Shops of yore

I remember the old style Sainsburys when it used to be on the opposite side of Trinity St, before becoming Halfords. It was a long thin shop, and as young boy, I found it boring being dragged around with my mum. There were separate counters, tills and queues for everything; each purchase had to be paid for separately, so one spent an age in the place. The term "supermarket" had not been heard of. When I was a bit older, everyone was asking "What's this new supermarket they're going to open in Coventry? What is a supermarket?" The shop also had a distinct smell, because nothing was prepacked. Raw meat, fish, butter, cheese etc. was everywhere. Flitches hung from huge steel S-hooks. I daresay the cheese was the biggest contributor to the overall smell, and I hated the place and its smell. My command of the English language was still in its infancy, but I distinctly remember telling my mum "I don't like this shop, this shop stinks!". Mum was quick to castigate me with "You mustn't say that, Sainsburys is a nice shop". Mum remained a loyal customer of Sainsburys all her life, despite the numerous competitive supermarkets in later years.

Telegraph report on Alma Delicatessen closure

There are now some great Polish shops in the city (and some super Chinese supermarkets). The Alma was fantastic, but too expensive. I recall buying stuff there and seeing it in supermarkets for half the price. They were, at one point, the only place to get tins of Illy Espresso coffee.

I remember the earlier shop in the lower precinct (1990s). They sold multi coloured prawn crackers which were a novelty at the children's parties, but after some years they disappeared and I then wondered if the colouring ingredient had been banned.

It was always known as the Polish shop. I was a regular in the 70's as it was the only place that sold Eastern European produce which at the time I loved, there was a creamy sweet which I cant remember the name of at the moment which I bought by the bucketload. They also sold soured cream (it never occurred to me to make some myself). My kids also loved the various Polish sausages that they sold. Eventually when other Polish shops opened (including one nearly opposite them) and supermarkets began to stock the same items the Alma could no longer compete

Stephanie Slater died last week or the week before. I thought Mike Sams worked at the laundrette in Moseley Avenue?? My interest stems from the fact that I knew Mike Sams well. We were in the same running club and he lived half a dozen doors away from me. I was still at school but he had a car, so he used to run me down to the club or to races. His car at that time had the gear stick on the steering wheel and a long single seat running the width of the car in the front - no doubt someone on the Forum will know which car I am talking about. He was a good driver. On one occasion we went up to the Morpeth Newcastle Road Race together one New Years Day, a 200 mile round trip. It was night time on the way back and it started to snow very heavily but instead of taking the A1 road back home from Scotch Corner, as most sensible drivers would have done, we returned the same way as we had gone in the morning, over the narrow moorland roads of the Pennines, by then deepening in snow. Despite slipping and slithering in the dark, in the snow, he still drove at speed and rather surprisingly we both got back home in one piece!!!! I always found him pleasant enough in the years that I knew him and still find it hard to believe what a monster he became.

Hi all Saw this on Facebook today.

Oh wow, not like today Philip, having to remember your pin no. or even where your card is #%^*)-+!#%* ! and a receipt that fades in time.

Coventry Evening Telegraph, 13th December 1967.

Looks like the junction of Swan Lane and Harnall Lane East. Post copied from topic Bus chassis driven around Coventry on 16th Apr 2018 7:32 pm

Looks very much like it, Wm Evans was at 269 Swan Lane here. Post copied from topic Bus chassis driven around Coventry on 16th Apr 2018 7:33 pm

Is that Burlington Road going up on the right? If so, then that blue fronted shop used to be a sweet shop much frequented by schoolchildren from Freddies.

The main little sweet shop was on the corner of Swan Lane / Burlington Road. It is now bricked up as the doorway was on the corner. They were the only shop that sold frozen jubblies. They must made a killing on those.

I could never afford a Jubbly, scrutiny, they were 4d and I rarely had more than 2d. Sticks of liquorice wood were popular as they were 1d each and lasted for ages! These we bought from a chemists on the opposite corner to the sweet shop. I wonder if you can still buy liquorice wood?