Broadgate

Similar shot but further back to one I think Tony posted a while back with the Council canteen - I remember it like this.

Sorry you feel like that. Having spent all my 75 years living here (and working in the city centre for much of the 60`s and 70`s) some of these buildings are like old friends. Funnily enough, the old Greens chemists with adverts on for the Telegraph, and before that for Renold Chain and its predecessor, evoke much nostalgia on the local FB groups. My earlier statement was, by the way, based on watching buildings going up and being taken down again.

That's a great shot, Neil, love it,

Look what's just landed in Broadgate... As part of this weekend's event, on behalf of the Lord Mayor, Councillor John Blundell, and Honorary Group Captain Sir Peter Rigby DL you are invited to join them to attend the Service of Celebration at Coventry Cathedral this Sunday 8th July - to be seated by 3.45pm please. Everyone is welcome to attend. Please share as appropriate. Please come along and see this magnificent display this coming weekend from Friday. An opportunity to sit in a decommissioned 'Red Arrows' jet - definitely an opportunity not to be missed. More info here.

CovPoliceHistory, Hope you don't mind me asking a question, but do you have records of crowd control at special events in Coventry history? I'm thinking back about 1930 time, special service at the Cathedral or in Broadgate, something that would have a score or so trams to bring in the people, the trams to be jammed in Broadgate for a time?

Evening all Following on from church cleaning this morning, I met a chum in cafe Italia for coffee around noon. What was very noticeable was the lack of folk in Broadgate. I realise that some are away on holiday & students are absent, but the vacant scene today brought home to me the stark reality of just how much retail shopping is changing & I believe changing for ever. I was in B'ham yesterday (Friday) where when riding a tram, I saw the one time iconic Lewis's building, now accommodation, as well as the former Rackham's store, now (House of Fraser) currently in the news, probably about to close for ever. Just like a huge ocean tanker, which needs so much time & space to change course, these huge conglomerates are little different. With so much increasing on-line trade, the chances are that unless a service is being supplied, anyone selling anything that can be delivered, this is how it is going I believe. It is my guess that maybe even in my remaining lifetime, public transport will change out of all recognition. In England, some bus operators are losing custom at the rate of 15% passengers a year - bus usage stats - whilst rail operators are at present experiencing a significant rise in passenger numbers each year - rise in rail usage. Folk are commuting further than ever on a daily basis, so haven't time to window shop. The one compensation for Broadgate might be evening eating trade, providing antisocial behaviour can be sorted, but at present I see little else. Maybe my grandchildren will tell their children stories of how their granddad used buses. "What's a bus daddy?"

Apologies Kaga. Being an infrequent visitor to the forum, I have only just seen this. Currently I am unable to help with your enquiry.

A somewhat ethereal Godiva, presumably in fog!

Hi Prof, I'm really loving your photos. Thank you so much. Gilly.

And me Prof. We are getting spoilt aren't we Gilly. Love the latest of Lady G (I never loved those foggy evenings though).

A view of pre-war Broadgate.

Broadgate was a very narrow road at the beginning of the 20th century. On either side the houses were three storeys high, some with overhanging windows, so nearly every time a wagon load of straw or hay was going through the road, it was known to pull out the window frames, so in 1920/1 the council pulled down the row that faced Cross Cheaping, and widened the road from 20 feet to 80 feet. The old Mayor's Parlour facing Cross Cheaping was an ancient house of three storeys - in front on the ground floor were six stone pillars supporting a balcony and iron railings, the upper storey projected over the lower storey and also had a clock. The clock had two wooden figures attached to it, representing the beadle and the town crier painted with red and green coats, attached to a mechanism that they struck every quarter of an hour. When the house was altered these figures went to the City Arms. The town crier's name was Orton and he lived in the Malthouse yard at the top of New Buildings. The beadle lived near the bottom of the Churchyard, the beadle tied people to the Mayor's Parlour pillars and flogged them with the cat for small offences. Facing Cross Cheaping on the corner of the square was a fishmonger, next door and facing the Cross was used for the old library.

I seem to recall that brick wall in the rear of the photo was once a static water tank!

This is how I remember Broadgate before it was spoiled and now has less impact.