Not sure if this should be in the joke section

Message

flatlander · #1 Post by **flatlander** » Fri Feb 13, 2015 9:05 pm

COVENTRY MAKEOVER UNVEILED
Draft Area Action Plan published...
http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/genera ... 5/120215_4

Willopotomas · #2 Post by **Willopotomas** » Sat Feb 14, 2015 12:16 pm

It's been on the cards for ages. They're actually not doing too bad a job of Friargate (area around the rail station). Broadgate is now a lot nicer now it's all pedestrianised. Still a fair amount to be done to make the city centre a nicer place, but it's getting there. Certainly a marked improvement in how it used to be.

Dusty · #3 Post by **Dusty** » Sun Feb 15, 2015 7:21 am

I've only ever visited Coventry once and although the centre wasn't the most attractive, I tell everyone to visit the city, if only to see the wonderful juxtaposition of the old and new cathedrals which is so poignant. I was also pleasantly surprised by the very old buildings up one of the side streets. I remember my grandfather telling me, from an early age, of his admiration of the amazing courage and resolve of Coventry's citizens during WW11.

Willopotomas · #4 Post by **Willopotomas** » Sun Feb 15, 2015 1:30 pm

If you look past the modern façade, there is still a lot of the old town left. For a short while, Coventry was the capital city of England. It held government, was a major court and also imprisoned some rather famous people. Mary Queen of Scotts being one of them. King Henry VIII got rid of our monesteries, the largest being St Mary's Priory. The ruins of which which have recently been unearthed and made into a visitor attraction.

Well worth a mooch around the place. I'll be happy to show anyone around if you're in the area.

Dusty · #5 Post by **Dusty** » Mon Feb 16, 2015 7:18 am

Thanks, Will. It's definitely on my list.; my wife wants to visit it having listened to me banging on about it for years!

DavShill · #6 Post by **DavShill** » Mon Feb 16, 2015 11:08 am

I agree. I spent a few very pleasant days in Coventry when my youngest was at Warwick Uni. It has an interesting history and some amazing old buildings. I remember one particularly good (very old) pub near the cathedral.

D-Rider · #7 Post by **D-Rider** » Mon Feb 16, 2015 12:43 pm

DavShill wrote:I agree. I spent a few very pleasant days in Coventry when my youngest was at Warwick Uni. It has an interesting history and some amazing old buildings. I remember one particularly good (very old) pub near the cathedral.

Old pub near the Cathedral - probably the Golden Cross - or perhaps Whitefriars.

Whilst I don't really like cities, when I moved to Coventry, I did find a city I could tolerate.
Indeed it does have a mix of old and new - that street full of old buildings is Spon Street - on the corner of which is St Johns church which traces its roots back to the mid 1300s. This was used as a prison in the civil war and being sent there is one of the explanations of the phrase "sent to Coventry"

The "new" is dominated by 1960s concrete post-war rebuild .... which is looking a bit "tired".

Being the historical centre of Britain's (in fact the world's) motor industries, it has an excellent transport museum which is well worth a visit.

The Ring Road was one of the first (maybe the first) of it's type and despite frequent criticism (some of the entry & exits are a bit short and are not for the feint-hearted or uncommitted) is really very good and works very well.

One thing I really liked when I moved here was the separation of road traffic and pedestrians - with loads of underpasses that avoided people coming in to contact with vehicles.
Due to those of a nervous disposition feeling intimidated in subways at night, rather than tackling the actual problems, they have filled many of them in and put in pedestrian crossings - a major retrograde step.

Hmmm ... the friargate development .... The jury is very far out on that one.
One of the primary ring-road junctions has been obliterated with that - one that worked well. It's all to make an impressive walkway between the city centre and the railway station .... the railway station itself being an ugly, cold, 1960s concrete carbuncle.
We'll see, but not sure that was the best of ideas.

DavShill · #8 Post by **DavShill** » Mon Feb 16, 2015 1:40 pm

Yes, just looked on the interweb and it was the Whitefriars.

flatlander · #9 Post by **flatlander** » Thu Feb 19, 2015 8:38 pm

COVENTRY GREEN BELT BUSINESS PARK BLOCKED
Scheme turned down by Secretary of State following call-in inquiry...
http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/genera ... 5/180215_1