Coventry Co-operative Societies

Thanks Anne, the names you mention have come flooding back to me, but confess Alice Middletons would have been my favourite if I wanted that 'something special' item. I was more than happy the way the city centre was then and didn't dream of shopping anywhere else. My good old days

I believe the first Co-op store in Coventry was in Aldermans Green Road, it was also Co-op Street, a dead end street with about dozen terraced houses either side. The top was a large hedge then a small field and then the 'Slough'. The building was single storey that ran about 3/4 house space in Co-op Street, the front of shop was in AGR. On the other corner was a storeroom, a stable and a cart, beyond them was a field the horse used. The cart was same as Prof posted on #182, except it didn't say 'milk'. Inside the building as you entered was a counter on either side, one for bottled and canned food, the other side was the bacon/fats counter. At the rear was the veg, bins of loose tea, etc, plus the staff room/storeroom. Mon/Tue we would leave a notebook with a list, Thu/Fri they would deliver by the pony and cart. Wartime and people had to register with a shop. One year the extra jam-making sugar failed to turn up, so we used our ration sugar, rather than let blackberries rot. We used depth charges (saccharin) in our tea - ugh! Fats meant butter, lard, marg - led to rows, some people wanted all butter, some all lard. Tinned milk caused rows, people wanted it to save their sugar. The government confused things - they allowed jam every four weeks, when the ration book said calendar month. There was an item where you only had to give your name, so people could give their name at many shops. People with money could go to a cafe, a hot meal cost about a shilling, saved the rations. There were many loopholes.

Wow! How different is this view of the Foleshill Road building? Next time I'm in town, I must visit there to get my own photo

These pneumatic systems still exist in places. The systems of yore used brass pipes; brass, of course, is a good electrical conductor. In more recent years, the pipes and capsules are made of plastic, which is an electrical insulator. Propelling a plastic capsule through such pipes at speed unwittingly makes a very good generator of static electricity! There were all sorts of problems with people getting nasty shocks. About 12 years ago I observed such a system in Birmingham. I presume they eventually solved the problem by installing discharge mechanisms at strategic points, as per my recommendation. In the early days, plastic had not been invented. Mankind takes two steps forward and one back.

The Co-op on Fleet St 1957 from the newly released Historic England collection so (c) to them.

B..... brilliant, 17 years on and the Co-op opened its doors to 'temp' shops, yet Owens rebuilt a huge store, the Leofric opened its doors and across the road the Casino Cafe 'temp' shop had been open for more than ten years.

Does anyone know when the large Smithford Street store in Rob's photo below was built?

Neil, the information is in the archive - here is the index. Chapters XVI to XVIII would seem to cover the new building

Right book MR but the Smithford Street section was later. They started in West Orchard and worked their way round. The main building wasn't completed until 1916. See timeline on page 302 with photo on page 305. At a later date (I think that it's captured in Britain From Above) they demolish the Britannia Music Hall (drapery dept), plus more buildings and extend up Smithford Street. Part of that extension had to build over the river. Thanks for reminding me of the book, I can now place more of the images in it than the last time I looked. Britannia Hall still there in 1920 Building up Smithford Street in 1931 Looks complete by 1935 at least

Yes thanks Cliff, not seen that book before or perhaps I did but had also forgotten about it. The only reason I ask is I was trying to fit in this picture I posted ages ago of Gibneys on the corner and the adjoining building with this one on FB Dutchman mentioned that the 'Old Boot Hall' emerged from what was the Britannia Music Hall but that appears further away from the corner of West Orchard? Was the Gibneys building cleared much earlier than that then?

Gibneys was replaced by the tall building on the corner (see page 305 of the book and the 1920 aerial pic for the halfway point). That aerial shot shows you the Britannia Hall and then to the right of that, your picture of Smithford Street fits with about half a building missing.

Co-op Jubilee book Swan Lane dairy picture at page 260. Free to read. It's an interesting book. Post copied from topic Coventry dairies on 5th May 2020 1:13 pm

We used to shop at the Co-op in Radford and we had a members' number we used to give (62320 I think). I don't remember what that earned us but it was obviously hard wired into my brain. They also used to deliver your order but I don't know if there was a charge. We also shopped at Perks in Jubilee Crescent and they had stamps too and my mum loved the dinner set she got from there. Do you remember the freebees that came with washing powder? We had all kinds of plastic flowers and I'm still using a small yellow plastic colander that my mum got for my wedding chest - actually an Ali Baba basket - in 1964. Post copied from topic Memories - early or general on 2nd Feb 2021 9:12 pm

The Co-op!! this brings back memories. My mum used to shop in the Prior Deram Walk shop in Canley. As a little one, I thought that the shop was massive, with a counter around 3 sides and a big square in the middle. I'm pretty sure there was a butchers and greengrocers connected or next door to the cafe that was at the end of the row of shops and next to the library?

There was a Co-op camp in Rhyl!!! I didn't know that. I was thinking about how you had to go to different parts of the counters to buy what you needed - how did they keep track of our shopping? On another subject, if you don't mind answering, what schools did you go to, Mick?