The Blitz - 14th November 1940

When we lived in Cobden Street, my dad and uncle would visit Henley market and then go selling in the Three Horseshoes on a Sunday lunch time.

The only one I can think of with visible damage is the Drapers Hall. Quite a few others will have hidden signs but have been repaired eg 11 Priory Row (and several others), the police station on St Mary Street (now part of the Council House), The Lloyds Bank building roof (?), Caesar's Tower.

There's a building in Far Gosford Street that I'm uncertain about, but it's definitely lost its roof. This Google Street View shows it roofless, and below is an early postcard - building on the left. I've always assumed bomb damage, but I could be wrong.

There are also lots of shrapnel marks on the Council house, of course, but our Steve has just reminded me of the side of the old Rising Sun in Spon Street, too.

My mother aged 14, her brother 7 and their parents were living in Queen st on this night and took shelter in a house opposite as it had a cellar, when the raid had subsided they looked out to find their house had been flattened. Mum made light of it when discussing it with us kids in later life ,remarkable as when rehomed in Winchester st another bomb took out the houses on the corner of that street and Canterbury st She was a tough cookie

Many people in the local tonight didn't know this. I don't see the local rag covering it.

I have just looked outside and there is certainly a bomber's moon tonight but the current generations would have no idea what that means.

I just had a look at the Drapers Hall, and they've repaired the damage. How it used to look here.

Coventry Watch Museum. April 1941 bomb damage:

Hello, Sadly, I don't believe that we have a local 'rag', anymore. The so called daily local papers are all a thing of the past. Our forum is what we have now, where the subject is covered. The only thing that buys & dictates newspaper content is advertising. Similar with online media, where the number of views adds value, whether or not there's a subscription fee. The current head of staff also produces a Leicester paper, so it's slightly regional but that's about as good as it gets. If anyone can add to this, please do. The current circulation of the Coventry telegraph is below economic production level, so bunching news in one pot, is about the only means open other than it closing altogether.

It was a poor building to begin with. It was never as good as it was cracked up to be.

The Cenotaph in the Memorial Park still bears its shrapnel damage................