Coventry Comedy of Errors

[Blitzkid]

A guy called Caldicott had a house and silk firm in Coventry also one in London. at a time of prosperity set in, in Coventry he ordered steel girders from up north, he would build a larger factory, the girders came down by canal, from the basin the girders dragged by a team of twenty shire horses with chains from the basin to back of the Burges here the tall enormous factory was built, the single handed Loom gave place to to the engine loom. But when the hard times came, and unemployment set in, the huge building became derelict, It stayed that way for many many, years, no one could move it, it was still that way in 1936 when they built Trinity street.

[Blitzkid]

Madam Tussaud was a French Aristocrat. She fled the French Revolution, came to Coventry, lodged in Hay Lane for about three months. She held her wax-work show in St Mary's Hall, and turned the Mayoress Parlour into a "Chamber of Horrors" but the Council and civil people gave her no encouragement, so she went to London. We could have had world-wide tourism.

In 1925 a disastrous fire broke out, destroyed the entire collection of her exhibits, valuable collection of Napoleonic relics was lost.

[Blitzkid]

With coal being found in the North of Coventry, a bunch of Coventry Aristocrats thought it would pay Handsomely to build a canal. They offered shares in the scheme. The man of the day was Brindley, they offered him £150 year to Survey and Engineer such a project and
two-months attendance, every year. He was too busy, so no attendance. After repeated requests they sacked him, there were many other Engineers and surveyors.

An act of parliament in 1768 gave the go ahead, commenced in April of that year. The first two boats laden with coal from Bedworth came into the Coventry Basin on the 10th of august 1769.

After much searching I never found any evidence that he did attend at any time but some time in the 21st century Coventry made a great fuss about the story.

Again they found a story, and fuss of Joe Skinner who had licence to trade was part of the Skinner boat family of old.

In the 1930s/40s he was warned the trade was finished, there were no watering holes, no stables or food for animals, no real business anymore etc, but he clung on, helped by ex-boatmen.

[rebbonk]

I remember Joe Skinner, Blitzkid. He lived on a boat at Sutton Stop, didn't he?

[Blitzkid]

Yes Rebbonk
he did, swore he would sooner die than ever step on a motor boat.
My wife bought me a jig-saw from a boot sale, and there is Joe standing on a motor-boat and wearing a silk shirt, so out of place with his lifestyle, and character.

[Blitzkid]

The white lion Hotel at 50 Smithford street, Completely rebuilt the Hotel in 1920 re-opened in 1921, again in 1934 acquired 51 Smithford street, so built a restaurant, kitchens, function room, another bar, and living quarters for live-in staff in the roof.

The blitz on the 14th of Nov, completely destroyed number 51, tore the roof and third floor off, and destroyed the bay-windowed landlord's lounge on the second floor of number 50.

In 1942 the brewery had cleared the rubble from number 50 smithford street, re-paired the second floor a little, through a hole in the partition wall between second floor of 50 ran a Gallery of their future plans, a local boy took a photo of the Gallery at the time, this was then shown in the last twelve months, but mind-less so called Historians of today destroyed this valuable and Informative photo.

[Blitzkid]

During the 1950's the fire Brigade had a call to a farmers rick fire, nearing the fire the fire tender turned into a field of grass, the field had once been a plantation, all the young trees had been cut down, and 4/5 inch stumps left to rot, took all the underside of the
fire/tender out.

[rebbonk]

Similar story Blitzkid...

Land Rover paintshop had a fire, and the fire crew turned out in their nice shiny new engine. They successfully put the fire out, but it had been rather intense and they had parked rather close to it. Unfortunately, this nice new fire-engine had a plastic cab and had melted in the heat of the fire. It was salvaged and a new cab fitted, but you can imagine the cat calling for months after!