Upper Foleshill (New Inn Bridge to The Parting of the Heaths)

Hi Down under, remembering who lived in Parkstone Road, can you remember a lad named Raymond Potts, I think was his name. He had to wear leg irons, something you never see nowadays. He was in the same class as me at Windmill Road school, and was frequently absent and our teacher would ask me to take his school milk home to him. I often wonder what happened to him. I also remember Valerie Dooay [excuse if wrong spelling]. Valerie was a friend of my sister Jean. She had an older sister who had TB. I remember visiting her, she had a bed in the downstairs front room. Unfortunately she died from the disease as many did in them days.

I remember a girl named Glenda Potts whose friend was Pauline Stew, both went to Windmill Rd school in the 1940's

Well I`m blowed. This is the first time I`ve seen Jills` barbecue mentioned on here. They were one of the first takeaways to sell `Fleur de Lys` pies and, as a treat, my mates and I would have one as a meal about once a week.

Arthur P Don't know Glenda Potts but I am in regular contact with Pauline Stew (Cavanagh) through our connections with the Quadrant Club. Alan H

I was going to respond to this thread too. I was telling my wife [who doesn't come from Coventry, poor girl] about "Jill's Barbecue" and the lovely "Fleur De Lys" pies. I told her that they were the best pies I had ever had. I thought they came from a pub of the same name which was in Nuneaton, Does anyone know if these pies are still made?. This is what is so good about this site, we can go from the disaster of the blitz to the quality of pies with equal enthusiasm.

John Wright My brain is working better this morning, the pub was the Fleur De Lys at Lowsonford, Google it and you will see mention of the pies, it was near a canal or a river. I believe they were later made by R.F Brooks who had a factory in Emscote Road Warwick near Pottertons. Alan H

Update on RF Brooks 1950-1960 RF Brookes has been a food manufacturer since the late 1950's. The business started by building a reputation for making top quality chicken and mushroom and steak and kidney pies from a public house in Lowensford, Warwickshire. Based on volumes that could not be handled from their small kitchens, the family acquired a factory in Warwick in 1957. As the sound reputation spread - being known as the best pie manufacturer in the Midlands. The company then moved to Magna Road, Leicester. Maintaining its high standards the business quickly grew, enabling the Leicester site to rapidly expand. Also during this time Brookes was taken over by the Avana Group. 1980-1985 In 1982 the company built a cook-chill recipe dish factory in Wales in which they have successfully built a £22.5m turnover, employing 700 people manufacturing a wide range of cook-chill and frozen products. 1985-1990 In 1987 the Avana group was taken over by the R.H.M. group, 1990-1995 In 1990 RHM invested in a £17m factory. In 1991 the old R.F. Brookes site at Magna Road re-opened, supplying frozen pizza bases to Pizza Hut. 1995-2000 1995 saw 3 million invested in a plant at Charnwood Foods .1996 was the year when RHM made their biggest sole investment into the Rogerstone Park Factory in South Wales which was completed in 1999 Alan H

Hi Gas Centre, [Alan H] Thank you for relating the history of the "fleur De Lys" pie it was very interesting. I have not seen" Fleur De Lys" pies on sale here in the West country, I wonder if they are still available in Coventry. I also wonder if they are still made, are they as tasty as they were when made on a small scale at the Fleur De Lys Pub. I originally said that I thought that they were made in Nuneaton, this was because there was/ is a pub on the Coventry Road as you enter Nuneaton called The Fleur De Lys, I put two and two together [or rather pie and pub together] and came up with the wrong assumption. One other thing Alan, I think it was you who mentioned that you used to live in Sandown Avenue in Coventry. On going through some old paperwork I found my Mother and Fathers wedding certificate, apparently my Mother lived at No 5 Sandown Avenue in 1937, my Father lived at No 80 Dovedale Avenue, I believe they then lived for a short while in King Georges Avenue.

John Wright Yes I lived in Sandown Avenue but I was not born until 1941, number 5 was almost opposite our house. Mr. and Mrs. Stalard lived there for most of the time I can remember. Alan H

Hi, Glenda Potts was a friend of my sister Doreen, and was the house the other side of the New Inn Bridge Tibbits, I do also remember a sparkler factory by the Three Horse Shoes, we us to go get sparklers on Bonfire night. Does anyone remember Mr & Mrs Pearson they lived inside the Gas Works, had a son Geoff and daughter Glenys, because Gwen married Geoff, but sadly he passed away 2 years ago. I usto take papers in Dovedale avenue, Windmill Road and the caravan park, and I walked all the way, before and after school, Also does anyone remember Ann Pearson they lived above the shop on the Foleshill Road, she also went Windmill Road School. Marg

The family who lived the other side of the bridge were the Tebbuts, Gordon Tebbut was in my class at Windmill Rd.

Was that the ice cream shop Arthur where the kids lost their dinner money on the pin tables?

No, but we spent many an hour at Dan Tebbut's trying to give the machines a jolt. Do you remember John Dodd singing in morning assembly, I used to take the wireless accumulator to his Dad's cycle shop for charging.