Coventry Market

[pollyanna]

My better half does visit from time to time and usually comes home with a bun or two.

Not in the oven I hope Pete

[PoundShopPeter]

Iced ones. Sometimes if I'm lucky she brings home one of this big biscuit face things with 100's of 1000's for hair.

[Midland Red]

My earliest memories is entering from Bull Yard, with two wet fish outlets on the right hand side (were they both "Dockers"?) and wasn't there an ice-cream vendor ("Victors"?) in between
Was it Mrs Docker (?) with very long blonde hair?

[dutchman]

My earliest memories is entering from Bull Yard, with two wet fish outlets on the right hand side (were they both "Dockers"?) and wasn't there an ice-cream vendor ("Victors"?) in between

That sounds more like the Barracks Market to me?

The fish market was totally separate in the new building and entered either from the Queen Victoria Road side or from a long ramp inside. It was decorated with statues of mermaids and mermen. The ice cream vendor's kiosk was located nearer the Woolworths entrance.

[dutchman]

Rare picture of the basement level under construction, 17th October 1957. Never even knew the market had a basement until now?

[rebbonk]

Never even knew the market had a basement until now?

You can see the road down to the basement behind Iceland. The traders store stock down there. IIRC, in the middle of the market there's a rubbish chute that ends up down there.

[dutchman]

I think this is the ramp?

[dutchman]

What's the large building just below the Cathedral tower on the second one?

It's the back end of the Empire cinema in Hertford Street.

[rebbonk]

I think this is the ramp?

Looks like it

[dutchman]

Found this article printed in the Coventry Telegraph in 2008 celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the opening of the circular market. This may not be available online much longer as Telegraph-owners Trinity-Mirror are gradually deleting old Telegraph news pages:

50 proud years for Coventry Market traders

Nov 4 2008 By Barbara Goulden

COVENTRY Market is 50 years old today.

The historic city centre market is celebrating its half century with a host of entertainment and activities – including selling goods at 1958 prices for one hour.

Reporter Barbara Goulden spoke to long-serving stallholders about their memories and hopes for the future of the buzzing market hall.

FRUIT and veg man Dave Betts admits he never heard a word of Princess Alexandra’s speech when she came to officially open the new Coventry Market on November 4, 1958.

“That’s because I was serving 2lbs of pears to my first customer,” grins Dave, who followed his own dad on to the market and has, in turn, been followed by his own two sons.

By the time the princess came, Dave – who was 17 at the time, had already notched up two years working on the old Rex Market, which used to sprawl along Corporation Street.

And he still remembers how moving “inside” to what was ththen a state-of-the art new market with a car park on its roof, wasn’t at first all it was cracked up to be.

“For a start we had no doors and windows in the circular building and so where I stood with my late father, Arthur, was like a wind tunnel.

“Soon everyone was complaining and so about a year later we got the doors and windows.”

The new market was really a merger of the two older markets, the Rex and the Barracks, which used to be in Shelton Square and was the site of the old cavalry barracks.

Dave, now aged 67, who lives in Corley Moor, has taken a backward step to allow his sons, Mark, aged 40, and David, aged 37, to run back to back fruit and veg stalls.

But he still puts in an appearance once a week where he often finds himself serving the grandchildren of some of his first customers.

Shoe seller Bill Duffin has worked out that back in 1958 a pair of good quality slippers would have cost customers about 19 shillings and 11 old pence.

And he’ll be happy to revert to the old price tag during his one hour of “historic trading” between 5pm and 6pm today.

But that doesn’t mean Bill, aged 60, who lives in Longford, is only interested in the past.

The man who runs Shoe Kings has been among the group of traders holding discussions with American architects Jerde about the shape of the market hall to come.

He said: “We listened to Jerde’s plans and they listened to us. Some people thought their proposals looked coffin-shaped – in the end they agreed with us that circular was a better shape for the market of the future.”

Bill, who first began selling his wares in Coventry in 1964, remembers some great times over the years – especially the atmosphere in 1987 when City footballers Lloyd McGrath and Cyrille Regis signed memorabilia following the FA cup win.

Electrical goods dealer David Lewin took his first stall on the market not long after the 25th anniversary celebrations.

Now after what he describes as a “fabulous quarter of a century” David has retired and the one thing he is looking forward to more than anything else is taking his wife Sally out on Saturdays!

Before taking his stall at the end of what is now the Sherbourne Arcade, David used to be a bookie in Foleshill.

Then he and partner Geoff Edgington took a chance on opening up the market’s first vacuum cleaner stall.

David, aged 64, of Rosslyn Avenue, Coundon, said: “Things went so well we decided it wasn’t worth us both standing behind the same stall so Geoff took one right opposite to me so we could catch customers from both sides.

“Geoff is only 60 so he’s carrying on trading because it’s a great market.

“You won’t believe the changes over the past 26 years but I’ll certainly be back on November 4 – especially if there’s a few bargains at 1958 prices!”

Kitchenware dealer Phil Shaw, aged 49, may be younger than some of the other traders but his roots date back to his late grandfather Thomas, who first started selling his hardware in the old Barracks Market.

When the move into the indoor market came, Phil’s parents Maurice and Nancy joined the business and he simply followed the family tradition.

Phil, who lives in Solihull, said: “Two of my four children have been Saturday helpers but they’re now at university and I don’t think this is what they will want to do when they graduate.

“I certainly still enjoy it – the market is a busy, buzzing place.”

50 YEARS OF COVENTRY MARKET

During the Second World War, temporary markets were put together after the main market place was destroyed during the Coventry Blitz in November 1940.

In 1958, Coventry built Europe’s only circular retail market, which still stands today with 234 stalls, including a fish market.

The circular retail market has 12 sets of doors, giving each trader a fair share of any customers entering the market.

When the market was built in 1958, concrete pillars were sunk up to 20 feet deep and a car park was built with a roof.

Coventry market celebrated its 40th birthday in 1998, with many exciting celebrations taking place, including a prize draw for a new car.

Many of the original traders’ families were still operating stalls 40 years on.

DAY OF SPECIAL EVENTS PLANNED

* Celebrations start at 9am when celebrity chef Rusty Lee cooks up Caribbean breakfasts until 11am.

* After that there will be a chance for children to meet Paddington Bear, have their faces painted and learn the Japanese paper-folding art of origami.

* From 2pm, there will also be demonstrations of Irish, Bollywood and salsa dancing along with more cooking demonstrations by students from Henley College.

* Lord Mayor Cllr Andy Matchet will arrive at 4pm aboard Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and will judge the best-dressed stall and unveil the new market clock and a map of the world.

* Between 5pm and 6pm bargain hunters can snap up goods at 1950s prices.

* BBC Coventry and Warwickshire will be broadcasting live during the day and at 6.45pm will be inviting people to take seats in the Lower Precinct for a video production of Coventry Market, the Musical.