Video Rental Stores

There are very few video rental shops left in Coventry, I have made a list below of the ones I know of and have found (via records): Video World. 50a Daventry Road, Coventry. (AKA. DVD World) (recorded in 1982 phone directory) [Still operating]. Four Star Video. Humber Road. (see below) [Closed] Video rental shop? (name unknown) - Cornelius Street, Cheylesmore, Coventry. [Closed] Leo Records, Video Rentals, Sales. Holbrook Lane. Coventry. (recorded in 1982 phone directory) [Closed] Butra Joban Video centre, Video Film Hire. Foleshill Road. Coventry. (recorded in 1982 phone directory) [Closed] Blockbuster, Tile Hill Lane, Tile Hill, Coventry. [Closed] Blockbuster, Walsgrave Road, Coventry. [Closed] Blockbuster, Hinckley Road, Coventry. [Closed] Can anyone remember any more?

There used to be one who rented video films on Longford Rd now the Post Office. There used to be one in Jubilee Crescent Radford too but sorry cant recall their names of either. Radio rentals used to hire the video players in the City. I'm sure there was one on Radford Rd on the corner by Heathcote Street too.

We had a video recorder in the very early days, a Ferguson top-loader from Radio Rentals in Smithford Way. That would have been about 1982 and I don't think we knew anyone else with one at that time. We soon decided that we would join a video club and the one we chose was in Queensland Avenue on the corner of Abercorn Road. It was run by a lad named Martin who I already knew through going to City away games. I think there was a £5 membership and the films would have been about £1 a time. He had all the latest films although, looking back, many of them would have been copies. He later expanded his business and opened another shop on Longfellow Road.

There was one in Brixham Drive, George and Hazel Sweet. I think Hazel is a Labour councillor now. They also owned 'House of the Rising Bun', the road off Hipswell Highway, someone will have to help me on the name. Was it Belgrave Road?

Belgrave Road, yes! at the roundabout

GREAT thread! With VCRs becoming popular in the early 1980s, many people rented to begin with. I rented from MultiBroadcast and they had a limited selection to rent. Shops soon cropped up, some better than others with the smaller 'independents' making a few quid on the side from their usual business. I lived in Courthouse Green for a few years and used the Shell garage (Bell Green Road) as they had some decent titles then a grotty shop next to the Weavers Arms (that later became a florist - Emma Louise) who had some new films for the time. They were convenient, shops like HMV upstairs had better and more titles. I recall seeing a place in Tile Hill called (I think) Studio 45, and that was VERY good.

Yes you're spot on it was 61 Belgrave road.

Earlsdon Video Centre, 41 Earlsdon Street (formerly in Providence Street). Hello Raj I still have my membership card!

I also rented one of the first top-loaders from their shop in the upper precinct. One like this but with their own branding... I seem to recall paying about £30 a month for this contraption! We could only afford one tape at first - at a cost of £10 for a three hour cassette they were rather expensive. Even when we had multiple tapes it was always a scramble trying to find enough space to record something that started 10 minutes ago without recording over somebodies favourite programme Back to the subject. In Eastern Green we had a chap come round in a van who rented all the latest releases, although some of the case inserts might have indicated that they may not have all been original copies

I seem to recall Studio 45 was in Lime Tree Ave?

Tony, that video recorder was exactly the one we had. They were very primitive at that time and you could only record one programme using those keys. We got a free food mixer from Radio Rentals when we got ours. The advantage of renting was that, as the technology moved on, you could change to a new model every year or so. I do recall the cost of tapes too. We were given a free tape and, as you say, it would be about £5 for a new one so we existed with just one extra one for ages. Before long they did drop to as little as a pound each.

Yes, already mentioned this, in Tile Hill? I believe they branched out into audio and video for conferences as well

Hi Ace , I'm told that the petrol station on Black Prince Avenue, Cheylesmore, also used to rent out videos as well.

The Bell Green Road Shell garage video outlet was called Taurus video, because the son was a Taurean, he ran it with his father. Very nice people and friendly service.