Coliseum Buildings (Gaumont Palace & Odeon, Jokers Corner)

Thanks for the insider information Very interesting and spooky, you should have posted it for us for Halloween! It sounds massive internally. Did the policeman offer any guide as to when the murder occurred? The cellar sounds magic.

I would go down with you Foxcote, I think it would be great!!!

Not sure about that Dreamtime, we might find more than we bargained for, as in the missing wife Actually, regarding the search for the woman, if she was there, you would have thought the recent stripping and re-structuring of the building would have revealed some evidence of her 'internment'.

Dead bodies can't hurt you (perhaps I watch too much TV). Interesting story though! Hence the saying 'If only these walls could talk'

I was in the city centre today and noticed that two old signs have been revealed following the removal of more modern signage. I took a photo of them and have uploaded it to Flickr here. Joker's Corner is still very much in business today and I've been able to find out about that but haven't been able to find any background on the much older sign saying "Chocolate Box". I wondered if anyone remembers this shop and might be able to say when it was there.

Fascinating picture. It would be interesting to see what is underneath the Jokers Corner sign.

The "Chocolate Box" sign might date from the days when there was an entrance to the cinema on the Whitefriars Street side? I don't remember it being there in the 1960s but I could be completely wrong.

There are pictures in Coventry Old and New. In 1928 the door on the corner does not have any signs over, but it says Dance either side and has a gate across. The other picture (the now picture) is 1973, it has a sign in the same position as the Chocolate Box one, it looks as if it is advertising Players No.6 cigarettes. There isn't one above it, just the windows so I think the Chocolate Box sign must be under that so I think it must have been between 1928 and 1973.

Annewiggy, is it this book or a webpage you're talking about there?

That is the book Hazel. Not sure about copyright but if you don't want to buy the book I will risk scanning the pictures for you. It is very interesting book. The now pictures are nearly 40 years old! Just found it on here AbeBooks cheaper.

I like that sort of book so will probably order a copy. I found this link about the cinema, says there was a separate entrance to the front stalls on Whitefriars Street.

The cinema entrance was immediately to the left of the Chocolate Box.

I have this picture

On the 1932 plans this "passageway", as Dutchman correctly says is to the left of these shops, appears to lead directly to the main gangway inside the auditorium and maybe more likely have been used as an exit point after a show?

I think this is the photo from 1928?