think that the dredging of the canal was much earlier than 1972, more like late 1950s early 1960s. I lived in Foleshill and spent a lot of time as a kid along the canal, when the dredging was taking place there was a crane on the canal towpath which was used to empty the barges and dump the silt into the adjoining land. This land was much lower than the canal, it had at the bottom a big pond where we used to catch newts and frogs. The dredging S from the canal filled this pond and brought the rest of the land level with the canal. As the silt dried it was hard enough to walk on, which we did. We called this area "The Mud Flats". It was infested with rats and I would spend hours up there with my ferrets. I first left Coventry in 1963 and by then the old crane for emptying the barges had been left to the elements and was just a rusty hulk which we played on. I returned Coventry in 1964 but left again for Devon in 1972, the dredging had stopped many years previously.

Hi Norman Conquest. Have just read your posting concerning fly tipping in the canal. I remember once driving down Leicester Causeway where the canal ran near the road, the canal was iced over but this did not stop the fly tippers. I just could not believe the amount of rubbish laying on the ice, and this was only in a couple of days at the most. Goodness knows how much rubbish there was under water in the canal itself, and of course when the ice melted all this rubbish would sink to the bottom as well.

Yes John, you could be correct in dating MRs photograph. After the decline of commercial narrowboats the canals did silt up quite badly. When pleasure boating became popular it became necessary to dredge the canals and thousands of tons were dredged out. As you say it's all sorts of rubbish that's dragged out now, sign of the times I suppose. I haven't had shares in a narrowboat for some years but if I still had an interest in a boat I doubt if I would bring it up the Coventry Canal these days. In my post above I mentioned having prop foul near the Stoney Stanton Rd, I said that because I couldn't recall the name Leicester Causeway. Exact spot where I had the foul up.

John Wright You have answered a question I was about to ask. It was an old steam crane? Pretty decrepit by the time I saw it & played on it, must have been around 1964-5 ish. Any photo's of it? Cheers Rog

I know no more than what the photographer has indicated

Hi again Midland Red Have enlarged your photo and studied it more closely. I noticed along the towpath a railing of concrete posts and possibly metal tubing. There was definitely no fencing there when I was a kid. Is it possible that there was a second dredging of the canal at a much later date to what I remember? And is that a crane in the background. There is no doubt that the original crane was left on the towpath to rot as Roger confirms.