Interesting comparison - St Nicholas, Gt Yarmouth & Coventry Cathedral

I was surprised to learn last week that the parish church of St Nicholas in Gt Yarmouth suffered the same fate as the old Coventry Cathedral - it was burned out by incendiaries and left as a set of walls and a tower. Unlike St Michael's, however, it was later restored to its former glory. The largest parish church in the UK, it was rededicated last week, as a minster. I can't help thinking, if only....

That was an overtly political decision by the CofE. Plans for a triumphal archway and victory columns in Broadgate as seen here were likewise abandoned by the city council. The 'Elephant on a stick' is about all that's left of the original proposals.

Too much politics in this country, methinks! And too much glorification of war. I've put a 'Bunkers and things that go bang' sub-gallery with half a dozen photos of the Rheinmetall M19 mortar installation. Enjoy! I have loads of 'bunker' photos; one set is of a twin MG42 tower bunker, complete with one of its machine guns, that is pretty much in working order. So well hidden that you can't see it from the beach it was to defend! Also, the 105 and 88 mm gun emplacements, the underground hospitals on both islands, etc., etc. Some amazing military engineering, and it never fired a shot in anger. And all of it built by slave labour. The hotel we stayed in in Guernsey was the HQ of Organisation Todt in the island.

Fascinating stuff Keith, many thanks Sadly my interest in WW2 militaria is often misunderstood by people who don't know me to the point where it is no longer worth my while posting info on such things on the Coventry Telegraph website.

Well, I'll say this: I've known many people of all sorts of nationalities and creeds over the years, and the conclusion for me is that everybody has much the same aspirations, fears, feelings. No-one other than the people at the top of the pile actually want wars - and, after all, who benefits? Not the ordinary people, that's for sure! Yet, man is easily led, easily brainwashed into doing the most awful things to other people; often in the name of religion, but I think more often to satisfy some people's greed, for power, riches, whatever. At least we have far better education and communications now, so hopefully we won't again create the carnage and destruction in Europe that we've had in the past. My interest in military things is more technical than anything, though. There is more ingenuity and effort put into things for killing other people than anything else, and as an engineer, the ingenuity fascinates me! And, of course, history - why did things happen, how did they come about, not dates and sterile timelines.

Looks vaguely Eastern bloc ! Anyway, we're all grateful that the elephant survived, else where would we have met our girlfriends in town ?

When I was at Lexor, we had a young lady with us who was a member of a strict religious sect. One Christmas she was persuaded to sample the delights of the Christmas office party. Got quite a grilling from her father when she went home smelling of whisky... Afterwards we found out that it wasn't the first time....one New Year's Eve she, her brother, and some others got picked up by the police for getting slightly inebriated, and trying to climb the pole with the elephant on it....

Such a shame one county can rebuild and another abandon, also agree about too much political and war glorification, lol about the elephants as a kid our joke was , we use to say there s an elephant up the stick in broadgate hehe haha perhaps thats where the other one came from

That looks like a pic out of "The future Coventry". My parents used to have a copy. Any idea where I could get one now?

SUCCESS! I believe I have tracked down an original copy of this publication and should be able to get hold of a photo-copy I'll let you know just as soon as I have further info!