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the missing coventry

PostPosted: Sun Jun 12, 2022 9:46 am
by Blitzkid
Dutchman ny computor is crashed, I'm on a new one, do you know what my old password was, may be I can get my old one to work again.
Blit-kid. thank-you.

:::Reply sent by email::: [dutchman]

Re: the missing coventry

PostPosted: Sun Jun 12, 2022 11:06 am
by Blitzkid
In the spring of 1934 the MDT posted an advert that the White Lion of Smithford street that their new acquired premises at 51 Smithford street would now have a Restaurant, kitchens and Function room. these premises vanished from the face of the earth in Nov 14th by a direct hit by enemy aircraft.
So the six years these premises existed there is no trace as far as I can find, apart for five little steps on adjoining partition wall between 50-51,these six years, were extremely rowdy, troublesome of pre-war years, six years of troublesome political upheaval for Coventry people. that never got reported or mentioned.

Re: the missing coventry

PostPosted: Mon Jun 13, 2022 10:10 am
by Blitzkid
Further to this, for a century the adverts to the hotel were read top to bottom, but in 1934 they were read from left to right
(see precinct adverts) and were placed in Pavement, not on wall of Hotel, as previously century. also there were alterations to no 50 of Smithford street, Coventry, it now had a wooden bay window, Ground floor Bar, second floor, landlords lounge overhanging the Pavement.

North of the River Sherborne was a swamp, until they built a bridge over the Radford Brook, and one over the Sherborne, which made it flow faster, and better drainage, now called the 'severn' by local people.
and theTwenty'th century the Salvation Army in Well st asked for a 'Geological dig' as there where many boulders, deposited by the Ice-age.

Re: the missing coventry

PostPosted: Sun Jun 26, 2022 8:51 am
by Blitzkid
Here for six years was the rowdiest pub in Coventry leading up to the Blitz, and Coventry made a large song and dance about finding the Adverts, but have no interest in finding the pub at 51 Smithford street, or some sign that it ever existed, not even the Coventry archives have interest, the mind really boggles at such indifference.

Re: the missing coventry

PostPosted: Sun Jun 26, 2022 1:43 pm
by rebbonk
Can you add any personal anecdotes about The White Lion, Blitzkid? Maybe flesh out some of the characters that frequented it? Or possibly some of the antics that went on in there?

I'm always personally interested in plans and plots hatched in pubs, be they betting coups, thefts, acts of revenge, or even political shenanigans. I know I've met some very interesting characters in pubs and I have little doubt that you can trump me.

Re: the missing coventry

PostPosted: Sun Jun 26, 2022 4:09 pm
by Blitzkid
The pub only existed between !934 to 1940 blitz, but no one as a photograph, paper cutting or any news of it, the British fascist party used its function room, come 1939 their leaders were placed in Prison, so they cleaned every thing there was to know about it from the media. to my mind, as a kid I played outside it, now, nothing as come up about it since, and it was hit by more than one Bomb. it maybe me, but if so, its strange that no one knows what it even looked like in the days when war was iminent, Number 51 Smithford street just vanished of the face of the earth, as far as I remember it never had a front door, from 1934 onwards, it used number 50, railings where placed in front of it in 1940 even though it vanished with the blitz.

Re: the missing coventry

PostPosted: Sun Jun 26, 2022 4:37 pm
by rebbonk
:thumbsup:

Re: the missing coventry

PostPosted: Mon Jun 27, 2022 3:03 am
by dutchman
This is as close as I could get in 1937, the rebuilt White Lion with its mock-Tudor frontage dead-centre and the old post office to our right of it. Further up Smithford Street British Home Stores is still under construction opposite Woolworths.

Image

Re: the missing coventry

PostPosted: Mon Jun 27, 2022 9:40 am
by Blitzkid
Dutchman, Good Morning hope you're well?

SORRY, No. The old post office moved to Hertford St in 1902, the only building with Mock Tudor front was no 50 Smithford Street, built in 1920/opened in 1921. You see the difficulty, but thanks.

Re: the missing coventry

PostPosted: Tue Jun 28, 2022 8:34 am
by Blitzkid
Rebbonk
My photo you see on Cannes west beach was taken by a young lady that wore less than me so she never got in the Picture, from the station you walked down a path through rock gardens, a path led off and you were looking straight into dual toilets, it was an eye-opener back in 1950. Some of the Hostels had barrack room apartments of mixed people as well, woke up one morning with a pair of beautiful girls dark eyes watching me from just a foot away, and she was the one that took the photo.