Shops of yore

I've checked with planning records. The shop was offically a tobacconist's known as "Cooks" or "Cookes". It was owned by "Orr Enterprises" of Albany Road who also owned quite a few cinemas and the shops nearest to them in both Coventry and Morecambe. I suspect they also owned the Opera House at one time. They preferred the name Hales Street Stores for the shop which unofficial. The open newsagent's frontage was a 'temporary' arrangement agreed with the council in 1962 on the understanding that the entire shop would be demolished in 1965. For various reasons this never happened and the frontage was retained for many more years. The tobacco section was at the back of the shop reached by a separate entrance on the extreme right of the frontage.

Hi Dutchman! I'm confused So is the shop you are discussing the one surviving as Godiva News or, as you suspected, a temporary one? Thankyou!

Yes, it's the same shop Anne, only the open front was 'temporary'.

Thankyou Dutchman!

Hi GVB, Kelly Electric I wonder if that person once owned a place on the corner of Cope Street and Priory Street, opposite the new cathedral? I worked there in 1957 as a 15 year old. I worked there for one whole week, enough said.

Hi Butty, I don't know whether this is the same chap or not but if it is like you I didn't work for him for long

A thread worth reviving.

Hi again, I can remember the shop, but cannot think of where it was located. Was it at the back of the gas show-rooms? Or Foleshill Rd?

Walsgrave Road, Gosford Green, where the Sky Blue Way is now

Looks like Walsgrave Road to me, just past Paynes Lane ? ? ? ?

Hi & thank you all!

Spot on MR. Riddy's was just past the Walsgrave Road/Paynes Lane junction, next door to the pub, on the left hand side as you were walking towards Ball Hill. I bought an ex Civil Defence greatcoat there in 1973 for the princely sum of £3.00!! An absolute bargain. I think it weighed more than I did!!

We used to get our school uniforms from Riddys. It was no fun being the only Japanese sniper in the class.

Dutchman will remember, it was next to our school - St Marys.

Oddly enough Tricia I didn't remember it at all until shown a photo of it quite recently and even then I didn't remember the name, only that it sold army surplus.