Coventry Pubs

That sounds remarkably similar to my Saturday nights Beesman - though I was on quite good terms with the bouncers at The Bear, the manager was a nasty piece of work as I recall - I believe one of the bouncers was Rob Townsend (I am truly bad with people's names, but it was definitely Rob someone). Ah - Nello's, many a wasted night spent there, the alternative night spot, they wouldn't let you in if you were wearing a tie. We would usually go to the Dog and Trumpet or possibly to back to Waters on the High Street if we had our ladies with us.

Hi My first time on here. Although I'm a Sheffielder my grandmothers ancestors were from the Coventry area and many relatives still are. My mums cousin used to keep the Shakespeare pub on Spon Street and I remember visiting in the 1950's. I spent a couple of days in Coventry last year doing some family research and was quite shocked at the Shakespeare as it is now. Many of my ancestors lived in Spon Street and Much Park Street so I'm very interested in Coventry's history. I felt I had 'come home' when I visited. The earliest family member I've found was born in Allesley in c1690 so I'm getting there.

Yep, they ripped the frontage out a few years ago and replaced it with a totally inappropriate facade despite the pub being in a so-called 'conservation area'.

I cleaned my loft out at the weekend and came across a Coventry Telegraph Special printed 23rd March 1992 called CHEERS. The map on the inside cover is littered with dots where all of the Coventry pubs were.

I used to go in The Grange in the 80s it was a great pub. I used to go in for lunch with my boss at the time, he lived off ham egg and chips. I went in at night with my mates and the girlfriend. The landlord and landlady were proper people, one of my mates, drunk one night, dropped his shorts just as the landlady walked by. She looked him up and down and and told him not to worry, it may grow one day and walked off. It was the best put down, I still talk about it today. My mate would go bright red every time he saw her after that.

Hi Jim, that was my mother in law you mention, sounds just like her, she had a look that could kill too, sadly The Grange looks a bit sorry for itself now it's closed down. I think it'`s been sold so more than likely be demolished and another block of flats appear but they can't destroy memories can they

I did not expect a response that quick. Sad to hear that. The landlady was a strong person, she used to do all the cooking and then be in the pub at night as well. The landlord was a nice guy as well, as a child I used to admire his cars. I also remember great bonfire nights in the garden. We used to queue up and get stew from a window.

Sadly Pete passed away suddenly the day the smoking ban started but Cynth's still at their pub in Bulkington at 75 years old, fair play to her. Your name rings a bell, who did you work for?

Sorry to hear that, I had forgot the names but it floods back, they were called Gilbert, I lived near the pub and my mum would take us in a bit in the summer. I started going in when I worked at the Co-op on Swan Lane, is that still going. Fair play to her for still running a pub.

Sorry, the Co-op has gone too. You are correct about the surname, I`m married to Jackie their eldest daughter. I`m surprised the old place isn't mentioned on this site more often for such a popular place. Sorry I`m thinking of someone else with the same surname, did your dad use the pub?

I do not know if he used it. I remember they had daughters, we got them a card when they had a child and my mate told me that they were called giblets. I put it on the front of the card and like a fool gave it to your father in law, he looked at it and laughed and told me what his name was. I felt a right fool. It was a great pub and I had great times in it.

What a small world, my eldest daughter was born in 1982 so that card could have been for her as she was their first grandchild? Sadly the pub trade is slowly dying in this country, it's a crying shame, there's not many busy pubs these days

If it was sorry about getting the name wrong. Has the Co-op gone in the UK. We have no good pubs here. What is your name. I had a great uncle who went in, he had something to do with the pub I think, he used to walk round selling tickets.

My name's Mick, it's ironic I have just had to stop working due to ill health from the Co-op or Co-operative Food as it's now known. They have a large national distribution centre in Keresley where the old coal mine was. As far as I'm aware there is no more dairies, long gone I'm afraid

Hi Mick, it was going that way when I left in 84, then I started working for British Rail before I left Coventry. Send my regards to your mother in law, she will not remember me by my name but she will remember my boss Bob Molt, he had his leaving party at the Grange in 84, a month before I was sacked funny enough. Also what was the name of the window firm on Avon Street called, he used The Grange if my memory serves me, he had a big Rolls Royce.