Coventry city centre (1 Viewer)

Nick

Administrator
I 'outlined' that the council bring the Swanswell Pool into the city centre too.

Another way to get more bodies in the city centre?

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Gazolba

Well-Known Member
The council made a big mistake here though in terms of going for small businesses to fill the basin rather than the restaurant and entertainment angle of Birmingham.

What they did was make Coventry Canal Basin a bit of a pointless journey for the general public.

I used to go up there, but it's pretty much all just tiny businesses there working out of units and workshops.
To me that's what gives it charm. Why go there if it's crowded with people and the same kind of businesses as everywhere else?
I used to walk all the way to the canal basin along the canal footpath from my mother's house near the Barras pub.
Walked to the Greyhound pub from her house too, along the canal in the opposite direction.
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
To me that's what gives it charm. Why go there if it's crowded with people and the same kind of businesses as everywhere else?
I used to walk all the way to the canal basin along the canal footpath from my mother's house near the Barras pub.
Walked to the Greyhound pub from her house too, along the canal in the opposite direction.
Well, tend to agree, but then any retail or restaurant unit they have ever had there has closed down.

Needs to be a better mix. You walk up there and all the doors are shut because they are all small craft workshops or businesses. There is nothing there for the general public, so it's pointless going.
 

clint van damme

Well-Known Member
First pictures in of the Botanist in Cathedral Lanes.

Opens Monday and looks lovely inside.

Glad they have made use of the glass roof.

looks impressive, I think I'll give this a go, really like the look of the premises and the menu.
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
It got a lot of annoyance and irkism on here when first mooted. ;)

'I'm not eating my dinner off a f**king trowel' type comments.

My neice went to one branch and said it was lovely.
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
And....voila!!!!!

Looks mighty impressive to me and if the food tastes great then that's the main thing anyway.
 

Nick

Administrator
It does look nice in Cathedral Lanes, one of my pet hates is when you go out and you are sat directly next to people. So close you could eat their dinner. Those middle tables would annoy me.
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
It does look nice in Cathedral Lanes, one of my pet hates is when you go out and you are sat directly next to people. So close you could eat their dinner. Those middle tables would annoy me.
Couldn't you threaten them with a scissor kick?
 

Mcbean

Well-Known Member
It does look nice in Cathedral Lanes, one of my pet hates is when you go out and you are sat directly next to people. So close you could eat their dinner. Those middle tables would annoy me.
I also hate this and probably people would hate sitting to next to us - my wife is loud :)
 

tommydazzle

Well-Known Member
Apologies if Cov already do this but in Norwich they get huge numbers of families into the city centre during the summer with such a simple idea which grows every year. This year it was the 'Go Go Hares'. They get local artists (I think any arty type can bid for a single commission) to build human sized animals (has been dragons - so mythical sometimes) which are then distributed around the city. The idea is to track them down and tick them off - there are apps, stickers etc but most of the families I see are taking selfies alongside the hare they've spotted, I suppose to make a photo collection - they are all different and superbly made. They had 50 or so in the city centre this year in shop windows, libraries, museums, prominent places etc and also this year they had quite a few out in the towns. In my local market town we had a fabulous mosaic one appropriately outside my regular micro-pub the Hop Inn. A local cycling club used them as a basis for some kind of county race. At the end of the summer they are all auctioned off and the money raised is for local, usually, children's charities. Most of them go for thousands ofpounds plus there's lots of mechandising as well to the public. My local Town Council bought the one outside the Hop Inn to keep it there. It's a simple idea but it is incredible to see the swarms of families having fun collecting them and this of course has the spin off for all the local restaurants, fast food places like pizza, burger joints etc. If somebody had pitched this as an idea I would have doubted its merits but has proved very successful.
 
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Mcbean

Well-Known Member
Apologies if Cov already do this but in Norwich they get huge numbers of families into the city centre during the summer with such a simple idea which grows every year. This year it was the 'Go Go Hares'. They get local artists (I think any arty type can bid for a single commission) to build human sized animals (has been dragons - so mythical sometimes) which are then distributed around the city. The idea is to track them down and tick them off - there are apps, stickers etc but most of the families I see are taking selfies alongside the hare they've spotted, I suppose to make a photo collection - they are all different and superbly made. They had 50 or so in the city centre this year in shop windows, libraries, museums, prominent places etc and also this year they had quite a few out in the towns. In my local market town we had a fabulous mosaic one appropriately outside my regular micro-pub the Hop Inn. A local cycling club used them as a basis for some kind of county race. At the end of the summer they are all auctioned off and the money raised is for local, usually, children's charities. Most of them go for thousands ofpounds plus there's lots of mechandising as well to the public. My local Town Council bought the one outside the Hop Inn to keep it there. It's a simple idea but it is incredible to see the swarms of families having fun collecting them and this of course has the spin off for all the local restaurants, fast food places like pizza, burger joints etc. If somebody had pitched this as an idea I would have doubted its merits but has proved very successful.
Same in Bath with Owls ! my BIL bought one
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
Apologies if Cov already do this but in Norwich they get huge numbers of families into the city centre during the summer with such a simple idea which grows every year. This year it was the 'Go Go Hares'. They get local artists (I think any arty type can bid for a single commission) to build human sized animals (has been dragons - so mythical sometimes) which are then distributed around the city. The idea is to track them down and tick them off - there are apps, stickers etc but most of the families I see are taking selfies alongside the hare they've spotted, I suppose to make a photo collection - they are all different and superbly made. They had 50 or so in the city centre this year in shop windows, libraries, museums, prominent places etc and also this year they had quite a few out in the towns. In my local market town we had a fabulous mosaic one appropriately outside my regular micro-pub the Hop Inn. A local cycling club used them as a basis for some kind of county race. At the end of the summer they are all auctioned off and the money raised is for local, usually, children's charities. Most of them go for thousands ofpounds plus there's lots of mechandising as well to the public. My local Town Council bought the one outside the Hop Inn to keep it there. It's a simple idea but it is incredible to see the swarms of families having fun collecting them and this of course has the spin off for all the local restaurants, fast food places like pizza, burger joints etc. If somebody had pitched this as an idea I would have doubted its merits but has proved very successful.
Sounds great.

In Cov it is 'Find the Homeless Person'.

The whole thing is over in about 27 seconds.
 

fernandopartridge

Well-Known Member
Apologies if Cov already do this but in Norwich they get huge numbers of families into the city centre during the summer with such a simple idea which grows every year. This year it was the 'Go Go Hares'. They get local artists (I think any arty type can bid for a single commission) to build human sized animals (has been dragons - so mythical sometimes) which are then distributed around the city. The idea is to track them down and tick them off - there are apps, stickers etc but most of the families I see are taking selfies alongside the hare they've spotted, I suppose to make a photo collection - they are all different and superbly made. They had 50 or so in the city centre this year in shop windows, libraries, museums, prominent places etc and also this year they had quite a few out in the towns. In my local market town we had a fabulous mosaic one appropriately outside my regular micro-pub the Hop Inn. A local cycling club used them as a basis for some kind of county race. At the end of the summer they are all auctioned off and the money raised is for local, usually, children's charities. Most of them go for thousands ofpounds plus there's lots of mechandising as well to the public. My local Town Council bought the one outside the Hop Inn to keep it there. It's a simple idea but it is incredible to see the swarms of families having fun collecting them and this of course has the spin off for all the local restaurants, fast food places like pizza, burger joints etc. If somebody had pitched this as an idea I would have doubted its merits but has proved very successful.
They've done similar in Manchester with bees. Currently doing it with the snowman around Salford Quays. Like you say it does get families in and using the cafes and restaurants
 

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