Nick
Administrator
Oh yeah but wouldn't claim me sitting in my pants with toast crumbs on a laptop is a showcase for the city though.
Coventry Moves Together 20:21 (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter lordy_87
- Start date
Oh yeah but wouldn't claim me sitting in my pants with toast crumbs on a laptop is a showcase for the city though.
clint van damme
Well-Known Member
I'm sure Hull did similar stuff but look at the stats about visitors and investment.
As I said, had to go up north at short notice yesterday but drove through Earlsdon High St and it was mobbed, (I think they were waiting some sort of parade), you can't knock the benefits of it.
hill83
Well-Known Member
2 parades came through. It was decent tbf. Small but the place was carnage.
LastGarrison
Well-Known Member
The people of this city have a proper self loathing attitude. Almost like an abusive relationship. Happy to slag it off but don’t ever want to see it improve and move on.
Students - don’t pay council tax
Restaurants - all chains
City of culture - Sorry ‘so called’ city of culture. Happy clappy nonsense.
Literally anything good that happens in this city gets slagged off!
I took the Missus’ Uncle to the Transport Museum on Friday. He lived in Cov for 60 odd years before moving to North Wales to be near his lad and grandkids, he’s a proper Tile Hiller and hadn’t been in the city centre for a good few years.
He loved it. The transport museum is brilliant but it wasn’t just that he said that he’d never seen the city so bright and colourful.
Cov was shit for years and it is far from perfect but it is improving and it needs the local population to get behind it but for some reason they just don’t want to. Fucking weird behaviour.
Students - don’t pay council tax
Restaurants - all chains
City of culture - Sorry ‘so called’ city of culture. Happy clappy nonsense.
Literally anything good that happens in this city gets slagged off!
I took the Missus’ Uncle to the Transport Museum on Friday. He lived in Cov for 60 odd years before moving to North Wales to be near his lad and grandkids, he’s a proper Tile Hiller and hadn’t been in the city centre for a good few years.
He loved it. The transport museum is brilliant but it wasn’t just that he said that he’d never seen the city so bright and colourful.
Cov was shit for years and it is far from perfect but it is improving and it needs the local population to get behind it but for some reason they just don’t want to. Fucking weird behaviour.
hill83
Well-Known Member
Also though. You are part of that negativity right now by going on about it.
clint van damme
Well-Known Member
Haha! While agreeing with everything you're saying I have to hold my hands up and say I'm guilty of the restaurant comment!
Nick
Administrator
The transport museum is great, so is the Herbert when you go in and see the historical Coventry stuff in the downstairs bit. As a local you wouldn't go there every weekend but maybe every few months or once a year.
There's a difference in that a lot of the stuff isn't actually aimed at the locals a lot of the time to try and get them into the actual city centre.
It's pretty easy to be negative when a lot of the stuff isn't actually enticing to the local population.
Just depends on the target market. You aren't going to get Keith from Longford or Sharon from Wyken into the city centre with students or people prancing about. Restaurants would be the only one every so often for a treat though
Hopefully the nightlife will start to improve again, chains aren't too bad for the bars but not always everybodies cup of tea. Dhillons down by the Yard is decent as a different option though.
Still, not much more I'd need to go into town for unless it's beers now IKEA has gone.
clint van damme
Well-Known Member
The transport museum is great, so is the Herbert when you go in and see the historical Coventry stuff in the downstairs bit. As a local you wouldn't go there every weekend but maybe every few months or once a year.
There's a difference in that a lot of the stuff isn't actually aimed at the locals a lot of the time to try and get them into the actual city centre.
It's pretty easy to be negative when a lot of the stuff isn't actually enticing to the local population.
Just depends on the target market. You aren't going to get Keith from Longford or Sharon from Wyken into the city centre with students or people prancing about. Restaurants would be the only one every so often for a treat though
You will is Sharons kids are involved, and you'll get Sharon's mum and dad down as well, and the same for the families of the other kids of the school/dance school/ drama school etc.
hill83
Well-Known Member
Middle age man in pants says no
clint van damme
Well-Known Member
We're basically going to have the Godiva festival debate for a whole year.
Saddlebrains
Well-Known Member
Tbf i am looking forward to the Empire, that looks like it can change cov nightlife for the better all on its own.
Big fan of the way cathedral lanes is now a massive food mecca aswell
Big fan of the way cathedral lanes is now a massive food mecca aswell
hill83
Well-Known Member
There’s a food market on spon street as well now which is meant to be good.
publican1990
Well-Known Member
And the Factory at Fargo village which is local independent food traders under one roof.
Factory - FarGo Village
Home to a host of exciting events, we are fiercely independent creative businesses located in the heart of Coventry's City Centre.
www.fargovillage.co.uk
LastGarrison
Well-Known Member
Nick
Administrator
Does anybody ask why the locals of Coventry aren't really that arsed though?
hill83
Well-Known Member
Not really no, it was a shite joke.
hill83
Well-Known Member
When were you announced as spokesperson for the locals of Coventry?
Nick
Administrator
I wasn't, however if he is saying that there's so much negativity then surely ask why if the aim is to get them back into the city etc.
On the other note, that Dhillons CCFC bar is likely to get me personally and some of my mates into the city centre more
LastGarrison
Well-Known Member
Completely disagree with this.The transport museum is great, so is the Herbert when you go in and see the historical Coventry stuff in the downstairs bit. As a local you wouldn't go there every weekend but maybe every few months or once a year.
There's a difference in that a lot of the stuff isn't actually aimed at the locals a lot of the time to try and get them into the actual city centre.
It's pretty easy to be negative when a lot of the stuff isn't actually enticing to the local population.
Just depends on the target market. You aren't going to get Keith from Longford or Sharon from Wyken into the city centre with students or people prancing about. Restaurants would be the only one every so often for a treat though
Hopefully the nightlife will start to improve again, chains aren't too bad for the bars but not always everybodies cup of tea. Dhillons down by the Yard is decent as a different option though.
Still, not much more I'd need to go into town for unless it's beers now IKEA has gone.
Keith and Sharon if they are always going to stay local will stay local. However, there is a large swathe of people who don’t go into Cov but happily go to Kenilworth, Leamington etc for a meal and a few drinks.
What we need to do is entice these people back. Get people going into town again to have a night out without the perception that it is for the ‘young uns’ or it is going to ‘kick off’ based on a perception of twenty odd years ago.
There is a stigma about the city and particularly the city centre that only we can change.
Anyway, fuck it I know I’m biased and it certainly isn’t the utopia that perhaps comes across in my posts but I honestly believe that the city is at a tipping point and I just hope we take advantage of it.
Nick
Administrator
So why are people going to Kenilworth, Leamington or then Brum rather than Coventry? Even sticking on the outskirts rather than going into the City Centre etc.
The shopping question in the day time is obvious but I think with new bars opening Cov will catch up a bit.
LastGarrison
Well-Known Member
Nick
Administrator
Tell me what bit you disagree with?
Fucking spokesman of Cov.
He was taking the piss out of me
Not you, I think he actually agrees with you.
hill83
Well-Known Member
Tell me what bit you disagree with?
Fucking spokesman of Cov.
I wasn’t talking about you mate. I agree with you.
LastGarrison
Well-Known Member
Well that is the question.
And as I’ve said I think it’s a lasting legacy that we need to shake off. Hopefully it does.
LastGarrison
Well-Known Member
hill83
Well-Known Member
Apologies.
Been over Leamington for a few beers and something to eat.
Should be in Cov m8
publican1990
Well-Known Member
One place that has potential (with a bit of vision) is the old IKEA. I know the idea of an art gallery has been mooted. Personally I reckon a multi level entertainment centre of sorts would help attract loads of people, families included, to the centre. You could have indoor mini golf, a bowling alley, a space for pool tables, table tennis, darts. An escape room set up. You could have a food hall for local vendors, get some of the local breweries involved. You could have an area for live music to showcase local talent. It's pretty much equidistant between pool meadow and the train station, there's already plenty of parking nearby. There's also the cinema next door so people could make a day of visiting. Make Cov a destination for people from Warwickshire rather than the other way around.
The bridge to the canal basin needs blowing up too. Open that area up, offer incentives for businesses to open up there, an outdoor seating area at the canal basin would be a brilliant spot in the summer months for drinks. The Tin is a brilliant little venue, if it were in any other city it would be raved about but it seems to fall under the radar in Cov. A totally unique venue in the old coal vaults. Playwrights cafe has opened up there, that's a lovely little spot to grab a coffee and watch the world go by.
A lot of the time it seems Cov's issues are just piss poor marketing and promotion of itself, combined with short sighted planning.
LastGarrison
Well-Known Member
This.
Completely agree about IKEA and and the Canal Basin. The ring road strangles the city and the Canal Basin suffers for that. As you say, alongside the Tin and Playwrights there should be a few more restaurants/bars and it should become an area in its own right.
IKEA really is interesting and again I agree with what you say but it needs some investment. The Skydome at the time was a massive thing but in hindsight it did lead, in part, to the downfall of the city centre.
Fingers crossed someone sees the potential.
publican1990
Well-Known Member
My hope is that the City of Culture gives us the chance to showcase the city to the world. That from that we might get some outside investment, and that people will see what we have to offer as a city.
Here's an article from National Geographic Traveller magazine. Picture is by the canal up at Electric wharf. Just reading that, taking out all my bias as somebody from Cov, I would definitely want to visit here in the next year! Especially as foreign travel looks set to be limited for the short term at least.
Nick
Administrator
You want to visit Electric Wharf? Why?
Imagine people flocking to see it and the gates are shut to the small business park and then walking down the canal standing in dog shit.
This is I guess why locals aren't that fussed. "No holiday this year, going to see spoken word festival and Fargo village to buy some pretentious overpriced shite"
Imagine people flocking to see it and the gates are shut to the small business park and then walking down the canal standing in dog shit.
This is I guess why locals aren't that fussed. "No holiday this year, going to see spoken word festival and Fargo village to buy some pretentious overpriced shite"
publican1990
Well-Known Member
I said visit 'here', here being Coventry. But as it goes the area from electric wharf to the canal basin is nice for a walk, and I like walking. What do you like Nick? What would attract you to the centre? What would you, as a local, like to see? If I go into town there's lots of stuff I like doing. I love the transport museum which is IMO world class, the herbert, both of which I'd happily visit more than just once a year. If I want a pint I can happily sup away in the Town Wall Tavern, the Gatehouse, the Old Windmill. I like seeing shows at the Belgrade. I like strolling round the cathedral/holy trinity, sitting on the cathedral steps and having a coffee. It's not perfect but it's not half as bad as some make out.
Nick
Administrator
Yeah you are right, it clearly is your bias. What a load of shit.
publican1990
Well-Known Member
You seem really angry fella, we're just having a discussion.
Nick
Administrator
It's not angry at all, it is just pointing out that it clearly is a bias because it's here.
If it was Leicester going on about a spoken word festival and an arts event based on a canal I am pretty sure you wouldn't be saying you would really love to visit it.
It's the reality of it.