Broadgate

1939:

It's the best view to show the gap between Timpsons and Duval. It's wider than it seems from views along the road.

Now this shows a rebuilt Coventry City centre to be admired, with Lady Godiva proudly centrally displayed & bus stops again sensibly located around the perimeter. At that time my mum worked in one of the pre-fab (cake?) shops. As a Coventry kid after the blitz I loved the rebuild but when I returned a number of years later, I was shocked by what greeted me, I seem to remember that Lady Godiva was under a tent !! seemingly pushed to the side ?? Centre character destroyed !

More lovely detail in this find from CliffB

Yes indeed, a brilliant shot from a most unusual angle. About 1930 when the National Provincial Bank was newly-built. The thing that I find notable is how clean the pavements are, barely a scrap of rubbish to be seen, not like today with cans etc being discarded all over the place. Those were the days when there were street-cleaning machines with brushes to clear the gutters. I think they still exist but are rarely seen.

What a great pic. A Rolex watch from Mr Flinn, how much would that be worth now?

That's our bank - I always feel good going into this beautiful building. So often in photos on the Forum it's the only recognizable building in the city. When I use other branches in the UK it just doesn't feel the same. We had excellent service there and extra help when we needed it. Sometimes it's not so bad being oldish.

Helen, I bow almost daily to your oldishness(?) It is a gift. When I was growing up my family had post office accounts and paid in cash - no checkbooks for us. My first account was with Barclays in a portakabin at the university of Warwick where I worked and where my paycheck was deposited and I received my first checkbook. We've moved around a lot but left Barclays in the late '60's and moved to NatWest for our banking needs. It wasn't until I was in Coventry and needed to go to the actual building that in realized this was my bank! None of the branches in places I have lived compare with it. The interior isn't what it was but you can't have everything.

Another new unusual view from CliffB - dated 1962. Good detail of the Bank building and of what was left clinging on in the remainder of what was Derby Lane. I'm still to find a decent later shot standing by the 3-storey Helen!

Hello, One of the thirty KVC, luxuriously fitted out buses on the No2 route to Cheylesmore. No operator ever had general service buses to match the comfort of these limousine buses supplied during the early fifties. I've commented on those before.

Hi lindatee, I should imagine there has been many a dating couple meeting up outside that bank.

I totally agree - in fact my husband and I (says the queen!) opened our joint account there after using the portakabin Barclays at Warwick University for years. I couldn't believe I banked in such a glamorous building. We're still with NatWest to this day. We use a credit union here in the US - very efficient and friendly. It was started as a special bank for CIA members as a secure banking source for active duty people but later included the military and eventually, the likes of us. I still get a little shiver when I think of its origins.

Thanks Neil. That photo shows clearly how far back the temporary shops were from the original eastern line of Broadgate. There was another shop next to Martins Bank, in line with the old building line.

The 'standard' view of Broadgate looking west from the Spire of St Michael's however worth sharing as it includes a great reference to the location of the old Well we have mentioned on the forum in other threads before.