Back to the Bad old Days in Coventry (2 Viewers)

[bringbackrattles]

I used to drink in the city centre pubs in the 70's/80's and there was a lot of violence around then,in fact our city was called the most violent place outside of London back then for assaults and crime etc.
But it seems to be returning as we keep reading about stabbings and such like on a regular basis don't we ?
Why this is happening is anybody's guess but for those of us who recall the bad old days when you counted yourself lucky to get home in one piece after a Saturday night out,hope it doesn't get completely out of hand and end up like the Wild West !

 

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[olderskyblue]

It's funny, the 70's was my "town" period, and although it was rough, I never really worried about it much, only the odd occasion when as a long haired youth, i turned the corner just as a crowd of skin heads were coming the other way....!!!

I wouldn't go near the place at night now, as I'm an old git who cant fight or run anymore, but is it really that worrying for today's young un's?

Or does it just seem that way now we're older?

 

[chiefdave]

Is policing, or lack of, causing an issue? Reading about the recent issues at Carters the manager there said they could see trouble was brewing and called the police but they didn't turn up.

 

[bringbackrattles]

It's funny, the 70's was my "town" period, and although it was rough, I never really worried about it much, only the odd occasion when as a long haired youth, i turned the corner just as a crowd of skin heads were coming the other way....!!!

I wouldn't go near the place at night now, as I'm an old git who cant fight or run anymore, but is it really that worrying for today's young un's?

Or does it just seem that way now we're older?

You may have a point but my youngest son goes in town a lot and he says it's always kicking off in bars and clubs,so no difference there then from our era. I know Geoff Thompson the author of Watch my Back and that was about his days on the doors of pubs/clubs in Cov in the 80's etc,and he wrote about the violence they encountered,so I'm surprised you never witnessed or was involved in it if you used the city centre.

 

[Deleted member 5849]

It's funny, the 70's was my "town" period, and although it was rough, I never really worried about it much, only the odd occasion when as a long haired youth, i turned the corner just as a crowd of skin heads were coming the other way....!!!

I wouldn't go near the place at night now, as I'm an old git who cant fight or run anymore, but is it really that worrying for today's young un's?

Or does it just seem that way now we're older?

You're getting older is all

When I was late teens/early 20s, I used to go to all kinds of dives, but now a refined pint in a country pub is about my limit.

Don't think Cov is particularly dangerous, more the fact the city centre's a desolate wasteland makes an illusion of threat.

 

[bringbackrattles]

You're getting older is all

When I was late teens/early 20s, I used to go to all kinds of dives, but now a refined pint in a country pub is about my limit.

Don't think Cov is particularly dangerous, more the fact the city centre's a desolate wasteland makes an illusion of threat.

The city centre when I used it a lot had loads of pubs and clubs and there were lots of people hitting the places on a weekend,but you're right it isn't like that now as places are closed down etc. Probably isolated incidents get reported more now as they stand out and with mobiles around they can quickly be in the media.

 

[Ashdown]

The difference is these days, the arseholes are very quick to pull weapons. Anyone caught carrying a knife should be sent down to a tough prison and made to work their bollocks off everyday doing something useful !

 

[olderskyblue]

I'm surprised you never witnessed or was involved in it if you used the city centre.

I never said I didn't see it, or occasionally involved too, I said I don't recall worrying about it. It just never entered my mind when going "up the town" only when something actually occurred. Even then, you'd be back up there the next night.

Sad if it is getting as bad now though

 

[olderskyblue]

You're getting older is all

When I was late teens/early 20s, I used to go to all kinds of dives, but now a refined pint in a country pub is about my limit.

Don't think Cov is particularly dangerous, more the fact the city centre's a desolate wasteland makes an illusion of threat.

Yes, country pub is my limit too.

I'm wondering though, my local was the Live and Let Live, so town was quite peaceful really, in comparison...

 

[Nick]

Can't remember the last time I saw any trouble when I was out, the difference is now you don't tend to see 2 blokes having a fist fight, it is usually 1 bloke and his 8 mates and bottles or waiting until backs are turned etc.

 

[bringbackrattles]

I'm waiting for Houch to have a comment as he used to drink in the same pubs in town as me.The difference being most fights were punch ups and forgot about in the main,but Nick's right as it's usually half a dozen on to one now and some wanker sticking a knife in your back. I've been no angel myself but to go out on a night with a knife in your pocket tells me either that person is scared,or someone who is looking to seriously hurt or even kill someone else.

 

[bringbackrattles]

Yes, country pub is my limit too.

I'm wondering though, my local was the Live and Let Live, so town was quite peaceful really, in comparison...

I too used to go in the Live and Let Live and the White Horse,some characters in there !

 

[olderskyblue]

I too used to go in the Live and Let Live and the White Horse,some characters in there !

Thankfully, quite a few of the "characters" were mates of mine....

 

[chiefdave]

The difference being most fights were punch ups and forgot about in the main,but Nick's right as it's usually half a dozen on to one now and some wanker sticking a knife in your back.

I've got no evidence to back this up but it also seems that a lot more innocent bystanders are on the receiving end these days.

Back in the day if you wanted trouble you got it, if you didn't there was little chance of being pulled into it (unless a mini-riot kicked off), these days you can just be walking down the street and get knifed.

Happened a couple of streets away from me the other day, chap walking down the road in the middle of the afternoon, someone started on him for no reason and then pulled a knife on him. Think that's also why people are reluctant to try and split things up when it kicks of.

 

[Covstu]

Not been in town for ages so don't see it. Never had an issue in the 90's in my town period, we used to walk home through hillfields and never had an issue.

would go to Brum on a night out now

 

[Nick]

Don't really like Brum either, it is worse. Although Northampton is actually shocking, the bouncers there are the worst ones trying to kick off all of the time.

 

[Otis]

Can't remember the last time I saw any trouble when I was out, the difference is now you don't tend to see 2 blokes having a fist fight, it is usually 1 bloke and his 8 mates and bottles or waiting until backs are turned etc.

Kicking people in the head like a football when they are lying on the ground now seems to be quite the norm too. And as people have said, not fair fist fights, but 4 or 5 or 6 on to one.

 

[Nick]

Used to see a fair bit of in the side / back of the head. That was in the Yates days, they loved a Judas.

 

[Ashdown]

Not been in town for ages so don't see it. Never had an issue in the 90's in my town period, we used to walk home through hillfields and never had an issue.

would go to Brum on a night out now

I think that word 'Town' is a real problem for Cov, the City Centre has few venues and means protagonists and rivals are likely to keep bumping into each other, I think there is less trouble in big Cities !?

 

[Grendel]

Coventry City Centre is a hell hole. Successive councils have fucked the place up.

It's now a myriad of pound shops, boarded up buildings and down beat bars.

I hate the place and avoid at all costs. It's as bad as the 80's as its stuck in the 80's its shit.

 

[skybluedan]

You know the problem mate alcohol

 

[Otis]

Coventry City Centre is a hell hole. Successive councils have fucked the place up.

It's now a myriad of pound shops, boarded up buildings and down beat bars.

I hate the place and avoid at all costs. It's as bad as the 80's as its stuck in the 80's its shit.

To be fair, there are 4 pound shops in Cov city centre. Hardly a myriad (countless).

Have you been lately? Lots more cafes sprouting up and new restaurants coming to Cathedral Lanes should improve things too.

Not saying it's great, but it's not as bad as some make out.

 

[Otis]

To be fair, there are 4 pound shops in Cov city centre. Hardly a myriad (countless).

Have you been lately? Lots more cafes sprouting up and new restaurants coming to Cathedral Lanes should improve things too.

Not saying it's great, but it's not as bad as some make out.

I am not however, making any statement about nights out in Cov, cause I never go.

 

[skybluedan]

And you know what mate I was the same a complete dick,never a big drinker but more of the binge type loads of vodka redbulls and anything else put in front of me charged up to fuck ,luckily enough for me I got into rave music and drumnbase and know one really drank just chilled,but I've been stabbed and slashed intown at Mr gs and away with the city ,certainly not crying victim because I've done bad things back, best thing I ever did was stop drinking get my head down get a career and get the fuck out of cov ,now I live right on the beach,pay no tax and if I didn't want to work again ever then would not have too, and you know what still don't drink.........

 

[bringbackrattles]

Fair play to you I say. I too cleaned my act up as best as I could but still live here in Cov but as I'm a Coventrian I'm happy with that. I love my city and football club though and don't like hearing negative stuff about it,but it does need a good shake up and not just at the Ricoh !

 

[Covkid1968#]

Far too many moaning about the City centre......the more you moan the more people read it, the more people avoid it and then the more it starts becoming what people perceive it to be like. I spend at least 2 hours a day in the City centre and some of the stuff on here is just complete bollox.......Why not try bigging it up, if we all did that who knows what would happen.

I hate hearing people slag off Coventry......but its like some sort of acceptable behaviour. Stop it now people !!!!

 

[blueflint]

i was a sixties kid we had no trouble in town only in the dance halls that was pure jealousy

 

[martcov]

You know the problem mate alcohol

I run a pub in Germany and the only trouble we ever had was from Brits ( filling in Germans )... and I had to convince the old bill that they were from some ship and had vanished.... So it is not alcohol as Germans also drink alcohol. I don't miss the violent part of the 70's in Coventry - although there was a primitive excitement at the city games ( when you are young, the world seems different ). Now I am happy to be at events with lots of alcohol, music and fun and very little ( in comparison to Cov in those days ) violence.

 

[chiefdave]

I run a pub in Germany and the only trouble we ever had was from Brits ( filling in Germans )... and I had to convince the old bill that they were from some ship and had vanished.... So it is not alcohol as Germans also drink alcohol.

I spent a year living in Canada and some time in Australia, both places where they drink a fair bit and I saw not a hint of trouble in either country so I would say you are right. It's something about Brits and alcohol.

 

[Colin1883]

I too used to go in the Live and Let Live and the White Horse,some characters in there !

The bellfry and acorn were a tad "rough" some nights....

 

[skybluedan]

Through all the shit that happens in the city centre got to say changing the subject a little, last time I was Over and I was In town down bottom of the burgess ,been in a shop called kong lit up a fag outside and then a couple of doors up there's a pub used to be a nightclub I think in the day, but it was midday and there were to old pissheads singing my heart will go on by celine dion man and a woman middle aged, I had tears running down me face looking through the window they were proper going for it in love and when they finished she flashed her tits oh man even now pissing myself, only in cov

 

[Nick]

Club release, does that still turn ghetto at night?

 

[skybluedan]

Yeah it used to be mate many years back , with all the shit that's on the tv there's got to be a niche for pissheads kareoke channel 5 or something

 

[Nick]

Always.guaranteed somebody has pissed themselves in release by 3pm

 

[Grendel]

To be fair, there are 4 pound shops in Cov city centre. Hardly a myriad (countless).

Have you been lately? Lots more cafes sprouting up and new restaurants coming to Cathedral Lanes should improve things too.

Not saying it's great, but it's not as bad as some make out.

I have been recently. Take a circular journey starting from where Woolworths was and walk round past the Litten Tree and back up. It's so poor and downtrodden. Empty shops, pawn brokers, money lenders.

It's dire. What's the point in having bars and cafes - the whole culture preaches poverty. Anyone with purchasing power just will not go. Solihull and leamington are a million times more preferable.