Central Hall

Definitely Methodist Central Hall. My parents were married there as were my mother's siblings, I attended at least two of their weddings in short trousers. Later in my teens, I used to go to a weekly youth club there.

Hi rufford155. Hope you are well? My goodness, Central Hall youth club! I was a member several years before I left for Leeds University in '56. My friend Malcom Simpson who I was at KHVIII with (year '49) persuaded me to join, and from then on it was the highlight of my week! Girls, table tennis and snooker - couldn't get enough! There I met Bryan Meads who became a very good friend, we played together in the Bible Class League for the Central Hall football team with some success. I even got a mention in the Coventry Evening Telegraph as "W**** Scores 3". But it was the girls who were the main attraction; Sandra Hatton, Pat Hooper, Gill Blantern, Marilyn Jones, Margaret White, Paula Preston - I remember them well. I think Rev Plant was the organiser and I am sorry to say not a patch on the Rev Minshull who was a star on Sundays. Happy Days!

Hi Dr. Phil. I was also a member of the Central Hall, but quite a while after you. However, my older sister is Paula Preston (now Jones) and she is still close friends with Sandra Hatton (coincidentally also Jones, but no relation!) My parents were regular members of the church and I also remember Rev. Minshull.

Hi Maggie Hope you are well. Coincidences - the older one gets the more they seem to occur. I am sorry to say that Malcolm and Brian passed away many years ago, but I still keep in touch with Sandra and hear about Paula as well. Regards Dr Phil

Many thanks to Midland Red for his recent email about my last post - sorry for the error which I never considered being a problem with posts made many years ago coupled with my increasing age! But I will repost this as a new thread post Both KHVIII and the Central Hall were important for me in my time in Coventry, I enjoyed my time in school (mostly) not however Len Leathers, Long Lou**y, Latin lessons, double period on Wednesday morning being particularly hard to take - why did the Romans never use the word "the"? As I was 6 weeks into a term when I started in 2A I had much catching up to do! At the end of the term I was demoted to 2D and met a different order of teacher (Dr Kolisch hair pulling!, Maxie Gordon - I was in his "Magic Garden" quite often!) The Central Hall, however, was always a joy. It had a youth club - snooker, table tennis, and pretty girls all in a row so to speak! My best friend at KHVIII was Malcolm Simpson who lived near me on Allesley Old Rd and he persuaded me to join the club. Girls I remember were Gill Blantern, Paula Preston, Sandra Hatton, Pat Hooper, Marilyn Jones, Hazel Adcock, Deirdre Willbond etc. and more. I also met many boys of my age, principally Brian Meads, also BB members John Foster, Lance Evans and others who I did not know well who I met at other Central Hall groups, Brian Birkenhead, Pete Evans, Barrie Slater etc. I believe Lance married Paula but I am not sure. I am sorry to say both Malcolm Simpson and Brian Meeds both passed a way some time ago, both of them married girls from the Central Hall. Now on a slightly different note I have just finished reading the latest (?) Jack Reacher book written by Lee Child, did anybody else realise Lee was born in Coventry? He moved to Birmingham when he was 4 as his father thought he would go to a better school there eventually. He did! King Edward Grammar School. Cheers Post copied from topic King Henry VIII Grammar School on 16th Nov 2019 5:54 pm

I recall Brian Birkinhead from KHVIII - he was a fast bowler with a flowing action like Brian Statham (although he was a left arm bowler), and lived on Leamington Road Pete Evans was a good wicketkeeper, so he tells me - he's my wife's brother-in-law

Hi M R Heh, coincidences again I was a wicketkeeper too (and have the crooked little fingers to prove it) but not at KHVIII but much later when I played in Yorkshire League cricket in the Harrogate area with Beckwithshaw, ex England test player and captain Freddie Brown played occasionally for the Shaw. Happy days! Regards