Inside the Coventry house of man with huge collection of antiques

[dutchman]

Scott Duffin has tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of pieces all relating to Coventry's proud history - much picked up on websites such as eBay and antiques shops



It's the ever-growing collection of antiques and artefacts that shine a light on the history of Coventry like no other. Yet you won't find this impressive catalogue in a museum, university or public arts space.

It currently takes pride of place at Scott Duffin's south Coventry home and his nearby lock-up. The 38-year-old man has long held a passion for history and all things Coventry.

But it has reached new levels in recent years thanks to bargains he's snapped up in antiques shops and on websites like eBay. Scott also receives a steady stream of yesteryear donations as an administrator on the Visit Historic Coventry Facebook page.

He has tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of pieces, from bottles, books, stamps and placards to photos, letters, statues and signs.
Indeed, there are two chests of buried treasure in his lounge he hasn't even opened yet. Who knows what riches they might hold!

"I think it's the largest privately-owned collection of artefacts in Coventry," Scott says, opening up his wares to CoventryLive. "I've always loved collecting, but it really took off during Covid and now I have literally tonnes of stuff.

"I find it really enjoyable. It gives me a lot of focus. I collect a bit of everything. There's no one theme other than Coventry."

Scott, who last year co-authored his first book, Elephants of Coventry, has Coventry-cut coins that date back to the late 1600s, but the vast majority of his cache is from the 1880s to the present day. "The city boundary marker is probably my favourite piece," he says.

"It dates back to 1932. I've got a steel cover of a lamppost that was outside the Council House. That's another of my favourites. The collection just keeps growing and I don't see it slowing down any time soon."



Proud Coventrian Scott has trusted sellers that he goes to and is particular about who he buys from so as not to inadvertently support the blackmarket. The dad-of-two has all manner of paperwork relating to some of Coventry's biggest employers like Courtaulds, Triumph, Matrix and Jaguar Land Rover and even has a dusty photobook documenting the life of Pearl Hyde, Coventry's first female Lord Mayor.

There's stuff from the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes (RAOB), also known as the Coventry Buffs. And, rather randomly, there's a boxing glove that once belonged to late Coventry hardman Barrington Patterson.

His accumulation of correspondence from the Stonier family, well-known for owning properties and businesses in the region, is 1,000-strong on its own. And that's not to mention his reams of company receipts, log books and invoices.

He has hardware in the form of a Coventry Corporation manhole cover and plenty of street furniture besides. Scott has so many signs he never knows which way to turn.

One appears to have come from Coventry Train Station and he's also the proud owner of the Black Horse sign taken down when the Spon End pub closed last year. Etched glass plates, retrieved from a former police station in Coventry, sit in his collection alongside photos and slides that portray how Coventry city centre once looked.

Scott goes digging around the city in search of rare bottles. The many different coloured shards he comes across aren't going to waste. Resourceful as ever, Scott is mounting them onto a huge mosaic of the city's elephant and castle coat of arms.

He hopes one day to exhibit the mosaic, a giant 12ft x 12ft wooden model of medieval Coventry and items from his voluminous historical stash in an events space. "At some point I'd really like to give it all back to the city," he says.

"I'd really like to display it one day for the public to enjoy in a pop-up museum. I want the people of Coventry to enjoy these finds, some of which have never previously been seen."

Scott is also considering opening an online display with the working title of Coventry Collection. Anyone who would like to donate items can email Scott at Thecoventrycollection@outlook.com