Coventry Cathedral

[floydraser]

Too wet to do much outside but it was a nice day on Tuesday so we nipped over to Coventry to have a look at the cathedral. The bombed remains of St Michael's church next door are quite moving, especially given the time of year. Not only is the 11th November significant but also 14th, the anniversary of the bombing in 1940.

Easy for us to get there as we only live about 25 minutes away, we went to the only Park and Ride in Coventry which is to the south of the city off the Kenilworth Road and within the War Memorial Park. Next best way to get there would be by train as the newish station is quite close to the city centre. Driving and parking in Coventry is horrendous!

Parking and buses are charged separately: parking is free for 3 hours then £4 for 4 hours etc. but get a discount ticket from the bus driver and it's £1 all day. We parked up and politely joined the short queue behind two other couples. A bus came in, rounded the oval, pulled up and the doors opened. Nobody moved so the doors closed and the bus drove off! We asked the others why they didn't get on the bus. It turns out the p&r is part of a regular route and the other couples were waiting to go in the opposite direction, to Warwick! Ah. 

One of them said it was a nice walk to the centre and it was, a lot of it being through the park where we also came across a coffee shop. It was a couple of miles but for now, that's ok for us.

We enjoyed the cathedral; what a contrast to Westminster Abbey a couple of weeks ago! No photos because they would just look like the ones you see online, it was worth the personal experience though.

I wouldn't think the cathedral on it's own makes Coventry worth a visit. Combine it with the Motor Museum for a better day out. There are plenty of eating/drinking places supported by university students but I'm afraid the buildings are looking a bit tired and disjointed. There's a Wetherspoons where the locals would enjoy staring at you, or a Zizzis just round the corner. You pays your money.....

[Turnoar]

Thanks for the write up on your visit floyd’, I was a student there a few decades ago, disjointed is a good general description and I think the city is unique in many ways, riding a push bike round the place was as bad then as Norwich is becoming now...

I have a lot of happy memories of my time there but haven’t been back for a while, the University have certainly expanded into many old buildings dotted around the east half of the city centre and I would hope some of the brutalist retail area has been improved west side.

Pubs were great, Brew XI, breakfast from a batch hatch, the Parsons Nose takeaway that sold only chips with curry sauce and the locals were friendly  once they realised I was from the Norfolk Broads not Australia!

 

[NeilB]

Lived just down the road in Warwick for 10 years prior to moving to Norfolk.  Only visited Coventry a few times though and can agree driving is a nightmare, especially the ring road with the short slip roads for both entry and exit!!

I did visit the car museum which at the time was free and it’s very good, I’d have been happy to pay.

[floydraser]

Brew XI..  was that a Midlands thing or nationwide? Reminds me of:

Mackeson - "Looks good, tastes good and by golly it does you good!"

"A Double Diamond works wonders works wonders works wonders a Double Diamond works wonders so drink some today!"

[floydraser]

If you want to make friends in Coventry just strike up a conversation about the 1987 FA cup final.

I used to work with lads from Coventry and they had a few tales to tell about working in the car factories. One of them said his dad used to work at "the Triumph" and their garden pond had a fountain powered by a TR8 electric fuel pump. Another told how he knew someone who could get tyres out past the security guards.

[SwanR]

Thanks for the write up and information. We have family in the area but have never stopped in the centre of the city. 

[Turnoar]

I think it was Mitchell & Butlers, yes a West Midlands thing for sure, maybe a little beyond, but very drinkable! Pronounced Brew Eleven (in a friendly midlands accent). The pubs that served it best were ran by Indian descendants, The Holbrooks was one I recall in particular at the end of Lythalls Lane, and I guess it was an IPA of sorts and they took a great deal of pride in serving up a perfect pint. I was introduced by some campers from Coventry who I met working at the Bridge Inn in Potter’ just before I headed there. They worked in engineering and for Land Rover at Solihull. Lovely people.

[CeePee1952]

13 minutes ago, floydraser said:

Brew XI..  was that a Midlands thing or nationwide? Reminds me of:

Mackeson - "Looks good, tastes good and by golly it does you good!"

"A Double Diamond works wonders works wonders works wonders a Double Diamond works wonders so drink some today!"

Oh the memories!  Used to drink Brew XII and Watneys Red Barrel back in the early 70's when you could get a pint of Red Barrel for about 16p in the pub!!  Rugby was well known for it's vast number of pubs in a very small radius of the town and a good pub crawl would only mean walking/staggering a few hundred yards between all the pubs! The good ol' days - I think! 

Also used to regularly travel to Coventry on the train to enjoy a night out at the Locarno and Ali Baba's in the city centre. Will never forget seeing The Crazy World of Arthur Brown perform at the Locarno and The Edgar Broughton Band 

Chris

[SwanR]

Holly the Cafe Boat did three videos in the area. This was the first followed by another two, one of which I think does explore the cathedral. 

 

[CeePee1952]

5 minutes ago, Turnoar said:

The Holbrooks was one I recall in particular at the end of Lythalls Lane, and I guess it was an IPA of sorts and they took a great deal of pride in serving up a perfect pint.

I think this pub is now called The Hollybush? It's also been called The Stranglers Arms by a lot of the older generation in the area!  The mind boggles! 

Chris

[Turnoar]

Just looked it up, that’s the one! Great memory of a lock inn or two there on a Saturday.

[kpnut]

29 minutes ago, CeePee1952 said:

Watneys Red Barrel back in the early 70's when you could get a pint of Red Barrel for about 16p in the pub!! 

You’ve just made my feel sick. How anyone could ever drink Watneys is beyond me. 

[CeePee1952]

1 hour ago, kpnut said:

You’ve just made my feel sick. How anyone could ever drink Watneys is beyond me. 

Back in those mis-spent days of my youth and not knowing any better and cash flow was a bit tight, anything that looked like beer and was cheap got my attention but I do agree that it wasn't the best by far!

Chris

[SANTED]

Another thing Coventry was famous for was when Chuck Berry recorded live in 1972, his biggest ever hit “My Ding A Ling” at the Locarno dance hall in front of almost 2000 fans and he insisted on full audience participation. It lasted for 12 minutes then a heavily edited version was released as a single

Mary Whitehouse tried to get it banned but failed.

[floydraser]

20 hours ago, kpnut said:

You’ve just made my feel sick. How anyone could ever drink Watneys is beyond me. 

I don't wish to make anyone feel old but I think Watneys was a thing of the past before I was old enough to drink. I remember "What we want is Watneys!" but mainly it's mentioned in a Monty Python sketch about travel agents. Actually Coventry gets a mention too:

 

[FairTmiddlin]

On 10/11/2023 at 22:05, CeePee1952 said:

Back in those mis-spent days of my youth and not knowing any better and cash flow was a bit tight, anything that looked like beer and was cheap got my attention but I do agree that it wasn't the best by far!

Chris

Chris The days that beer died Red barrel, Whitbread trophy, Double Diamond. all keg ales were truly awful. But in most places all you could get. Thankfully cask ales were revived.

[floydraser]

5 hours ago, FairTmiddlin said:

Chris The days that beer died Red barrel, Whitbread trophy, Double Diamond. all keg ales were truly awful. But in most places all you could get. Thankfully cask ales were revived.

I think we have Camra to thank for that.