War Memorial Park

I mentioned in another thread that Coventry Council were possibly considering charging for admitance to the Godiva Festival at the War Memorial Park this year.... well, I've just found this.... ... nothing new there then!

I can remember the park being fenced off in the 1960s so that they could charge for admission. Seemed a bit mean seeing as none of the amusements inside was free.

I'VE TAKEN THE LIBERTY OF CHANGING THE TITLE OF THIS THREAD (from "War Memorial Park improvements") SO THAT IT PERHAPS WILL HAVE A WIDER APPEAL

Did you get in for half-price, Tony? What a great find - thanks for posting it

You know exactly how much I paid Cliff, you were stood behind me in the queue!!

Hi That was quite a price for 1936. 9d on the day

Actually Philip, it wasn't too bad, with an average wage at the time of

We used to do the same, Philip, combined with games of football on the hockey pitch alongside the railway line

At the "old" price - or the "new"?

A skilled craftsman in the late 30s was paid around £4 to £5 per week in Coventry (I'm basing that on what I know of my father's pay at the time). Coventry tended to pay above the average (especially post-war) but I'd expect that Billy Butlin based his price on attracting workers from places like working-class London or Birmingham areas.

9p in 1936 equates with £1.99 when measured against RPI in 2010 and £5.76 against average earnings

Well I was basing it on the Average Weekly Cash Wages paid to Agricultural Ordinary Labourers, based on Basic Hours - Source: Dept. of Employment and Productivity 1981 and Lund 1982 which itself bases its figures on the national minimum wages under the Corn Production Acts 1917 and 1920, the Corn Production (Repeal) Act 1921, and the Agricultural Wages (Regulation) Acts 1924 and 1940.