Staying in Coventry.... or not

Hi all I saw this video & immediately thought of our city full of students. What this lady has accomplished in New York is fascinating, how she has utilised the limited space. Small Space Living.

Hi, I was born in Coventry in 1959. I lived in Ranby Road, Hillfields until I was 16 then my family moved away to Doncaster where I still am. I went to Freddies, Broad Heath, and Sidney Stringer schools. Looking back, I realise how happy and fortunate I was most of the time. My parents had good jobs, my dad in the jaguar factory and my mum in Coventry glass. We didn't have many holidays as there was 5 kids in total but there was stuff going on in Primrose Hill Park, and the paddling pool in Binley Rd, also War Memorial Park. Wish I stayed in Cov. The difference for me when we first moved here was fresh air and space. Greenery, smelly cow fields, hahaha. I'm in a village, but would think it's the size of Hillfields. Less traffic then, cheaper cost of living. Miss Coventry so much. Try to get back for visits sometimes. Loved Coombe Abbey. Similar things up here. I often get nostalgic and wish I was back. Miss looking down Highfield Rd towards City FC, from my attic bedroom window. And we had summers with summer weather, not like now haha. And friendly people (mostly).

So do many thousands

I left Cov over 40 yrs ago, but my family remained, I left due to work, but returned regularly to see family and friends. I live in beautiful Wiltshire, overlooking green fields and the river Avon, and while I miss the shopping and sometimes miss the hustle and bustle of a large city, I love the peace and friendliness of the village, we all look after each other, no elderly person is left alone for long, and there is always someone willing to help if your car or electrical appliance breaks down. I look back on my childhood in Cov and realised how lucky we were, we were not wealthy, my father was an engineer and worked for Morris and my mother ran our small farm with dad's help after work, we did most of our shopping at the weekend, played with friends and family in the parks, swimming in Gosford outdoor pool, and going to fairs and circuses on Hearsall Common. Most of my family are now dead, my sister lives in Spain so I now only visit Cov a few times a year to visit friends, but every time I return, something has changed dramatically and I no longer recognise the city of my childhood, to be honest I find most large cities look alike, the same shops, pub chains and eateries, all have the same problems with drugs, drunks and violence, we do have the occasional drunk, usually asleep in a ditch. I am so grateful I lived my childhood in the city and have such wonderful memories, but I could never return to live there.

Hi covgirl and Linda After being brought up in Canley I left Coventry in 1962 when I joined the Army at just turned 18. My home 'leaves' were back here. I returned here for a couple of years after my 9-year army stint had finished, but then found a better job in London. After working in a School of Architecture for 15 years I took voluntary redundancy and moved to Accrington in Lancashire. At the end of 2014, I returned to Coventry. Why? At my then 70 years and needing a mobility scooter to get about I realised that Coventry gave me more opportunities to lead a good life. Here in Canley, the retirement home is on the site where I went to primary school and glancing up from my computer I can see Ten Shilling Wood where I played as a child. The city centre is just 40 minutes away on my scooter and there are dropped kerbs all the way. An added bonus to my return is that I can now attend the forum's breakfast meets. Robin