Coventry Co-operative Societies

Thanks MR The first time I used the present store was in 2007 and I thought it was a new building. It was only after checking planning records I found it was already half-a-century old! It's slightly too far for me to walk these days.

I had not realised that it was not the original store. It was outside of my child-range. The number that I quoted was my mum's check number.

The Emporium in Foleshill Road is now a grocers/green grocers, but I remember it being a Co-op when I was growing up. Can anyone tell me, was it built to be a Co-op, or does anyone know what the building was previously used for?

I am sure it was built as part of Lockhurst Lane Industrial Co-op Society, Tricia. I played with the 'Wheatsheaf' band in that building. The band was sponsored by the Co-op. That was in the sixties. It was called 'Lockhurst Lane' for the convenience of goods traffic, most of which arrived by rail to Foleshill goods yard which was in Lockhurst Lane.

Thanks Philip, I now remember 'Lockhurst Lane Industrial Co-op Society'.

Remember the Co-op well... we lived on Blackwell Road... we had a number for the Co-op Dividend and collected a small receipt each time we shopped... have been lurking on this wonderful site for two years and finally registered... Congratulations Rob Orland!!

Yes, I have gone back in time a little here and dropped on to the old Co-op photograph and I was wondering what once stood on the concrete floor on this side of the road. I bet 'you know who would know' and I bet it was not a chip shop either!!!!!

Did the old Co-op become the office of Pickford removals? I always remember waiting for the Radford bus outside and admiring the model of a Pickfords lorry in the window. Regards.

There's a photo and a listing in Rob's 'Now & Then' section Dreamtime here.

I don't think so CSB as according to the information on the page linked in the post above this one it was on the opposite side of the road.

Many thanks Dutchman. I do remember the photo now and also remember see Peeping Tom looking out towards Corporation St. I wonder where they put him after all those years in one place.

Re Co-op dividend numbers - I was sent regularly to the Co-op on Burnaby Road, and remember buying block salt for cooking which we chopped up into a big jar. I frequently got the divi number confused with dad's work telephone number and my irate mum would send me back to correct it.

The sleigh ride is still open every Xmas and the first people to try it out each year are the staff! The basement though is no longer open to the public being used instead for stock. The basement actually predates the current building and is a remnant of a pre-war factory. It only extends under half the building as the river runs under the other half! Post copied from topic Shops of yore on 21st Oct 2015 10:32 am

I found a great book today on a free library website - Internet Text Archive Books out of copyright that can be freely accessed. I should like the Dutchman or anyone interested in Coventry buildings and planning to have a glance through this publication because it has some great old photo's of the premises that the Co-operative built or purchased or renovated. There are great details enclosed regarding purchase prices of some of the buildings, including the Britannia Music Hall (being a Music Hall fan, couldn't help noticing on another site that Dan Lemo made his first solo appearance at the Britannia in Coventry in 1869). Anyhow, some of the photo's are great. 'Jubilee History 1867-1917, of the Coventry Perseverance Co-operative Society'. I have been trying to find another publication that I have somewhere in the house, 'A Century of Service'. Coventry Co-operative Society Ltd 1861-1961, but to no avail, maybe another member has one, it could be of use for old images of buildings. The earlier books seems available to purchase on the web but the latter seems unavailable. Photo's appreciated if anyone has some from it.

Many thanks for the link Foxcote I did a little more than 'glance' through it Once drawback of being such a 'knowall' is that there is so much information there it poses as many new questions for me as it answers. Will now have to cross reference with information from other sources. I had previously assumed the Britannia was on the opposite side of Fleet Street where there was a similar looking building. The text in the book is slighlty contradictory stating at one point it was mainly in Fleet Street and a bit further on that it was mainly in West Orchard! Am also puzzled as to the earlier location of the Co-op in Gosford Street as the building I was most familiar with was much bigger and further down below the Fox & Vivian. This is also the first time I've ever seen a reference to a garage in Gosford Street. By the way, the original Edwardian Co-op building in Albany Road as pictured in the book still exists largely intact albeit now used a computer training centre.