COVENTRY MESSAGE BOARD

I stumbled upon these whilst looking for something completely different, but thought you might like them anyway.


Upper precinct around 1955


Broadgate 1960ish


Broadgate Xmas around 1965


Bull yard 1966ish

Nice find Rebbonk - particularly like the first one of the upper precinct and the Christmas one of Broadgate.

With regards to the second one - I don't remember the subway - is it still there?

pollyanna wrote:Nice find Rebbonk - particularly like the first one of the upper precinct and the Christmas one of Broadgate.

I liked the other two best! Didn't remember Hepworth's or Kendall's which I believe is still going? (Pound Shop Peter will know! )

pollyanna wrote:With regards to the second one - I don't remember the subway - is it still there?

Afraid not Polly, it was filled in years ago. How could you not remember it Polly, it was the only way to cross Hertford Street? Maybe you always used the stairs instead of the ramp?

I assume the fourth picture was taken after the original Three Tuns was demolished? Never had any time for the new version, looks like a piece of misplaced Mayan architecture!

pollyanna wrote:With regards to the second one - I don't remember the subway - is it still there?

As Dutchman says, long gone.

As a kid I remember many subways around Coventry city centre. Were they all filled in or do they remain in use for other purposes (storage?) these days?

rebbonk wrote:As a kid I remember many subways around Coventry city centre. Were they all filled in or do they remain in use for other purposes (storage?) these days?

As far as I know they were filled-in with the arguable exception of the one under the Butts Road which was filled with foam polystyrene in order to preserve its mosaic wall tiles for future generations.

I believe the subways under Hertford St and Trinity Street (and probably the one outside the Technical College) were originally air raid shelters.

flapdoodle wrote:Nice pictures. The first one shows stairs in the upper precinct - when did they go? I don't recall them in 1989 and 1990...

That's a good question Flapdoodle. Pictures show it was some time between 1975 and 1983. Perhaps someone here knows or could at least narrow it down further?

I don't know when they were taken down but the stairs went up to a 'landing' then there was a short flight of steps (maybe 3/4) to take you up to the balcony that ran round the upper precinct. There was a ramp in the same place as the one that is there now and I think that was for people with prams to get up to the upper level, although you still had to get up the small steps.

rebbonk wrote:

pollyanna wrote:With regards to the second one - I don't remember the subway - is it still there?

As Dutchman says, long gone.

As a kid I remember many subways around Coventry city centre. Were they all filled in or do they remain in use for other purposes (storage?) these days?

Here's the other end of that particular subway



MR

Midland Red wrote:Here's the other end of that particular subway

Thanks MR

I vaguely remember an undeground hair salon at that end of the subway too but might have imagined it?

Looking at that picture - I vaguely remember it now. Can't remember any hairdressing salon tho.