Coventry, City of Culture 2021 (1 Viewer)

[Travs]

I went for a run today, got on the Cov canal at the back of Bedworth Miners Park, along past the Greyhound, Ricoh, Foleshill, down to the canal basin, lap round the city centre, and back up Longford/Foleshill roads. Must admit the canal looked really nice in the snow. Usually looks pretty grim in the main. Even the city centre looked nice, though I have to say it was vastly improved by being nearly deserted!

 

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[pusbccfc]

I went for a run today, got on the Cov canal at the back of Bedworth Miners Park, along past the Greyhound, Ricoh, Foleshill, down to the canal basin, lap round the city centre, and back up Longford/Foleshill roads. Must admit the canal looked really nice in the snow. Usually looks pretty grim in the main. Even the city centre looked nice, though I have to say it was vastly improved by being nearly deserted!

How did you manage to run in the snow?!

 

[Travs]

I'm quite a dedicated Fell-runner so a few inches of snow is not too much of an issue.... that's not to say it wasn't hard work, but certainly easier than hoofing it up and down mountains...

 

[Nick]

I'm quite a dedicated Fell-runner so a few inches of snow is not too much of an issue.... that's not to say it wasn't hard work, but certainly easier than hoofing it up and down mountains...

Bet you struggled with the hill at bedworth park though, admit it

Do you have music or anything to take your mind off how far you have fun?

 

[ccfcway]

i used to listen to music when running but got bored,

now listen to podcasts.

Nil Lampty is one of them

 

[Travs]

Bet you struggled with the hill at bedworth park though, admit it

Do you have music or anything to take your mind off how far you have fun?

Sometimes I have music when I'm on a training run, not usually down the canal though, as can't hear the cyclist approaching behind you. Although that wasn't really an issue yesterday! The main hazards yesterday were getting round the fallen/overhanging trees which seemed to have been brought down by the weight of the snow, or possibly high winds...

 

[Otis]

Bloody hell, you were weren't running THAT fast were you??

 

[Earlsdon_Skyblue1]

Really exciting news for the city for sure. It is definitely improving and this will only help to boost that!

I had a friend here from Germany over the weekend and I took him round the city centre, showed him by the cathedral and everything. He just kept saying that it was nowhere near as bad as I was making out, so I then drove him round Hillfields and Stoney Stanton Road for balance.

I think one thing that could be good is the complete demolition of Pool Meadow, including the scumbags who loiter there. Rebuild that and it would certainly help a lot. I agree with the Britannia needing to go, but not so sure on the Swanswell being a focus part of the city. It's called dead man lake for a reason!

 

[Otis]

Really exciting news for the city for sure. It is definitely improving and this will only help to boost that!

I had a friend here from Germany over the weekend and I took him round the city centre, showed him by the cathedral and everything. He just kept saying that it was nowhere near as bad as I was making out, so I then drove him round Hillfields and Stoney Stanton Road for balance.

I think one thing that could be good is the complete demolition of Pool Meadow, including the scumbags who loiter there. Rebuild that and it would certainly help a lot. I agree with the Britannia needing to go, but not so sure on the Swanswell being a focus part of the city. It's called dead man lake for a reason!

Yeah, totally agree. Wipe out Pool Meadow and the Britannia and we could do something seriously good there.

 

[Nick]

Really exciting news for the city for sure. It is definitely improving and this will only help to boost that!

I had a friend here from Germany over the weekend and I took him round the city centre, showed him by the cathedral and everything. He just kept saying that it was nowhere near as bad as I was making out, so I then drove him round Hillfields and Stoney Stanton Road for balance.

I think one thing that could be good is the complete demolition of Pool Meadow, including the scumbags who loiter there. Rebuild that and it would certainly help a lot. I agree with the Britannia needing to go, but not so sure on the Swanswell being a focus part of the city. It's called dead man lake for a reason!

"Why have you picked up this prostitute sir?"
"For balance mate"

 

[Terry Gibson's perm]

Yep. Only a couple of months ago. The centre is transforming before our very eyes.

Do you go often? When was the last time may I ask?

I drove on the ring road for the first time in months last week and the city has really changed I am not sure if it is better or worse as I only went to IKEA :vomit: but it has changed a lot

 

[Earlsdon_Skyblue1]

"Why have you picked up this prostitute sir?"
"For balance mate"

Apparently they are pretty good value for money here compared to the ones in Hamburg. Who would have known?

Better get on the Brexit thread and tell Mart.

 

[Otis]

I drove on the ring road for the first time in months last week and the city has really changed I am not sure if it is better or worse as I only went to IKEA :vomit: but it has changed a lot

You should have seen the queue of traffic to get into Ikea on Saturday. It was horrendous.

 

[Otis]

Apparently they are pretty good value for money here compared to the ones in Hamburg. Who would have known?

Better get on the Brexit thread and tell Mart.

Do they still accept payment in 5p coins?

 

[Earlsdon_Skyblue1]

Do they still accept payment in 5p coins?

I'm not sure.

I went for the NOPM approach and got a hand shandy on the house.

 

[NorthernWisdom]

I studied the rebuild of Cov as part of my Town Planning Degree. There was a little clearance of the medieval part of the city before the war, plenty of damage during it, but the main proportion of medieval building's were destroyed after the war in the total redevelopment of the city centre, so you are right Otis the blitz did lead to a total rebuild, but the majority of it was down to the planners.

The planners at the time thought the town centre and all the brutalist/modernist architecture was visionary, whilst clearing away a vast swathe of our historical buildings and architecture. How little they knew.

It's all fashion though. Give modernism a century or two and it'll be seen as quaint.

Of course we'll have replaced all our buildings with neo-post-post-classical modernist baroque by then...

 

[fernandopartridge]

Coventry isn't brutalist and doesn't really have that much concrete. The main post war buildings are brick and stone. The Festival of Britain style is already quaint in its own way and it's generally the more contemporary additions that make it look worse.

 

[NorthernWisdom]

Coventry isn't brutalist and doesn't really have that much concrete. The main post war buildings are brick and stone. The Festival of Britain style is already quaint in its own way and it's generally the more contemporary additions that make it look worse.

Coventry's problem has been for years it hasn't let things get old, or it's tinkered. The original design for the precinct is great, but they ruined that.

Now if City of Culture means they get rid of Sainsbury's and put the clock back by the Transport Museum, that area could actually look pretty good again.

 

[Otis]

Coventry's problem has been for years it hasn't let things get old, or it's tinkered. The original design for the precinct is great, but they ruined that.

Now if City of Culture means they get rid of Sainsbury's and put the clock back by the Transport Museum, that area could actually look pretty good again.

Clock has gone for good.

I went to the Burges planning open day. This was all to do with opening up the river Sherbourne and Burges' improvements and I suggested that the area outside the transport museum should be included and they should open up the river there too. Clock is not coming back I understand. Would be really nice and if they could turn the old fire station back into a cafe upstairs you would then have lovely views of the newly opened up river.

 

[NorthernWisdom]

Clock has gone for good.

I went to the Burges planning open day. This was all to do with opening up the river Sherbourne and Burges' improvements and I suggested that the area outside the transport museum should be included and they should open up the river there too. Clock is not coming back I understand. Would be really nice and if they could turn the old fire station back into a cafe upstairs you would then have lovely views of the newly opened up river.

Kind of proves my point then, they had something vibrant, bright, unique... and now we have a wasteland frequented by skateboarders.

Is my concern about city of culture, that we'll have lots of nice things, but nobody'll think how to keep them there long term.

 

[Otis]

Kind of proves my point then, they had something vibrant, bright, unique... and now we have a wasteland frequented by skateboarders.

Is my concern about city of culture, that we'll have lots of nice things, but nobody'll think how to keep them there long term.

I liked the clock, but it wasn't maintained very well. Started to get a bit tatty and some of the plates were missing and some of the lights weren't working. By then it looked a mess.

 

[NorthernWisdom]

I liked the clock, but it wasn't maintained very well. Started to get a bit tatty and some of the plates were missing and some of the lights weren't working. By then it looked a mess.

Which is exactly the point. All very well putting things up, but have to plan how to maintain them afterwards!

 

[Captain Dart]

Clock has gone for good.

I went to the Burges planning open day. This was all to do with opening up the river Sherbourne and Burges' improvements and I suggested that the area outside the transport museum should be included and they should open up the river there too. Clock is not coming back I understand. Would be really nice and if they could turn the old fire station back into a cafe upstairs you would then have lovely views of the newly opened up river.

I think the old fire station has had its day. Wouldn't bother me if it was torn down.

 

[Otis]

Which is exactly the point. All very well putting things up, but have to plan how to maintain them afterwards!

Yeah, I was agreeing with you. Instead of ripping it out cos it's a bit tatty, maintain it in the first place.

 

[Otis]

I think the old fire station has had its day. Wouldn't bother me if it was torn down.

Really? I love that building. Think it's really nice and it already has great views from upstairs.

 

[Otis]

It's lovely old building that to my mind.

 

[Grendel]

View attachment 8540

It's lovely old building that to my mind.

I actually had to venture into Pool Meadow next door to that the other day to pick someone up from national express. Christ what a hell hole

 

[fernandopartridge]

Kind of proves my point then, they had something vibrant, bright, unique... and now we have a wasteland frequented by skateboarders.

Is my concern about city of culture, that we'll have lots of nice things, but nobody'll think how to keep them there long term.

Yep, councils are notoriously bad at considering the total cost of something including maintaining it for its lifespan.

 

[Captain Dart]

View attachment 8540

It's lovely old building that to my mind.

But it is not doing a lot, they can't sell it, can't find a use for it, has no parking & that dodgy Rois Ali failed in one of his business ventures.

Maybe I'm being a Philistine here but I think it would be better if they flatten pool meadow, the old fire station, Sainsbury's & the rest of the lower half of Trinity St and build something useful.

 

[Nick]

I actually had to venture into Pool Meadow next door to that the other day to pick someone up from national express. Christ what a hell hole

Did you have a piss up the wall inside? I'm always tempted as I feel as if I am missing out if I don't as it smells like everybody else has.

 

[Broken Hearted Sky Blue]

I actually had to venture into Pool Meadow next door to that the other day to pick someone up from national express. Christ what a hell hole

Hell hole? Grow up

 

[fernandopartridge]

But it is not doing a lot, they can't sell it, can't find a use for it, has no parking & that dodgy Rois Ali failed in one of his business ventures.

Maybe I'm being a Philistine here but I think it would be better if they flatten pool meadow, the old fire station, Sainsbury's & the rest of the lower half of Trinity St and build something useful.

It's a nice buiding but it's another one in Coventry that's on a dead street, the street being dead due to the ridiculous Ring Road. I agree about flattening Pool Meadow, think the council were on the right lines when they stopped using it. If we must have a bus station it should be an interchange with the railway station.

 

[Irish Sky Blue]

View attachment 8540

It's lovely old building that to my mind.

I think the fire station is the type of building we need to keep. It looks great. Agree about the space in front of the transport museum. The clock never seemed to work and I couldn’t understand it anyway. Now it is a big empty space that looks quite bleak. I had forgotten how nice the canal basin is. I think the idea to incorporate that into the centre is good. I don’t know how having a crossing on the ring road will work though.

 

[chiefdave]

Isn't the fire station being turned in to apartments?

 

[Irish Sky Blue]

Enough room for a stadium on Pool Meadow?