Upper Foleshill (New Inn Bridge to The Parting of the Heaths)

Hi Longford Lad, You must have be a very slow eater or a very fast walker if you could make a Fleur De Lys pie last from Jill's BBQ to the other side of the New Inn bridge, I know that I could not make one last that long ! You weren't eating two were you?

Will this make you all happy or hungry http://www.fdin.org.uk/2012/08/fleur-de-lys-launches-new-unbaked-puff-pie-range/

I would swear it was the steak and kidney 'Puff' pastry in my day Morgana. The thought of them now makes my insides rumble. When I win the lottery I will have some flown over ! Sorry, I am getting carried away - back to the thread in question.

Hi all, my wifes mother worked in Webbs sweet shop around 1950 time Iv'e just been informed. Also there was a teenage girl went missing (mid fifties) from Elmsdale ave that gave cause for some concern, the whole street were badly upset, and on edge, the police were called in, she was found in the loft of one of those barns behind The William Pub, alive, but not well.

Kaga Simpson. I remember Mrs Webb's sweet shop on the corner of Benthall Road and Ivor road so well. Living in the next road, Parkstone Road, Mrs Webb's was "our" sweet shop. If Mrs Blythe worked there then I would, no doubt have been served by her, Mrs Webb's was where we got our frozen Jublee's. from [remember them?] I cannot remember the story of the teenage girl missing from Elmsdale Avenue, but I was probably too young to understand the significance. I can neither remember those barns behind the William pub as that would be the back gardens of Barton Close. But the it all depends on where was "behind" the pub. May I ask how your lovely wife Janet is keeping?

Dreamtime said. I would swear it was the steak and kidney 'Puff' pastry in my day. Perhaps Dreamtime they altered the pastry after your time and now changing it back to what it was originally.

johnwright, They had dark wooden doors could have been garages ,,barns hard to remember now, but did have a loft of some sort, there was a passage way leading to them. Mrs Blythes Hairdresser married Terry Price. Janet is not so good these days, Janet as a pacemaker, as M,E, and now starting to get arthritis, so I'm head cook and bottle washer, gardener ,shopper,and house keeper, now wish the govt will pay me £8 an hour for each job then I could retire in three years time and get a Thailand girl. (I Have a Dream) regards Kaga

Hi Kaga, Further to the barns behind the William pub which I can't remember. Your latest description reminds me somewhat of some premises up the alley that ran next to Starkey's newsagents. This alley went from the Foleshill road next to Starkey's, at the top were some old rickety timber buildings, these belonged to, or were rented by a Mr Gubbins a builder I believe who lived on the corner of Benthall Road. The buildings had two levels, part of the ground floor level was where Mr Gubbins kept pigs, I remember lots of households in the vicinity had a "pig bin" where we would put our food waste, then Mr gubbins would call around with his wheelbarrow and collect the waste for pig food. I remember that in part of the top level of this building there was a boxing gym with punch bags etc, I used to go there until the fabric of the building [mainly wooden] became unsafe. This may be the barn mentioned in the story of the missing girl. I was so sorry to hear about Janet, please give her my regards, and forget about girls from Thailand, I'm sure you already have a good 'un. Regards, John Wright

Bob Gubbins (son of Mr & Mrs Gubbins on the corner of Benthall Road) was a long-time friend of mine. Unfortunately he died in January 2009 at the age of 62. Tragically his sister Barbara (lovely lady) was knocked over and tragically killed in a road accident near the Holyhead pub a couple of years earlier. My uncle (Harry Greensmith) kept pigs & allsorts on the ground between Elmsdale, Sandown, Arbury & Foleshill roads in late 1940's. I believe the houses are at the bottom end of Elmsdale. This is a photo of my elder brother Allen Oldham on a horse at uncle Harry's smallholding. As an aside, on the opposite corner to Starkey's was an ironmonger shop called W. Izzard. For years I thought it was Wizzard.

Derrick Arthur I think I remember your uncle, did he live in Arbury Avenue, seem to think he moved to Breech Oak Lane, Corley. Alan H

This photo of myself taken 60 years ago at 'Peggy'sPond', it was at the bottom of the field near the level crossing. You can see the Gas Works in the background.

johnwright, forgot to thank you for the enquiry about Jan's illness. Now, Longford Lad said he often had to walk home but you're not going to believe this. My parents moved out between Ansty and Brinklow half a mile the other side of the aerodrome, so if I took a girl home in Coventry that was my walk. Fed up with this I moved to my sister's house in Bedworth, but still missed the bus and walked from Cov to Bedworth regular, and no pie shop. Next morning I would catch a bus to Parkside, then be shuttled to Ansty Aerodrome, half a mile from my parents' house.This lasted about six months until I got a small flat in Barras Lane where I stayed for ten years Now, Janet says there was a small pathway opposite her house that led round the back of the row of houses and there was kind of allotments, and later Phil Judd had some sort of business there, between Elmsdale and Arbury Ave.

Hi again Kaga Simpson. The walk from Coventry to Bedworth is one hell of a walk. we would often walk to Bedworth from Foleshill. Once we went to visit a mate of ours who had moved to a caravan site near Bulkington, he had told us the site was over the main road at the end of Marston lane in Bedworth. what he did not say was how long Marston lane was. it took us hours to get to his caravan site ! I remember the alley way which Janet is talking about opposite where she used to live. This ties in with a post from Derrickarthur about the plot that his Uncle Harry Greensmith had between Elmsdale Avenue, Arbury Avenue and the Foleshill road. I lived in Parkstone road and at the top of the road and over the Foleshill road was the Foleshill social club [this later became and I think still is the R.A.O.B club] We used to play in the grounds behind the club, they even had a bonfire there on Nov 5th. Beyond this land was another area which we never explored for some reason but I do seem to remember sheds and things there so I am sure that this is the same area that both you and Derrick are talking about. Have looked on Google earth, and as expected this piece of land has now been built upon.

I think the walk to Bedworth was what we all done, I use to go to church at Aldermans Green then we walked the back way into Bedworth, when you think about it none of us would make it now. Mum & dad always took us to get blackberries along the lanes the back road, and when the elderberries came out, off we would go again. Remember those lovely pies, and the wine from the elderberries? We also had an allotment at the back of the gasworks, as the trains went by we use to wave to the driver standing on the gates at the crossing. Marg

Now hold on a minute 'Down Under'. Kaga can still do that walk, at about 25 min a mile, but then that's been a big part of my life, in my mid fifties I came up to Cov twice and did the marathon, plus an eighty mile run that took me 22 hours, part over the South Downs during the night. But I am way off topic here. Interested to know the church you went to? We talked about those allotments on this topic a few times but no-one has spoke of Phil Judd's place, could I be wrong about that, and are those allotments still there? And what's happened to the old Tram Depot, anyone enlighten me. Used to fascinate me to watch the driver, switch the pole round and go to the far end and drive, have I got that right? So long ago.