Much Park Street

Helen F, just for you, you might find what you are looking for in these paintings LINK LINK

I telephoned the Herbert today enquiring about Herbert Cox paintings of old Coventry, they stated they have lots but not on display, for anyone wanting to view will have to put in a request to see them and will gladly show you. If large amounts a group for example want to view they will have to book an appointment, the gentleman also stated if we have views we cannot figure out on photos they will gladly tell us where it was in Coventry. If anyone wants to send the photo in they will find out where it is and if it is Coventry of old. The gentleman also stated the Council House has a set of Herbert Cox paintings which is on view to the public, if you are wanting to take photos of the paintings you should ask first and no flash will be allowed if permission is given.

Thanks for those links Morgana. There are a number of artists I need to investigate and Cox is very high up on my list. The number of things I need to book a viewing for is growing rapidly. The more I can catalogue before I visit the better. I'm producing patchworks of each street with the gaps marked on so I know what to ask for. A big thanks to all those posting pictures

You're welcome Helen F, here is another one who painted Coventry, it doesn't say how many he painted. The Herbert said you could photo the paintings at the Herbert, no flash though, but was to ask permission if you view at the Council House where there is a set of Cox works on view LINK

Here's an interesting one - 1935 - a view of the city from the roof above No 1 gate of Armstrong Siddeley works in Parkside. Bottom left can be seen the roof of the Greyhound pub in Much Park Street. Copyright to Will Roe from the True Coventrian FB Page This is turning into another terrific thread. Love your images Elaine

Now that's a very different photo. Shows what a big building was at the top end of Much Park Street. Pity it's so grainy but this is exactly the sort of odd photo I need.

The sections marked in red are those I'm still missing on Much Park Street.

That's a great photo NeilsYard. Old Coventry looks like it would have been a fascinating place to explore. Not sure I'd have wanted to live there, though, due to the poor housing. But all those buildings and a dense population. Now it's almost the reverse! Hardly any population! Has any other city lost so much of its townscape? I visited Plymouth and that only seemed to have one street in the city centre that looked pre-war (It had some small alleys running off it.) The rest was quite bland and similar to Coventry - lots of big roads and shopping plazas. Barbican and Plymouth Hoe are both fantastic.

Mods note: This thread, like several others, has moved away from its original subject to a more general discussion about how Coventry has been developed, what needs to change, how it compares with other towns and cities. A lot of these discussions are repetition of what has been said elsewhere. Can we please ensure that this thread maintains discussion solely about its original topic, i.e Much Park Street. Thanks

Bass office was on the first floor before being transfered to new offices on the site of the Nags Head, Spon End. The ground floor was used as an emergency food store, grain, sugar etc.

Many thanks to DBC for telling us about the book 'Hurdy Gurdy Days'. I bought a copy and mum is currently reading it. She says that the mangle mentioned in the book is the one that is in our photos. It was there when they moved in and Granny used it for her washing. I quite enjoyed reading the book but did not know that Coventrians spoke with what we would call a Brummy accent in those days!

In searching through the 'net for information upon 'Old Coventry', I came across the photograph at the head of this thread. It is indeed the frontage of William Franklins; I was an apprentice with the firm for five years from 1961. The image of the yard certainly looks familiar. I think it was the yard to Franklins', if only because it appears to be opposite the Greyhound pub. It is as I remember it, although after 53 years, the memory can be unreliable! Questions have been raised as to the apparent discrepancy between the number of floors on the two sides of the frontage. That has left me puzzled too. I cannot recall the precise layout of the frontage but I think it housed the managers' offices on the street side. Nevertheless, I still have many memories of the place, the practices and the people with whom I worked. I still have my original apprenticeship papers. It is hard to credit, in this day and age, that I was employed in such an 'ancient' establishment. Franklins' were good employers but the factory was of Victorian origins -- as was much of the grime and dust within! It was almost as if one worked within a time warp. A couple of years after I started there, they relocated to Northern Ireland, taking me with them. I stayed In Ulster until 1966. They also had a plant at Seymour Road in Nuneaton. I understand that the factory in Banbridge, Co. Down, still operates, although long since under new ownership. I recently learnt that J&J Cash, our big rival of the time, has recently gone into liquidation.

Welcome to our forum andamanaffair Thank you for your memories. Thankfully Cash's were almost immediately rescued by a management buy-back (backed by one of their clients apparently) so they should be up and running again very soon

Thank you TonyS for your response. I was pleased to hear that Cash's might survive. Since my post, I have been scanning the forum and have found many things of interest; I even found my father mentioned in one! Of particular intrigue was a thread concerning my old primary school. I recognised many of the names mentioned and will probably add to that particular subject in the near future. I have been amazed by the breadth of knowledge contained within the forum and hope that, with my memories of Coventry dating back to about 1949, I will be able to contribute from time to time. I still have, in my possession, an old wall clock from one of Franklin's weaving shops. Of Coventry manufacture, it was obtained quite legally (!), following a request at the time when the plant was being removed from the building. I acquired a fire-bell in the same way. I just wish I could have fitted the clocking-in machine onto my bike.