Famous Coventry Visitors

During the time when The Allesley Hotel was owned by Fred Kilpatrick. It was well know for the value of its carvery. Don't remember the occasion or date, but as a family we were there celebrating. At the same time, Norman Wisdom happened to be there. When the girl with the sweet trolley went past his table, he got up and took over by going around the room making a complete idiot of himself, just to get the attention.

Norman Wisdom, had a finger in the pie of a piano-mate business, that was located in a corner shop front, near but opposite to the junction of Lythalls Lane & Foleshill Rd. Piano-mate was a prototype of an add on device to a piano. The business was acquired by Logan, a very early synthesizer string machine manufacturer. It's this combination that eventually forced the development of Midi, now a standard connectivity medium that allows instruments to talk to each other. Logan The piano mate business, modified the string machine, so the keys would respond to the piano keys, like a phantom piano. Most players, me included, preferred to sit the Logon on a stand above the piano keys, play piano with left hand, the Logan with the right or treble hand. It wasn't until a decade later, that Yamaha, Korg or Roland had produced anything to match the performance of the Logan. Logan Demo It was really good if you could mix it with piano. Better with a low topped piano, the Logan would sit on the top, so making clutter less of a nuisance.

I've found four shows in my Coventry Theatre Archive (Christmas 1952, June 1959, Spring 1972 and June 1979) - could any of these help you date your family occasion?

Am I the only person who thinks our present prime minister is a dead ringer for Norman Wisdom?

Hi Harrier, do you mean by making an idiot of himself?

Thanks Rob. June 79 would be favourite. Could have been for my birthday.

I think he looks like Roland Rat but is less trustworthy

No Mick, it is supposed to be a serious comment!!. Just view the newsclip of the P.M. walking along Downing Street, the way he walks - Wisdom style. The fit of his suit - a bit tight and ill fitting the way Norman Wisdom purposely wore his. The way he suddenly grins as if he has seen the joke and no one else has caught on.. ...... That's my chance of an O.B.E. down the tubes.

I've only recently discovered that Belinda Carlisle and Jane Wiedlin from The Go-Go's came to Coventry circa 1980 to do the backing vocals on 'Enjoy Yourself' on the second 'More' Specials studio Album at Horizon Studio's.

I wonder if that's when Wiedlin and Terry Hall wrote 'Our Lips are Sealed', released by the Go Gos in '81 and Fun Boy Three in '83.

Possibly around the time Throwley. The news came to light from a chap called Pete Shells who I converse with on FB. He was friends with the Specials lads around the time. I did enquire how they came to be involved and I think similar to Banarama - as far as I remember they had caught the band's attention and were invited to do the vocals and then played support on the subsequent Seaside Tour. I think Terry and Jane were involved romantically for a short period.

Actor Edward G Robinson enters Coventry Cathedral through the Chapter House door, Priory Street. Robinson was in the UK in early 1962 recuperating after heart surgery and was a known lover of art, hence his visit. He was soon to start filming at Shepperton Studios for Sammy Going South.

There's a few of EG Robinson's visit to Coventry Cathedral in the Cooper archive. He had a fantastic art collection apparently and so perhaps wanted to see the art in the Cathedral. I wonder what he made of it?

I hadn't realised he was actually Romanian.