COVENTRY MESSAGE BOARD

Looks like local buses, but I don't remember any two storey car dealerships....

Corporation Street looking south-west from the Telegraph building towards the Co-Op. Fretton Street on the right. Riley's Garage on the left, then Agers shoes, and Sherbourne Street.

Got any hard ones?

Thank you Dutchman. I don't remember that dealership at all.

I think the Dealership could have been Newsomes but I also remember them having a showroom next door to the Belgrade theatre about the end of 1964 early 1965 which became Lunn Poly travel agents.

Regards

Creteskyblue.

creteskyblue wrote:I think the Dealership could have been Newsomes

It was owned by Newsomes and sold Jaguars but for historical reasons it was known as "The Riley Garage"

creteskyblue wrote:but I also remember them having a showroom next door to the Belgrade theatre about the end of 1964 early 1965 which became Lunn Poly travel agents.

It had a Jaguar on a revolving turntable if I remember correctly?

The same Newsome family also owned the Hippodrome (Coventry Theatre).

This picture was taken in the 1930s looking the other way. The Riley Garage is now on the right. The Vulcan foundry where the Rex cinema was soon to be built is to the left of it. On the extreme left is the gas and electric showroom and visible in the distance between them is the Old Grammar School:

rebbonk wrote:Looks like local buses, but I don't remember any two storey car dealerships....

I don't remember it having second storey either but here is a blow-up of an aerial shot from 1937 indicating that it indeed did at one time at least. Views from this side are extremely rare but pictures from the back confirm it had an upper level.

Found a clearer picture from 1949: