River Sherbourne

They'd be better of rebuilding the old block. ___________ "Nothing is going to be demolished" Are these going to survive?

I think you are right to be positive about this. That part of the town centre is scruffy and tatty and to all intents and purposes is economically dead. It desperately needs new development and it is a great idea to make a feature of the river. The alternative is just to leave it all to rot as is happening now. It seems some people are happy to do that, unless the city centre is reinstated to how it was in 1939. Or 1839!

And why is it important that they do?

It doesn't replace that though does it. Nice if we can pick and choose any image we like from a point in history and say whatever is being done is replacing it.

Won't make a blind bit of difference in Cross Cheaping. Taking into account the slope of the hill the tallest proposed building will be the same 'height' as that on Cross Cheaping.

It only needs the right small buildings to create a focal point where people want to be. When the giants invade that's what ruins it. New buildings can be sensible-sized and tasteful, they don't need to be vandalizing the visual scenery.

You are wrong. This building creates a landmark on a square that's characterless and empty. It also changes style towards the end of Hales street to fit in with the brick buildings. Tall building's don't 'ruin' places. I'd hardly call that picture of the Parson's nose great - a tatty shack that sold dreadful junk food.

No, it doesn't. Those buildings were demolished a decade ago and the land has been empty. There have been numerous plans for this site. Personally, I prefer the new proposal.

Not about the Parsons Nose in particular, about the principle, a building doesn't have to be gigantic or new - just good and useful.

Oh dear! You had me onside until then! I have many happy memories of a late night "all-in" (Faggot, chips and peas) after a night on the town. At 3am it was just what was needed to soak up some of the liquid refreshment. Strangely enough, I walked past there last week and remarked to my wife that the little patch of green that is there now should have some sort of memorial to the Parson's Nose to commemorate the generations of revellers who scoffed their fare, which admittedly would never win any Michelin stars.....

How do you know this building isn't 'good' or going to be 'useful'? There are plenty of poor and useless low rise buildings in Coventry.

Mr Di Di, I went to the Parsons Nose twice. Once in 1990 with some friends on the way back from Monsters of Rock. There had been a murder in the city that night and we got stopped with everyone else to ask if we'd seen anything and then had a brief chat with the policeman about the festival. We were stopping in Balsall Common but wanted some food. I knew about the PN so we went there. We got yellow coloured chips that were absolutely disgusting and threw them in the nearest bin. Not long after that while I was a student a friend told us the kebabs there were brilliant. We got one and stood in Lady Herbert's Garden and one by one threw them in the nearest bin. Never went back again!

Hmmm. It sounds like you had a couple of dodgy experiences of the Parson's Nose then. I was a regular there in the 70s and into the 80s and, to be fair, I did have something of a cast-iron constitution in those days. It was a sort of Coventry tradition to dine there, especially after a night at somewhere like the City Centre Club. If you were taking a young lady home, the least you could do was get her a bag of chips from the Parson's! Can't say I ever sampled a kebab there. It was always an "all-in", and the Momma serving would leer at you and ask "You want-a stuffing?" to the amusement of the gathered revellers. One night, being well-refreshed, someone challenged me to an all-in eating competition and I managed three! Oh, the folly of youth.

Agree with you there Mr D the Parsons Nose was the place to eat in the 70s & 80s. But I also agree with flapdoodle the place had defiantly gone down hill by the 90s.