Record and music shops in the city (Click to see this topic in full)
You've just described Ralph to a tee Slim, he was the delivery driver. My late Mum worked for Fennells for decades.

Record and music shops in the city (Click to see this topic in full)
When I was 14, and in the radio club at school, our old black and white Alba television, which also included a vhf/fm radio tuned to the 3 BBC stations, went dead. I knew nothing about televisions, only radio, amplifiers, electrics etc., so Fennells were called out to repair it. A stocky man came out, and after fiddling for a while said he'd have to take the set back into the workshop for repair. Two weeks went buy, then Fennell's van pulled up. It was in the summer holidays, and I though great, we're getting our one and only tv back. Short stocky bloke, fag in mouth, got out tv from the back of the van and carried it up to the house. He said that it was BER (beyond economic repair), not worth bothering with, scrap etc. My dad said he recognized the man from years before as "the mad drummer". Dad said he was well known, because he had a cleft palate, and used to drum in a local band, and went berserk, bashing hell out of the drum kit, which was what he was famous for, hence the nickname. Anyway, my father being an engineer, albeit a mechanical designer with a rudimentary knowledge of electrics, made sure I did not electrocute myself when, later that evening, we set about repairing the tv ourselves. After a while, I found a 5W 2k2 wirewound resistor open-circuit. So the next morning, I got the bus to town and went to Electronic Services (remember them?) to get a replacement resistor. After my dad had finished work, the resistor was soldered in, and the tv sprang back into life. That fired up my enthusiasm for doing repairs, especially where the professionals had failed. Another bonus was that repairing tvs was lucrative, especially when colour came out, which attracted a premium price. I later learned that the resistor fed the screen grid of the PL81 line output valve. Hence no pic if faulty. Our old Alba soldiered on for a few more years before giving up the ghost. I then determined that the LOPT had failed, which was a terminal case for an ancient television with a low emission tube.

City centre shopping precincts (Click to see this topic in full)
In the round cafe photo, which was 1963 and obviously taken before the erection of C&A/Mercia House and the demolition of the pub etc. in the distance, the Lower Precinct had Fennells, etc. and Gibberds with the Pancake Parlour virtually above on the l/h side but nearer the upper Co-op entrance. Which side is the H&M store now at?

Owen Owen (Click to see this topic in full)
The History of Owen Owen The store's history 1937: Owen Owen opens a department store fronting on to Cross Cheaping and what was once known as Little Butcher Row. 1939: War breaks out in September and, by November, Owen Owen is busy advertising "shop early" for Christmas to avoid the blackouts. 1940: The store is bombed during the Coventry Blitz of November 14 and 15, which caused 554 deaths and left 60,000 homeless. The building later had to be bulldozed. 1945: The site of the new store, virtually on the same spot, to front Broadgate and back on to Cross Cheaping and Ironmonger Row, is laid out. A temporary outlet is set up on Trinity Street - a 1930s building remarkably similar to the original store, which still stands today. 1954: In October, the new store is opened by the then Lord Mayor, Cllr John Fennell. Crowds of eager shoppers queue to get in. 1996: Allders takes over and expands staff to 250 full and part-time employees. 2005: Primark buys store from administrators and closes it for what turns out to be a 19-month refit. Only six of the former Allders staff have gone on to work for Primark. There was no year when it did not trade in Coventry. In fact, look at this notice from 1940. November 21st Notice to all staff. Temporary offices have been opened at 2 Queen's Road Coventry. All staff are asked to call there on Friday or Saturday next for their wages and further instructions. If possible please call at the following times Selling Staff: Friday from 10 am to 1 pm cafe Staff: Friday 2 pm to 4 pm Non-Selling Staff: Saturday 10 am to 1 pm What's more remarkable, is that on November 26th, they had secured the first of several temporary premises. A multi-storey shop, which in twelve days were selling again.

Spon Street (Click to see this topic in full)

City centre shopping precincts (Click to see this topic in full)
Don't forget 'Elizabeth the Chef' cake shop next door nearly to Woolies at the start of the Lower Precinct upstairs which is in view or the 'Pancake Parlour' on the upper floor on the other side above 'Gibberds' and 'Fennell's' which is the side the photo was taken. Talking of shoe shops, what about 'Manfield's which had been in Broadgate since before the war and again after it was rebuilt at least until the mid 1970's.

Record and music shops in the city (Click to see this topic in full)
J Fennells started life as a piano retailer in Spon Street (on the left hand side going away from the city almost opposite the GEC about where the ring road is) and moved to 78 Lower Precinct when the said ring road was under construction. In time a branch was opened in Willenhall Precinct followed by another in Earlsdon Street with a workshop for repairing tvs and radios on the corner of Broad Street and Foleshill Road.

Record and music shops in the city (Click to see this topic in full)

Coventry Co-operative Societies (Click to see this topic in full)
Anne, from the upper level of the Lower Precinct you would have entered the first floor - the one shown in the photo. I can well see that they may have re-arranged the sales floors in the 1960s to capture the younger fashion market. The first floor had the largest sales area and adjacent to the men's fashion in the main building. Next door to the Co-op at ground floor was Fennell's record shop, while at the upper level was Jackson's Gents Hairdressing.

Record and music shops in the city (Click to see this topic in full)
Again, looking through the newspapers, Fennells had a closing down sale in July 1978, and later Forum HiFi are advertising at that address, also a health club which must have been upstairs.

Record and music shops in the city (Click to see this topic in full)
No, wrong side of Lower Precinct! Spinadisc 83-87, Fennell's 78

Record and music shops in the city (Click to see this topic in full)
I wonder if Spinadisc got the Fennells location? I can remember Spinadisc but not Fennells.

Record and music shops in the city (Click to see this topic in full)
Just caught up with the other replies, Kaga The 1927 Telephone Directory also lists them at 158 Spon Street

Record and music shops in the city (Click to see this topic in full)
Kaga, the 1939 and 1940 Telephone DIrectories both list "John Fennell, Pianos, 158 Spon Street" The Spon Street thread has several references to this shop I see nothing to suggest they were in Hertford Street

Record and music shops in the city (Click to see this topic in full)
From the newspaper, Fennell's were at 158 Spon Street, Kaga