Earl Street (inc. Palace Yard)

All buses stop using that side of Earl Street in 2013. Both photos taken by me, 1974 & 2013.

Following on from the above - RIBA view of suggested design for the Council House, showing other buildings on Earl Street. I'm now fairly sure that the remaining old shop next to the new design is number 13 Earl Street.

Helen, is this (the feint red lined arrow) the Dragoon cycle shop? If so, I think the Palace Yard entrance is just (sadly!) out of shot on the right. What was that gap though between them, as I can't see it on maps?

The gap is the Palace Yard. It had a recess from the main street line. D = Dragoon Cycle Shop #39 P= Palace Yard #40 B = Book shop and Herald printers #41

Got it - thanks, Helen. I did see that graphic you posted a while ago but the gap looked too narrow on that photo to be to Palace Yard - must be the angle. I can see it set back on my pic in post #84. Thanks as ever!

One day I do expect a decent photo of that stretch to emerge but that picture you posted is one of the best. It nicely shows the St Mary Street side of Wheeler's, which was spruced up to match Hammerton's, or maybe the other way round.

Helen, have you seen these ones of Wheeler's? Cliff posted the first one earlier but I've blown up a bit for the detail.

A new beauty of the Palace Yard in 1936.

Hi Neil. There's a small set of photos sourced from the MirrorPix that I'm not sure are labelled correctly and this is one of them. It's very probably not the Palace Yard although there's a chance it's the Sword and Mace Yard. However I've never seen another view of this, including sketches and paintings. I'd have thought one of the regulars would have recorded it as it's quite photogenic. Stone archways weren't that common in Coventry, and even the Whitefriars gate on Much Park Street was a wooden frame under a stone clad front. The stone work on the building isn't Coventry styling. It's also not likely to be Priory Row either.

Now you say that it doesn't match the usual ones we know of, does it. Thanks Helen. Will keep a lookout for the others.

The Herbert has this talk on Saturday about the lives of of Winifred King and Mildred Murphy, silversmiths, who traded as W. King & Co. from Palace Yard. I might pop along. If anyone is interested, you need to pre-book (for free). Let me know if you are thinking of attending. I like the image of the ladies sat in the Yard.

Wonderful photo - any idea of the date or who they are? I'm very impressed, especially after reading ‘A History of Women's Lives in Coventry’ by Cathy Hunt.

Linda, if you follow Neil's link to the talk, it tells you a bit more. Neil might be kind enough to report back?

Winifred King appears to be advertising from 1922 to 1939, nothing after that.

If I make it I certainly will do Helen - and another great find Anne - I'll show them that!