War Memorial Park

Three Spires Bowling and Sports Club was founded in 1912

Sunday mornings during the late 60's and through the 70's, the Memorial Park was a hive of activity hosting Sunday morning football matches that all kicked off at 11am. There could have been 6 or 7 matches all kicking off at the same time. Arriving at the park, the first task was to find which pitch you were allocated and if you had the use of a dressing room or changing hut. (There were wooden huts that ran parallel with the Kenilworth Rd). On the occasion there were no changing rooms left, the manager was swamped with bags and coats to look after. There were never any hot showers or sometimes running water. Many a time you would finish the game, get back and find some of your clothes missing.

There's been some talk on FB about these pillars that Cliff photographed in post#42 - Its always been spoken of that they were also parts of the ruined Cathedral (the Visitor board for the Stone Arbour even states so!) but I was very interested to read that they are actually cores from the drilling of boreholes to extract water for the city's water supply before the water was piped in from the river Severn. Thanks again to Malvern Carvell - they predate the war hence cannot be from the Cathedral and are even visible here on this Britain from Above image dated 18th May 1937. Strange thing to put on display though?

We've seen borehole cores used as sculpture elsewhere. It makes more sense than landfill. I wouldn't turn something like that down if a drilling company wanted to get rid.

Mmm, my Leo would stop at that.

There has been some excellent research/posts on Broadwater on FB from Elizabeth Yardley (no relation to me but I think possibly to you Anne? I actually met her for the first time on Saturday at the Archives!) - and Malvern Carvell - Broadwater on Kenilworth Road built and lived in by Charles Gray Hill. Born in London he took over the buildings & premises of Alderman James Marriott in Much Park Street in 1886 and as a building contractor his company was responsible for many civic buildings. Having built Coundon Court for Mayor Singer, he married Louise Singer at Warwick Road Congregational Church, one of his buildings. He owned a brick works in Foleshill too. Sadly the business failed, he left Broadwater in 1907 and lived in Holly Lodge in the grounds of his father in law's home. He remained in business, retired and died in Beaulieu in 1933. Charles Gray Hill was a very interesting character. He was from Highbury in London and his great grandfather founded Hill, Higgs and Hill construction which over the years built many major London landmarks, including Harvey Nichols, County Hall and the Tate Gallery and more recently the BBC TV Centre and The Mound Stand at Lords. The company was passed down to his uncle, whilst Charles moved to Coventry. As stated he was based at Much Park Street until a fire in the 1890s. He then moved to Godiva Street. In 1907 the business closed down following a dispute with Rudge-Whitworth over the construction of the new factory in Crow Lane. The contract price was £28,256 but Gray Hill only received £16,500. Charles Gray Hill then set up Charlesworth Bodies at the old site in Much Park Street, with his partner Charles Sterne, making car bodies for Alvis and other manufacturers, which he ran until his retirement to Hampshire in 1928. Following the departure of Charles Gray Hill in 1907, "Broadwater" was bought by Thomas Mason Daffern the stockbroker, accountant (founder of Dafferns Chartered Accountants who are still going strong in the city) and also founder of the Coventry Permanent Economic Building Society. In 1936 the property was sold by the Daffern Family to Mr and Mrs William A Oubridge, who was founder, chairman and managing director of the British Piston Ring Company Limited (which went on to be Brico Engineering and is now part of the US Tenneco Corporation). In April 1940 the family evacuated to the South Coast and in 1941 the house was either commandeered or given over and became the Royal Observer Corps' Headquarters, co-ordinating the city's anti-aircraft defences after they moved from Hertford Street. The building remained as the local headquarters for the Royal Observer Corps until 1967, when it was put up for sale; it was hoped that it would be bought by the Coventry Chamber of Commerce for their offices but they were outbid by Monsell Builders, who paid £70,000 for the site. "Broadwater" was demolished and 12 4-bedroom houses and 3 bungalows were built on the site; the asking prices (in 1968) were between £17,000 and £20,000 per house! We now even have an image of Mr Gray!

Yes Neil, Elizabeth is my 3rd cousin, we have collaborated on our Yardley tree and met up a few times, including with another 3rd cousin from New York who was living over here for a while. That line of the family went to Brooklyn in connection with the watch trade but finished up running a funeral parlour which they still run on Long Island. She does a lot of work for historic places in Coventry now and does guided tours, a lovely lady. She has been mentioned on here before as a popular music teacher at Frederick Birds School. Also, I always smile when I see the name Higgs and Hill. It reminds me of when a meter reader (EMEB) went to a house in Coventry about the meter. The house was empty but a little child sitting on the kerb said "'iggs and 'ill moved 'em mister".

As these things do, the conversation on FB regarding Broadwater has led to another query - Anne would you be able to see if there is anything in the Newspaper archive from the turn of the Century regarding this at all please? - I remember being shown by my mother a reproduction of an old newspaper story, possibly from around the turn of the last century in which some local children tragically lost their lives whilst skating on frozen water around the Stivichall Common / Earlsdon Lane area.

Yes Neil, there is an article in May 1997 about a tragic accident that happened on 18th February 1876. In a rush pit on Stivichall Common near Earlsdon Avenue South, 5 children were drowned. They were named as Reuben Johnson, 13, of Much Park Street, Jane Payne aged 11, of Butcher Row, and Ann, 17, Elizabeth, 15, and Edward Eilam of Moor Street, Earlsdon. The report of the inquest is in an 1876 newspaper. The article in 1997 is quite long and also includes a poem written by James Chapman of Hope Street.

Thanks Anne - great info though how sad. I've looked up a Rush Pit which basically appears to be a Gravel Pit that has filled with water. The chap asking reckoned they were skating on frozen water so must have been a harsh winter! I wonder if that could have been a gravel pit from building the then new area that Earlsdon was at that time. That would have been quite a trip out from Butcher Row for poor Jayne, especially aged just 11.

I suppose this should really be in a Warwick Road or Styvechale Common thread but love this one showing what I presume is pre-Park days when it was probably still the common.